AU681388B2 - Skylight - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION For a Standard Patent

ORIGINAL

'Roo.- 3 Zak atrnsJJa anJ (14 R, Qkms:tJ- RIAN FREDERICI TU ER Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): BRIAN FREDERICK TURNER Address for Service: WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Industry House, 239 Terrace, Perth, Western Australia, 6000.

Adelaide Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "Skylight" *0 Details of Associated Provisional Application: No: PL9306 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 -i 1~391i 2 THIS INVENTION relates to skylights.

In one form the invention resides in a skylight adapted to be mounted on a roof, said skylight comprising a body formed of a light transmissive material and having a dome surrounded by a substantially planar laterally extending skirt, said lateral skirt having the shape of a right angled quadrilateral and defining a top edge, a bottom edge and opposed side edges, said bottom edge and side edges having a flexible flashing applied thereto, a downwardly depending lower skirt provided under the dome and surrounding the dome, said lower skirt being adapted to receive one end of a light duct.

In another form the invention resides in a skylight assembly comprising, a skylight, a light duct and a diffuser element, said skylight comprising a body formed of a light transmissive material and having a dome surrounded by a laterally extending planar lateral skirt, said lateral skirt having the shape of a right angled quadrilateral and defining a top edge, a bottom edge and opposed side edges, said bottom edge and side edges having flexible flashing applied thereto, a downwardly depending lower skirt provided under the dome and said lower skirt being surrounding the dome and adapted to receive one end of the light duct, said diffuser element comprising a diffuser skirt adapted to receive the other end of the light duct,.

the interior of the diffuser skirt supporting a light diffuser, said diffuser skirt being adapted to be received in and supported in an aperture in a ceiling.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment. The description is made with reference to the accompanying I ~dl I_ C_ 3 drawings of which;- Figure 1 is a schematic sectional elevation of a skylight assembly according to the embodiment; Figure 2 is an internal plan view of the diffuser element; and Figure 3 is an exploded view of the skylight.

The embodiment relates to a skylight assembly which can be installed in a tiled roof whereby the skylight is receivable between a pair of battens which support the tiles of the roof and the diffuser element is supported within the ceiling between a pair of joists. It is an object of the embodiment to provide a skylight assembly which does not require any modification of the roof or ceiling structure and which is installed relatively easily.

*0 The skylight assembly comprises a skylight 11, light duct 12 and diffuser assembly 13. The skylight comprises a skylight dome 14 which is of conventional configuration and has a substantially rectangular perimeter which conforms to the dimensions of the space left after removal ot a pair of laterally adjacent tiles from a roof. The dome is -surrounded by a substantially planar lateral skirt 15 which has a substantially rectangular configuration and defines a top edge 16 and bottom edge 17 and a pair of opposed side :edges 18 and 19. The underneath of the skylight is provided with a downwardly depending lower skirt 20 which surrounds the space defined by the dome 14.

The top edge 16 of the lateral skirt is provided with an upwardly extending lip 21 which serves to act as a water barrier for any water that may be blown into the qoace between the overlying tiles and the lateral skirt 15, in addition a pair of downwardly depending lugs 22 are located i II~ ~sd~a ~Bsa~BI8s 4 at transversely spaced locations adjacent the top edge 16 and are shaped to be engaged with the uppermost batten 23 of a. roof when the skylight 11 is placed in location with the lower skirt 20 between a pair of battens and a pair of roof joists. A pair of second lugs 24 are located at transversely spaced locations adjacent the lower edge 17 and are associated with wire ties 25 for engagement around the lowermost batten 26 when the skylight is located in position. The lower edge is also associated with a first flashing strip 27 which may be formed of sheet lead or zinc. The first flashing strip is fixed to the underneath of the lower edge 17 by a fixing strip 28 which overlies the flashing strip and is riveted, screwed or similarly fixed to the underneath of the lateral skirt 15 adjacent the lower edge 17.

Each side edge 18 and 19 is provided with an upstanding rib and is associated with a second flashing strip 29 which may be also formed from sheet lead or sheet zinc. The second flashing strips are fixed to the respective edges of the lateral skirt by the utilisation of fixing strips 30 which are riveted or screwed or similarly fixed to the upper S"surface of the lateral skirt 15 adjacent the respective edge. In fixing of the second flashing strip to the lateral skirt the edge of the flashing strip is located to the inner side of the strips 30 such that when the flashing strip is to be laid over the roof the flashing will also overlie the fixing strips 30 and the fixing means. A suitable sealant is provided between the second flashing strip and the lateral skirt to seal the holes formed by the fixings therebetween.

The light duct 12 is formed of flexible ducting which is formed by utilisation of a helical reinforcing rib (not shown) which is formed of a plastics material and where the turns of the rib support between them a strip of flexible sheet material. The sheet material has an inner surface formed by an aluminised mylar or similar light reflective material.

j 5 One end 32 of the light duct 12 is fitted around the exterior of the lower skirt 20 and is fixed thereto by the utilisation of any suitable fixing means which are receivable in apertures 31 provided in the lower skirt.

The other end 33 of the light duct 12 is receivable within the diffuser element 13. The fixing means may include use of the fixing elements used to fix the duct to the diffuser as described later.

The diffuser element 13 comprises an annular skirt 34 which is of a generally oval configuration where the inner circumference of the skirt 34 is equal to the outer circumference of the other end 33 of the light duct 12 and where the minimum spacing between opposed sides of the annular skirt 34 is less than the spacing between a pair of ceiling joists 35 of the existing ceiling, The lower end of the web 34 is provided with a flange element 36 which extends to both sides of the skirt 34 and where the inner and outer perimeter are both circular and concentric with each other. The inner flange supports a diffuser element 37 while the outer flange engages the undersurface of the ceiling panel 38. The skirt 34 is supported from the ceiling panel 38 by a plurality of supporting clips 39 which are receivable through a plurality of slot shaped :.".apertures 40 provided around the skirt 34 at spaced S. intervals. The clips 39 comprise an angled element which has a one portion which is receivable through the aperture 40 to be engagable with the upper surface of the ceiling panel 38. The other portion is intended to lie adjacent the slot shaped aperture 40 against the inner surface of the skirt 34 and is associated with a fixing screw whereby the clip 39 is fixed to the skirt 34.

The fixing of each end 32 and 33 of the light duct 12 to the lower skirt 20 and the annular web 34 can be effected by a plurality of U-shaped fixing elements 41 which are fixed by screws or the like to the lower skirt (not shown) 1 i is ll I II 6 and/or the annular web 34 and which are intended to extend axially over the lower edge portion of each end to restrain the lower end portion from axial movement with respect to the lower skirt 20 and the annular web 34.

The skylight is formed of a transparent plastics material such as perspex, polycarbonate or the like, and is formed as a unitary structure.

The embodiment provides a means of installing a skylight in a roof which merely requires the removal of at least a pair of laterally adjacent tiles to allow the skylight to be located in position in the roof. Once in position between an upper batten and the tiled roof and fixed down by the wire ties 25 the light duct 12 can be fixed to the lower *.skirt 20. The diffuser element can be fixed into position into the ceiling panel 38 by cutting a circular hole between a pair of joists, fitting the diffuser skirt 34 into that hole and fixing the diffuser element 13 in place by means of the clips 39. The lower end of the light duct 12 may be then located within the diffuser and fixed by utilisation of the fixing elements 41. The upper end of the light duct is then fixed to the lower skirt Because of the flexibility of the light duct 12 the skylight need not be in direct vertical alignment with the diffuser element which accommodates for positioning both elements according to the structural components in the roof and the ceiling. Once the diffuser element and skylight .Q :element are in position, the first flashing strip 27 is folded down to overlie the tiles over which the lower edge 17 is located. The tiles to each side of the skylight are replaced such their side edges overlie the adjacent fixing strips 30 at the side of lateral and the second flashing strips 29 are laid over the tiles at each side. Tiles adjacent the upper edge 16 are laid in position such that the lower edge of the tiles overlie the upper portion of the lateral skirt.

-~pa I "Pa M It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited to the particular scope of the embodiment described above.

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Claims (9)

1. A skylight adapted toibe mounted in an aperture in a roof comprising a body formed of a light transmissive material having a dome surrounded by a substantially planar laterally extending skirt, said laterally extending skirt substantially having the shape of a right angled quadrilateral and defining a top edge, a- bottom edge and opposed side edges, said bottom edge and side edges having flexible flashing applied thereto, a downwardly depending lower skirt provided under the dome and surrounding the dome, said lower skirt being adapted to receive one end of a light duct. S2. A skylight as claimed at Claim 1 wherein the dome, the S laterally extending skirt and the lower skirt are formed 15 integrally with each other.

3. A skylight as claimed at Claim 1 or 2 wherein the top edge is provided with an upstanding lip.

4. A skylight as claimed at Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the side edges are each provided with an upstanding lip. V* C. 20 5. A skylight as claimed at Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 .wherein the underneath of the laterally extending skirt is formed with a set of downward extending lugs which are adapted to engage roof battens in the roof.

6. A skylight substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A skylight assembly comprising, ia skylight, a light duct and a diffuser element, said skylight comprising a body formed of a light transmissive material and having a dome ^.iV UJ -9- surrounded by a laterally extending planar lateral skirt, said lateral skirt having the shape of a right angled quadrilateral and defining a top edge, a bottom edge and opposed side edges, said bottom edge and side edges having flexible flashing applied thereto, a downwardly depending lower skirt provided under the dome and said lower skirt being surrounding the dome and adapted to receive one end of the light duct, said diffuser element comprising a diffuser skirt adapted to receive the other end of the light duct, the interior of the diffuser skirt supporting a light diffuser, said diffuser skirt being adapted to be received in and supported in an aperture in a ceiling.

8. A skylight assembly as claimed at Claim 7 wherein the 15 dome, the laterally extending skirt and the lower skirt are formed integrally with each other.

9. A skylight as claimed at Claim 7 or 8 wherein the top edge is formed with an upstanding lip. eo skylight as claimed at Claim 7, 8 or 9 wherein the S 20 side edges are each provided with an upstanding lip.

11.A skylight as claimed at Claim 7, 8, 9 or 10 wherein the 9*99e9 9 underneath of the laterally extending skirt is formed with a set of downward extending lugs which are adapted to engage roof battens in the roof.

12.A skylight assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. p 10 DATED this TWENTYSIXTH day of MAY 1994. 'R06"s4 kNOmQ J BnRIA F- O'l' RCKm~n Applicant. T4 WRAY ASSOCIATES, CA1 Perth, Western Australia, 0r0: Patent Attorneys for the Applicant. a of I~A* l~ll~ UB~- ~sa~ 11 ABSTRACT A skylight (11) adapted to be mounted in an aperture in a roof comprising a body formed of a light transmissive material having a dome (14) surrounded by a substantially planar laterally extending skirt said laterally extending skirt (15) substantially having the shape of a right angled quadrilateral and defining a top edge a bottom edge (17) and opposed side edges (18 19), said bottom edge (17) and side edges (18 19) having flexible flashing (27 29) opposed thereto, a downwardly depending lower skirt (20) provided under the dome and surrounding the dome, said lower skirt (20) being adapted to receive one end of a light duct (12). #oa a 0 o a a *o -r 1 4 ye Yr~~