Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Wall – ceiling – floor – or roof designed for ventilation or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-11
2001-02-13
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Wall, ceiling, floor, or roof designed for ventilation or...
C052S011000, C052S016000, C052S408000, C052S405100, C052S199000, C052S013000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185889
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a flat roof drainage system utilizing a low point column head which allows the roof to be drained at the center of a structural member located at the low point of the roof, and more particularly, to such a flat roof drainage system utilizing a load-bearing, low point column head which is a structural extension of a building column and is adapted to permit the attachment of support beams at the column head as well as the placement of a roof drain at the center of the column head so that the roof drain can be place directly at the lowest area of the roof to eliminate standing water.
2. Background Discussion
The flat style roof is fairly common roof style used, for example, by large commercial buildings such as warehouses and the like. One particular disadvantage of the flat roof is the difficulty in obtaining good drainage since the roof is not sloping or only gently sloping and there is a tendency for water to pool and puddle. In particular, problems have been experienced regarding situating a drain at the lowest point or area of the roof because a structural column of the building is typically positioned at the lowest point of the roof and prevents providing a drain at such a location. Prior art approaches to address this problem are known.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,782 to Paquette et al. discloses a double roof drainage system for flat roofs which employs self-draining insulating panels which direct the flow of rainwater to a centrally located drain hole. However, in contradistinction to the present invention, the drain is supported by the roof insulating panels and not by a load-bearing column. Moreover, the benefit of using low point column head to create the slope of the roof is not taught or suggested by Paquette et al., but rather, Paquette et al. use expensive insulating panels to create a slope on the flat roof to facilitate drainage toward the drain hole.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,193 to Ochs discloses a built-up roof structure which creates an inwardly sloping roof at which a drain is located. However, as with the Paquette et al. patent noted above, Ochs fails to disclose the provision of a load-bearing column adapted to permit placement of the roof drain directly at the low point of the roof or the benefit of using a low point, load-bearing column head to create a roof sloped natural toward the drain in all directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,145 to Groves discloses a saddle roof employing sets of panels of fiberboard or mineral board which are disposed at predetermined positions to form a roof sloped toward a centrally located drain. However, as with the patent noted above, Groves fails to teach or suggest the provision of a load-bearing column adapted to permit placement of the roof drain directly at the low point of the roof or the benefit of using a low point column head to create a roof sloped naturally toward the drain.
The above-noted prior art approaches are expensive and time consuming to install. In addition, these arrangements require the addition of unnecessary structure to the roof surface which adds weight thereby increases the strength requirements of the supporting structure of the roof.
Moreover, none of the prior art drainage arrangements discussed above a permit a drain to be placed at the center of a structural member located at the lowest point of the roof. In addition, none of the prior art roof drainage systems teach or suggest utilizing a load-bearing, low point column head, which is a structural extension of a building column positioned at the lowest point or area of the roof, the column head being adapted to permit the attachment of support beams at the column head as well as the placement of a roof drain at the center of the column head so that the roof drain can be place directly at the lowest area of the roof to eliminate standing water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a roof drainage system which allows the roof to be drained at the center of a structural member having load-bearing capabilities.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a roof drainage system for a flat roof which utilizes a load-bearing, low point column head located at a low point of the roof and adapted to permit the attachment of support beams at the column head as well as the placement of a roof drain at the center of the column head so that the roof drain can be place directly at the low point of the roof to eliminate standing water by creating a roof decking sloped to drain runoff from all directions toward the drain.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a load-bearing, low point column head which is adapted to permit the placement of a roof drain at the center of the column head so that the roof drain can be place directly at a low point or area of a flat style roof.
These and other advantageous features of the present invention are achieved by a roof drainage system for a flat style roof having a periphery, the roof drainage system comprising a structural column having a top end positioned lower than the periphery of the roof; a load-bearing column head at the top end of the structural column which is positioned below the periphery of the roof, the load-bearing column head being adapted to permit attachment of roof support beams thereto and the placement of a roof drain at a center of the load-bearing column head; and roof decking supported by the roof support beams and sloped to drain from all directions toward the roof drain which is positioned directly at a low point on the roof to eliminate standing water from pooling on the roof.
According to a further embodiment of the roof drainage system of the present invention, in a valley situation, i.e., where a plurality of low point column heads are aligned and create a valley, the roof drainage system also includes the provision of raised and sloped, tapered insulation panels which are applied to the roof decking to overlie the valley and cause rain runoff to drain from two directions so that the water is pushed from between the drains by the tapered insulation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4014145 (1977-03-01), Groves
patent: 4530193 (1985-07-01), Ochs
patent: 4837987 (1989-06-01), Fender
patent: 5144782 (1992-09-01), Paquette et al.
Gilgan Dan P.
Gilgan Jerry F.
Lowery Bobby J.
Friedman Carl D.
Katz Eric R.
Nguyen Chi Q.
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