Method and apparatus to improve or define venting from the other side of a structure

Abstract

A ventilation method and apparatus is described for use in building structures to improve or define ventilation air space. The method and apparatus may be deployed from one side of a structure to penetrate through the structure to displace insulation or improve or define air space for ventilation located on the other side of the structure. The structure may be any structure such as, but not limited to, roofs, walls, floors, cavities, or structures with internal moisture production. For structures which are enclosed with limited or no access to inspect or modify or remedy the ventilation, such as a cathedral ceiling and roof assembly structure, this method and apparatus provides a previously unavailable alternative of modifying or improving or defining the airspace and ventilation, performed from an outer position in relation to the structure. Previous to this invented method and apparatus, one would have had no alternative but to have to dismantle and reassemble the structure to access, modify, remedy and define the insulation and airspace. This invented method and apparatus allows the user to quickly and easily modify and define the airspace on the other side of the structure without all the work that would go into the traditional dismantling and reassembling remedy. Multiple devices may be installed in rows or patterns to improve continuity and completeness of ventilation. The final resting place of the device becomes a spacer which is open through itself to define and allow an area of air passage while it may hold insulation away from the desired venting location. The device is configured to define and maintain a predetermined vent space between the insulation and the enclosure.

1 . An apparatus for using or installing a penetrating device from a side of a structure to displace or change insulation or other material located on the other side of a structure to improve or define air space for ventilation or other reasons.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus is installed through a hole drilled through the structure and achieves a final position which may displace or change insulation or other material located on the other side of a structure.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus penetrates through the structure in a first state and then changes shape to a second state to displace or improve or define a predetermined amount of air space for ventilation or other reasons.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus penetrates through the structure in a length-wise fashion because its design is thin in order to penetrate the structure with the least amount of destruction to the structure or through the smallest hole designed such that the device can be fed to penetrate through the structure and rest or accumulate in total size in a fashion to displace or move insulation or other material to improve or define a predetermined amount of air space for venting or other reasons.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus is also a fastener which is used both to fasten a material as well as being designed to penetrate the structure and move or displace insulation or other material, to improve or define ventilation air space. The examples the apparatus may fasten may be a roof shingle and a siding shingle and any other material that makes sense to the application and process.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises a tube similar but not limited to ⅜″ pecks plastic plumbing tubing of a predetermined length and configuration such that as the apparatus penetrates the structure, a pin or other portion gets stopped from insertion by hitting the structure. Since this stop pin, will not fit through the structure, and the rest of the device is being pushed to penetrate, the stop pin acts as a mechanical lever creating an actuation of the device to change from state 1 to an expanded second state on the other side of the structure. The stop pin is connected to a dowel which extends longitudinally down the center to attach to the bottom edge of the device. When penetrating the structure, the body of the apparatus is being pushed to penetrate and the center of the body is only slide-ably engaged with the dowel and the stop pin but the body is connected to the dowel at the bottom edge so the force downward causes the apparatus to expand sending multiple legs outward in an expanding, outward movement away from the central axis because the length of the device has been forced by the mechanism to shrink in length and that loss of length manifests itself physically to become a predetermined expanded breathable shape or framework which may push the insulation or other material in a direction predominantly away from the structure being penetrated. When the device is pushed to penetrate, the stop pin slides in a groove through the center of the cylindrical device and when the top edge lengthwise of the device has been penetrated to reach the surface of the structure, the stop pin will click into a prearranged stop position whereby the stop pin may then be shielded by the cap of the apparatus. Once the device is resting in its final stage, the cap may keep the device from penetrating too deeply while also serving to cover the stop pin. Barbed material may keep the apparatus from backing out of the final resting position.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the device is of similar design and function and is manufactured of all of the same or similar material in a effective and efficient manufacturing process in which the apparatus may comprise one of plastic and one of metal and one of wood and similar materials and one of a combination thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus is configured to be as small in cross section as possible as it penetrates the structure to be the least damaging as possible to the structure but once on the other side, the apparatus is configured to change shape to an expanded second state such that the movement to the second state may be in a direction congruent with the intention of displacement of the insulation or material and eventual resting shape and size are congruent with intentions to improve or define ventilation.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the device enters the smallest practical hole in the structure and once it has penetrated through the deck, the apparatus naturally releases its potential energy as it flexes back to an expanded predetermined larger and more stable final state and shape. An example of a product with such expansive capabilities might be microfilaments or entangled rigid plastic net filaments used commonly as breather vents.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the device enters the smallest practical hole as a very thin item with frontal wings which are bent from the bottom or lead edge backward towards the rear in order that its cross section view is small that it may fit through a small nondestructive hole. Once the leading edge of the apparatus and tips of the wings have penetrated completely through the hole and are no longer restricted by the hole, the wings may release potential energy and flex or move to a second expanded state which the wings are positioned more perpendicular to the longitudinal shape. This device gets pushed completely into place and may attach or embed or fixate to the structure proximal to the penetration and one embodiment may have a loose resting place and may stay in place because of the new final shape.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus comprises one of a plastic, and one of a metal, and one of a wood material.  
   
   
       12 . A method of improving or defining ventilation of a structure whereby an apparatus is penetrated through the structure such that the apparatus penetrates to the other side of the structure and may serve to move or displace or define the position of insulation or other material located on the other side of the structure in order to displace said material to improve or define air space for ventilation or other reasons.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of creating a workable hole for the apparatus to achieve the penetration.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising performing the method multiple times with multiple of the devices in order that the apparatuses are installed in a row, rows, or patterns to improve or define ventilation such that the devices have a cumulative venting affect and may define a vented area that together, the summation of those items may define a larger area that may be continuous and may form a ventilation system which may have an intake and an exhaust vent in communication with the structure's venting needs.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step that the apparatus may be installed through roofing or siding or other material and the method may also accompany a method of repairing and sealing the destruction to the roofing or siding made by the method and apparatus. For example, the device may be installed through roof material and then sealed so that it does not leak or for other reasons.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising that the method is performed in response to the fact that the ventilation of the structure can not be inspected because of the enclosure of the structure and the fact that the internal venting can not be seen, therefore the method may be used to define the ventilation in lieu of the inspection and the unknown venting conditions.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising that a hole may be created in order for the intended penetration of an apparatus further comprising that the user may utilize that hole in order to inspect by viewing through the hole to the other side prior to the installation of the apparatus.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising that the item which is penetrating to affect the change to the insulation or define the ventilation is one comprised of a gas and one comprised of a liquid and one comprised of sound waves and one comprised of vibration waves.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising a method of installation from the heated side of the structure.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising a method of inserting an apparatus comprised of a plastic material such as one of microfilaments and one of entangled rigid plastic filaments and one of a similar product to that of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,212,622 and 4,252,590.