Patent Publication Number: US-2006010805-A1

Title: Roof baffle device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/585,606, filed Jul. 7, 2004. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a baffle system and, more particularly to a roof baffle system, that combines insulation with a metallic heat reflective and rigidifying barrier.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Roof baffles are designed to create an air space between the roof deck and the insulation (e.g. Fiberglass™) below allowing for proper ventilation of the roof. Typical new house construction comprises rafters and plywood decking. Due to changes in temperature and possible condensation damaging the structure, roof baffles are installed to create a space under the roof deck allowing fresh air from openings in the eaves of the building to rise under the roof deck and exit the roof at a vented ridge. This eliminates the extreme changes in temperature which cause condensation and moisture damage to the internal building structure.  
      Roof baffles are generally produced from Styrofoam™, cardboard or some type of plastic which creates a space between the interior roof deck and the insulation allowing for air movement. The current roof baffles are generally not very sturdy and can easily be damaged during installation. While they do allow for the creation of an air space for ventilation they rarely add anything to the efficiency of the system.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
      Various examples of conventional roof baffle systems are shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,436 to Alderman.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The current invention provides for a new design for the roof baffle system which has many advantages over the existing technology. While the general shape of the new system remains consistent with current products, the material utilized in the manufacture of these parts improves both the function and the installation of the product.  
      According to the present invention, I provide a roof baffle system comprising a decking attached to at least two rafters, an insulation member located between the rafters, the improvement comprising a metallic facing means attached to the surface of the insulation member, the metallic facing means being located between the member and the underside of the decking, and the facing means being spaced from said decking. According to another aspect of the present, the facing means is relatively stiffer than the insulation member. In a further aspect of the invention, the facing means is formed with a channel shaped cross section to provide resistance to bending of the facing means. According to another aspect of the invention, the facing is aluminum which is provided with a surface which reflects radiant heat from the decking back into the space formed between the facing means and the decking.  
      A construction baffle system according to another aspect comprise a roof, wall or ceiling element, at least two rafter or stud elements and an insulation member located between the rafter or stud elements, the improvement comprising means attached to the member for reflecting radiant heat away from said insulation member, the means being located between the member and the opposed face of the roof, wall or ceiling, the means being spaced from the opposed face. In another aspect of the present invention, the means for reflecting is formed with a channel shaped cross section to resist bending of the means and the attached member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a roof baffle system of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the roof baffle system of the present invention shown. The exemplary construction comprises rafters  1  and a plywood decking  2 .  
      In the present invention, the side of the roof baffle  3  facing the roof is manufactured with a metallic aluminum facing  5 . This facing will improve the existing product on many levels. First when applied to the less rigid baffles, such as Styrofoam™, the addition of the metallic surface  5  will strengthen the baffle and reduce the damage inherently caused in handling and installation. The metallic material may be backed with a non-metallic membrane for additional strength prior to bonding to the baffle surface.  
      The aluminum metallic surface  5  possesses the characteristic of “Emissivity”, a characteristic of aluminum and other metallic surfaces which reflects radiant heat back into the space in front of the material. The addition of this metallic barrier creates many improvements over current baffles. Specifically, it will form a water vapor barrier between the roof deck  2  and the insulation  4 , strengthen the baffle  3  against damage and reflect back approximately 90% of the heat radiated through the roof deck  2 . This will reduce cooling costs in the heat of the summer and also increase the temperature in the air space above the insulation causing a more rapid change of air by increased convection due to higher temperatures within the open space.  
      In certain applications the roof baffle  3  can also be installed above the ceiling to separate the insulation from the ceiling of a room creating an air space above the drywall  6  or whatever ceiling material is installed. This application will reflect radiated room heat back into the room increasing the heating efficiency. The baffle of the present invention can also be installed in interior walls to reflect heat.