SYNTHETIC ROOF TILES WITH REINFORCING RIB STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME

Abstract

Presented are construction roofing and siding tiles with optimized reinforcement rib structures, methods for making and methods for using such rib-reinforced tiles, and synthetic hollow-back roof tiles with force-distributing structural rib patterns. A construction tile, which may be a polymeric roof tile, includes a tile body with a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, and a tile frame that projects from and extends around the perimeter of the rear face. One or more fastener bosses project from the rear face of the tile body; each fastener boss receives therethrough a fastener to thereby mount the construction tile to a support surface. A network of reinforcement ribs project from the rear face of the tile body and intersect the fastener boss(es). The reinforcement ribs extend between the fastener boss(es) and the tile frame to thereby transmit forces from the tile body's peripheral edge to the fastener boss(es).

Claims

1. A construction tile, comprising: a tile body including a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, and a tile frame projecting from and extending around a perimeter of the rear face; a fastener boss projecting from the rear face of the tile body and configured to receive therethrough a fastener to thereby mount the construction tile to a support surface; and a plurality of reinforcement ribs projecting from the rear face of the tile body, the reinforcement ribs being configured to transmit forces between a peripheral edge of the tile body and the fastener boss.

2. The construction tile of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement ribs include a force applying rib projecting from the rear face of the tile body, the tile frame including a pair of sidewalls having a wall height, and the force applying rib having a rib height greater than the wall height.

3. The construction tile of claim 2, wherein the force applying rib includes a first force applying rib located at a first position and a second force applying rib located at a second position laterally spaced from the first position.

4. The construction tile of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement ribs include a plurality of circular ribs concentric with and circumscribing the fastener boss.

5. The construction tile of claim 4, wherein the reinforcement ribs further include a plurality of curvilinear ribs extending between and adjoining the tile frame and an outermost circular rib of the plurality of circular ribs.

6. The construction tile of claim 5, wherein the tile frame includes a first rectilinear sidewall adjoining a first rectilinear end wall at a first corner, and wherein the curvilinear ribs adjoin the tile frame adjacent the first corner.

7. The construction tile of claim 5, wherein each of the curvilinear ribs includes an elongated straight segment adjoining the outermost circular rib and an elongated curved segment adjoining the elongated straight segment and the tile frame.

8. The construction tile of claim 1, wherein the tile frame includes a first rectilinear sidewall adjoining a first rectilinear end wall at a first corner, and wherein the reinforcement ribs include a plurality of curvilinear ribs extending between and adjoining the fastener boss and the tile frame adjacent the first corner.

9. The construction tile of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement ribs include a series of arcuate ribs sharing a common geometry and each having a distinct size.

10. The construction tile of claim 9, wherein each of the reinforcement ribs has a semi-dihedral spherical polygon geometry with a distinct height and/or a distinct width with the reinforcement ribs inset one inside the other.

11. The construction tile of claim 1, wherein the fastener boss includes first and second cylindrical fastener bosses projecting substantially orthogonally from respective first and second locations of the rear face of the tile body.

12. The construction tile of claim 1, wherein the tile frame projects orthogonally from and extends continuously around the perimeter of the rear face.

13. The construction tile of claim 1, wherein the tile body, the fastener boss, and the reinforcement ribs are integrally formed as a single-piece structure from a polymeric material.

14. A polymeric roof tile, comprising: a roof tile body including a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, and a tile frame projecting from and extending around a perimeter of the rear face, the tile frame including a pair of sidewalls having a wall height; a plurality of reinforcement ribs integral with and projecting from the rear face of the tile body, each of the reinforcement ribs having a first rib height equal to or smaller than the wall height of the sidewalls; and a plurality force applying ribs integral with and projecting from the rear face of the tile body, each of the force applying ribs having a second rib height greater than the wall height.

15. The polymeric roof tile of claim 14, wherein the force applying ribs include first and second force applying ribs located at respective first and second positions on the rear face.

16. The polymeric roof tile of claim 14, wherein the force applying ribs include a side force applying rib separate from or integral with a front force applying ribs to individually or collectively define a multiaxis force applying rib.

17. The polymeric roof tile of claim 14, wherein the force applying ribs include a plurality of horizontal force applying ribs extending transversely across a width of the tile body and/or a plurality of vertical force applying ribs extending transversely across a longitudinal length of the tile body.

18. The polymeric roof tile of claim 14, wherein the front face of the roof tile includes a nonplanar region, and wherein the force applying ribs extend beyond the reinforcement ribs to a distance that is equal to or greater than a height of the sidewalls as measured in an uninstalled configuration.

19. The polymeric roof tile of claim 14, wherein the front face of the roof tile includes a nonplanar region, and wherein the force applying ribs extend beyond the reinforcement ribs to a distance that is equal to or greater than a height of the bottom edge of the tile frame as measured in an uninstalled configuration.

20. A method of manufacturing a construction tile for mounting onto a support surface via a fastener, the method comprising: forming a tile body including a front face, a rear face opposite the front face, and a tile frame projecting from and extending around a perimeter of the rear face; forming a fastener boss projecting from the rear face of the tile body, the fastener boss configured to receive therethrough the fastener to thereby mount the construction tile to the support surface; and forming a plurality of reinforcement ribs projecting from the rear face of the tile body, the reinforcement ribs configured to transmit forces between a peripheral edge of the tile body and the fastener boss.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a front-view illustration of a representative construction tile with optimized reinforcement rib structure and integral fastener bosses in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a side-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 1 mounted onto a support substructure.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a rear-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 1.

[0018] FIG. 4 is an end-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 1 taken in cross-section along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a rear-view illustration of another representative construction tile with optimized reinforcement rib structure and integral fastener bosses in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a rear, perspective-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 5.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a rear-view illustration of yet another representative construction tile with optimized reinforcement rib structure and integral fastener bosses in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a rear, perspective-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 7.

[0023] FIG. 9 is a rear-view illustration of even yet another representative construction tile with optimized reinforcement rib structure and integral fastener bosses in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 10 is a rear, perspective-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 9.

[0025] FIG. 11 is a rear-view illustration of another example of a construction tile with optimized reinforcement rib structure and integral fastener bosses in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 12 is a rear, perspective-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 11.

[0027] FIG. 13 is a rear-view illustration of yet another example of a construction tile with optimized reinforcement rib structure and integral fastener bosses in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 14 is a rear, perspective-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 13.

[0029] FIG. 15 is an end-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 13 taken in cross-section along line 15-15 of FIG. 13.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a rear, perspective-view illustration of even yet another example of a construction tile with optimized reinforcement rib structure and integral fastener bosses in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 17 is a rear-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 16.

[0032] FIG. 18 is a side-view illustration of the representative construction tile of FIG. 16.

[0033] The present disclosure is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, and some representative embodiments of the disclosure are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the novel aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the particular forms illustrated in the above-enumerated drawings. Rather, this disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, combinations, permutations, groupings, and alternatives falling within the scope of this disclosure as encompassed, for example, by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] This disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms. Representative embodiments of the disclosure are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail with the understanding that these embodiments are provided as an exemplification of the disclosed principles, not limitations of the broad aspects of the disclosure. To that extent, elements and limitations that are described, for example, in the Abstract, Introduction, Summary, Brief Description of the Drawings, and Detailed Description sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, by implication, inference or otherwise. Moreover, recitation of first, second, third, etc., in the specification or claims is not per se used to establish a serial or numerical limitation; unless specifically stated otherwise, these designations may be used for ease of reference to similar features in the specification and drawings and to demarcate between similar elements in the claims.

[0035] For purposes of this disclosure, unless specifically disclaimed: the singular includes the plural and vice versa (e.g., indefinite articles a and an should generally be construed as meaning one or more); the words and and or shall be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the words any and all shall both mean any and all; and the words including, containing, comprising, having, and the like, shall each mean including without limitation. Moreover, words of approximation, such as about, almost, substantially, generally, approximately, and the like, may each be used herein to denote at, near, or nearly at, or within 0-5% of, or within acceptable manufacturing tolerances, or any logical combination thereof, for example.

[0036] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like features throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a representative construction tile, which is designated generally at (100) and portrayed herein for purposes of discussion as a synthetic roofing tile. The illustrated roofing tile (100)also referred to herein as construction tile or tile for shortis merely an exemplary application with which aspects of this disclosure may be practiced. In the same vein, utilization of the present concepts for providing a slate tile appearance for the roof of a residential home should also be appreciated as a non-limiting implementation of disclosed concepts. As such, it will be understood that aspects of this disclosure may be implemented for other construction tile form factors, may be incorporated into other roof tile designs, and may be utilized for any logically relevant type of building structure.

[0037] Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 4, the roof tile (100) is typically, but without limitation, made from a polymer base material and is injection molded or compression molded. In the illustrated example, the roof tile (100) is a hollow-back design, meaning there is rib structure on the backside of the tile (100). The construction tile (100) includes or, if desired, consists essentially of a tile body (130) with a front (exterior) face (132), a rear (interior) face (134) opposite the front face (132), and a tile frame (136) that projects from and extends partially or completely around a perimeter of the rear face (134). One or more fastener bosses (107A) and (107B) project from the rear face (134) of the tile body; each fastener boss (107A), 107(B) receives therethrough a fastener (202) to thereby mount the construction tile (100) to a support surface (201). A set of circular reinforcement ribs (135) and (137) projects from the rear face (134) of the tile body (130). Each circular reinforcement rib (135), (137) is concentric with and circumscribes the left fastener boss (107A) in FIGS. 3 and 4. The construction tile (100), including the tile body (130), fastener bosses (107A), (107B), and reinforcement ribs (135), (137), may be integrally formed (e.g., injection molded) as a single-piece, unitary structure from a polymeric material (e.g., high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP)). The construction tile (100) may also contain UV stabilizers, recycled plastic, reinforcing fibers, and/or other desired materials.

[0038] Overlapping rows of the roof tile (100) may generally provide a water and weather-resistant, durable, and aesthetically pleasing barrier for protecting a structure's roof. Functionally, on the front face (132) of the roof tile (100) are both an exposed surface (102) and head lap (103) surface. The exposed surface (102) acts as an aesthetically appealing A surface that is visible once installed on the roof. Comparatively, the head lap (103) is the top part of the roof tile (100) that is predominantly not visible once installed on the roof. A portion of the head lap (103) may be seen between the exposed surfaces (102) of adjacent roof tiles (100). The synthetic roofing tile (100) may be designed to be installed at multiple exposures. For example, there is a zone on the tile (100) that may be part of the head lap (103) or exposed surface (102) depending on the tile exposure, which may be defined as the surface exposure zone (104) of FIG. 3. Typically, construction roofing tiles are installed at a maximum exposure (105) to minimize material costs.

[0039] One or more fasteners (202), which may be in the nature of galvanized steel roofing rails, are passed through each of the fastener bosses (107A), (107B) to attach the roof tile (100) to the roof deck (201) or other desired support substructure. The front face (132) of the tile body (130) may be provided with indicators that identify a target area for the installer to install the fasteners (202) into the tile (100). By way of non-limiting example, the target area may be a minimum of 1 above the maximum exposure (105). It may also be desired for the fasteners (202) to be close to the lateral edges of the tile (100), e.g., so that they are not visible after installation. Each roof tile (100) may have two fastener target zones (106), each of which may have identification markings on the head lap (103) surface. It should be appreciated that the tile (100) may include greater or fewer than two fastener bosses (107A), (107B), which may take on alternative shapes, sizes, and locations and may receive any logically suitable type of fastener, including both threaded and unthreaded fasteners alike.

[0040] With collective reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, each fastener boss (107A), (107B) on the rear face (134) of the tile body (130) may be centered with a respective one of the fastener target zones (106). Moreover, each fastener boss (107A), (107B) may be a solid boss or a hollow boss and may be surrounded by a circular rib or a set of concentric circular ribs (135), (137). The fastener bosses (107A), (107B) may project substantially orthogonally from the backside of the roof tile (100) and extend downwards to contact the upper surface of the roof deck (201) when the tile (100) is installed on the deck (201). Although differing in appearance, it should be appreciated that the roof tile (100) of FIGS. 1-4 may include any of the options and features described herein with respect to the roof tiles (200), (300), (400), (500), (600) and (700) of FIGS. 5-18, and vice versa.

[0041] FIGS. 5 and 6 present another example of a construction tile (200) with an optimized reinforcement rib structure that helps to improve tile stiffness and mitigate wind uplift. For instance, the roof tile (200) has two sets of curved reinforcement ribs (108) that are located on the backside of the tile (100) to provide structural stiffness. These reinforcement ribs (108) project from the rear face (132) of the tile body (130), each extending between a fastener boss (107) and the tile frame (136), e.g., to thereby transmit forces from one or more peripheral edges of the tile body (130) to the fastener boss (107). Each rib (108) may start in the head lap (103) region of the roofing tile (100) and extend downward in a vertical nature through the exposed surface (102) region. Based on design objectives and attendant tolerances, the ribs (108) may be orientated at an angle ranging from about 0-10 degrees. Each rib set may contain two or more ribs (108); as shown, there are five (5) ribs (108) in the left rib set and three (3) ribs (108) in the right rib set. In the illustrated example, none of the ribs (108) intersect or overlap with one another.

[0042] As one follows the reinforcement ribs (108) from the bosses (107) down towards the bottom edge (114) of the tile (200), the ribs (108) progressively curve outward towards the sides of the tile (200). By way of example, and not limitation, the five ribs (108) in the left rib set are curvilinear ribs that extend between and abut the tile frame (136) and an the outermost circular rib 137 that surrounds the left boss (107) of FIGS. 5 and 6. In contrast, the three ribs (108) in the right rib set are curvilinear ribs that extend between and abut the tile frame (136) and the right boss (107) of FIGS. 5 and 6. As best seen in FIG. 5, the tile frame (136) may include a pair of rectilinear sidewalls (131) with opposing terminal ends that adjoin opposing terminal ends of a pair rectilinear end walls (133) to collectively define a rectangular frame geometry. A bottom terminal end of each curvilinear rib (108) adjoins the tile frame (136) at or adjacent one of the bottom corners of the tile (100). FIG. 5 portrays each of the curvilinear ribs (108) as having an elongated and straight (upper) segment (141) that is integral with an elongated and curved (lower) segment (143). A first (upper) terminal end of the straight segment (141) adjoins the boss (107) or outermost circular rib (137), and a second (bottom) terminal end of the straight segment (141) adjoins a first (upper) terminal end of the curved segment (143). A second (bottom) terminal end of each straight segment (141) adjoins either a sidewall (131) or an end wall (133) adjacent one of the bottom corners of the frame (136). It may be desirable that the straight segments (141) of the ribs (108) be substantially parallel to one another.

[0043] Curved reinforcement ribs (108) may be arranged in areas approximately 1.0 inch above and approximately 1.0-3.0 inches below each fastener target zone (106). In areas approximately 3.0 inches or more below the fastener target zone (106), the ribs (108) may provide the tile (100) with additional structural support in the horizontal direction (e.g., transversely left and right in FIG. 5). For instance, each reinforcement rib (108) may curve transversely outwards between about 20 degrees to about 90 degrees from a longitudinal centerline (121) of the tile (100). Furthermore, the reinforcement ribs (108) that are closest to the side edges (115) of the tile (100) may curve more than the ribs (108) closest to the center of the tile (100). Each curved reinforcement ribs (108) may be integral with and terminate into the bottom edge (114) or a side edge (115) of the roofing tile (100). Optional design configurations may place stiffening ribs around the perimeter of the tile (100) for the side edges (115) and bottom edge (114); in this example, the curved reinforcement ribs (108) may terminate into these ribs perimeter stiffening ribs. As yet a further option, one or more of the reinforcement ribs (108) may be spaced from the side edge (115), bottom edge (114), or perimeter stiffening ribs without departing from the intended scope of this disclosure.

[0044] The tops of the reinforcement ribs (108) of FIGS. 5 and 6 may start at multiple locations, e.g., on or near the fastener bosses (107). One or more of the ribs (108), for example, may start at or adjacent a fastener boss (107) (as shown) or may start approximately 1.0 inch above the fastener zone (106) in the head lap (103) region. If desired, one or more of the ribs (108) may extend to the top-most edge of the tile (100). In this vein, one or more or all of the reinforcement ribs (108) may have a distinct shape and/or length relative to the other ribs (108). Reinforcement ribs (108) that terminate into and/or intersect with the fastener bosses (107) may provide increased stiffness to the boss (107) as well as to the curved areas at the lower corners of the tile body (130).

[0045] Turning next to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown another non-limiting example of a construction tile (300) with an optimized reinforcement rib structure that helps to improve tile stiffness and mitigate wind uplift. In this example, a series of arcuate (bilateral stiffening) ribs (120) project from the rear face (134) of the construction tile (300) with at least one rib (120) intersecting each fastener boss (107) or a circular rib surrounding the boss (107). As shown, these arcuate ribs (120) all share a common shape (e.g., semi-dihedral spherical polygon geometry), yet each has a respective size (e.g., distinct height and/or width) such that the ribs (120) are inset one inside the other (e.g., in a nesting doll manner). A subset of these bilateral stiffening ribs (120) are curved ribs that start on one side of the roof tile (100), e.g., at a left sidewall (131), and extend substantially continuously across the entire tile body (130), e.g., to a right sidewall (131). Another subset of these bilateral stiffening ribs (120) originate and terminate on the bottom end wall (133) at the bottom edge (114) of the tile (100). Each rib (120) may be symmetrical and mirrored along the tile's longitudinal centerline (121) (FIG. 17). The inflection point where the two mirrored halves of the curved rib (120) intersect may be called the symmetry node (122). The symmetry node (122) may have a predetermined radius that may be set to minimize stress at that location. The bilateral stiffening ribs (120) may be spaced vertically from one another along the longitudinal length of the tile body (130). Additionally, the ribs (120) may be designed so that the tile (100) flexes around the tile centerline (121) and the ribs (120) transmit forces to and/or from the side edges (115) and bottom edge (114).

[0046] Additional stiffness may be added to any of the herein described roof tiles (100)-(700) by forcing it to bend with the fasteners (202) when the fasteners (202) are inserted into the bosses (107). In FIGS. 13 and 14, for example, the construction tile (600) may be integrally formed with one or more longitudinally elongated side force applying ribs (109). These side force applying ribs (109) may be located at or near in the longitudinal centerline (121) of the tile (600) and may be oriented in a nature (e.g., substantially parallel to the centerline (121)). As best seen in FIG. 15, a rib height of each rib (109) is greater than a wall height of each sidewall (131) such that the ribs (109) extend downwards past the bottom-most surface (119) of the tile (600) by, without limitation, a material thickness of about 0.1 up to a maximum of about 0.3. When fasteners (202) are installed into bosses (107), the roofing tile (600) may be forced to bend around the side force applying ribs (109), which pushes more force to the side edges (115). This is beneficial because it may help to prevent wind uplift by applying more pressure to the sides and may help prevent any potential tile curling (where the corners of the tile curl up) by the added pressure. The herein-described force applying rib designs are not limited to a horizontal or linear arrangement; in various embodiments, these ribs may be configured in alternative geometric shapessuch as circular, cross-shaped, square, or any other suitable configurationto enhance structural strength and performance.

[0047] In a similar regard, forces may be directed to the bottom edge (114) of the tile (600) by incorporating a pair of front force applying ribs (110) onto the rear face (132) of the tile body (130). These front force applying ribs (110) may be substantially horizontal in nature and located above the fastener target zones (106) in the head lap (103) region. Similar to the ribs (109), front force applying ribs (110) may have a rib height that is greater than a wall height of the end walls (133) such that the ribs (110) extend past the bottom surface (119), e.g., by half a material thickness of about 0.05 up to about 0.3. When fasteners (202) are installed, the roofing tile (600) may be pulled down towards the roof deck (201) by applying more pressure to the bottom edge (114). This is beneficial because it may help to prevent wind uplift by applying more pressure to the sides and may help to minimize/eliminate any potential curling of the roof tile (600) by the added pressure.

[0048] One or more front force applying ribs (110) may be combined with one or more side force applying ribs (109), which may be combined with or replaced by one or more multi-axis force applying ribs (111) and (111), examples of which are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 and FIGS. 16-18. Each multi-axis force applying rib (111), (111) may be designed to maximize the force applied to the bottom corners (116) of a roof tile. These multi-axis force applying ribs may be curved (as shown at (111) in FIGS. 11 and 12) or may be angled (as shown at (111) in FIGS. 11 and 12). The multi-axis force applying ribs (111), (111) may be generally perpendicular to the axis created by passing a straight line through the front corner (114) and midpoint of the tile centerline (121) and the fastener target zone (106), which may be defined as a force axis (117). As shown, the axis (117) extends past the bottom surface (119) by a material thickness, for example and without limitation, of about 0.1 up to a maximum of about 0.3. It may be ideal to have two multi-axis force applying ribs (111), (111) without a connection in the center of the roof tile (100), e.g., to allows the tile to bend evenly at the center.

[0049] Any of the herein described rib and boss features may be used in combination with an optional longitudinally elongated vertical cutting rib (118) (FIGS. 5 and 6), which are vertical ribs on the backside of the roof tile (200) that may be used to mitigate uplift and may be used as a score line for cutting the tile (200). Each vertical cutting rib (118) may span the entire height of the roof tile (200); alternatively, a cutting rib may be shorter as they get very thin in the head lap (103). The features disclosed herein may also be used in combination with an impact rib structure (113). The impact rib structure (113) is shown in FIGS. 9-13 as a lattice of diamond-shaped ribs; reinforcement ribs (120) may be inlaid within this lattice of diamond-shaped ribs. The impact rib structure (113) typically consists of an array of diamonds, squares, or other repeating shapes designed to provide stiffness when hail or other debris impacts the roof tile.

[0050] Aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments; those skilled in the art will recognize, however, that many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein; any and all modifications, changes, and variations apparent from the foregoing descriptions are within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the present concepts expressly include any and all combinations and subcombinations of the preceding elements and features.