Vent cover assembly for use with roof-mounted photovoltaic systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016102885-A1
Application number	US-201514878965-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 8, 2015
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vent cap assembly for use with a drain waste vent pipe under roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels is provided. Such vent cap assemblies are adapted to fit over a cut-down roof vent pipe to maintain airflow from the vent pipe and prevent debris from entering the pipe. Vent cap assemblies can include a cap portion and a mounting bracket, the cap portion having an inner cavity accessed through an opening in an underside of the cap and the mounting bracket having one or more inwardly extending elongate members for engaging an outer surface of the vent pipe to secure the cap assembly to the pipe. The mounting bracket can include multiple inwardly extending tabs distributed about the bracket that laterally deflect and securely engage the vent pipe when the cap assembly is pressed onto the pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vent cap assembly comprising:
a cap having a body defining an interior cavity with an opening to an interior cavity, the opening and interior cavity being dimensioned so as to receive an end of an exhaust gas vent pipe within the interior cavity through the opening; and a mounting bracket extending at least partly about a perimeter of the opening, wherein the mounting bracket includes one or more elongate members extending inwardly from the perimeter of the opening so as to engage an outer surface of the exhaust gas vent pipe sufficiently to secure the cap assembly to the exhaust gas vent pipe.

2 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of elongate members are laterally deflectable toward the interior cavity such that deflection of the elongate members when the exhaust gas vent pipe is received facilitates retention of the exhaust gas vent pipe within the interior cavity.

3 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of elongate members are dimensioned so as to receive exhaust gas vent pipes of differing sizes.

4 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of elongate members are plastically deformable so as to retain the exhaust gas vent pipe within the interior cavity after being deflected upon receiving the exhaust gas vent pipe.

5 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of elongate members comprise a plurality of tabs adapted for engaging the outer surface of the exhaust gas vent pipe.

6 . The vent cap assembly of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of tabs includes an inwardly curved distal edge.

7 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the cap includes one or more ribs within the interior cavity opposite the opening, the one or more ribs adapted to engage the end of the exhaust vent pipe so as to maintain sufficient clearance between the end of the exhaust vent pipe and an inside surface of the cavity.

8 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the cap comprises a substantially smooth outer surface and convex shape so as to shed rain and inhibit collection of debris when secured on the exhaust gas vent pipe.

9 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket is secured just inside the opening such that the outer surface of the cap extends below the mounting bracket when the assembly is secured on the vent pipe.

10 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of elongate members includes three or more elongate members distributed about the perimeter so as to distribute anchoring by the elongate members about the vent pipe.

11 . The vent cap assembly of claim 11 wherein each elongate member has a gripping surface for engaging the outer surface of the vent pipe.

12 . The vent cap assembly of claim 12 wherein the gripping surface comprises a serrated distal edge of the respective tab.

13 . The vent cap assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of coupling features of the bracket comprise retention tabs protruding in an upwards direction from the bracket and the corresponding features include slots for receiving the retention tabs.

14 . The vent cap assembly of claim 17 wherein the protruding retention tabs have barbs angled in a downward direction towards the bracket to facilitate retention of the protruding tabs within the slots once received therein.

15 . A vent cap assembly comprising:
a cap portion having an opening to an interior cavity, the opening and interior cavity being dimensioned so as to receive an end of an vent pipe within the interior cavity through the opening, the interior cavity including a spacer to maintain an air gap between the end of the vent pipe and an underside of the cap portion; and a mounting bracket attached to the cap portion and extending at least partly about a perimeter of the opening, wherein the mounting bracket includes a plurality of flanges extending inwardly from the perimeter of the opening so as to engage an outer surface of the exhaust gas vent pipe sufficiently to secure the cap assembly to the exhaust gas vent pipe, wherein at least two of the plurality of flanges extend inwardly from the perimeter at different lengths to accommodate vent pipes of different diameters.

16 . The vent cap assembly of claim 15 wherein the mounting bracket includes a plurality of barbed coupling features for fixedly securing the mounting bracket within the interior cavity of the cap portion.

17 . The vent cap assembly of claim 15 wherein the spacer includes one or more ribs within the interior cavity opposite the opening configured to abut against an edge of the vent pipe opening.

18 . The vent cap assembly of claim 17 wherein each of the one or more ribs include a recessed central region dimensioned to receive an edge of the vent pipe opening.

19 . The vent cap assembly of claim 18 wherein the central region is dimensioned so as to receive the edge of the end of vent pipes of differing diameters within a pre-determined range of vent pipe diameters.

20 . A vent cap assembly comprising:
a cap portion having an opening to an interior cavity, the interior cavity comprising a spacer limiting penetration of a vent pipe under the cap portion and maintaining an air gap between an opening of the vent pipe and an underside of the cap portion; and an adapter comprising:
a semi-circular portion having a corner and at least one set screw opposite from the corner, the semi-circular portion dimensioned to fit over the end of a vent pipe and the corner enabling the adapter to fit over pipes of different diameters;
at least one spacer offset from the semi-circular portion to limit the degree to which the adapter can slide down the end of the vent pipe; and
a pedestal portion for supporting the cap portion.

Assignees

• Solarcity Corp

Inventors

• Karkheck Johann
• Atchley Brian

Classifications

• F24F13/20 Primary

  Casings or covers · CPC title

• H02S20/23

  specially adapted for roof structures · CPC title

• Y02B10/10

  Photovoltaic [PV] · CPC title

• E04D13/1476 Primary

  wherein the parts extending above the roof have a generally circular cross-section · CPC title

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title