SKYLIGHT COVER

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/650,464, filed May 22, 2024, which is incorporated herein by way of reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure is related generally to skylights for buildings, and more particularly to protective covers for skylights.

2. Related Art

Skylights are commonly found on sloped roofs of buildings to increase the amount of natural daylight that enters interior spaces of the buildings, thereby reducing the need for artificial lighting and also improving the aesthetic appeal of the interior spaces. One problem often encountered with such skylights is that, over time, one or more weatherproofing seals can degrade and begin to leak. Such leaks may not be readily apparent to occupants in the building, at least during the initial stages of leak formation, and thus, can remain undetected for a duration of time, during which, degradation of a wooden frame structure of the skylight and surrounding building structure can result. Ultimately, the skylight frame and building structure become rotted, thus, potentially leading to even more problematic issues, such as staining and black mold, thereby necessitating very expensive repairs, treatment of toxic black mold hazards, and often replacement of the entire skylight and surrounding building structure. Further yet, unprotected skylights are subject to damage from environmental elements, such as hail and cyclic freezing and thawing, again, leading to costly repairs.

In view of the above, there is a need to provide supplemental protection for a skylight that inhibits the formation of leaks about the skylight, that is easy to install without degrading the integrity of a surrounding roof structure and shingles on the roof, that allows desired light intensity and frequencies to pass through without diminishing the desired characteristics of light passing through the skylight, while at the same time being economical in manufacture and assembly and having a long and useful life.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a skylight cover for protecting a skylight fixed to a roof of a building via a skylight frame is provided. The skylight cover has a body including a top wall and a plurality of side walls extending downwardly from the top wall to a flange extending outwardly from at least some of the plurality of side walls for abutment with the roof. Further, a plurality of fastener location features are formed in at least some of the plurality of side walls. The plurality of fastener location features facilitate fixation of the body directly to the skylight frame without fixing the body directly to the roof, thereby avoid causing any harm to the roof, while allowing easy removal and service when desired with degrading shingles on the roof.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the plurality of side walls include a lower side wall, and upper side wall, and a pair of lateral side walls extending between the lower side wall and the upper side wall.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the plurality of side walls extend at an obtuse angle with the top wall.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the obtuse angle is between 92-98°.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the lower side wall has an opening extending upwardly from the flange toward the top wall to facilitate water drainage and air flow between the skylight cover and the skylight.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the flange extends peripherally in continuous fashion from one side of the opening in the lower side wall, about the entirety of the side walls, to an opposite side of the opening in the lower side wall.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the plurality of fastener location features are recessed in the pair of lateral side walls.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the plurality of fastener location features include fastener locations having a reduced thickness relative to a thickness of the pair of lateral side walls.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the fastener locations are through openings.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the plurality of fastener location features form spacers configured to maintain a gap between the lateral side walls and the skylight frame.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the spacers have contact pads arranged for direct contact with sides of the skylight frame.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the contact pads extend generally transversely to the top wall, thereby negating the need to cause severe deflection of the lateral side walls of the cover during installation, thus avoiding cracking of the lateral side walls and further avoiding formation of unsightly undulations.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the lower side wall, the upper side wall, and the pair of lateral side walls are configured and sized to maintain a gap between the top wall and an uppermost surface of the skylight.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a skylight cover for protecting a skylight fixed to a roof of a building via a skylight frame is provided. The skylight cover has a body including a top wall, a lower side wall extending downwardly from the top wall, an upper side wall extending downwardly from the top wall, and a pair of lateral side walls extending downwardly from the top wall and extending between the lower side wall and the upper side wall. A plurality of fastener location features are formed in the lateral side walls, wherein the plurality of fastener location features facilitate fixation of the body directly to the skylight frame without fixing the body directly to the roof. The plurality of fastener location features form spacers extending inwardly from the lateral side walls to contact pads configured to engage the skylight frame without causing undue deflection of the lateral side walls and form a gap between the lateral side walls and the skylight frame to facilitate air flow between the lateral side walls and the skylight frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more readily appreciated when considered in connection with the following description of the presently preferred embodiments, appended claims and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the skylight cover constructed in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a skylight, and a plurality of fasteners for fastening the skylight cover to the skylight;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the skylight cover being fastened to a side frame of the skylight;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3A-3A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3B-3B of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENT

Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a skylight guard, also referred to as skylight cover 10, constructed in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure shown exploded away from a skylight 12 installed on a sloped roof 14 of a building. The skylight 12 includes an upstanding skylight frame, referred to hereafter as frame 18, typically made of wood, by way of example and without limitation, with a plastic or metal flashing 20. The frame 18 has a downwardly facing side operably fastened in abutment with roof shingles 22, and typically to an underlying structure of the roof 14, around an opening in the roof 14, with the frame 18 extending upwardly from a sloped, generally planar surface of the roof 14. A window pane 24 of the skylight 12 is secured to the frame 18 and covers the opening in the roof 14. The window plane 24 is typically secured to, or adjacent to, an upwardly facing side of the frame 18 such that the window pane 24 is supported in elevated fashion above the planar surface defined by the shingles 22 of the roof 14. The window pane 24 is typically made of a transparent or translucent material, such as tempered glass or polycarbonate for allowing natural light to enter an interior space (room) of the building beneath the roof 14, while providing thermal insulation and resistance to water ingress to the interior space. One or more seals are typically disposed between the frame 18 and the frame and/or flashing 20 to provide a water-tight seal between the frame 18 and the window pane 24.

The skylight cover 10 is provided for protecting the skylight 12 from rain and other environmental elements, e.g. snow, sleet, and hail, to thereby significantly improve the operating life and intended functionality, e.g. leak-proof performance, of the skylight 12. By protecting the seals in the skylight 12 from such elements, an operating life and performance of the skylight 12 without maintenance is significantly extended at a fraction of the cost of replacing or repairing the skylight 12 and any surrounding roof structure that could be compromised as a result of a leak. The skylight cover 10 has a body 25 made as a single, monolithic piece of a transparent material, such as polycarbonate or acrylic, so that it does not interfere with or alter the appearance of the natural light that the skylight 12 allow to enter the internal space of the building, while also rendering the skylight cover 10 indiscernible from inside and from outside the building. The body 25 can be formed having a desired thickness, such as between about 0.16 to 0.28 inches, with the selected thickness be uniform throughout the body 25, with the possible exception of localized regions, as discussed further below. Accordingly, with the skylight cover 10 be transparent, the only readily discernible feature can be the skylight 12 itself, or it tinted, the skylight cover 10 could conceal the underlying skylight 12, wherein the color of tinting could closely match a color of the surrounding roof 14, thereby rendering the skylight 12 and skylight cover 10 substantially indiscernible from the surrounding roof 14. Polycarbonate and acrylic have been found to protect the skylight 12 in a range of different weather conditions; however, it is contemplated that the body 25 of the skylight cover 10 can be made of other transparent materials besides polycarbonate or acrylic, and could include tempered glass, if desired. The transparent material of the skylight cover 10 can be tinted, as desired, and/or can include ultraviolet (UV) ray protection, such as via an outer layer of UV protective coating 26a, and could further include an inner layer of UV protective coating 26b for added assurance of not being worn off over time.

The body 25 of the skylight cover 10 of an exemplary embodiment has a generally rectangular top wall 28. The top wall 28 can be provided having a slightly curved contour, such that an outer surface 28a of the top wall 28 is slightly crowned having a convex contour to improve strength and water runoff. In an exemplary embodiment, the convex contour of the outer surface 28a is such that, in a width-wise direction, as best seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a middle region of the outer surface 28a is approximately 0.3 to 0.6 inches higher than the outer peripherally extending side edge region of the outer surface 28a, and in a length-wise direction, as best seen in FIG. 4, the middle region of the outer surface 28a is approximately 0.3 to 0.6 inches higher than the outer peripherally extending upper and lower edge region of the outer surface 28a, thereby having a spherical, dome-shaped contour. The convex, spherically crowned contour of the top wall 28 functions to increase strength and resist downward deflection of the top wall 28 under weight, such as from snow, and to facilitate water runoff from the top wall 28 and to eliminate any potential for pooling of stagnant water on the top wall 28. The rectangular top wall 28 of the skylight cover 10 has a surface area that is greater than the window pane 24 of the skylight 12 such that, when the skylight cover 10 is installed, the rectangular top wall 28 entirely overlaps and extends beyond the outer periphery of the window pane 24 of the skylight 10. It is contemplated herein that the top wall 28 of the skylight cover 10 can have any suitable shape, whether rectangular, square, circular, oval, or otherwise, that is similar in shape to a shape of a skylight that is being protected, as will be readily appreciated by a person possessing ordinary skill in the art of the disclosure in view of the disclosure herein.

The body 25 of the skylight cover 10 also includes a plurality of side walls, and in an exemplary embodiment, shown as four side walls, namely, a bottom side wall, also referred to as front side wall or lower side wall 30a; a top side wall, also referred to as rear side wall or upper side wall 30b; and a pair of lateral side walls 30c, 30d that extend from the lower side wall 30a to the upper side wall 30b in generally parallel relation with one another, with the lower side wall 30a and the upper side wall 30b extending generally parallel with one another. In the non-limiting exemplary embodiment illustrated, the lower side wall 30a, upper side wall 30b, and the lateral side walls 30c, 30d extend downwardly from an outer periphery of the rectangular top wall 28 toward the roof 14, upon being installed on the roof 14.

The body 25 of the skylight cover 10 also has a peripherally extending flange 32. The flange 32 extends laterally outwardly from the entirety of the upper side wall 30b, the entirety of the lateral side walls 30c, 30d, and from opposite side portions of the lower side wall 30 adjacent the side walls 30c, 30d. The flange 32 strengthens the shape integrity of the skylight cover 10 by resisting unwanted deflection and distortion of the side walls 30a-30d, such as during handling and assembly, and is configured to define a planar surface to rest in abutment on the shingles 22 of the roof 14 to prevent entry of debris beneath the skylight cover 10. The flange 32 (or any other portion of the skylight cover 10) is not fastened or attached in any fashion, including adhesive, seals, or otherwise, directly to the roof 14. Accordingly, the flange 32 is configured to remain detached from the roof 14, thereby facilitating air flow, while avoiding causing harm to the roof 14 and shingles 22 thereon. Rather, as discussed in further detail below, the skylight cover 10 is fastened directly and solely to the skylight frame 18 of the skylight 12, thereby providing benefits discussed hereafter.

The majority of the lower side wall 30a lacks the flange 32 lieu of an opening 34 formed therein. The opening 34 is shown in the non-limiting embodiment as extending upwardly from the plane defined by the flange 32 about ¼ to ¾ the way up the lower side wall 30a, by way of example and without limitation, with the opening 34 also extending laterally across the majority of the lower side wall 30a between the opposite lateral side walls 30c, 30d, such as between about 75% to 100% of the length of the lower side wall 30a, and in the illustrated embodiment, about 90% to 95% of the length of the lower side wall 30a. The opening 34 is provided to extend from the roof shingles 22, upwardly away from the roof shingles 22, to promote airflow in a space between the skylight cover 10 and the skylight 12, thereby inhibiting the formation of condensation and clouding of the skylight cover 10 and the skylight 12, discussed further below, as well as to promote water drainage for any water flowing beneath the skylight cover 10.

To further facilitate airflow between the skylight 12 and the skylight cover 10, thereby enhancing the formation of an insulation air layer, while further enhancing the ability to prevent condensation and fogging of the skylight cover 10 as well as the skylight 12, the top wall 28 and the side walls 30a-30d of the skylight cover 10 are all dimensioned to provide an air gap G between the entirety of the inner surface 28b of the top wall 28, between the entirety of an inner surface 36a of the lower side wall 30a and an entirety of an inner surface 36b of the upper side wall 30b, and between a vast majority of inner surfaces 36c, 36d of the lateral side walls 30c, 30d and the skylight frame 18, with the only exception being where the skylight cover 10 is fixedly attached to the skylight frame 18 along the lateral side walls 30c, 30d (FIG. 3A), by way of example and without limitation. In particular, an inner surface 28b of the top wall 28 of the skylight cover is spaced above the window pane 24 of the skylight 12 to provide the gap G of a generally uniform, constant dimension. In an exemplary embodiment, the inner surface 28b of the top wall 28 is supported approximately one to two inches (1-2″), by way of example and without limitation, above the window pane 24 of the skylight 12.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3A-4, in the exemplary embodiment, the side walls 30a-30d are angled outwardly from the top wall 28, i.e., they do not extend orthogonally to the rectangular top wall 28 or to the roof 14. More specifically, the side walls 30a-30d extend at an angle in the range of two to four degrees (2-4°) outwardly, relative to the top wall 28, from vertical, thereby forming and extending an obtuse angle α between about 92-98°, and preferably between 92-94° relative to the top wall 28. Accordingly, the angle α between the top wall 28 and the lateral side walls 30a-30d of 92-98° is an obtuse included angle. In a presently preferred embodiment, the angle is about three degrees (3°) from vertical, and thus, 93° from relative to the top wall 28. This angled relation of the side walls 30a-30d not only facilitates water runoff from the skylight cover 10, but also facilitates manufacture, such as in a molding operation to facilitate release of the skylight cover 10 from a mold cavity, as will be understood by a person possessing ordinary skill in the art of molding processes. Additionally, the angled side walls 30a-30d further allow multiple skylight covers 10 to be stacked in close, compact relation with one another in a “nested” configuration. While nested, the outer surface 28a of the top wall 28 of an underlying nested skylight cover 10 is brought into contact or close proximity with the inner surface 28c of an overlying top wall 28 of an adjacent nested skylight cover 10, with the side walls 30a-30d also being brought into close fitting contact with one another, and so on, with there being no limit to the number of skylight covers 10 that can be nested with one another, thereby improving packaging by greatly reducing the amount of space occupied by the multiple skylight covers 10 when transporting many skylight covers 10 together, and further reducing space requirements for stocking supplies of the skylight covers 10 in storage.

When installed in use over the skylight 12, the side walls 30a-30d of the skylight cover 10 are spaced from (i.e., do not directly contact) the sides of the skylight frame 18 of the skylight 12 by the gap G. Due to the angled configuration of the side walls 30a-30d, each side wall 30a-30d is closest to the skylight frame 18 adjacent the rectangular top wall 28 and is furthest from the skylight frame 18 adjacent the flange 32. Accordingly, the gap G has a continuously increasing width W extending from the top wall 28 toward the flange 32. In an exemplary embodiment, at its closest relation to the skylight frame 18 adjacent the top wall 28, the side walls 30a-30d are spaced from the skylight frame 18 of the skylight 12 by the gap G having a width W that is in the range of three-eighths of an inch to one-half of an inch (⅜″ to ½″), with the gap G increasing in width W toward the flange 32.

The lateral side walls 30c, 30d of the skylight cover 10 are fixedly secured to the sides 18a of the skylight frame 18 with a plurality of fasteners 38. The precise location and fixation of the plurality of fasteners 38 is facilitated by a plurality of pre-identified, pre-formed fastener location features 40 formed in at least some of the plurality of side walls 30a-30d, wherein the plurality of fastener location features 40 facilitate fixation of the body 25 to the skylight frame 18 without fixing the body 25 directly to the roof 14. As such, the integrity of the roof 14 and shingles 22 thereon is not compromised by the formation of holes therein. The plurality of fastener location features 40 are illustrated as including two on each lateral side wall 30c, 30d, by way of example and without limitation. The fastener location features 40 can be formed, at least in part, as recessed features 40, such as recessed dimples, recessed channels, or recessed slots within the lateral side walls 30c, 30d, thereby providing the lateral side walls 30c, 30d with a non-planar, undulating surface in the regions of the recessed features 40. The recessed features 40, though having a uniform thickness with the remainder of the lateral side walls 30c, 30d, can be formed having localized reduced material thickness fastener locations 40a, such that the reduced thickness of the fastener locations 40a is less relative to the thickness of the lateral side walls 30c, 30d, thereby allowing easy penetration of an associated fastener threaded shank 38a, such as on a standard roofing screw, by way of example and without limitation, through the localized, reduced thickness fastener locations 40a of the fastener location feature 40. Otherwise, the fastener locations 40a of the fastener location features 40 can be formed as through openings, thus, not requiring material to be penetrated, but rather, allowing the associated fastener 38 to be inserted through the fastener locations 40a of the fastener location features 40. Regardless, upon insertion through the fastener location feature 40, the threaded shank 38a of the fastener 38 is then threaded into the sides 18a of skylight frame 18. In an exemplary embodiment, the fastener locations 40a of the fastener location features 40 are provided as through holes having diameters of one-quarter of an inch (¼″); however, other diameter through opening sizes can be employed, as desired, depending on the size of fasteners 38 used for fixation of the skylight cover 10 to the skylight 12. For each fastener 38, a washer 42, which can be integral to the fastener 38 or separate therefrom, such as a rubber or polymeric washer, by way of example and without limitation, is preferably disposed between an enlarged head 38b of the respective fastener 38 and the outer surface of the lateral side wall 30c, 30d of the skylight cover 10, with the washer 42 forming a fluid tight seal between the fastener head 38b and the skylight cover 10, such that no fluid is able to pass through the fastener through opening 40.

A spacer 44 is positioned between the inner surface 36c, 36d of the respective lateral side wall 30c, 30d and the skylight frame 18 of the skylight 12. In an exemplary embodiment, the spacers 44 are formed as a monolithic piece with the skylight cover 10, thereby doing away with the need for separate spacer components. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3A, the spacers 44 formed as an integral, monolithic piece of the skylight cover 10 are formed via recessed regions 46, such as pockets, also referred to as channels, which extend inwardly from the remainder of the lateral side wall inner surfaces 36c, 36d. As such, the recessed regions 46 form contact surfaces, also referred to as contact pads 44a, of the spacers 44 that are arranged to be brought into direct engagement with the sides 18a of the skylight frame 18 upon tightening the fasteners 38. With the contact pads 44a extending inwardly relative to the remainder of the lateral side wall inner surfaces 36c, 36d, upon bringing the contact pads 44a into fixed engagement with the skylight frame sides 18a, the gap G desired for facilitating air flow between the skylight cover 10 and the skylight 12 remains between the lateral sidewalls 30c, 30d and the sides 18a of the skylight frame 18. The contact pads 44a can be formed to extend vertically to substantially vertically (less than purely vertical, but close such as between 0 degrees and 1.5 degrees off true vertical), and thus, transversely or substantially transversely to the top wall 28, thereby being brought into flush, flat engagement with the sides 18a of the skylight frame 18 without having to deform the skylight cover 10 significantly during assembly, and thus, avoiding causing damage, such as cracking, to the skylight cover 10. As such, although the lateral side walls 30c, 30d extend at an inclined, obtuse angle with the top wall 28, the contact pads 44a extend in perpendicular, or more nearly perpendicular relation to the top wall 28. Accordingly, during assembly of the skylight cover 10, no special care is required to form the air gap G, as it is automatically formed upon tightening the fasteners 38 and bringing the spacer contact pads 44a into engagement with the skylight frame sides 18a. It is to be recognized that the size of the contact pads 44a can be formed as desired during molding of the skylight cover 10. Accordingly, the spacers 44 function to ensure that, during and upon installation, the skylight cover 10 is properly positioned over the skylight 12 with the desired gaps G between the skylight cover 10 and the skylight 12 for optimal protection of the skylight 12. Depending on the size of the skylight 12 being protected, the skylight cover 10 can be formed having more or fewer than four fastener location features 40 to secure the skylight cover 10 to the skylight 12. It is to be recognized that other types of fasteners, rather than screws, can be used to secure the skylight cover with the skylight, including nails or rivets, by way of example and without limitation.

As discussed above, the skylight cover 10 is fabricated via a molding process, and in accordance with one example embodiment, via an injection molding process, and in accordance with another example embodiment, via a vacuum molding process. In some other embodiments, wherein the shaped of the skylight cover 10, having outwardly inclined side walls 30a-30d, readily allows the molded skylight cover 10 to be ejected from a mold cavity, while other fabrication techniques can be employed to produce the structure discussed above and illustrated in the several FIGS.

The skylight cover 10 both increases the life of the skylight 12 and prevents water from leaking past the seals/flashing of the skylight 12 into a home or building at a fraction of the cost of replacing or fixing the skylight 12 and surrounding roof structure. Further, due to its unique, relatively close fitting shape and contour, adding the skylight cover 10 over top of an existing skylight 12 has minimal to no effect on the external appearance of the building, and in fact, can improve the aesthetics by masking an otherwise unsightly skylight frame 18, particularly in the absence of the cover 10, wherein the appearance of the skylight frame 18 can become weather worn and unsightly.

The skylight cover 10 can also be custom-made for use with skylights 12 of any shape and size.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims. Additionally, it is to be understood that all features of all claims and all embodiments can be combined with each other as long as they do not contradict each other.