NZ574732A - Through surface sealing device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of sealing a penetration through a surface (not shown), typically a roof, is disclosed and includes the following steps: (i) passing through the penetration a service tube 50 having cut-out at a first end; (ii) sealing the service tube to the surface using a boot flashing 30, with an optional over-flashing 40; (iii) providing at the fist end of the service tube a cap 60; such that services (not shown) can pass from a first side of the surface to a desired end point on a second side of the surface via the service tube, bend through the cut-out section and, protected by the cap, return some distance towards the surface before reaching the desired end point. A kit of parts including the boot flashing, service tube and cap is also disclosed.

Description

10057850139* ;New Zealand Patent Appn No. 574732 Filed: 5th February 2009 ;Patents Form No. 5 ;Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION THROUGH SURFACE SEALING DEVICE & METHOD ;I, Geoffrey James FRANCE, a New Zealand citizen of 36 Matapihi Road, R.D. 6, Masterton, New Zealand, hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;Jr % ;1 i 2 4 AU6 2009 ;(to be followed by 1a) ;574732 ;THROUGH SURFACE SEALING DEVICE & METHOD Field of the Invention ;5 The present invention relates to a system for sealing a penetration through a surface. It is particularly well suited to use for sealing a hole in a roof, through which service cables, pipes or ducts pass. ;Background io Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is not an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in the field. ;When a penetration is made in a metal roof of a building, the requirements to prevent 15 leaks are set out in the New Zealand Metal Roofing Manufacturers' Code of Practice. Similar principles apply to other types of roofing. The Code provides that when services such as flexible power conduits or telecommunication cables are required to penetrate the roof cladding, a number of conduits can be weathered using PVC (polyvinylchloride) pipe fittings, including curved sections, and an EPDM (ethylene 20 propylene diene rubber) flashing adjacent the roof. ;However, many of the known methods of sealing penetrations in roofs are non-compliant with the Code. ;25 In a first known method, the services pass through a hole in the roof and sealant is placed between the services and the edges of the hole. However, if the services are not fixed mechanically, they can move over time, compromising the seal. Since there is no mechanical protection between the services and the hole, movement can also result in wear on the services as they rub against the edges of the hole. As a double so protection, a layer of grease-impregnated tape is traditionally also wrapped around the services. It is difficult to achieve aesthetically pleasing results using this method. ;Alternatively, a rubber boot seal may be used around the services adjacent the roof. A sealant must be used to seal between the services and the boot seal, particularly if 35 there are multiple services, and the result is messy. The integrity of the sealant is relied upon to maintain the seal in the often large gaps between different services and ;1a ;574732 ;between the services and the boot seal. Due to the flexibility of the base, a boot seal can be used on a range of different roof surfaces. However, exposure to weather and sunlight can shorted the life of the boot seal and compromise the seal with the services. Since there is no mechanical fixing, the seal can also be compromised by 5 movement over time, as with the first described method. ;To overcome the mechanical fixing problem, some installers use a pipe to carry the services, with a standard boot seal used to seal between the roof and the pipe. The boot seal again has the advantage of flexibility, but the disadvantage of being 10 susceptible to degradation caused by environmental influences. A cover is required to protect the top of the pipe to prevent the ingress of water or dirt. Traditionally sealant or a combination of sealant and grease impregnated tape is used. Alternatively, the services in the pipe may be run through a 90° elbow, a short length of straight pipe and another 90° elbow to provide a top cap, as set out in the Code. This is very 15 difficult to effect without kinking the services, which can be particularly problematic in the case of air conditioning ducts or similar, and is very time consuming. Combinations of rigid and flexible pipe cause the same problems. ;Summary of the Invention ;20 It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative method for sealing a penetration, which complies with the New Zealand Metal Roofing Manufacturers' Code of Practice and overcomes at least some of the problems with the prior art identified above. ;25 The present invention provides a method for sealing a penetration through a surface, including the steps of: ;(i) passing through the penetration a service tube, which includes a cutout section at a first end; ;(ii) sealing the service tube to the surface using a boot flashing; 30 (iii) providing at the first end of the service tube a cap; ;such that services can pass from a first side of the surface to a desired end point on a second side of the surface via the service tube, bend through the cutout section and, protected by the cap, to return some distance towards the surface before reaching the desired end point. ;35 ;2 ;574732 ;Preferably the method includes a step of placing an overfishing over at least a part of the boot flashing between steps (ii) and (iii). ;Preferably the cap includes a socket section adjacent a cover section, such that said 5 socket section is dimensioned to be a neat fit over the first end of the service tube, and the cover section extends from the socket section. In a highly preferred form the cap is dimensioned and configured to allow the services to form a low-stress 180° curve. ;The present invention further provides a kit for use with the method described, said kit 10 including a boot flashing, a service tube and a cap. ;Preferably the kit further includes an overfishing. ;Preferably the boot flashing includes a flange adapted to seal to the surface and a 15 central core adapted to seal to the service tube. More preferably the central core includes at least one flexible skirt. Preferably the boot flashing is made of an elastomeric material. ;In a preferred embodiment, the overfishing includes a first section dimensioned to 20 cover at least a part of the boot flashing. More preferably, the overfishing further includes a second section dimensioned to closely fit around a 50 mm service tube and an intermediate section between the first section and the second section. More preferably still, the intermediate section is marked at an appropriate level that cutting through the intermediate section at the mark and discarding the second section will 25 result in the free end of the intermediate section closely fitting around a 65 mm service tube. Preferably the overfishing is sealed to the service tube. The overfishing may be made of a rigid or semi-rigid material, such as PVC. ;Preferably the cap includes a socket section adapted to be a neat fit with the first end 30 of the service tube and a cover section adapted to enclose the bent services and require the return. The cap may be made of a rigid or semi-rigid material, such as PVC. ;Brief Description of Drawings ;35 By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: ;3 ;574732 ;Figure 1 is an exploded view of the components of the sealing system device according to the present invention; ;Figure 2a is a ;Figure 2b is a ;5 ;Figure 3a is a ;Figure 3b is a ;Figure 4a is a ;Figure 4b is a ;Figure 5a is a ;10 ;Figure 5 b is a ;Figure 5c is a ;Figure 5d is a ;Figure 6a is a ;Figure 6b is a ;15 ;Figure 6c is a ;Figure 7 ;is a ;Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment ;The present invention provides a system 1 for sealing a penetration through a surface, 20 as shown in Figure 2. System 1 comprises four separate components: a boot flashing 30 (shown in Figure 3), an overfishing 40 (shown in Figure 4), a service tube 50 (shown in Figure 5) and a cap 60 (shown in Figure 6). These components are preferably provided as a kit, or may be sold separately. The system 1 is assembled from these four components as shown in Figure 1 and as described below. ;25 ;Boot flashing 30 is made of an elastomeric material, such as rubber. It includes a central core 31 surrounding a flashing bore 32 and a flange 33. As shown in Figure 3b, flange 33 may be rectangular in shape, and extends a sufficient distance from central core 31 to allow the creation of a good seal between flange 33 and a 30 surface 22. Central core 31 is generally cylindrical about flashing bore 32, and may include sections of varying thickness, such as a thinner, more flexible skirt 34 surrounding flashing bore 32 and a thicker reinforcing bead 35 about the connection between central core 31 and flange 33. Flexible skirt 34 may be angled relative to the main body of central core 31 as shown in Figure 3a, to reduce the diameter of flashing 35 bore 32 at the end of central core 31 furthest from flange 33. Boot flashing 30 is dimensioned to seal around a section of a service tube 50 passing through central ;574732 ;bore 32, said service tube 50 surrounding services 24 (e.g. pipes, wires) passing through a surface 22. Different sizes of boot flashing 30 may be provided to accommodate different diameters of service tube 50. ;5 Overfishing 40 is made of PVC and is a hollow component centred on an overfishing bore 44. It includes a wide first section 41, an intermediate section 42 and a narrow second section 43. First section 41 is cylindrical, and is dimensioned to surround central core 31 of a corresponding boot fishing 30, and second section 43, which is also cylindrical, circumscribes overfishing bore 44, which may be just wide 10 enough to accommodate a section of service tube 50, which may have a standard diameter of 50 mm. Intermediate section 42 provides a smooth transition between first section 41 and second section 43, preferably providing a sufficient slope to allow for runoff of any water away from overfishing bore 44, as shown in Figure 4a. If the first section 41 is insufficiently tall to accommodate the whole height of central core 31 is when it is installed, the top part of central core 31 may extend beneath intermediate section 42. If service tube 50 is wider than second section 43 (e.g. 65 mm diameter), a cut may be made through intermediate section 42 at an appropriate level so that when second section 43 is discarded, the diameter of overfishing bore 44 at the free end of intermediate section 42 is wide enough to accommodate service tube 50. 20 Intermediate section 42 may be marked at the appropriate level to provide a good fit for service tube 50 having a standard diameter of 65 mm. ;Service tube 50 may be made from PVC pipe having a standard width, such as 50 mm or 65 mm diameter pipe. Proximate a first end 51, service tube 50 includes a curved 25 cutout section 52. Cutout section 52 has a depth of and extends approximately one quarter of the way around the circumference of service tube 50. The length of service tube 50 must be such that when service tube 50 is installed to carry services 24 from the first side 21 of surface 22 to the second side 23, the curved end 54 of cutout section 52 is further from second side 23 than the desired end point for the 30 services 24. The curved end 54 of cutout section 52 must also be sufficiently far from second side 23 that it will be clear of boot flashing 30 and overfishing 40, as shown in Figure 2a. ;Cap 60 may be made from PVC and includes a socket section 61 adjacent a cover 35 section 62. Socket section 61 includes a roof 63 and sides 64 and is dimensioned to be a neat fit over the first end 51 of service tube 50. The height h of cap 60 is greater ;5 ;574732 ;that the depth d of cutout section 52 of the service tube 50. Cover section 62 extends from socket section 61 and is in the form of a waterproof cowl of a height h1 greater than the depth d of cutout section 52. The width of cover section 62 is at least the width of the services 24 and its length is at least the radius of a low-stress 180° curve 5 of the services 24 plus their width. The precise dimensions required will be apparent to one skilled in the art in view of the requirements for assembling the system as set out below, where a neat fit is a close sliding fit or similar. ;In order to pass services 24 from a first side 21 of a surface 22 to the second side 23, 10 a hole 25 is made in surface 22. Most commonly, surface 22 will be a roof of a building. Hole 25 is at least as wide as service tube 50 and is smaller than flange 33 of boot flashing 30. Service tube 50 is installed with a second end 55 on the first side 21 of the surface 22 and the first end 51 on the second side 23, with services 24 passing through the length of service tube 50. Service tube 50 is oriented so that 15 cutout section 52 is on the side adjacent the desired end point for the services 24. ;Boot flashing 30 is passed over first end 51 of service tube 50 so that service tube 50 passes through flashing bore 32. Boot flashing 30 is then slid down the length of service tube 50 until flange 33 is adjacent the second side 23 of surface 22. Flange 33 20 is then sealed to surface 22 using a sealant such as a silicone sealant and optionally also mechanical attachment means such as hex head screws to create a weathertight seal around hole 25. Central core 31 creates a weathertight seal around the circumference of service tube 50. When a flexible skirt 34 is included, the seal is created by the distortion of flexible skirt 34 around service tube 50. ;25 ;In this preferred embodiment, overfishing 40 is also slid down service tube 50, which passes through overfishing bore 44, until first section 41 covers central core 31 of boot fishing 30. If service tube 50 has a 65 mm diameter, overfishing 40 is first prepared to fit as described above. In this embodiment, service tube 50 has a 50 mm 30 diameter, so the full overfishing 40 is used. A sealant, such as PVC solvent cement, is used to seal the free end of second section 43 to service tube 50. This optional additional seal prevents water running down the service tube 50 to sit on the top of boot fishing 30, as well as providing an extra redundancy in the overall seal of hole 25. By covering a part of boot fishing 30 with first section 41 (in particular, the 35 part sealing boot flashing 30 to service tube 50), the boot flashing 30 is protected from ;6 ;574732 ;environmental conditions such as UV radiation, which could detrimentally affect the seal between boot flashing 30 and service tube 50. ;At the first end 51 of service tube 50, the services 24 are bent through approximately 5 180°, so that they pass through cutout section 52. The cutout section 52 increases the amount of space available to bend the services 24, reducing the risk of kinking. Socket section 61 of cap 60 is fitted to the first end 51 of service tube 50, so that cover section 62 envelops the bent section of services 24. Socket 61 is ultimately bonded to service tube 50 using a PVC solvent cement. The dimensions of cover section 62, in 10 particular the height greater that the depth d of the cutout section 52, are determined to provide that the services 24, on exiting services tube 50, must return some distance towards surface 22 before passing to their desired end point, as shown in Figure 2a. Requiring this return section in the services 24 makes it difficult for water to flow along services 24 and through to the first side 21 of surface 22 via services tube 50. ;15 ;Other embodiments cover standard sizes of service tubes, such as 85mm and 100mm service tubes, but the invention is not limited to these standard sizes, and it can be used for a wide range of service tube diameters. ;20 In a further embodiment an alternative overfishing 40, as shown in Figure 7, is used. This alternative overfishing 40 includes a third section 70 which extends from the exposed end of the second section 43. Third section 70 has a smaller cross section than the second section 43 and is dimensioned to accommodate a smaller service tube than the second section 43. In use if the service tube 50 is a neat fit on the third 25 section 70 then this is used, if however the service tube 50 is a neat fit on the second section 43 then the third section 70 is cut off of the overfishing 40 and discarded. This alternative overfishing 40 allows two different sizes of service tube to be provided for before any cutting of the intermediate section 42 is required. In addition the section of the second or third section 43, 70 in contact with the service tube 50 30 provides a wider contact area between the service tube 50 and the second or third section 43, 70. In this case the overfishing bore 44 is the bore of the exposed end of the overfishing 40. ;574732 *

Claims (15)

1. A method for sealing a penetration through a surface, including the steps of: (i) passing through the penetration a service tube, which includes a 5 cutout section at a first end; (ii) sealing the service tube to the surface using a boot flashing; (iii) providing at the first end of the service tube a cap; such that services can pass from a first side of the surface to a desired end point on a second side of the surface via the service tube, bend through the cutout section and, 10 protected by the cap, to return some distance towards the surface before reaching the desired end point.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the cap includes a socket section adapted to be a neat fit with the first end of the service tube and a cover is section adapted to enclose the bent services.

3. The method as claimed in either one of the preceding claims characterised in that the cap is dimensioned and configured to allow the bent services to form a low-stress 180° curve. 20

4. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that it further includes a step of placing an overfishing over at least a part of the boot flashing between steps (ii) and (iii). 25

5. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the boot flashing includes a flange adapted to seal to the surface and a central core adapted to seal to the service tube.

6. The method as claimed in claim 6 characterised in that the central core 30 includes at least one flexible skirt.

7. The method as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7 characterised in that the overfishing includes a first section dimensioned to cover at least a part of the boot fishing. 8 574732

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 characterised in that the overfishing further includes a second section dimensioned to closely fit around a 50mm service tube and an intermediate section between the first section and the second section. 5

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that the intermediate section is marked at an appropriate level, such that by cutting through the intermediate section at the mark and discarding the second section will result in the free end of the intermediate section closely fitting around a 65 mm service tube.

10 10. The method as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 9 characterised in that the overfishing is sealed to the service tube.

11. A kit for use with the method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, said kit including the boot fishing, the service tube and the cap. 15

12. The kit as claimed in claim 11, when dependent on any one of claims 4 to 10, characterised in that the kit further includes the overfishing.

13. The kit as claimed in any one of claims 11 and 12 characterised in that the 20 service tube and cap are made of a semi-rigid or rigid material.

14. The kit as claimed in claim 12 or 13 characterised in that the overfishing is made of a semi-rigid or rigid material. 25

15. The kit as claimed in claim 13 or 14 characterised in that the semi-rigid or rigid material is PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride).