Wall mounted stormproof soffit assembly and method for installing the same

Abstract

A stormproof soffit assembly for venting an attic of a building and a method for installing the same are described herein. The stormproof soffit assembly is mountable on a wall of the building proximate an airhole in the wall opening on the attic. The stormproof soffit assembly comprises an inner vent member configured to extend along the wall of the building and forming an inner chamber having an air input port allowing air to enter the inner chamber; an exposed vent member forming an outer chamber, an upper portion of the outer chamber defining an air output port in fluid communication with the airhole in the wall; and a mesh extending between the inner chamber and the outer chamber and allowing air to flow therebetween. The air follows a chicane-shaped path when circulating through the stormproof soffit assembly between the air input port and the air output port.

1 . A stormproof soffit assembly for venting an attic of a building, the stormproof soffit assembly being mountable on a wall of the building proximate an airhole in the wall opening on the attic, the stormproof soffit assembly comprising:
 an inner vent member configured to extend along the wall of the building and forming an inner chamber having an air input port allowing air to enter the inner chamber;   an exposed vent member forming an outer chamber, the outer chamber having a lower portion extending along the inner chamber and an upper portion defining an air output port in fluid communication with the airhole in the wall; and   a mesh extending between the inner chamber and the outer chamber and allowing air to flow therebetween,
 wherein air follows a chicane-shaped path when circulating through the stormproof soffit assembly between the air input port and the air output port. 
   
     
     
         2 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the chicane-shaped path is a S-shaped path. 
     
     
         3 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the inner vent member comprises a guiding flange at a bottom end thereof, to guide the air in the air input port toward the inner chamber, and wherein the exposed vent member comprises a bent in an outer top side thereof, to guide the air from the outer chamber to the air output port. 
     
     
         4 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the inner vent member comprises an inner lateral segment extending along the wall, a top segment extending substantially horizontally away from the inner lateral segment, and a base segment, extending from a lower end of the inner lateral segment, the inner chamber being defined at least partially therebetween, wherein the base segment is slightly angled to form the guiding flange. 
     
     
         5 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the exposed vent member comprises a top-cover segment, a lateral segment extending substantially downwardly vertically from the top-cover segment, and a bottom segment extending substantially horizontally from the lateral segment, wherein the top-cover segment is slightly angled to define the bent. 
     
     
         6 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the inner vent member and the exposed vent member comprise respective first and second mesh attachment segments, the mesh being secured between the first mesh attachment segment and the second mesh attachment segment, wherein the first and second mesh attachment segments are spaced apart from an opening distance d. 
     
     
         7 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one vertical mounting plate, the exposed vent member and the inner vent member being secured together thereto. 
     
     
         8 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a horizontal mounting bracket to support the exposed vent member, the horizontal mounting bracket being secured to the inner vent member and to the vertical mounting plate. 
     
     
         9 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the mesh is a wire mesh. 
     
     
         10 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the lower portion of the outer chamber has a first width G and the inner chamber has a second width C, the first width C and the second width G being substantially equal. 
     
     
         11 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the first and second width is from about 0.1 in to about 12 in, and preferably about 0.5 in, 0.75 in, 1 in or 1.5 in. 
     
     
         12 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the mesh has a mesh resistance r corresponding to a ratio of an obstructed mesh surface S o  over a total mesh surface S t : 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   r 
                   ⁢ 
                      
                   
                     ( 
                     % 
                     ) 
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       
                         S 
                         o 
                       
                       / 
                       
                         S 
                         t 
                       
                     
                     ) 
                   
                   × 
                   100 
                 
               
               ; 
             
           
         
       
       r being comprised between 1% and 60%, and more preferably between 15% and 25%, and wherein a net free mesh surface Sf corresponds to the total mesh surface S t  minus the obstructed mesh surface S o : 
       
         
           
             
               
                 S 
                 f 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   S 
                   t 
                 
                 - 
                 
                   
                     S 
                     o 
                   
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         13 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the opening distance d is defined by: 
       
         
           
             
               d 
               = 
               
                 C 
                 * 
                 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       1 
                       + 
                       r 
                     
                     ) 
                   
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         14 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 13 , having a length L of about 8 ft. 
     
     
         15 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 14 , wherein a net free area (NFA) of the stormproof soffit assembly is defined by a linear equation between the length L, the opening distance d, and the mesh resistance r: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 NFA 
                 = 
                 
                   L 
                   * 
                   d 
                   * 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       1 
                       - 
                       r 
                     
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
       
       wherein the NFA is at least equal to about 39 in 2 , and more preferably between about 39 in 2  to 117 in 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the exposed vent member, the inner vent member, the vertical mounting plate and the horizontal mounting bracket are made from: a single sheet of metal, successively folded to form the corresponding expected geometry, or a forged piece of metal, or a carbon fiber or glass fiber molding, or a polymer injection molding, or a 3d-printing, or a plastic extrusion, or any combination thereof; and   wherein the mesh is made of metal, or carbon fiber, or glass fiber, or polymer, or plastic, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a right end cap and a left end cap to close open lateral extremities of the stormproof soffit assembly. 
     
     
         18 . A method for installing a stormproof soffit assembly on a wall of a building, an airhole opening to an attic of the building being provided through said wall, the method comprising:
 providing the stormproof soffit assembly as defined in  claim 1 ;   positioning the stormproof soffit assembly along the wall, with the air output port being aligned with the airhole in the wall; and   securing the stormproof soffit assembly to the wall with fasteners.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising a preliminary step of removing at least one row of cladding on the wall of the building to create said airhole. 
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 placing a self-adhesive membrane on a lower end of the wall opening before positioning the stormproof soffit assembly; and   securing a fascia between the stormproof soffit assembly and the wall, to protect exposed cladding from water infiltration.