Patent Publication Number: US-10787816-B1

Title: Spray foam insulation vent

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to venting systems for spray-in foam insulation as well as other insulation systems, and more particularly to foam insulation boards that can be used for venting systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Spray-in foam is a popular form of insulation that can be added to the attic of a home during new-home construction or at any time the homeowner wishes to increase the insulation in an attic. Spray-in foam can be sprayed on the roof deck (i.e. the underside of the roof) and between the rafters of a roof. The spray foam can then expand in size and harden to create an insulative and airtight barrier. 
     Many attics are intended to be ventilated, and have vents at the eaves and peaks of a roof. Fresh air typically enters through the eaves, travels along the roof deck between the rafters, and escapes through vents near the peak. This system of ventilation can prevent the buildup of moisture within the attic and joists and more generally equalizes the temperature between the roof exterior and the roof interior surfaces. However, spray-in foam insulation (also termed, “spray foam”) can substantially limit or eliminate the benefits of roof ventilation by expanding to fill in the travel path of the air. More particularly, spray foam is an air impermeable insulation, unlike conventional fiberglass. Some manufacturers of shingles actually require roof venting, as an unvented roof may void the shingle warranty. 
     A number of ventilation system have been devised, many of which can be nailed in place between the rafters to protect a layer of air under the spray-in foam. These ventilation systems can allow air to continue to travel under the roof deck between the eaves and the upper vents, while the spray-in foam insulation provides an insulation barrier to protect the home. However, many of these existing ventilation systems are flimsy and difficult to use. Some provide only a minimum of air flow, and require a skilled operator to carefully place them with the correct spacing away from the roof deck. Many prior art systems have flaps that fold inward towards the user and must be secured to the rafter. These systems require the user to measure or guess how close to place the ventilation system to the roof deck and then carefully secure the ventilation system in the correct position to allow enough space for the spray-in foam insulation between the rafters and also allow appropriate ventilation space under the roof deck after the spray in foam expands. At the same time, the operator must securely nail the flaps or otherwise secure them to the rafters while also maintaining optimal ventilation spacing. Failure to secure them properly can result in failure as the expanding foam crushes the ventilation system against the roof deck and possibly even pulls it away from the rafters. What is needed is a convenient, easy to use roof vent system that can be installed quickly and easily with optimal ventilation spacing, and can withstand the pressure of expanding foam without collapsing and without requiring nails or other troublesome fasteners. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a system and method for roof ventilation to be installed between rafters in an attic before spray-in foam is applied. The ventilation system includes a foam insulation board that has been pre-cut to size and has pre-scored side panels that can be folded back 180 degrees to form foundations that support the foam board and provides a ventilation gap between the main panel and the roof deck. The ventilation system includes an adhesive that can secure the foundations directly to the roof deck so that an installer does not need to correctly figure out the ventilation depth and nail vents to the rafters. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a roof ventilation system can comprise a foam insulation board that can be divided into a main panel and two side panels by two kerf cuts. The kerf cuts can extend from an interior side of the foam insulation board towards an exterior side of the foam insulation board without cutting through the exterior of the foam insulation board. The foam insulation board can have breakaway sections between the main panels and the side panels. A fold adhesive on an exterior side of the foam insulation board can be located between a distal edge of the foam insulation board and a position that is twice the width of the side panel from the distal edge, and a roof adhesive can be on an exterior side of the side panels. 
     The kerf cuts can extend from the interior side of the foam insulation board towards the exterior side of the foam insulation board in a range from 50% to 95% of the thickness of the foam insulation board. The kerf cuts can extend from the interior side of the foam insulation board towards the exterior side of the foam insulation board through 75% of the thickness of the foam insulation board. The kerf cuts can be perpendicular to the interior side of the foam insulation board. The fold adhesive can be on an exterior surface of the side panels. The fold adhesive can be on an exterior surface of the main panel in a region bounded on a first side by a position that can be twice the width of the side panel from the distal edge, and bounded on a second side by a position that can be the width of the side panel from the distal edge. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, a method of installing a roof ventilation system can comprise folding two side panels of a foam insulation board upwards to break a breakaway section so that the side panels are hingedly attached to a main panel by an outer layer of the foam insulation board, removing a protective cover from a fold adhesive on the outer layer of the foam insulation board, folding the side panels around 180°, securing the side panels in the 180° position with the exterior side of the side panel adhered to the exterior side of the main panel, removing a protective cover from a roof adhesive on the interior surface of the side panels, and pressing the roof ventilation system between two rafters so that the main panel extends between the rafters and the roof adhesive is secured to the underside of a roof, thereby forming a vent between the underside of the roof, the side panels, and the main panel. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, a method of manufacturing a roof ventilation system can include slitting an approximately 4-foot to 8-foot wide foam insulation board blank into 2 to 8 foam insulation boards. The 2 to 8 foam insulation boards are kerfed into a main panel and two side panels with a breakaway section between the main panel and the side panels. A fold adhesive is applied on an exterior side of the foam insulation board, the fold adhesive located between a distal edge of the foam insulation board and a position that is twice the width of the side panel from the distal edge, and a roof adhesive is applied on an interior side of the side panels. In an example, the insulation board is approximately 4 feet wide, and is slit into 2 to 4 foam insulation boards. In an alternate example, the insulation board is approximately 8 feet wide, and is slit into 4 to 8 foam insulation boards. The fold adhesive and/or the roof adhesive can be an adhesive tape with a removable backing that is removed to apply it to the foam insulation board. The opposing, exposed side of each adhesive tape can also include a removable backing that is peeled away by a user to expose a layer of adhesive at installation time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention description below refers to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic end view of a roof ventilation system in a storage conformation, according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic end view of the roof ventilation system of  FIG. 1  folded into an installation conformation, according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic end view of a roof ventilation system in a storage conformation with adhesive in a second position, according to an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic end view of the roof ventilation system installed in a roof before spray-in foam insulation is added, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4A  is a schematic end view of the roof ventilation system of  FIG. 4  after spray-in foam is added; 
         FIG. 5A  is is a schematic plan view of the interior side of a standard-sized sheet of foam insulation board that has been slit and kerfed to be 4-foot long segments of roof ventilation systems, according to an illustrative embodiment; and 
         FIG. 5B  is a schematic plan view of the interior side of a standard-sized sheet of foam insulation board that has been slit and kerfed to be 8-foot long segments of roof ventilation systems, according to an illustrative embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic end view of a roof ventilation system in a storage conformation, according to an illustrative embodiment. A roof ventilation system  100  can include a foam insulation board  110 . Various versions of foam insulation board are commonly available and will be understood by one skilled in the art. A foam insulation board  110  can typically include an insulative foam body  112  that can have a thickness FT in a range of one to two inches. The insulative foam body can be made from an expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, or various other rigid foam materials. The foam insulation board  110  can include an outer layer  114  of foil or other reflective material covering an exterior side  116  of the foam insulation board  110 . The foam insulation board  110  can also have a protective layer  118  of paper, plastic, foil, or other material covering an interior side  120  of the foam insulation board, or can be free of a protective layer. Foam insulation board is commonly installed as insulation with the reflective layer facing out towards the unconditioned environment such as facing the exterior of a home, and the interior side can face inwards towards the conditioned environment, or inside of the home. 
     A roof ventilation system  100  can have two kerf cuts  132  (i.e. partial cuts) that can extend the entire length of the foam insulation board  110 . Kerf cuts  132  can extend from the interior side  120  towards the exterior side without (free of) penetrating the exterior side. The kerf cuts  132  can extend from the interior side  120  approximately 50% or more of the way through the board  110  towards the exterior side  116  without (free of) penetrating the outer layer  114 . In various embodiments, kerf cuts  132  can extend 75% of the way through the board. The kerf cuts  132  can be perpendicular to the interior side  120  and exterior side  116  of the foam board  110 . A remaining depth of the foam board  110  between the end of the kerf cut  132  and the outer layer  114  can be a breakaway section  134  that can have a depth BD in a range of, for example, approximately 0.5 inches to 0.1 inches. The kerf cuts  132  and breakaway sections  134  can divide the board  110  into a main panel  136  and two side panels  138 . Kerf cuts  132  can be deep enough so that the remaining uncut depth of foam  112  that is the breakaway section  134  between the end of the cut  132  and the exterior side  116  can be broken or snapped by a user who folds the side panels  138  upwards along arrow  140 . After the breakaway section  134  has been broken, the side panel  138  can remain hingedly attached to the main panel by the outer layer  114 . 
     Side panels  138  can have a fold adhesive  142  and a roof adhesive  144 . In various embodiments the fold adhesive  142  and the roof adhesive  144  can be the same or different adhesives. The adhesives  142  and  144  can be an industrial/construction-grade, double-sided tape that is adhered on one side to the foam board  110 , and can have a peel away protective cover over the other (opposing/exposed) side, and a user can remove the protective cover to expose the adhesive. Note that the roof adhesive tape can be different in composition on opposing sides to more effectively adhere to foam or a wooden substrate, respectively. That is, in optional implementations, the side of the tape  144  that is applied to the foam is adapted for foam substrates and the side that is meant to adhere to the roof interior surface is adapted to adhere more effectively to wood or other similar materials. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic end view of the roof ventilation system of  FIG. 1  folded into an installation conformation, according to an illustrative embodiment. The roof ventilation system  100  can be shipped and stored in the storage conformation shown in  FIG. 1 , and can be folded into the installation conformation shown in  FIG. 2  on site before installation. A user can remove the protective cover from the fold adhesive  142 , and can fold the side panels  138  upwards 180° along arrow  202  so that the adhesive secures the side panels in the 180° position shown in  FIG. 2 . In this position, the fold adhesive  142  can secure the exterior side  116  of the side panel  138  to the exterior side  116  of the main panel  136 . With the side panels  138  secured in the folded position, the side panels  138  are now in position to form the foundation  206  of the roof ventilation system. In this installation conformation, the main panel  136  and the two side panels  138  can form a vent channel  204 . 
     The main panel  136  can be sized to fit between the rafters in an attic. The main panel  136  can have a main panel width MW in a range between approximately 9.5 inches and approximately 10.5 inches for use in 12-inch spaced rafters. The main panel  136  can have a main panel width MW of approximately 10 inches. The main panel  136  can have a main panel width MW in a range between approximately 13.5 inches and approximately 14.5 inches for use in 16-inch spaced rafters. The main panel  136  can have a main panel width MW of approximately 14 inches. The main panel  136  can have a main panel width MW in a range between approximately 21.5 inches and approximately 22.5 inches for use in 24 inch spaced rafters. The main panel  136  can have a main panel width MW of approximately 22 inches. Narrower main panel widths are also possible, however, narrower main panel widths would result in larger gaps between the main panel and the rafters. The side panels can have a side panel width SW in a range between approximately 1 and 4 inches. The side panels can have a side panel width SW that can be approximately 1 inch. The side panel width is preferably approximately one inch or more, and should be small enough so that after folding, the vent channel is large enough to form a sufficient vent. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic end view of a roof ventilation system in a storage conformation with fold adhesive in a second position, according to an illustrative embodiment. In various embodiments, the fold adhesive  142  can be placed on the external side  116  of the main panel  136  instead of being on the side panel  138 . In various embodiments, the fold adhesive  142  can be placed anywhere between the distal edge  302  of the side panel  136  and position  304 . Position  304  can be a distance DSW from the distal edge  302 , where distance DSW is double the side panel width SW. 
     The roof ventilation system  100  can be shipped and stored in the flat storage conformation to maximize the number of parts that can be stored in a given space, and to reduce the possibility of the roof ventilation system being damaged in transit. Multiple panels of the roof ventilation system  100  can be stacked and bundled together so that a group of them can reinforce, support, and protect each other. The pre-cut panels with adhesive already in place can then be snapped and adhered into the installation conformation quickly and easily just before installation. The user can remove the protective cover from the roof adhesive  144  to prepare the roof ventilation system  100  to be installed. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic end view of the roof ventilation system installed in a roof before spray-in foam insulation is added, according to an embodiment. After removing the protective cover from the roof adhesive  144  on the foundation  206 , the roof ventilation system  100  can be pressed into place between the rafters  402  and against the roof deck  404 . The main panel  136  is sized to fit between the rafters, or put another way, the distance between the kerf cuts can be the same as the distance between the rafters. In various embodiments, the distance between the kerf cuts can be slightly less than the distance between the rafters. The roof deck  404 , side panels  138 , and main panel  136  together can form the vent  406  that allows air to travel along the inside of the roof between the eaves and the upper roof vents. The roof ventilation system  100  includes the foundation  206  that is secured to the roof deck  404 . 
     The roof installation system can be installed in a matter of seconds, and automatically provides an appropriately sized gap for the vent  406  between the main panel  136  and the roof deck  404 . This is a significant improvement over prior art systems with flaps that fold inward towards the user and must be secured to the rafter after the correct placement has been measured. 
     The interior side  120  of the main panel and the sides of the rafters  402  can form a spray-in foam insulation channel  408 . After the roof ventilation system  100  is installed as shown in  FIG. 4 , spray-in foam insulation can be sprayed into the insulation channel  408 , and the spray-in form insulation can expand to fill the insulation channel without (free-of) expanding into the eaves or the roof vents, and without (free-of) collapsing the vent  406 . The foundation  206  is braced against the roof deck  404  and can provide support to the main panel  136 . Together/collectively, the rigid foundation  206  and rigid main panel  136  provide a rigid structure that can withstand the force of the expanding spray-in foam insulation and prevent panel  136  from collapsing towards the roof deck  404  as the spray-in foam insulation expands. In addition to providing structural support for the vent  406 , the foam insulation board  110  can also provide further insulation that complements the spray-in foam. 
       FIG. 4A  shows an example of the arrangement  100  of  FIG. 4  with spray-in foam  420  applied over the panels  136 . A vent/gap  406  remains while the foam fully seals the interior-facing side  430  of the structure. The foam  420  seals up to, and potentially over (foam region  422 ), the rafters  402 . The roof adhesive and/or tape  144  effectively holds the panel  136  in place while the foam is fully applied and allowed to expand/cure. The cured foam generally retains the panels in place permanently. Note that the depth DF of cured foam is highly variable in alternate implementations. Also, in certain implementations, spray foam can be replaced with, or supplemented by multiple layers of insulation board and/or spun fiberglass. 
     The roof ventilation system can be installed in seconds. In a first step, a user can fold the side panels upwards to snap the breakaway section, and can remove the protective cover from the fold adhesive. The user can then fold the side panels around 180° degrees and secure the external side of each side panel to the external side of the main panel so that the side panels form the foundation. The user can then remove the protective cover from the roof adhesive and press the roof ventilation system into place between the rafters and against the roof deck. The system can be installed quickly and without (free of) needing to measure widths or cut along the length of the panel, without (free of) needing to measure the correct placement or depth between rafters of the panel, and without (free of) needing to nail or otherwise secure the panel after it has been pushed into place. 
     Multiple roof ventilation systems can be laid end to end between a pair of rafters to extend from the eaves to the roof peak. Because of the rigid structure of the foundation and the main panel, the end-to-end roof ventilation systems will automatically be aligned with each other as if they were a single piece, with the vent extending from one to the other, and the main panels effortlessly abutted to one another to seal out the expanding spray-in foam insulation. 
       FIG. 5A  is a schematic plan view of the interior side of a standard sheet of foam insulation board that has been slit and kerfed to be 4-foot long segments of roof ventilation systems, according to an illustrative embodiment. More generally,  FIG. 5A  shows an exemplary method of manufacturing a roof ventilation system designed for 16 inch-spaced rafters. Manufacturing of roof ventilation systems for 16-inch spaced rafters can be accomplished by slitting a standard 4×8 sheet  500 A of foam insulation board into six separate 4-foot long foam insulation boards  110 A for use in roof ventilation systems. Slit cuts  502 A can separate the blank sheet  500 A into six foam insulation boards  110 A that can be 16 inches wide. Kerf cuts  504 A can divide each insulation board  110 A into, for example, a 14-inch main panel and two 1-inch side panels with breakaway sections between the main panel and the side panels. Kerf cuts  504 A can be cut prior to, or at the same time as the slit cuts  502 A. For the sake of clarity, the slit cuts  502 A are shown in  FIG. 5A  as broader lines than the kerf cuts  504 A, but it should be clear that the slit cuts and the kerf cuts can be the same width. Adhesive/tape can be applied before or after the cuts are made. 
     Various sizes of boards and panels are explicitly contemplated. By way of non-limiting example, a blank sheet can be slit into five foam insulation boards (not shown) that can be approximately 19.2 inches wide, and kerf cuts can divide each insulation board into a 14.2 inch main panel and two 2.35 inch side panels. 
     Manufacturing of roof ventilation systems for 12-inch spaced rafters can be accomplished similarly by, for example, slitting a blank sheet  500 A into six foam insulation boards that can be 16 inches wide, and applying kerf cuts that separate the foam insulation boards into, for example, a 10.5-inch main panel and two 2.75-inch side panels. In various embodiments, manufacturing of roof ventilation systems for 12-inch spaced rafters can be accomplished by, for example, slitting a blank sheet  500 A into seven or eight foam insulation boards that can be kerfed into main panels and side panels. Manufacturing of roof ventilation systems for 24-inch spaced rafters can be accomplished similarly by slitting a blank sheet  500 A into eight foam insulation boards that can be 24 inches wide, and applying kerf cuts that separate the foam insulation boards into, for example, a 22-inch main panel and two 1-inch side panels. Manufacturing of multiple sizes of roof ventilation systems can be combined together. For example, a blank sheet  500 A can be slit into two 28-inch boards with 22-inch main panels and 3-inch side panels, and two 20 inch boards with 14-inch main panels and 3-inch side panels. Adhesive/tape can be applied before or after the cuts are made. In various exemplary implementations, the main panels and the side panels can be different widths, and the widths of the side panels and the main panels can be determined by the distance between rafters, the size of the blank sheet, and a side panel width that is large enough to be supportive, structurally stable, and snap properly at the kerf cut, while being small enough to allow a sufficient vent size. 
       FIG. 5B  is a schematic plan view of the interior side of a standard sheet of foam insulation board that has been slit and kerfed to be 8-foot long segments of roof ventilation systems, according to an illustrative embodiment. Likewise,  FIG. 5B  shows an exemplary method of manufacturing a roof ventilation system designed for 16 inch-spaced rafters. Manufacturing of roof ventilation systems for 16-inch spaced rafters can be accomplished by slitting a standard 4×8 sheet  500 B of foam insulation board into three separate 8-foot long foam insulation boards  110  for use in roof ventilation systems. Slit cuts  502 B can separate the blank sheet  500 B into three foam insulation boards  110 B that can be 16 inches wide. Kerf cuts  504 B can divide each insulation board  110 B into, for example, a 14-inch main panel and two 1-inch side panels with breakaway sections between the main panel and the side panels. Kerf cuts  504 B can be cut prior to, or at the same time as the slit cuts  502 B. For the sake of clarity, the slit cuts  502 B are shown in  FIG. 5  as broader lines than the kerf cuts  504 B, but it should be clear that the slit cuts and the kerf cuts can be the same width. Adhesive can be applied before or after the cuts are made. 
     Manufacturing of roof ventilation systems for 12-inch spaced rafters can be accomplished similarly by slitting a blank sheet  500 B into three foam insulation boards that can be 16 inches wide, and applying kerf cuts that separate the foam insulation boards into, for example, a 10.5-inch main panel and two 2.75-inch side panels. Manufacturing of roof ventilation systems for 24-inch spaced rafters can be accomplished similarly by slitting a blank sheet  500 B into two foam insulation boards that can be 24 inches wide, and applying kerf cuts that separate the foam insulation boards into, for example, a 22-inch main panel and two 1-inch side panels. Manufacturing of multiple sizes of roof ventilation systems can be combined together. For example, a blank sheet  500 B can be slit into a 28-inch board with a 22-inch main panel and two 3-inch side panels, and a 20 inch board with a 14-inch main panel and two 3-inch side panels. Adhesive/tape can be applied before or after the cuts are made. 
     It should be clear that the above examples of cuts are only exemplary, and in various embodiments the main panels and the side panels can be different widths. The widths of the side panels and the main panels can be determined by the distance between rafters, the size of the blank sheet, and a side panel width that is large enough to be supportive, structurally stable, and snap properly at the kerf cut, while being small enough to allow a sufficient vent size. It should be further clear that the above-described system for providing venting to a roof interior that is subsequently covered in spray foam provides an effective and permanent structure that avoids eventual disconnection of components and allows for a highly insulated space between rafters with ample and unobstructed venting at the roof interior surface. 
     The foregoing has been a detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the invention. Various modifications and additions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Features of each of the various embodiments described above may be combined with features of other described embodiments as appropriate in order to provide a multiplicity of feature combinations in associated new embodiments. Furthermore, while the foregoing describes a number of separate embodiments of the apparatus and method of the present invention, what has been described herein is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. For example, roof installation systems can be manufactured with various lengths that can include 8-foot, 6-foot, 4-foot, shorter lengths, or other lengths. Additionally, the term “kerf” should be taken broadly to include non-continuous (along the linear cut direction) cuts that have the effect of a perforated line, as well as other arrangements that allow the “kerfed” edges to be moved from a flattened to a rectilinear orientation to form the channel shape of the vent—for example a through cut that is hinged using a strip of flexible fabric or take on one side of the panel—and (optionally) a sliceable or breakable tape on the opposing side that maintains the plane until broken, and at which time, the edge can hinge rectilinearly. Also, as used herein various directional and orientational terms (and grammatical variations thereof) such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, “down”, “bottom”, “top”, “side”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “forward”, “rearward”, and the like, are used only as relative conventions and not as absolute orientations with respect to a fixed coordinate system, such as the acting direction of gravity. Also, qualifying terms such as “substantially” and “approximately” are contemplated to allow fort a reasonable variation from a stated measurement or value can be employed in a manner that the element remains functional as contemplated herein—for example, 1-5 percent variation. Accordingly, this description is meant to be taken only by way of example, and not to otherwise limit the scope of this invention.