SLIP RESISTANT ROOF UNDERLAYMENT

• US 20080020662A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirsch Research And Development, LLC
• Original Assignee: Kirsch Research And Development, LLC
• Inventors: Strait, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,765,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/43
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/007 Addition polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/14 with bonds between thermoplastic yarns or filaments produced by welding
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2201/0254 Polyolefin fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2203/042 Polyolefin (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2207/14 Corona, ionisation, electrical discharge
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 5/00 Roofing materials comprising a fibrous web coated with bitumen or another polymer, e.g. pitch compositions of bituminous materials C08L95/00, roof covering E04D5/00, roofing underlays E04D12/002
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 12/002 Sheets of flexible material, e.g. roofing tile underlay
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/102 Woven scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/159 Including a nonwoven fabric which is not a scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/172 Coated or impregnated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/176 Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/178 Synthetic polymeric fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2738 Coating or impregnation intended to function as an adhesive to solid surfaces subsequently associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/678 Olefin polymer or copolymer sheet or film [e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene-butylene copolymer, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/681 Spun-bonded nonwoven fabric

Abstract

A roofing underlayment having a slip-resistant surface includes a woven polypropylene scrim laminated to a top layer made from a non-woven spun-bond polypropylene fabric. During lamination, the scrim is bonded to the top layer by a polypropylene coating that impregnates the scrim, thereby forming a structural bottom layer comprising the polypropylene-impregnated scrim. The non-woven fibers of the top layer provide a micro-textured, slip-resistant surface. A second polypropylene coating may be applied to the bottom surface of the bottom structural layer. An adhesive layer may optionally be applied either to the bottom surface of the bottom structural layer, or, if used, to the bottom surface of the second polypropylene coating.

Claims

1. A roofing underlayment, comprising:

a scrim formed from a woven polypropylene fabric;

a top layer made from a non-woven spun-bond polypropylene fabric, and

a polypropylene coating that bonds the scrim to the top layer and that impregnates the woven fabric of the scrim to form a bottom structural layer.

2. The roofing underlayment of claim 1, further comprising a second polypropylene coating on the bottom surface of the bottom structural layer.

3. The roofing underlayment of claim 1, further comprising an array of guidelines printed on the top layer.

4. The roofing underlayment of claim 3, wherein the underlayment is in the form of a strip having a pair of parallel edges, and wherein the array of guidelines comprises:

an overlap line printed parallel to and adjacent each of the edges; and

an array of substantially parallel layout lines between the edges.

5. The roofing underlayment of claim 4, wherein the array of layout lines includes an outer layout line between each of the overlap lines and the edge adjacent thereto.

6. The roofing underlayment of claim 2, further comprising an array of guidelines printed on the top layer.

7. The roofing underlayment of claim 6, wherein the underlayment is in the form of a strip having a pair of parallel edges, and wherein the array of guidelines comprises:

an overlap line printed parallel to and adjacent each of the edges; and

an array of substantially parallel layout lines between the edges.

8. The roofing underlayment of claim 7, wherein the array of layout lines includes an outer layout line between each of the overlap lines and the edge adjacent thereto.

9. The roofing underlayment of claim 1, wherein the bottom structural layer has a bottom surface, and wherein the underlayment further comprises an adhesive layer on the bottom surface of the bottom structural layer.

10. The roofing underlayment of claim 2, wherein the bottom structural layer has a bottom surface, and wherein the underlayment further comprises an adhesive layer on the bottom surface of the bottom structural layer.

11. A method of manufacturing a roofing underlayment, comprising the steps of:

providing a first sheet of scrim formed from a woven polypropylene fabric;

providing a second sheet of non-woven spun-bond polypropylene fabric;

applying a polypropylene coating to at least one of the first and second sheets; and

laminating the first and second sheets together with the coating therebetween.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the polypropylene coating is impregnated into the weave of the woven fabric of the first sheet during the lamination step to form a bottom structural layer comprising a polypropylene-impregnated scrim.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the polypropylene coating is a first polypropylene coating, wherein the bottom structural layer has a bottom surface and wherein the method further comprises, after the lamination step, the step of applying a second polypropylene coating to the bottom surface of the bottom structural layer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the polypropylene coating includes at least one of a UV protectant and an anti-oxidant.

15. A roofing underlayment, comprising:

a top layer of non-woven polypropylene fabric having a micro-textured surface; and

a bottom structural layer laminated to the top layer and comprising a woven polypropylene scrim and a polypropylene coating impregnating the scrim and bonding the scrim to the top layer.

16. The roofing underlayment of claim 15, wherein the bottom structural layer has a bottom surface, and wherein the polypropylene coating is a first polypropylene coating, the underlayment further comprising a second polypropylene coating applied to the bottom surface of the bottom structural layer.

17. The roofing underlayment of claim 16, further comprising an adhesive layer applied to the second polypropylene coating.

18. The roofing underlayment of claim 15, further comprising an array of guidelines printed on the top layer.

19. The roofing underlayment of claim 18, wherein the underlayment is in the form of a strip having a pair of parallel edges, and wherein the array of guidelines comprises:

an overlap line printed parallel to and adjacent each of the edges; and

an array of substantially parallel layout lines between the edges.

20. The roofing underlayment of claim 19, wherein the array of layout lines includes an outer layout line between each of the overlap lines and the edge adjacent thereto.

21. The roofing underlayment of claim 16, further comprising an array of guidelines printed on the top layer.

22. The roofing underlayment of claim 21, wherein the underlayment is in the form of a strip having a pair of parallel edges, and wherein the array of guidelines comprises:

an overlap line printed parallel to and adjacent each of the edges; and

an array of substantially parallel layout lines between the edges.

23. The roofing underlayment of claim 22, wherein the array of layout lines includes an outer layout line between each of the overlap lines and the edge adjacent thereto.