Roof vent with an integrated fan

Abstract

A roof vent member with an integrated fan assembly is disclosed. The fan assembly may be installed, removed, replaced, maintained, etc. from underneath the roof without having to get on the roof or otherwise disrupt the roof envelope. The roof vent may include a subflashing, the fan assembly, sealing elements, screens, and other features. A secondary roof vent member may be included which may include solar panels. Associated methods of using the vent members, such as installing, removing, and replacing the vent member or various components thereof, are further disclosed.

1 . A composition shingle roof vent comprising:
 an upper plate having an upper plate body with an upper plate opening therethrough, and a plurality of elongate fastener members, each having a distal end projecting downwardly from the upper plate;   a subflashing configured for installation on an upper surface of a roof deck, the subflashing comprising:   a subflashing body;   a first opening extending through the subflashing body;   a first plurality of fastener member access holes, the first plurality of fastener member access holes extending through the subflashing body around the first opening; and   a lip, the lip extending upwardly from the subflashing and around the first opening between the first opening and the first plurality of fastener member access holes; and   a tapered composition vent cover oriented above the lip and secured to the subflashing;   a fan assembly configured to be installed within an attic space and below the roof deck, the fan assembly comprising:   a fan housing enclosing a fan and a fan motor;   a second opening extending through the fan housing; and   a second plurality of fastener member access holes, the second plurality of fastener member access holes extending through the fan housing;   a lower plate, the lower plate comprising:   a third opening extending through the lower plate; and   a third plurality of fastener member access holes, the third plurality of fastener member access holes extending though the lower plate;   wherein the subflashing, the fan assembly, and the lower plate are configured to allow the plurality of elongate fastener members to extend through the first, second, and third pluralities of fastener member access holes, to couple the lower plate and the fan assembly with the subflashing, and wherein the subflashing is positioned above the fan assembly and below the upper to allow at least a portion of the fan assembly to extend below a lower surface of the roof deck into the attic space; and   a plurality of complementary fastening elements, the plurality of complementary fastening elements configured to be removably attachable to the distal ends of the elongate fastener members to couple the upper place, the subflashing and the fan housing, to the lower plate, and to allow the fan assembly to be removed and replaced from within the attic space when the subflashing is mounted on an upper surface of the roof deck.   
     
     
         2 . The roof vent of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sealing element configured to be positioned and form a seal between at least one of the subflashing and the fan assembly, and the fan assembly and the lower plate. 
     
     
         3 . The roof vent of  claim 1 , wherein the upper plate opening, the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening are configured to form a ventilation channel with a substantially non-frustoconical shape, to allow airflow through a roof deck opening. 
     
     
         4 . The roof vent of  claim 3 , wherein the ventilation channel has at least one of an approximately uniform cross-sectional size and shape along its length. 
     
     
         5 . The roof vent of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one screen configured to cover at least the third opening of the lower plate. 
     
     
         6 . The roof vent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapered composition vent cover is configured to be secured to the roof deck. 
     
     
         7 . The roof vent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapered composition vent cover is configured to be secured to the roof deck through the subflashing. 
     
     
         8 . The roof vent of  claim 1 , further comprising a solar panel to be coupled with the tapered composition vent cover. 
     
     
         9 . The roof vent of  claim 1 , wherein the tapered composition vent cover is a flat vent cover. 
     
     
         10 . The roof vent of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one sealing element configured to be positioned and form a seal between at least one of the subflashing and the fan assembly, and the fan assembly and the lower plate. 
     
     
         11 . The roof vent of  claim 9 , wherein the upper plate opening, the first opening, the second opening, and the third opening are configured to form a ventilation channel with a substantially non-frustoconical shape, to allow airflow through a roof deck opening. 
     
     
         12 . The roof vent of  claim 11 , wherein the ventilation channel has at least one of an approximately uniform cross-sectional size and shape along its length. 
     
     
         13 . The roof vent of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one screen configured to cover at least the third opening of the lower plate. 
     
     
         14 . The roof vent of  claim 9 , wherein the flat vent cover is configured to be secured to the roof deck. 
     
     
         15 . The roof vent of  claim 9 , wherein the flat vent cover is configured to be secured to the roof deck through the subflashing. 
     
     
         16 . The roof vent of  claim 9 , further comprising a solar panel to be coupled with the flat vent cover. 
     
     
         17 . A method for removing a fan assembly from the composition shingle roof vent of  claim 1  comprising the steps:
 decoupling the plurality of complementary fastening elements removably attached to the distal ends of the elongate fastener members; 
 decoupling the fan assembly from the upper plate; and 
 lowering the fan assembly in a first direction away from the upper plate, wherein lowering the fan assembly comprises moving the fan assembly from a first position in which at least a first portion of sidewalls of the fan assembly is laterally surrounded by the roof deck opening in a plane of the roof deck, to a second position in which the first portion of the fan assembly is not laterally surrounded by the roof deck opening. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein decoupling the fan assembly from the upper plate further comprises decoupling the lower plate from the fan assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising replacing the fan assembly from below the roof deck with a replacement fan assembly, wherein replacing comprises:
 raising the replacement fan assembly in a second direction, wherein the second direction is opposed to the first direction;   moving the replacement fan assembly to the first position; and   coupling the fan assembly to the upper plate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein at least a second portion of the fan assembly extends below a lower surface of the roof deck when the fan assembly is in the first position. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein coupling the fan assembly to the upper plate comprises:
 receiving each of the plurality of elongate fastener members through one or more access holes in a fan housing of the replacement fan assembly such that a corresponding distal end of each of the plurality of elongate fastener members extends into at least a portion of the fan housing; and   removably coupling each of the plurality of complementary fastening elements to each of the plurality of elongate fastener members to secure together the upper plate, the subflashing and the replacement fan assembly.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein coupling the fan assembly to the upper plate comprises:
 receiving each of the plurality of elongate fastener members through one or more access holes in a fan housing of the replacement fan assembly such that a corresponding distal end of each of the plurality of elongate fastener members extends through the fan housing;   receiving each of the plurality of elongate fastener members through one or more access holes in the lower plate such that a corresponding distal end of each of the plurality of elongate fastener members extends through the lower plate; and   removably coupling each of the plurality of complementary fastening elements to each of the plurality of elongate fastener members to secure together the upper plate, the subflashing, the replacement fan assembly and the lower plate.