Ventilation Baffle

Abstract

A ventilation baffle for construction of a manufactured home has two or more parallel truss channels funning along a length of a sheet of material separated by a regularly spaced interval. The parallel truss channels are constructed to be placed over trusses and to be affixed to the trusses using the same fasteners used to secure the roof decking to the trusses. The regularly spaced interval may be one half or one third of an interval between trusses measured center to center. At least four gussets reinforce the two opposing sides of each truss channel, with at least two gussets along each of the opposing sides. The ventilation baffle creates an enclosed space when affixed to trusses with roof decking secured above. The enclosed area is inaccessible by a person when the manufactured home is complete.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ventilation baffle comprising a sheet of material with two or more truss channels separated by a distance measured from each truss channel's center, the ventilation baffle comprising a plurality of gussets along each of the two or more truss channels, wherein the gussets are positioned on opposing sides of each truss channel. 
     
     
         2 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more truss channels has at least four gussets reinforcing the two opposing sides, with at least two gussets for each of the opposing sides. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the two or more truss channels, the plurality of gussets is regularly spaced along a length of the sheet with each gusset of the plurality of gussets located directly across from a second gusset. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the two or more truss channels, a first set of the plurality of gussets which reinforce a first one of the two opposing sides are regularly spaced along a length of the sheet are offset from a second set of the plurality of gussets which reinforce a second one of the two opposing sides. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the two or more truss channels, the plurality of gussets are positioned symmetrically about each truss channel, each gusset having a corresponding gusset across from it. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein each sheet of material is rectangular, with a width in a first direction, the width corresponding to a multiple of the distance between each of the two or more truss channels, and a second direction, the second direction being along a length of the two or more truss channels. 
     
     
         7 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more truss channels has a depth corresponding to a predetermined plenum depth. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more truss channels has a width greater than that of a standard roof truss. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 8 , wherein the width of each of the two or more truss channels accommodates deviations in a pitch of trusses in a structure in which the ventilation baffle will be used. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 8 , wherein the width of each of the two or more truss channels accommodates deviations in a width of the standard roof truss. 
     
     
         11 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the material is lightweight, temperature resistant, moisture resistant, and sufficiently robust to resist fraying during installation and securing, the material comprising any of a fibrous material, a cardboard material, fiberglass, a plastic, a recycled material, a composite material, and a metal material. 
     
     
         12 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 11 , wherein the material is a recycled plastic. 
     
     
         13 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein a first ventilation baffle is configured to nest above a second ventilation baffle of similar dimensions such that when the first ventilation baffle is laid above the second ventilation baffle, the two or more truss channels of the first ventilation baffle are overlaid onto the two or more truss channels of the second ventilation baffle and edges of the first ventilation baffle align with edges of the second ventilation baffle. 
     
     
         14 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 13 , wherein a first truss channel of the two or more truss channels is located a first edge distance from a first end of the sheet and a last truss channel of the two or more truss channels is located a second edge distance from a second end of the sheet, the first edge distance being equal to the second edge distance. 
     
     
         15 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 13 , wherein the first ventilation baffle and the second ventilation baffle have a nestable configuration that allows gravity or friction to keep consecutive ventilation baffles in place when laying them on trusses during construction of a structure. 
     
     
         16 . The ventilation baffle of  claim 1 , wherein the ventilation baffle is configured to nest with itself, such that when the ventilation baffle is rolled, at least a first one of the two or more truss channels of the ventilation baffle is overlaid onto a second one of the two or more truss channels of the ventilation baffle. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using a ventilation baffle, the method comprising:
 laying the ventilation baffle over multiple roof trusses in a manufactured structure;   slotting each of the multiple roof trusses into one of multiple truss channels of the ventilation baffle;   installing roof decking over the ventilation baffle; and   securing both the roof decking and the ventilation baffle to the multiple trusses at multiple locations along each of the multiple trusses, such that for each location along each of the multiple roof trusses, a single securing mechanism penetrates the roof decking, the ventilation baffle, and the one of the multiple roof trusses simultaneously, the single securing mechanism including any of a staple, a nail, a screw, a strap, or a combination of a strap and a staple, a nail or screw.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the ventilation baffle comprises multiple truss channels, the multiple truss channels regularly spaced apart at an interval of either one half or one third that of the interval between the multiple roof trusses. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the multiple locations include centered locations on each truss. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein securing both the roof decking and the ventilation baffle to the multiple trusses creates a space bounded in part by the ventilation baffle and the roof decking, the ventilation baffle and the roof decking making up opposite sides of the space. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein in laying the ventilation baffle over multiple roof trusses, the ventilation baffle includes at least two gussets positioned about each one the multiple truss channels. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising securing the ventilation baffle to each of the multiple roof trusses after slotting each of the multiple roof trusses into one of the multiple truss channels of the ventilation baffle. 
     
     
         23 . A ventilation baffle in combination with two or more roof trusses and a roof decking to create an enclosed area, the ventilation baffle comprising a sheet of material with multiple channels separated by a regular distance, the regular distance corresponding to either half or one third of a distance between each of the two or more roof trusses measured from a center of each of the two or more roof trusses, the enclosed area having a first side defined by the roof decking and a second side opposite the first side that is defined by the ventilation baffle. 
     
     
         24 . The combination of the ventilation baffle with the two or more roof trusses and the roof decking of  claim 23 , wherein the enclosed area has a predetermined air gap depth between the roof deck and the ventilation baffle, and wherein the depth of each of the multiple channels is equal to the predetermined air gap depth.