GB2335675A - An adjustable ridge assembly for a conservatory roof - Google Patents

Abstract

A ridge assembly for a conservatory roof has a ridge body member 2. The central portion 6 is formed with channel shaped glazing pockets 10 which interchangeably receive channel shaped seal carriers 22 having seals 42 to receive glazing panels 20 of different thicknesses. The seal carrier 22 is formed with an integral cladding member 26 to clad the side walls 28 of the ridge body 2. The upper portion has tooth formations 50, 52 to selectively engage clips 54 on the ridge capping member 36 so that the position of the capping member 36 can be adjusted to accommodate the use of glazing panels 20 of different thickness.

Description

1 Title: Ridge Assembly 2335675 This invention relates to a ridge assembly

for a roof structure and more particularly for a conservatory roof comprising a ridge member an eaves beam and a plurality of rafters extending between the ridge and the eaves beam glazing panels being mounted between the rafters. Various styles of conservatory roof are known including Victorian' and 'Edwardian/Georgian' styles in which a roof pitch is formed on both sides of the ridge; and lean-to arrangements in which a pitched roof is formed on only one side of the ridge.

In modem conservatory design the ridge member should be able to support the roof rafters at an angle typically of from about 2-3 degrees in the case of 'flat' lean-to roofs or up to about 30 degrees or more in the case of Victorian or Edwardian designs. In a known arrangement, the rafters at the ridge end are cut square with the top edge of the glazing panels and the upper ends of the rafters are secured to a shoulder extending outwardly from the side of the ridge. This arrangement leaves a gap between the shoulder and the underside of the edge of each of the glazing panel which may be time consuming and difficult to seal effectively. It is an object of the invention to provide a ridge and a roof structure incorporating the same which is easier and quicker to construct.

In one aspect this invention consists in a ridge assembly for a conservatory roof comprising a ridge body member having a lower portion, a central portion and an upper portion, the lower portion being formed with a shoulder for supporting the upper end portions of a plurality of rafters at a required angle the rafters terminating on the shoulder the free ends of the glazing panels projecting into a glazing pocket in the form of an elongate channel provided along the central portion of the ridge body the pocket retaining seal means to continuously seal the marginal edge of the glazing panels.

Preferably, an elongate channel shaped seal carrier is disposed within the glazing pocket to receive the marginal edges of a plurality of glazing panels, the seal carrier having a sealing element for sealing engagement with the upper surface of the glazing panels. An additional sealing element may be provided to seal the opposed lower surface of the glazing.

2 Advantageously, the glazing pockets may interchangeably accept glazing panels of more than one thickness. A pocket accepting standard glazing sheet thickness of 16 mm and 24 mm is especially useful.

Preferably the glazing pocket may interchangeably retain seal carrier means for selectively sealing the marginal edge portion of glazing panels of, respectively, a first and a second thickness.

lo In a preferred embodiment the seal carrier is in the form of a channel member having inwardly turned lips each of which carries a co-extruded nitrile sealing element which project towards the interior of the glazing pocket. It is desirable to provide a first seal carrier having inwardly directed sealing elements for sealing 16 mm glazing panels and second carrier having inwardly directed seals for sealing 24125 mm thick glazing panels. The seal carrier may also be integrally formed with a cladding element which can be attached to side of the ridge above the pocket. The upper extremity of the cladding element may be formed with a co-extruded sealing element for sealing engagement with the ridge capping, more fully described below.

Alternatively, for some applications, and more particularly for low pitched lean-to ridge assemblies, for example, the seal carrier, side cladding and ridge capping elements may be formed as an integral extrusion to provide enhanced weatherproofing.

The upper portion of the ridge is preferably adapted to carry a ridge cap in at least first and second vertically spaced positions in order to accommodate a roof covered with glazing panels of a corresponding first or second thickness to compliment rafters which enable glazing of a selected thickness to be used.

The sloping shoulder which supports the upper ends of the rafters is preferably in the form of a bifurcated bearing flange. The shoulder needs to provide an end bearing for rafters inclined over a range of angles and it is desirable that the upper and lower flange are inclined at angles corresponding, respectively, to the indicated 35 maxima and minima of the supported pitch angle. In the case of Victorian and Edwardian ridges, for example adequate end bearings can be obtained with a first I- 3 r, ridge in which pitch angle ranges from 15-23 degrees and with a second ridge in which the pitch angle ranges from 24-30 degrees. Advantageously two such ridges are provided with the upper and lower bifurcated bearing plates of the first set at 15 and 23 degrees and the plates of the second being set at 24 and 30 degrees respectively. Alternatively, the shoulder may have radiused flanges to provide a bearing surface over a required angular range.

In the case of a lean-to ridge supporting only a single pitch roof the corresponding angular ranges are typically 5-14 degrees; 15-23 degrees and 24-30 degrees and it is advantageous to provide separate ridges adapted to accommodate these pitch angles.

In any case it is desirable to provide a channel formation directly beneath the shoulder to accommodate fixing plates one of which can be slid into position beneath the end of each rafter to be fixed to the ridge. The fixing plate can retain one or, more preferably, two fixings to rigidly secure the upper end of each rafter to the bearing shoulder.

The construction of the ridge assembly facilitates the provision of numerous features. Channels may be formed in the underside of the ridge body to accept electrical cables for down lights and fans which may be fitted retrospectively since the bottom capping may be releasably attached to clip formations provided along the underside of the ridge, providing access to the cable channels.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood two embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a cross section through the ridge portion of a Victorian, Edwardian conservatory roof supporting a pitch on either side of the ridge and; Figure 2 is a cross section through the ridge portion of a lean-to roof for supporting a single pitched roof.

Referring to Figure 1 the ridge body member indicated generally as 2 is an extruded aluminium alloy section, having a lower portion 4 a central portion 6 and an upper 4 portion 8. The central portion 4 is formed with outwardly opening glazing pockets 10 on each of the opposed sides of the ridge member.

The lower section of the ridge body is formed on each side with sloping shoulders in the form of a slotted flange having two relatively inclined bearing surfaces 12a and 12b. which support the end portions of rafter 14. The bearing surface 12a is inclined at 24 degrees and 12b at 30 degrees to the horizontal to provide rafter end support in roofs having pitches from about 24 to 30 degrees. The slot between the surfaces 12a and 12b opens into an integrally formed channel 18 which carries a plurality of rectangular floating fixing means 16 one of which can be slid into position beneath the end portion of each rafter seated on shoulder. The fixing means incorporate a stud and nut for securing the end of each rafter to the shoulder The ends of the rafters 14 abut the wall 19 and the free marginal edges 20 of the glazing panels project into the glazing pockets 10.

Each glazing pocket 10 is fitted with a pvc-U channel shaped seal carrier 22 which has external serrations 24 for gripping inter engaging serrations formed on the adjacent side walls of the glazing pocket 10. The carrier 22 has an integrally formed limb 26 which serves to clad alloy wall section 28. The upper edge of limb 26 is formed with a returned edge 30 which is retained by lip 32 projecting upwardly and outwardly from the upper wall 28. A damping member in the form of a co- extruded nitrile blade 34 projects upwardly and outwardly from edge 30 to be urgedly engage with underside of the top capping member 36 to reduce vibraflon of the capping member under windy conditions. The carrier 22 is provided with opposed lips 38, which are formed with co-extruded nitrile seals 42 which project towards the interior of the glazing pocket 10 and sealingly engage against the upper and lower surfaces of the marginal edge portion 20 of glazing panel which projects into the glazing pocket 10.

The glazing pocket 10 is dimensioned to interchangeably receive either 16 mm or 24mm glazing panels. The upper section of the ridge has a transverse wall 44 which has a central upstanding formation 46 having shoulders 48 formed with detents 50, 52 which engage integral clips 54 formed on the underside of the ridge 35 capping 36. Additional capping clips 56 engage corresponding detents on formations 58 upstanding from ridge wall 44. The ridge capping 36 has an external channel 78 for retaining decorative ridge cresting, not shown A bottom capping 60 is releasably clipped to the underside by clips 62, 64 & 66 to complimentary formations on the underside of the ridge to provide access to channels 68, 70, 72 and 74 to allow for the installation of wiring and electrical accessories after completion of the conservatory roof.

The half-ridge shown in Figure 2 is essentially similar to one side of the ridge io assembly described above is not further described.

6

Claims (14)

Claims

1. A ridge assembly for a conservatory roof comprising a ridge body member having a lower portion, a central portion and an upper portion, the lower portion being formed with a shoulder for supporting the upper end portions of a plurality of rafters at a required angle the rafters terminating on the shoulder the free ends of the glazing panels projecting into a glazing pocket in the form of an elongate channel provided along the central portion of the ridge body the pocket retaining seal means to continuously seal the marginal edge of the glazing panels.

2.

A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which an elongate channel shaped seal carrier is disposed within the glazing pocket to receive the marginal edges of a plurality of glazing panels, the seal carrier having a sealing element for sealing engagement with the upper surface of the glazing panels.

A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the seal carrier has a sealing element is provided to seal the opposed lower surface of the glazing panels.

4. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 1-3 in which the glazing pocket may interchangeably retain seal carrier means for selectively sealing the marginal edge portions of glazing panels of, respectively, a first and a second thickness.

5. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 2-4 in which the seal carrier has an inwardly turned lips along the mouth of the channel which carries a sealing element which project towards the interior of the glazing pocket.

A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 2-5 in which the seal carrier is provided with retaining means to retain the seal carrier in the glazing pocket.

7 A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 2-6 in which the seal carrier is integrally formed with a cladding element to cover the side of the ridge above the pocket.

8. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 7 in which the upper edge of the cladding element is provided with a damping element for urged engagement with a ridge capping member.

9. A ridge as claimed in Claim 7 in which, the seal carrier, side cladding and ridge capping elements are formed as an integral extrusion.

10. A ridge assembly as claimed in Claims 1-8 in which the upper portion of the ridge is adapted to carry a ridge cap in first and second vertically spaced positions in order to accommodate a roof covered with glazing panels of a corresponding first or second thickness.

11. A ridge assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the shoulder which supports the upper ends of the rafters is in the form of a slotted flange to provide upper and lower flange sections which are inclined at angles corresponding, respectively, to the selected minimum and maximum of the supported roof pitch angles.

12.

A ridge assembly as claimed in Claim 11 in which a channel formation is provided in the ridge body beneath the shoulder to retain rafter fixing means.

13.

A ridge assembly as claimed in any preceding claim in which a channel is formed in the underside of the ridge body to provide a cable duct or the like.

14.

A ridge assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the underside of the ridge body is adapted to releasably retain a cladding member.