| Claims Claim 1: A rainwater gutter for the removal of rainwater from a roof that will due to the shape and design allows rainwater in but omits debris from entering the rainwater gutter. Claim 2: A rainwater gutter as in claim 1 for cleaner rainwater to reduce costs for filtration when used for rainwater harvesting. |
Introduction:
The present invention relates to a gutter for mounting on the fascia of a building, such gutters are widely used to collect rainwater from the roof of the building and direct it conveniently to the drain.
The majority of gutters comprise of open semi-circular channels or similar located on the fascia of the building such that rainwater flows from the roof into the open channel and is then directed into the drain via a downpipe. This type of gutter is manufactured from polyethylene, aluminium or metal.
Open Channels are subject to a number of problems including the collection of debris, such as leaves, moss and the like, resulting in blockages which reduce the efficacy of the gutter and must be removed by cleaning the gutter. The cleaning operation can be complicated and time-consuming and often requires the use of ladders or access machinery to access the gutters with their associated safety concerns. Additionally, once the debris gathers in the gutter, this causes vegetation to grow which will cause further blockages and unsightly damage to the building.
It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide a rainwater gutter that overcomes most of the above-mentioned problems. Statement of Invention
According to the invention there is provided a gutter for mounting on the fascia of a building the gutter comprising of a curved element having an upper curved part and a lower curved part terminating in a free end, wherein the lower curved part extends to form a substantially cylindrical channel having a narrow opening adjacent to the top thereof, wherein the free end approaches but is divided from the upper curved section, thus forming the opening. In this way, rainwater will flow from the roof onto the S shaped curved element, where, due to the contour of the gutter and the surface tension of the water, the rainwater will flow along the S-shaped curved section and into the opening in the channel, while the debris such as leaves and moss will not be able to pass through the opening and will therefore not enter the channel. Furthermore the narrowness of the opening will minimise the amount of light that enters the channel, thereby minimising the growth of any vegetation that might occur in the channel. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a gutter in which the S-shaped curved element can be manufactured by extruding polythene in sections supported on brackets with joints at convenient intervals with a rubber gasket to form a continuous section to terminate at an outlet formed from a similar material to enter a conventional downpipe.
In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a gutter which is
manufactured from aluminium. This would be produced by a forming machine on site. It would be supported by brackets at regular intervals and terminate at an end from an outlet into a conventional downpipe. According to the invention there is provided a method of cleaning the gutter comprising the steps of passing a hose, for example that of a jetting machine, through the downpipe, up to the gutter where it would rest in the substantially cylindrical channel; spraying water into the substantially circular channel. This is a particularly convenient method of cleaning the gutter of invention as it is not necessary to use ladders to access the gutter.
Detailed description of the Invention
The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig.1 is a diagrammatic representation of a cross section of the gutter according to the invention, mounted on a fascia.
Fig.2 is a perspective view of the gutter in place on the building.
Fig. 3 is of the outlet. Fig. 4 is of the joint. Fig.5 is of the internal corner. Fig. 6 is of the external corner. Referring to the drawings, and initially to Fig. 1 thereof, there is shown a gutter indicated generally by the reference numeral 100, comprising substantially of and S- shaped curved element, having an upper part 102 and having a lower part 104 and terminating at 106 to form a substantially cylindrical channel 110, where the cylindrical section terminates at 106 there is a gap 108 which allows the rainwater to enter the channel. There is a folded section at the top of 100 to form a point 114 to which a bracket 200 will fit to hold the top of the gutter. There is a slot 114 on the external side of 104 which holds the outer end of the bracket 200, thus holding the whole element in place, this will also assist with maintaining a constant opening at 108. There is a webbing 202 on the bracket 200 to give added strength. There are fixing holes 204 in the brackets for fitting screws to the fascia 206. The brackets are of varying depths, this is to allow for different overhangs from the roof covering 120 to allow the roof covering to sit on top of the gutter. The rainwater from the gutter enters the downpipe by means of an outlet 300 as in Fig.3. The downpipe is fitted to the gutter in a similar way as the jointing section 400. There is a rubber gasket 402 into which the gutter rests in the jointing section which forms a seal when clipped into place. The internal and external corners can include an outlet as it would be a convenient location for an outlet.