Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
214480fi
ROOF HATCH FOR ATTIC ACCESS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a roof hatch for pitched roofs
and more particularly to a roof hatch for providing access to attics.
BACKGROUND
In houses and other buildings with low height attics under
pitched roofs, it is often difficult to gain access to the attic for construction
or repair. In many cases, attic access is through a small hatchway in a
relatively inaccessible site, for example a closet ceiling. Use of these
internal hatchways is difficult and can be quite disruptive. In other cases,
access must be through a gable end. Again this may be difficult and may
provide only limited access to the complete attic space.
The present invention is concerned with an alternative
arrangement for providing convenient, easy access to confined attics.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention there is provided a roof
hatch comprising:
a base unit including a peripheral, upright curb surrounding a
hatch opening and flashing surrounding the curb;
a cap unit including a cover panel larger than the hatch opening
and extending across the hatch opening in a closed condition of the hatch, a
peripheral flange projecting from the cover panel and surrounding the curb in
a closed condition of the hatch, a peripheral flange projecting from the cover
panel and surrounding the curb in the closed condition of the hatch, a
centering flange within the peripheral flange for centering the cap unit on
the curb; and
means for detachably connecting the cap unit on the base unit
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in the closed condition of the hatch; and
ventilation openings in at lest one of the cap unit and the base
unit for allowing free movement of air through the hatch opening.
The hatch provides both hatch access to the attic and the
5 ventilation required to prevent moisture buildup in the attic. The use of a
ventilating hatch eliminates some or all of the other required roof vents,
offsetting any additional cost for the hatch unit.
The preferred embodiment of the hatch has a convex upper end
to minimize water collection on the upper side of the unit.
Additional vent openings may be included in the base unit curb,
along the sides and the bottom end. The centering flange preferably
projects inwardly from the bottom edge of the peripheral flange on the cap
to close the space between the cap periphery and the curb.
The cap is preferably a snap fit on the base unit. The upper
end of the centering flange may engage under a step in the upper end of the
curb and two tabs on the back end of the centering flange may engage
under a similar step in the lower end of the curb.
The entire unit is preferably made of plastic material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of the hatch as applied to a roof;
Figure 2 is an isometric view of the hatch with the cap removed;
Figure 3 is a bottom view of the cap;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the base; and
Figure 5 is a side view with the cap shown partially broken
away.
214480-6
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a
roof hatch 10 mounted on a pitched roof 12. The roof has a conventional
covering of shingles 14.
5With particular reference to Figures 2, 4 and 5, the hatch 10
includes a base unit 16 including an upstanding curb 18 that extends around
the periphery of a hatch opening 19. The hatch opening is of sufficient size
to allow an adult to pass through the opening. The curb has an upper end
20 that is located highest on the pitched roof. It has a convex configuration
10in the shape of a shallow V with its apex 22 at the center. This allows
water running down the roof to run off to either side of the base unit rather
than accumulating on a flat upper end. The curb also has a bottom end 24
and two spaced apart sides 26 joining the upper end and the bottom end.
Circular vent openings 28 are spaced along the sides 26 and the bottom end
1524, near the top edge.
The upper end 20 and bottom end 24 of the curb have steps
30 and 32 respectively facing towards the roof, between the vent openings
28 and the roof. At the base of the curb 18 is a peripheral flashing 34 that,
in the installed state, is overlapped on the upper end and the sides by the
20shingles 14, while on the bottom end, the flashing overlaps the shingles. A
slight ridge 36 extends along each side of the flashing.
The other component of the roof hatch is a cap unit 38. This
includes a slightly domed cover panel 40 connected at its periphery to a
peripheral flange 42. The flange projects from the convex side of the cover
25panel and carries a centering flange 44 that projects toward the centre of
the cap. The cover panel 40 and the peripheral flange 42 conform in shape
to the curb 18 but are somewhat larger so that the cover panel will extend
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over and beyond the hatch opening. The centering flange closes the space
between the peripheral flange 42 and the curb. A series of vent openings
46 are spaced along a lower end 48 and two sides 50 of the centering
flange. The upper end 52 of the centering flange is unperforated. The vent
5 openings 46 are covered with screens 56 to keep small animals from
entering the attic through the hatch.
Projecting centrally from the lower end 48 of the centering
flange are two tabs 58. When the cap unit is installed on the base unit, the
centering flange surrounds the curb 18. The upper end 52 of the centering
10 flange engages under the step 30 in the upper end of the curb, while the
tabs 58 snap into place under the lower step 32. The cap is preferably
made of a plastic material of sufficient resiliency that pulling up on the lowerend of the cap will release the tabs from the step 32 so that the cap can be
removed .
As can be observed most particularly from Figure 5, the roof
hatch provides good ventilation through the ventilation openings in the curb
and those in the centering flange of the cap. The screening on the cap
prevents entry by small animals.
When access to an attic is required, it is a simple matter to
20 remove the cap unit from the base unit and to enter the attic through the
hatch opening. This is especially useful during construction of a building
with a limited attic or for maintaining a service or insulation found in the
attic. While one embodiment of the present invention has been
described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments
25 are possible within the scope of the invention. It is, for example, possible to
mount the cover unit on the base unit using hinges. Other arrangements of
vent openings may also be employed, using alternative positionings of the
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centering flange and using a gap between the curb and the cap instead of
vent openings in the curb itself. Thus, the invention is to be considered
limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
