Abstract:
Disclosed is a roof spoiler that effectively disrupts the attached flow of wind on a roof surface. Preferably, the spoiler is specially designed for installation with a gutter mounted on the roof fascia or along the leading edge of the roof. This spoiler utilizes a hinged design to move between two operating positions. The first position is a stowed position, whereby the spoiler extends beyond the gutter and is designed to be nearly invisible to passersby. In the stowed position, a portion of the spoiler covers the outer edge of the gutter (if present). A second portion of the spoiler may extend outward from the gutter. The second position is a deployed position, wherein a barrier is projected vertically, or substantially vertically, so as to disrupt the flow of air over the roof surface. In one embodiment, the spoiler rests upon the roof covering when in the deployed position. In another embodiment, the spoiler rests near or against the gutter or holding bracket. In one embodiment, a bracketing system, or support structure, is placed around an existing gutter. The roof spoiler is then pivotally attached to this support structure. In another embodiment, the support structure attaches directly to the gutter.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/222,344, filed Jul. 1, 2009, entitled “Symmetric Roof Spoiler” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to roofing systems. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus and a method for reducing wind damage to a roof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     One of the worst types of structural damage that can befall a building is roof damage. The devastation caused by high winds, hurricanes, tornadoes and the like is depicted by the media, often by focusing on the damage done to homes, especially to the roofs of those homes. In these cases, damage to the roof often leads to tremendous damage to the rest of the building, as a result of structural damage, and damage caused by the elements, such as rain or snow. 
     The roof of a building serves a number of purposes. First, it protects the interior of the building from the elements, such as rain, snow and hail. It also serves as an important structural component of the building, often linking the walls together, and adding strength to the building. 
     Wind causes several different types of damage to a roof. First, the wind, when blowing in a certain direction, can flow between the roof covering and the underlying substrate. This air flow can cause the roof covering to peel up and lift itself off the roof. The removal of the roof covering leaves the exposed roof susceptible to water, which can now enter through the area that is no longer protected by the missing covering. A second type of damage is caused by the effect of high speed attached flow over the surface of the roof. The deflection of the flow over the roof line squeezes the streamlines closer together, accelerating the speed and lowering the static pressure in accordance with Bernoulli&#39;s principle. This causes uplift on part or all of the roof structure, thereby exerting an upward force on the roof. This force not only causes the roof covering to lift from the roof, but can also cause the roof to pull away from the joists to which it is attached. 
     Various attempts have been made to reduce the destructive effect of hurricane force winds on a roof, including various types of roof spoilers or wind deflectors. For example, various types of roof wind spoilers have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,206,040, U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,537, U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,538, U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,348, and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0248810. Most of these spoilers are attached directly onto the roof surface. To achieve their goal, most employ a member that, when deployed, is orthogonally disposed to the roof surface. This member may be either permanently disposed, or manually or automatically disposed only when needed. Other publications, for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,348, and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0113489, disclose a spoiler that can be attached to the fascia, rather than the roof surface. As the air flow travels along the surface of the roof, this vertical barrier presents an obstacle to its continued flow. As a result, the wind must travel over the barrier, which causes the air flow to become turbulent. In fact, the air flow directly at the roof may reverse directions, thereby pushing the roof covering down. The turbulent nature of the air flow created by these spoilers significantly decreases the negative pressure area described above.  FIG. 1   a  shows the flow of air over a typical roof. Note the attached flow as the wind moves over the roof surface.  FIG. 1   b  shows the resulting air flow when a roof spoiler is installed on the roof. Note the turbulence created downwind of the spoiler. Also of interest is the change in the direction of the wind along the roof surface. 
     Up to now, no roof spoilers have enjoyed commercial success or gained widespread use. This lack of success is probably due to a number of reasons, including unattractive appearance (e.g., due to poor aesthetic design or location on roof surface), poor performance (e.g., due to product design, operation or location), costs, complexity of installation, etc. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a roof spoiler device that creates a turbulent air flow on the roof surface to prevent wind damage. It is an additional object to provide a device that reduces the flow of air under the roof covering. It is a further object to provide a roof spoiler device that has an acceptable aesthetic appearance. It is also an object to provide a roof spoiler device that may be used in conjunction with a roof gutter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention embraces a roof spoiler that effectively disrupts the attached flow of wind on a roof surface. Preferably, the spoiler is specially designed for installation with a gutter mounted on the roof fascia or along the leading edge of the roof. This spoiler utilizes a hinged design to move between two operating positions. The first position is a stowed position, whereby the spoiler extends beyond the gutter and is designed to be nearly invisible to passersby. In the stowed position, a portion of the spoiler covers the outer edge of the gutter (if present). A second portion of the spoiler may extend outward from the gutter. 
     The second position is a deployed position, wherein a barrier is projected vertically, or substantially vertically, so as to disrupt the flow of air over the roof surface. In one embodiment, the spoiler rests upon the roof covering when in the deployed position. In another embodiment, the spoiler rests near or against the gutter or holding bracket. 
     In one embodiment, a bracketing system, or support structure, is placed around an existing gutter. The roof spoiler is then pivotally attached to this support structure. In another embodiment, the support structure attaches directly to the gutter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts airflow over a roof surface with and without a roof spoiler; 
         FIG. 2  depicts a cross-section of a first embodiment of a roof spoiler of the present invention, in the stowed position. 
         FIG. 3  depicts the roof spoiler of  FIG. 2  in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 4   a  depicts an exploded view of one embodiment of the support structure used in the present invention; 
         FIG. 4   b  depicts an assembled view of the embodiment of  FIG. 4   a;    
         FIG. 5  depicts an exploded view of one embodiment of the roof spoiler used with the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  depicts a cross-section of a second embodiment of a roof spoiler of the present invention, in the stowed position. 
         FIG. 7  depicts the roof spoiler of  FIG. 6  in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 8  depicts a cross-section of a first embodiment of a roof spoiler of the present invention used with a tile roof, in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 9  depicts the roof spoiler of  FIG. 4  in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 10  depicts a cross-section of a second embodiment of a roof spoiler of the present invention, in the stowed position; 
         FIG. 11  depicts the roof spoiler of  FIG. 10  in the deployed position; 
         FIG. 12  depicts a cross-section of the roof spoiler of  FIG. 11  with a wind guard; and 
         FIG. 13  depicts the roof spoiler of  FIG. 12  where the first member moves past orthogonal to the roof surface. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A roof spoiler is intended to present an obstacle to attached flow during high (e.g., hurricane-force) winds. One way to present such an obstacle is to introduce a vertical, or substantially vertical member that interrupts that air flow. In other embodiments, the obstacle may not be vertical, but rather orthogonal to the roof surface, as shown in  FIG. 1   b . However, as mentioned above, a vertical member attached to the roof surface is unsightly and not likely to be adopted. 
     To improve the aesthetics of a roof spoiler, it is preferable that the spoiler has at least two operating positions; a deployed position, where it acts as an obstruction as described above, and a stowed position, where the spoiler should be relatively non-intrusive and barely visible to passersby. 
     One embodiment of such a roof spoiler is depicted in  FIG. 2 , which shows a cross-section of a first embodiment of the roof spoiler in the stowed position. The roof spoiler  100  is preferably L-shaped, with two roughly orthogonal members; a first member  110  and a second member  120 . Each member has a length (i.e., the short dimension that extends away from the roof edge) and a width (i.e., the long dimension parallel to the roof edge) and preferably is substantially planar. In the stowed position, the first member  110  is disposed in an approximately vertical orientation, extending downwardly on the outside of the gutter  130  (if a gutter is desired and present). In some embodiments, the first member may be disposed orthogonal (i.e., at approximately a 90° angle) to the roof surface. This first member  110  can be any suitable length, such as 15 cm to 31 cm, preferably about 20 cm to 24 cm. 
     The second member  120  is disposed in an approximately horizontal orientation, extending away from the gutter  130 . In some embodiments, such as the one shown in  FIG. 2 , the second member may be perpendicular to the first member. The second member  120  can be of any suitable length, such as 15 cm to 31 cm, preferably about 20 cm to 24 cm. Preferably, the length of the second member  120  is greater than the distance from the pivot connection  142  to the roof edge. This allows the second member  120  to rest upon the roof  10  in the deployed position. 
       FIG. 3  shows the spoiler of  FIG. 2  in the deployed position. As stated above, in one embodiment, the second member  120  is sufficiently long so that it extends to and rests upon the roof  10  in this position. In another embodiment, the second member  120  rests on the support structure  170  in the deployed position. Although the first member  110  and the second member  120  are shown as being orthogonal, the invention is not so limited. The angle formed between the two members can vary. For example, in one embodiment, the angle is less than 90 degrees, such that the first member  110  is vertical. 
     The members  110 ,  120  are constructed from a durable material, such as metal, alloys, composites, plastics (such as PVC and ABS), polymers, polymer composites, and building materials, such as wood or wood composites, cement, or cemtitious boards. Factors such as strength, durability, ultraviolet and corrosion resistance, manufacturability and cost may be used to select an appropriate material. In some embodiments, the two members are formed as a unitary piece, which is preferably extruded to reduce cost. In some embodiments, the two members are the same thickness, while in other embodiments, the thicknesses of the two members differ. The thickness of each member is determined based on the material used and the desired durability and rigidity of that member. 
     The roof spoiler  100  is in communication with a pivoting mechanism  140 , such as a hinge. The roof spoiler  100  is configured to operate with the pivoting mechanism  140  such that it rotates from about 150° to about 180°, from its stowed position to its deployed position. In some embodiments, the pivoting mechanism  140  is a simple hinge, such as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     In this embodiment, the roof spoiler is positioned beyond the gutter  130  by means of one or more brackets. In  FIG. 2 , the support structure  170  is comprised of a top horizontal bracket  171 , a bottom horizontal bracket  173 , and a vertical bracket  172 . These brackets form a frame that surrounds the gutter  130 , thereby supporting the roof spoiler  100  without requiring any mechanical support from the gutter  130 . In some embodiments, brackets  171 ,  172 ,  173  form a unitary piece, designed to be affixed to the fascia. In other embodiments, the brackets are individual pieces, which can be pre-assembled, or assembled on site to match the size of the gutter that it is intended to surround. These pieces may be made of any suitable material including metals, such as aluminum or steel.  FIGS. 4   a - b  show one embodiment where a number of separate components are used to create the support structure  170 . 
       FIG. 4   a  shows an exploded view of one embodiment of the support structure  170 .  FIG. 4   b  shows an assembled version of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the top horizontal bracket is made up of a top mounted bracket  181  and a top corner bracket  182 . Both brackets  181 ,  182  have a slot, such that a fastener  190 , such as a bolt, may be placed through the two slots. The fastener  190  may be mated with a corresponding nut  191  and an optional washer  192 . The fastener  190  is tightened at the position where the overall length of brackets  181 ,  182 , as assembled, is longer than the gutter that it seeks to surround. The bottom horizontal bracket is also made up of two components, bottom mounted bracket  185  and bottom corner bracket  186 . As described above, a fastener  190  may be used to hold these two components together. In one embodiment, the lengths of the top and bottom assembled brackets is the same. The vertical bracket is comprised of top corner bracket  182  and bottom corner bracket  183 . A third fastener  193  may be used to hold these two components together. Top mounted bracket  181  and bottom mounted bracket  186  are shown as each having a pivoting connection  183 ,  187 , respectively. These pivoting connections allow the mounted brackets  181 ,  185  to be installed on the fascia  160 , regardless of the angle of the fascia. In other words, the top mounted bracket  181  may be affixed to the fascia at a right angle, while the bottom mounted bracket  185  may be affixed to the fascia at a different angle.  FIG. 2  shows the top mounted bracket  181  connected at a right angle, while the bottom mounted bracket  185  is connected in a straight line to the bottom of the fascia. In another embodiment, the bottom mounted bracket  185  may also be connected perpendicularly to the fascia, or at any other angle. 
     While  FIG. 4  shows 4 bracket pieces with pivoting connections to the fascia, the disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the entire support structure  170  may be one unitary piece. In another embodiment, the corner brackets  182 ,  186  may be a unitary piece, which is made to surround most common sized gutters. In certain embodiments, cost can be reduced by having the top and bottom mounted brackets  181 ,  185  be the same component. Similarly, the top and bottom corner brackets  182 ,  186  may also be a common part, if desired. In this way, the assembly shown in  FIG. 4   a  may be comprised of 2 mounted brackets with pivoting connections, two corner brackets, three bolts, three nuts and three washers. 
     In another embodiment, the mounted brackets  181 ,  185  may not have pivoting connections. Rather their connection points may be fixed at a predetermined angle, such as perpendicular or colinear. 
     In yet another embodiment, the support structure  170  may not comprise all three components (top bracket  171 , bottom bracket  173 , and vertical bracket  172 ). For example, the support structure may only have a top bracket, firmly affixed to the fascia, which is used to support the roof spoiler  100 . Note that the use of a three-part support structure  170  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ), or the 4-part structure (shown in  FIG. 4 ) is not meant to limit the invention, rather it simply depicts several embodiments of the support structure  170 . 
     Roof spoiler  100  is connected to support structure  170  via a pivoting mechanism  140 . The pivoting mechanism may be a simple hinge, as shown in  FIG. 4 . In this figure, the hinge  195  includes a pivoting connection  142 , a first portion  141  mounted to the support structure  170 , and a second portion connected  143  to the roof spoiler  100 . The first portion  141  is shown connected to the top and bottom corner brackets  182 ,  186  in this figure. A fastener is used to connect these three components together. However, other methods of affixing a pivoting connection  142  to the support structure  170  are also within the scope of the invention. The first portion  141  is pivotally attached to the second portion  143 , which is attached to the roof spoiler  100 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an exploded view of a roof spoiler  100  that can be used with the present invention. In this embodiment, first member  110  and second member  120  are extruded as a unitary piece. A support bar  115 , preferably made of metal or another suitable material, is fastened to the second portion  143  of the hinge  195 , thereby sandwiching the first member  110  between the second portion  143  and the support bar  115  and holding it in place. A fastener  194  may be used to connect the support bar  115 , the first member  110  and the second portion  143  of the hinge  195 . In other embodiments, the first member  110  is attached directly to the second portion  143 . The actual attachment mechanism is purely illustrative and other methods of attaching the spoiler  100  to the pivoting connection  142  are understood by those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the scope of the invention. 
     For example, in another embodiment, no support structure  170  is provided. Rather, the pivoting mechanism  140  is attached directly to the gutter  130 . This attachment can be permanent, such as via a fastener. In other embodiments, the roof spoiler  100  may connect to the gutter via a clip-on attachment. Such an embodiment requires the gutter to support the weight of the spoiler  100 , as well as the force exerted on it during a high speed wind storm. Such an embodiment is shown in  FIG. 6 . In this embodiment, a support structure  175  is placed over the lip of the gutter  130 . As before, pivoting mechanism  140  is connected to the support structure  175 . In another embodiment, a fastener, such as wingnut  176 , is used to secure support structure  175  to the gutter  130 . In this embodiment, the support structure  175  is slipped over the lip of the gutter  130 . The wingnut  176  is then tightened so as to securely attach the support structure  175  to the gutter  130 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 5 , the roof spoiler may optionally have a decorative insert  117  located in the angle formed between the first member  110  and the second member  120 . Since the roof spoiler is visible while in its stowed position, such a decorative insert improves the aesthetic value of the spoiler. Such an insert also serves to conceal the support bar  115 , or any fasteners used to attach the spoiler  100  to the pivoting mechanism  140 . In some embodiments, endcaps  119  may be placed on the ends of the roof spoilers. These endcaps  119  may serve two purposes. Like the insert  117 , these components have an aesthetic value. They also have structural value in that they may hold the first member  110  and second member  120  at their intended angle, in the presence of high speed wind. 
       FIG. 7  shows a side view of the roof spoiler of  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, the support bar  115  is positioned against to the first member  110 , near the junction of the second member  120 . Fasteners  194  may be used to secure the support bar  115 , the first member  110  to the pivoting mechanism  140 . Decorative insert  117  is shown to have multiple arcuate surfaces. These surfaces are purely illustrative and any surface or pattern of surfaces may be used. For example, the insert may be form so as to resemble a piece of crown molding if desired. In one embodiment, the first and second members are extruded and may have clips  119  extending from their inner surfaces. These clips  119  may be used as an inexpensive method of holding the insert  117  in place, as shown in  FIG. 7 . In this embodiment, the insert is form from a somewhat pliable material, such as a plastic. The insert  117  is then inserted into one of the two clips  119 . The insert is then slightly squeezed or compressed so that its opposite edge can be inserted into the other dip. 
     In some embodiments, a thicker roof, such as a tile roof, may be used with the present invention. In such an embodiment, the roof spoiler may be attached in a number of ways. In one embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the same mechanism as was used in  FIG. 2  is employed. In this embodiment, the angle of the first member  110  with respect to the roof deviates further from orthogonal than with a flat roof (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). 
     In another embodiment, the pivoting connection  142  is adjusted vertically such that the second member  120  lays flat on the roof, and the first member  110  extends orthogonally from the plane of the roof. This embodiment is shown in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 . In this embodiment, since the pivoting connection  142  is positioned to be planar with the roof surface, the second member  120  lies flat on the roof. This allows first member  110  to extend orthogonally from the place of the roof. 
     One potential issue associated with the embodiment of  FIG. 11  is the possibility that wind will blow in the gap defined between the gutter  130  and the roof spoiler  100 , while it is in the deployed position. This wind can then be tunneled beneath the tile roof, thereby separating it from the surface of the building. In one embodiment, this gap is closed by utilizing a solid first portion  141  of pivoting mechanism  140 . This first portion would block the gap from the gutter  130  to the pivoting connection  142 , thereby keeping wind out. 
     In another embodiment, a thinner first portion  141 , such as that shown in  FIG. 4   a  is used. In this embodiment, a wind guard is inserted in the gap between the gutter and the pivoting connection. For example, referring to  FIG. 4   a , a wind guard may be installed between the first portion  141  and the top and bottom corner brackets  182 ,  186 . This wind guard may be a solid coplanar piece, made of material such as that used for the first and second members. In another embodiment, the wind guard is rotatably attached to the pivoting connection  142 . In this way, it can move freely with the deployment of the spoiler such that no gap is present between the spoiler and the roofing material.  FIG. 12  shows wind guard  147  in its installed position, while the spoiler  100  is in the deployed position. 
     The roof spoiler in these embodiments is intended to pivot from a stowed position, where the first member  110  is substantially vertical and the second member is substantially horizontal, to a deployed position where the second member  120  is preferably coplanar with the roof surface and the first member  110  extends orthogonally upward from the plane of the roof surface. In other words, in one embodiment, the first member moves from extending vertically downward to extending upward after going through a rotation of 180-θ°, where θ is the pitch of the roof. In another embodiment, the spoiler rotates less than 180-θ°, where θ is the pitch of the roof, such as the embodiment of  FIG. 9 . In another embodiment, the spoiler rotates slightly more than 180-θ°, such as is shown in  FIG. 13 .