Abstract:
A ridge vent adapted specifically for use with tile roofs, and which does not require a nailer board to be installed on a roof prior to installing the ridge vent. The ridge vent includes a main body portion, a neck portion extending from the main body portion and a pair of flanges depending from the neck portion and extending away from one another. The flanges are adapted to be secured directly to a roof after the ridge vent is placed over an opening at the ridge of the roof. The neck portion includes a pair of accordion-like panels which permit the length of the neck portion to be increased or shortened to vary the spacing between the main body portion and the flanges. This enables the ridge vent to accommodate roof tiles having varying radaii of curvature. A plurality of living hinge portions permit the ridge vent to be unfolded into a relatively flat orientation to make same easier to package and ship.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of United States patent application Ser. No. 09/695,523 filed on Oct. 24, 2000, and presently pending. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/161,503, filed Oct. 26, 1999. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to roof vents for residential or commercial dwellings, and more particularly to a roof vent specifically adapted for use with tile covered roofs.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Tile roof ridge vents are typically used to vent an attic area of a residential or commercial dwelling, which area can become extremely hot during summer months. Typically, existing tile roof ridge vents require a nailer board, which is usually a 2×4 or 2×6 stud, to be secured to the trusses along the ridge such that the stud stands up and forms a surface to which the ridge vent can be secured. The ridge vents are usually two or three piece components which have a pair of flanges flaring outwardly away from each other. The flanges are adapted to be nailed to the roof. A cap portion of the ridge vent is then nailed to an upper edge surface of the 2×4 or 2×6. Tiles are then placed over the flanges.  
           [0004]    The requirement for a nailer board (i.e., either a 2×4 or 2×6) thus represents a significant additional assembly step, as well as a significant additional cost, when installing tile ridge vents. Installing the nailer board alone often requires that the upper edges (i.e., apexes) of the trusses be cut to form a flat surface to which the nailer board can be secured. This significantly increases the time, cost and effort associated with installing ridge vents for tile roofs.  
           [0005]    It would therefore be highly desirable to provide a ridge vent adapted specifically for use with tile roofs which does not require a nailer board to be installed before the ridge vent can be secured to the roof.  
           [0006]    It would also be highly desirable to provide a ridge vent which comprises a single piece component which can be quickly and easily secured to the ridge of a roof over an opening in the roof, and which does not require the installation of a nailer board before installing the ridge vent.  
           [0007]    It would further be desirable to provide a ridge vent having an expandable neck portion to accommodate roof tiles of different sizes.  
           [0008]    It would also be highly desirable to provide a ridge vent which is relatively inexpensive to produce, lightweight, and which completely eliminates the use of a nailer board as a prerequisite to installing the ridge vent.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The above and other objects are provided by a ridge vent in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The ridge vent of the present invention generally comprises a main body portion having a pair of oppositely extending eaves, a neck portion and a pair of oppositely extending flanges. The eaves each have a plurality of slots formed therein for allowing air to enter and exit the ridge vent once it is installed on a roof. The ridge vent forms a one-piece component which is extremely lightweight, relatively inexpensive to produce and, most importantly, completely eliminates the need for installing a nailer board on at the ridge of the roof before installing the ridge vent.  
           [0010]    The ridge vent of the present invention is installed by positioning it over an opening formed at the ridge of a roof. The flanges are then secured by threaded screws or nails to the roof. The neck portion spaces the main body portion a short distance above the roof while the slots in the eaves allow air to circulate into and out from the ridge vent. Since no nailer board is required to support any portion of the ridge vent, installation time is significantly reduced. A tile cap may then be secured over the main body portion such as by threaded screws.  
           [0011]    In an alternative preferred embodiment, the ridge vent includes an accordion-like neck portion which allows the main body to be adjustably spaced closer to or farther away from the flanges. The main body further includes a plurality of integrally formed clips for holding an independent cover member which may be supported from the main body portion via the clips. This embodiment is further completely formed by a suitably high strength plastic as a single piece unit. In one preferred form, certain corner portions of the main body comprise living hinges which allow the vent portion and the main body portion to be laid out substantially flat. This enables the ridge vent to be packaged and shipped in a much more compact container, thus reducing shipping and packaging costs. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The various advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art by reading the following specification and subjoined claims and by referencing the following drawings in which:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tile ridge vent in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the undersurface of the ridge vent of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional plan view of the ridge vent of FIG. 2 taken in accordance with section line  3 - 3  in FIG. 2;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an end view of the ridge vent of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic representation of the installation of a prior art tile ridge vent showing the use of a nailer board to which the components of the ridge vent are attached;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a simplified schematic representation of the installation of the ridge vent of the present invention secured to a roof;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a ridge vent in accordance with an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken in accordance with section line  8 - 8  in FIG. 7;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is a top view of the ridge vent of FIG. 7 showing the male end thereof in greater detail;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is an end view of the ridge vent showing the neck portion thereof extended; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 11 is an end view of the ridge vent showing the ridge vent flattened into the position it assumes when being packaged for shipping.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a ridge vent  10  specifically adapted for use with tile roofs. The ridge vent  10  may be made from metal, plastic, aluminum or any other suitable, lightweight material or sheet metal. The ridge vent  10  generally comprises a main body portion  12  forming a hollow area therewithin, a hollow neck portion  14  and a pair of flanges  16  which depend from the neck portion  12  and which flare outwardly away from each other.  
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body portion  12  includes a pair of eaves  18  each having a plurality of slots  20  formed therein. While eight slots  20  are shown formed in each eave  18 , it will be appreciated that the number of slots could vary significantly depending upon the overall dimensions of the ridge vent  10  or the desired degree of airflow therethrough. Optionally, as shown in FIG. 1, a cover  17  having a plurality of openings  17   a  could be secured to the main body portion  17  to ensure that the slots  20  are blocked from view. If incorporated, the cover  17  would preferably extend along the entire length of the ridge vent  10 . The cover  17  could comprise a piece of sheet metal or aluminum which is painted to match the color of the roof tiles to be used on the building on which the ridge vent  10  is secured. The cover could be attached by threaded screws, rivets or any suitable means for securing it to the main body portion  12 . Preferably, two covers  17  will be used, one on each side of the main body portion  12 .  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the flanges  16  are formed so as to extend at a slight angle relative to the horizontal to aid in fastening to a roof. This angle can also vary considerably, depending upon the pitch of the roof, but is preferably with a range of about 30-80 degrees. The neck portion  14  can also be seen to space the main body portion  12  away from the flanges  16 , and thus away from the roof, to allow air to easily circulate into and out from the ridge vent  10 .  
         [0027]    With reference now to FIG. 5, a prior art ridge vent installation is shown. The prior art ridge vent  24  requires a nailer board  26  to be attached to the trusses  28  of the roof  30 . The nailer board  26  is typically a 2×4 or 2×6 stud. Usually the upper edges of the trusses  28  need to be cut to form a flat surface to which the nailer board  26  can be secured to. The prior art ridge vent includes flanges  32  which are secured to the roof  30  on opposite sides of the nailer board  26 . An upper vent component  34  is then secured to an upper edge  26   a  of the nailer board  26  by nails or screws. A decorative cap  35  may then be secured over the upper vent component  34  and to the nailer board  26 . Thus, the prior art ridge vent  24  forms a multipiece component that cannot be secured to a roof without the nailer board  26 .  
         [0028]    Referring now to FIG. 6, the ridge vent  10  of the present invention is shown secured to the roof  30 . It will be appreciated immediately that the nailer board  26  shown in FIG. 5 is not needed for installation of the ridge vent  10 . The flanges  16  are secured to the roof  30  by nails or threaded screws after the ridge vent  10  is positioned over the opening at the ridge of the roof  30 . Decorative cap component  35  may then be secured with additional nails or threaded screws to the main body portion  12  of the ridge vent  10 . A screen (not shown) may also optionally be installed over the opening prior to installing the ridge vent  10  to further ensure against the entry of small animals through the opening. The slots  20  (not visible in FIG. 6) enable air, represented by arrows  36 , to circulate freely into and out from the ridge vent  10 , and thus the attic area  38  beneath the roof  30 . Advantageously, the slots  20  open downwardly, which significantly reduces or eliminates the risk of wind driven rain, snow or other elements entering therethrough. This is in contrast with other tile roof vents, which have vent openings along a vertically disposed portion which can allow the entry of wind driven rain or snow.  
         [0029]    From the above it will be appreciated that the ability to install the ridge vent  10  without having to previously install a nailer board represents a significant time, effort and cost savings. This can significantly expedite the installation of the ridge vents  10  while reducing the overall cost associated with the installation process. The ridge vents  10  are further formed in one piece to further enhance the convenience of handling and installing same. Furthermore, the ridge vents  10  can be provided in a variety of profiles, materials and colors to suit the needs of a specific application. The degree of ventilation provided by the ridge vent  10  is also superior to the ventilation capable of being provided by off ridge vents.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a ridge vent  100  in accordance with an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention. The ridge vent  100  is similar to the ridge vent  10  with the exception that the ridge vent  100  is made entirely from a suitably high strength plastic, such as, for example, polypropylene. The ridge vent  100  includes a head portion  102 , a neck portion  104  and a pair of flanges  106 . The neck portion  104  is formed with accordion-like panels  104   a  and  104   b  which allow the head portion  102  to be positioned closer to or farther away from the flanges  106 . This allows the ridge vent  100  to easily accommodate arcuate roof tiles having varying radaii of curvature. The accordion-like panels  104   a  and  104   b  forming the neck portion  104  thus allow a single ridge vent  100  to be used with roof tiles of varying radaii. This eliminates the need to manufacture and stock ridge vents having neck portions of different lengths to accommodate different styles and sizes of roof tiles.  
         [0031]    Referring to FIG. 8, the main body  102  of the ridge vent  100  further includes a pair of integrally formed, opposing catch members  108  which are used to support an independent cover member  110 . The catch members  108  capture a bead  111  of the cover member  110  when the bead  111  is snapped into the catch members  108 . The cover member  110  can then be slid longitudinally along the main body portion  102  a small degree, if needed.  
         [0032]    With reference to FIGS. 8 and 8 a , the cover member  110  includes a first layer of fins or fingers  110   a  spaced apart from a second layer of fins or fingers  110   b . The first layer of fins  110   a  comprises a plurality of individual fins  110   a , which are staggered, laterally, from a plurality of fins  110   b   1 . When layed on an arcuate roof tile, the two layers  110   a  and  110   b  conform to the contour of roof tile and the gaps between the fins  110   a   1  and  110   b   1  permit air to circulate out through the ridge vent  100 .  
         [0033]    It is anticipated that in some applications the cover member  110  may alternatively include scalloped cutouts at its lower end portion for resting over semicircular roof tiles which are abutted up underneath the main body portion  102  of the ridge vent  100 . Such scalloped portions will allow the cover member  110  to match the contour of the roof tiles. Since the catch members  108  allow the cover member  110  to be slid longitudinally along the main body  102  by at least a small degree, the cover member  110  can be precisely aligned over the roof tiles. It will also be appreciated that the cover member  110 , in this alternative embodiment, would include a plurality of openings  112  formed therein for allowing air to circulate out through the ridge vent  100 .  
         [0034]    Referring to FIG. 9, a portion of the ridge vent  100  can be seen in greater detail. The ridge vent  100  includes a male end  114  which is designed to be inserted into a female end  116  (FIG. 7) of another section of the ridge vent  100 . In this manner a plurality of ridge vents  100  can be used to form a single, elongated ridge vent assembly. It will be appreciated that adhesives or even a suitable fastening clip could be employed to hold the male end  114  of one ridge vent  100  within the female end  116  of an adjacent ridge vent  100 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 7 and 8 also illustrate more clearly a plurality of louvers  118  formed in an undersurface of the main body  102  adjacent each of the accordion-like panels  104   a  and  104   b . The louvers  118  allow easy egress of air through the main body  102  to allow ventilation of the structure to which the ridge vent  100  is attached.  
         [0036]    Referring now to FIG. 10, the ridge vent  100  can be seen with its neck portion  104  in an extended orientation, as compared with the drawing of FIG. 8. The additional room provided by the accordion-like panels  104   a  and  104   b  allows arcuate roof tiles having different radaii of curvature to be easily inserted underneath the main body  102 .  
         [0037]    Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 11, the ridge vent  100  also includes corners  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126 , which are each formed as a living hinge. This allows panel portions  128  and  130 , within which the louvers  118  are formed, as well as the accordion-like panels  104   a  and  104   b , to be folded out into a relatively flat orientation, as shown in FIG. 11. Placing the ridge vent  100  in the orientation of FIG. 11 provides a component which can be stacked and shipped in a much more compact shipping container, thus reducing shipping costs.  
         [0038]    With further reference to FIGS. 8, 10 and  11 , a first (i.e., female) locking element  130  is formed to project from neck panel  104   a , and a second (i.e., male) locking element  132  is formed to project from neck portion  104   b . Second locking element  132  includes a barbed end  134  and first locking element  130  includes a head portion  136  for capturing the barbed end  134  therein. When the ridge vent  100  is to be assembled for use, the ridge vent is folded from the orientation shown in FIG. 11 to that shown in FIG. 10, and the barbed end  134  is inserted into the head portion  136  and is lockingly retained therein. This serves to hold the ridge vent in the orientation shown in FIGS. 8 and 10.  
         [0039]    Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification and following claims.