Patent Publication Number: US-7721493-B2

Title: Roof panel assembly with skylight

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/672,688, filed Apr. 18, 2005, entitled “ROOF PANEL ASSEMBLY WITH SKYLIGHT.” 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Disclosure 
   The present disclosure is generally directed to panels used for buildings and more particularly to skylights for roof panels. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Many storage building or shed users have to deal with a lack of light in a storage building that has no electricity or other means of illuminating the interior space. Others have tried to solve this problem in various ways, for example: by running electric power to the building and using lights; by using lights powered by batteries; by using windows in the walls of the building; and by using skylights in the roof of the building. 
   However, current solutions for a skylight on a pitched roof require multiple components to ensure water management and structural integrity. Multiple components complicate the assembly and/or installation of the skylight, and increase the cost for the skylight feature. All of these ways can be costly and complicated for the average consumer, especially if assembly and/or installation are to be performed by the consumer. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a roof assembly includes a skylight panel and a roof panel. The roof panel may include a skylight opening to accommodate the skylight panel, and may include water management channels disposed adjacent to the skylight panel. The skylight panel may be adapted to be snap-fit to the roof panel, and the water management channels include channels formed in the roof panel. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a roof panel includes a skylight opening adapted to accommodate a skylight panel, a raised lip surrounding the skylight opening, and at least one gutter channel disposed adjacent to the raised lip. 
   The skylight along with the roof geometry provides a simplified assembly with a minimum of components while still providing water management, structural integrity, and durable construction, preventing the skylight assembly from leaking and providing increased roof structure rigidity. This eliminates the need for additional flashing or other components associated with water management. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one example of a roof panel and skylight panel incorporating water management channels according to one aspect of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the roof panel and skylight panel of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the skylight panel of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an interior side of the skylight panel of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view of the roof panel and skylight panel of  FIG. 1 , taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view of the skylight panel and roof panel of  FIG. 1 , taken along lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view of the skylight panel and roof panel of  FIG. 1 , taken along lines  707  of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view of the skylight panel and roof panel of  FIG. 1 , taken along lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an interior side of a snap-fit skylight panel according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 10  is an isometric view of a portion of a lower side of a roof panel according to the alternative embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
   With reference initially to  FIG. 1 , a roof assembly, generally indicated at  20 , includes a roof panel  22  and a skylight panel  24 . The roof panel  22  may include an upper edge  26  and a lower edge  28 . The upper edge  26  may be disposed above the lower edge  28  when the roof panel assembly  20  is installed on a structure (not shown) such as a storage shed. For example, the upper edge  26  may be in located in the vicinity of a roof peak such that the roof panel assembly  20  is oriented at a roof pitch angle (e.g., slanted with respect to a horizontal plane), for example a 25° roof pitch angle. Such a roof pitch angle may be desirable, for example, to ensure that water will drain off of the roof panel assembly  20  in a proper manner to protect items underneath the roof panel assembly  20  from getting wet. 
   The roof panel  22  includes a skylight opening  29  adapted to accommodate the skylight panel  24  and may also include a plurality of straight water management channels  30  distributed along the surface of the roof panel assembly  20 . The roof panel  22  may further include arcuate water management channels such as, for example, an upper arcuate water management channel  32 , an intermediate arcuate water management channel  34 , and a lower arcuate water management channel  36 . The lower arcuate water management channel  36  may be connected to gutter channels  38  and  40 , that may be disposed adjacent to side edges  42  and  44  of the skylight panel  24 . Weep hole openings  54  may be provided between the roof panel  22  and the skylight panel  24 , for example, to provide drainage of condensation from the interior surface of the skylight panel  24 . One or more of the water management channels  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and/or  33 , and/or one or both of the gutter channels  38  and/or  40  may be integrally formed as part of the roof panel  22 . 
   The roof panel  22  may be formed from a plastic material by any suitable process, such as for example, blow molding. Manufacturing the roof panel  22  using a blow-molding process enables structure such as the water management channels  30 ,  32 ,  34 , and  36  and/or the gutter channels  38  and  40  to be integrated and manufactured in a single part during a single process step. Blow-molding also allows the geometry on the exterior of the roof panel  22  to be different from the interior of the roof panel  22 , utilizing double-walled construction, that may also provide an added benefit of thermal insulation. However, any suitable material and any suitable process could be used for forming the roof panel  22 . The skylight panel  24  may also be made from a plastic material, and may be formed by an injection molding process. Again, any suitable material and any suitable process could be used for forming the skylight panel  24 . 
   With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the skylight panel  24  may include an upper end  46  having an arcuate shape that generally follows the contour of the lower arcuate water management channel  36 . This arcuate shape of the upper end  46  of the skylight panel  24  helps to prevent pooling of water in the vicinity of the upper end  46  of the skylight panel  24 . 
   The skylight panel  24  may also include a perimeter flashing flange  45  spaced apart from a perimeter mounting flange  47 . When the skylight panel  24  is mounted to the roof panel  22 , to cover the skylight opening  29 , the perimeter flashing flange  45  and the perimeter mounting flange  47  may straddle a raised lip  49  on the roof panel  22  that surrounds the skylight opening  29 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , a gasket  48  may be provided, sandwiched between the skylight panel  24  and the roof panel  22  along the periphery of the skylight panel  24 , between the perimeter flashing flange  45  and the perimeter mounting flange  47 . The skylight panel  24  may be secured to the roof panel  22  by a plurality of fasteners, such as threaded fasteners  50 . Threaded fasteners  50  may be installed from the underside of the roof panel  22  and may engage blind bores  52  formed in the perimeter mounting flange  47  of the skylight panel  24 , thereby preventing any possibility of leakage through seepage or flow-through fastener holes in the skylight panel  24 . 
   In operation, when the roof assembly  20  in the vicinity of the skylight panel  24  is exposed to precipitation such as rain, melting snow, melting ice, sleet, and the like, water flows from the upper edge  26 , is diverted away from the skylight panel  24  by the upper arcuate water management channel  32 , the intermediate arcuate water management channel  34 , and the lower arcuate water management channel  36 , and may drain from the roof panel assembly  20  via the gutter channels  38  and  40 . Should water collect in the lower arcuate water management channel  36  and/or the gutter channels  38  and/or  40  (e.g., due to heavy rain and or debris in the gutter channels  38  and/or  40 ), the raised lip  49 , the perimeter flashing flange  45 , and the gasket  48  each serve to prevent water from leaking between the roof panel  22  and the skylight panel  24 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , in accordance with an alternative embodiment, a skylight panel  124  may include a plurality of snap-fit tongues  150  that engage corresponding snap-fit slots  152  in a roof panel  122  ( FIG. 10 ). Such a snap-fit connection arrangement may be instead of or in addition to using fasteners to secure the skylight panel  124  to the roof panel  122 . 
   Although certain embodiments have been described herein in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the disclosure that fairly fall within the scope of permissible equivalents.