Roofing Material
Patent No. US11802408 (titled "Roofing Material") was filed by Deutsche Bank Ag New York Branch on May 7, 2021.
What is this patent about?
’408 is related to the field of roofing materials, specifically asphalt shingles and roll roofing. Traditional asphalt shingles have been limited by strict material and construction specifications, such as the ASTM D3462 standard, which dictates the use of fiberglass mats, specific asphalt content, and mineral granules. This has restricted flexibility in shingle design and manufacturing, creating a need for alternative materials that still meet performance requirements.
The underlying idea behind ’408 is to create an asphalt shingle using a wider range of materials than previously allowed by older standards, while still meeting modern performance standards. This involves using alternative materials for the mat, asphalt filler, and surface coverings. The goal is to achieve a lighter-weight and lower-cost shingle that performs as well as or better than existing shingles.
The claims of ’408 focus on a roofing material, specifically an asphalt shingle, that includes a mat with top and back surfaces, an asphalt layer on the top surface containing asphalt and a filler, a polymer layer directly on the back surface of the mat, an exposed surface covering, and a headlap surface covering. Claim 10 recites a system comprising a roof deck and the claimed roofing material.
In practice, the invention replaces the traditional fiberglass mat with materials like polyester, nylon, or even woven materials. The exposed surface can be covered with plastic or metal particles instead of just mineral granules. A key aspect is the polymer layer on the back surface, which likely serves to prevent shingles from sticking together in the bundle. The shingle is designed to meet the performance requirements of the AC438 standard, which focuses on wind resistance, fire rating, and weather resistance.
The differentiation from prior approaches lies in the flexibility of material choices. By using lighter-weight materials and alternative surface coverings, the shingle can achieve a lower overall weight and potentially lower manufacturing costs. The use of a polymer film on the back surface is a departure from traditional sand or mineral coatings, offering a potentially cleaner and more effective solution for preventing sticking. The examples provided in the patent show various combinations of these materials, all resulting in shingles lighter than those made under the older D3462 standard, while still conforming to the AC438 performance standard.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2010s when ’408 was filed, asphalt shingles were typically implemented using a fiberglass mat, asphalt content, mineral surfacing, and mineral fillers. At a time when industry specifications such as ASTM D3462 were commonly relied on, flexibility in shingle design and manufacture was somewhat limited. The exposed surface material and the headlap surface material were composed of mineral granules, and the back surface covering material was composed of a suitable material such as sand, talc, or mica.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art failed to disclose or suggest the specific combination of features recited in claim 21. Also, the closest prior art did not disclose or suggest a roofing material with a mat having a top surface with exposed and headlap areas, an asphalt layer with filler, a polymer layer directly on the mat's back surface, and exposed and headlap surface covering materials. The examiner agreed that a cited reference (Rodrigues) did not teach placing the polymer layer directly on the mat surface, making the claimed structure non-obvious.
Claims
This patent contains 19 claims, with independent claims 1 and 10. Independent claim 1 focuses on a roofing material comprising a mat, asphalt layer, polymer layer, and surface covering materials, while independent claim 10 focuses on a system comprising a roof deck and the roofing material. The dependent claims generally specify details, materials, and characteristics of the roofing material and system.
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Date
Description
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US11802408
- Application Number
- US17314788
- Filing Date
- May 7, 2021
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jan 27, 2035
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents