Roofing flashings and roofing systems and photovoltaic roofing systems using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9356174-B2
Application number	US-201414209562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates more particularly to improved flashings for use in integrating specialized roof-mounted structures, such as photovoltaic devices for the generation of electrical energy, with conventional roofing materials on a roof. In one aspect, the invention provides a flashing element having a cross-sectional shape comprising a laterally-extending flange, the flange having an edge, a first end and a second end, the side flashing element comprising a return hem disposed at the edge and comprising a folded-over strip of material disposed over the top surface of the flange at the edge, the return hem having a first end disposed toward the first end of the edge, and a second end disposed toward the second end of the edge, wherein the total thickness of the return hem at its second end is no greater than the interior thickness of the return hem at its first end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roofing system comprising
an underlying flashing element having a cross-sectional shape comprising a laterally-extending flange, the flange having an edge, a first end and a second end, the underlying flashing element comprising a return hem disposed at the edge and comprising a folded-over strip of material disposed over the top surface of the flange at the edge, the return hem having a first end disposed toward the first end of the edge, and a second end disposed toward the second end of the edge, wherein the total thickness of the return hem at its second end is no greater than the interior thickness of the return hem at its first end; and
an overlying flashing element having a cross-sectional shape comprising a laterally-extending flange, the flange having an edge, a first end and a second end, the overlying flashing element comprising a return hem disposed at the edge and comprising a folded-over strip of material disposed over the top surface of the flange at the edge, the return hem having a first end disposed toward the first end of the edge, and a second end disposed toward the second end of the edge, wherein the total thickness of the return hem at its second end is no greater than the interior thickness of the return hem at its first end;

wherein
the second end of the flange of the overlying flashing element overlaps the first end of the flange of the underlying flashing element,
the second end of the return hem of the overlying flashing element nests under the folded-over strip of material of the return hem of the underlying flashing element at the first end thereof, and
the return hem of the underlying flashing element includes a discontinuity, at which the inside thickness of the return hem transitions, in a direction going from the first end of the return hem, from substantially greater than the total thickness of the return hem at its second end to substantially less than the total thickness of the return hem at its second end.

2. The roofing system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the overlying flashing element and the underlying flashing element further comprises a vertically-extending feature.

3. The roofing system according to claim 2 , wherein in each of the overlying flashing element and the underlying flashing element, the flange extends away from a lateral side of the vertically-extending feature at the downward end thereof, the edge bearing the return hem being distal to the vertically-extending feature.

4. The roofing system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the underlying flashing element and the overlying flashing element is configured as a side flashing element disposed on a roof with its first end as an up-roof end and its second end as a down-roof end.

5. The roofing system according to claim 1 , each of the underlying flashing element and the overlying flashing element is configured as a top flashing element disposed substantially horizontally along a roof deck.

6. A photovoltaic roofing system disposed on a roof deck having an up-roof end and a down-roof end, the photovoltaic roofing system comprising
one or more photovoltaic roofing elements contiguously disposed on the roof deck, the contiguously-disposed photovoltaic roofing elements together having an up-roof edge facing the up-roof end of the roof deck, a down-roof edge facing the down-roof end of the roof deck, and two side edges;
a plurality of roofing elements disposed adjacent the contiguously-disposed photovoltaic roofing elements, along their side edges;
a roofing system according to claim 2 , disposed along the side edges of the contiguously-disposed photovoltaic roofing elements, with the flanges of the underlying flashing element and the overlying flashing element being at least partially disposed between a roofing element and the roof deck, and their vertically-extending features interacting with a lateral edge of the contiguously-disposed array of photovoltaic roofing elements to provide a water-resistant interface therebetween.

7. A roofing system comprising
an underlying flashing element having a cross-sectional shape comprising a laterally- extending flange, the flange having an edge, a first end and a second end, the flashing element comprising a first edge structure disposed toward the first end of the edge, the first edge structure being selected from a return hem comprising a folded-over strip of material disposed over the top surface of the flange at the edge, and an edgewall with a return feature, the first edge structure having a first end disposed toward a first end of the edge and a second end disposed toward the second end of the edge, the underlying flashing element further comprising a second edge structure disposed toward the second end of the edge with respect to the first edge structure, the second edge structure being selected from an edgewall with a return feature and a return hem, the second edge structure having a first end disposed toward a first end of the edge and a second end disposed toward the second end of the edge, wherein the total thickness of the second edge structure at its second end is no greater than the interior thickness of the first edge structure at its first end; and
an overlying flashing element having a cross-sectional shape comprising a laterally-extending flange, the flange having an edge, a first end and a second end, the flashing element comprising a first edge structure disposed toward the first end of the edge, the first edge structure being selected from a return hem and an edgewall with a return feature, the first edge structure having a first end disposed toward a first end of the edge and a second end disposed toward the second end of the edge, the overlying flashing element further comprising a second edge structure disposed toward the second end of the edge with respect to the first edge structure, the second edge structure being selected from an edgewall with a return feature and a return hem, the second edge structure having a first end disposed toward a first end of the edge and a second end disposed toward the second end of the edge, wherein the total thickness of the second edge structure at its second end is no greater than the interior thickness of the first edge structure at its first end,
wherein the second end of the flange of the overlying flashing element overlaps the first end of the flange of the underlying flashing element, the second edge structure of the overlying flashing element nests under the folded-over strip of material of the return hem or the return feature of the first edge structure of the underlying flashing element, and the first edge structure of the flange of the underlying flashing element includes a discontinuity, at which the inside thickness of the first edge structure flange of the underlying flashing element transitions, in a direction going from the first end of the first edge structure flange, from substantially greater than the total thickness of the second edge structure to substantially less than the total thickness of the second edge structure.

8. The roofing system according to claim 7 , wherein the first edge structure is a return hem and the second edge structure is a return hem.

9. The roofing system according to claim 7 , wherein the first edge structure is an edgewall with a return feature.

10. The roofing system according to claim 7 , wherein the second edge structure is a return hem.

11. The roofing system according to claim 7 , further comprising one or more mounting holes formed in the flange.

12. The roofing system according to claim 7 , wherein the first edge structure and/or the second edge structure include an edgewall is formed wi

Assignees

• Certain Teed Corp

Inventors

• Duarte Robin M
• Fisher Christopher C

Classifications

• E04D13/1475 Primary

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

• Y02B10/12

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02B10/20

  Solar thermal · CPC title

• H02S20/25

  Roof tile elements · CPC title

• H01L31/0483 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic