Multi-layered roofing membrane and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for manufacturing a roofing membrane may include steps of (a) providing a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) layer, (b) applying a first adhesive layer to attach the PET layer to a first photochemistry reaction layer, (c) forming a combination layer by combining the layers in (b) with an aluminum layer, (d) attaching one side of a second photochemistry reaction layer to the combination layer in (c) through a second adhesive layer; and (e) applying a polymer layer on the other side of second photochemistry reaction layer. In one embodiment, the method for manufacturing a roofing membrane may further include a step (f) of heating the membrane formed in step (e) for 48 hours at 60 C.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a multi-layered roofing membrane comprising steps of: (a) providing a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) layer; (b) applying a first adhesive layer to attach the PET layer to a first photochemistry reaction layer; (c) forming a combination layer by combining the layers in (b) with an aluminum layer; (d) attaching one side of a second photochemistry reaction layer to the combination layer in (c) through a second adhesive layer; (e) applying a polymer layer on the other side of the second photochemistry reaction layer; and (f) heating the membrane formed in step (e) for 48 hours at 60 C.

2. The method for manufacturing a multi-layered roofing membrane of claim 1, wherein the step (c) of forming a combination layer by combining the layers in (b) with an aluminum layer may include a step of heating the combination layer for 48 hours at 60 C.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the multi-layered roofing membrane in the present invention.

(2) FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate a comparison about sunlight reflection/refraction between conventional roofing membrane (FIG. 2a) and the present invention (FIG. 2b).

(3) FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for manufacturing the roofing membrane in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

(5) Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.

(6) All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

(7) As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of a, an, and the includes reference to the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the terms comprise or comprising, include or including, have or having, contain or containing and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of in includes in and on unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

(8) It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the embodiments. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

(9) In one aspect, as shown in FIG. 1, a multi-layered roofing membrane 100 may include a polymer layer 110, a second photochemistry reaction layer 120, a second adhesive layer 130, an aluminum layer 140, a first photochemistry reaction layer 150, a first adhesive layer 160, and a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) layer 170. In one embodiment, a base 200 is coated with a 55% aluminum-zinc film, and the polymer layer 110 can be a solid-state metal adhesive film to tightly hold the layers thereabove (120-170) to the base 200. In another embodiment, the thickness of the polymer layer 110 can be 40 m.

(10) In a further embodiment, the PET layer 170 is corrosion resistant, meaning the PET layer 170 is both acid and alkali resistant. Furthermore, the PET layer 170 in combination of the first photochemistry reaction layer 150 can reflect and refract most of the sunlight to significantly lower the temperature of the interior structure covered by the roofing membrane 100 in the present invention. In one embodiment, the thickness of the PET layer 170 is 38 m. It is noted that the PET layer 170 and the first photochemistry reaction layer 150 are glued together by the second adhesive layer 160.

(11) As stated above, the PET layer 170 in combination of the first photochemistry reaction layer 150 can reflect and refract most of the sunlight. Each of the first and second photochemistry reaction layers (150, 120) is configured to filter the incoming sunlight. More specifically, comparing with conventional roofing membrane in FIG. 2a, the photochemistry layer in the present invention is configured to filter out most of the sunlight and only let the infrared light go through, and enters the aluminum layer 140. The aluminum layer 140, the thickness of which is about 8 m, is configured to reflect about 99% of the incoming infrared light to lower the temperature of the interior structure covered by the roofing membrane 100 as shown in FIG. 2b. It is noted that the multi-layered roofing membrane 100 in the present invention can overall reflect/refract about 94% of the sunlight to lower the temperature by 15-18 C.

(12) In another aspect, as shown in FIG. 3, a method for manufacturing a roofing membrane may include steps of (a) providing a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) layer 310, (b) applying a first adhesive layer to attach the PET layer to a first photochemistry reaction layer 320, (c) forming a combination layer by combining the layers in (b) with an aluminum layer 330, (d) attaching one side of a second photochemistry reaction layer to the combination layer in (c) through a second adhesive layer 340; and (e) applying a polymer layer on the other side of second photochemistry reaction layer 350.

(13) In one embodiment, the step (c) of forming a combination layer by combining the layers in (b) with an aluminum layer may include a step of heating the combination layer for 48 hours at 60 C. In another embodiment, the method for manufacturing a roofing membrane may further include a step (f) of heating the membrane formed in step (e) for 48 hours at 60 C. In a further embodiment, the method for manufacturing a roofing membrane may further include a step (g) of applying the roofing membrane in the present invention to a base material.

(14) Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalent.