GB2372804A

GB2372804A - Conservatory roof ventilation

Info

Publication number: GB2372804A
Application number: GB0210272A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Richardson
Original assignee: Ultraframe UK Ltd
Current assignee: Ultraframe UK Ltd
Priority date: 1997-12-04
Filing date: 1998-11-27
Publication date: 2002-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 2018-11-27
Also published as: GB9826002D0; GB2332047B; GB0210272D0; GB2372804B; GB2332047A

Abstract

A roof ventilation system, especially for a conservatory roof comprises a cowl 22 attachable to a ridge component of the roof and an electrically operated rotor 24 within the cowl. An apertured cover 380 conceals the ventilation system and serves as undercladding for the ridge component.

Description

TITLE: Roof ventilation DESCRIPTION

This invention concerns roof ventilation in particular conservatory roof ventilation. Conservatories are popular and attractive additions to many buildings including private houses, hotels and restaurants. Because of the large window area of conservatories, they can become very hot in summer and in winter condensation can be a problem. To mitigate against these conditions and for comfort generally it is desirable to have conservatories well ventilated and indeed to provide conservatories with forced ventilation. However, it is also desirable that any forced ventilation system not be obtrusive.

It is known to provide a vertical axis ventilation fan with radial blades mounted within a conservatory roof ridge beam. This type of fan is unsuitable for forcing air through the very restricted outlet available through a ridge beam.

Thus, the arrangement is not particularly efficient at moving air or creating air flow in other than a localised area.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved ventilation system, especially a ventilation system suitable for conservatory roofs.

According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided a roof ventilation system, comprising a ridge beam, the ridge beam having a base connecting spaced side walls, from which extend side flanges for supporting glazing bars, the base having at least one ventilation aperture formed therein, a cowl attached to the ridge beam underside at a selected position along the length of the ridge beam, an electrically operated rotor within the cowl and arranged to rotate, in use, on an axis generally parallel with the ridge beam, the cowl communicating with said at least one ventilation aperture in the ridge beam and an apertured cover mounted Alder He ridge beard. for concealing the rotor from below, wherein the apertured cover is located directly on the ridge beam.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a conservatory roof system comprising a ridge beam, the ridge beam having a base connecting spaced side walls, from which extend side flanges for supporting glazing bars, the base having at least one ventilation aperture formed therein, a capping on the ridge beam, a cowl mounted between the ridge beam and the capping at a selectable position along the length of the ridge beam, an electrically operated rotor within the cowl and arranged to rotate, in use, on an axis generally parailei with tile ridge beam, the cowl having means for communicating with said at least one ventilation aperture in the ridge beam and an apertured cover

mounted under the ridge beam for concealing the rotor from below, wherein the apertured cover is located directly on the ridge beam.

The apertured cover is preferably in the form of a grill, preferably with apertures in the form of slots. The cover may also have side apertures to increase air flow.

The preferred cowl locates the rotor in an offset position relative to a roof ridge and has sides extending above the rotor that may be provided with means for attaching the cowl to the underside of a ridge member. Alternatively or additionally at either or both ends of the cowl attachment points may be provided for positive fixing of the cowl to a ridge member.

A preferred ventilation system of the invention is suitable for use with a roof ridge of the type described in our co-pending GB Patent Application No. 2310870A, which has an apertured base, side walls extending upwardly from the base and flanges extending downwardly and away from the base. On Me underside of the base is a pair of spaced parallel ribs with inwardly directed lips to provide a slot for receiving a component of a ridge cap hold-down system. These ribs provide a convenient location for attachment of the cowl. Such an attachment location could, or course, be provided on any other suitable form of ridge member.

The cowl preferably has pairs of spaced outwardly directed barbs to locate on the lips of the ribs on the underside of the base of the ridge beam.

The attachment points for positive fixing of the cowl to a ridge member may be screw holes provided in end extensions of the cowl. The screw holes may be through thicker sections that fit between the ribs on the underside of the ridge member or separate spacers may be provided on the screws, such as of rubber or foam rubber, to provide cushioning and possibly noise reduction when the ventilation system is operating.

Another form of positive fixing for the cowl may comprise pairs of formations on end extensions of the cowl that locate on the underside of a ridge member and wedges for insertions between said formations to urge them outwards to hold them inplace.

Another form of positive fixing for the cowl may comprise rotatable clips on end extensions of the cowl that can be turned through 90 to locate in formations on the underside of the ridge member.

As another alternative means of fixing the cowl to the underside of a ridge member, especially for ridge members not having any suitable attachment points, a mounting plate may be fixed on the underside of the ridge member, such as by means of screws, and the cowl of the ventilation systems.be provided with means for locating same on the mounting plate. Me mounting plate could have a pair of facing grooves to receive tongue formations of the cowl in a sliding fashion.

Alternatively, the mounting plate could have shaped formations to snapfit into or onto correspondingly shaped formations of the cowl.

The apertured the cover for -the ventilation system of the invention serves also as the ridge undercladding.

The rotor of the ventilation system may be provided with means for automatic operation dependent on temperature. Said means may include variable speed control. The rotor may be battery or mains operated.

The ventilation system of the invention may be used in roof ridges of any pitch and may also be used on hair ridges i.e. of lean-to type conservatories.

This invention will-now be furler described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a section through a conservatory roof ridge with a ventilation system according to co-pending application number GB 2332047A from which the present application is divided; Figure 2 is a top plan view of a cowl of the ventilation system shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on line AA of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on line BB of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a top plan view of another cowl for a ventilation system of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a section on line CC of Figure 5; Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of end detail of the grill cover of Figure 5; Figure 8 is a top plan view of yet another cowl for a ventilation system of Figure 1; Figure 9 is a section on line DD of Figure 8; Figure 10 shows detail of a fixing systems for the grill cover of Figure 8; Figure 11 is a top plan view of a yet further cowl for a ventilation system as shown in Figure 1; Figure 12 is a section on line EE of Figure 11; Figures 13 and 14 show an alternative means of fixing a cowl for a ventilation system to a roof ridge; Figure 15 shows another alternative means of fixing a cowl for a ventilation system to a roof ridge; Figure 16 is an end view of a ventilation system of the invention showing fixing of a grill cover therefor; Figure 17 is an end view of a ventilation system of the invention showing a second facing means for a grill cover therefor; Figure 18 is an end view of a ventilation system of the invention showing a third fixing means for a grill cover therefor; and

Figure 19 is an end view of a ventilation system of the invention; Figure 20 is a section through a conservatory roof ridge showing another way of providing a ventilation system; Figure 22 shows a variation on Figure 21; Figure 23 is a section through a conservatory roof ridge showing yet another way of providing a ventilation system; Figure 24A, 24B and 24C shows a variation of Figure 23; Figure 25 shows another variation on Figure 23; Figure 26 shows a further variation on Figure 23; Figure 27 shows a yet furler variation on Figure 23.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, a ridge beam 10 for a conservatory roof has an apertured base 12, from which extend downwardly and outwardly flanges 14 onto which glazing bars and glazing material (not shown) are mounted. Side walls 16 extend upwardly from the base and have formations for location of a ridge cover (not shown) thereon.

On the underside of the base 12 are a pair of spaced parallel ribs 18 win inwardly directed lips 20.

A cowl 22 for an electrically operated fan rotor 24 has a top opening 26 with pairs of spaced barbs 28 along its top edges, which barbs dip onto the lips 20 on the underside of the ridge beam 10. The rotor rotates on a horizontal axis

lengthwise of the ridge beam. At each end of the cowl extending beyond the opening, the cowl has screw fixing positions 30 for direct fixing of the cowl to the ridge beam. The positions 30 have thicker formations 32 around them to locate between the ribs 18.

Attached to the ends of the flanges 14 is an underdadding 34. To accommodate the rotor/cowl, the undercladding is cut away and a grill cover 36 attached to conceal the rotor/cowl but provide air passageways. The cover 36 is generally accurate and has spaced inwardly from sides of the cover upstanding ribs 38 with lips 40 to clip over edges of the cut away part of the underdadding.

Air flow through the ventilation system is indicated by arrows X. In the following description of Figures 5 tol2 and 16 to 19, the ridge beam is

as described with reference to Figure 1. In Figures 5 to 7, there is shown a variation on positive attachment of the cowl to the ridge beam. Instead of screw fixing as shown in Figures 2 and 3, at each end of cowl 122 are a pair of lugs 124, which are slotted outwardly so as to provide a clip fit onto the lips 20 of the ribs 18 on the underside of the ridge beam in the same way as the barbs 28. The lugs 124 also have inwardly facing lips 126 so as to form a channel 128 to receive a wedge 130. The wedge has divergent sides towards its intended outer end and is rebated along its top edges to fit the channel and exert outward pressure on the lugs when

pushed into the channel. In that way the cowl can be secured in place on the ridge beam. Turning to Figures 8to 10 of the accompanying drawings, another form of secure fixing for a cowl 152is shown. The cowl 152 has at each end a rotatable locking plate 154, which is spaced from the top edge of the cowl. The plate 154 is aligned with the cowl for attachment of the cowl to a ridge beam by means of the barbs 28. Then the locking plate is rotated through 90 so that its ends locate over the lips 20 of the ribs 18 on the underside of the ridge beam. The ends of the plate 154 are shaped to provide camrning surfaces to accommodate any variations in spacing of the ribs 18.

In Figures 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings a variation on Figures 2 to 4 is shown in which the barbs 28 are omitted and the cowl 172is simply secured to the ridge beam 10 by screws 174 through end extensions 176 of the cowl.

Between the end extensions of the cowl and the ridge beam 10 are interposed rubber or foam spacers 178. The spacers may be used to space the cowl from the ridge beam and to act as a cushion in order to reduce noise from operation of the ventilation system.

Another means of fixing a cowl 190 of a ventilation system to a ridge beam is shown in Figures 13 and 14. In this a mounting plate 192 is attached to the underside of a ridge beam 194 by means of screws 196. The mounting plate has

sides 198 with longitudinal grooves 200 facing each other to receive tongues 202 on the sides of the cowl 190 in sliding fashion. At one end of the cowl are stops 204 to abut against the mounting plate when the cowl is in position.

In Figure 15 of the drawings, a mounting plate 240 can be secured to the underside of a ridge beam. Ibe mounting plate 240 has a pair of spaced parallel ribs 242 shaped in section to snap into correspondingly shaped slots 244 of the top edges of a cowl 246 for a ventilation system.

Figures 16 to 19 of the accompanying drawings are concerned with variations on the means of attaching a grill cover 298 for the ventilation system shown in Figure 1. In Figure 16, instead of simple lips on upstanding ribs, ribs 300 have longitudinal slots 302 which locate the grill cover on the side edges of the opening in the ridge undercladding. Additionally, apertures (not shown) are formed in the ribs 300 to provide extra air flow passages.

In Figure 17 a grill cover 350 is fixed to the ridge undercladding either side of its opening. The grill cover 350 has spaced upstanding spigots 352 provided with metal pins 354. The pins 354 fit through holes in the underdadding are fixed in place with star washer 356.

Figure 18 shows a variation on Figure 17 which omits the pins 354 but uses the spigots 352 to receive screws 360 from the opposite of the underdadding.

In Figure 19 according to the invention a one piece undercladding with grill 380 is attached to the ridge beam 10 and forms the undercladding therefor.

In the following description of Figures 20 to 271ike parts to those of the

previous Figures and in Figures 20 to 27 have been given the same reference numbers for ease of understanding.

Turning to Figure 20, there is shown addition addition to the embodiment of Figure 1 of the drawings of an air deflector 400 mounted on the underside on the ridge capping 402 which is in turn mounted on the ridge beam 10 with its side overlapping glazing 404. The deflector 400 provides a pair of arcuate concave surfaces 406 meeting centrally of the edge. Air delivered by the fan 24 up through the ridge will be deflected left or right by the deflector towards edges of the ridge capping. The edges of the ridge capping rest in glazing bars 410, so that the air can escape under Me capping edges between the glazing bars.

In Figures 21 and 22 instead of the cowl for the horizontal axis fan rotor being mounted to the ridge beam it is mounted to undercladding 34. In Figure 21, the cowl 420 has a pair of wings 422 one from each side that are secured to the undercladding by means of push rivets 424. In Figure 22, ends of the wings 422 slide into channel slots 426 provided on the upper surface of undercladding 34'.

Figures 23 to 27 show a variation of the invention, in which cowl 500 for a ventilation unit having a fan rotor on a horizontal axis is mounted on the

underside of ridge capping 402. The cowl 500 has an air inlet 502 in its underside that is extended by means of a tube 504 with a flared opening 506 through the ridge beam 10. The cowl has an air outlet 508 that extends slightly downwardly from a side of the cowl. The outlet 508 is angled to direct air towards an edge of the ridge capping 402 so that the air can escape under the edge of the ridge capping between glazing bars 410.

The underside of the ridge capping 402 has a pair of facing L-shaped ribs 510 and in Figures 23, 25 and 26 the cowl top has a pair of upstanding clip members 512 that engage the ribs 510 when the cowl is pushed up to the capping.

In Figure 26 that is the only fixing for the--cowl but in Figure 23 the ridge capping has a screw port 514 between the ribs 510 to receive a securing screw 516 through a tab 518 of the cowl.

In Figure 25 securement of the cowl to the capping is enhanced by a wedge member 520 inserted between the clips 512, which for that purpose have facing lips 522 beneath which edges of the wedge fit.

In Figure 24A fan cowl 500' has a T-bolt fixing 526 wherein the head of the bolt in one direction parallel to the ridge can be fitted between ribs 510 and then turned through 90Q to be retained between the ribs and the capping as shown respectively in Figures 24B and C.

Finally, in Figure 27, on the underside of ribs 510' of capping 402' are ball shaped projections 530 that snap fit into corresponding sockets 532 of cowl 500".

In all of flee embodiments of Figures 20 to 27 an arcuate section grill 540 is shown fitted to an opening in ridge undercladding 34.

Attention is directed to our co-pending application number.GB 2332047A, from which the present application has been divided.

Claims

1. A conservatory roof system comprising a ridge beam, the ridge beam having a base connecting spaced side walls, from which extend side flanges for supporting glazing bars, the base having at least one ventilation aperture formed therein, a cowl attached to the ridge beam underside at a selected position along the length of the ridge beam, an electrically operated rotor within the cowl and arranged to rotate, in use, on an axis generally parallel with the ridge bea;n, the cowl communicating with said at least one ventilation aperture in the ridge beam and an apertured cover mounted under the ridge beam for concealing the rotor from below, wherein the apertured cover is located directly on the ridge beam.

2. A system as claimed in claim l, wherein the apertured cover is in the form of a grill with apertures in the form of slots.

3. A system as claimed in claim l or 2, wherein the apertured cover has side apertures.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein, in use, the cowl locates the rotor in an offset position relative to the Toof ridge and has sides extending above the rotor with means for attaching the cowl to the underside of the ridge beam.

5. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein cowl attachment points are provided at ends of the cowl and the attachment points at at least one end are provided for positive fixing of the cowl to the ridge beam.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the cowl sides have outwardly directed barbs for location on ribs on the ridge beam underside.

7. A system as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the positive attachment points for fixing the cowl to a roof ridge component comprise screw holes in end extensions of the cowl.

8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cowl has pairs of formations on end extensions that can.locate on the underside of the ridge component and wedges are provided for insertion between said formations to urge them outwards to hold them in place.

9. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cowl has rotatable clips on end extensions thereof that can rotate through 90 to locate in formations on the underside of the ridge component.

10. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a mounting plate for fixing on the underside of the ridge component and wherein the cowl has means for mounting same on the mounting plate.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mounting plate has a pair of facing grooves to receive tongue formations of the cowl in sliding fashion.

12. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mounting plate has shaped formations to snap-fit correspondingly shaped formations of the cowl.

13. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising an air deflector mounted on the underside of a ridge capping.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the deflector presents a pair of concave arcuate surfaces either side of the ridge.

15. A conservatory roof system comprising a ridge beam, the ridge beam having a base connecting spaced side walls, from which extend side flanges for supporting glazing bars, the base having at least one ventilation aperture formed therein, a capping on the ridge beam, a cowl mounted between the ridge beam and the capping at a selectable position along the length of the ridge beam, an electrically operated rotor within the cowl and arranged to rotate, in use, on an axis generally parallel with the ridge beam, the cowl having means for communicating with said at least one ventilation aperture in the ridge beam and an apertured cover mounted under the ridge beam for concealing the rotor from below, wherein the apertured cover is located directly on the ridge beam.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the apertured cover is in the form of a grill with apertures in the form of slots.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the apertured cover has side apertures.

18. A system as claimed in claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein the cowl is attached to the capping underside.

19. A conservatory roof system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 19 of the accompanying drawings.