NZ576648A - Soffit bracket to support soffit and fascia with complementary engagement features - Google Patents

Abstract

A soffit bracket is disclosed that supports both a soffit panel and a fascia. A first end is adapted for association with a feature of a building and is typically the end that is attached to a building wall ribbon board. The second end of the bracket is also adapted for association with building features and is typically fastened to the end of a rafter in side on relationship. Shaped features are provided along the bracket between the ends adapted to engage complementary features of a soffit to be supported by the bracket. An upstand is provided at the second end of the bracket for association with a lip projecting from the upper region of a fascia so that the latter is supported by the bracket. A region is provided below the upstand to support a lower region of a fascia. (62) Divided Out of 567614

Description

Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 Divided out of Application No: 567614/568591/568894 Date: 23 April 2008/23 May 2008/4 June 2008 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION SOFFIT SYSTEM I, KEITH MICHAEL RUSSELL, a New Zealand citizen of 119a Dent Street, Whangarei, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - / - Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 This invention relates to a soffit system suitable, inter alia, for residential housing.

Composite panels hitherto have been the product of choice for soffits. This is a flat formed panel which has to be awkwardly shuffled into position before it is nailed to its support members, being the ribbon board and soffit bearer. The ribbon board and soffit bearers must be fixed to the building prior to fascia and soffit installation. The ribbon board usually consists of a 4x2 inch board being nailed up around the entire perimeter of the building. The soffit bearers usually have to be cut at a certain width and nailed onto the ribbon board and to the end of the rafter individually. Also cutting this panel, if a cementitious board, can be hazardous to your health if it has to be cut with an angle grinder. The panel will also have to be painted by hand.

The time consuming tasks can thus be listed thus: 1. Having to erect a soffit bearer and fascia bracket separately 2. Having to nail in the soffit bearer to both the ribbon board and rafter end 3. Having to nail in the soffit panel 4. Having to paint the soffit panel.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate at least some of this time of labour-usage and/or and provide an easier or alternative solution to installing soffits.

A further or alternative object is the provision of soffit assemblies or sub assemblies, soffit assembly or sub assembly components, combinations of components for soffit assemblies, and related methods and procedures including systems which wiU at least provide the public with a useful choice.

In the case of, for example, the support of a soffit preferably a still further and alternative objection is the provision of a combined fascia and soffit support bracket, one end region being adapted to be proximal to a building envelope or some support feature thereof and the other adapted to support at least in part a fascia, a less distal region preferably being supportable from a roof bearer or other such support.

The present invention in an aspect relates to any one or more of the following as hereinafter exemplified or equivalents thereto: a) overall assembly (ie, when in situ or, as if, in situ) b) sub-assemblies, c) each individual component, d) combinations (unassembled) of two or more individual components e) a system of soffit installation (ie, both apparatus and method) f) a method of soffit installation, Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 In an aspect the present invention consists in a bracket for supporting both a soffit and a fascia, the bracket comprising or including: a proximal end region adapted for association with an appropriate feature or features of a building, a distal end region adapted for association with an appropriate feature or features of a building, one or more shaped features along the bracket between the proximal end region and the distal end region, the features being adapted to engage complementary features of a soffit to be supported by the bracket, an upstand at the distal end region of the bracket for association with a lip projecting from the upper region of a fascia to allow the fascia to hang or otherwise be supported by the bracket, and a region below the upstand to receive and to have retained thereagainst a lower-region of a fascia to be supported by the bracket.

Preferably the one or more shaped features along the bracket are located along a lower-edge of the bracket.

Preferably said fascia and soffit bracket is of a metal.

Preferably the proximal end region is adapted for association with a ribbon bar which is fixed to the building.

Preferably the distal end region is adapted for association with a rafter of the building while also providing the upstand and region to facilitate the retainment of a fascia thereon.

Preferably the lower region of the fascia can engage in a clipping manner to the bracket at the region below the upstand.

Preferably the shaped features are female receiving forms to receive and retain complementary male forms projecting from the upper surface of a soffit to be supported by the bracket.

In another aspect the present invention consists in a bracket substantially as hereinbefore described suitable for or for supporting both a soffit and a fascia substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

In another aspect the present invention consists in any individual component, combination of components or subassemblies or assemblies of components substantially as herein defined and/or substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.

As used herein the term "and/or" means "and" or "or", or both.

Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 As used herein die term "(s)" following a noun includes, as might be appropriate, die singular or plural forms of that noun.

In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of". When interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises" are to be interpreted in the same manner.

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a preferred ribbon component in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 shows an isometric view of a preferred combined fascia and soffit bracket in accordance with the present invention, the bracket over much of its soffit support region having a channel form with shaped recesses laterally thereof on the exterior of the base of the channel form adapted to engage complementary features of a suitable soffit, the proximal end of the bracket being shown to the left and the distal fascia engaging region being to the right, there being an upstand to be overlapped by a suitable complementary fascia and a feature at the base to reccive there behind (ie, inwardly towards the proximal end region) the lower part of a suitable complementary fascia, Figure 3 is an isometric or perspective view of a preferred long run soffit member in accordance with the present invention, the enlargements showing options for the shape retaining features to complement the enlarged features shown in Figure 2 in the bracket, and Figure 4 is a view looking longitudinally along a long run (roll formed or pressed) sheet metal soffit member that has been engaged into the shape retaining grooves (as female engagement features with the male engagement shapes of the soffit), the combined fascia and soffit bracket being shown laterally in elevation with its left hand end nosed into and retained in a building encircling ribbon or skeletal parts thereof and with its other end receiving a distal edge region of the soffit under that part of the fascia support region that is to have a bottom region thereof inwardly retained in that condition, Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 Figure 5 is a similar view to the embodiment of Figure 4 but showing the structure related more into the building structure including the truss framing, no gutter nor dedicated brackets for the guttering being shown, Figiire 6 shows a short length of a preferred soffit member in accordance with the present invention, Figure 7 shows an exploded three dimensional form components of an assembly in accordance with the present invention, Figure 8 shows an appropriate assembly using the components of Figure 7, Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment insofar as the bracket is concerned, Figure 10 shows an alternative embodiment insofar as the soffit is concerned, Figure 11 shows an installation of the soffit bracket of Figure 9 in conjunction with the soffit of Figure 10, the extension bracket being cut to length, Figure 12 shows an extension bracket, Figure 13 shows an alternative rib form with a breather/soak hole shown, and Figure 14 shows edge modification of the soffit to allow a flush panel edge/panel edge fit.

In the preferred form, solely as one embodiment option, shown there are three components to make a complete soffit system, a ribbon bar 1, a fascia/soffit bracket 2 and a soffit panel 4.

All three components can be made from suitable metal. However each could also be manufactured from plastic or even wood.

The ribbon bar 1 is formed from 1mm gauge metal in the form of a u-shaped elongated component. The ribbon bar 1 can be of various lengths and will have fixing holes punched out through the centre of the ribbon bar 1 at approximately 30mm spacmgs. This will allow the ribbon bar 1 to be easily fixed to the framing of the building. The ribbon bar 1, intended u-shape, is to retain one end of the fascia/soffit bracket securely so it will require no fixings. However a L-shaped bar could be used and could be replaced with milled wood.

The fascia/soffit bracket 2 is the key component of the invention. It will act as a retainer bracket for the soffit panel and a retainer bracket for the fascia panel and will be installed as one unit. The elongated channel section of the fascia/soffit bracket 2 will fit tighdv into the ribbon bar 1, as shown in Figure 4, at this point the ribbon bar 1 will retain the elongated channel section of the fascia/soffit bracket and will ensure an adequate fixing, retaining the elongated channel section from moving up and clown. Once the end of the bracket has been put into place, the opposite end of the bracket which acts as the retainer for the fascia panel 6, can be fixed to the end of the rafter 7 using either screws or nails, as shown in Figure 4. The channel section of Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 the fascia/soffit bracket 2 will have retainer slots 3 machined pressed in, to accommodate the soffit panels ribs 5 as shown in Figure 4 in the exploded diagram.

The shape of the retainer slots 3 could be of various shapes but as shown in the exploded view in Figure 2, the)* are either hexagonal or spheric. It is preferred a u-shaped channel is used on the elongated part of the bracket however a L-shaped could also be satisfactory the preferred material of the bracket would be a suitable metal. However a moulded plastic bracket could be used.

The soffit panel 4 can be a pre-finished product such as colorsteel, it will be made from a suitable metal and a preferred thickness of 0.55 gauge. It will have five more or less ribs 5 machine pressed in or rolled formed laterally, these ribs 5 will act as support and strength and also act as retainment for the soffit panel 4 which is highly desirable. The preferred material will be a suitable metal, however a moulded plastic panel could also be used.

The fascia panel 6 can be a conventional metal fascia with an overhead lip 9 for hanging the fascia on the bracket while the bottom consecutively clips onto each bracket. It will at the bottom of the panel have a soffit retaining strip 8 roll-formed into the panel and this will act as mooring for the edge of the soffit panel 4, as shown in Figure 4.

In operation the ribbon bar 1 is fixed to the framing of the building with screws around the entire perimeter of the building. The fascia/soffit bracket 2 is arrested into the ribbon bar 1 at one end (the proximal end) and fixed by screws or nails onto the rafter 7 at the other or more dis tally.

A fascia/soffit bracket 2 can be installed to ever}' rafter 7 around the entire building.

The fascia panel 6 can also be installed onto the fascia/soffit bracket 2 around the perimeter of the building. The fascia panel 6 can be hooked to the top of the bracket and clipped-in to the bottom of the bracket.

Finally, but a different sequence can be used; the soffit panel 4 can be lodged into place by pressing the ribs 5 in to their locating slots 3, one at a time, starting from the fascia end.

The soffit panel may be mitred at internal and external corners of the building with the use of metal snips or pneumatic shears.

The fascia/soffit bracket 10 shown in Figure 9, as an alternative embodiment, could be stamped by press from suitable metal as a flat form, rather than having an elongated U-shaped channel at the lower region of the bracket. While eliminating the U-shape channel will create weakness in this area, strengthening ribs 11, can be pressed in to the soffit retaining part of the bracket to obtain strength.

Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 The soffit panel 4, alternatively, could be rolled formed as two or more sections adjoining together to create a full panel. As shown in Figure 10 there are five sections 12, that have been roll formed or machine pressed singularly.

Where the soffit width is greater than the formed soffit panel and/or the fascia/soffit bracket, an extension could be used to create wider distance such as entrance ways.

This extension would adapt to the end of the fascia/soffit bracket 10, and be retained to the proximal end of the building by the ribbon bar 1. It can be fixed to support framing (which will be part of the building structure) with screws. The extension bracket 13 can be machine pressed from, for example, 1mm gauge suitable metal.

As shown in Figure 11, the soffit bracket 10 will be installed as previously explained, then when a greater width is required the extension bracket 13 can be cut to length.

The extension bracket 13 could be rolled formed or machined pressed to a length of up to 6m. It will be preferably L-shaped but a U-shaped bracket could also be suitable.

In Figure 12 1 have shown an isometric view of the extension bracket 13. Here can be seen support ribs formed into the side of the bracket, with at the lower end of the bracket, a female retainment for location of the soffit panel, and pre- stamped holes for fixing to the support framing.

As shown in Figure 13, a breather or soak hole may be required to allow condensation to be released from the soffit panel 4. This breather/soak hole 15 can be stamped out as it is formed through the roll forming machine at suitable spacings. It can be located on one side of the rib 5, but could also be located on both sides of the lib5. It could be of any shape but a rectangle shape has been shown in Figure 13. It will be just big enough to allow condensation to be released but not affecting the strength of the rib 5.

As shown in Figure 14, in order to provide soffit panel/soffit panel flush fitting, at one end of the soffit panel 4, there will be 50mm toggled edge 16, able to receive an overlapping soffit panel 4, so when in final position, the over and underlapping soffit panels will have a flush finish. This will also act as a retainment for the lapping soffits, as the overlapping soffit will clip into the recessed end of the underlap of the already positions soffit panel.

Figure 14 shows this all as an exploded view and a cross-section view of the toggled edge.

After the soffit panel has been roll formed, the panel may have to have one end placed into a press machine to receive the recessed or toggled end.

In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such Received by IPONZ 1 Oct 2010 documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Received by IPONZ 21 Oct 2010

Claims (8)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A bracket for supporting both a soffit and a fascia, the bracket comprising or including: a proximal end region adapted for association with an appropriate feature or features of a building, a distal end region adapted for association with an appropriate feature or features of a building, one or more shaped features along the bracket between the proximal end region and the distal end region, the features being adapted to engage complementary features of a soffit to be supported by the bracket, an upstand at the distal end region of the bracket for association with a lip projecting from the upper region of a fascia to allow the fascia to hang or otherwise be supported by the bracket, • and a region below the upstand to receive and to have retained thereagainst a lower region of a fascia to be supported by the bracket.

2. A bracket of claim 1 wherein the one or more shaped features along the bracket are located along a lower edge of the bracket.

3. A bracket of any of the preceding claims wherein said fascia and soffit bracket is of a metal.

4. A bracket of any of the preceding claims wherein the proximal end region is adapted for association with a ribbon bar which is fixed to the building.

5. A bracket of any of the preceding claims wherein the distal end region is adapted for association with a rafter of the building while also providing the upstand and region to facilitate the retainment of a fascia thereon.

6. A bracket of any of the preceding claims wherein the lower region of the fascia can engage in a clipping manner to the bracket at the region below the upstand.

7. A bracket of any of the preceding claims wherein the shaped features are female receiving forms to receive and retain complementary male forms projecting from the upper surface of a soffit to be supported by the bracket.

8. A bracket substantially as hereinbefore described, suitable for or for supporting both a soffit and a fascia substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.