Insulated Block for Standing Seam Roof Structure

Abstract

A rigid insulating body is mounted within a standing seam roof structure formed of roof supporting elements and roof panels spanning across the roof supporting elements. The body is suited for extending along a top side of a roof supporting element between an adjacent pair of roof panel mounting clips to occupy a vertical space between the top side of the roof supporting element and the bottom side of the roof panels. Blanket insulation spanning between the roof supporting elements and the roof panels is typically compressed at each roof supporting element by roof panel mounting clips fastened through the insulation from the roof panels to the roof supporting elements. The body is trapezoidal with sides which diverge from bottom to top so as to occupy the area of the blanket insulation compressed by the mounting clips at each roof supporting element.

1 . An insulating member in combination with a roof structure of a building having a plurality of parallel and spaced apart roof supporting elements and a plurality of standing seam roof panels supported by mounting clips to span transversely across the roof supporting elements, the insulating member comprising:
 a body of rigid heat insulating material supported entirely above one of the roof supporting elements, the body having a bottom face, a top face opposite the bottom face and two side faces, the two side faces extending between the top face and the bottom face at laterally opposing sides of the body;   the top face, the bottom face, and the side faces being elongate in a longitudinal direction between opposing ends of the body;   the body having an overall length between the opposing ends which is substantially equal to or less than a distance between adjacent ones of the mounting clips along the roof supporting elements;   the body having an overall height between the top face and the bottom face which is substantially equal to or less than a vertical distance between a top side of the roof supporting elements and a bottom side of the roof panels of the roof structure;   the bottom face of the body having a lateral width between the two side faces which is substantially equal to or greater than a width of the top side of the roof supporting elements; and   the side faces diverging upwardly and laterally outwardly from one another such that the top face of the body has a lateral width between the two side faces which is greater than the lateral width of the bottom face and such that the side faces diverge from one another along the overall height of the body between the bottom face above said one of the roof supporting elements and the top face.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  wherein each of the side faces is a planar surface which is linearly sloped from the bottom face to the top face of the body. 
     
     
         4 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  wherein the side faces are oriented between 30 and 60 degrees from vertical. 
     
     
         5 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  wherein the height of the body is substantially equal to the vertical distance between the top side of the roof supporting elements and the bottom side of the roof panels. 
     
     
         6 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  wherein the lateral width of the bottom face of the body is substantially equal to the width of the top side of the roof supporting elements. 
     
     
         7 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  wherein the overall length of the body between the opposing ends is substantially equal to the distance between said adjacent ones of the mounting clips. 
     
     
         8 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  wherein the top and bottom faces comprise planar surfaces which are horizontal and parallel to one another. 
     
     
         9 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  wherein each of the opposing ends of the body comprises an end face which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the body. 
     
     
         10 . The insulating member according to  claim 1  in wherein the roof structure includes a layer of blanket insulation spanning across the roof supporting elements, and wherein the mounting clips being are secured to the roof supporting elements through the layer of blanket insulation, the side faces of the insulating member being substantially in abutment with the layer of blanket insulation. 
     
     
         11 . A roof structure for a building, the roof structure comprising:
 a plurality of roof supporting elements which are supported parallel and spaced apart from one another;   a layer of blanket insulation spanning across the roof supporting elements;   a plurality of standing seam roof panels spanning transversely across the roof supporting elements above the layer of blanket insulation;   a plurality of mountings clips at spaced positions along the roof supporting elements, securing opposing side edges of the standing seam roof panels to the roof supporting elements, the mounting clips being secured to the roof supporting elements through the layer of blanket insulation; and   a plurality of insulating members extending along respective top sides of the roof supporting elements between adjacent ones of the mounting clips, each insulating member comprising:
 a body of rigid heat insulating material having a bottom face, a top face opposite the bottom face and two side faces, the two side faces extending between the top face and the bottom face at laterally opposing sides of the body; 
 the top face, the bottom face, and the side faces being elongate in a longitudinal direction between opposing ends of the body; 
 the body having an overall length between the opposing ends which is substantially equal to or less than a distance between said adjacent ones of the mounting clips along the roof supporting elements; 
 the body having a height between the top face and the bottom face which is substantially equal to or less than a vertical distance between the top sides of the roof supporting elements and a bottom side of the roof panels of the roof structure; 
 the bottom face of the body having a lateral width between the two side faces which is substantially equal to or greater than a width of the top sides of the roof supporting elements; and 
 the side faces diverging upwardly and laterally outwardly from one another such that the top face of the body has a lateral width between the two side faces which is greater than the lateral width of the bottom face and such that the side faces of the insulating member are in abutment with the layer of blanket insulation substantially along a full height of the insulating member. 
   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein the side faces diverge from one another along a full height of the body between the top face and the bottom face. 
     
     
         14 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein each of the side faces is planar surface which is linearly sloped from the bottom face to the top face of the body. 
     
     
         15 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein the side faces are oriented between 30 and 60 degrees from vertical. 
     
     
         16 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein the height of the body is substantially equal to the vertical distance between the top side of the roof supporting elements and the bottom side of the roof panels. 
     
     
         17 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein the lateral width of the bottom face of the body is substantially equal to the width of the top side of the roof supporting elements. 
     
     
         18 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein the overall length of the body between the opposing ends is substantially equal to the distance between said adjacent ones of the mounting clips. 
     
     
         19 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein the top and bottom faces comprise planar surfaces which are horizontal and parallel to one another. 
     
     
         20 . The roof structure according to  claim 11  wherein each of the opposing ends of the body comprises an end face which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the body.