Vent baffles

Abstract

A vent baffle can be arranged so as to direct air near an underside of a roof. The vent baffle can feature bending structures, which can allow the vent baffle to transition from a substantially columnar orientation to a bent orientation.

1 . A vent baffle comprising:
 a base wall elongated in a longitudinal direction such that the vent baffle defines a maximum length in the longitudinal direction that is greater than a maximum width of the vent baffle in a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;   a first side wall extending upwardly from the base wall;   a second side wall extending upwardly from the base wall, wherein the base wall cooperates with the first and second side walls to define a channel that is open above the base wall such that the channel is configured to direct airflow past an underside of a roof; and   a bending region that is configured to permit the vent baffle to transition from a columnar orientation to a bent orientation and that extends in the longitudinal direction, the bending region comprising a first set of accordion pleats that are present when the vent baffle is in the columnar orientation and that are configured to move relative to each other so as to permit the vent baffle to transition to the bent orientation, wherein the accordion pleats are arranged serially in the longitudinal direction such that at least a first accordion pleat is adjacent to a second accordion pleat in the longitudinal direction, and wherein at least a portion of the first accordion pleat is configured to one or more of expand and contract relative to at least a portion of the second accordion pleat in the longitudinal direction when the vent baffle is transitioned from the columnar orientation to the bent orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the accordion pleats extend in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the base wall. 
     
     
         3 . The vent baffle of  claim 2 , wherein the bending region is constricted to one or more of the base wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall, and wherein the bending region further comprises a second set of accordion pleats that extend in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the base wall and are spaced from the first set of accordion pleats. 
     
     
         4 . The vent baffle of  claim 3 , wherein the first set of accordion pleats and the second set of accordion pleats are separated from each other via at least a portion of a rib that extends in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         5 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first set of accordion pleats extend between the first side wall and the second side wall. 
     
     
         6 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of accordion pleats defines a cross-sectional profile that resembles one of a sine wave and a triangle wave. 
     
     
         7 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the base wall comprises at least a portion of the bending region, and wherein the bending region is at an intermediate position within the base wall such that a first portion of the base wall on one side of the bending region extends in a first direction and a second portion of the base wall on another side of the bending region is configured to extend in a second direction that is nonparallel to the first direction when the vent baffle is bent. 
     
     
         8 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the bending region further comprises a second set of accordion pleats arranged serially such that at least one accordion pleat within the second set is adjacent to another accordion pleat within the second set. 
     
     
         9 . The vent baffle of  claim 8 , wherein the first set of accordion pleats is separated from the second set of accordion pleats by at least a portion of a structural rib that extends in the longitudinal direction and is positioned between the first and second side walls. 
     
     
         10 . The vent baffle of  claim 8 , wherein an extent of the first set of accordion pleats in the longitudinal direction is approximately the same as an extent of the second set of accordion pleats in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         11 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal extent of the bending region is within a range of between about 1/20 and about ¼ of a longitudinal length of the vent baffle. 
     
     
         12 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein at least portions of multiple sets of adjacent accordion pleats are configured to compact toward each other simultaneously as the vent baffle bends at the bending region. 
     
     
         13 . The vent baffle of  claim 12 , wherein at least portions of multiple sets of adjacent accordion pleats are configured to spread apart from each other simultaneously as the vent baffle bends at the bending region. 
     
     
         14 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein at least portions of multiple sets of adjacent accordion pleats are configured to spread apart from each other as the vent baffle bends at the bending region. 
     
     
         15 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein when the vent baffle is in the columnar orientation, a cross-sectional profile of an upper surface of the accordion pleats is substantially the same as a cross-sectional profile of a lower surface of the accordion pleats. 
     
     
         16 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the bending region comprises a foam material. 
     
     
         17 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein a structural rib that extends in the longitudinal direction comprises at least a portion of the first set of accordion pleats. 
     
     
         18 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the bending region comprises polystyrene, high impact polystyrene, rubber base polystyrene, polypropylene, or paper fiber. 
     
     
         19 . The vent baffle of  claim 1 , wherein a cross-section of the first accordion pleats includes substantially V-shaped portions.