Variable performance building cladding according to view angle

Abstract

This invention relates to inclined outer building surfaces such as roofs reflectively responsive to sun elevation angle and predominantly ornamental when viewed from common viewing positions. More specifically, this invention relates to methods of sizing, shaping, surface characteristics, and coating resulting in improved performance, increased ornamental quality, improved economy of roofing of this class using human eye contrast sensitivity and visual perception.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 367,477 filed on Jul. 26, 2010.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not ApplicableTHE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT[0003]Not ApplicableREFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX[0004]Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]Heat energy transfer through the building envelope changes the temperature of the interior space and can therefore become uncomfortable. Energy must be expended to maintain the desired temperature if this space is conditioned in order to offset energy transfer to or from the environment. Therefore, minimal energy transfer across the envelope is desirable. The rate of energy transfer across the building envelope becomes significant when large temperature differences exist between the ambient environment and the interior space. A primary source ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019]This invention relates to inclined building surfaces such as sloped roofs passively reflective to incident solar radiation according to sun elevation angle having substantially traditional ornamental appearance when viewed from a wide range of common viewing positions and applicable to a wide range of building surface incline angles. A roof according to this invention utilizes treatments to achieve desirable reflectivity and emissivity characteristics while reducing contrast sensitivity and visual impact thereby resulting in a roof that has substantially improved performance, ornamental quality, and manufacturing economy.

[0027]It is even a further object of this invention that combinations of size, shape, color, surface finish, texture, distribution, and or orientation be used on inclined building surfaces substantially ornamental when viewed from common viewing positions and reflectively responsive to sun elevation angle resulting in desirable incident solar energy reflectivity performance. An example of reduced impact in the visual scene of predominantly sun-facing surfaces results in a generally uniform apparently lighter color than the color of the predominantly observer-facing surfaces alone when viewed from typical viewing positions. A roof according to this invention having perceptually visible delineation between predominantly sun-facing and predominantly observer-facing surfaces remains desirably ornamental by use of texture, pattern, color choice, and contrast gradient typically within an order of magnitude on the contrast sensitivity curve to visible delineation contrast and spatial frequency.

Problems solved by technology

Heat energy transfer through the building envelope changes the temperature of the interior space and can therefore become uncomfortable.

The rate of energy transfer across the building envelope becomes significant when large temperature differences exist between the ambient environment and the interior space.

Traditionally, the energy required to cool a conditioned space is more expensive than the equivalent energy required for heating the same space due to the type of energy required for each application.

Since darker colors are preferred for visible roofs, high reflectivity roofing has not been widely adopted in residential buildings.

This method is effective but limited in efficiency.

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