Integral roofing membrane, or flashing member, and batten or reinforcement strip assembly

Abstract

A new and improved roofing membrane, or flashing member, and batten or reinforcement strip assembly, and a method of fabricating the same, wherein a roofing membrane or flashing member is fabricated either from polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), or a flexible thermoplastic polyolefine (FPO) material so as to be heat-weldable or heat-sealable. The roofing membrane or flashing member is therefore capable of being heat-welded or heat-sealed, not only to other adjacent and overlapping roofing membranes, that are fabricated from the same or similar materials, so as to effectively form a composite roofing membrane structure which can be installed over the entire area expanse of a building roof, or at junctures defined between different roofing sections, but in addition, each roofing membrane or flashing member is capable of being heat-welded or heat-sealed to itself so as to effectively capture a batten or reinforcement strip therewithin without requiring the use of auxiliary bonding means which must conventionally be applied thereto by means of auxiliary bonding procedures or operations.

1 . A composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly, comprising: 
 a roofing membrane fabricated from a heat-weldable and heat-sealable material so as to be capable of being heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself and with respect to an adjacent roofing membrane; and    at least one batten reinforcement strip fixedly secured to a side edge portion of said roofing membrane so as to permit said roofing membrane to be fixedly secured to an underlying roofing substructure by means of fasteners passing through said side edge portion of said roofing membrane and said at least one batten reinforcement strip,    said at least one batten reinforcement strip being fixedly secured within an internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane as a result of said roofing membrane being heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself, while an external portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane is capable of being heat-welded and heat-sealed to an adjacent roofing membrane so as to form an environmental membrane system covering the underlying roof substructure.    
     
     
         2 . The composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 a pair of batten reinforcement strips are fixedly secured within oppositely disposed side edge portions of said roofing membrane so as to effectively render said composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly useful in roof flashing applications.    
     
     
         3 . The composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said roofing membrane is fabricated from a material selected from the group comprising polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and a flexible thermoplastic polyolefine (FPO).    
     
     
         4 . The composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said side edge portion of said roofing membrane is folded over upon itself, and heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself, so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is fixedly secured.    
     
     
         5 . The composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said side edge portion of said roofing membrane is effectively separated from each other into upper and lower half-sections so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is disposed, whereupon subsequent mating together of said separated upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane, said at least one batten reinforcement strip is fixedly embedded within said side edge portion of said roofing membrane.    
     
     
         6 . The composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane are effectively formed by a manufacturing technique selected from the group comprising split-membrane, extrusion, and molding fabrication processes.    
     
     
         7 . A method of forming a composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly, comprising the steps of: 
 fabricating a roofing membrane from a heat-weldable and heat-sealable material such that said roof-membrane is capable of being heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself and with respect to an adjacent roofing membrane;    fixedly securing at least one batten reinforcement strip within an internal portion of a side edge portion of said roofing membrane so as to permit said roofing membrane to be fixedly secured to an underlying roofing substructure by means of fasteners passing through said side edge portion of said roofing membrane and said at least one batten reinforcement strip; and    rendering an external portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane accessible so as to be capable of being heat-welded and heat-sealed to an adjacent roofing membrane so as to form an environmental membrane system covering the underlying roof substructure.    
     
     
         8 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: 
 fixedly securing a pair of batten reinforcement strips within oppositely disposed side edge portions of said roofing membrane so as to effectively render said composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly useful in roof flashing applications.    
     
     
         9 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising the step of: 
 fabricating said roofing membrane from a material selected from the group comprising polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and a flexible thermoplastic polyolefine (FPO).    
     
     
         10 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: 
 folding over said side edge portion of said roofing membrane upon itself; and    heat-welding and heat-sealing said folded over side edge portion of said roofing membrane with respect to itself so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is fixedly secured.    
     
     
         11 . The method as set forth in  claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: 
 effectively separating said side edge portion of said roofing membrane into upper and lower half-sections so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is disposed; and    subsequently mating together said effectively separated upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane so as to fixedly embed said at least one batten reinforcement strip within said side edge portion of said roofing membrane.    
     
     
         12 . The method as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising the step of: 
 effectively forming said upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane by a manufacturing technique selected from the group comprising split-membrane, extrusion, and molding fabrication processes.    
     
     
         13 . A roofing system, comprising: 
 an underlying roofing substructure;    a roofing membrane fabricated from a heat-weldable and heat-sealable material so as to be capable of being heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself and with respect to an adjacent roofing membrane; and    at least one batten reinforcement strip fixedly secured to a side edge portion of said roofing membrane so as to permit said roofing membrane to be fixedly secured to said underlying roofing substructure by means of fasteners passing through said side edge portion of said roofing membrane and said at least one batten reinforcement strip,    said at least one batten reinforcement strip being fixedly secured within an internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane as a result of said roofing membrane being heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself, while an external portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane is capable of being heat-welded and heat-sealed to an adjacent roofing membrane so as to form an environmental membrane system covering said underlying roof substructure.    
     
     
         14 . The roofing system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 a pair of batten reinforcement strips are fixedly secured within oppositely disposed side edge portions of said roofing membrane so as to effectively render said composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly useful in roof flashing applications.    
     
     
         15 . The roofing system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said roofing membrane is fabricated from a material selected from the group comprising polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and a flexible thermoplastic polyolefine (FPO).    
     
     
         16 . The roofing system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said side edge portion of said roofing membrane is folded over upon itself, and heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself, so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is fixedly secured.    
     
     
         17 . The roofing system as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said side edge portion of said roofing membrane is effectively separated from each other into upper and lower half-sections so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is disposed, whereupon subsequent mating together of said separated upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane, said at least one batten reinforcement strip is fixedly embedded within said side edge portion of said roofing membrane.    
     
     
         18 . The roofing system as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein: 
 said upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane are effectively formed by a manufacturing technique selected from the group comprising split-membrane, extrusion, and molding fabrication processes.    
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a roofing system, comprising the steps of: 
 providing an underlying roofing substructure;    fabricating a roofing membrane from a heat-weldable and heat-sealable material such that said roof-membrane is capable of being heat-weldable and heat-sealable with respect to itself and with respect to an adjacent roofing membrane;    fixedly securing at least one batten reinforcement strip within an internal portion of a side edge portion of said roofing membrane so as to permit said roofing membrane to be fixedly secured to said underlying roofing substructure by means of fasteners passing through said side edge portion of said roofing membrane and said at least one batten reinforcement strip; and    rendering an external portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane accessible so as to be capable of being heat-welded and heat-sealed to an adjacent roofing membrane so as to form an environmental membrane system covering the underlying roof substructure.    
     
     
         20 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of: 
 fixedly securing a pair of batten reinforcement strips within oppositely disposed side edge portions of said roofing membrane so as to effectively render said composite roofing membrane and batten reinforcement strip assembly useful in roof flashing applications.    
     
     
         21 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , further comprising the step of: 
 fabricating said roofing membrane from a material selected from the group comprising polyvinylchloride (PVC), a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and a flexible thermoplastic polyolefine (FPO).    
     
     
         22 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of: 
 folding over said side edge portion of said roofing membrane upon itself; and    heat-welding and heat-sealing said folded over side edge portion of said roofing membrane with respect to itself so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is fixedly secured.    
     
     
         23 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of: 
 effectively separating said side edge portion of said roofing membrane into upper and lower half-sections so as to form said internal portion of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane within which said at least one batten reinforcement strip is disposed; and    subsequently mating together said separated upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane so as to fixedly embed said at least one batten reinforcement strip within said side edge portion of said roofing membrane.    
     
     
         24 . The method as set forth in  claim 23 , further comprising the step of: 
 effectively forming said upper and lower half-sections of said side edge portion of said roofing membrane by a manufacturing technique selected from the group comprising split-membrane, extrusion, and molding fabrication processes.