Patent Publication Number: US-8117786-B1

Title: Insulation barrier for ceiling hatch openings

Description:
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/373,542 filed on Aug. 13, 2010. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In residential and commercial building structures, it is common practice to insulate ceilings by blowing loose cellulose material into the attic space so that it covers the ceiling from above. The loose cellulose insulation is normally blown in to a height of ten to sixteen inches, which exceeds the height of the four or six inch ceiling joists. Since attics have hatches, scuttles or pull-down stair or ladder openings of various sizes to gain access to the attic, the additional loose insulating material would fall through the openings unless contained by a barrier or dam. 
     To overcome this problem, cardboard dams have been cut to size and stapled to the hatch opening on the outside of the frame. This is the least expensive dam but is very flimsy and the four corners of the hatch opening are not secure. There is also a void space around the entire two inch by four inch or two inch by six inch frame that is not covered by insulation. This results in heat escaping. 
     Custom-built wood or plywood dams have also been used on top of the frame of the openings to raise the height and form a barrier dam for the insulating material. However, this method to fabricate and install the wood dam is time-consuming and, therefore, costly. There are a number of other hatch dam products sold on the market that will contain or dam the insulating material, but these are made from steel or plastic materials that are only available in specific sizes and are quite costly. As a result, they are not particularly favorable since hatches may come in many sizes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In an embodiment, a four piece panel kit for quick and easy assembly to contain or dam the loose insulation around the hatch opening is provided. Two of the panels may be designated as male panels and the other two may be designated as female panels. All panels are generally in ninety degree angular form, such as squares or rectangles. Securing tabs are integrated into each panel for attaching to the outside of the hatch frame. The four panels are positioned on top of corresponding four corners of the hatch frame with the tabs down. The male panels slide into the female panels to provide a containment dam. The size of the dam can be adjusted because the panels slide one into the other to readily accommodate variable joist spacing in different building constructions. The four panels can be secured to the outside frame of the hatch opening by stapling, screwing or nailing the tabs attached to each of the four panels. The materials used for the panels can be made of cardboard or plastic or any other materials to conform with applicable fire codes. 
     One principal advantage of embodiments of the present invention is to provide an improved means for containing or damning the loose insulation around a hatch opening by using a four panel kit that can be installed in less time than other containment dams now available. Another advantage of the four panel kit is that it is adjustable and will fit most hatch openings. Another advantage is that the four panel kit sits on top of the existing two inch by four inch or two inch by six inch wood hatch frame, providing insulation value. This would eliminate an insulation void that appears when using some of the existing hatch containment dams on the market. 
     Another advantage of embodiments of the invention is that the prefabricated hatch dam would not be flimsy—it would be much sturdier. It could easily support the weight of a two hundred pound person standing on the panels after installation. Another advantage is the four panel kit would be a less expensive containment dam than those sold on the market, especially since the material used to make the prefabricated hatch dam could be made from recycled cardboard or plastic. 
     Insulation installers can bring the prefabricated hatch dams with them. It can be installed in the same amount of time by stapling or nailing the tabs to the outside of the hatch frame as the improvised cardboard dams that are presently being used. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective, exploded view of an embodiment of the dam. 
         FIGS. 2 through 5  are the top perspective, exploded view shown in  FIG. 1  in which certain dimensions of the components are labeled. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom perspective, partially exploded view of the dam shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the dam installed around a ceiling hatch. 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of the dam with an insulation installer blowing insulation over the ceiling and around the dam. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an exploded view of an embodiment of the insulation dam is depicted generally at  10 . The dam  10  comprises four main parts  12 ,  14 ,  16  and  18 . Two of these parts are male pieces  12 ,  16  and two are female pieces  14 ,  18 . The male pieces  12 ,  16  have inserting ends  20 ,  21  on the ends that slidably engage with the female pieces. The female pieces  14 ,  18  have receiving ends  22 ,  23 . In preferred embodiments, the male pieces  12 ,  16  have sufficient length to allow an installer to slide the male pieces  12 ,  16  within the female pieces  14 ,  18  to accommodate different sizes of ceiling hatch openings. 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and by way of example only, a male piece  12  can have one inserting end  20  with a length A of about eighteen inches and the other inserting end  21  with a length B of about sixteen and one half inches. The male pieces  12 ,  16  are preferably solid with a width C of about one and three eighths inches. The height D of the male piece  12 ,  16  may be about fifteen and three quarters inches. The securing tab  24  on one side of the male piece  12 ,  16  can have a length E of about ten inches, height F of about three inches and thickness G of about one fourth of an inch. The securing tab  24  on the other side of the male piece  12 ,  16  can have a length H of about eleven inches, height I of about three inches and thickness J of about one fourth of an inch. Each of these securing tabs  24  may be positioned on the dam  10  so that one side of the tab  24  is two inches away from the corner of the dam  10 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and by way of example only, a female piece  14 ,  18  can have one receiving end  22  with a length K of about thirteen inches and the other receiving end  23  with a length L of about eighteen inches. The female pieces  14 ,  18  can be made to be solid in its main body  42  and have recesses  44  in the ends in which the inserting ends  20 ,  21  of the male pieces  12 ,  16  can slide. The recesses  44  may have a depth M of about three and one half inches. The recesses  44  may have a width N of about one and three eighths inches, which corresponds to the width C of the male pieces  12 ,  16 . The female pieces  14 ,  18  may have a height O of about sixteen inches, which corresponds to the height D of the male pieces  12 ,  16 . The securing tab  24  on one side of the female piece  14 ,  18  can have a length P of about ten and one half inches, height Q of about three inches and thickness R of about one fourth of an inch. The securing tab  24  on the other side of the female piece  14 ,  18  can have a length S of about sixteen inches, height T of about three inches and thickness U of about one fourth of an inch. Each of these securing tabs  24  may be positioned on the dam  10  so that one side of the tab  24  is two inches away from the corner of the dam  10 . 
     Moreover, each piece may have securing tabs  24  located on their bottom portions. The securing tabs  24  may be integral with each piece, as shown in the figures. In addition, the securing tabs  24  of each piece may be constructed and arranged to define saddles  26 . These saddles  26  allow the dam  10  to more securely rest upon joists or beams that form the framework for a ceiling. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a partially exploded, bottom perspective view of an embodiment of the dam  10  is depicted in which three pieces  12 ,  14 ,  16  of the dam  10  are assembled and one female piece  18  is offset from the assembly. This view better shows the inside portions of the securing tabs  24 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a fully assembled dam  10  is depicted in one of the environments in which it is intended to be used. The ceiling joists  28 ,  30  form a hatch frame  32  upon which the dam  10  rests. The hatch frame  32  defines the hatch opening  34 . These figures help to illustrate how the saddles  26  rest upon the joists, and they help to visualize the tabs  24  as they rest against the sides of the joists  28 ,  30 . These tabs  24  are preferable secured to the joists  28 ,  30  using staples, nails, screws, brads, tape, fasteners or other affixing means known in the art. Once the dam  10  is affixed around the ceiling hatch frame  32 , an insulation installer  36  may blow insulation  38  using a hose  40  all around the attic, for example, while the dam  10  prevents the insulation  38  from falling through the hatch opening  34 . 
     While particular embodiments of the present insulation dam have been described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.