GB2126622A - Gutter - Google Patents

Abstract

The gutter (1) comprising a mounting part (2) and a collecting part (3), which are made in one piece and is provided with stiffenings, preferably corrugations (4), extending across the longitudinal direction of the gutter. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Gutter This invention relates to a gutter for the collection and removal of roof water, comprising a mounting part and a collecting part, which are designed integrally.

Gutters for collecting roof water and conducting it away are known previously. A known structural design, which is described below in greater detail, comprises the gutter proper, gutter hooks and base plates. As will appear from the following, this system shows certain disadvantages.

Gutters are also known, at which the mounting part and collecting part are manufactured in one piece. Such gutters may be made of sheet metal as well as of plastic material.

These known gutters, however, are not provided with stiffening members, which implies that the material must have a relatively great thickness for obtaining the necessary strength.

Too high a material consumption, however, has a negative effect on the competitiveness of the product.

The present invention has the object to produce a gutter of the aforesaid kind, which requires a small amount of material, because it is made of a relatively thin material and comprises stiffeners, which imply that the gutter withstands the strains involved, for example snow and ice load, without deformations or fractures arising in the material. The outer fee end of the gutter also is stiffened in order to better withstand, for example, point loads.

The object of the invention is realised by a gutter, which has been given the characterising features defined in the attached claims.

An embodiment of the invention is described below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an end view of a gutter according to the invention; Figure 2 is a section along Il-Il in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematically shown end view of a known structural design in mounted state, and Figure 4 is a schematically shown end view of the gutter according to the invention in mounted state.

The gutter 1 shown in Figure 3 comprises a mounting part 2 and a collecting part 3.

The mounting part 2 is provided with corrugations 4, which extend across the longitudinal direction of the gutter and preferably have trapezoid cross-section, see Figure 2. The corrugations 4 have a low profile height, preferably of the magnitude of 3-5 mm.

As appears from Figure 1, the corrugations 4 extend fully halfway into the collecting part 3 and thereafter merge or diverge into the gutter surfaces, i.e. they disappear.

The arrangements of the corrugations 4 implies that the gutter 1 is given a higher carrying capacity in the direction of the corrugations 4, i.e.

the gutter 1 according to the invention has a better carrying capacity in respect of snow and ice than a gutter with corresponding material thickness has without corrugations. As it is the area in the transition between the mounting part and collecting part which is exposed to the greatest strains, the corrugations, some distance into the collecting part 3, can be allowed to extend into nothingness. This is extremely advantageous also from the aspect that the outer portion of the collecting part 3 which, thus, is not provided with any transverse corrugations, together with the bent-over edge 5, has a beam effect so as to distribute point loads on the free edge of the gutter 1 over several corrugations 4.

In the area of the rear gutter edge a stiffening groove 6 is provided, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the gutter, and due to which the rear free edge of the mounting part 2 shows less tendency to be bent upward between the mounting members, usually screws, which are used for anchoring the gutter at the roof base.

The structural gutter design according to known art shown in Figure 3 comprises gutter hooks 7, which are screwed or nailed on a board 8 extending along the roof base. In these gutter hooks 7, with suitable centre-to-centre spaced relationship, a gutter 9 is suspended. A base plate 10 is attached between the roofing 11 and gutter hooks 7, so that the free end of the base plate 10 extends down into the gutter 9.

It can be stated, thus, that the structural gutter design according to Figure 3 comprises three components, viz: gutter hooks, gutter and base plate. Due to the fact that the design comprises several components, problems arise both at storage and mounting.

As appears from Figure 4, the gutter 1 according to the invention is formed in one piece.

When the gutter 1 according to the invention is being mounted, the mounting part only is screwed or nailed on a board 8 extending along the roof base, and the mounting thereby is complete. It is, thus, not necessary to keep control of and amount several accessories. This is a great advantage.

In order to ensure free slope of the gutter, i.e.

that the water runs off the roof to the downpipe or over the end edge of the gutter, the gutter is positioned away from the roof base in the direction to which the water is desired to run.

The gutter according to the invention, of course, is not restricted to the embodiment described above. The cross-sectional shape of the corrugations as well as of the collecting part can be varied within the scope of the invention. It is thus fully possible that the corrugations have a sinuous cross-section and that the collecting part has a cross-section with substantially straight edges. The profile height and profile width of the corrugations 4 also can be varied.

It was stated above that the corrugations 4 terminate in the area of the lowest point of the collecting part in mounted state of gutter 1. This definition is to be regarded as approximate, i.e.

the corrugations 4 can be imagined to terminate a distance both before and after the lowest point of the collecting part 3. It is also possible that the corrugations 4 have a relatively immediate stepshaped termination.

The invention, thus, is in no way restricted to the embodiment described above, but can be varied freely within the scope of the attached

Claims (9)

claims. Claims

1. A gutter for collecting roof water and conducting it away, comprising a mounting part and a collecting part which are made in one piece, the mounting part and collecting part incorporating stiffening means therein which extend across the longitudinal direction of the gutter.

2. A gutter according to claim 1 wherein the stiffening means are corrugations.

3. A gutter according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the stiffening means in the collecting part terminate in the lowest point of said part in mounted state of the gutter.

4. A gutter according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein a stiffening device extending in the longitudinal direction of the gutter is located in the area of the free edge of the mounting part.

5. A gutter according to claim 4 wherein the stiffening device is a groove.

6. A gutter according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the corrugations extend all the way to the stiffening device.

7. A gutter according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the free edge of the collecting part is provided with a longitudinal stiffening.

8. A gutter according to claim 7 wherein the longitudinal stiffening is a bent-over edge.

9. A gutter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.