GB2235041A

GB2235041A - Roof ventilators

Info

Publication number: GB2235041A
Application number: GB8918219A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Alfred Fifield
Original assignee: Anchor Building Products Ltd
Current assignee: Anchor Building Products Ltd
Priority date: 1989-08-09
Filing date: 1989-08-09
Publication date: 1991-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2009-08-09
Also published as: IE62414B1; GB8918219D0; GB2235041B; IE902835A1

Abstract

A roof ventilator for a ridge tile, has a ventilation opening 9 in its bottom 10, ventilation apertures 4 located above and outwardly of the ventilation opening 9, internal baffling 15, 18, for preventing water entering the ventilation opening through the ventilation apertures 4 and drainage holes 20 located in the bottom 10 of the ventilator and outwardly of the baffling, 15, 18. <IMAGE>

Description

RIDGE VENT The present invention relates to a vent for a ridge tile having a ventilation opening.

There are a number of ridge vents available on the market nowadays. Such vents have a cap which is adapted to extend over the ventilation opening to prevent rain from falling therein and a ventilation duct depending from the bottom wall of the cap and adapted to extend through the ventilation opening and into the roof space. The cap itself has a plurality of ventilation apertures therein so that a flow of air can pass from the roof space, through the ventilation duct, into the cap and out through the ventilation apertures and into the atmosphere. In order to prevent wind driven water from entering the ventilation duct through the ventilation apertures the cap is provided with suitable baffling.In one construction known to the applicant the bottom wall of the cap from which the ventilation duct depends has upwardly extending internal baffling extending around the duct and upwardly extending external baffling which shields the ventilation apertures from the wind.

Once the ventilation duct has been inserted in the ventilation opening in the ridge tile the ridge vent is securely fixed to the ridge tile by two bolts which pass through holes in the cap and in the ridge tile.

One of the problems encountered with such a construction is that the ridge tree has to be cut away wherever a ridge vent is located in order to accomodate the ventilation duct. Not only does this weaken the ridge unless suitable reinforcing is carried out but labour costs are increased because of the increase in time involved in cutting away the ridge tree and reinforcing where necessary.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cost effective ridge vent whose aesthetic appearance can be readily improved, if desired, to enhance the aesthetic appearance of a roof.

To this end, the present ivention consists in a vent for a ridge tile, said vent having a ventilation opening in its bottom, ventilation apertures located above and outwardly of the ventilation opening, internal baffling for preventing water entering the ventilation opening through the ventilation apertures and drainage holes located in the bottom of the vent and outwardly of the baffling, whereby water passing though the ventilation appentures flows through the vent and out of the vent through the drainage holes.

By means of the invention, not only is the cutting away of the roof batterns prevented since the ventilation opening in the bottom of the vent can simply be located over the ventilation opening in the ridge tile and also more effective water drainage is achieved by arranging the water to flow into, and out of, the vent but not through the ventilation opening by virtue of the internal baffling and drainage holes.

In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation apertures are disposed along at least two opposite sides of a cap which extends over the ventilation opening in the bottom of the vent and thus over the ventilation opening in the ridge tile, with the ventilation opening of the vent and the drainage holes being in a bottom wall of the vent, and the internal baffling includes an inner baffle which extends upwardly from the bottom wall around the ventilation opening therein, and an outer baffle depending from the cap and overlapping the inner baffle.

Moreover, it is possible by extending the ventilation apertures in the form of grills around the periphery of the cap to provide a vent which has a most pleasing aesthetic appearance when fixed to the ridge tile.

Preferably the grills are inclined at an angle and form bevelled faces between the top and side walls of the cap.

Instead of having the securing bolts pass through the entire cap as has conventionlly been the case, the cap preferably has two flanges extending from opposite ends respectively thereof, with the flanges resting on the surface of the ridge tiles and being provided with holes through which the securing bolts can be passed.

Advantageously, the upwardly extending baffle and bottom wall portion are made in one part with the bottom wall porton having has flange portions which fit into locating recesses in the respective flanges of the other part constituted by the cap.

In order to ensure that water drains out through the drainage holes and onto the ridge tile, the side walls of the cap have notches therein and preferably the bottom wall portion of the cap is provided externally with two ridges which lift the drainage holes clear of the ridge tile when the ridge vent is bolted thereto.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vent for a ridge tile, constructed in accordance wth the invention, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the vent of Fig.l, Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one end of the vent of Fig.1, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken along the line IV - IV of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken along the line V - V of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a bottom wall portion of the vent of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section taken along the line VII - VII of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a vent which is generally indicated at 1 in Fig. 1, for a ridge tile (not illustrated) to enable a flow of air to pass out through the ridge tile and into the atmosphere without rain entering the roof space.

The vent 1 comprises a cap 2 of elongate form, having upwardly directed laterally extending ventilation apertures in the form of grills 4 extending along its four sides and around its periphery except for the corner regions 5. The cap 1 is adapted to be secured to the ridge tile by means such as bolts which pass through holes 6 in opposite end flanges 7 projecting from end walls 8, so as to extend over a ventilation opening in the form of a slot in the ridge tile, with a ventilation opening, also in the form a slot 9 (Fig.

5) therein overlying the ventilation slot in the ridge tile. The vent has a bottom 10 including a separate bottom wall portion 10a which together with the flanges 7, cooperating flange portion 11 and the bottom edge of the end walls 8 are curved to match the curvature of the ridge tile, as will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 5.

As can be appreciated from Figs. 4 and 5 the flange portions 11 of the bottom wall portion 10 locate in respective recesses 12 in the undersurfaces of the flanges 7 so that the holes 6 in the flanges 7 align with holes 13 in the flange portions 11. The bottom wall portion 10 has two ridges 14 extending along its opposite sides, for a purpose to the described, and an integral upwardly extending baffle 15. The baffle 15 extends around the ventilation slot 9 and overlaps another baffle 16 extending downwardly from the flat top wall 17 of the cap and around the cap at the junction of the top wall with the ventilation grills 4. Thus a flow of air can pass from the roof space, through the ventilation slot in the ridge tile, through the ventilaton slot 9, through the space 18 between the baffles 15 and 16 and out into the atmosphere through the ventilation grills 4 as indicated by the arrowed dashed line 22.

It will be appreciated that the ventilation grills 4 form bevelled faces between the top wall 17 side walls 19 and end walls 8 and provide a pleasing aesthetic appearance.

The baffles 15 and 16 prevent any wind driven water falling through the ventilation grills 4 (as it will) entering the roof space through the ventilation slots in the vent and ridge tile with the baffle 16 in cooperation with the side walls 19 acting to direct the water through drainage holes 20 in the bottom of the vent and onto the surface of the ridge tile. To ensure flow of water, the side walls are cut-away as indicated at 21 and the ridges 14 are preferably provided to lift the bottom 10 slightly off the underlying surface of the ridge tile.

Thus, rather than try and prevent water entering the vent, the applicant's construction actually ensures that it passes into the vent and then by virtue of its cooperating internal baffles, and bottom drainage holes causes the water to flow freely away without entering the ventilation opening 9 and hence into the roof space.

The vent described is convenently made in two parts, eg of a suitable plastics material, adventageously by injection moulding.

It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the embodiment herein described but includes all modification and variations falling within its scope. For example the ventilation grills may extend into the corner regions 5 so that there is one continous ventilation grill.

Claims

1. A vent for a ridge tile, said vent having a ventilation opening in its bottom, ventilation apertures located above and outwardly of the ventilation opening, internal baffling for preventing water entering the ventilation opening through the ventilation apertures and drainage holes located in the bottom of the vent and outwardly of the baffling, whereby water passing though the ventilation appentures flows.through the vent and out of the vent through the drainage holes.

2. A vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ventilation apertures are located in a cap which extends over the ventilation opening.

3. A vent as claimed in claim 2, wherein the internal baffling includes an inner baffle which extends upwardly from the bottom of the vent around the ventilation opening in the bottom and an outer baffle depending from the cap and overlapping the inner baffle.

4. A vent as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the ventilation apertures are in the form of grills which extend around the periphery of the cap.

5. A vent as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cap has four sides with the grills extending around the periphery of the cap except for its corner regions.

6. A vent as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the grills are inclined at an angle and form bevelled faces between the top and side walls of the cap.

7. A vent as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the bottom includes a bottom wall portion which is separate from the cap, which defines the ventilation opening and from which the inner baffle upwardly extends.

8. A vent as claimed in claim. 7, wherein the bottom wall portion fits in locating recesses in the cap.

9. A vent as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the side wall or walls of the cap have notches therein adjacent the drainage holes to assist in the drainage of water through the drainage holes.

10. A vent as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the bottom of the vent is provided externally with means for lifting the drainage holes clear of the ridge tile when the ridge vent is mounted thereon to assist in the drainage of water through the drainage holes.

11. A vent as claimed in claim 10, wherein the lifting means is constituted by two ridges.

12. A vent as claimed in claim 7, or any claim dependent thereon, wherein the bottom includes another bottom wall portion which forms part qf the cap and which defines the drainage holes.

13. A vent as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein the cap has two flanges extending from opposite ends respectively thereof, being adapted to rest on the surface of a ridge tile and being provided with respective holes through which securing bolts can be passed.

14. A vent as claimed in claim 13 as appendent to claim 7, or any claim dependent on claim 7, wherein the separate bottom wall portion has two flanges which cooperate with the flanges of the cap and which have holes therein which align with the holes in the flanges of the cap.

15. A vent as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 14 wherein the cap has four sides and wherein the ventilation apertures are disposed along at least two opposite sides of the cap.

16. A vent for a ridge tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs 1 to 7 of the accompany drawings.