GB2208137A

GB2208137A - Roof ventilator

Info

Publication number: GB2208137A
Application number: GB8816131A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive Robert William Marshall
Original assignee: Manthorpe Ltd
Current assignee: Manthorpe Ltd
Priority date: 1987-07-06
Filing date: 1988-07-06
Publication date: 1989-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-06
Also published as: GB2208137B; GB8715884D0; GB8816131D0

Abstract

A roof ventilator comprises an elongate body 10 providing an upper wall 14, a rear wall 16 and a front wall 20 inwardly of the front end of the upper wall 14. A base is a push fit within the body 10 between the walls 16, 20 and has a leg extending across the cavity defined between the walls 16,20. Openings 32, 34 in the walls 16,20 provide for flow of air through the assembly and openings 42,44 in the leg 38 provide a baffle effect whereby there is a tortuous route for flow of air through the assembly, thus avoiding wind chill. The ventilator may have inter-engaging formations on its ends for connection with a like ventilator. <IMAGE>

Description

Roof Ventilators This invention relates to a ventilating assembly for a roof area of a building.

A roof space ventilator lessens the possibility of condensation on the underside of the roof covering and various types of roof ventilators are now available including ventilators which are fixed on top of a fascia board, ventilators which are fixed in the soffite, and ventilators which are fixed between rafters where there are no fascia or soffite boards.

It has now been realised that a disadvantage common to all such ventilators is that they can, in freezing conditions with a strong wind, increase the possibility of freezing the plumbing in the roof space due to the velocity of cold air being channelled through the ventilators creating a condition known as the wind chill factor.

According to the present invention there is provided a ventilating assembly for a roof space, the assembly comprising means for mounting the assembly on a roof support component, means providing a path for flow of air through the assembly, and baffle means in the path to inhibit the forced flow of air therethrough.

Preferably the assembly has an elongate body defining a cavity.

Preferably the body may have a first supporting wall from one side of which extends a pair of spaced parallel walls, each having a plurality of through openings therein.

Desirably one of the spaced parallel walls is formed at one end of the first supporting wall, and the other of the spaced parallel walls is formed intermediate the ends of the first supporting wall.

The first supporting wall may have an extension leg formed on said one end thereof remote from said one parallel wall.

The openings in one of the spaced parallel walls may be located towards a junction with the first supporting wall and the openings in the other of the spaced parallel walls may be provided towards the end thereof remote from the junction with the first supporting wall.

Means may be provided on respective end walls of the body to enable a plurality of such bodies to be interconnected end to end and said means may comprise a lug formed externally on one of the end walls and a complimentary recess formed in the other of the end walls.

The assembly preferably has a base adapted to interfit with the body, the base providing the baffle means.

The base may comprise a second supporting wall with the baffle means being in the form of a leg extending from one side of the second supporting wall.

Preferably the leg has a plurality of through openings therein which, in conjunction with the through openings in the spaced parallel walls of the body, provide a tortuous route for the flow of air through the assembly.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a top plan of a body of a ventilating assembly according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the body of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the body of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the body of Figs. 1 to 3; Fig. 5 is a top plan of a base for a ventilating assembly; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the base of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a bottom plan of the base of Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 8 is a section on X - X of Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 is a section through a completed assembly.

Referring to the drawings, a ventilating assembly comprises an elongate body 10 adapted to interfit with a base 12. Preferably each of the body 10 and the base 12 is formed of a moulded plastics material.

The body 10 relative to a normal in use position, has an upper wall 14 and a rear wall 16 extending from the rear end of the wall 14. At its lower end the rear wall 16 has a downwardly extending leg 18. Intermediate its ends the wall 14 is also formed with a downwardly extending wall 20. A plurality of triangular ribs 22 extend between the wall 20 and the front of the wall 14 at equispaced intervals along the length of the body 10 and, at each end of the latter, form part of a respective end wall 24.

The end walls 24 are slightly angled inwardly towards one another from bottom to top. One end wall 24 is formed with a locating lock 26 extending longitudinally outwardly and having a dovetailed section, the other end wall 24 having a complimentary shaped recess 28, whereby a plurality of bodies 10 can be interconnected end to end by engagement of the legs 26 within respective recesses 28.

The wall 14 is provided with a plurality of slots 30 being elongate in a longitudinal direction of the body 10 and being equispaced therealong. The slots are positioned between the rear wall 16 and the intermediate wall 20. The rear wall 16 is formed with a plurality of through openings 32 occupying a considerable extent of the length of the wall 16 and being located in the lower most half thereof. The intermediate wall 20 is formed with a plurality of vertically elongate through slots 34 along its length.

The base 12 is designed to be a push fit within the body 10 in the space defined between the rear wall 16 and the wall 20. The base 12 has a planar part 36 and a central upstanding leg 38 extending along the length of the planar part 36. The base 12 push fits within the body 10 until respective side edges abut the internal faces of the walls 16, 20, and in this position the top edge of the leg 38 abuts the inner face of the wall 14 at such a location that the front edge of the leg 38 is aligned with the rear edge of the openings 30.

The planar part 36 is formed with a plurality of through apertures 40 shaped and positioned to correspond to and be in alignment with the apertures 30 of the wall 14.

The leg 38 is formed with a plurality of spaced openings 42 at its lower most edge and its upper most edge is formed with corresponding recesses 44.

When the base 12 is inserted in the body 10, a ventilating assembly is formed in which the slots 34 and the openings 32 allow air flow as required by local authority regulations and the leg 38 has the openings 42 and the recesses 44 so positioned as to provide a tortuous route for the flow of air through the assembly.

When the ventilator is to be attached to the top of a fascia board of a roof structure (not shown) the planar part 36 seats on the top of the board with the extension leg 18 adjacent the inner face of the soffite board. Screws can then be located through the extension leg 18 into the fascia board to secure the ventilator in position. When the roofing structure incorporates a bituminous sheet laid on rafters and projecting forwardly over the top edge of the ventilating assembly, an outer edge strip of the sheet is loose and tends to drop or sag away from the underside of roof tiles but because of the overhang at the front edge of the ventilating assembly, the sheet cannot totally close the opening to the slots 34.

If desired the assembly 10, 12 can also be utilized to fit between a fascia board and a soffite board. In this arrangement the wall 14 is arranged to abut the inner side of the fascia board with the intermediate wall 20 upper most and thereby the extension leg 18 projecting towards the soffite board. To connect the assembly with the soffite board there is provided a jointing strip, preferably formed of a plastics material, and having a substantially H-shaped crosssection presenting a first groove in which can locate the edge of the soffite board and a second groove in which can be fitted the extension leg 18. The assembly 10, 12 can be fixed to the fascia board by mounting screws through the aligned apertures 40, 30.

For use in an open eaves roof structure with no fascia board and no soffite board, the ventilator assembly 10, 12 is modified to be without the extension leg 18. The assembly is mounted along an outer edge of an upper course of brickwork in an outer brickwork skin by means of a layer of mortar spread on this upper course. Fixing members such as screws are fitted through the apertures 40 in the base 12 so that when the assembly is pushed on to the still wet mortar, the screws become embedded and when the mortar sets the assembly is firmly fixed. The fixing screws may not be necessary since the wet mortar may ooze through the apertures 40 to provide a sufficient key when set.

It will be appreciated that fixing pins, nails or screws for fixing additional elements of the roof structure to the assembly can utilize the apertures 30 in the upper wall 14 when appropriate.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the body and base may have configurations different from those described and shown, and the components may be made of other materials. The forming of the assembly by two moulded components which are a push fit one within the other does facilitate and reduce the expense of production.

The invention provides an improved roof area ventilator which is extremely versatile in use.

If required, and particularly if the building regulations are amended, it would be possible to provide more than one baffle. The or each further baffle could be provided on the body or the base.

Claims

Claims: -

1. A ventilating assembly for a roof space, the assembly comprising means for mounting the assembly on a roof support component, means providing a path for flow of air through the assembly, and baffle means in the path to inhibit the forced flow of air therethrough.

2. An assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the assembly has an elongate body defining a cavity.

3. An assembly according to Claim 2, wherein the body has a first supporting wall from one side of which extends a pair of spaced parallel walls, each having a plurality of through openings therein.

4. A ventilating assembly according to Claim 3, wherein one of the spaced parallel walls is formed at one end of the first supporting wall, and the other of the spaced parallel walls is formed intermediate the ends of the first supporting wall.

5. An assembly according to Claim 4, wherein the first supporting wall has an extension leg formed on said one end thereof remote from said one parallel wall.

6. An assembly according to any of Claims 3 to 5, wherein the openings in one of the spaced parallel walls are located towards a junction with the first supporting wall and the openings in the other of the spaced parallel walls are provided towards the end thereof remote from the junction with the first supporting wall.

7. An assembly according to any of Claims 2 to 6, wherein means are provided on respective end walls of the body to enable a plurality of such bodies to be interconnected end to end.

8. An assembly according to Claim 7, wherein the connecting means comprises a lug formed externally on one of the end walls and a complimentary recess formed in the other of the end walls.

9. An assembly according to any of Claims 2 to 8, wherein the body is formed from a moulded material.

10. An assembly according to Claim 9, wherein the body is formed from moulded plastics material.

11. An assembly according to any of Claims 2 to 10, wherein the assembly has a base adapted to interfit with the body, the base providing the baffle means.

12. An assembly according to Claim 11, wherein the base comprises a second supporting wall with the baffle means being in the form of a leg extending from one side of the second supporting wall.

13. An assembly according to Claim 12 when dependent on Claim 3, wherein the leg has a plurality of through openings therein which, in conjunction with the through openings in the spaced parallel walls of the body, provide a tortuous route for the flow of air through the assembly.

14. An assembly according to any of Claims 11 to 13 when dependent on Claim 3, wherein a plurality of openings are provided in each of the first supporting wall of the body and the second supporting wall of the base, said openings being in alignment.

15. An assembly according to any of Claims 12 to 14 wherein the extension leg is engageable within a groove formed in a jointing strip, the latter having a further groove locating therein the edge of a soffite board.

16. An assembly according to any of Claims 11 to 15, wherein the base is formed of a moulded material.

17. An assembly according to Claim 16, wherein the base is formed of a moulded plastics material.

18. A ventilating assembly for a roof space substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings-.

19. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed in the foregoing specification or claims and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.