Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
Openable roof.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to roofs. More specifically, the
present invention is concerned with an openable roof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many buildings include uncovered annexes, such as patios.
Since they are uncovered, these annexes cannot be used under many
conditions. For example, in case of rain, it is impossible to use the annex.
Also, even when the rain has stopped, furniture and accessories, such as
barbeques and other cooking accessories, left outside during the rain are wet
and are not readily available for use. In addition, in temperate climates, the
annex becomes unusable for a large portion of the year when the weather is
too cold.
(0003] One solution to this problem resides in covering the annex
with an openable roof. The roof is opened when an intended user wishes to
enjoy the outdoors and is closed when the weather is inclement.
[0004] Currently available roofs typically require that the slope of the
roof of the annex is identical to the slope of the roof of the building
located
beside the annex. This constraint is due to the basic structure of such
openable roofs.
[0005] For example, U.S. patent 6,145,254, issued to Silva on
November 14, 2000, describes an openable roof including a substantially flat
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panel inserted between two parallel rails. Since the panel is rigid, and since
the
rails are also rigid, the rails and the panel, both in open and in the closed
positions are required to be substantially located in a common plane.
Accordingly, it is impossible to have the openable roof described in this
patent
with the roof at a first angle in a closed configuration and at second
differing
angle in the open configuration.
[0006] Many other openable roofs have also been proposed but
none of them allow the openable roof to be opened over a concave surface
wherein the openable roof is at different angles with respect to the ground
when open and closed.
[0007] Against this background, there exists a need in the industry to
provide a novel openable roof.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
(0008] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an
improved openable roof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In a first broad aspect, the invention provides an openable
roof for reversibly covering an opening. The roof includes a roof portion
defining a first roof portion end and a second roof portion end substantially
opposed to the first roof portion end. The roof portion is positionable
between a
closed position, wherein the opening is substantiaNy covered by the roof
portion, and an open position wherein the opening is substantially uncovered
by the roof portion. The openable roof further includes a first roof support
connected to the roof portion and located in proximity to the first roof
portion
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end, and a second roof support connected to the roof portion and located in
proximity to the second roof portion end. The openable roof further includes a
support member defining a support surtace for supporting the first and second
roof supports when the roof portion is moved between the open and the closed
positions, the support surface being substantially concave.
(0010] In a variant, the support surface includes a first and a second
substantially flat segment connected through a substantially curved segment.
Therefore, the first and second straight segments, along with the curved
segment, define the substantially concave support surface.
[0011] In specific embodiments of the invention, in the closed
position the roof portion is located substantially above the first straight
segment, and in the open position, the roof portion is located substantially
above the second straight segment.
(0012] Therefore, the roof portion is supported at two different
angles when in the closed and the open configurations, which allows a greater
flexibility when designing an openable roof for a building.
(0013] For example, if the openable roof is for covering a patio when
the weather is inclement, the roof when covering the patio is not required to
be
at the same angle than the roof of the building to which the patio is annexed.
Therefore, a greater flexibility in patio design is provided. Indeed, if the
openable roof is required to be at the same angle in the closed and open
configurations, the patio cannot extend very far from the building without
putting
severe constraint to the height of the covered patio at an extremity of the
patio
distal from the building.
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[0014] Other objects, advantages and features of the present
invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-
restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of
example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(0015] In the appended drawings:
(0016] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a house and an
adjacent patio covered by an openable roof;
(0017] Figure 2 is a side elevation view of a roof support of the
openable roof of Figure 1;
(0018] Figure 3 is a side elevation view of an alternative roof support
present in some embodiments of an openable roof similar to the openable roof
of Figure 1;
(0019) Figure 4 is a side elevation view of another alternative roof
support present in some embodiments of an openable roof similar to the
openable roof of Figure 1;
(0020] Figure 5 is a schematic side elevation view of the roof of
Figure 1 in a closed position;
(0021] Figure 6 is a schematic side elevation view of the roof of
Figure 1 in a position intermediate the closed position and an open position;
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[0022] Figure 7 is a schematic side elevation view of the roof of
Figure 1 in the open position;
[0023] Figure 8 is a schematic side elevation view of a roof similar to
the openable roof of Figure 1 in an open position on a wall of a building;
[0024] Figure 9 is a cross-section of the openable roof of Figure 1;
[0025] Figure 10 is a cross-section of an alternative openable roof;
[0026] Figure 11A is a cross-section illustrating the attachment of a
support member of the openable roof of Figure 1 to a roof of the house;
[0027] Figure 11 B is a cross-section illustrating the attachment of an
alternative support member for the openable roof of Figure 1 to a roof of the
house;
[0028] Figure 12 is a schematic perspective view of the structure of
the roof of Figure 1; and
[0029] Figure 13 is a schematic side elevation view of a motor and a
transmission for opening and closing the openable roof if Figure 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Figure 1 shows an openable roof 10 for reversibly covering
an opening 11 (shown in Figure 12). The roof 10 includes a roof portion 12
defining a first roof portion end 26 and a second roof portion end 28
substantially opposed to the first roof portion end 26.
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[0031) The roof portion 12 is positionable between a closed position,
wherein the opening 11 is substantially covered by the roof portion 12, and an
open position wherein the opening is substantially uncovered by the roof
portion 12. An example of a closed position is shown in Figure 5, while an
example of an open position is shown in Figure 7. In other words, the roof 10
is
a retractable roof.
[0032) in some embodiments of the invention, the opening 11
extends over an area corresponding substantially to an area covered by the
roof portion 12 in the closed position. In other embodiments of the invention,
the opening 11 extends over an area corresponding to only part of the area
covered by the roof portion 12 in the closed position. In other words, in
specific
embodiments of the invention, the locations in space occupied by the roof
portion 12 in the closed and open positions do or do not overlap.
[0033) Refering to Figure 12, the roof 10 includes four roof supports
14A, 14B, 14C and 14D. The roof supports 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D are
connected to the roof portion 12. The roof supports 14A and 14C are located in
proximity to the roof portion end 28. The roof supports 14B and 14D are
located in proximity to the roof portion end 26.
[0034) Two support members 18 and 19 each define a respective
support surface 20 and 21 for supporting respectively the roof supports 14A
and 14B and the roof supports 14C and 14D. The support surfaces 20 and 21
support the roof supports 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D when the roof portion 12 is
moved between the open and the closed positions. The support surfaces 20
and 21 are substantially concave. However, in alternative roof supports, the
support surfaces are not concave.
[0035) In some embodiments of the invention, the roof supports 14A,
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14B, 14C and 14D contact the support surtaces 20 and 21 when the roof
portion 12 is in the closed position, in the open position, and in
substantially all
positions intermediate the open and the closed positions. However, in
alternative embodiments of the invention, roof portion supports do not
necessarily contact support surtaces at all times.
(0036] Turning back to Figure 1, structures supporting the openable
roof 10 will be described in further details. Figure 1 shows the openable roof
10
as being the roof of an annex to a house 104 taking the form of a covered
patio
102. The openable 10 roof is supported in part by the patio 102 and in part by
the roof 100 of the house 104.
(0037] The patio 102 is any suitable patio. For example, the patio
102 includes a structure 106 (better shown in Figure 12) made of a suitable
material, for example, and non-limitatively, of weatherproofed wood. Walls 108
made of a suitable material, for example of a flexible plastic material
defining
windows 110, are connected to the structure 106. Methods for building such
patios 102 are well-known in the art and will therefore not be described
herein.
(0038] Since the openable roof 10 aims at covering the patio, in
some embodiments of the invention, the patio 102 includes weather proofing
seals 112 in the form of flaps of material extending away ftom the openable
roof 10 and overlapping the walls 108. The weatherproofing seals 112 protect
the patio 102 from the weather such as to allow an intended user to use the
patio 102 even in inclement weather. In other embodiments of the invention,
the patio 102 includes weatherproofing seals taking any other suitable form,
or
the patio 102 does not include weatherproofing seals.
[0039] To further improve the weatherproofing of the openable roof
10, in some embodiments of the invention, the openable roof 10 is configured
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and sized such that the roof portion 12 is in proximity to the structure 106
when
in the closed position. In other embodiments of the invention, the roof
portion
12 contacts the structure 106 when in the closed position.
[0040] Although the openable roof 10 is an openable roof for an
annex to the house 104, any other possibilities are within the scope of the
claimed invention. For example, and non-limitatively, in an alternative
embodiment of the invention, an openable roof according to the claimed
invention allows to reversibly cover an opening in a roof of a house, the roof
including two substantially flat portions angled with respect to each other.
[0041] A few specific embodiments of the roof portion support 14B
and of other suitable roof portion supports 14B' and 14B" are described in
further details hereinbelow. However, many other alternative embodiments of
the roof support 14B are also within the scope of the invention. The roof
portion supports 14A, 14C and 14D are similar to the roof portion 14B and will
not be described in further details.
(0042] In a specific embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figure
2, the roof portion support 14B includes a body 30 connected to the roof
portion
12 and a wheel 32 rotatably mounted to the body 30. The wheel 32 contacts
the support surface 20. The body 30 and the wheel 32 are configured, located
and sized so as to allow the roof portion 12 to pivot with respect to the
support
surface 20 when the roof portion 12 is moved between the opened and the
closed positions. Furthermore, the wheel 32 rolls onto the support surface 20
when the roof portion 12 is moved between the open and the closed positions.
j0043) In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2,
the roof portion support 14B includes two other wheels 34 and 36. The wheels
34 and 36 are rotatably mounted to the body 30 and contact the support
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surface 20. The wheels 32, 34 and 36 form a wheel train.
(0044] The body 30 is pivotably connected to the roof portion 12. As
shown in Figure 2, the roof portion 12 is connected to the body 30 through a
hinge 31.
[0045] As shown in Figure 3, in an alternative embodiment of the roof
support 14B, namely in roof support 14B', an alternative body 30' is connected
to the roof portion 12 through an axle 33. The body 30' is similar to the body
30
and is connected to the three wheels 32, 34 and 36.
(0046] In yet another embodiment of the invention, the roof support
14B" shown in Figure 4 includes a body 30" onto which a single wheel 32 is
rotatably mounted. The body 30" is mounted to the roof portion 12 such as to
disallow a rotation of the body 30" with respect to the roof portion 12.
[004 The wheels 32, 34 and 36 are received by the support
member 18. As shown in Figure 11A, the support member 18 includes a
substantially C-shaped rail 118, including a bottom portion 40, a top portion
42
and a lateral portion 45, connecting the bottom portion 40 and the top portion
42. The bottom portion 40 defines the support surface 20. In addition,
although absent in some embodiments of the invention, the rail 118 further
includes a bottom flange 46 extending from the bottom portion 40 towards the
top portion 42. In some embodiments of the invention not shown in the
drawings, the rail 118 further includes a top flange extending from the top
portion 42 towards the bottom portion 40. The rail 118 receives the wheels 32,
34 and 36.
[0048] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the rail 118 defines
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two substantially straight segments 66 and 68 connected by a substantially
curved segment 70. In this case, the openabie roof 12 is particularly suitable
for covering an opening of a roof of an annex to a building. As mentioned
hereinabove, the building includes a fixed roof 104. As shown in Figures 5, 6
and 7, the roof portion 12 is supported, at least in part, over the fixed roof
104
of the building when in the open position. When in the closed position, the
roof
portion is supported, at least in part, over the opening 11.
[0049) The roof portion 12 is angled differently with respect to the
ground when in the closed position then when in the opened position. The
angle between the ground and the roof portion 12 is larger when the roof
portion 12 is in the open position then when the roof portion 12 is in the
closed
position. However, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the reverse
relationship is true.
[0050) An example of a suitable situation for this type of roof is when
the openable roof is a roof of an annex to a single-story house. In this case,
if
the openable roof were to be angled with the same angle as the roof of the
house, the openable roof could not extend much beyond the house before
coming too close to a floor surface of the annex.
[0051) In yet another embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 8,
the roof portion 12 is supported onto a wall 105 of a two-story house 107 when
in the open position. In this case, the straight segments 66 and 68 are
connected by the curved segment 70' which is similar to the curved segment
70.
(0052) In some embodiments of the invention, as shown in Figure
11 B, for example in some embodiments wherein the roof portion supports are
similar to the roof portion support 14"B, the rail 118 is replaced by another
rail
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taking the form of a substantially U-shaped rail, including first and second
substantially opposed lateral portions connected by a bottom portion. The
bottom portion defines support surface 20.
[0053] The reader skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many
alternative wheel supports and rails are within the scope of the invention. It
is
also within the scope of the invention to have roof portion supports that do
not
include wheels. In this case, the wheel supports slide onto the support
surfaces
[0054) Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein
the support members 18 and 19 are supported, at least in part, by the fixed
roof
of 100 a building, here the house 104. In this case, as shown in Figure 11A
for
support member 18 in the form of the above-described rail 118, the support
members 18 and 19 each include one or more support legs 60 connected to
the rail 118. The support leg 60 supports the rail 118 away from the fixed
roof
100.
[0055] In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in the
drawings, the support leg 60 includes an L-shaped bracket 61 and two
reinforcing members 62 and 63. The bracket 61 is connected to the reinforcing
member 62 and is attached to the lateral portion 45 of the rail 118. The
reinforcing members 62 and 63 are secured to the roof 104 respectively outside
and inside the building and allow to attach the support leg 60 to the building
with minimal damage to the roof 100.
[0056] In a non-limiting example of implementation, suitable
reinforcing members 62 and 63 include pieces of wood suitably attached to the
roof 104. Since methods for attaching reinforcing members to roofs are well-
known in the art, such methods will not be described in further details
herein.
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(0057] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the rail 118
includes two substantially straight segments 66 and 68 connected by a
substantially curved segment 70. In this case, the openable roof 12 is
particularly suitable for covering an opening of a roof of an annex to a
building.
(0058] As mentioned hereinabove, the building includes a fixed roof
100. The roof portion 12 is supported, at least in part, over the fixed roof
100 of
the building when in the open position. When in the closed position, the roof
portion is supported, at least in part, over the opening. To that effect, the
straight segment 66 is provided over the roof 100, while the straight segment
68 is provided over the patio 102
(0059) The roof portion 12 is angled differently with respect to the
ground when in the closed position than when in the opened position. As
shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, the angle between the ground and the roof portion
12 is larger when the roof portion 12 is in the open position then when the
roof
portion 12 is in the closed position. However, in alternative embodiments of
the
invention, the reverse relationship is true.
(0060] An example of a suitable situation for this type of roof is when
the openable roof is a roof of an annex to a single-storey house. In this
case, if
the openable roof were to be angled with the same angle as the roof of the
house, the openable roof could not extend beyond the house for a long
distance before coming too close to a floor surface of the annex.
(0061] As shown better in Figure 12, the roof portion 12 includes a
support structure 78 and a panel 80 connected to the support structure 78. In
a
specific embodiment of the invention, the support structure includes a
plurality
of substantially elongated beams 82 forming a grid. However, any other
suitable support structure is used with the invention in other embodiments.
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Also, in some embodiments of the invention, the panel 80 is a corrugated panel
(shown on Figure 9). However, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the
panel is any suitable panel, such as a non-corrugated panel (shown on Figure
10).
[0062] The roof portion 12 defines two lateral sections 200 and 202.
In addition, the roof portion 12 defines four corner sections 204, 206, 208
and
210 connecting the lateral sections 200 and 202 to the roof portion ends 26
and
28. Each of the roof portion supports 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D is located in
proximity to a respective one of the corner sections 204, 206, 208 and 210.
[0063] In some embodiments of the invention, as shown in Figures 5,
6 and 7, the roof 10 further an accessory support 212 connected to the roof
portion 12 for supporting the roof portion 12 in the closed position. The
accessory support 212 is located substantially away from the first and second
roof portion ends 26 and 28. In some embodiments of the invention, the
accessory support 212 includes one or more wheels 214. However, in
alternative embodiments of the invention, the accessory support 212 does not
include wheels.
[0064] The accessory support 212 supports the roof portion 12
outside of the rails 118 to allow the roof portion 12 to pivot with respect to
the
support surface 20 as described hereinabove. In other embodiments of the
invention, the accessory support 212 is supported by the structure of the
annex, such as by the structure 106.
[0065] In some embodiments of the invention, the roof portion 12 is
moved between the open and the closed position manually. However, in other
embodiments of the invention, a motor is provided for moving the roof portion
12 befinreen the open and the closed positions. In this case, a controller 222
is
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provided for controlling the motor.
[0066] As better shown in Figure 13, an example of such a motorized
roof includes a transmission 224 connected to the motor 220. The
transmission 224 and the motor 220 are supported by the structure 106 of the
annex to the building. However, in alternative embodiments of the invention,
the motor and the transmission are supported in any other suitable manner.
[0067] The transmission 224 includes a cable 226 connected to the
roof portion 12 for pulling the roof portion 12 against gravity. In addition,
the
transmission 224 includes a reel 228 mounted onto an axle 230 driven by the
motor 220 for rolling and unrolling the cable 226 onto and from the reel 228.
A
pulley 232 routes the cable 226 between the reel 228 and the roof portion 12.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, the pulley 232 is located at an
extremity of the rail 118. However, any other suitable arrangement for the
pulley can be used with the invention.
[0068] In some embodiments of the invention, the transmission 224
includes two cables, two reels and two pulleys, each being similar to the
cable
226, the reel 228 and the pulley 232
[0069] In some embodiments of the invention, the axle 230 includes
a biasing element 234 for biasing the roof portion 12 against gravity through
the
cable 226.
[0070] In use, an intended user operates the roof 10 through the
controller 222. The controller 222 allows operation of the motor 220 such that
the motor 220 rotates in a desired direction. Rotating the motor 220 in a
first
direction allows the opening of the roof 10, while operating the motor 220 in
the
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other direction allows the closing of the roof 10.
(0071] To open the roof 10, the cable is rolled onto the reel 228,
which therefore pulls onto the roof portion 12 through the pulley 232.
Therefore, the roof portion 12 moves in the direction of the pulley 232 and
opens the opening 11. The wheels of the roof supports 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D
facilitate the movement of the roof portion 12 by rolling onto the support
surfaces 20 and 21.
(0072] To close the roof 10, the direction of rotation of the motor 220
is reversed and therefore, the roof portion 12 retracts toward the closed
position under the influence of gravity.
[0073] In some embodiments of the invention, it is possible to stop
the roof in between the open and the closed position, as shown in Figure 6.
Also, depending on the dimensions of the fixed roof 104 and of the opening 11,
in some embodiments of the invention, the roof portion 12 is not totally
supported over the fixed roof 104 when in the open position.
(0074] Although the present invention has been described
hereinabove by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified,
without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as
defined
in the appended claim.
