GB2335674A

GB2335674A - Roof valley assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2335674A
Application number: GB9907039A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Arthur Rodgers
Original assignee: CDW Products Ltd
Current assignee: CDW Products Ltd
Priority date: 1998-03-27
Filing date: 1999-03-26
Publication date: 1999-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-26
Also published as: GB2335674B; GB9806501D0; GB9907039D0

Abstract

A roof valley assembly has two independently moveable valley members (2,4) to support meeting roof sections of differing pitch. The valley members are coupled together using an integrally formed channel section (12) on one valley member in which a cylindrical foot portion (14) on the other valley member locates. This arrangement allows relative rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical foot portion (14) whilst inhibiting horizontal separation of the valley members. A flexible seal (22, fig 2) is provided between the two valley members to prevent the ingress of water into the valley member join. The flexibility of the seal is such that it can accommodate the relative movement of the valley members.

Description

1 Title: Roof Valley Assembly 2335674 This invention relates to a roof

valley assembly for a roof structure and more particularly to conservatory roof which has two meeting roof sections having the same or different pitches the adjacent meeting edges of the roof sections being supported by a valley extending between the roof ridge and an eaves beam.

Conventional valleys are of unitary construction and take the form of a trough the edges of the trough being adapted to support the rafters on each side of the valley.

But in cases where the pitch of the roof on one side is significantly different from the pitch of the roof on the other side of the valley the valley may have to be tumed about its longitudinal axis even in the case where the valley edges are provided with pivotabie bearing surfaces. The rotation of the valley about its longitudinal axis leads to difficulties with the mounting of the valley member at the ridge, where special brackets may have to be provided and at the eaves beam which often must be cut away to accommodate the lower end portion of the rotated valley member. A valley is also known in which separate left hand and fight hand channel components are articulated to allow a degree of relative movement to accommodate different pitch angles on the two sides but the articulated joint may restrict the optimum application of the valley in some circumstances and the articulated joint must be fabricated and assembled which adds to the cost of the roof. The method of constructing a roof with the prior art valley members restrict the pitch ratios of the meeting roofs to between about 1:2 and 2:1 whereas a roof constructed in accordance with the present invention is not so constrained and pitch ratios of between 1:6 and 6:1 and more may be obtained.

In one aspect the present invention consists of valley assembly for a conservatory roof comprising first and second independently moveable valley members each of the valley members being mountable between the ridge and eaves beam of the roof to support first and second meeting roof sections respectively, flexible seal means being provided between the first and second valley members, said seal means being adapted to accommodate the pitch angles of the first and second valley members and relative vertical movement there between.

To facilitate roof valley construction, means may be provided to limit relative horizontal movement between the valley members while not restricting the pitch 2 angle required to support each of the roof sections. This may be achieved by providing a coupling between the valley members which does not constrain the pitch angle but which at the same time limits the horizontal separation of the valley members during assembly. A preferred coupling of this kind is one in which leg formation on one member is at least partially retained in a channel on the other member as the pitch angles of the valley members vary in accordance with the requirements of a particular roof configuration.

To provide a weatherproof seal above the junction between the separate valley members seal means is provided to prevent the ingress of water, the seal being sufficiently flexible to accommodate the relative pivotal and vertical movement between the valley members in its application to different roof structures. The seal may comprise a web of flexible material attachment means being disposed along its opposed longitudinal edges for weatherproof attachment to each of the valley members. A weatherproof fixing of the flexible web seal can be obtained by providing the edges of the web with elongate channel shaped caps, preferably of co-extruded plastics material which can be push fitted onto upstanding formations provided on the valley members for the purpose. It is advantageous to locate the upstanding formation adjacent to the lip of the valley and to provide the end cap with a baffle wall projecting into the valley towards the edge portions of the glazing panels. This arrangement helps to prevent water penetrating beneath the seal Since glazing panels of different thickness may be employed in the roof structure it is desirable that the baffle height can be adjusted accordingly. This may be achieved by means which allow the cap to be fitted at vertically spaced locations with respect to the valley member, preferably by means of cooperating clip formations provided on the cap and valley member.

In a further aspect this invention consists in a method of fabricating a roof for a conservatory comprising mounting a first valley channel member so that the upper end is supported by a first ridge member and the lower end is supported by a first eaves beam member; mounting a second valley channel member so that the upper end is supported by a second ridge member oriented substantially at right angles to the first ridge member and the lower end is supported by a second eaves beam which is correspondingly oriented at right angles to the first eaves beam a flexible 1 3 gasket being fitted between the first and second valley channel members to prevent the ingress of water there between.

In a further aspect the invention consists in a roof structure having first and second pitched roof sections which meet to form a roof valley, the first and second pitched roof sections each being supported by a ridge member and an eaves beam the meeting edge of the first roof section being supported by a first valley member supported between the ridge member and a first eaves beam the meeting edge of the second roof section being supported by a second valley member supported between the ridge member and a second eaves beam; a flexible gasket being provided to prevent the ingress of water between said first and second valley members- In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one embodiment will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:- Figures 1 and 2 is a cross section through a valley at the intersection of two roof sections illustrated only in part, the included angle between the two roof sections being 120 degrees and; Figures 3 and 4 correspond to the views shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that the include angle between the intersecting roof portions is 160 degrees and will not be further described.

In Figures 1 and 2, for clarity, the view of the rafters are shown rotated by 90 degrees to illustrate the rafter cross section instead of the side view.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 which differ solely in that 16 mm and 24mm polycarbonate glazing panels are respectively employed, the valley assembly comprises two extruded aluminium alloy channel shaped valley members 2, 4 into the openings of which project the edge portions 6, 8 of the glazing panels of each of the roof sections. Each valley member further incorporates a panel support member upon which the marginal edge portions 6, 8 of the panels rest. Each of the valley members 2 and 4 are independently moveable to accommodate the pitch of the meeting roof sections. The valley members are provided with a coupling in the 4 form of a channel section 12 provided on one valley member 2 and a co- operating leg having a cylindrical foot portion 14 provided on valley member 4 to allow the pitch angle to vary freely while limiting the horizontal separation of the valley members during assembly.

Each valley member 2,4 is provided with an upstanding member 16 for retaining a sealing member having a pair of elongate channel shaped plastics caps 18 and a co-extruded flexible nitrile web 22 extending between the caps. To improve weatherproofing the walls 24 of the caps 18 are extended to provide baffles 19 projecting towards the end portions of glazing panels 6, 8. A cap support member is provide by leg 20 projecting towards the interior surface of the baffle 19 The caps 18 are a push fit onto members 16 and can accommodate either 16 mm glazing as shown in Figure 1 or 24 mm glazing as shown in Figure 2.

The panels 6, 8 are also provided with end caps 26 which are formed with a projecting drip edge 28 The base of each valley section is provided with longitudinally extending grooves 30 for securing a valley cladding member 32 by engagement integral hook formations 34 provided along the inner surface of the cladding member. Separate cladding members are attached to the base of each valley member, the inner longitudinal edge portions of the cladding members overlapping and are capable of moving one above the other to accommodate the variation of angle between the valley members.

1

Claims

Claims

1. A valley assembly for a conservatory roof comprising first and second independently moveable valley members each of the valley members being mountable between the ridge and eaves beam of the roof to support first and second meeting roof sections respectively, flexible seal means being provided between the first and second valley members, said seal means being adapted to accommodate relative pivotal and vertical movement between the first and second valley members.

An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the valley members are independently relatively moveable in the vertical direction, means being provided to constrain relative horizontal movement.

An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the means to constrain relative horizontal movement comprises a channel member provided on the first valley member and a leg member provided on the second valley member, the leg member being at least partially located in the channel member to constrain relative horizontal movement between the first and second valley members.

4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the opposed walls of the first and second valley members are formed with the channel formation and the leg member respectively.

5. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the flexible seal means has longitudinally extending caps adapted to be attached respectively to an upstanding edge portion provided on the first and second valley members, the flexible seal means extending between the end caps to provide a seal between the first and second valley members.

6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5 in which the caps incorporate a baffle wall extending towards the glazing panels.

7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6 in which the caps may be attached at vertically spaced locations on the upstanding edge portions to accommodate glazing panels of different thickness.

6 8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7 in which the upstanding formation and the cap have co-operating clip formations whereby the cap may be clipped into first or second vertically spaced positions.

9. An assembly as claimed as in Claims 5-8 in which the caps are of resilient plastics material co-extruded with a connecting web of flexible plastics material.

10. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim in which the lower surface of each valley member is adapted to retain a cladding member.

11. An assembly as claimed in Claim 10 in which a separate cladding member is provided on each valley member the inner longitudinal edge portions of the cladding members overlapping and capable of moving one above the other.

12. A method of fabricating a roof for a conservatory comprising mounting a first valley channel member so that the upper end is supported by a first ridge member and the lower end is supported by a first eaves beam member; mounting a second valley channel member so that the upper end is supported by a second ridge member oriented substantially at right angles to the first ridge member and the lower end is supported by a second eaves beam which is correspondingly oriented at right angles to the first eaves beam a flexible gasket being fitted between the first and second valley channel members to prevent the ingress of water there between.

13. A roof structure having first and second pitched roof sections which meet to form a roof valley, the first and second pitched roof sections each being supported by a ridge member and an eaves beam the meeting edge of the first roof section being supported by a first valley member supported between the ridge member and a first eaves beam the meeting edge of the second roof section being supported by a second valley member supported between the ridge member and a second eaves beam; a flexible gasket being provided to prevent the ingress of water between said first and second valley members.