INTERLOCKING ROOF TILE SYSTEM WITH AIRFLOW CHANNELS

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18/987,226, filed December 19, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a roof tile system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an interlocking roof tile system with airflow channels.

BACKGROUND

Roof tiles are commonly used in the building and construction industry to provide buildings with increased weather protection, functionality, durability, and/or aesthetics. Roof tiles are made of various different materials. Roof tiles include varying designs for energy efficiency, weather resistance, reduction in weight, and durability.

Roofs include connections to water drainage systems to drain water from the roof in order to prevent water from collecting and leaking into a building. However, existing roofs include a portion at which water collects and cannot exit. Connection points between the roof tiles allow for water to collect, leading to deterioration of the roof tiles and potential leakage of the roof. As such, a need exists for roof tiles that provide a pathway for water at or near connection points to aid in preventing collection of water and draining water from the roof of a building.

Hot air and/or moisture may also become trapped beneath the roof tiles which can lead to various problems such as mold, damage to the roof, reduced roof lifespan, undesired heating of the building, etc. There is an ongoing need for improved roof ventilation solutions that allow hot air and/or moisture to escape from beneath the roof tiles. Moreover, there is a need to provide roof ventilation without sacrificing the aesthetic of the roof tiles.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art devices discussed above. This disclosure includes several embodiments of an interlocking roof tile system with water grooves.

Provided herein is a roof tile system designed to enhance water drainage. The roof tile system as described herein addresses the need in the art for roof tiles that provide a pathway for water at or near connection points to aid in preventing collection of water and draining water from the roof of a building. The roof tile system may include several roof tile sheets interlocking with one another. Each roof tile sheet may include an upper edge that engages with a lower edge of another roof tile sheet to aid in creating an interlocking system.

Each roof tile sheet may also incorporate connection members on each of its sides, which can engage with corresponding members on adjacent sheets. The connection members may include a capillary drainage system, which may include multiple capillaries or tunnel-like pathways that direct water away from the roof. This configuration may aid in preventing water accumulation at the connection points of the roof tile sheets. The water may drain from the multiple capillaries toward a gutter or other drainage system on the building.

Also provided herein is a roof tile system designed to enhance ventilation and allow hot air and/or moisture to escape from beneath roof tiles. The system may include a plurality of roof tile sheets that cooperate to define airflow channels that allow air and/or moisture to flow beneath and between the roof tile sheets and ultimately into the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, the roof tile sheets may each include a first portion having a flange attachable to a roof and a first interlocking member, and a second portion having a second interlocking member. One or more airflow grooves may be positioned on the flange and the first interlocking member may be configured to engage the second interlocking member of an adjacent roof tile sheet. The airflow grooves of the roof tile sheets may define airflow channels configured to allow air to flow beneath and between the roof tile sheet and the adjacent roof tile sheet when the flanges are attached to the roof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a roof tile system constructed of several interlocking roof tile sheets;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the roof tile system of FIG. 1 taken across line 2—2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of an interlocking roof tile sheet;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the interlocking roof tile sheet of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the roof tile system of FIG. 1 taken across line 5—5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the roof tile system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another example of a roof tile system constructed of several interlocking roof tile sheets;

FIG. 8 is a top view of an interlocking roof tile sheet;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the interlocking roof tile sheet of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section view of the roof tile system of FIG. 7, similar to the view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a ridge vent; and

FIG. 12 depicts a single sheet of material from which the ridge vent of FIG. 11 may be obtained.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present disclosure, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures. The described embodiments are only examples of the presently disclosed techniques. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers’ specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the details of the configuration and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. References to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

Turning first to FIG. 1, a roof tile system 1 may include several interlocking roof tile sheets 5. A first roof tile sheet 5a may be connected via its: upper portion 10 to a second roof tile sheet 5b; first side portion 15 to a third roof tile sheet 5c; lower portion 20 to a fourth roof tile sheet 5d; and second side portion 25 to a fifth roof tile sheet 5e. It should be understood that references to roof tile sheets 5a-5e may refer to any of the other roof tile sheets 5a-5e, and that such references are for exemplary purposes only. The roof tile sheets 5 may be positioned in a brick-like, offset configuration, such that the upper portion 10 and the lower portion 20 connect to more than one of the roof tile sheets 5. The configuration and interlocking manner of the roof tile sheets 5 may encourage the flow of water in the direction as illustrated by arrow 30.

The roof tile sheets 5 may interlock in a manner as described herein to create an interlocking system, as illustrated by the roof tile system 1. According to various embodiments, the roof tile sheets 5 may be laid horizontally, such that the distance between the first and second side portions 15, 25 of each roof tile sheet 5 is greater than the distance between the upper and lower portions 10, 20 of each roof tile sheet 5. The roof tile sheets 5 may be laid in any suitable manner or in any manner known in the art, and the roof tile sheets 5 may be made of any suitable material. A top side 35 of the roof tile sheets 5 may include various designs, and in one embodiment, the top side 35 is designed to look like slate, asphalt, wood, or a standard roofing shingle. When the roof tile sheet 5 is installed, the top side 35 may be exposed to the elements (e.g., rain, sleet, snow).

Turning to FIG. 2 to illustrate the connection between the lower portion 20 and the upper portion 10, the lower portion 20 of the second roof tile sheet 5b may connect or be coupled to the upper portion 10 of the first roof tile sheet 5a. More particularly, a lower edge 40 of the lower portion 20 of the second roof tile sheet 5b may include a lower interlocking member 45 that may be substantially U-shaped. The lower edge 40 may include a cavity 50 formed by the lower interlocking member 45, and the cavity 50 may be configured to receive an elongate member 55 positioned on an upper edge 60 of the upper portion 10 of the first roof tile sheet 5a. The cavity 50 may be sized such that the elongate member 55 can fit into the cavity 50 and be held in place when engaged.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the connection between the first side portion 15 and the second side portion 25. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the top side 35 may include a first side connection member 65 positioned at or near the first side portion 15 of the first roof tile sheet 5a. The first side connection member 65 may be in any suitable position and does not necessarily have to be at the first side portion 15; as one example, the first side connection member 65 may be positioned at or near the second side portion 25.

The first side connection member 65 may include a capillary drainage system 70 formed on the top side 35 of the first roof tile sheet 5a. The capillary drainage system 70 may aid in preventing water from collecting in the area in which roof tile sheets 5 attach via the first side portion 15 and the second side portion 25. The capillary drainage system 70 may include multiple capillaries 75, which may be formed as tunnel-like pathways. Water may flow into the multiple capillaries 75 and in a downward direction, away from the roof system 1, when on a roof of a building.

The first side connection member 65 may also include an upper extending collar 80 for attaching or connecting it to another, adjacent roof tile sheet (e.g., the third roof tile sheet 5c). The upper extending collar 80 may include an upper arm portion 85 that extends upward from the top side 35 of the first roof tile sheet 5a and inward toward the second side portion 25 of the first roof tile sheet 5a. In one embodiment, the extension of the upper arm portion 85 may form an upper cavity 90, which may be configured to attach to the third roof tile sheet 5c.

More particularly, as provided in FIG. 4, the upper cavity 90 of the upper extending collar 80 may receive a second side connection member 95 of the third roof tile sheet 5c. The second side connection member 95 may be positioned on a bottom side 100 of the third roof tile sheet 5c and on the second side portion 25 of the third roof tile sheet 5c. The second side connection member 95 may include a lower extending collar 105 for attaching or connecting it to another roof tile sheet (e.g., the first roof tile sheet 5a). The lower extending collar 105 may include a lower arm portion 110 that extends upward from the bottom side 100 of the third roof tile sheet 5c and inward toward the first side portion 15 of the third roof tile sheet 5c. In one embodiment, the extension of the lower arm portion 110 may form a lower cavity 115, which may be configured to attach to upper arm portion 85 of the first roof tile sheet 5a. Each of the roof tile sheets 5 may include the first side connection member 65 and the second side connection member 95 such that it may attach to adjacent roof tile sheets 5 on each of the first and second side portions 15, 25.

Turning now to FIG. 5 to illustrate the connection between the first and second side connection members 65, 95, the first side connection member 65 of the first roof tile sheet 5a may engage with the second side connection member 95 of the third roof tile sheet 5c. The upper arm portion 85 of the first side connection member 65 may slide into the lower cavity 115 of the second side connection member 95. The lower cavity 115 may be shaped and sized such that the upper arm portion 85 fits into the lower cavity 115. The lower arm portion 110 of the second side connection member 95 may slide into the upper cavity 90 of the first side connection member. The upper cavity 90 may be shaped and sized such that the lower arm portion 110 fits into the upper cavity 90.

When connected, the upper arm portion 85 may be held in place by the lower cavity 115, and the lower arm portion 110 may be held in place by the upper cavity 90. When the first roof tile sheet 5a is engaged with and connected to the third roof tile sheet 5c, the capillary drainage system 70 is formed to encourage water to flow away from the first and third roof tile sheets 5a, 5c. More particularly, the first side connection member 65 may engage with the second side connection member 95, such that the capillary drainage system 70 is formed, and water flows through the multiple capillaries 75 and away from the first and third roof tile sheets 5a, 5c.

When water is present and the roof tile system 1 is installed, water may flow from the third roof tile sheet 5c along the second side connection member 95 into the capillary drainage system 70 of the first roof tile sheet 5a and multiple capillaries 75 of the first side connection member 65. The water may flow in a direction as illustrated by arrows 120. The multiple capillaries 75 may encourage water to flow in a downward direction, and ultimately, toward a gutter or other drainage system on a building.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, and as one example, water may flow from the first roof tile sheet 5a of the roof tile system 1 toward the capillary drainage system 70 nearest the water, and from there, the water may flow in a downward direction (illustrated by arrow 125) toward fourth roof tile sheet 5d. This flow of water may cause the water to ultimately be fed into a gutter or other drainage system of the building.

Referring to FIG. 7, another example of a roof tile system 200 may include several interlocking roof tile sheets 202 similar to the roof tile system 1. Like the roof tile sheets 5, the roof tile sheets 202 of this example may interlock with adjacent roof tile sheets 202 via their respective upper portions 204, first side portions 206, second side portions 208, and lower portions 210. The roof tile sheets 202 may be similarly constructed as the roof tile sheets 5 and may interlock in a similar manner as described above for the roof tile sheets 5 to create an interlocking system. Like the roof tile sheets 5, the configuration and interlocking manner of the roof tile sheets 202 may encourage the flow of water in the direction as illustrated by arrow 212 in a similar manner as described above. A top side 214 of the roof tile sheets 202 may include various designs, similar to the top sides 35 of the roof tile sheets 5; in one embodiment, the top side 214 is designed to look like slate, asphalt, wood, or a standard roofing shingle. Different examples of designs for the top side 214 of the roof tile sheets 202 are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this regard, description of the roof tile sheets 5 is applicable to the roof tile sheets 202 of this example and any features, elements, or components of the roof tile sheets 5 may likewise be included in the roof tile sheets 202.

The roof tile sheets 202 may also be configured to ventilate hot air and/or moisture from beneath the roof tile sheets 202. Airflow grooves 216 may be defined in one or more of the portions 204, 206, 208, 210 of the roof tile sheets 202 to allow hot air and/or moisture to escape from beneath the roof tile sheets 202. For example, the airflow grooves 216 may allow air to flow between adjacent roof tile sheets 202 in the direction as illustrated by arrows 218, e.g., toward a peak or top ridge of the roof. In some embodiments, incoming air 220 may enter the roof tile system 200 via the lowermost roof tile sheets 202 (e.g., the roof tile sheets 202 nearest a lower, bottom, or drip edge of the roof) and may flow beneath and between the roof tile sheets 202 to facilitate ventilation. Since the air beneath the roof tile sheets 202 may become hotter than the ambient air, the incoming air 220 may naturally be drawn into the roof tile system 200 as the hot air flows or rises in the direction 218 and exits the roof tile system 200. In this way, air may continuously circulate beneath the roof tile system 200 for ventilation.

Referring to FIG. 8, in the illustrated example, the airflow grooves 216 may be defined in a flange 222 at the upper portion 204. The flange 222 may extend outwardly relative to an upper edge 224 and an elongate member or upper interlocking member 226. The elongate member 226 may interlock with the lower portion 210 of an adjacent roof tile sheet 202 as described above with respect to the elongate member 55 of the roof tile sheet 5. The flange 222 may be seated on the roof and may be connected or attached to the roof. For example, the flange 222 may include holes 228 for receiving nails and/or fasteners that attach the flange 222 to the roof. The attachment between the flanges 222 and the roof may define the only direct connection between the roof tile sheets 202 and the roof; the roof tile sheets 202 may otherwise be maintained in position via the interlocking engagement between adjacent roof tile sheets 202.

In the illustrated example, the airflow grooves 216 may be positioned on the flange 222 between each pair of fastener holes 228 in an alternating manner. Any number of airflow grooves 216 may be included in any arrangement in other examples. Preferably, the airflow grooves 216 may extend the entire length of the flange 222 between the upper edge 224 and an outer terminus of the flange 222. In this way, the airflow grooves 216 may provide a continuous path for air to flow between the flange 222 and the roof when the flange 222 is attached to the roof. Preferably, the airflow grooves 216 may be positioned at regular or irregular intervals along the width of the flange 222 between the side portions 206, 208 of the sheet 202.

Referring to FIG. 9, the flange 222 may be mounted and attached to the roof along a plane P. The airflow grooves 216 may be raised vertically relative to the plane P thereby defining airflow channels 230 between the flange 222 and the roof (or the plane P). In the illustrated example, the airflow grooves 216 are curvedly or arcuately formed in the flange 222 and define semi-circular channels 230; however the grooves 216 and the channels 230 can have any suitable shape in other examples.

Referring to FIG. 10, the interlocking engagement or connection between the lower portion 210 and the upper portion 204 of adjacent roof tile sheets 202 is shown. As described above for the roof tile sheets 5, e.g., with reference to FIG. 2, the elongate member 226 at the upper portion 204 of a first one of the roof tile sheets 202 engages and/or is received via a U-shaped lower interlocking member 232 at the lower portion 210 of a second one of the roof tile sheets 202. The flanges 222 of the roof tile sheets 202 may each be attached to the roof, e.g., via nails and/or fasteners. The airflow grooves 216 allow air beneath the roof tile sheets 202 (or between the roof tile sheets 202 and the roof) to flow between the adjacent roof tile sheets 202 via the airflow channels 230, indicated by the arrows 234 in FIG. 10. The direction of airflow shown in FIG. 10 may translate to hot air flowing upwardly or rising beneath and between the adjacent roof tile sheets 202 toward a peak or top ridge of the roof. It is understood that the roof tile sheets 202 may interlock or engage laterally adjacent roof tile sheets 202 at one or both side portions 206, 208 as described above, e.g., with reference to FIGS. 3-5.

Referring to FIG. 11, the roof tile system 200 may include a ridge vent 236 that is positioned at or proximate the peak or top ridge of the roof. The ridge vent 236 may preferably be configured to allow warm, humid air to escape a top level of the building (e.g., an attic). Additionally or alternatively, the ridge vent 236 may be in communication with the air flowing beneath and between the roof tile sheets 202 to allow the air to exit the roof tile system 200 into the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, one ridge vent 236 may be positioned on each side of the roof adjacent to the peak or top ridge of the roof (e.g., one ridge vent 236 on each sloped surface adjacent to the converging point of the sloped surfaces at the peak or top ridge). The ridge vent 236 includes a base plate 238 that is mounted on the roof, e.g., using nails and/or fasteners. The ridge vent 236 also includes a perforated wall 240 extending upwardly from the base plate 238 such that the perforated wall 240 is raised or elevated above the roof. The perforated wall 240 includes holes or perforations that allow air to escape or vent therethrough.

The ridge vent 236 may be configured as a single or unitary piece. For example, the ridge vent 236 may be constructed from a single piece of sheet metal or other suitable material. Additionally, the ridge vent 236 may be constructed to facilitate ventilation without sacrificing a desired aesthetic of the roof tile system 200 at the peak or top ridge of the roof. As a non-limiting example, the ridge vent 236 may facilitate venting air while allowing a slated or tiled look and feel of the roof at the peak or top ridge. To this end, the perforated wall 240 of the ridge vent 236 may include a plurality of wall sections 242 that each terminate vertically at a respective vent cap 244. The wall sections 242 and respective vent caps 244 may define a S-shape or Z-shape profile with the base plate 238. For example, the vent caps 244 may be bent relative to the wall sections 242 in an opposite direction from the base plate 238. The plurality of wall sections 242 may be configured (sized, shaped, and/or dimensioned) to allow tile sheets and/or tile caps to be laid adjacent one another on a respective vent cap 244 without sacrificing a slated or tiled appearance at the peak or top ridge of the roof.

The perforated wall 240 may extend between a first lateral end 246 and a second lateral end 248 of the ridge vent 236. The plurality of wall sections 242 may be arranged in series between the lateral ends 246, 248. A first wall section 242 may extend from the first lateral end 246, a second wall section 242 may extend from the first wall section 242, a third wall section 242 may extend from the second wall section 242, and so on, until a final (e.g., fourth) wall section 242 terminates at the second lateral end 246. Each wall section 242 may taper (e.g., reduce) in height when extending away from the first lateral end 246 and toward the second lateral end 248. The wall sections 242 may each have the same taper (e.g., reduction) in height thereby creating a similar stepped and angled profile for all the vent caps 244. In some embodiments, the vent caps 244 may each have substantially the same height profile, with the tallest ends of the vent caps 244 being the ends facing the first lateral end 246 and the shortest ends of the vent caps 244 being the ends facing the second lateral end 248. In some embodiments, when the base plate 238 is laid flat against a horizontal surface, the tallest ends of the vent caps 244 may all have substantially the same height relative to the surface and the shortest ends of the vent caps 244 may all have substantially the same height relative to the surface.

Preferably, when the roof tile sheets 202 and the ridge vent 236 are installed on a roof, the airflow channels 230 of the uppermost roof tile sheets 202 (e.g., the roof tile sheets 202 nearest the peak or top ridge of the roof) are in communication with the perforated wall 240. In this way, the air flowing (e.g., rising) beneath and between the roof tile sheets 202 may exit the roof tile system 200 via the ridge vent 236 into the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, the flanges 222 of the uppermost roof tile sheets 202 may be positioned adjacent to the base plate 238 of the ridge vent 236. In some embodiments, the flanges 222 of the uppermost roof tile sheets 202 may be mounted on the base plate 238.

FIG. 12 depicts a single sheet 300 of material, e.g., a single sheet of metal, from which the ridge vent 236 of FIG. 11 may be obtained according to some embodiments. The sheet 300 may include a base plate section 302, a perforated wall section 304, and a vent cap section 306. The perforated wall section 304 may define the perforated wall 240 of the ridge vent 236. The base plate section 302 may be bent along a first line 308 relative to the perforated wall section 304 to define the base plate 238 of the ridge vent 236. The vent cap section 306 includes a plurality of vent cap tabs 310 that may each be bent along respective second lines 312 relative to the perforated wall section 304 to define the vent caps 244 of the ridge vent 236. The base plate section 302 may be bent in a first direction, e.g., into the page, at approximately a 90° angle relative to the perforated wall section 304. The vent cap tabs 310 may be bent in a second direction opposite the first direction, e.g., out of the page, at approximately 90° angles relative to the perforated wall section 304.

The first line 308 along which the base plate section 302 is bent may be substantially flat or straight, which may translate to a substantially flat or planar base plate 238 of the ridge vent 236. Each of the second lines 312 may extend at an angle relative to the first line 308, which may translate to the stepped and angled profile of the vent caps 244 as shown in FIG. 11 when the vent cap tabs 310 are bent along the second lines 312. For example, the second lines 312 may each extend at a downward angle relative to the first line 308 in a direction away from a first lateral end 314 of the sheet 300 and toward a second lateral end 316 of the sheet 300. The second lines 312 may each extend at the substantially the same angle. Each of the second lines 312 may also begin at a first end facing the first lateral end 314 that is positioned in a first plane P1 and terminate at a second end facing the second lateral end 316 that is positioned in a second plane P2. The downward extension of the second lines 312 between the planes P1, P2 may provide the vent caps 244 of the ridge vent 236 having substantially the same height profiles.

As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications, applications, variations, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. All such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present inventions are deemed to be covered by the inventions which are limited only by the claims which follow.