Soffit Vent and Bracket

This invention relates to the building industry, and more particularly, to a soffit vent and bracket

A soffit is used to cover an underside of an eave in a house and is held in place by J-brackets well known in the industry. The J-brackets are attached to either a fascia board and/or an outside wall of the house. Solid vinyl or aluminum panels or perforated vinyl or aluminum panels may be used. Perforated soffits provide ventilation, helping to reduce heat buildup in the summer and formation of ice buildup in the winter. If the soffit panel lacks or has inadequate vent openings, perforations must be drilled or cut to provide adequate ventilation. This process is time consuming and increases the installation time as well as causing a waste of material.

The above mentioned problems are overcome by the present invention which provides a combined soffit vent and bracket for holding a soffit and which has venting holes provided in a vent panel integral with the bracket adapted to be attached to an outside wall of a house. The combined soffit vent and bracket also includes an integral lip adapted to receive vinyl or aluminum siding.

FIG. 1 shows conventional soffit secured by two J-brackets.

FIG. 1a is a cross sectional view of a soffit mounted at one end with a preferred form of the combined soffit vent and bracket

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a top view taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a soffit mounted with a second form of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a second embodiment.

FIG. 3. 7 is a view taken along line 7--7 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view taken along line 8--8 in FIG. 6

FIG. 1 shows a conventional soffit 16 mounted underneath the eave of roof 10 by conventional metal or vinyl J-brackets or channels 18 attached each one to board 13, fascia board 14 and the outside wall 12 of a house. If the soffit lacks or has inadequate ventilation, holes or perforations must be cut in the soffit 16 in order to vent the eave to the outside to prevent heat buildup in the summer and the formation of ice in the winter.

FIG. 1a shows a soffit 16 mounted at one end to the fascia board 14 by conventional J-bracket 18 and mounted at the other end by a combined soffit vent and bracket 20 of the first embodiment seen more clearly in FIG. 2. Each bracket 18, 20 is also secured to board 13 by fasteners, such as, for example nails 15. The combined soffit vent and bracket of the first embodiment is made of a plastic one piece extrusion with an end wall 22 adapted to be mounted to an outside wall 12 of the house. Integral with and extending perpendicular thereto is a vent panel 24 with perforated vent openings therein As seen in FIG. 2 and more particularly in FIG. 3, the vent openings are made of a plurality of holes 25 formed through the vent panel. Bracket 26 is integral with the vent panel 24 and is composed of generally parallel walls 26a, 26b extending from an integral: upstanding wall 27. The walls 26a, 26b form a channel having at least two widths formed by a step 30 in wall 26b. The first narrow width 28a is adapted to receive a thin soffit. The wider 28b formed by the step 30 in wall 26b is adapted to receive a wider soffit as seen in phantom in FIG. 2. Each soffit is securely held to the bracket by upturned end 26c on wall 26b.

An angular lip 32 extends downwardly from the bottom of the soffit vent toward the end wall 22 leaving a small gap 33 adapted to receive siding 35 to cover the outside wall 12 of the house. Adjacent the angular extending lip of the opposite side of the vent panel, an upwardly extending short vertical wall 31 provides rigidity to support board 13 and assists in locating the board 13 against the outside wall 12 of the house. In order to secure the end wall 22 against the wall 12, nail holes 34 are provided to receive a fastener such as a nail as seen in FIG. 2 and 4.

FIGS. 5-8 show another embodiment in the invention. In this embodiment, like numerals will be used for similar parts. End wall 22' extends vertically upwardly from the vent panel 24' and is mounted to an outside surface of the fascia board 14 by fasteners such as a nail extending through holes 34' as seen in FIG. 7.

Similar to the first embodiment, vent panel 24' contains venting openings 25' extending therethrough to vent the eave. Integral with the vent panel is bracket 26' having two substantially parallel side walls 26a', 26b' connected by an upstanding end wall 27'. Side wall 26b' has a step 30' to form a channel having a narrow width 28a' to receive a thin soffit and a wider portion 28b' to receive a wider soffit Again, wall 26a' is secured to board 13 by fasteners extending through holes 29' seen in FIG. 8.

Accordingly, the present invention overcomes installation problems of prior devices by providing both quick and easy support for a soffit as well as providing ventilation without having to modify the soffit.