Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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VENTED SOFFIT ASSEMBLY
AND METHOD OF INSTALLATION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vent for installation within an opening on
the
underside of a roof overhang of a building structure and to a method of its
installation.
It is useful, and in many locales a building code requirement, that the attic
area
af a building underlying a roof be provided with a means to permit air
exchange.
Such ventilation prevents undue heat buildup, which can render the living
quarters of
the building uncomfortable and impose unreasonable energy requirements for
cooling.
Proper ventilation of the attic area also preserves the structural integrity
of the roof
and roof coverings.
A combination of ridge and soffit vents provides an example of a means for
providing the desired ventilation. The ridge vent permits hot and/or humid air
to rise
uip through the peak of the roof, and the soffit vent enables ambient air to
be drawn
into a lower part of the attic area to replace the hot and/or humid air
escaping through
the ridge vent.
Examples of ridge vents are provided by U.S. Patent Nos. 5,960,595 issued to
r/IcCorsley et al., 6,298,613 B1, 6,308,472 Bl, 5,902,432 and 5,673,521 issued
to
(;oulton et al., 6,277,024 B1 issued to Coulton, and 4,942,699 issued to
Spinelli and
U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2005/0136831 Al and 2005/0090197 Al
of
Coulton. Each of the above referenced patents and published applications are
owned,
cir co-owned, by Benjamin Obdyke, Inc., the assignee of the present
application.
Examples of soffit vents are provided by U.S. Patent Nos. 6,145,255 issued to
Allaster, 5,937,592 issued to Tamlyn, 5,718,086 issued to Dunn, 6,718,699 B1
and
6,705,052 Bl issued to Larson, 5,560,158 issued to Norton, 4,347,691 issued to
Lloyd-Jones, and D503,225 S issued to Rodolfo et al. and U.S. Patent
Application
Publication No. 2002/0124484 Al of Martin. Also see U.S. Patent Nos. 5,947,817
issued to Morris et al., 6,468,453 Bl issued to Gaidjiergis et al., and
4,977,714 issued
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to Gregory, Jr. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0005649 Al of
Austin et al..
Typically, installation of a soffit vent includes measuring the width and
length
af an eave overhang, cutting one or more substantially-rigid perforated
aluminum or
I'VC panels to a desired size, and installing the panel or panels to the eave
overhang.
If more than one panel is required, installation typically also requires the
step of
interlocking the ends of each adjacent pair of panels. Another method includes
cutting circular or rectangular openings in sheets of plywood, oriented strand
board,
or other wooden material and placing individual vents or screens over the
openings.
However, this does not provide optimal intake ventilation and provides areas
of
exposed wood requiring periodic maintenance, such as painting, staining,
cleaning,
and the like.
While the soffit vents and vented eave assemblies disclosed in the above
referenced patents and published applications may function in an acceptable
manner,
t:here continues to be a need for alternatives with respect to the design,
materials, and
i:nstallation of vented roof structures. To this end, a desired soffit vent
and vented
soffit assembly should provide an aesthetically-pleasing finish appearance and
should
permit improvements with respect to the time, labor and ease of vent
installation.
Further, a sufficient amount of intake air flow should be provided without
compromising resistance to pest and weather infiltration, and the materials
required to
construct the soffit structure should be inexpensive and capable of efficient
manufacture, storage, shipping, and handling.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for
installing a vent within a soffit. A continuous, elongate, strip of openwork
ventilation
nnaterial is provided in roll form to a building site. The ventilation
material is
unrolled at the site, and positioned within an elongate opening in the soffit.
The
opposite edges of the ventilation material are secured to the soffit along the
elongate
opening so that the installed ventilation material forms a one-piece,
continuous soffit
vent.
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According to one embodiment of the present invention, the ventilation
tnaterial has opposite longitudinally-extending side edges that are inserted
within
opposed, spaced-apart channels extending along a least a part of the periphery
of the
opening to thereby secure the ventilation material to the soffit. For example,
the
rnethod can include the steps of inserting the ventilation material into an
open end of
the channels and sliding the ventilation material along the full length of the
elongate
opening until the ventilation material is properly positioned to cover the
opening.
According to an alternate embodiment, the ventilation material has opposite
longitudinally-extending side edges provided in the form of fastening strips.
In this
case, the fastening strips are nailed, stapled, adhesively bonded, or secured
by other
rneans to the structure of the soffit surrounding the elongate opening.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a vented soffit
assembly of a building structure is provided. The assembly includes an eave of
a roof
having an elongate, continuous ventilation opening extending between a
sidewall of
the building structure and a fascia board of the eave. A one-piece, continuous
strip of
openwork ventilation material spans a full length and width of the opening
between
tlhe sidewall and the fascia board. The strip of ventilation material is
sufficiently
flexible to enable it to be stored and shipped in a spiral roll and to be
unrolled for
installation within the assembly.
The assembly and vent is suited for use in pre-fabricated modular housing in
vrhich the eave overhang is typically of a constant width enabling the vent to
be
readily slid along the length of the eave overhang, or nailed thereto, during
initial
construction of the modular house. The assembly and vent can also be used
during
the initial construction or renovation of conventional building structures.
The strip of ventilation material can have opposite faces with alternating,
transversely-extending ridges and grooves that, when installed, extend
substantially
perpendicular to the sidewall and fascia board. As an example, the strip of
ventilation
rriaterial can be an undulating perforated web of thermoplastic material or an
undulating mat of fibers. Alternatively, a dimpled sheet of thermoplastic
material or
mat of fibers can be utilized. In some contemplated embodiments, the strip of
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ventilation material has substantially-planar fastening strips or tabs
extending laterally
therefrom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention should become apparent from the following description
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a strip of ventilation
tnaterial according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vented soffit assembly including the
ventilation material of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a strip of ventilation
rnaterial according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a vented soffit assembly including the
ventilation material of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a strip of ventilation
rnaterial according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is an alternate embodiment of a vented soffit assembly according to the
present invention; and
FIG. 8 is another alternate embodiment of a vented soffit vent assembly
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a system for providing a flow of ventilating air
beneath a roof structure 10 of a building. As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the
roof 10
typically extends to and overhangs an exterior wall 12 of the building
adjacent the
front, rear and/or sides of the building. The illustrated roof 10 is slanted
at an angle
r=elative to the horizontal and forms one or more peaks, or ridges, (not
shown) adjacent
an upper end thereof. A vent (not shown), such as a ridge vent or the like, is
located
at or near the ridge and allows hot humid air to rise into ambient atmosphere
through
the roof 10. A lower part of the roof 10 provided by an eave, or overhang, 14
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includes a soffit intake vent 16 enabling cooler ambient air to be drawn into
the attic
area to replace the hot humid air escaping through the ridge vent.
The eave 14 includes a fascia board 18 that extends substantially parallel to
the wall 12 a spaced distance therefrom. By definition, the soffit 20 is the
underside
of the eave 14 that extends between wall 12 and fascia board 18. An elongate
opening 22 is formed in the soffit 20 between the wall 12 and fascia board 18
and
provides a path of ventilation therethrough. See arrows "A" in FIG. 2. The air
flow
path "A" is directed upwardly toward the underside 10a of the roof deck 10
where it
communicates with the attic area providing a supply of cool ambient air
thereto.
I'referably, the opening 22 is continuous and extends substantially the full
length of
the eave 14. Such a continuous soffit opening increases the amount and flow
rate of
intake ambient air and enhances uniform intake air distribution throughout the
attic
area.
A strip of openwork ventilation material is installed within the mouth of the
soffit opening 22. The ventilation material prevents debris, birds and other
animals,
insects, rain, snow and the like from infiltrating into the attic space. The
ventilation
material according to the present invention extends the full length and width
of the
opening 22 and is provided as one continuous piece without interruption and
without
the need for cutting, overlapping, interlocking, and/or joining of separate
sections in
an end-to-end or like configuration.
As best illustrated in FIG. 1, a ventilation material 24 according to the
present
invention is provided as an elongate, indefinite-length strip of material
capable of
being stored and shipped in a spiral roll 26 and capable of being unrolled
into a
substantially planar configuration prior or during installation within the
soffit 20.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the ventilation materia124 is
provided
as an undulating strip of plastic having perforations 28 providing ventilation
passages.
The undulations of the strip 24 form ridges 30 and grooves 32 on each face, 34
and
36, of the strip 24. In FIGs. 1-3, the ridges 30 on the upper face 34 are
triangular in
cross-section while the grooves 32 have a trapezoidal cross-section. Lower
face 36
has trapezoidal ridges 30 and triangular grooves 32. Of course, the cross-
section of
thie strip 24 can have uniform or non-uniform rounded grooves and ridges,
uniform or
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non-uniform squared grooves and ridges, saw-toothed grooves and ridges, andlor
any
other configuration or shape of undulations. For example, see ventilation
materia124a
that is illustrated in FIG. 6. Yet other ventilation material alternatives
include the use
of an undulating fibrous mat or therrnoplastic sheet or a fibrous mat having
arrays of
dimples or the like projecting outwardly from one or both faces thereof.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGs. 2 and 3, the strip of ventilation
material 24 is secured to the soffit 20 by being inserted in at least a pair
of opposed
longitudinally-extending channels 38. For example, the opposed channels 38 can
extend along and adjacent to the fascia board 18 and the wall 12 so that the
channels
38 are capable of receiving the opposite longitudinally-extending side edges
40 of the
strip of ventilation material 24. See FIG. 2. The remainder of the ventilation
material
24 spans the full width and length of the soffit opening 22 without
interruption.
Preferably, each channel 38 is continuous; however, the channels 38 can also
be
discontinuous.
The channels 38 in FIG. 2 are provided by separate elongate, plastic or metal,
clips 42 that defme U-shaped channels. The clips 42 can be applied adjacent to
or
directly on the wall 12 and fascia board 18. During installation of the
ventilation
material 24 in the soffit 20, the side edges 40 of the ventilation material 24
can be
iriserted into an open end of the channels, and thereafter, the ventilation
material 24
can be slid the entire length of the soffit opening 22. Alternatively, the
ventilation
materia124 can be temporarily positioned in a bowed position allowing its
opposite
side edges 40 to resiliently expand laterally into the channels 38.
Preferably, the height "B" of the channels 38 is slightly shorter than the
height
"H" of the undulating strip of ventilation material 24. Thus, when the
ventilation
material 24 is positioned within the channels 38, the flexible, resilient
undulations are
slightly tensioned by the walls of the channels 38 and are thereby secured
thereto
without the use of fasteners or the like. Alternatively, staples, nails,
adhesives or like
fasteners can by used to secure the ventilation material 24 to the channels
38.
Other alternatives for providing channels 38 within the soffit 20 are
illustrated
in FIGs. 7 and 8. For example, channels can be provided by closely affixed
strips of
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Nvood 42a or the like. Yet another example is to drill grooves 44 within
boards or the
like 46 that are applied to the wall 12 and fascia board 18.
An alternate embodiment of a strip of ventilation material 48 according to the
present invention is illustrated in FIGs. 4 and 5. At least one fastening
strip 50
extends laterally from each longitudinally-extending side edge 52 of the strip
of
ventilation material 48. The fastening strip 50 can be provided as one
continuous
substantially-planar flange, or can be formed of a plurality of separate tabs.
Preferably, the fastening strips 50 are formed integrally with the strip of
ventilation
rnaterial 48. In use, a pair of opposed strips of wood 54 or the like are
secured to the
vvall 12 and fascia board 18, and the fastening strips 50 are secured thereto
with a
fastener, such as a nail or staple. See FIG. 5. The fastening strips 50 can
engage and
be secured to an upper surface 54a, or an underside 54b, of the boards 54.
Turning to another aspect of the present invention, a method of installing a
soffit vent includes supplying a continuous, elongate, strip of openwork
ventilation
material, 24, 24a, or 48, in roll form to a building site or like construction
area. The
ventilation material is unrolled and its opposite longitudinally-extending
side edges
are positioned and supported within an opening 22 of the soffit 20. The
ventilation
material forms a one-piece, continuous soffit vent along the full length of
the soffit
opening 22.
The method can include the step of forming an opposed, parallel, spaced-apart
pair of elongate, longitudinally-extending channels 38 along a predetermined
length
of the soffit 20. The ventilation material is unrolled and its opposite
longitudinally-
extending side edges 40 are positioned and supported within the channels 38.
For
example, the ventilation material can be inserted into an open end of the
channels 38
and slid along the full length of the channels 38. Alternatively, the
ventilation
niaterial can be bowed to permit its side edges 40 to be simultaneously
inserted
laterally into the channels 38 until the ventilation material resiliently
expands to its
fiill width.
As an alternative to the use of channels, the strip of ventilation material 48
can
have fastening strips 50 that are nailed or stapled to a confronting surface
of the soffit
20. For example, the laterally extending fastening strips 50 can be supported
on top
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of the boards 54 or the like, or can be nailed or stapled to the board 54 from
underneath the board 54.
Preferably, the ventilation material has ridges 30 and grooves 32 that extend
substantially perpendicular to the wall 12 and fascia board 18 when the vent
is
installed to the soffit. The strip of ventilation material can be provided in
an
indefinite length and can be cut to a desired length that matches the length
of the soffit
opening 22.
The soffit vent of the present invention can be utilized in new construction
as
'well as in existing soffit structures. For example, in an existing structure,
an elongate,
continuous opening 22 can be cut in the soffit and channels 38 or boards 52
can be
installed. Thereafter, the ventilation material can be installed as discussed
above. In
new construction, such as the construction of a pre-fabricated modular
structure, a
continuous overhang can be provided at a constant width and the soffit vent of
the
present invention can be readily installed therein.
While a preferred soffit vent, assembly, and method of installation have been
described in detail, various modifications, alterations, and changes may be
made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the vent, assembly, and method
according to the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
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