Patent Publication Number: US-7905061-B2

Title: Wind spoiler for roofs

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/735,954, filed Nov. 10, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to roofing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus and method for reducing the likelihood that a roof may be damaged by hurricane-force winds. 
     2. Description of the Background Art 
     One of the most devastating types of damage that can occur to a structure is the loss of its roof. During a hurricane or other wind event, wind forcibly flows under a roof and often causes the shingles to peel off. Further, structural damage to the roof itself is likely to occur. Once the shingles are peeled from the roof and the roof suffers structural damage, water intrusion occurs, ruining both the structure and its contents. 
     The roof of a building is a large lifting surface similar to an airplane wing. As such, wind blowing against a building must flow further to go over the roof of the building than it would otherwise flow along the surface of the earth. Therefore, the wind flowing over the roof accelerates and creates a low-pressure area over the roof. The wind flowing over the roof therefore tends to not only lift the roof and shingles both by shear catching the edge of the shingles or the plywood of the roof along the bottom and sides of the roof, but also tends to lift the roof structure off the supporting roof joists due to the low-pressure created over the roof as the wind flows over the roof. 
     Prior art solutions have included various clips or braces that reinforced the edges of the shingles to the roof or mechanically reinforced the roof to the roof joists. However, the prior art clips and braces do not eliminate the cause of the problem; namely, they fail to eliminate the low pressure area on the roof as the wind flows over the roof. 
     Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the roof protection art. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method for reducing the likelihood of roof damage in the event of high winds such as a hurricane. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method for disrupting the airflow across a roof during high winds so as to reduce the low pressure lifting force that would otherwise be exerted on the roof by the high winds. 
     The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     For the purpose of summarizing this invention, this invention comprises a wind spoiler that reduces the low pressure area above a roof that occurs as wind flows over the roof, thereby significantly reducing the likelihood that a roof may be damaged by hurricane-force winds. 
     The wind spoiler of the invention is an up-standing elongated member that is fastened along the roof line to extend upwardly above the edge of the roof. The elongated member functions as a “wind spoiler” to aerodynamically disrupt or “spoil” the air flow over the roof during high winds conditions. Once the air flow is spoiled, the low pressure area that would otherwise occur as the wind flows over the roof is significantly reduced. The reduction of the low pressure area therefore substantially reduces the lifting force on the roof as air flows over the roof. The likelihood of the wind peeling back the shingles or otherwise causing structural damage to the roof is therefore significantly reduced or eliminated altogether. 
     The preferred configuration of the wind spoiler of the invention comprises an L-shaped configuration that is hingely connected to the edge of the roof along the roof line. In its stowed, at rest position, one leg of the L-shaped wind spoiler lays horizontally in alignment with and extending away from the roof line whereas the other leg lies vertically downward against the roof fascia. It is deployed position, the wind spoiler is flipped-back onto the shingles (i.e., rotated on its hinges 180 degrees) such that the horizontal leg is now facing the other direction toward the apex of the roof to lay on top of the leading edge of the shingles and such that the other leg is now extending vertical upward. Thus, in this deployed position, the vertical leg extends above the edge of the roof line to disrupt or spoil the flow of air over the roof thereby significantly reducing the creation of a low pressure area over the roof that would otherwise occur if the air flow was not disrupted. Moreover, in the deployed position, the horizontal leg overlaps the leading edge of the shingles thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of air flowing under the edge of the shingles and peeling them back. 
     The hinges employed to fasten the wind spoiler to the edge of the roof line function to hang in its stowed position due to gravity during low or no wind conditions and to then automatically to rotate from its stowed position to its deployed position during windy conditions. More particularly, during increasing wind conditions, air flows under and over the horizontally-disposed leg such that, as the wind speed increases, the wind spoiler is forcibly rotated via its hinges to flip back from its stored position to its deployed position. 
     An important aspect of the preferred embodiment of the wind spoiler of the invention is the fact that the harder the wind blows, the more firmly the horizontal leg presses down on the leading edge of the shingles while in the deployed position to prevent the wind from peeling back the shingles. Similarly, the harder the wind blows, the more the air flow is disrupted by the vertical leg to minimize the likelihood that a damaging low pressure area would be created over the roof. 
     Another important aspect of the preferred embodiment of the wind spoiler of the invention is the fact that as the wind speed decreases, the spoiler will return to its stowed position by the force of a spring acting on the hinge. 
     The wind spoiler of the invention may be employed even if a gutter is installed. Advantageously, the vertical leg of the wind spoiler may simply nest inside the gutter and the horizontal leg may simply overhang the gutter to urge leaves and other large debris fall clear of the gutter. Further, the gap between in the horizontal leg and the soffit allows rain flowing off the roof to flow through the gap into the gutter. 
     Installation of the wind spoiler of the invention is fast and easy. Wind spoiler sections (e.g., 4 foot lengths) are simply attached to the soffit using the above-mentioned hinges, preferably spaced along the fascia in alignment with the roof joists of the roof structure. If a gutter is installed, notches may be cut into the wind spoiler to provide clearance for the gutter supports. Once installed, the wind spoiler of the invention therefore aesthetically appears to be a natural part of the roof edge. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side cross-sectional view of a fixed embodiment of the wind spoiler of the invention mounted to the fascia of the roof; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view of the hinged embodiment of the wind spoiler of the invention in its at-rest or stowed position along the leading edge of a roof; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of the hinged embodiment of the wind spoiler of the invention of  FIG. 2  forcibly moved to its raised or deployed position by high winds; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are schematic diagrams of the hinged embodiment of the wind spoiler of  FIGS. 2 and 3  schematically showing stowed and deployed positions of the wind spoiler, respectively; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are partial cross-sectional views of the hinged embodiment of the wind spoiler of  FIGS. 2 and 3  showing in more detail the manner in which it is mounted to the fascia of the roof; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing wind spoilers of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , one mounted to the leading edge of the roof and the other mounted mid-way up the roof; 
         FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C, and  7 D are perspective views of different configurations of the wind spoiler of the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the wind spoiler of the invention mounted to the edge of the roof by a stand-off bracket; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of the wind spoiler of the invention mounted relative to a gutter installed along the edge of the roof; and 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing the gutter-mounted wind spoiler of the invention in its deployed position. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the fixed embodiment of the wind spoiler  10  of the invention comprises a generally flat elongated vertical member  12  that is mounted to the fascia  14  of a roof  16  to extend upwardly above the plane of the roof  16 . More particularly, as shown in the partially-expanded view of  FIG. 1 , a plurality of roof joists  18  are provided to define the plane of the roof  16 . The fascia  14  is then nailed to the leading edges of the roof joists  18 . A drip edge  20  is then fitted over the uppermost edge of the fascia  14  to direct rainfall to drip from the drip edge  20  instead of the fascia  14  itself. Conventional roofing shingles  22  are installed on the upper surface of the roof  16 , typically by nailing. 
     The vertical member  12  of the wind spoiler  10  of the invention is mounted to the fascia  14  by suitable fasteners such as screws  24 . As shown, the vertical member  12  may be positioned slightly away from the drip edge  20  by means of stand-offs  26  so as to not interfere with the dripping of rainfall from the drip edge  20 . 
     During high winds, wind flow  28  impacting the leading edge of the roof  16  is obstructed by the upstanding vertical member  12  that extends above the plane of the roof  16 . Upon being disrupted, a significant amount of turbulence  30  is created in the wind flow  28  as it flows upwardly along the roof  16 . Having disrupted or “spoiled” the wind flow  28 , the turbulence  30  fails to create a lifting force on the surface of the roof  16  as would otherwise occur if the wind flow  28  was not disrupted or “spoiled” to create the turbulence  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a pivotable embodiment of the wind spoiler  10  of the invention comprises an elongated L-shaped member  32  defined by a horizontal leg  34  and a vertical leg  36  formed along bend  38 . The L-shaped member  32  is pivotably mounted to the leading of the roof  16  by means of a plurality of hinges  40 , one leaf  40 A of which is fastened to the vertical leg  36  by fasteners  40 AF or bonding and the other leaf  40 B fastened to the fascia  14  by means of fasteners  40 BF such that the L-shaped member  32  may pivot relative to its bend  38  about the uppermost leading edge of the roof  16  from a “stowed” positioned as shown in  FIG. 2  to a “deployed” position as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     More particularly, in its stowed position as shown in  FIG. 2 , the horizontal leg  34  of the L-shaped member  32  extends generally horizontally away from the roof  16  in a generally coplanar alignment with the plane of the roof  16 . The vertical leg  38  extends generally vertically downward to lie against the fascia  14 . Upon being moved 180 degrees from its stowed position as shown in  FIG. 2  to its deployed position as shown in  FIG. 3 , the vertical leg  16  now extends vertically upwardly from the plane of the roof  16  and the horizontal leg  34  now extends toward the roof  16  to overlap the shingles  22  positioned along the leading edge of the roof  16 . Thus, it should be appreciated that when the wind spoiler  10  of the invention is in its stowed position, the horizontal leg  34  is aesthetically coplanar with the plane of the roof  16  to allow leaves, rainfall, snow, etc. to run off of the roof  16  without obstruction. Further, it should be appreciated that when installed on pitched roofs  16 , the weight of the horizontal leg  34  inherently, through the force of gravity, retains itself in its stowed position as shown in  FIG. 2 . However, the hinges  40  may include internal springs  42  to softly bias the L-shaped member  32  to its stowed position. 
     As shown in the schematic diagrams of  FIGS. 4A and 4B , when the wind spoiler  10  is subjected to wind flow  28  along the edge of the roof  16 , the wind flow  28  impacts and sucks the horizontal leg  34  of the L-shaped member  32  causing it to pivot 180 degrees from its stowed position to its deployed position as shown in  FIG. 3 . Upon the horizontal leg  34  being moved to its deployed position, the vertical leg  36  extends vertically above the plane of the roof  16  to obstruct the wind flow  28  and thereby create turbulence in the wind flow  28 . Consequently, as noted above in connection with the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , once turbulence  30  is created within the wind flow  28 , the turbulence  30  does not allow the formation of suction above the roof  16  as would otherwise occur if no turbulence  30  would be imparted to the wind flow  28 . 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are partial cross-sectional views of the hinged embodiment of the wind spoiler  10  of  FIGS. 2-4  showing in more detail the manner in which the wind spoiler  10  is mounted to the fascia  14  of the roof  16 . More particularly, conventional roofs comprise a plurality of roof trusses having roof joists  18  at pitch “p” to which are nailed sheets of plywood  44  to cover all of the joists  18  and create the pitched, planar configuration of the roof  16 . Fascia  14  is then nailed to the leading ends of the joists  18  to cover the edge of the plywood sheeting  44  and the joists  18  themselves. The drip edge  20  is affixed to the upper leading edge of the fascia  14  to cover the leading edge of the plywood sheeting  44  and to extend downwardly over the uppermost edge of the fascia  14 . As noted above, fascia  20  typically include a horizontal bead or ridge that functions as a drip edge to direct rainfall to drip from the drip edge  20  rather than flowing onto the fascia  14 . Asphalt shingles  22  are then affixed to the plywood sheeting  14 , typically by roofing nails, extending from the leading edge of the roof  16  upwardly along the planar surface of the roof  16  in a progressively overlapping manner such that rainfall flowing down the roof flows off the shingles  22  without flowing under them. 
     The wind spoiler  10  of the invention is intended to be affixed along the upper leading edge of the roof  16  such that the bend  38  defining the horizontal and vertical legs  34  and  36  is generally parallel and aligned the upper leading edge of the roof  16 . When so positioned, the horizontal leg  34  is generally coplanar with the shingles  22 . Due to gravity or with the assistance of spring  42 , the vertical leg  36  is urged to its downward vertical position adjacent the drip edge  20  and fascia  14 . 
     Upon increasing wind flow  28  toward the leading edge of the roof  16 , the wind spoiler  10  is forced to rotate 180 degrees against the force of gravity (and against the force of spring  42 ) from its stowed position of  FIG. 5A  to its deployed position as shown in  FIG. 5B . When in its deployed position, the vertical leg  36  is now flipped vertically upwardly and the horizontal leg  34  is flipped to face toward the roof  16  and overlap the leading edge of the shingles  22 . Consequently, in such deployed position, the upward vertical leg  36  functions to obstruct wind flow  28  flowing over the roof  16  and thereby create turbulence  30  within the air flow  28 . Simultaneously, the horizontal leg  34  functions to hold down the leading edge of the shingles  22  such that wind flow  28  is prevented from getting in under the leading edge of the shingles  22  that would otherwise tend to peel the shingles  22  from the roof  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , one wind spoiler  10  of the invention may be positioned along the leading edge of the roof  16  as previously described. Additionally, however, one or more other wind spoilers  10  of the invention may be positioned further up the roof  16  such as midway up the roof  16  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The additional wind spoilers  10  of the invention mounted further up the roof  16  function to maintain or enhance the turbulence  30  to assure that a high level of turbulence  30  always exists along the planar surface of the roof  16  thereby precluding the formation of re-attachment of air flow on the roof  16 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C and  7 D, the vertical leg  36  of the wind spoiler  10  of the invention may comprise various embodiments. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 7A , the vertical leg  36  may comprise a generally rectangular configuration. In  FIG. 7B , the vertical leg  36  may alternatively comprise a perforated configuration allowing some air flow  28  therethrough. Still alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 7C , the vertical leg  36  may include crenellations. Finally, as shown in  FIG. 7D , the vertical leg  36  may comprise a saw tooth configuration. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an alternative method for affixing the wind spoiler  10  of the invention to the fascia  14  of the roof  16 . More particularly, a specially-configured standoff bracket  46  having a generally U-shaped configuration may be employed for affixing the wind spoiler  10  to the fascia  14 . The standoff bracket  46  comprises one leaf  46 A which is affixed to the fascia  14  by suitable fasteners  46 AF and another leaf  46 B that serves as a base to which the leaf  46 B of the hinge  40  is affixed by means of fastener  46 BF. As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the standoff bracket  46  functions to position the wind spoiler  10  appreciably away from the drip edge  20 . Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, the standoff bracket  46  may be integrally formed with the drip edge  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the wind spoiler  10  of the invention may be incorporated within a conventional gutter  48  affixed to the leading edge of the roof  16 . More particularly, as best shown in  FIG. 9 , the vertical leg  36  extends downwardly into the gutter  48  and the horizontal leg  34  extends over the gutter  48  when the wind spoiler  10  is in its stowed position. As shown in  FIG. 10 , as the wind flow  28  increases to move the wind spoiler  10  from its stowed position to its deployed position, the horizontal leg  34  is flipped back 180 degrees to overlap the roofing shingles  22  and the vertical leg  34  is extended 180 degrees from its downward vertical position to its upward vertical deployed position. 
     The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     Now that the invention has been described,