Abstract:
A roof vent for ventilation of a roof, the roof vent adapted to be placed on the pitch of the roof, not the ridgeline. The roof vent has a flat or tabular floor and a base attached to the floor. The floor includes a throat member having vertical walls and the base has sloped back lower walls, and upper walls that are non-horizontal and slope back from the lower walls, and finally a horizontal top. The effect of the nonnormal lower walls and the sloped back upper walls, in conjunction with a typically rectangular flat (parallel to the floor) top provides an airfoil shape to the roof vent that assists in the flow of an over the roof vent.

Description:
[0001]    This patent application claims priority from, benefit of, and incorporates herein by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/492,132, filed Jun. 1, 2011; and Ser. No. 61/593,586, filed Feb. 1, 2012. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Roof vents, namely, roof vents with longitudinal ribs, critter guards, and airfoil shaped walls. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Roof vents are provided to allow a building, such as a residence, to “breathe.” Depending on the specifications of the construction, buildings must have minimum net-free area to provide gaseous exchange between the air inside the house and air outside the house. This is often done through the use of roof vents. 
         [0004]    However, roof vents that provide gaseous communication between the interior of a house, typically an attic, and the area outside the house, typically adjacent the roof, also provide a path where airborne particles, such as rain or debris, may enter the house or building structure. If the air path is open and accessible, even small animals, such as small birds, insects or the like, may be able to get through an unprotected or open vent opening into the attic of a house. 
         [0005]    A vent design must have sufficient net-free area, but at the same time, protect the interior of the house from these hazards. Moreover, roof vents, by their very nature, represent an obstruction to the wind and windborne particles. As such, they may bear loads, especially when the wind is high. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In an exemplary embodiment, Applicants provide a low profile, aerodynamically shaped wind vent which diverts wind and wind-driven rain or debris up and over a airfoil leading edge. The angled, airfoil leading edge is substantially closed, but with an angled louvered area for ventilation, which angled louvered area is angled back with respect to the airfoil leading edge. 
         [0007]    In an exemplary embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent, an over/under grid work may be provided for louvers, which help de-accelerate the wind and prevent rain from entering an interior region, including the open throat area of the vent. This over/under grid work also helps prevent windborne debris from collecting or clogging the vent interior, or accessing the vented space. 
         [0008]    In an exemplary embodiment of Applicants&#39; novel roof vent, a low profile is provided with an upper surface extending typically 6 inches or less from the base, which low profile design reduces wind load on the vent and generates less stress than prior art designs. 
         [0009]    In an exemplary embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent, a “tortured” path is provided, sinuous in nature, which makes it difficult for wind-driven rain to enter the ventilated space. 
         [0010]    Dimensionally, the roof vent may be rectangular shape, shingle length, and will typically blend into, aesthetically, the shingled roof. It may be molded from two pieces of high impact plastic. It may include UV resistant material for longer life and color retention. An embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent is 30 inches long and may be in multiples of 6 inches. Any other suitable dimensions are also anticipated. This aids in shingle trimming and aids in side-to-side location of a vent to coincide with the shingle pattern. 
         [0011]    A critter guard is provided and may be of a “waffle” design for efficient flow area and for a larger net-free area. Such critter screen or guard will prevent small animals and the like from entering the attic space. 
         [0012]    In a vertical embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent, the longitudinal axis of the vent is coincident with the pitch of the roof and provides the appearance of a typical skylight. In a horizontal embodiment, the longitudinal axis of the roof vent is perpendicular to the pitch and coincident with the lines of a typical shingled roof. 
         [0013]    A roof vent comprising a rectangular cover having a pair of airfoil shaped closed walls and a pair of airfoil shaped, spaced apart partially open walls, having mouth openings, the cover having a deflection skirt having a removed edge, the skirt depending downward from the underside thereof, and a base having a perimeter portion and a floor portion, the floor for defining a vent opening, the vent opening having vertical walls defining a throat and terminating in a critter guard, the critter guard adapted to allow air to flow therethrough, past the deflector skirt and the mouth openings, wherein the throat is within and spaced apart from the removed edge of the skirt. 
         [0014]    A roof vent for ventilation of a roof, the roof vent adapted to be placed on the pitch of the roof, not the ridgeline. The roof vent has a flat or tabular floor and a base attached to the floor. The floor includes a throat member having vertical walls and the base has sloped back lower walls, and upper walls that are non-horizontal and slope back from the lower walls, and finally a horizontal top. The effect of the non-normal lower walls and the sloped back upper walls, in conjunction with a typically rectangular flat (parallel to the floor) top provides an airfoil shape to the roof vent that assists in the flow of air over the roof vent. The cover is typically rectangular and the lower walls will typically have a pair of mouth openings therein and a pair of lower walls that are substantially closed. The substantially closed lower walls typically face down and up pitch, and may be either the long side walls or the short side walls on the rectangular embodiment. The upper walls typically include longitudinal ribs configured to prevent precipitation from dripping in the throat. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an isometric partially cutaway view of a vertical embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent illustrating the closed and opened sides and the interior structure of the vent. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the vertical embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational cutaway view of the vertical embodiment through section B-B of  FIG. 2  of Applicants&#39; roof vent. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the vertical embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional elevational view of the vertical embodiment through section A-A of Applicants&#39; roof vent. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the vertical embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a horizontal embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent. 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional cutaway elevational view of Applicants&#39; horizontal roof vent through section B-B of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of the horizontal embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent. 
           [0024]      FIGS. 10 and 10A  are a side elevational and cross-sectional view through section A-A of Applicants&#39; horizontal roof vent. 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is an illustration of Applicants&#39; vertical embodiment of the roof vent mounted to a roof inside elevational view, showing deflection of the wind by the airfoil leading edge of the roof vent. 
           [0026]      FIG. 11A  is a perspective view of the vertical embodiment of the roof vent attached to a shingled roof. 
           [0027]      FIG. 12  is a partial detail side elevational view of the leading edge as seen in  FIG. 11  and the manner in which it deflects wind. 
           [0028]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the horizontal embodiment of the roof vent attached to a singled roof. 
           [0029]      FIG. 14  is a vertical version of a preferred embodiment  10   c  in perspective view with a partial cutaway of the top wall. 
           [0030]      FIGS. 15 and 16  is a horizontal version of the preferred embodiment of  FIGS. 14-21  in top elevational view and side elevational cutaway views, respectively, showing the manner in which the upstanding vertical slats of this embodiment trend parallel to the side walls. 
           [0031]      FIG. 17  is a detail view of the staggered horizontal ribs of the grid work above the lower walls of the cover. 
           [0032]      FIGS. 18 and 19  are front elevational and front cutaway views of the horizontal version of the preferred embodiment of Applicants&#39; present invention, with  FIG. 17  a detailed view of the manner in which the slats “overlap” one another. 
           [0033]      FIGS. 20 and 21  are perspective views of a horizontal version of Applicants&#39; preferred embodiment. 
           [0034]      FIG. 22  is a cross-section of the roof vent on a steep pitched roof illustrating a vertical drop line gap. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0035]    In  FIGS. 1-6 , a vertical embodiment of Applicants&#39; roof vent  10  is illustrated. Roof vent  10   a  is comprised of a generally tabular base  12 , which base rigidly engages a cover  14 . Base  12  is seen to have a perimeter portion  16  and a floor portion  18 . Floor portion  18  defines a vent opening  20 . A critter guard  22  is provided to impede access of small animals to the vent opening  20 . Raised side walls  24  with an upper edge  24   a  are set on the inner edges of floor portion  18  which define vent opening  20 . Vent opening  20 , in conjunction with raised side walls  24 , defines a throat T, typically rectangular, through which an attic or other space is ventilated, by placement of the vent opening over the roof opening. 
         [0036]    Vent opening  20  is generally rectangular in a preferred embodiment as is perimeter portion  16 , which extends beyond the cover. That is to say, perimeter portion  16  is that area beyond the cover and floor portion  18  is substantially beneath the cover. 
         [0037]    Critter guard  22  is seen to have a vented ribbed “waffle” type top wall  26  engaging upper edge  24   a  of the raised side walls  24 . Vented “waffle” top wall  26  is comprised of multiple V-shaped members  30 . Each V-shape member  30  is seen to have depending side walls  30   a / 30   b . The multiple side walls  30   a / 30   b , which make up the multiple V members  30 , have spaced apart parallel bars  32 . These may be spaced, for example, with gaps of about ¼ inch between them for allowing the throat T to breathe and air to pass through as generated by the pressure differences between the inside of the structure and the outside thereof. Presenting a top wall  26  waffled as illustrated provides for a larger air path than a planar structure with the same bars and gaps that is tabular across the upper edge  24   a.    
         [0038]    Cross braces  28  (see  FIG. 1 ) are seen to cross from one raised wall  24  to an opposing raised wall and may support upper and lower long beams  34 / 36  so as to give some rigidity to critter guard  22 . Moreover, standing support  29  projecting upward from the floor portion  18  of the base may, in one embodiment, toolessly, fasten or snap, to engage depending support  31 , which depends downward from the underside of cover  14  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . This provides a vertical spaced apart support of a top wall  48  of cover  14 . There may be multiple sets of elements  29 / 31  located spaced apart between the floor  18  and the underside of the cover. 
         [0039]    Turning now to cover  14 , it is seen that cover  14  may be comprised of side walls  44 , which depend upward from base  12  and are canted at a non-normal or non-perpendicular angle typically in the range of about 5 to about 20 degrees so they may deflect wind that impinges on them. Furthermore, and with reference to  FIG. 3 , vented walls  42  are seen to be provided with a grill-like or louvered structure to allow air to communicate between the cover and the throat as set forth in more detail below. The vented walls  42  are seen to be canted back from perpendicular at angles greater than the side wall, but less than 90 degrees, typically in the range of about 25-75 degrees. Last, a generally flat laying top wall  48  is provided to complete the airfoil effect, as seen in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , for example. 
         [0040]    As can be seen with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , and with reference to the vertical embodiment  10   a , it is seen that side walls  44   a / 44   b  are substantially closed, yet side walls  44   c / 44   d  are at least partially open and have walls defining mouth openings  52 / 54 , as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 6 . The angular relationship between side walls  44   a / 44   b  and the adjacent vented walls  42  and top wall  48  may be seen with reference to  FIG. 3  to be, in side view, airfoil shaped. Side wall  44   a  may be, in a vertical embodiment  10   a , placed on the roof as seen in  FIG. 11 , and is typically positioned so that it faces “down pitch.” Therefore, winds driven “up pitch” will impinge on side wall  44   a  (which is substantially closed) and, given the canted back disposition of side wall  44   a  and vented walls  42 , along with a horizontal (with respect to the base) top wall  48  will be seen to deflect such air as illustrated by the arrows in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . That is to say, the leading edge facing the down pitch position in a vertically oriented embodiment of Applicants&#39; vent roof  10   a  may be seen to provide a substantially closed leading airfoil edge, here side wall  44   a , to the windward side of the roof. Venting, through mouth openings  52 / 54 , typically does not face the prevailing wind. 
         [0041]    Moreover, it is seen with reference to the skirted embodiment of  FIGS. 1-13 , that top wall  48  has an inner skirt  50  depending vertically down from the inside surface of the top wall  48  as best illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . Skirt  50  defines a rectangular downward projection whose removed edge  50   a  is spaced apart laterally from the upper edge  24   a  of side walls  24  creating a circuitous path or torturous, sinuous path for air escaping from mouths  52 / 54  (see arrows showing vent flow in  FIGS. 3 and 8 . It is seen that inner skirt  50  will help prevent raindrops carried by a wind flow coming in through vents of vented walls  42  to the vent opening  20 . 
         [0042]    In addition to assisting with the creation of a circuitous path, skirt  50  acts to block windblown debris, rain or the like that enters the interior of the base from the vent opening. Air may flow through either the mouth or through vented walls  42 , but debris is either deflected over the roof vent by the airfoil action or, if it enters the interior, is deflected by skirt  50 . It is seen that the upper edge  24   a  of side walls  24  and the lower edge  50   a  of skirt  50  are positionally space apart, but in addition, removed or lower edge  50   a  is typically lower or closer to base  12  than upper edge  24   a . Moreover, both the side walls and the skirt are rectangular shaped, with the rectangular skirt being larger than the rectangle defined by the four skirt walls  24   a  and, thus, regardless of the direction of the wind and windborne particles, there is a physical barrier that will likely catch most of the debris or rain. 
         [0043]    Turning to  FIG. 8 , and the illustration of airflow through the horizontal version of Applicants&#39; roof vent  10   b , a number of stages can be seen to define the circuitous or tortuous route of air ventilating the vent opening  20 . For sake of illustration, we will look at air moving from inside the home or other structure to the outside. First, air passing through vent opening  20  is seen to take a generally vertical or upward route with respect to horizontal, as seen in  FIG. 8 . This is the result of the constriction of the four side walls  24   a . In its pathway to the mouth opening  56 , air will flow between the underside of the top  48  and upper edge  24   a  and then be forced, by skirt  50  and the position of lower edge  50   a , to depend downward and at least somewhat parallel to base  12  for exiting, typically through the mouth or up through vented walls  42  as seen in  FIG. 8 . 
         [0044]    In  FIG. 11 , there is illustrated a vertical mount of the vertical embodiment  10   a  of the roof vent. In  FIG. 13  is illustrated the relationship of the horizontal roof vent to surrounding shingles, and a means  58 , such as nails, for mounting the roof vent  10  to the roof. In  FIG. 13 , the horizontal embodiment  10   b  of Applicants&#39; roof vent  10  is seen to engage shingles so as to lay in a position with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the pitch of the roof. 
         [0045]    Thus, as seen how Applicants have provided for a roof vent in one embodiment with a tortuous airflow, with an aerodynamic shape that discourages entry of debris into an interior space of the roof vent by deflecting debris from entering the vent, while providing a critter guard and other favorable features in an efficient, low profile roof vent that may be mounted horizontally or vertically to the roof as indicated. 
         [0046]      FIGS. 14-21  illustrate an alternate preferred embodiment  10 C of Applicants&#39; present invention. Alternate preferred embodiment  10 C in a vertical embodiment (see  FIG. 14 ) has two substantially closed airfoil side walls  44   a / 44   b  and two partially opened side walls  44   c / 44   d , which partially opened side walls  44   c / 44   d  are opposite one another and either wall  44   a  or  44   b  is oriented down pitch (see  FIG. 11A ). On the other hand, Applicants provide an alternate preferred embodiment  10   c  in a horizontal embodiment (see  FIG. 15 ), in which substantially closed airfoil side walls  44   a / 44   b  are oriented, at least one of them, down pitch (see  FIG. 13 ). However, in Applicants&#39; alternate preferred embodiment, whether vertical or horizontal, it is noted that vented side walls  42  (on all four walls  44   a / 44   b / 44   c / 44   d ) have a grid portion with multiple staggered horizontally trending ribs/slats  45   a / 45   b / 45   c / 45   d  (see  FIG. 17 ). Moreover, the length L (see FIG.  17 ) of each slat is such that, when windborne rain is driven substantially horizontal, it will strike the surface of one of the multiple horizontal rib or slats  45   a / 45   b / 45   c / 45   d . That is, there is no gap (viewed horizontally) to the vents interior, for rain being carried in the direction of the arrows in  FIG. 17 . As further explanation, in the side elevational view of  FIG. 18 , the ribs/slats are staggered or overlap as they trend upward  45   a / 45   b / 45   c / 45   d , so that in viewing the grid work “straight on,” no gaps are apparent. But the view, top elevational looking down, as seen in  FIG. 15 , for example, clearly shows the gaps for generating airflow. Moreover, the raised side walls  24  defining the throat T are well inside the gap of the uppermost slat  45   d , so water drainoff and down into the interior of the vent avoids the throat and the attic interior. That is to say, it is difficult, with the staggering and the length L as indicated, for debris or rain to freely enter the throat and attic interior of the vent through vented walls  42 . 
         [0047]    Moreover, it is seen that the alternate preferred embodiment  10 C illustrated in  FIGS. 14-21  (both vertical and horizontal versions) do not use a skirt as illustrated in the previous embodiments set forth in  FIGS. 1-13 . All other features are substantially the same. It is noted, however, that in the horizontal version, the smaller substantially at least partially open side walls  44   c / 44   d  (see, for example,  FIG. 15 ), are placed to allow a maximum air to flow through. The airfoil side walls  44   a / 44   b  may have small openings  47   a / 47   b  as seen in  FIG. 15 , which small openings provide sufficient net-free airflow to allow proper breathing. That is to say, in the horizontal version, small openings  47   a / 47   b  are provided to meet a minimum net-free airflow, but may not be needed in the vertical version illustrated in  FIG. 14 , because in the vertical version, there is sufficient area in the “long” side walls that a sufficient net-free area is achieved. In other words, in the horizontal embodiment wherein the open side walls are on the short side, additional openings need to be provided in the airfoil side walls, as indicated with openings  47   a / 47   b . Although the openings are sized to realize a net free area minimum, the various embodiments may have any suitable sizes. 
         [0048]    In any embodiments, the substantially airfoil side walls  44   a / 44   b , which are typically closed or substantially closed, there may be drain holes  49   a , as seen in  FIG. 14 , so that when the side walls are down pitch and water collects at the lowest point down pitch, it may drain. 
         [0049]    Moreover, it is seen with reference to  FIGS. 16 and 19  that inner perimeter  51  of the inner, upper edge of the grid work is outside of the inner perimeter of the upper edge of  24   a . By such careful placement, debris or windborne rain or the like that strikes the outer or outward facing surfaces of the horizontally aligned slats  45   a / 45   b / 45   c / 45   d , which are horizontally disposed, but have a vertical length allowing rain and the like to drop down into the inside of the cover, but not drip into the inside of the throat. 
         [0050]    The critter guard  22  and, specifically, the critter guard with the waffle shape and cross-section as seen in  FIG. 19 , for example, is a novel feature that may be used with any roof vent or any roof vent with a throat T regardless of any of the other features on the roof vent. Moreover, the depending skirt  50  as seen in  FIG. 3 , for example, is a feature that may be used with or without the other features disclosed herein. In a preferred embodiment, there is no skirt used with ribs that run longitudinally as seen, for example, in  FIG. 14 , rather than the vertical slats or ribs as seen, for example, in  FIG. 1 . Indeed, in the preferred embodiment, longitudinal ribs (usually two or more, preferably four) preclude the need for a skirt, although a skirt may be used in conjunction with longitudinal or vertical ribs. 
         [0051]    The lower walls of the roof vent may make an angle with respect to an axis perpendicular to the floor of between about 9°-15° and, in one preferred embodiment, about 12°. The upper walls, which typically include the vents or grid work, in a preferred embodiment have longitudinal ribs, and make an angle of between about 55°-65° with perpendicular axis, and in one embodiment about 58°. 
         [0052]    In a preferred embodiment, the maximum height of the top wall of the cover above the floor is 6 inches. That is to say, the top wall in a preferred embodiment is typically parallel to the floor and a maximum of 6 inches above the floor and, in a preferred embodiment, about 5 inches. 
         [0053]    The included angles on the waffle shape critter guard  22  are preferably between about 45°-135° and, in one preferred embodiment, about 75°. Typically, Applicants&#39; cover is rectangular as seen in top elevational view, for example, in  FIG. 7 , and has a length L and width W such that the aspect ratio (L/W) is between about 1.2-2.2 for one preferred embodiment designed for use with regular shingles. Architectural shingles with different dimensions may require different lengths and widths, but would still typically include a rectangular cover and a floor that is rectangular. 
         [0054]    Turning to  FIG. 22 , a vertical drop line  60  is seen to generate a positive gap  62  or space outward from the upper lip  24   a  of the throat T. Typically, the maximum pitch will be a 16/12 (16 up, 12 out), such as is illustrated in  FIG. 22 . At this maximum pitch, it is seen that a vertical drop line from the upper edge of the grid work in the embodiment with the longitudinal ribs will provide a positive gap  62  away from the upper lip  24   a  of the throat T. This is so that rainwater dropping down vertically, from inner perimeter  51  that will be closest to the throat, does not fall into the throat. If a positive gap is left, then even if there is some momentum to water drops as they hang off the lower edge of the upper wall of the grid and do not fall straight down but fall at an angle as indicated, a positive gap will tend to prevent the water droplets, even with some momentum that carries them toward the throat, from entering the throat. 
         [0055]    Applicants provide for a novel waffle shape critter guard that may be used alone or in combination with the rib configuration and/or the airfoil shaped walls. Indeed, the rib configuration and the airfoil shaped walls may stand alone without the other features disclosed herein. 
         [0056]    Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. On the contrary, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications, alternatives, and equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.