Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Description
Title: Permanent Four Season Self-Watering Flat Green Roof
Technical Field: This type of roof is commonly called a green roof. A green
roof is a roof, which has vegetation growing on it.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
Background of the invention
Green roofs have long been known and are starting to be more widely used.
Green
roofs of two types have existed for decades. One type is a building completely
buried
underground or has three-quarters of the building covered with soil. The
problem with
this style is the building must have significant structural dexterity to hold
this weight and
creates a claustrophobic, cave ¨ style home or it is a building with sloped
roofs with sod
and/ or other vegetation and the problem with this design is that it requires
daily watering
and can be easily eroded away. The other type have flat roofs usually
consisting of trays
that are susceptible to sunlight and ice expansion damage and might include
pipes and
valves to water flow which are also easily damaged by ice expansion when the
water
freezes. These trays usually have drought resistant non-native plants in them
and are
placed on top of tar and gravel or EPDM flat roofs. The problem is that
standing water on
these roof types causes a mold, which breaks down the waterproof material
within a few
years. The tar and gravel and EPDM flat roofs cannot be walked on repeatedly
without
causing significant damage to these roofs, thus causing them to leak. These
tar and gravel
or EPDM flat roofs often have a type of perimeter wall around them. This in
turn causes
significant amounts of snow to accumulate on top of them in winter, which if
not
removed, by using significant labour, can and has caused the roof to collapse,
which has
happened in the past. It should also be noted that if just soil is placed on
top of the tar and
gravel or EPDM
Flat roofs with perimeter walls, that when the soil freezes in winter, it will
cause leaks and /or significant structural damage as this freezing soil
expands due to ice formation.
The term "green roof' is commonly used in the trade. Typical green roofs
of these past types are shown in the following patent examples:
D1
Patent# CA2416457
Inventor: Mischo, Donald T., country U.S.A.
Title: Modular Green Roof including Panels with Complimentary Edge
Systems
D2
Patent# CA2596564
Inventor: Mackenzie, David S., country U.S.A.
Title Modular Planting System for Roof Applications
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
D3
Patent # CA2809383
Inventor: Meyer, Molly, country U.S.A.
Title: Vegetated Roof System
D4
Patent#CA2871124
Inventor: Lamhart, James H., Jr. Nash, Timothy J., country U.S.A.
Title: Storm water control for Vegetative and Non-vegetative Based Roof
System
This invention" Permanent Four Self-Watering Flat Green Roof " solves
all of the above-mentioned problems as will be explained below in the
Summery of the Invention.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
Summery of the Invention
This invention provides an improved, permanent, four-season, self-watering,
flat green
roof that can be cultivated and/or walked on for many decades, unlike past
fragile
designed green roofs. This invention is designed to repeatedly withstand
torrential rains
and being frozen solid for many decades without causing any damage to the
green roofer
its building's reinforced structure, by incorporating the below listed
materials and
methods of this unique invention.
The unique multi layered way this self-watering green roof is built is the
reason for its
maintenance free longevity. It starts with a reinforced support structure that
is built to
hold this mold resistant, permanent, self-watering green roof.
Next the reinforced support structure is covered with a low resin, flat roof
sublayer. This
includes the perimeter fascia walls, built-in eavestroughs, plus reservoir dam
or dams that
form the perimeter around the rain water reservoir. These parts are angled to
assist in ice
expansion deflection, which no other past invention has. The flat roof sub-
layer includes
the rainwater reservoir floor.
This flat roof sublayer is then covered by the flat roof top layer consisting
of double
layered, resin saturated combo fibre mat that is then covered by an ultra
violet resistant
and mold resistant gel coat, which is then in turn covered with waterproofing
coating
which is also ultra violet and mold resistant. This forms a hard waterproof
base that will
not mold or become damaged when walked on or permanently exposed to moisture
unlike past inventions of this type.
Next a perforated, shock absorbing, covering is applied over the flat rooftop
layer
mentioned above. This allows gravel and or aggregate and sand to be poured
onto the
above mentioned layers thus preventing any damage to these above mentioned
layers.
Then washed gravel and or aggregate is poured around the perimeter of the
rainwater
reservoir so the excess water can be directed to the oversized eavestroughs
thus
preventing any rapid water flows which could cause soil erosion.
Next the perforated, diagonal ice deflector panels are placed around the
inside of the
gravel perimeter at approximately a forty-five degree angle. These diagonal
panels also
separate the mixed soil from the gravel perimeter. The ice deflector panels,
in
combination with the vertical ice fracturing panels cause the winter ice
expansion to
fracture the ice and/or soil to cause it to harmlessly push upwards during
winter freezes,
thus preventing any cracks to the water proof lining or any structural damage
which
occurs in all other green roof inventions.
These diagonal ice deflectors and rain water reservoir floor are in turn
covered with a
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
landscape fabric which prevents the soil and/or sand from plugging the
perforated holes
in the diagonal ice-deflector panels and preventing the sand and/or soil from
leaching into
the perimeter gravel, thus preventing soil erosion.
This landscape fabric is then covered with gravel and/or sand to the height of
the
reservoir dam and/or dams while placing the perforated ice-fracturing panels
in this
gravel and/or sand that covers the reservoir floor. These vertical ice-
fracturing panels will
cause the expanding ice to fracture along these panels and push the frozen
ice, gravel and
/or sand and top soil mixture up along the diagonal ice-deflector panels thus
preventing
any damage to the structures below.
The low fascia walls allow the winds to blow over this flat green roof
removing any
snow that might attempt to accumulate, which could cause the roof to collapse
unlike
other past flat green roof inventions.
The oversized angled eavestroughs are also filled with gravel to slow but
remove excess
water while their vertical perforated drain spouts allow winter surface melt
water to run
over the top of the soil and frozen eavestrough gravel to harmlessly drain
away.
It should be mentioned at this time that the dam's height will be dictated by
the local
precipitation amounts to guarantee that there is enough water in the rainwater
reservoir to
continually supply moisture to the vegetation in the reservoir's soil for the
vegetation's
growing season.
The low fascia walls also incorporate a bird nesting ledge on the fascia's
inner lower
side and are properly spaced below the soffits so the birds can land on this
nesting ledge.
This will help prevent predation of the young birds and help the dwindling
bird
populations to rebound. This bird ledge is not found on other flat green roof
inventions.
This bird nesting ledge can also hold an electrical lighting system that will
illuminate
the soffit and the adjoining exterior wall without being visible from below,
thus
enhancing security and beauty of the building.
The security system consists of a plug-in solar powered system, conductive
fascia cap
grounded to the ground with a conductive wire, and an insulated conductive,
cap
grounded to the ground with a conductive wire, and an insulated conductive,
solar
powered railing that forms an electrified perimeter fence. This deters
critters and thieves
from climbing onto this green roof.
Large plants are placed in perforated tubes with overlapping sides held
together with
stretchable retainer band or bands to allow the tube to expand when frozen.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
This completes this permanent, four-season, self-watering, flat green roofs
Summery of
the Invention, showing it is superior when compared to past green roof
inventions.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional side-view of the permanent four season self-watering
flat green roof
showing where the major components are located and/or the way they are
assembled.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side-view of the permanent four season self-watering
flat green
roof showing the direction the freezing ice, soil, gravel, perforated vertical
ice fracturing
and diagonal ice deflecting panels, will take.
Fig. 3 is a top view of the permanent four season self-watering flat green
roof showing
the location of some of the major components as seen from above.
Fig. 4 is a partial cross section side view showing the larger easestrough
design and
larger washed gravel used in heavier rainfall areas.
Fig. 5 is a partial cross sectional side view showing an angled eavestro ugh
design for
cold freezing areas plus the electrified security system powered by a plug-in
or PV panel
powered system. This figure also shows the perforated, self-watering, and
tubular
expandable large plant tube and a bird nesting ledge that can also conceal an
electrical
lighting system. It also shows the location of the eavestrough downspout
Fig. 6 is a top view showing the layout patterns for soil, reservoir dams,
walkways,
perimeter gravel and eavestroughs for a large roof. This multi reservoir green
roof pattern
prevents large uncontrollable ice expansion on a large roof.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
Detailed Description
In the particularly advantageous embodiment of this invention illustrated in
Fig. 1
through to Fig. 6, there are several methods of building this permanent four
season self-
watering flat green roof. But all follow the same unique multi layered process
to ensure a
labour free permanent supply of rain water to the mixed soil while surviving
without
structural damage for many decades, from torrential rains and water freezing
to ice.
In order to create this unique, permanent, four season self-watering flat
green roof, Fig.
1, this invention must be built in the following multi layers listed below.
First Stage: The flat roof support structure, 3, is reinforced with more and
larger
joists, cross members, diagonal cross members, and triangular shaped support
wedges, 3,
to easily hold the additional weight.
Second Stage: The fascia, 2, support structure 3,is reinforced with a
triangular shaped
support structure material, 3, with the longest side angled upwards under the
perimeter
gravel, 11A, until it reaches the triangular shaped reservoir dam or dams, 6,
thus assisting
in directing any ice expansion harmlessly upwards and away from the support
structure,
3, unlike all past green roof patents where their U-shaped eavestrough
resulted in ice
expansion damage.
Third Stage: This tiangular shaped support structure material, 3, is also used
to help
form and reinforce the bottom side of the eavestrough, 5. This V-shape also
causes the
runoff water to move more quickly at the bottom of the V helping to remove
debris
unlike U-shaped eavestrough patent designs, plus if the water freezes and
expands, this
ice will rise up the sloped structural walls, 3, without causing structural
damage.
Fourth Stage: The reservoir dam or dams, 6, are triangular shaped materials
with the
widest side being securely fastened to the -flat roof support structure, 3,
and is close to, or
part of the eavestrough, 5. The outer reservoir dam or dams, 6, sides that
slope upwards
are at an angle not greater than forty-five degrees. This reservoir dam or
dams, 6, plus
below mentioned parts will hold back the rain water to form a rain water
reservoir, 10,
while allowing excess water to flow over the top of the reservoir dam, 6,and
exit by
means of the eavestrough, 5, unlike other green roof designs that use pipe and
valves
which can easily be plugged with debris and/or be broken by freezing water.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
Fifth Stage: The height of the reservoir dam, 6, will be determined by how
much ,rain
water will be held in the rain water reservoir, 10. This height will be
locally determined
by how much rain water needs to be retained in the rain water reservoir, 10,
to guarantee
enough continuous water supply to the plants growing in the mixed soil, 13,
between
mixed precipitation events.
Sixth Stage: The minimum depth of the reservoir dam, 6, is one-third the depth
of the
mixed soil, 13, depth. The minimum mixed soil, 13, depth should be one and one-
third
the depth of the average gardener's shovel.
Seventh Stage: All of the above-mentioned flat roof support structure, 3,
parts which
includes the eavestroughs, 6, inner fascia walls, 2, dam or dams, 6, reservoir
floor
support structure, 3 , wall support structure, 3, perimeter floor support
structure, 3, are
then covered by a low resin, flat roof sublayer. The low resin, flat roof
sublayer allows
the flat rooftop floor layer, 8 , to chemically adhere to the flat roof
sublayer, 7.
Eight Stage: This flat roof top floor layer, 8, consists of a double layered
combo resin
saturated, woven, and/or sewn, and/or tubular, and/or chopped fibre mat that
is in turn
covered by several layers of waterproofing, ultraviolet, and mold resistant
coatings. This
produces a hard, firm waterproof layer that resists ice expansion and can be
walked on for
many decades unlike other green roof patents of the past which have soft,
flexible,
waterproof coverings that can easily be damaged.
Ninth Stage: This flat rooftop floor layer, 8, is then covered by a, shock
absorbing,
horizontal, perforated, protective roof covering, 9 ,in order to protect the
flat roof top
floor layer, 8 ,from being damaged by the gravel and/or sand being placed on
top this
horizontal, perforated, protective roof covering, 9 , This also protects the
flat roof top
floor layer, 8 , by causing expanding freezing water to horizontally shear on
top and
below this horizontal, perforated, protective roof covering, 9. So the
freezing water
cannot adhere to the flat roof top floor layer, 8.
Tenth Stage: Next the area between the reservoir dam or dams, 6, and the inner
fascia
wall, 2, and the section of the horizontal, perforated, protective roof
covering, 9, is then
covered with large perimeter gravel, 11A. This perimeter gravel, 11A, consists
of, but
not limited to, being washed gravel and/or aggregate gravel. The size of the
stones in this
perimeter gravel, 11A, will be larger in heavier rainfall areas than in arid
areas. This
allows the excess rainwater to reach and exit faster down the eavestrough
downspouts, 4.
The ability to customize this patent makes it superior to non-customizable
green roof
patents of the past.
Eleventh Stage: The eavestrough downspout funnel screens, 17A, allows
torrential
rain and melt water on top of frozen mixed soil, 13, to flow over and off the
permanent
four season self-watering flat green roof, Fig. 1, in an orderly and
controlled method.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
deflectPast green roofs did not allow for this, and the water poured over them
in an uncontrolled fashion, even forming dangerously large roof icicles.
Twelfth Stage: The eavestrough downspout screen, 17, stops debris
from plugging up the eavestrough downspout, 4, unlike other green
roof systems,
Thirteenth Stage: Next ultraviolet resistant, perforated, diagonal,
ice-deflector panels, 12, are placed on the inside of the perimeter gravel,
11A, which not only deflects ice but separates the perimeter gravel, 11A,
from the mixed soil, 13, while allowing water to pass through, which is
unique to this invention.
Fourteenth Stage: These perforated, diagonal, ice-deflector panels,
12, and the rainwater reservoir, 10, floor are then covered with a landscape
fabric, 13A, which prevents the mixed soil, 13, and plant roots from
passing through the horizontal, perforated, protective flat roof floor
covering, 9, on the rain water reservoir, 10, floor and the perforated,
diagonal, ice-deflector panels, 12, while allowing water to pass through.
Fifteenth Stage: This landscape fabric, 13A, is then covered with
gravel and/or sand, 11, up to the height of the reservoir dam or darns, 6,
This separates the plant roots growing in the mixed soil, 13, mentioned
below, from the water in the rain water reservoir, 10. If the roots were in
the water it would cause them to rot.
Sixteenth Stage: Mixed soil, 13, is then placed on top of this reservoir
gravel and/or sand, 11, bed. This mixed top soil, 13, consisting of top
soil, natural fertilizers, and water absorbing fibres that will be favourable
to the type of plants growing in this mixed soil, 13. The water in the
rainwater reservoir, 10, that is mixed with the reservoir sand and/or
gravel, 11, will be absorbed by the mixed soil, 13, and used by the plants
on a continuous basis during the plants growing cycle.
Seventeenth Stage: Fig. 1õ shows an eavestrough design, 5, for moderate
rainfall areas while Fig 4, shows a lArger size eavestrough, 5, design for
torrential rainfall areas where water does not freeze and Fig. 5, shows an
eavestrough, 5, designed for areas where water freezes. This angled
eavestrough, 5, uniquely helps guide the expanding freezing water
upwards so it doesn't damage the flat the flat roof support structure, 3.
Eighteenth Stage: Fig. 2, shows the deliberate guided direction of
freezing water's expansion, 15. The perforated vertical ice-fracturing
panels, 14, in conjunction with the perforated, diagonal, ice-deflector
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
panels, 12, create a section between them that becomes a pressure relief area,
16,
allowing itself to be pushed upward by the surrounded, expanding, freezing
water as the
ice driven moving vertical perforated ice-fracturing panels, 12A, are pushed
toward each
other. This will uniquely prevent ice expansion damage to the permanent, four
season
self-watering flat green roof, Fig. 1, unlike all past green roof inventions,
especially those
with fixed ninety degree retaining walls.
Nineteenth Stage: Large plants, 20, or plants with very aggressive roots,
should be
housed in the expandable, large plant tube, 18, which has overlapping
expandable sides,
18A, held in place by stretchable retainer bands, 18B, to allow the
expandable, large plant
tube, 18, to uniquely expand during freezing, unlike other green roof
containers. It
should be noted that the section of the expandable plant tube, 18, is placed
in the gravel
and/or sand bed, 11, and the mixed soil, 13, in the rainwater reservoir, 10.
The
bottomless, expandable plant tube, 18, that is in the mixed soil, is
perforated to allow
water to pass through. Landscape fabric, 13A, is placed around the inner
perimeter of the
expandable, large plant tube, 18, to prevent the mixed soil, 13, from leaching
out, plus
preventing the large plant roots, 20, from spreading in to the rest of the
reservoir mixed
soil, 13. The section of the expandable large plant tube, 18, that is above
the surrounding
mixed soil, 13, is not perforated to prevent the mixed soil, 13, inside the
expandable,
large plant tube, 18, from drying out, which is unique to this invention.
Twentieth Stage: The fascia walls, 2. that are close to the height of the
perimeter
gravel, 11A. This allows the wind to blow the snow off the, permanent four
season self-
watering flat green roof, Fig. 1, so dangerously high and heavy snowbanks do
not form,
unlike all other perimeter green roof walls, whose height causes a wind
vortex, which in
turn creates large snowbanks on those green roofs, which in turn requires
manual labour
to remove them, unlike this invention.
Twenty-First Stage: These fascia wa is, 2, have a bird nesting ledge, 21, on
the fascia
wall's, 2, inner side that is properly spaced below the soffit, 29, and the
adjoining exterior
building wall, 28, to allow a person's favourite local birds, 22, to land and
nest on this
bird nesting ledge, 21. Over seventy-five per cent of all birds, 22, are
killed in their first
eight weeks of life by domestic cats and other predators. This bird nesting
ledge, 21, will
greatly reduce these needless killings and help to increase the dwindling bird
population_
Twenty-Second Stage: This bird nesting ledge, 21, can also be used to hide and
hold a
string of electrical lights that would light up the soffit, 29, and the
exterior building wall,
28, without the lights being visible from below, thus improving the building's
security
and beauty, which is unique to this applied for patent.
Twenty-Third Stage: The fascia, 2, can also incorporate a plugin or solar PV
panel to
power a unique electrified security system. The electrically charged wire, 25,
is
separated from the upper, outer side of the conductive, fascia, top cap, 1, by
insulated
fasteners, 25A. This conductive, fascia, top cap, 1, is grounded by an
electrical ground
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
cable, 23. If a conductive, guard railing, 24, is used, then you can also run
an electrically
charged wire, 25, to the conductive, guard railing, 24, provided you use a
custom
designed guardrail insulator, 24A.
Twenty-Fourth Stage: This unique guard post insulator, 24A, is an electrical,
insulating material that is slightly larger than the conductive guard rail
post mount, 24B,
and extends down into the pre-drilled countersunk holes which is part of the
pre-drilled
fastener holes. These fastener holes are filled with flexible, waterproof,
insulating
caulking before the fasteners, 24C, are screwed into these pre-drilled holes
to hold and
completely seal these holes. These fasteners, 24C, are screwed through the
conductive
guardrail post mount, 24B,and the guardrail insulator, 24A, and then into the
flexible
caulking predruled countersunk holes to completely seal these holes and
insulate the
electrified conductive guardrail post, 24, from the grounded conductive fascia
top cap, 1.
Twenty-Fifth Stage: This outer perimeter, electrical security system will
deter critters
and burglars from climbing on to the permanent four season self-watering flat
green roof,
Fig. 1. This unique electrified security system can easily be turned off when
the owner is
on the permanent four season self-watering flat green roof; Fig.!. The
electrical shock
from this system will not cause permanent damage to the critters or burglars.
Twenty-Sixth Stage: Light coloured, shiny gravel, should be used in the
eavestroughs,
5, gravel perimeter, 11A, and the gravel walkway, 1111, in hot climates to
reflect sunlight,
thereby keeping the gravel cooler.
Twenty-Seventh Stage: Dark, dull coloured gravel should be used in the
eavestroughs, 5, gravel perimeters, 11A, and the gravel walkways, 11B, in the
cold ice
prone climates. The dark colour will cause this gravel to retain heat from
sunlight and
help melt ice quicker than light, shiny coloured gravel.
Twenty-Eighth Stage: Large roofs, Fig. 6, in areas of torrential rains or
areas that
freeze should make their mixed soil beds, 13, no larger than around ten
metres, 27, by ten
metres, 27, with one metre, 26, gravel walkways, 11B, and half metre wide
gravel
perimeters, 11A, to allow for drainage and ice expansion. When fresh water
freezes, it's
volume increases by approximately nine per cent. The larger a mixed soil bed,
13, is the
more powerful and destructive its expansion during freezing can be. The above
mentioned dimensions will prevent any flat roof support structure, 3, damage
unlike other
green roof designs that do not allow for ice expansion.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
The above mentioned steps, one through twenty-eight, show a process that is
unique to
this permanent four season self-watering flat green roof. Fig. 1. This above
mentioned
process also shows how this invention solves the problems of structural_
damage from ice
expansion, torrential rains, snowbank buildups, mold, and the inability to
walk on a green
roof All past flat green roofs patents suffer from one or more of the above
mentioned
problems.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-28
