Patent Publication Number: US-9850662-B2

Title: Flexible expansion joint seal

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/652,021, filed Oct. 15, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,322,163, entitled “FLEXIBLE EXPANSION JOINT SEAL” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/547,476, filed Oct. 14, 2011, entitled “THERMOPLASTIC EXPANSION JOINT SEAL FOR ROOFS,” the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally directed to joint sealing systems, and more particularly, to systems for sealing structural expansion joint openings in roofs of structures. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In many construction projects involving materials such as concrete and steel, gaps are left between adjacent structural elements to allow for thermal expansion and contraction, wind sway, settlement, live load deflection, and/or seismic movements of the structural elements. By permitting expansion and contraction, the gaps prevent the structural materials and/or building cladding elements from cracking or buckling. These gaps are referred to as expansion joints or movement joints and are typically sealed to prevent them from allowing the passage of water, dirt, debris, or snow, etc. into the structure and/or between portions of the structure. 
     Current systems for sealing exterior expansion joints in the roofs of structures typically consist of a length of flexible material or membrane that spans a length and width of the joint between adjacent elements and is attached to each side of the joint by anchor bars that are screwed or bolted to the substrate. The membrane, usually a sheet of rubber or the like, is wider than the joint itself to seal the joint and to allow for movement of the structural materials with the joint. Two designs have been developed to address the issue of debris collecting on top of the membrane and straining the seal.  FIG. 1  shows a prior art example of a roof expansion joint seal  10  manufactured by Johns Manville (Denver, Colo. USA). In this design, a membrane  12  is humped up above a joint J by a foam backing  14  to seal S the joint J.  FIG. 2  shows a prior art example of a roof expansion joint seal  20  manufactured by MM Systems Corporation (Pendergrass, Ga. USA). This design includes a metal cover  24  over a membrane  22 , which is allowed to hang into the joint J to form the seal S. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the roof expansion joint seal  10  is affixed about the joint J by one or more fasteners  16  through a flange  18  of the roof expansion joint seal  10 . Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the roof expansion joint seal  20  is affixed about the joint J by fasteners  26  through a lip or flange  28  of the roof joint seal  20 . 
     Problems may arise with either joint seal  10  and  20  in several areas. For example, the fasteners  16  and  26  are exposed to weather conditions and the seals may fail as they deteriorate and no longer effectively anchor the seals  10  and  20  about the joint J. Additionally, the seals  10  and  20  provide only a single layer of waterproofing, increasing the chances of failure of the seals. Finally, the shape of the membrane  16  and  22 , whether hanging down or humped up, makes it difficult to transition from a horizontal roof expansion joint to a vertical wall expansion joint without compromising the continuity of the seals or undertaking significant modifications to the seals  10  and  20  in the field. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to aspects illustrated herein, there is provided an expansion joint seal. The expansion joint seal comprises a central portion having at least one central chamber disposed around a centerline. The central portion is disposed within and fills a gap between a first substrate and a second substrate of a structure of interest such a roof. The expansion joint seal has a first flange portion extending outwardly from the centerline and a second flange portion extending outwardly from the centerline in a direction opposite the first flange portion. The first flange portion is attachable to the first substrate and the second flange portion is attachable to the second substrate. Movement of one or both of the first or second substrates causes a response in at least one of the central chambers. 
     In one embodiment, at least one of the first flange portion and the second flange portion is comprised of a flexible materials such that the at least one of the first flange portion and the second flange portion may be affixed to the structure at an angle or an elevation that differs from the central portion. In one embodiment, at least one of the first flange portion and the second flange portion is bifurcated into an upper flange portion and a lower flange portion. The upper flange portion extends further in length from the centerline than the lower flange portion to facilitate interlaying the expansion joint seal with roofing materials to form a water tight seal of the structure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a prior art roof expansion joint seal; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a prior art roof expansion joint seal; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view of an expansion joint seal in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention before installation; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the expansion joint seal of  FIG. 3  as installed on two substantially parallel substrates; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the expansion joint seal of  FIG. 3  as installed on two peaked or sloped substrates; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the expansion joint seal of  FIG. 3  as installed on two substantially perpendicular substrates; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the expansion joint seal of  FIG. 3  as installed showing an upper flange portion and a lower flange portion; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view of a bracket (flange) with a fastener therethrough as used with the expansion joint seal of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the expansion joint seal of  FIG. 3  as installed around a corner; and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the expansion joint seal of  FIG. 3  as installed at a T-intersection. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention alleviates perceived problems associated with current rooftop expansion joint systems by including, for example, redundant levels of waterproofing, a dual flange apparatus, which protects the anchors and enhances the seal, and the ability to manufacture transitions that can be integrated into coplanar, perpendicular and other expansion joints. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an expansion joint seal  100  consists of a central portion  120  disposed around a centerline  110  of the seal  100  and at least one of a first flange portion  140  and a second flange portion  142 . A first continuous surface  102  of the joint seal  100  is defined by the center portion  120 , the first flange portion  140 , and the second flange portion  142 . As described in detail below, when installed and affixed on a roof of a structure, the joint seal  100  is integrally incorporated with roofing materials on the roof such that the first surface  102  forms a seal S of a joint or gap G between structural elements of the roof ( FIG. 4 ). As shown in  FIG. 3 , each of the first flange portion  140  and the second flange portion  142  extend outwardly from the centerline  110 . As described above, in one embodiment the joint seal  100  is comprised of a flexible material such as, for example, a thermoplastic compound so that the first flange portion  140  and the second flange portion  142  may be affixed to a structure at differing angles and/or elevations relative to the central portion  120  and/or each other. For example, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the first flange portion  140  and the second flange portion  142  are coplanar in alignment at installation on structural elements  152  and  154  of a roof  150 . In another installation as shown in  FIG. 5 , each of a first flange portion  240  and a second flange portion  242  of a joint seal  200  are installed at an angle β, shown here at approximately one hundred ten degrees (110°) relative to a centerline  210  of the joint seal  200 . In another installation as shown in  FIG. 6 , a first flange portion  340  and a second flange portion  342  of a joint seal  300  are formed at an angle α to each other shown here, for example, at ninety degrees (90°) relative to a centerline  310 . It should be understood that the angles β or a could be any degree relative to a centerline. It should further be understood that during use, the first flange portions  140 ,  240 ,  340  and the second flange portion  142 ,  242 ,  342  may move relative to the centerlines  110 ,  210 ,  310  despite the angles at initial installation. It should be appreciated that the roof expansion joint seals  200  ( FIGS. 5 ) and  300  ( FIG. 6 ) are substantially similar to the roof expansion joint seal  100  of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . As such, similar numbering conventions are used to relate to similar components of these seals  100 ,  200  and  300 . 
     As described below, the expansion joint seals  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ),  500  ( FIGS. 9 ),  600  and  700  ( FIG. 10 ) of the present invention are made from a flexible material. In one embodiment, the flexible material is a thermoplastic compound such as, for example, thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) which could be of the families of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), such as Santoprene® (Exxon Mobil Corp., Irving, Tex.); or thermoplastic olefins (TPOs), such as OnFlex®(PolyOne Corp., Avon Lake, Ohio); or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds such as FlexAlloy® (Teknor Apex Co., Pawtucket, R.I.). Thermoplastic rubber compounds are preferable to thermoset rubber compounds due to their ability to be welded to roof membrane materials of similar compounds as well as to facilitate the fabrication of heat-welded transitions in plane and direction. In one embodiment, the method of manufacture is extrusion because it permits a single cross-section design to be extended consistently throughout any desired length. In one embodiment, the expansion joint seals  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500  and  600  are manufactured to fit the lengths of specific expansion joints. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, at least one of the first flange portion  140  and the second flange portion  142  is bifurcated into an upper flange portion  144  and a lower flange portion  146 . In one embodiment, the upper flange portion  144  and the lower flange portion  146  are separated by a support wall  148  formed therebetween. As shown in  FIG. 3 , both the first flange portion  140  and the second flange portion  142  are bifurcated into the upper flange portion  144  and the lower flange portion  146 , but it should be appreciated that this is not a requirement of the present invention. In one embodiment, the support wall  148  is substantially perpendicular to the upper flange portion  144  and the lower flange portion  146 . In one embodiment, the support wall  148  extends the length of the expansion joint seal  100 . In one embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 8 , an upper flange portion  440  of an expansion joint seal  400  (shown in partial cross section) is raised during installation so that the joint seal  400  may be affixed to a structure of interest  452  by one of a plurality of fasteners  460  affixed through a hole  441  in a lower flange portion  446  of the joint seal  400 . 
     In one embodiment, as best illustrated in  FIGS. 4, 5 and 8 , the upper flange portion  144 ,  244 ,  444  extends further in length away from the centerline  110 ,  210 ,  410  of the joint seal  100 ,  200 ,  400  than the lower flange portion  146 ,  246 ,  446  such that the upper flange portion  144 ,  244 ,  444  cooperates with roofing materials  190 ,  290 ,  490  (e.g., in an interlaying manner) to provide a watertight seal with the roofing materials applied over the roof  150 ,  250 ,  450 . The roofing materials are described in further detail below with reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 . In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , an upper flange portion  344  is secured to a structure of interest (e.g., a second substrate  354  of the structure) by a fastener  360  through a hole  351  in the upper flange portion  344 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , the central portion  120  includes at least one central chamber  122 . In one embodiment the central chamber  122  includes two or more chambers, e.g. four (4) chambers shown in  FIG. 3 . The central chamber  122  is formed by a side wall  124 . In one embodiment, the central chamber  122  extends a length of the seal  100 . In one embodiment, the side wall  124  of the central chamber  122  is configured to be selectively collapsible in response to forces exerted on the side wall  124 . For example, in one embodiment, the side wall  124  of the central chamber  122  is configured into a generally pentagonal cross-section (e.g., five-sided cross-section). It should be understood that the shape of the central chambers  122 , as defined by the side wall  124 , can be of any selectively collapsible configuration that permits compression and expansion movement of the central chamber  122  in response to forces exerted on the side wall  124  while retaining, in an uninterrupted fashion, the first continuous surface  102  of the expansion joint seal  100 . The number of central chambers  122  included within the central portion  120  can likewise be varied to accommodate different widths of expansion joint openings (e.g., widths of gap G ( FIG. 4 )). As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the side wall  124  includes a first outer surface  126  integrally formed within the first continuous surface  102  of the joint seal  100 , and a second outer surface  128  opposite the first continuous surface  102 . As forces from, for example, expansion (FE) of the roof  150 , and/or structural elements thereof  152  and  154 , is exerted on the second outer surface  128  of the side wall  124 , the central chamber  122  deforms or contracts (compresses) in response to the expansion force. Similarly, as forces from, for example, contraction (Fc) of the roof  150  is directed away from the second outer surface  128  of the side wall  124 , the central chamber  122  deforms or expands in response to the contraction force. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, the first flange portion  140  is affixed to a first substrate  152  of the roof  150  by one or more fasteners  160 . The second flange portion  142  is affixed to a second substrate  154  by one or more of the fasteners  160 . The central portion  120  is disposed within and fills a gap G in the roof  150  between the first substrate  152  and the second substrate  154 , such as, for example, a structural expansion joint opening in the roof  150  of a structure. In one embodiment, when installed the outer surface  128  of the side wall  124  engages, for example, with an inner surface  153  of the first substrate  152  and an inner surface  155  of the second substrate  154 . As one or both of the first substrate  152  and the second substrate  154  expands or contracts in response to, for example, one or more of thermal expansion or contraction, sway, settlement, live load deflections and/or seismic movement of the roof  150  and/or structural members thereof, the inner surfaces  153  and/or  155  exert forces toward (expansion FE) or away from (contraction F C ) the outer surface  128 , or perpendicular to (sway, settlement Fs) forces F E  and F C . The shape and position of the central chambers  122  allows the central portion  120  to expand and contract responsive to forces placed on the second outer surface  128  and the side wall  124  by the inner surfaces  153 ,  155  of the first substrate  152  and the second substrate  154 , respectively, and maintain the seal S of the gap G. As shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , in one embodiment, the central portions  120 ,  220 ,  320  are comprised of four (4) central chambers  122 ,  222 ,  322  arranged in mirrored sets of two chambers opposite the center line  110 ,  210 ,  310 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, an anchor bar  136  is disposed between the upper flange portion  144  and the lower flange portion  146  along a length of the seal  100 . In one embodiment, the anchor bar  130  is comprised of sufficiently rigid material such as, for example, metal, a rigid polymer, or the like, to impart a clamping force continuously along the length of the lower flange portion  146  between the fasteners  160 . Tool member  130  is also shown in  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIG. 8 , an anchor bar  430 ,  436  is disposed between the upper flange portion  444  and the lower flange  446  and receives one or more fasteners  460 . Roofing materials  490 ,  492 ,  494  are interlayed and cooperate with the upper flange portion  444  and the lower flange  446  to form a water tight seal of the roof  450 . In one embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 , a roof joint seal  500  may be installed to a first substrate  552  such as, for example, a deck or flat roof portion, and a second substrate  554  such as, for example, a wall, to fill an expansion joint E therebetween. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the roof joint seal  500  may be configured to accommodate the expansion joint E that turns a corner. In another embodiment shown in  FIG. 10 , a joint seal  600  accommodates a T-intersection wherein it is attached to a first substrate  652 , a second substrate  654  and a third substrate  656 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , in one embodiment at least one of the first substrate  452  and the second substrate  454  are covered with a layer of the watertight roofing membrane  490  and engage for example, an upper surface  456  of the first substrate  452 . In one embodiment, the lower flange portion  446  engages a first layer of the watertight roofing membrane  490 . In another embodiment, the lower flange portions  446  are attached to the watertight roofing membrane  490  with a tar, adhesive of the like. In another embodiment, the lower flange portion  446  is attached to the first layer of the watertight roofing membrane  490  by welding. In another embodiment, the lower flange portion  446  is fixed to at least one of the first substrate  452  and the second substrate  454  by one of the plurality of fasteners  460  disposed through the hole  441  of the lower flange portion  446  and of the anchor bar  430 . A second watertight roofing membrane  492  may then be disposed over the lower flange portions  446 . In one embodiment, the second watertight roofing membrane  492  is heat-welded or otherwise adhered to the lower flange portion  446 , effectively integrating the lower flange portion  446  into the roof membranes  490  and  492 . In one embodiment, the upper flange portion  444  is disposed over the second water tight roofing membrane  492  and is heat-welded or otherwise adhered thereto. In this embodiment, the anchor bar  430  and the plurality of fasteners  460  are shielded from the harmful effects of moisture and environmental exposure by the upper flange portion  444 . A third watertight roofing membrane  494  may then be disposed about at least a portion of the upper flange portion  444  and heat-welded or otherwise adhered thereto. This process provides a waterproof seal S over the joint by positively integrating the expansion joint seal  400  into the roofing materials (e.g., membranes  490 ,  492  and  494 ) of the roof  450 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , an expansion joint seal  500  is attached to a first portion  552 A and a second portion  552 B of a first substrate  552  forming a corner. A second substrate  554  extending vertically upward from the first substrate  552  also forms a corner having a first portion  554 A and a second side portion  554 B. An expansion joint between the first substrate  552  and the second substrate  554  is generally indicated at E. In one embodiment, an upper flange portion  544  is attached to the first portion  554 A and the second portion  554 B by an anchor bar  534  and a plurality of fasteners  562  disposed therethrough. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , expansion joint seals  600  and  700  are installed in a floor or deck having a T-shaped expansion joint or gaps G 1  and G 2 . The expansion joint seal  600  is attached to a first substrate  652 , a second substrate  654 , and a third substrate  656 . Similarly, the expansion joint seal  700  is attached to the first substrate  652  and the third substrate  656 . In one embodiment, illustrated in  FIG. 10 , one or both of the expansion joint seals  600  and  700  are cut to taper at an intersection of the T-shaped joint or gaps G 1  and G 2 . Alternatively, the expansion joint seal  700  is cut square to abut the expansion joint seal  600  at the intersection of T-shaped joint. As with the aforementioned expansion joint seals  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 , central portions  620  and  720  of the expansion joint seals  600  and  700  are disposed in the gaps Gland G 2  between side edges  653 ,  655 ,  657  and  755  of the first substrate  652 , the second substrate  654  and the third substrate  656 . In one embodiment, the expansion joint seal  600  and the expansion joint seal  700  are fused together, for example, with heat sealing or adhesive. The expansion joint seal  600  has a center portion  620  with four central chambers  622  formed therein and disposed within and sealing the gap G 1 . Similarly, the expansion joint seal  700  has a center portion  720  with four central chambers  722  formed therein and is disposed within and filling the gap G 2 . Still referring to  FIG. 10 , in one embodiment, when any one of the first substrate  652 , the second substrate  654 , and/or the third substrate  656  moves as a result of thermal expansion and contraction, wind sway, settlement, live load deflection, and/or seismic movement, the central portions  620  and/or  720  respond to maintain the watertight seal over the expansion joints G 1  and/or G 2 . 
     While the invention has been described with reference to various exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or matter to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.