Skylight with wide base to accommodate various sizes of curbs with convertible fixed and operable portions

Abstract

A skylight includes a transparent member such as glass and a frame holding the transparent member. The frame has a rectilinear horizontal top overlapping a top of the transparent member, a rectilinear horizontal base parallel to the horizontal top and overlapping a bottom of the transparent member, and a rectilinear vertical side connecting the top to the base. The base is wider than the top to accommodate plural differently sized curbs. To provide for an operable assembly, an operable base may first be engaged with the roof and the skylight hinged to the base to open and close.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A skylight comprising:
 a transparent member;   a frame holding the transparent member, the frame comprising a rectilinear horizontal top overlapping a top of the transparent member, a rectilinear horizontal base parallel to the horizontal top and overlapping a bottom of the transparent member, and a rectilinear vertical side connecting the top to the base, the base being wider than the top to accommodate plural differently sized curbs.   
     
     
         2 . The skylight of  claim 1 , comprising:
 at least one spacer disposable between the vertical side and an outer surface of a roof curb, the spacer abutting both the vertical side and the outer surface of the curb when the skylight is engaged with the curb, a top of the curb abutting the base;   at least one fastener extendable through the vertical side and curb to hold the skylight to the curb when the skylight is engaged with the curb, the at least one spacer preventing urging of the vertical side and curb toward each other.   
     
     
         3 . The skylight of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one spacer comprises a first spacer snappingly engaged with a second spacer. 
     
     
         4 . The skylight of  claim 1 , comprising an operable base hingedly engaged with the frame to move the frame between an open configuration, in which an opening in a roof to which a curb is attached is open, and a closed configuration, in which the opening is closed by the skylight. 
     
     
         5 . The skylight of  claim 1 , wherein the transparent member comprises at least one glass pane. 
     
     
         6 . The skylight of  claim 4 , comprising at least one operating mechanism in the operable base and coupled to the skylight to move the skylight. 
     
     
         7 . The skylight of  claim 1 , wherein the base is at least two inches wide along at least of four sides of the base. 
     
     
         8 . An assembly, comprising:
 a fixed skylight comprising a transparent member engaged with a frame defining a base having a width sufficient to accommodate first and second sizes of roof curbs;   an operable base engageable with the curb and to which the fixed skylight is mountable to move the fixed skylight relative to the operable base to open and close a roof opening bounded by the curb;   wherein the fixed skylight is engageable with the curb without the operable base to provide a fixed skylight installation and is engageable with the operable base which in turn is engageable with the curb to provide an operable skylight installation.   
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the frame comprises a rectilinear horizontal top overlapping a top of the transparent member, the base comprises a rectilinear horizontal base parallel to the horizontal top and overlapping a bottom of the transparent member, and a rectilinear vertical side connecting the top to the base, the base being wider than the top to accommodate plural differently sized curbs. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , comprising:
 at least one spacer disposable between the vertical side and an outer surface of a roof curb, the spacer abutting both the vertical side and the outer surface of the curb when the skylight is engaged with the curb, a top of the curb abutting the base;   at least one fastener extendable through the vertical side and curb to hold the skylight to the curb when the skylight is engaged with the curb, the at least one spacer preventing urging of the vertical side and curb toward each other.   
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one spacer comprises a first spacer snappingly engaged with a second spacer. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the operable base is hingedly engaged with the frame to move the frame between an open configuration, in which an opening in a roof to which a curb is attached is open, and a closed configuration, in which the opening is closed by the skylight. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the transparent member comprises at least one glass pane. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 12 , comprising at least one operating mechanism in the operable base and coupled to the skylight to move the skylight. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the base is at least two inches wide along at least of four sides of the base. 
     
     
         16 . A skylight to cover a roof curb, comprising:
 a frame with a top end covered by at least one transparent member to allow light to pass through, the frame defining four sides;   at least two of the sides of the frame comprising a respective top layer partially overlapping a top of the transparent member, a respective vertical base flange depending downwardly from the respective top layer, and a respective horizontal base extending from the respective base flange inwardly to partially overlap a bottom of the transparent member, each respective base extending further inwardly than the respective top layer;   at least one spacer disposed between at least a first one of the respective base flanges and an outer surface of the curb, the spacer abutting both the first base flange and the outer surface of the curb when the skylight is engaged with the curb, a top of the curb abutting the respective base;   at least one fastener extending through the first base flange and curb to hold the skylight to the curb when the skylight is engaged with the curb, the at least one spacer preventing urging of the first base flange and curb toward each other, wherein   at least two respective bases being at least two inches in a width dimension perpendicular to an optical axis defined by the frame generally along which light propagates, such that a curb of a first size can engage each base near an outer edge thereof and a curb of a second size can engage each base near an inner edge thereof to facilitate use of the skylight with plural differently sized curbs.   
     
     
         17 . The skylight of  claim 16 , wherein each base is at least three inches wide. 
     
     
         18 . The skylight of  claim 16 , comprising at least one operable base interposed between the frame and a roof 
     
     
         19 . The skylight of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one spacer comprises a first spacer snappingly engaged with a second spacer. 
     
     
         20 . The skylight of  claim 16 , wherein the transparent member comprises at least first and second glass panes.