Many forms of flashing are known. Traditionally flashings were formed from sheets of lead and were conformed on site to shapes required. Lead is both heavy and expensive and requires a lot of labour. It is also difficult to have it satisfactorily retain a painted surface.

BACKGROUND ART The present invention recognises the prospect of providing lightweight flashings (preferably tile trim flashings) that are versatile as to their use (even though they may be pre- shaped for convenience) and demand little in the way of skill in their use. It is to this that the present invention is directed.

I have determined that an effective conformable region of a flashing structure can be prepared by associating a conformable yet shape retaining layer having a mesh, perforate or other"open"character (eg; expanded sheet aluminium of a"mesh"character) using an appropriate adhesive bonding with a flexible weathering layer and thereafter relying on a tack retaining adhesive surface (whether simply"show through"adhesive or adhesive in addition) for associating such a conformable region to a surface of a region to be flashed.

There are instances however where it is desirable to have part of a flashing underlying a cladding panel or member. An example may include a transition from a wall into a roof line.

With such an arrangement it is not necessary for that region to be overlayed by a cladding panel or member (or indeed even plaster) to be conformable yet shape retaining since it is held in place not by its own inherent shape retention but rather by the overlaying panel or other cladding. Nevertheless there is a need, since it is the transition that is to be flashed, for there to be continuity in the weathering surface. There are other instances where such an arrangement is applicable which may not involve rooves and therefore the term"flashing"and its variations should not be so restricted.

As used herein the term"weathering layer"includes any single material or multiple materials, whether laminated, mixed or otherwise, to provide a layer (not necessarily planar nor of constant thickness) of which an outer surface is to act as the weathering surface and another surface of which can act as a surface to be bonded by said adhesive matrix to said conformable layer.

As used herein the term"conformable yet shape retaining layer"includes metal (eg; aluminium) expanded sheet into a perforate"mesh-like"form but is not confined thereto. It can include perforated or non perforated metal (eg; lead or aluminium) or other sheeting (eg; steel wire mesh or zinc) and irrespective, if perforate, whether sheet-wise expandable or not.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect the invention is a three dimensional flashing comprising or including a substantially three dimensional region in use to be exposed to the weather, and a less three dimensional region adapted in use to underlie and/or attach to at least in part a cladding material or cladding materials of a building, wherein said three dimensional region and said less three dimensional region can articulate relative to each other at an articulation zone, and wherein said three dimensional region has at least one flexible material providing an exterior flexible weathering surface therefor that extends at least as part of said less three dimensional region, and wherein said three dimensional region is at least in part held in its three dimensional form by a conformable yet shape retaining three dimensionally conformed material, and wherein there is sufficient tack retaining adhesive available on the non weathering side of said three dimensional region to associate such three dimensional region to a substrate to be flashed thereby.

Preferably said less three dimensional region is substantially planar.

Preferably said three dimensionally conformed material is a metal.

Preferably said metal is sheet aluminium.

Preferably said three dimensional region is configured so as to exhibit a substantially sinusoidal section when being viewed in section towards said articulation zone.

Preferably a suitable natural or synthetic rubber material or plastics material provides said exterior flexible weathering surface (eg; a UV resistant EDPM, TPO (thennoplastic polyolefin), TPU (thermoplastic urethane) or FPVC (flexible PVC)).

Preferably, in some embodiments, said three dimensionally conformed material is mould embedded at least in part in another material, said another material (eg; a cheaper rubber or plastics material to UV resistant EDPM) being flexible but not necessarily being said flexible material (s) (eg; EDPM) providing the exterior weathering surface.

Preferably a release sheet (eg; siliconised paper) is associated with said tack retaining adhesive.

Said three dimensionally conformed material is preferably a sheet metal (eg; aluminium, galvanised steel or COLOURSTEELTM). It is either bonded or mechanically attached. For example a piece of steel may or not be any particular profile that extends in part into the less three dimensional region.

Preferably said three dimensionally conformed material is a perforate or expanded sheet of a suitable metal.

Preferably said less three dimensional region includes a plurality of weather seal ridges, flanges, or the like.

Preferably said less three dimensional region includes a number of openings therethrough to allow penetrative fixers (eg; nails or screws) to affix the same for subsequent overlying by a cladding material or cladding materials (eg; wallboards).

Preferably said articulation zone is a defined region between what is almost exclusively a three dimensional region and what is almost exclusively a substantially planar region save for sealing and/or other contoured features thereof.

Preferably said flashing is of a form and/or structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the accompany drawings.

In another aspect the invention consists in a three dimensional flashing (preferably being a ridge capping or other preshaped flashing) (hereafter"flashing form") which extends into at least one flanking conformable yet shape retaining three dimensionally conformed region wherein said three dimensionally conformed region has at least one flexible material providing an exterior flexible weathering surface therefor that extends at least as part of said flashing form, and wherein the or each such conformed region has sufficient tack retaining adhesive available on the non-weathering side thereof to associate that region by adhesion to a suitable roofing material where said less three dimensional region is substantially planar.

Preferably said three dimensionally conformed material is a metal.

Preferably said metal is sheet aluminium.

Preferably said flashing form is flanked to either side with a said three dimensionally conformed region.

Preferably the (or both) three dimensional region (s) is (are) configured so as to exhibit a substantially sinusoidal section when being viewed in section towards said flashing form.

Preferably a suitable natural or synthetic rubber material provides said exterior flexible weathering surface.

Preferably said three dimensionally conformed material is mould embedded at least in part in another material, said another material being flexible but not necessarily said flexible material providing the exterior weathering surface.

Preferably a release sheet is associated with said tack retaining adhesive.

Preferably said three dimensionally conformed material is a perforate or expanded sheet of a suitable metal.

Preferably said flashing form is a capping form which steps its weathering surface orthogonally of said flanking three dimensionally conformed regions. In other forms it does not step (eg; is straight).

Preferably said flashing is of a form and/or structure substantially as herein described with reference to any one or more of the accompany drawings.

In another aspect the present invention consists in a flashing comprising or including a flexible weathering layer having one part adapted to flash from underneath cladding (eg; wall panel) of a structure and another region to flash over part of cladding (eg; roofing) of the same structure, said flashing being characterised in that said flexible weathering layer has at least part of said region to overlie part of the cladding rendered conformable yet shape retaining by the association to at least part of its underside of a conformable shape retaining layer of a mesh, perforate or other"open"sheet material using an appropriate adhesive.

Preferably a tack retaining adhesive surface is provided whereby at least one of the following becomes possible, (a) at least part of the region of said flexible weathering layer underlaid by said conformable yet shape retaining member has sufficient adhesive to enable its adhesive association with a substrate forming part of the structure to be flashed, (b) at least part of the flexible weathering layer not underlaid by said conformable yet shape retaining member but nonetheless being part of the underside (i. e. not to be directly weathered) is provided with sufficient tack retaining adhesive to allow its association to a substrate to be flashed thereby, and (c) both (a) and (b).

Preferably said flashing includes a release sheet detachably associated with the tack retaining adhesive surface to allow (upon its removal) at least part of said flashing to be associated with a substrate to be flashed.

Preferably said flashing is provided in a form whereby the conformable yet shape retaining region or at least part thereof is provided other than in a flat condition.

Part of the flashing which includes said conformable yet shape retaining region can be provided in a substantially sinusoidal form which ensures a sufficient amount of the conformable region being available for a flashing like association with a complex underlying three dimensional surface without any need for stretching of the conformable yet shape retaining layer.

Preferably said conformable yet shape retaining member including region is provided in a three dimensional form that facilitates its being matched to a likely profile to be encountered during its flashing use or from which it can be easily deformed.

To this end see Figure 9A with its distal edge 13 (if notionally flattened) being substantially longer than it is when in its 3D form.

In some forms of the present invention, when viewed if plan, preferably said flashing is substantially of a rectangular or square form with an apparent straight fold line separating said regions which (usually) in use are to extend in different planes, the region on one side of said fold line which includes said conformable yet shape retaining member having a three dimensional form whereby, were it along with the other region (if necessary) to be notionally flattened down into the plane of the plan view, would mean that the area of said three dimensional form region thereof significantly increases.

Preferably the arrangement is of a kind contemplated by enclosed Figures 9A, 9B and 9C hereof.

In still a further aspect the present invention consists in a flashing of a kind substantially as hereinafter described in whole or in part but substantially having the characteristics described with reference to any one o more of the accompanying drawings.

In yet a further aspect the present invention consists in the use or methods of use of a flashing of any of the aforementioned kinds.

In a further aspect the present invention consists in a structure flashed by a flashing of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a view of a flashing in accordance with the present invention having one region upwardly disposed as it may be when it is attached to a wall to be clad that is make a transition down on to a roof line and showing in a three dimensional view relative thereto a corrugated region held in its three dimensional form by an underlying conformable yet shape retaining layer which underlies part thereof, Figure 2 is a view from below of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 looking along the flutes of the corrugated region, Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the arrangement of Figure 1, Figure 5 is a view of a preferred sheet of flexible material as it may be moulded for the purpose of manufacture of a product as shown in Figures 1 through 4, there be shown the underside prior to the association thereof of any of the conformable yet shape retaining material, eg ; expanded aluminium sheet in to a mesh-like form, Figure 6 is the same moulded sheet as in Figure 5 showing how the same is adapted to be folded for use in the particular application for which the particular flexible member has bee designed, Figure 7 is a similar view to that of Figure 5 but showing the conformable yet shape retaining member associated therewith, Figure 8 is a similar view to that of Figure 6 but again with the conformable yet shape retaining layer associated with part thereof, Figures 9A to 9C show a simplified plan view of the flashing of Figure 7, with 9B showing the flashing as it is in Figure 7 from above, the three dimensional at in part conformable yet shape retaining region being designated by the letter"A"and the fold line being depicted by the line that separates region"A"from the other region"B", Figure 9A showing the same product from above in the same form but after the flattening out into the plane of the region"B"of the region"A", Figure 10 shows a variant of a flashing as Figure 4 but where a (perforate or non perforate) sheet (not shown) of a conformable material (e. g. aluminium) is embedded or is to be retainably received in flexible material,

Figure 11 shows the flashing of Figure 10 from another view showing an articulation zone between the near substantially planar or less three dimensional region and the conformable and three dimensionally conformed three dimensional region, the metal sheet not being shown, Figure 12 shows a ridge capping flashing in accordance with the present invention having a stepped ridge or like capping form which extends to either flank to a conformable yet shape retaining three dimensional conformed region, such three dimensionally conformed region being of a kind as previously defined, and Figure 13 is a plan view of the flashing of Figure 12.

As an example of a preferred form of the present invention, a simple form of flashing useful, for example, for providing a flashed transition from under cladding of a wall on to a roof line (whether tiled or covered with corrugated iron) referred to in the drawings.

A moulded component 1 of an appropriate weathering material that is flexible (eg; EPDM) is provided. As shown in Figure 5 this component is preferably moulded to provide the two zones of the product viz. that which at least in part is to be conformable 2 and to be at least in part shape retaining and that part 3 which is preferably to underlie cladding or the like of the structure to be clad. As shown there is provision at 4 for a fold line between what is essentially preferably a fully flexible part 3 (albeit with optional ceiling ridges 5 and optional nailing holes 6) and an at least in part reinforced part which renders the whole or region 2 conformable yet shape retaining..

The moulding of the component 1 can have the shape of the region 2 (as depicted in Figure 5) assumed from the outset or it can alternatively be moulded in a substantially planar form and thereafter configured either before or after its association with the conformable yet shape retaining layer to be associated therewith. Of course intermediate conformations are also possible.

In the preferred form of the present invention the arrangement as depicted in Figure 5 is associated with a mesh like, perforate or other"open"charactermalleable material 7. Whilst such a shape retaining conformable layer could be of another metal such as lead or zinc preferably it is expanded aluminium sheet, eg; METEXTM of IPSCO, NZ.

Preferably a region only as depicted in the accompanying drawings is reinforced by the layer 7 but sufficient so as to hold at the distal edge 8 the desired confirmation after its transition out from the region 9.

A number of different ways of associating the conformable yet shape retaining layer to part of the underside of the zone 2 of the component 1 can be provided.

As can be seen preferably the moulded member shown in Figure 5 includes ridges 10 to facilitate location of the layer 7 but these are simply optional.

The preferred material of the flexible weathering layer can be any appropriate material.

A preferred material is a UV resistant EPDM (eg; ROYLENE of Uniroyal, USA or ESPRENETM of Cymatium Corp of Japan) although other options for that component include at least UV resistant silicone rubber (eg; SILPLUSTM of General Electric, USA), flexible PVC, SANTOPRENETM, NEOPREN, and similar materials (eg; TPO or TPU).

Such materials can be readily precoloured, eg; to terracotta and other tile or the like matching colours.

Preferably the region"B"is to be less prone to flexible bending and to this end can be either a modified or different material to the rest of the flexible layer"A", eg; two different but compatible feed streams could be provided into the mould to produce the flexible layer.

Alternatively the region"B"can be thicker to the same end. Region"B"can even be a metal.

At least the material 7 is associated with the underside of the region 2 at zone 11 in the embodiment depicted. In this respect it can be associated therewith by a butyl adhesive matrix that will provide a show through of the openings 12 (preferably both visual as well as physical show through) which not only associates the material 7 to the zone 11 but also confers at least some adhesive tack to a level to enable the distal region of the zone 2 to be adhesively affixed to a substrate. A suitable adhesive matrix is one of butyl adhesive such adhesive can be provided simply as a viscous butyl adhesive mass layer from one of several ways of butyl adhesive layers whether tape (eg; PVC) or re-informant (eg; P. P. or nylon) carried are possible, eg; double sided tapes or sheets of butyl adhesive of Bostik or 3M.

One option simply is to interpose a layer of butyl adhesive between 11 and 7 and to rely on a consolidation process to provide the desired show through. In such an arrangement double sided tapes, each carrying a sufficient quantity of butyl adhesive can be provided with that side to be directed downwardly having a sufficient depth to provide the requisite show through.

Alternatively an over layer of butyl adhesive can be applied over the exposed mesh 7 shown in Figure 8.

In some preferred forms of the present invention the whole underside or substantially all of the underside of the zone 2 can have a substrate attachment surface of an appropriate adhesive (preferably the same butyl adhesive). Moreover even the zone 3 can be provided with

an undersurface carrying such an adhesive. All such tack retaining adhesive surfaces to facilitate fixing are preferably covered with an appropriate release sheet, eg; of siliconised paper or plastics (eg; SCOTCHCAL SCW-33TM of 3M, USA).

With the arrangement as depicted in the drawings the Figures 9B and 9C show the device substantially as depicted in the earlier drawings but in a simplified form designating two zones as either"A"or"B". Zone"A"corresponds to that of zone 2 whilst zone"B" corresponds to that of zone 3.

Figure 9A demonstrates that were the three dimensional formation of the zone"A"to be notionally flattened out into the plan of zone"B"a significant increase in the area thereof in plan view occurs as well as some curvature at 13.

In some preferred forms of the present invention the weathering layer can be defined by a variety of materials particularly where some of the weathering area is to be less exposed to the effects of the weather. For example, a W resistance EDPM can be used to define a top weathering surface for some or all of the flashing and that can be supported by a flexible material of lesser cost which does not have the same weathering characteristics. For example, separate masses of a suitable plastics or rubber material can be provided one of which is to associate either by a sliding capture, adhesive attachment or moulded capture to the preferred shape retaining conformable material such as, for example, solid aluminium sheet or perforate or expanded aluminium sheet.

With such a structure if desired the articulation axis could be provided by the EDPM material alone rather than any underlying support material but most preferably there is a significant degree of integrity to the flashing structure through the articulation zone.

Figure 10 and 11 shows a flashing that has been moulded from a suitable mouldable flexible material (eg; EDPM) which defines on either side of an articulation zone 14 (eg; an integral moulded hinge) first a region that is to be three dimensional or is moulded three dimensional. Such region 15 has provision for being moulded around or having engaged after the moulding procedure a metal strip (eg; of aluminium or zinc-perforate or non-perforate) into the region 16 where it is captured by the lips 17.

Also shown in Figure 11 is the less three dimensional or substantially planar region 18 which preferably includes (preferably parallel to the articulation zone 14) sealing ribs or ridges 19 which are to act as seals against overlying cladding on the weathering side of the flashing to prevent rising water access to beyond the flashing.

A suitable material for the moulded component shown in Figures 10 and 11 is any of those previously described and if desired it can be a mixture of materials (or hardness of the same material) such that one or both of the regions 15 and 18 may comprise or include a weathering layer of, for example, a suitable EDPM over a lesser weatherable and cheaper yet more easily moulded plastics material. For example, EDPM could extend over all of the weathering side of a component as shown in Figure 10 yet not necessarily run the full extent up the ribbed or ridged side of the member 18 since there is not expected to be the extreme of weathering (eg; UV exposure) at that region.

As can be seen the region 18 includes a plurality of openings 20 adapted to facilitate penetrative fixing.

The arrangement as shown in Figures 12 and 14 is such that a ridge cap flashing is stepped with regions 21,22 and 23 yet, orthogonally to such stepping from 21 through 23, there is a flanking three dimensional region on either side. This three dimensional region 24 preferably has the characteristics of the three dimensional regions previously described.

In the form as depicted in Figures 12 and 13 however it can be that the whole of the moulded article depicted has a weathering surface of a suitable material such as EDPM even if all of that material is itself supported by an underlying other material which is not itself necessarily shape retaining and conformable, ie ; is simply flexible. Ideally the stepped (or unstepped) capping is shape retaining.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciated the options that abound in order to take advantage of the three dimensional conformable yet shape retaining already three dimensional conformed regions of a flashing or any of the kinds defined.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention provides an alternative to existing flashing systems.