The present invention relates to a masking element assembly of a gutter system for draining precipitation water from building roofs, intended for concealing a gutter system that uses half-round gutters.

Systems that enable precipitation water to be drained from building roofs are known in the prior art. These systems comprise assemblies of elements for discharging rainwater, including masking elements.

A solution describing a hidden rain gutter for use with a roofing system, wherein the rain gutter is hidden between the roof structural frame and the roof surface layer in such a manner that the rainwater passing through the inlet opening is directed to the gutter trough, is known from United States Patent Application US2008127576 AA.

Hidden gutter systems are known, for example, a roof gutter masking including a uniform masking panel that is connected to the gutter by means of clips attached to a portion of the roof gutter and that includes four rows of longitudinal water discharge slots, each of which includes a downwardly-facing, longitudinal edge provided with a convex upper surface for directing water to the gutter, is known from United States Patent Application US2005274082 AA.

A rain gutter system for directional collection of rainwater flowing down from a building roof and for preventing contaminants from entering the gutter, comprising a gutter assembly including a gutter attached to a headboard and a cover assembly covering the gutter, the cover assembly including a one-piece screen provided with perforations that form a strainer for passing the water without contaminants, is known from United States Patent Application US2004244303 AA.

A commercially available Galeco (Galeco Sp. z o.o.) hidden gutter system including a steel gutter connected to a downpipe and provided with a masking frame covering the gutter: https://galeco.pl/produkty/system-rynnowy-galeco-bezokapowy [as of 2020-12-23], is also known.

A commercially available Siba Modern hidden gutter system (Ruukki Polska Sp. z o.o.) that allows downpipes to be hidden inside the facade and enables masking of the entire element assembly of the system [as of 2020-12-23]: https://www.ruukki.com/pol/dachy/produkty/systemy-rynnowe/sy stem-rynny-ukrytej, is also known.

A dewatering system of the the building roof without eaves, including: an eaves sheet (1), a head slat (2) fastened to the outer wall near the building roof-side edge, hooks (3) secured to the head slat (2) which embrace gutters (6) which have an inwardly-folded rear edge (7) and an arcuately outwardly-deflected front edge (8), a masking frame (10a) concealing the elements of the assembly in a frontal view, and a downpipe adjoined vertically to the gutter (6), is known from the patent description PL 222243 Bl. The hooks (3), on the outer contour of the arms, have at least one seat (4a, 4b) which is parallel to the axis of the gutter (6) and into which a grooveshaped beading (11) is inserted which is made along the masking frame and secured in the seats (4a, 4b), preferably by tubular rivets (15). The hook (3) has a channel cross-section with its arms facing the outside of the gutter (6), while the seats (4a, 4b) constitute trapezoidal cut-outs in these arms and have two centripetally-deflected wings which have a width that is equal to that of the bottom of the trapezoidal cut-outs and in which an opening for the tubular rivet (15) is made by way of assembling.

A masking frame of a half-round gutter, such that the masking frame is an L-shaped sheet profile (M) having a vertical arm (1) and a horizontal arm (2), where the vertical arm at the top has an on-gutter catch (3) in the form of an installation slat (4) which is parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the horizontal arm (2) and is ended by an installation protrusion (5) facing the inner side of the masking frame, and the horizontal arm at the rear edge has at least one sub-gutter catch (6) which constitutes an H-shaped or U-shaped perforation notch or mesh forming at least one catch tongue which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the masking frame (M) and which can be folded towards the inside of the L- shaped profile of the masking frame (M), is known from the patent description PL 233935 Bl.

A building roof-gutter holder is known from the patent application CH 671258 A5. The holder secures a roof gutter by a curved portion fitting round it. This portion (1) is of channel section and joins at one end onto a flat mounting lug (3). Both ends of the curved portion can be arranged to taper into flat pieces. The web of the channel-section can have an arched portion on the inside, while the tapering ends can be formed by twisting. A strip (6) can be fixed to each of the flat ends. A gutter supporting device having a rod (8) which is attached to a support arm (10) of the gutter by a flap (18) that is integrated to a free end of a bent part of the arm. The flap includes a connecting branch and a connecting branch and traverses an opening of the rod in a manner to rest against a rear side of the rod. The support arm has a fixing pin that fixes a reinforcement leg to the arm and covers an external side of the arm. An independent claim is also included for a process of fixation of a support arm to an assembly comprising a rod and a reinforcement leg of a device supporting a gutter.

The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the installation inconvenience related to the securing of masking frames on gutter systems. The aim is achieved through an additional element in the form of the structure of the masking frame hook assembly (ZHM) dedicated only to the masking element with a set bend and an additional element with appropriately arranged adjustment openings, whereby the system can be installed in a slope, which does not restrict a free and turbulence-free water flow, while maintaining a constant height of the masking element 3.

The masking assembly of a gutter system according to the present invention for a system of half-round gutters mounted on butt hooks fastened in a known manner to a head board which is attached to a building outer wall and which has a sub-gutter strip secured thereon in a known manner - including semi-circular shaped supporting hooks whose longer arm is provided with openings and which additionally have an element which is detachably connected to the masking element, which detachable element may be equipped with an elliptic-like shaped adjustment opening; a masking element which has a beading on its head surface and which is provided with an arcuate-shaped lower arm; a connecting element which connects the masking elements; a closing element which closes the masking element and which has a square-like shape in a longitudinal section, consists of: a. masking frame hook assembly (ZHM), wherein:

- a first fixing element has a shorter right arm (P) provided with installation openings with a diameter d2 which are situated in the longitudinal axis of the shorter right arm (P) at a distance Is from each other, and a longer left arm (L) having pairs of installation openings with an equal diameter di which are arranged in two parallel rows, a left row (RL) and a right (RP) row, in such a manner that the distance of the axis of the first opening in the right row from the edge of the end of the first fixing element is k, and the distance of the first opening in the left row from the edge of the end of the fixing element is greater relative to the distance k and is l ₂ , and the distance between the axes of the openings in each row is l ₃ , and further both rows are situated parallel to the longitudinal axis of the longer left arm (L), and the distance between the axes of the installation openings A1-A3 and A2-A4 is l ₄ ;

- a second fixing element has two adjustment openings with an equal length L and a width W, the centres of these openings being located at a distance Ig with respect to each other, and installation openings located at a distance l ₆ from the opposite end edges of the fixing element; and is provided with two arms with a semi-circular shape in a longitudinal section which face each other; b. a masking element which includes an upper fold constituting an upper arm of the masking element, the upper arm, with a broken profile in a longitudinal section, being formed by adjacent rectangular surfaces, where the first surface is folded at a right angle a, while each subsequent surface is folded at an obtuse angle p with respect to an adjacent surface in such a manner that the second surface is folded at an angle Pi, the third surface is folded at an angle p ₂ and pivoted outwardly with respect to the adjacent surfaces, while the fourth surface is folded at an angle p ₃ and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the masking element and is ended by a bend which is inward with respect to the slat of the masking element and which forms a slot between this surface and the bend thereof; and which includes a lower fold, constituting a lower arm of the masking element which is ended by an outwardly-facing, longitudinal bend located at a right angle a with respect to the edge of the lower arm; c. a connecting element which connects the masking element and which is provided with a centrally-located wide groove with a trapezoid-like shape in a longitudinal section, which connecting element includes an upper fold constituting an upper arm of the masking element, the upper arm, in a longitudinal section, forming a broken profile formed by adjacent rectangular surface, where the first surface is folded at a right angle a, while each subsequent surface is folded at an obtuse angle p with respect to an adjacent surface in such a manner that the second surface is folded at an angle pi, the third surface is folded at an angle P2 and pivoted outwardly with respect to the adjacent surfaces, while the fourth surface is folded at an angle P3 and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the masking element; and which includes a lower fold constituting an arcuate-shaped lower arm of the connecting element which is ended by an outwardly-facing, longitudinal bend located at a right angle a with respect to the edge of the lower arm; d. a closing element in the form of a head element, the upper arm of which has a projection with a rectangular trapezoid-like shape in a longitudinal section, where the arm of the trapezoid which forms right angles a constitutes a segment of the right lateral edge (KP) of the closing element, and the right lateral edge (KP) has a centrally-located wide groove with a trapezoid-like shaped longitudinal section; which closing element is provided with a right lateral fold which is located at a right angle a and has parallel cut-outs, an upper cut-out and a lower cut-out, located perpendicular to the right lateral edge (KP) and opposite to each other, the upper cut-out being at a distance l ₇ from the upper edge (KG) of the closing element, and the lower cut-out being at a distance l ₈ from the lower edge (KD) of the closing element; a longitudinal left lateral fold at a right angle a which is located parallel to the right lateral fold; an upper fold located at a right angle a with respect to the upper edge (KG) constituting a shorter base of the trapezoid which forms the projection; a lower fold which is located perpendicular to the lower edge (KD) of the closing element and which, from the side of the right lateral fold, is ended by a step.

The masking element assembly of a gutter system according to the present invention is set forth in an embodiment and shown in the drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a masking element in a perspective view; Fig. la shows a masking element in a longitudinal section; Fig. 2 shows a connecting element of the masking element in a perspective view; Fig. 2a shows a connecting element of the masking element in a longitudinal section; Fig. 3 shows a first fixing element of the ZHM in a longitudinal section; Fig. 3a shows a shorter right arm (P) of the first fixing element of the ZHM in a front view; Fig. 3b shows a longer left arm (L) of the first fixing element of the ZHM in a front view; Fig. 4 shows a second fixing element of the ZHM in a side view; Fig. 4a shows a head portion of the second fixing element of the ZHM in a front view; Fig. 5 shows the two connected fixing elements of the ZHM in a perspective view; Fig. 6 shows a closing element in a perspective view; Fig. 6a shows a head element of the closing element in a front view; Fig. 7 shows an element assembly according to the present invention in a perspective view which illustrates all the assembly elements.

The masking element assembly of a gutter system is used for a system of 3-4 rm/130 mm halfround gutters D mounted on known butt hooks B which have an arm diameter d=130 mm and which are fastened by means of wood screws with a length of 1=35 mm to the used head board A which has a 2 rm/190 mm sub-gutter strip C secured thereon.

The masking element assembly is formed by the following elements which are detachably connected with each other by means of threaded bolts: a masking frame hook assembly ZHM in the form of a first fixing element 1 and a second fixing element 2, a masking element 3, a connecting element 4 which connects the masking elements 3 with each other, closing elements 5. The semi-circular-shaped first fixing element 1 of the ZHM (Fig. 3) with a radius R=83.5 mm is provided with two parallel arms, a shorter right arm (P) (Fig. 3a) and a longer left arm (L) (Fig. 3b). The longer left arm (L) (Fig. 3b) has installation openings A1-A4 with a diameter di=6 mm which are arranged in two parallel rows, a left row (RL) and a right row (RP), in such a manner that the distance of the axis of the first opening Al in the right row (RP) from the edge of the end of the first fixing element is k=15 mm, and the distance of the first installation opening A3 in the left row (RL) from the edge of the end of the longer left arm (L) is k=27 mm, and the distance between the axes of the openings in each row is 13=40 mm, both rows (RP, RL) being situated parallel to the longitudinal axis of the longer left arm (L), and the distance between the axis of the installation openings Al, A2 in the left row (RL) and the axis of the installation openings A3, A4 in the right row (RP) being k=12 mm. The shorter right arm (P) (Fig. 3a) has installation openings A5, A6 with a diameter d2=7 mm which are situated in the longitudinal axis of the shorter right arm (P), at a distance Ig = 25 mm from each other.

The second fixing element 2 of the ZHM (Fig. 4, 4a) is in the form of a flat bar provided with elongated adjustment openings Bl, B2 with a length L=20 mm and a width W=7 mm, each being situated in the longitudinal axis of the second fixing element 2 with respect to the length L, with the centres of the openings Bl, B2 being located at a distance l ₅ = 25 mm from each other. The second fixing element 2 of the ZHM is additionally provided with installation openings A7, A8 with a diameter dg=6 mm which are located in the longitudinal axis of the second fixing element 2, at a distance lg=36 mm from the axes of the installation openings A7, A8 to the opposite end edges of the second fixing element 2. The installation openings A7, A8 function as auxiliary openings to which (in an undisclosed embodiment) metal profiles are optionally attached in order to suspend metal facade panels instead of the masking element 3. The second fixing element 2 has two arms, an upper arm 2a and a lower arm 2b, which face each other and which have a semi-circular shape and a radius R = 8 mm.

The masking element 3 ( Fig. 1, Fig. la) is in the form of a slat with a thickness G= 0,7 mm which is made of a continuously-coated, galvanized steel sheet and which is provided with a centrally-located wide groove 3d with a length L = 132 mm, with a trapezoid-like shape in a longitudinal section, with arms pivoted at an angle 6 = 30 ⁹ with respect to the longitudinal axis of the masking element 3, which slat includes a fold constituting an upper arm 3a of the masking element 3 which, in a longitudinal section, forms a broken profile formed by adjacent rectangular surfaces w-z, where the first surface w is folded at a right angle a, while each subsequent surface is folded at an obtuse angle p with respect to an adjacent surface in such a manner that the second surface x is folded at an angle Pi=100 ⁹ , the third surface is folded at an angle 2 = 160 ⁹ and pivoted outwardly with respect to the adjacent surface, while the fourth surface is folded at an angle Pa = 140 ⁹ and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the masking element 3 and is ended by a bend z' which is inward with respect to the slat of the masking element 3 and which forms a slot between this surface z and the bend z' thereof which stiffens the arm of the masking element 3. At the bottom, the masking element 3 is provided with a second fold 3b constituting an arcuate-shaped lower arm pivoted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the masking element 3 at an angle y = 70 ⁹ and ended by an outwardly-facing, longitudinal bend 3e fixed with respect to the edge of the lower arm 3b at a right angle a.

The connecting element 4 (Fig. 2, Fig. 2a) of the masking element 3 is in the form of a slat with a thickness G= 0.7 mm which is made of a continuously-coated, galvanized steel sheet and which is provided with a centrally-located wide groove 4c with a length L= 131 mm, with a trapezoid-like shape in a longitudinal section, and with arms inclined at an angle 6 =30 ⁹ with respect to the longitudinal axis of the connecting element 4, which slat includes a fold constituting an upper arm 4a of the connecting element 3 which, in a longitudinal section, forms a broken profile formed by adjacent rectangular surfaces r-u, where the first surface r is folded at a right angle a, while each subsequent surface is folded at an obtuse angle with respect to an adjacent surface in such a manner that the second surface s is folded at an angle Pi=110 ⁹ , the third surface is folded at an angle P2 = 160 ⁹ and pivoted outwardly with respect to the adjacent surfaces, while the fourth surface is folded at an angle Pa = 140 ⁹ and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the connecting element. At the bottom, the connecting element 4 is provided with a second fold 4b constituting an arcuate-shaped lower arm pivoted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the connecting element 4 at an angle y = 70 ⁹ and ended by an outwardly-facing, longitudinal bend 4e fixed with respect to the edge of the lower arm 3b at a right angle a. A closing element 5 (Fig. 6, Fig. 6a) is in the form of a flat head element with a square-like shape in a longitudinal section, the upper edge (KG) of which has a protrusion 5a with a shape rectangular trapezoid-like shape in a longitudinal section, the arm of the trapezoid which forms right angles a constituting at the same time a section of the right edge (KP) of the closing element 5, and the right edge (KP) having a centrally-located wide groove 5b with a length L = 65 mm and with a trapezoid-like shape in a longitudinal section, the lower edge (KD) being inclined at an obtuse angle P4= 93° with respect to the left edge (KL). The closing element 5 is provided with a right lateral fold 6 at a right angle a which has parallel cut-outs 6a, 6b located perpendicular to the lateral edge of the closing element 5 and opposite to each other, the upper cut-out 6a being at a distance l ₇ = 17 mm and the lower cut-out 6b at a distance ls = 18 mm from the end edges of the closing element 5. Additionally, the closing element 5 includes longitudinal folds 6 - 9 fixed at a right angle a with respect to the tangent edge thereof, the left fold 7 being located parallel to the right lateral fold 6; the upper fold 8 being tangent to the edge of the shorter base of the trapezoid which forms the protrusion 5a, the lower bend 9 being tangent to the lower edge (KD) and, from the side of the right lateral bend 6, ended by a step 9a on which the fold 3e of the lower arm 3b of the masking element 3 is mounted.

The masking element assembly of a gutter system is installed in such a manner that the left arm (L) of the first fixing element 1 of the ZHM is fastened to the headboard A through the installation openings Al - A4 by means of known wood screws with a length L = 35 mm. The second fixing element 2 is fastened to the right arm (P) of the first fixing element 1 at the location of the adjustment openings Bl, B2 through the installation openings A5, A6 by means of known fixing bolts in such a manner that the fixing bolts are passed through the installation opening A5 of the first fixing element 1 and through the adjustment opening Bl of the second fixing element 2 as well as through the installation opening A6 of the first fixing element 1 and through the adjustment opening B2 of the second fixing element 2 in order to connect both elements 1 and 2 into the masking frame hook assembly ZHM. In this manner, the longitudinal shape of the adjustment openings Bl, B2, their location and the spacing of the installation openings A5, A6 enable the position of the flat bar of the second fixing element 2 to be adjusted in an axial direction, which thereby enables the location of the masking element 3 to be adjusted at one level, regardless of the slope of the gutter system. The ability to match the elements of the masking system with the use of the sloping arrangement of the gutters is also defined by the depth of the first fixing element 1 of the ZHM which has a semicircular shape in a longitudinal section. The first fixing element 1 takes into account the slope of the gutter system, and thus the lowering of the gutter system elements, such as the butt hooks B of the gutter 1. The slope of the gutter 1 results in the gutter-supporting butt hooks B being lowered, up to the level of the alignment with the first fixing element 1 of the ZHM, that is, to the height of the mounting of the gutter 1, the target location being on the first fixing element 1. The depth of the semicircular bend of the first fixing element 1 allows to take into account the slope of the gutter system by 3 mm per 1 m of the length of the gutter 1, while maintaining a constant height of the masking element 3. Next, the masking element 3 is overlaid on the second installing element 2 of the ZHM in such a manner that the second fold 3b of the masking element 3 is inserted pivotally under the lower arm 2b of the second fixing while the fold constituting the upper arm 3a of the masking element 3 is rested on the upper arm 2a of the second fixing element 2. The longitudinal bend 3e of the masking element 3 which faces outwardly at a right angle a with respect to the edge of the lower arm 3b of the masking element 3 constitutes a shelf locking the lower arm 3b in place. Likewise, the longitudinal bend 4e of the connecting element 4 which faces outwardly at a right angle a with respect to the edge of the lower arm 4b of the connecting element 4 constitutes a shelf immobilizing the lower arm 4b. The individual slats of the masking element 3 are connected with each other and immobilized through the connecting element 4 which, due to its shape being similar to that of the masking element 3, is overlaid by press-fitting it on the tangentially-adjacent slats of the masking elements 3, thereby immobilizing them, in such a manner that the lower bend 4b is inserted by press-fitting it under the lower bend 3b of the masking element 3, and the surfaces r-u of the connecting element 4 are in close contact with the surfaces w-z of the masking element. The surfaces w-z and r-u form a "canopy" which, once the elements 3 and 4 have been installed, faces the inside of the gutter 1 and on which the precipitation water flows down directly to the gutter 1 trough. Once the end slats of the masking element 3 have been suspended under the roof structure, the closing elements 5 are overlaid thereon by press-fitting in such a manner that the upper fold 8 of the closing element 5 is inserted under the surface r of the masking element 3, the left lateral fold 7 is pressed against the head board A, the right lateral fold 6, once it has been inserted, is pressed against the slat of the masking element 3 in such a manner that the right lateral fold 6, along the entire length of the groove 5b, abuts the groove 3d of the masking element 3, while the cut-out 6a of the closing element 5 enters the upper arm of the groove 3d, and the cut-out 6b of the closing element 5 enters the lower arm of the groove 3d, a segment of the right lateral fold 6 which is located between the cut-out 6a and the upper fold 8 is pressed against an upper segment of the slat of the masking element 3 which is tangential to the surface w, while a lower segment of the slat of the closing element 5 which is located between the cut-out 6b and the lower fold 9 is pressed against a lower section of the slat of the masking element 3 which is tangential to the second fold 3b of the masking element 3. The lower