Roof ventilation system for tiled roof

Abstract

A roof ventilation for a roof having roof tiles with air channels is disclosed. The roof includes a roof supporting structure, a plurality of roof tiles, and at least one vent tile. The plurality of roof tiles reside over the roof supporting structure. The roof tiles include air channels formed therethrough which are in ventilating communication with one another. The least one vent tile resides over the roof supporting structure. Each of the at least one vent tile includes a first upper plate, a second upper plate, and a lower plate. The first and second upper plates are spaced apart from each other, forming a ventilating access. The second upper plate has a first opening and the lower plate has a second opening. The first opening is in ventilating communication with the second opening and with at least one of the air channels. The ventilating access and the first and second openings together permit airflow between regions above and below the roof. The at least one of the air channels is substantially aligned with a space between the upper and lower plates.

1 . A roof structure for a tiled roof of a building, the structure comprising:
 a roof supporting structure; and   a plurality of roof tiles over the roof supporting structure, each of the roof tiles comprising an upper plate, a lower plate, and an air channel formed through the roof tile between the upper and lower plates, the roof tiles being arranged in a plurality of groups, wherein the roof tiles and air channels of each group of roof tiles are adjacently positioned so that the air channels of each group are in ventilating communication with one another and collectively form an air passage within the roof;   wherein at least one of the roof tiles comprises a vent tile comprising:
 a first upper plate; 
 a second upper plate underlying the first upper plate, the first and second upper plates having a gap therebetween, the second upper plate including a first opening; and 
 a lower plate including a second opening, the lower plate positioned below the second upper plate with an air channel defined therebetween, the first opening being in ventilating communication with the second opening via the air channel of the vent tile, wherein the gap and the first and second openings together permit airflow between regions above and below the roof. 
   
   
   
       2 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the roof tiles and air channels of a first of the groups of roof tiles are substantially aligned, and wherein one of the roof tiles of the first group of roof tiles comprises the vent tile. 
   
   
       3 . The structure of  claim 2 , wherein the roof tiles of the first group are substantially aligned in a direction extending substantially parallel to a ridge of the roof. 
   
   
       4 . The structure of  claim 2 , wherein the roof tiles of the first group are substantially aligned in a direction extending substantially perpendicular to a ridge of the roof. 
   
   
       5 . The structure of  claim 2 , wherein the vent tile is interposed between two of the roof tiles of the first group of roof tiles. 
   
   
       6 . The structure of  claim 2 , wherein the vent tile is positioned at an end of the first group of roof tiles. 
   
   
       7 . The structure of  claim 2 , wherein the air passage of the first group of roof tiles substantially extends from a ridge to an eave of the roof. 
   
   
       8 . The structure of  claim 7 , wherein the vent tile of the first group is located near one of the ridge and the eave of the roof. 
   
   
       9 . The structure of  claim 7 , wherein an end of the air passage of the first group is open at the eave of the roof to an exterior of the building. 
   
   
       10 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the roof tiles cover substantially the entire roof supporting structure, and wherein the air passages of the groups of roof tiles are formed throughout the roof. 
   
   
       11 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the roof supporting structure comprises battens supporting the roof tiles. 
   
   
       12 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the roof supporting structure comprises a roof deck supporting the roof tiles, and wherein the roof deck has an aperture in ventilating communication with the second opening of the vent tile. 
   
   
       13 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first opening comprises louvers in the second upper plate. 
   
   
       14 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the vent tile further comprises a screen covering at least one of the first and second openings. 
   
   
       15 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the vent tile comprises a metal. 
   
   
       16 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the vent tile comprises a material the same as that of the roof tiles that are not vent tiles. 
   
   
       17 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the vent tile has substantially the same shape as that of the roof tiles that are not vent tiles. 
   
   
       18 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the vent tile mimics an appearance of the roof tiles that are not vent tiles. 
   
   
       19 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of roof tiles comprise at least one roof tile comprising at least one cap section and at least one pan section, and wherein the vent tile includes the same number of cap sections and pan sections as the at least one roof tile. 
   
   
       20 . The structure of  claim 19 , wherein the first upper plate, the second upper plate, and the lower plate of the vent tile together resemble one of the at least one cap section of the at least one roof tile. 
   
   
       21 . A vent tile comprising:
 a first upper plate;   a second upper plate underlying the first upper plate, the first and second upper plates having a gap therebetween, the second upper plate including a first opening;   a lower plate opposing the second upper plate, the lower plate including a second opening; and   sidewalls connecting the second upper plate to the lower plate,   wherein the second upper plate, the lower plate, and the sidewalls together define an air channel formed through the vent tile, and   wherein the first and second openings are in ventilating communication with each other through the air channel.   
   
   
       22 . The vent tile of  claim 21 , further comprising at least one spacer interposed between the first and second upper plates. 
   
   
       23 . A method of providing a roof structure for a tiled roof of a building, the method comprising:
 providing a roof supporting structure;   providing a plurality of roof tiles over the roof supporting structure, each of the roof tiles comprising an upper plate, a lower plate, and an air channel formed through the roof tile between the upper and lower plates;   arranging the roof tiles in a plurality of groups; and   adjacently positioning the roof tiles and air channels of each group so that the air channels of each group are in ventilating communication with one another and collectively form an air passage within the roof,   wherein providing the plurality of the roof tiles comprises providing a vent tile comprising:
 a first upper plate; 
 a second upper plate underlying the first upper plate, the first and second upper plates having a gap therebetween, the second upper plate including a first opening; and 
 a lower plate including a second opening, the lower plate positioned below the second upper plate with an air channel defined therebetween, the first opening being in ventilating communication with the second opening via the air channel of the vent tile, wherein the gap and the first and second openings together permit airflow between regions above and below the roof. 
   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein adjacently positioning the roof tiles and air channels of each group comprises substantially aligning the roof tiles of a first group of roof tiles, and wherein one of the roof tiles of the first group of roof tiles comprises the vent tile. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the vent tile has substantially the same shape as that of the roof tiles that are not vent tiles.