Abstract:
A roof vent designed to be nestable for easy shipment and which can be injection molded includes a base member and cover member. The base is nestable in an identical base, and the cover is nestable in an identical cover. The base and cover can be totally separate or connected by a living hinge or runner. To install the vent, the cover is positioned over the base and the two are nailed together to the roof surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Generally, roof vents on residential buildings are nailed to the roof surface and cover a hole which extends through the roof surface into an attic space. The vents are attached to the roof at the same time the roof is shingled, with the bottom flange of the roof vent extending over a lower row of shingles, and an upper row of shingles extending over a top flange of the roof vent. The roof vent has an inner section and an outer section that creates a circuitous path preventing water from passing through the outer openings in the roof vent into the building but allow air through the vent. 
         [0002]    This construction causes the roof vents to be relatively bulky. If several vents are shipped together, they are usually in individual packages because these vents do not nest. Further, they cannot be easily formed by injection molding. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is premised on the realization that a more compact, easily manufactured roof vent can be formed in two sections, an inner section and an outer section, both sections having forward and rear flanges and at least one of the sections having side flanges. These are installed together by placing one on top of the other and nailing the two together to the roof. 
         [0004]    Because these are formed as two sections, the vents can be injection molded. Further, if the sections are totally separate, the inner section can be formed from a less expensive material without coloring, and the outer section can be formed from a variety of different colors, which decreases the cost of manufacturing but allows multiple colored roof vents to be manufactured. 
         [0005]    The roof vent can also be formed in one piece wherein the inner and outer sections are connected together by a living hinge or runner. Either construction allows the two pieces to be nested together so that multiple vents can be shipped in a single box that is only about twice the size of a box that would hold only one prior art roof vent. 
         [0006]    The objects and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed description and drawings in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view broken away of a roof vent on a shingled roof; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the present invention in a disassembled form; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view taken at lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a one-piece product during assembly; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    According to the present invention, a roof vent  10  includes an inner base member  12  and an outer cover member  14 . The vent  10  is attached to a roof surface  16  and covers an opening  17  through the roof surface  16 . The roof vent  10 , in turn, is surrounded by shingles  18 . The vent can be plastic and formed by injection molding or the vent can be metal. 
         [0014]    The base member  12  has a peripheral flange  20  formed from a top flange  22 , a bottom flange  24  and two side flanges  26 . Peripheral flange  20  includes a circumferential raised shoulder  28 . Sloped side walls  30 , forward wall  32 , and back wall, or lower wall  34  extend up from shoulder portion  28  and surround a top wall  36 . The base member  12  includes upper air openings  38  through wall  32 , and air openings  40  through top wall  36 . These openings are relatively small to keep bugs from passing through the vent. The remaining side walls  30  and lower wall  34  are solid to prevent water ingress. 
         [0015]    As shown in the one piece embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the cover member  14  is attached to the base member  12  by first and second connecting straps  42  and  44 . These extend from the forward flange  32  of the base member to a forward flange  45  of the cover member  14  and connect to the flange  45  with living hinges  47 . 
         [0016]    The cover member  14  includes, in addition to the forward flange  45 , minor side flanges  48  and a rear flange  54 . Indented portion  49  on the upper flange  45  and side flanges  48  correspond to the straps  42  and  44  and portions of the front flange  22  and side flanges  26  of the base member. The cover member  14  further includes side walls  50  with air openings  51 ; a back wall  52 , again with air openings  53 ; as well as a forward solid wall  55 ; as well as a top solid wall  56 . The location and size of the respective walls allow the cover member  14  to fit over and cover the base member  12 . 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the two sections are combined by rotating the cover member  14  onto the base member  12  at living hinges  47 , as shown by arrow  59 . The indented portion  49  of the flange  45  and side flanges  48  will overlie the straps  42  and  44 , forward flange  22 , and portions of the side flanges  26  of the base member  12 . The raised shoulder  28  aligns the walls of the cover member  14  and the base member  12 . 
         [0018]    The bottom flange  54  of the cover member rests on the bottom flange  24  of the base member  12  with nail holes  58  aligned with nail holes  60 , and nail holes  62  aligned with nail holes  64  in the bottom flange  24 . An additional nail hole  66  is centered over a space  68  between straps  42  and  44 . When the cover member is over base member  12 , circuitous air paths are provided through the opening  17  in the roof surface  16 , through either the openings  38  or  40  in the base member, and then, subsequently, through openings  51  or  53  in the side walls or lower wall of the cover member. These are represented by arrows  65  in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0019]    As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , base  12  and cover  14  are formed from single walls, i.e., without bracing, or the like, which allows multiple vents in an unfolded condition to nest together. This allows one to ship a large number of vents in a relatively small container. The straps can be much thinner and may simply be runners connecting the two sections. 
         [0020]    Vent  10  is installed as the roof is covered with shingles  18 . The cover member  14  is first folded over the base member  12 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the row  72  of shingles  18  immediately below the roof vent  10  are placed in position so that the bottom flanges  24  and  54  of the assembled vent overlie the shingles in row  18  in row  72 . The vent is held together by nails  73  that extend through holes  62  and  64  into the roof surface. These nails are then caulked over to prevent any leakage. Nails are then driven through holes  58  and  60 , and through hole  66 , nailing the upper section of the vents together and fixing these to the roof at the same time. Upper row  74  of shingles  18  is placed in position so that it covers the upper flange  45  and portions of the side flange  48 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 6  shows an alternate embodiment in which roof vent  80  includes separate base member  82  and cover member  84 . Base member  82  includes a circumferential flange  86 , raised shoulder  88  and sloped walls  90 ,  92 ,  94 , and  96 , which surround a top wall  98 . Top wall  98  and front wall  90  both include air passages  102 . The cover member  84  likewise includes a top flange  104  and bottom flange  105 . It also includes walls  106 ,  108 ,  110  and  112 , respectfully, which surround and support a top solid wall  114 . The base of the walls is sized to rest adjacent the shoulder  88  of the base member. Side walls  110  and  108 , and rear wall  112  include slotted air passages  113 . 
         [0022]    This product is assembled on the roof in the same manner as the roof vent  10 . As the roof is being shingled, the cover member  84  is placed on top of the base member  82 . Flanges  104  and  105  include nail holes  115  that align with nail holes  117  in the flange  86 . This product is then installed in the same manner as the vent  10 , disclosed above. 
         [0023]    The embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  has the added advantage that it can be injection molded with two different plastics. The plastic used in base member  82  can be different than the plastic used with cover member  84 . This allows the color of the cover member  84  to be changed while keeping the base member the same color, thereby reducing expenses. The two portions members  84  and  82  however will nest so that a plurality of cover members  84  can be shipped in one package and a plurality of base member  82  can be shipped in a separate package allowing a plurality of the vents to be contained in smaller packages relative to typical roof vents. 
         [0024]    This has been a description of the present invention along with the preferred method of practicing the present invention. However, the invention itself should only be defined by the appended claims, WHEREIN I CLAIM: