Patent NZ-710672-A (NZ)
Title: Composite roof systems and methods of installation
Inventor: BRADENBURG FRANK
IPC: B32B33/00
Filed: 2014-01-31
Abstract: The present invention relates to roofs for buildings, roofing systems, and related methods of manufacture, construction, assembly and installation. There is a need in the art for a product that can provide the look of metal roof but with a superior and durable leak protection. Existing membrane based metal simulated roofing systems rely on gluing or welding a rib to a roofing membrane. Gluing is messy. The welding process requires achieving temperatures of the membrane and rib of over 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176.6 degrees C.). This requires using heat gun temperatures of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (537.8 degrees C.) at the nozzle. These temperatures frequently cause distortion or glossing of the membrane and/or rib. The high temperatures also present a safety risk to workers. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simulated metal roofing system which can be applied with less mess and without risk of damaging the membrane or the ribs or changing their aesthetic appearance and with less potential risk of burns to a worker. In one aspect, the invention provides a composite material roof system comprising, in combination, a membrane comprised of ketone ethylene ester (KEE) reinforced with a 5.0 oz./yd2 (169.5 g/m2) knitted polyester fabric and heat-bonded 4 oz. (113.4g) polyester backing, a plurality of ribs attached to a surface of the membrane, the ribs formed of a polymeric material and having a cross-section configuration which includes a planar bottom with a planar bottom attachment surface and a body portion which extends generally perpendicular from the planar bottom, the body portion having a width dimension which is less than a width dimension of the planar bottom attachment surface, and a hot melt adhesive on the planar bottom attachment surface of the ribs and bonded to the ketone ethylene ester (KEE) material of the membrane. In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of assembling a composite roof system, comprising the steps of: installing a membrane onto a roof substrate, the membrane comprised of a layer of ketone ethylene ester (KEE) reinforced with a 5.0 oz./yd2 (169.5 g/m2) knitted polyester fabric and heat-bonded 4 oz. (113.4g) polyester backing, the membrane installed onto the roof substrate with the ketone ethylene ester (KEE) layer facing away from the roof substrate and exposed on top of the roof substrate; extruding a rib structure of a polymeric material and having a cross-section configuration which includes a planar bottom with a planar bottom attachment surface and a body portion which extends generally perpendicular from the planar bottom, the body portion having a width dimension which is less than a width dimension of the planar bottom attachment surface, and a hot melt adhesive on the planar bottom attachment surface of the rib structure; forming a plurality of ribs by separation from the extruded rib structure; attaching one or more of the plurality of ribs to the membrane by placement of the planar bottom attachment surface against the ketone ethylene ester (KEE) layer of the membrane and activating of the hot melt adhesive for adhesion of the one or more ribs to the membrane.