[0001] The subject-matter of the invention comprises a roof window and roof window assembly
method in a roof structure, and in particular in a flat roof structure.
[0002] A solution entailing a flat roof skylight with an inclined jamb has been disclosed
under
US4413450A for example. The jamb, referred to as a "curb" in the said application, is an element
of the skylight and is mounted on a roof. The inclined curb ensures an inclined skylight
position in a roof, which in particular provides rainwater run-off from its surface.
[0003] An adjustable dormer comprising three main units has also been disclosed under
DE102009059953A1. The dormer lower part is attached to a building roof in accordance with technical
standards. The roof dormer intermediate part is foldable or articulated and comprises
a front window and side panels which can also be windows. The skylight is seated on
the upper part of the front window and two side panels. In one embodiment, the dormer
lower part is seated in the roof deeper than the dormer upper part.
[0004] Roof window tightness depends, amongst others, on the angle at which it is installed
in a roof, which usually corresponds to the roof pitch angle and the sealing unit
in the form of a sealing flange. Window are often designed to provide tightness for
a certain range of roof pitch angles, and if a given roof exceeds that range, changes
are made to the roof window structure in order to ensure tightness of the window itself
as well as the seal between the window and the covering. The present invention pertains
to a roof window according to claim 1 and a method for assembling the said roof window
according to claim 5 on a flat roof, with the roof pitch angle within the 2-15° range,
wherein the window is designed to provide tightness for a roof pitch angle of 15°.
[0005] The essence of the invention comprises a roof window constructed out of a jamb and
a sash with a glass unit. The roof window sash is seated in the jamb circumference
using a pair of hinges, and the jamb is constructed out of four stiles attached to
each other to form a rectangular frame, i.e. an upper stile, a lower stile and two
side stiles, wherein the upper stile in its assembled state in a roof is higher than
all the other stiles in the roof. The assembly method consists of the following stages:
- preparation of a roof opening,
- delivery of the roof window to a roof,
- assembly of the roof window in a pre-prepared roof opening at angle α different from
angle β which represents the roof pitch angle,
- assembly of a system specific flange around the roof window.
[0006] Preferably the roof window is assembled in a roof using angle brackets, which are
essentially L-shaped in their longitudinal sections. An angle bracket features a bending
edge, which, during assembly, overlaps with a place on the jamb stiles indicating
the window assembly depth in a roof. Such a place is located on the jamb stile, within
its height, which is a defined dimension between the upper and lower surface of each
jamb stile. Preferably such a place is a depth marker, in the form of at least one
assembly groove running along the length of the stile or a painted line on the stile.
On the angle bracket bending edge there may be ridges in the form of teeth which sit
in the aforementioned assembly groove during assembly. In disclosed solutions, the
roof window features three assembly grooves, so that the distance between the topmost
assembly groove determining the deepest assembly depth of the window in a roof and
the lowest assembly groove determining the most raised roof window assembly relative
to the roof is 60 mm. Preferably, the distances between the assembly grooves are the
same. One of the angle bracket arms is mounted on the upper surface of battens or
on a counter batten, so that batten upper surface overlaps with an appropriate groove
or line on the jamb, and the second angle bracket arm is mounted to the jamb stile.
During jamb assembly in a roof, the roof window jamb upper stile and the jamb lower
stile are mounted to the roof structure at different assembly depths determined by
the aforementioned depth markers. Such a jamb position in a roof makes an angle α,
which is the window slope angle in the roof, defined as the angle between the jamb
side stile and the horizontal, and it lies within the 1-30° range. In disclosed solutions,
the roof window is assembled in a roof, with the roof pitch angle β measured between
batten upper surfaces and the horizontal, is equal to angle α. The roof window according
to the invention is assembled in a roof in such a way that the jamb upper stile and
the lower stile are mounted in a roof at different depths and as such angle α is different
from angle β. In the assembled position, the window lower part, and in particular
the lower jamb stile, at most partially extends above the upper batten surface and
preferably its upper surface is level with the upper batten surface. For the roof
window upper stile, in its assembled state, its upper surface is always above the
roof batten upper surface, but no window stile is entirely above the roof batten surface.
The difference between angles α and β gives us angle γ, defined as the angle between
the jamb side stile and the roof upper surface. Knowing angle γ which a technician
has to eliminate, they use the following equation to check if the required angle γ
is achievable for a given position of the window in a roof.

[0007] The required angle γ reflects the angle by which the roof pitch angle has to be increased
relative to the horizontal in order to assemble the window in a roof at angle α for
which tightness is ensured.
[0008] The roof window jamb assembly depth is defined by a dimension running along the height
of the jamb upper stile, along a section from a jamb corner to a position on the jamb
upper stile which indicates an angle bracket support point, that is a position at
which the selected roof window assembly depth marker is located. The side stile length
is its longest dimension.
[0009] The final window assembly in a roof stage entails assembly of a sealing flange, and
a system specific sealing flange is foreseen for every assembly depth.
[0010] The illustration depicts the invention, with given figures depicting the following:
Fig. 1 roof window and roof structure opening
Fig. 2 window assembled in a roof
Fig. 3 longitudinal section of the window assembled in a roof
Fig. 4, 5 angle bracket assembly location on roof window jamb
[0011] The assembly method entails seating the roof window in roof structure opening 3.
The roof window is constructed out of a jamb, in the form of frame comprising upper
stile 11, lower stile 13 and two side stiles 12 attached to each other at frame corners.
Each jamb side stile 13, features roof window hinge jamb section on the inside of
the frame for attaching the jamb to a sash with a glass unit. To that end each sash
side stile features a hinge sash section, establishing an articulated attachment with
the hinge jamb section. The roof window assembly method in roof structure opening
3 entails preparing opening 3, delivery of the roof window to a roof, assembly of
the roof window jamb in that opening, and then assembly of the sash with a glass unit
in the jamb. At least window jamb upper stile 11 and lower stile 13 feature jamb assembly
in roof depth marker 4 on its external surfaces, and preferably they feature three
depth markers 4 reflecting three different window assembly depths in a roof. The said
markers constitute assembly grooves spanning the entire length of the stiles. Assembly
angle brackets 5 teeth are aligned with these grooves and then one assembly bracket
arm is attached using screws to the jamb and the other arm is attached to the roof
structure. The essence of the invention entails such a roof window assembly, that
the roof window jamb is assembled in a roof at angle α which is different than roof
pitch angle β. In the present embodiment angle β = 12°, whereas the window should
be assembled at angle α, where α = 15°, and to achieve that, a window position in
the roof is determined to eliminate the difference in the form of angle γ, where γ
= 3°.
1. A roof window comprising
a jamb and
a sash with a glass unit, and the roof window sash is seated in the jamb circumference
and is attached to the jamb by a pair of hinges,
and the jamb comprising a four stiles attached to each other to form a rectangular
frame, called an upper stile (11), a lower stile (13) and two side stiles (12), wherein
the upper stile (11) in its assembled state in a roof is higher than all the other
stiles in the roof, and the jamb stiles comprises a window assembly in roof depth
markers (4),
characterised in that, in an assembled state in a roof, the roof window slope angle α is within the 1-30°
range and angle α is different than roof pitch angle β.
2. The roof window according to claim 1 characterized in that the roof window jamb stiles comprises at least two depth markers (4).
3. The roof window according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the depth markers determine an assembly angle bracket assembly place.
4. The roof window according to claim 1 or 2, or 3 characterized in that depth markers are either assembly grooves (4) or painted lines.
5. The roof window assembly method in a roof structure comprising the following steps:
- preparation of a roof opening,
delivery of the roof window to a roof, wherein the roof window comprising a jamb and
a sash with a glass unit, and the roof window sash is seated in the jamb circumference
and is attached to the jamb by a pair of hinges,
and the jamb comprising a four stiles attached to each other to form a rectangular
frame, called an upper stile (11), a lower stile (13) and two side stiles (12), characterized in that
- the next step entails assembly of the window in a roof at angle α, so that roof
window jamb upper stile (11) and roof window jamb lower stile (13) are at different
assembly depths determined by the depth markers, so that the roof window is assembled
in the roof at angle α which lies within the 1-30° range and angle α is different
than the roof pitch angle β.
6. The assembly method according to claim 5 characterized in that during roof window assembly in a roof, assembly angle bracket (5) teeth are aligned
with assembly grooves (4) which constitute depth markers, so that one assembly bracket
arm is attached using screws to the jamb and the other arm is attached to the roof
structure.
7. The assembly method according to claim 5 or 6 is characterized in that the final assembly step entails assembly of a sealing flange around the roof window.
REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only.
It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has
been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and
the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.
Patent documents cited in the description