GB2190740A

GB2190740A - Soffit ventilator

Info

Publication number: GB2190740A
Application number: GB08709245A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Gordon Pochciol; Douglas William Roberts
Original assignee: Manthorpe Ltd
Current assignee: Manthorpe Ltd
Priority date: 1986-04-16
Filing date: 1987-04-16
Publication date: 1987-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2007-04-16
Also published as: GB8609214D0; GB8709245D0; GB2190740B

Abstract

A soffit ventilator comprises a plastics elongate member (10) having a flange (18) for attachment to a fascia board and a channel part for receiving the edge of a soffit board. The channel part has a straight leg (28), a base (22) and a resilient leg (27), the latter providing an inwardly turned section (26), angled towards the straight leg (28) but terminating in a spaced relation therefrom. The thickness of material varies between the base (22) and section (24) of the leg (27) as well as between sections (24) and (26) of the leg (27), whereby insertion of a soffit board resiliently deflects the leg sections (24,26), the biassing force thereby exerting a gripping effect on the soffit board to retain the latter in position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in roof ventilation This invention relates to apparatus for ventilating pitched roof spaces and is particularly concerned with apparatus for location at the soffit of the eaves of a pitched roof to provide for ventilation of the roof space.

Heretofore elongate strips formed of a plastics material have been provided which can be attached at one side to a fascia of the roof and at the other side provide a channel part adapted to receive and grip the edge of a soffit board, openings being provided in the strip to provide for ventilation. The channel part generally has one resilient leg extending towards the other to reduce the channel opening, whereby the soffit board is pushed into the channel by deflecting the resilient leg, the latter then being biassed into a position to retain the soffit board in position. With existing designs of soffit ventilators, because the plastics material used must be sufficiently strong as to support the edge of the soffit board, it has often proved difficult to locate the soffit board in the channel.Other designs which do allow ease of access also tend to allow movement of the soffit board and can bias the board to an angular position relative to the elongate strip, thus undesirably stressing the board.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for ventilating a pitched roof space which obviates or mitigates disadvantages such as outlined above.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for ventilating a pitched roof space, the apparatus comprising an elongate member having means at one side thereof for attachment to a fascia of the roof, means providing a channel part opening at the other side of the elongate member for receiving an edge of a soffit board, one leg of the channel part being turned resiliently inwardly and downwardly into the channel so as to retain the soffit board therein, and at least one opening being provided in the elongate member between the channel part and the attachment means, whereby the elongate member can extend between the fascia and the soffit board and allow air flow therethrough.

Preferably said other leg of the channel part is straight, and said one leg has a straight section of greater length than the other leg and a turned section extending back into the channel past the free end of the other leg.

The turned section of said one leg of the channel part, together with the straight section thereof, may subtend an angle of 40", and the free end of the turned section may terminate at a spacing of 3 mm from the other leg of the channel part.

Preferably also the elongate member is formed of an extruded plastics material.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an elevation of a ventilating apparatus according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1, but with a soffit board in position; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the apparatus in use.

Referring to the drawings, an apparatus for ventilating the roof space within a pitched roof comprises an elongate member 10 formed for example of a strip of an extruded plastics material and adapted to locate between a fascia board 12 and a soffit board 14 of the roof as hereinafter described.

The strip 10 is formed of a planar main support 16 along one edge of which is formed an upstanding flange 18 at right angles thereto. The flange 18 can be secured to an inner face of the fascia board 12 by screws or other suitable fixings. Towards the other edge an outwardly opening, substantially U-shaped channel is formed on the support 16 by way of a further flange 20 which has a first upstanding section on the support 16 defining the channel base 22, a second section 24 extending at right angles to the base 22 and parallel to the support 16, and a third section 26 which is turned towards the support 16, the sections 24,26 forming one leg 27 of the channel. An end section of the support 16 forms the other leg 28 of the channel.

The support 16, the flange 18, and the base 22 of the flange 20 are formed to have a 2 mm thickness. The section 24 of the leg 27 has a radiussed connection with the base 22 and is formed of a 1.5 mm thickness of material, while the section 26 of the leg 27 has a radiussed connection of 1 mm thickness with the second section 24, and has a thickness itself of 0.75 mm. This design provides the support 16 and the flange 18 of sufficient stiffness to support the soffit board 14 as hereinafter described, but enables the leg section 26 to be able to be resiliently deflected relative to the leg section 24, and the latter to a lesser degree to be resiliently deflectable relative to the base 22. The leg section 24 is of such a length that the connection between the sections 24 and 26 extends beyond the free edge of the leg 28.An angle of 40" is defined between the leg sections 24 and 26, whereby the latter extends inwardly and downwardly relative to the channel, the free end of the section 26 terminating at a spacing of 3 mm from the inner face of the leg 28.

In use, the strip 10 has the flange 18 attached to the fascia board 12 and an edge of the soffit board 14 is then pushed into the channel between the leg 28 and the leg section 26 (see Figs, 2 and 3). Soffit boards generally vary in thickness from 4 mm to 12 mm, and with the present apparatus a soffit board of between 4 mm and 12 mm thickness can be pushed into the channel to deflect, as necessary, the leg sections 26 and 24. The resilience of the latter biasses the free edge of the leg section 26 into engagement with the soffit board 14 to exert a gripping effect thereon which retains the soffit board 14 in position. The board 14 is retained without any free movement and, as the biassing force is applied inwardly of the edge of the leg 28, there is no tendency for the soffit board 14 to be deflected to an angular position.

A plurality of openings 30 are provided in the support 16 between the flange 18 and the base 22 so that when the strip 10 extends between the fascia board and the soffit board 14, the openings 30 allow air flow therethrough and thus ventilation of the roof space.

There is therefore provided a ventilating apparatus which obviates or mitigates the disadvantages of similar types of apparatus as previously proposed. Various modifications can be made without departing from the invention. For example the relative dimensions may alter, as may the profile of the strip, while enabling the strip to function as described. It will also be appreciated that the number and design of openings used may be altered as desired.

Claims

1. Apparatus for ventilating a pitched roof space, the apparatus comprising an elongate member having means at one side thereof for attachment to a fascia of the roof, means providing a channel part opening at the other side of the elongate member for receiving an edge of a soffit board, one leg of the channel part being turned resiliently inwardly and downwardly into the channel so as to retain the soffit board therein, and at least one opening being provided in the elongate member between the channel part and the attachment means, whereby the elongate member can extend between the fascia and the soffit board and allow air flow therethrough.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the other leg of the channel part is straight.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said one leg has a straight section of greater length than the other leg and a turned section extending back into the channel past the free end of the other Ileg.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, in which the turned section of said one leg of the channel part, together with the straight section thereof, subtend an angle of 40".

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the free end of the turned section terminates at a spacing of 3 mm from the other leg of the channel part.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the elongate member is formed of an extruded plastics material.

7. Apparatus for ventilating a pitched roof space substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as- any of the preceding claims.