Patent Publication Number: US-6212834-B1

Title: Flashing arrangement for windows, in particular roof windows

Description:
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/335,758, filed on Nov. 14, 1994 now abandoned. 
    
    
     The invention relates to a flashing arrangement for windows, in particular roof windows, with a mainly rectangular window frame comprising a top member, two side members, and a bottom member, comprising flashing elements attached to the frame members, said flashing elements being profiles of a flexible material for providing a waterproof flashing frame around the window frame, the flashing elements at the top and side members of the window having a U-shaped cross section comprising a bottom plane, which in its working position is substantially parallel to the glass section of the window, and two upwardly protruding side flanges, of which a first side flange is attached to the outside of the corresponding member of the window frame. 
     When installing windows in inclined roofs the establishment of weatherproof and waterproof joints between the main frame structure and the surrounding roofing material has traditionally been performed on site in connection with the installation and by means of for instance lead, zinc, copper, aluminum or other types of deformable materials. 
     From DK-B-148922 a flashing arrangement of the above-mentioned kind is know incorporating a flashing collar providing a water discharge duct and connectable with an extension profile of metal, plastics or another rigid or slightly flexible material. In this prior art design, a special member is required to provide sealing towards the underside of the surrounding roofing and the arrangement is not adapted for easy connection with a standard flashing element such as a conventional lead skirt below the bottom member of the frame. 
     From U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,238 a window structure with a frame constructed from hollow plastic profiles is known, where the profile elements by co-extrusion are produced in one piece with an encircling flexible sealing flange of PVC, which is placed under the surrounding roofing. 
     With this design a window can be delivered substantially ready for installation, such that an easier installation is achieved, which is particularly advantageous when several closely spaced windows are to be installed either side by side or above each other. 
     However, the latter design is limited in that it can only be used together with plastic frame structures and mainly plane types of roofing, such as slating and the like, since the sealing flange has not been designed to be deformable to such a degree that it may be placed in sealing abutment with a wave-shaped roofing, such as for instance roofing tiles. 
     Starting from this known technique it is the object of the invention to provide a flashing arrangement suitable for factory assembly, such that the installation work is made easier and less expensive, while it may be utilized together with all common types of roofing and easily connected with the surrounding roofing as well as other conventional flashing elements without the use of separate sealing members. 
     To achieve this object the sealing arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that the flashing elements at the top and side members of the window frame are made of an elastically deformable material and that the other of said two side flanges serves as a seal in sealing abutment with the underside of the surrounding roofing, while the flashing element at the bottom member includes a profile with a mainly L-shaped cross section with an upright flange for connection to the outside of the main frame bottom member and an outwardly protruding flange. 
     With this arrangement a U-shaped channel is established along the top and side members of the main frame structure, said channel at the top member providing a valley from which water may be led around the frame structure and through the channels acting as drains along the side members, in order to finally be drained off across the sealing element connected to the bottom member. 
     The elastic deformability of the flashing arrangements together with the U-shaped cross-sectional profile results in a particularly good fit to the surrounding roofing, in that the other side flange, which is separated from main frame structure, can be deformed for a sealing abutment with the underside of any common roofing, for instance by bending the side flange more or less outwards from the U-profile, possibly to such a degree that it is nearly flush with the bottom plane of the profile. 
     As a further consequence of the elastic deformability the factory mounted flashing elements can easily be wrapped up over the main frame structure during packing and shipping, resulting in only a minimal increase of its outer dimensions. 
     In the case of flat and plane roofings, such as for instance slating or cardboard, the L-shaped flashing element at the bottom member can be joined directly to the roofing by placing the protruding flange of the profile either under or in sealing abutment with the top side of the material underlying the roofing. As another possibility, particularly well suited for wave-shaped roofings as for instance tiles, the protruding flange of the L-shaped flashing element may be designed to be connected, for instance by gluing, to another flexible and plastically deformable flashing element, which may be of the above mentioned traditional type or of the unleaded design described in International Patent Application No. WO 93/06318, and having improved deformability which will further contribute to facilitating the installation work. 
     As a particular advantage, the invention makes it also possible, in a simple manner to establish sealing flashings between relatively closely spaced neighboring windows, for instance when the spacing is about 100 mm, corresponding to the normal width of a rafter, regardless of whether the windows are placed next to or above each other. 
     For windows placed side by side a particularly well suited embodiment according to the invention is characterized in that a coupling flange is constructed on the top side of the bottom face of the U-profile at a relatively short distance from said first side flange, where said coupling flange extends towards said first side flange substantially in parallel to the bottom face, and during the installation of two windows side by side may be placed in abutment with the corresponding coupling flange of the neighboring window after having cut off the part of the flashing elements lying between said coupling flange and the other side flange along the mutually opposing side members of the window frame, after which the two coupling flanges are connected by a profiled sliding rail with bent flange sections fitting into the space between the two coupling flanges and the bottom faces of the respective flashing elements. 
     Since the flashing element at the top member of the main frame on account of providing a valley preferably is designed with an increased width compared to the the flashing requirements at the side members, a similar building together of windows placed above each other may be obtained when the flashing element at the top member of the window frame in the middle section between said first and second side flange has an additional upwardly protruding flange, which during the installation of two windows above each other may be placed under the L-shaped flashing element at the bottom frame member of the above window after having cut off the part of the flashing element lying between said additional flange and the second side flange. 
    
    
     In the following the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the schematic drawing, where 
     FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a flashing arrangement for windows according to the invention in perspective; 
     FIG. 2 a sectional view along the axis II—II in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 a cross section of an alternative embodiment for flashing elements for mounting on the side members of a window frame; 
     FIG. 4 a plane view of a preferred embodiment of the flashing arrangement; 
     FIGS. 5-7 a sectional view along the axes V—V, VI—VI, and VII—VII in FIG. 4; 
     FIGS. 8-9 illustrate the construction of the flashing arrangement in FIGS. 4-7 by the building together of windows either side by side or above each other, respectively; 
     FIG. 10 an alternative embodiment for a flashing element for mounting on a side member of a window frame; and 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the flashing element in combination with the surrounding roofing. 
    
    
     The flashing frame according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 is designed for mounting on the main frame structure of a skylight to be built into a roof with an inclined plane. In this main frame structure, which may be of a conventional design including a top member, two side members, and a bottom member, the sectional view in FIG. 2 only shows one of the side members  1 . 
     According to the invention the flashing frame, which is designed with factory assembly in mind, comprises a flashing element  2  for attachment to the main frame top member, elements  3  and  4  for attachment to the main frame side members, and an element  5  for attachment to the main frame bottom member. 
     The flashing elements  2 ,  3 , and  4  have, as shown in FIG. 2, a mainly U-shaped cross-sectional profile comprising a bottom face  6 , which, when the frame is mounted on the window, essentially extends in parallel to the glass section  7  of the window, and two side flanges  8  and  9  protruding upwards from the bottom face  6 . However, the flashing element  2  for mounting onto the top member of the frame preferably has a greater width than the elements  3  and  4  intended for mounting on the side members on account of its function as a valley, which will be described in the following. 
     The first side flange  8  is designed for attachment to the outside of the window frame member  1 , while the other side flange  9  being remote from the frame structure provides abutment with the underside of the surrounding not shown roofing. 
     In contrast to the elements  2 , 3 , and  4 , the flashing element  5  comprises an L-shaped profile corresponding to the part of the cross-section shown in FIG. 2 lying to the left of the dashed line  10 , i.e. with an upwardly protruding flange corresponding to the first side flange  8  intended for attachment to the main frame bottom member, and an outwardly protruding flange  11 , which in the shown embodiment is designed for connection to another plastically deformable and mainly strip-shaped adjoining element  12 . In connection with flat and plane roofings, as for instance slating or cardboard, such an additional element will normally not be necessary, since the outwardly protruding flange can be placed over the upper edge of the underlying roofing. 
     The flashing elements  2 - 5  are according to the invention made of an elastically deformable material, preferably a material suitable for extrusion, as for instance rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     The shown rectangular frame shape of the flashing may be produced by welding together appropriate lengths of extruded profile elements with the U-shaped and L-shaped cross sections described above, whereby corner sections at the inside of the side flanges designed for attachment to the main frame side members are cut away, such that the welded frame shown in FIG. 1 provides an open channel around the window frame structure. 
     This manufacturing method is advantageous since flashing frames of arbitrary sizes can be produced from a limited number of profile elements for mounting on the top member, side members and bottom member of a main frame structure, respectively. 
     However, as another possibility the flashing frame with the exception of the joining element  12  can be produced as an assembled unit, for instance by injection moulding. 
     With the shown shape of the profile the flashing frame can be mounted on window frame structures of arbitrary materials, including wood, plastic and metal frame profiles. Attachment to the window frame structure can also be performed in a known manner, as for instance by glueing. 
     When installing a skylight delivered with the flashing frame according to the invention the U-profiles attached to the top and side members of the main frame structure will provide a continuous channel around the window frame structure. Above the top member this channel functions as a valley for water drainage, while the channels along the main frame side members function as drains removing the water, which via the plastically deformable adjoining element below the main frame bottom member is led out across the roof section below the window. 
     As a consequence of the elastic deformability of the detached side flanges  9 , the side members of the main frame structure will be placed in close abutment with the underside of the surrounding roofing and provide an effective screen against water penetration. At the top and side members of the main frame structure the detached side flange  9  provides a satisfactory screen against drifting snow. 
     The fit to the surrounding roofing is provided mainly by bending the side flange  9  outwards, possibly to such a degree that it is nearly flush with the bottom face  6 , which particularly will be the case with plane or flat roofings. With roofings made of roof tiles or similar wave-shaped materials, which are laid upon laths, a more or less upright form of the flange can be retained. FIG. 11 shows the side flange  9  in engagement with the underside of a roofing R made of a wave-shaped material. 
     In the shown embodiment the window frame structure, as is clearly seen in FIG. 2, is covered by a skirt  13 , consisting of profile elements of metal or hard plastic. In connection thereto the flashing frame according to the invention can contribute to an improved seal, in that the side flange  8  attached to the side member  1  of the window frame at its upper section either can be designed with a sealing lip  14  in abutment with an overlying part of the window, for instance the window frame of an openable window, or, as shown in FIG. 2, the glass section itself of a fixed window. The sealing lip  14  can be connected to the side flange  8  by a cover flange  15 , which provides good protection of the outside of the frame member  1 . 
     At the uppermost part of the side flange  8  an outwardly protruding sealing flange may be designed for sealing abutment with the inside of the skirt  13 . 
     In an advantageous manner the flashing frame according to the invention offers the possibility of providing an effective sealing flashing in connection with closely spaced neighboring windows on a roof plane, for instance in the case of windows lying side by side, where the mutually opposing sides of the window frame are fastened to the same rafter, such that the space between these frame sides becomes less than the width of the rafter. 
     For this use the shape of the profile for the flashing elements intended for attachment to the side members of the window frame can be modified as shown in FIG. 3, where a downwardly bent coupling flange  18  is constructed at the bottom section of the side of the side flange  17  facing the inside of the U-profile, and an upwardly protruding rib or bead  21  is constructed on the top side of the bottom face  19  of the profile at a relatively short distance from the other side flange  20 . With two closely spaced windows placed side by side the profile elements are cut off along the lines  22  and  23  as shown in FIG. 3, such that the part of the profile in FIG. 3, which lies to the left of the dashed line  22  and contains the coupling flange  18 , is attached to one of the mutually opposing side members of the main frame, while the part of the profile in FIG. 3 lying to the left of the dashed line  23  is attached to the other side member, and in addition to the coupling flange  18  contains the rib or bead  21 . 
     The thus mounted profiled flashing elements can then be joined together by allowing the rib or bead  21  of one of the profiles to be positioned under the coupling flange  18  of the other profile, thereby engaging said under coupling flange  18 . 
     For the complete flashing frame with the profile shape in FIG. 3 it is a requirement that the bottom face of the flashing element abutting the top member of the window frame is level with the upper side of the coupling flanges  18  of the two side profiles. 
     Similarly, the invention provides an opportunity for effective flashing between two windows relatively closely positioned above each other by bending down the detached upright flange  9  of the element attached to the main frame top member of the lower window, after which said detached upright flange  9  is bent down and over-lapped with the plastically deformable adjoining element  12  below the bottom member of the window frame of the above window. 
     The plastically deformable adjoining element  12 , which serves as a shape-fitted connection to the top side of the material underlying the roofing, may consist of a conventional flashing plate containing lead or an unleaded flashing of the type described in aforementioned patent application No. PCT/DK92/0028. 
     In FIGS. 4-7 a preferred embodiment for the flashing arrangement according to the invention is shown. 
     The flashing elements  24  and  25  for attachment to the top member and two side members of the window frame structure, respectively, have, as in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3, a mainly U-shaped cross-sectional profile with a bottom face  27 ,  28 , respectively, and a first and second side flange,  29 , 30  and  31 , 32 , respectively, protruding upwards from the inner and outer edges of the bottom face  27 , 28 . 
     The first side flange  29 ,  30  is designed for attachment to the outside of the corresponding side member  33  or top member  34  of the main frame, and in the same manner as shown in FIG. 2 this side flange  29  may at the flashing elements  25  belonging to the side members of the window frame, see FIG. 5, be designed with an outwardly protruding packing flange  35  for a sealing abutment with the inside of a skirt  36  covering the top side and the top part of the outside of the main frame side member  33 . 
     The top part of the first side flange  30  is at the flashing element  24  belonging to the main frame top member  34  in a similar manner covered by a covering rail  37 , which extends across the top side of the main frame top member. 
     As in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 the detached second side flange  31 , 32  protrudes upwards from the bottom face  27 , 28  near the outer edge of said bottom face for the purpose of producing a sealing abutment with the underside of the surrounding roofing. For this purpose the outermost part of the second side flange  31 , 32  is constructed with a decreasing thickness, such that it provides a kind of sealing lip with good elastic deformability. 
     While the width of the flashing elements  25  at the side members of the window frame normally should be chosen such that it fits normal rafter widths, for instance 10-12 cm, the detached side flange  31  is placed at such a distance from the first side flange  29  that the flashing element during packing and shipping by utilizing the elasticity of the material can be wrapped up around the window structure with the detached side flange  31  lying over the top side of the structure. The relatively small part of the edge section of the flashing element, which lies outside the detached side flange  31 , can in this situation provide a certain additional protection of the frame structure of the window against mechanical damage. 
     As apparent in FIG. 6 the flashing element  24  at the main frame top member  34  is designed with an increased width compared to the flashing elements  25  at the main frame side members for the purpose of providing a valley as explained previously. 
     The mainly L-shaped flashing element  26  at the main frame bottom member  40  is in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, constructed with a catching flange  41  extending diagonally backwards and downwards on the bottom side at or near its free outer edge. The catching flange  41  encloses the edge of a spring rail  42 , which is attached to the main frame bottom member  40  behind the attachment flange  43  of the flashing element  26  and is downwardly preloaded, such that the spring rail  42  during the utilization of the flashing arrangement in connection with a plane roofing, as for instance slating or cardboard, pulls the outer edge, likewise constructed as a sealing lip, into sealing abutment with the top side of the roofing. 
     In FIGS. 8 and 9 it is illustrated how the embodiment of the flashing arrangement shown in FIGS. 4-7 is employed in connection with the building together of two relatively closely spaced windows positioned either above or next to each other. 
     To enable the coupling of two flashing elements along the mutually opposing side members of the window frame in the case of windows positioned side by side, a coupling flange  44  is constructed at the flashing element  25 , said coupling flange  44  being positioned on the top side  27  of the bottom face of the U-profile at a relatively short distance from the attachment flange  29  while extending substantially in parallel to the bottom face  27  and towards the attachment flange  29 . 
     During the installation of two juxtaposed windows, the part of the flashing element lying between the coupling flange  44  and the detached flange  31  is cut off from each of the flashing elements  25  on the mutually opposing side members  33  of the frame, i.e. along the dashed line  45  in FIG.  4 . 
     The coupling flanges are then connected by means of a sliding profiled rail  46  with flange sections that are bent around, gripping into the spaces between the two coupling flanges  44  and the bottom faces  27  of the flashing element  25 . 
     For use in connection with coupling to the bottom flashing element  26  of a window positioned above, the flashing element  24  at the main frame top member  34  is designed with an additional upwardly protruding flange  47 , as shown in FIG. 6, in the middle area between the attachment flange  30  and the detached flange  32 . 
     During installation the part lying outside the additional flange  47  is cut off from the flashing element  24 , i.e. along the dashed line  48  in FIGS. 4 and 6, and the flashing element connected to the top member of the frame  34  can now be placed under the flashing element  26  connected to the bottom member of the frame of the above window, the additional flange  47  being in abutment with the main frame bottom member of the above window. 
     The flashing arrangement in FIGS. 4-7 can be manufactured in the same manner as described in the above, i.e. by welding together appropriate lengths of extruded profile elements with the shown and described cross-sectional profiles in such a manner that the welded frame, as shown in FIG. 4, provides an open channel around the window frame structure, or the arrangement can be produced as an assembled unit by injection moulding. 
     As already explained, the flashing arrangement is mounted on the main frame structure in the factory, and the complete window including the mounted flashing elements is delivered in an embodiment completely ready for installation, whereby the work of providing separate flashings of conventional materials is avoided. 
     To improve the fit to a wave-shaped roofing an additional element  49  may be delivered with the flashing arrangement, as shown in FIG.  10 . This element has a substantially U-shaped unfolded configuration, such that it comprises two relatively short side pieces  50  and  51 , which after removal of the detached flanges  31  at the bottom part of the flashing elements  25  connected to the main frame side members may be placed under the bottom part of these flashing elements and the flashing element  26  connected to the main frame bottom member, which also in this case is pressed downwards when installing a spring rail, as shown in FIG.  7 . As described previously, a flexible and plastically deformable adjoining element  52  of a known type is connected to the bottom edge of the additional element  49 .