Roof Tile

This invention relates to a roof tile, for buildings.

There is an ongoing demand for making use of renewable energy resources, in particular wind power and solar power.

According to the invention, there is provided a roof tile, adapted to be located on a roof and to interface with other tiles on the roof, the tile having an internal void, apertures allowing wind access to and from the internal void, at least one rotor in the void adapted to be rotated by the wind, and a generator for converting rotation of the rotor into electricity.

In a preferred embodiment, the tile is a ridge tile. Although ridge tiles do interface with the other tiles on the roof, the design of the main body of the tile which extends upwardly from the ridge is not constrained by having to mate with the other tiles on the sloping part of the roof, and thus the main body can be designed with an internal void to accommodate a rotor or rotors of sufficient size to generate significant amounts of electricity.

The tile may also be provided with a solar energy collector on its external face. The amount of solar energy collected relies on the area of the exposed surface of the collector, and this can take advantage of a large exposed area of a ridge tile. The location of the tiles at the top of a roof will also assist in directing wind currents which impinge elsewhere on the roof and will be directed upwards towards the ridge by the sloping nature of the rest of the roof. The sloping nature of the roof will also result in the air flow speeding up as it travels upwards towards the ridge, so that the flow is maximised at the ridge.

The rotor or rotors are preferably mounted with their rotation axis vertical, and preferably each drive a generator coupled directly to the respective rotor, and the outputs of multiple generators along the ridge of a roof are combined to

produce a single output.

Each tile may incorporate one, two, three or more vertical axis rotors.

The tile preferably has means for making electrical connections to an adjacent tile, and means for mechanically interlocking with adjacent tiles.

The internal void can be bounded by side walls and a top wall, and openings in the side walls allow wind to enter the void. The openings can be provided with a mesh to prevent birds and wind-blown objects from entering the void. The mechanical interlock between adjacent tiles will also leave no opening through which objects can enter the void. The top wall can be arched to provide a surface which sheds water and provides a good aesthetic appearance.

The base of the tile can include an acoustic baffle to reduce sound transmission from the rotors into a roof on which the tile is mounted. The acoustic baffle can be a foamed plastics body, shaped to conform to the shape of adjacent roof tiles, and with ducts running longitudinally through the body.

The rotors are preferably cowls with helically shaped vanes.

Electrical energy outputs from the solar collector and from the or each generator can be connected in series within the tile or conducted in separate circuits within the tile.

The invention extends to a pitched roof on a building with a plurality of roof ridge tiles as set forth above, wherein the tiles are electrically connected to one another so that the outputs of multiple generators along the ridge of the roof are combined to produce a single electrical output. The tiles can be electrically connected in series.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference

to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of ridge tile in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a number of ridge tiles in accordance with Figure 1 mounted on a roof ridge; and

Figure 3 shows a detail of a possible interlocking arrangement between adjacent ridge tiles;

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of ridge tile, slightly modified from the first embodiment; and

Figure 5 shows the tile of Figure 4 with an end cap.

The tile has a main body 10 which may be made from conventional ceramic tile materials, or moulded from a suitable, weather-resistant plastics material. The body 10 of the embodiment shown is an inverted U-shape, and a void 12 is formed within the body. A base 14 provides the surfaces by which the tile will sit on a roof ridge, and a mounting plate 16 sits on the base.

The body 10 has side apertures 18 on both sides, to allow wind to enter the void. The apertures are fitted with a mesh screen 20, to prevent birds or windborne debris such as leaves from entering the void. The apertures may also be provided with lips (not shown) around their top edges, so that rain falling onto the tile is diverted around the apertures rather than entering the apertures.

Within the void, rotors 22 are mounted on the mounting plate 16. The rotors are positioned relative to the apertures 18 so that they are rotated by wind currents entering the void through the apertures, as indicated by arrow 17, leading to rotation of the rotors as indicated by arrow 19. The design of the

rotors has not yet bθen fixed, but they will be designed to produce maximum efficiency, within the space available in the void 12. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, there will be three rotors 22, one adjacent each of the apertures 18.

It is envisaged that the rotors may take the form of wind-powered cowls as sold for mounting above chimneys, for example the cowls sold under the name Aspiromatic (Registered Trade Mark) by Sebico of Vitry-Sur-Seine, France.

In the embodiment, the rotors have their axes vertical. It may also be possible to arrange rotors with horizontal axes in the tile voids 12. Vertical axis rotors will of course rotate whatever the angle of incident wind. However the arrangement of the tile body and the apertures 18 may result in wind currents from any direction being directed by the tile shape to flow generally across the void from one side to the other, in which case a horizontal axis rotor my be effective.

The rotors 22 have to be connected up to suitable generators of electricity. It is envisaged that a small generator would be mounted on the axis of each rotor 22, with the outputs from all these generators being combined to feed electricity off the roof. Suitable generators may be those used for generating electricity to power bicycle lights, where a rotor is driven by contact with the bicycle tyre to drive a generator.

The base 14 may be made from a conformable material which will bed well on the roof ridge. It is advantageous if the base has acoustic and vibration insulating/isolating properties to reduce any transmission of noise and vibration (which may arise when the rotors are rotating) into the building on which they are mounted.

If the base is moulded or extruded, cable channels 27 can be included, for electrical cables to carry electricity down off the roof.

Drain channels 24 allow any rain water entering the void 12 to run out.

On the outer face of the tile, a solar panel 26 is fitted. The panel 26 extends over the top of the tile, and partly down the sides to maximise its area. It will be clear that a compromise has to be found to balance the requirements for the apertures 18 to be as big as possible to allow as much wind energy as possible to impinge on the rotors 22 with the requirement for the solar panel to be as big as possible to maximise solar energy collection.

The output from the solar panel will preferably be combined with that of the rotor generators, when the energy collected is carried off the roof.

Figure 2 shows a roof with ridge tiles fitted along the length of the ridge. An. end tile 28 is provided at one end, to close the void, this end tile also having an aperture 18 screened by a mesh 20. The ridge tiles are fitted end to end, and can interlock in the manner shown in Figure 3 where the tile 10a has a lip 30 which will fit over a ridge 32 on the adjacent tile 10b.

Figures 4 and 5 show a tile which for the most part is the same as the tile shown in Figures 1 to 3. The same reference numerals have been used to reference the same features. It will be noted however that the side apertures 118 are larger than the apertures 18, to allow more wind to enter the void, and also rain deflectors 119 are provided above the apertures 118. The end tile 128 has a curved upper portion to provide an aesthetically pleasing end to the ridge. The tile shown in Figure 5 is also without a solar collector 26.

Although the invention has been described specifically as a ridge tile, the features described here can be incorporated in a tile to be fitted at any location on a roof.

It will be noted that the tile described will be made, and all its internal and

external parts assembled by a tile manufacturer. The tiles can be laid on a roof in exactly the same way as conventional roof tiles, except that an electrical connection will have to be made. It will therefore be simple for roof tilers to lay a roof using this ridge tile, with no special or unique techniques being required. It is envisaged that a single, plug-together electrical connection can be made between the tiles when they are laid, and the connection to the household supply or to the electricity grid can be made later by an electrician, after all the roof tiles have been laid.

It may be possible to disconnect the main body 10 from the base 14, so that the body 10 can be lifted off to allow servicing or replacement of the rotors, or to allow cleaning out of the void 12.

The tile described here is principally intended for use on buildings which are domestic dwelling houses, but its use on other types of buildings, for example schools and offices, is also envisaged.

In some circumstances, the tile described here may be provided just with the means for collecting wind energy, or just with the means for collecting solar energy, and in these cases, the respective collecting means can be optimised in the absence of the other collecting means.

The invention therefore extends to a ridge tile having means for collecting energy from the wind, with or without solar energy collectors.

The invention also extends to a ridge tile having solar energy collectors incorporated in it, with or without means for collecting energy from the wind.

The tile of the invention thus allows energy from renewable resources to be easily and cheaply collected on buildings without any major construction works, and, importantly, without the need for unsightly masts, large area solar panels or other constructions. These ridge tiles will look virtually the same as

conventional ridge tiles, so there will be no adverse visual impact. Decorative features can be incorporated in these ridge tiles, in the same way as known for conventional ridge tiles. Indeed this may be advantageous if it results in a greater exposed area which can receive a solar panel or panels.