The present invention relates to a roofing tile.

Roofing tiles formed of plastic polymer material are available in the most varied shapes and present high mechanical properties and strength. These tiles, which are either substantially flat or are in the from of a semi-cylindrical body provided with coplanar lateral flanges, are fixed to the roof overlapping each other along an end or side edge, by a screw or nail through a hole suitably provided in their surface, which is then covered with a plug. These known tiles present however certain drawbacks and in particular:

- unreliable water-tightness in the region of the hole which, even if covered by the plug, in certain cases is not completely free of water infiltration,

- the tiles can lift one from another as a result of gusts of wind. The object of the invention is to eliminate these drawbacks by providing a roofing tile which is both reliably watertight and can be reliably fixed to the adjacent tiles.

This object is attained by a quadrilateral roofing tile as claimed in claim 1. A preferred embodiment of the present invention and a variant thereof are described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a roofing tile according to the invention seen from above, Figure 2 is a perspective view thereof seen from below,

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show steps in their assembly,

- -

Figures 7 and 8 are a plan view of a variant seen from below and from above, and Figures 9 and 10 show enlarged details of the coupling ends.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the tile of the invention is of substantially square shape with a smooth upper surface 2, its lower surface 4 comprising a plurality of stiffening ribs 6.

In the description the terms "lower" and "upper" are used to indicate that surface facing the roof and that facing outwards respectively, the terms "transverse" and "longitudinal" being used to indicate those directions parallel and respectively perpendicular to the gutter line.

The tile is bent downwards through 90° along a first edge to form a first flange 8, the inner surface of which comprises a plurality of appendices perpendicular thereto, and is bent upwards through 90° along its parallel edge to form a second flange 12 comprising a plurality of slots 14. The number of slots 14 corresponds to the number of appendices 10 and have the same distance between axes.

Along one of its longitudinal edges the upper surface of the tile comprises a depression forming a drainage channel 16 for rain water and is provided with directional drop breaker ribs 18. The tile is also provided at the ends of the side containing the second flange with a bush 20 and an appendix

22 which allow insertion of the screws or nails for its fixing to the roof.

Finally the lower surface of the tile presents a rib 24 which together with the downwardly bent edge 26 forms a channel 16 complementary to the channel 16. The tile of the invention is applied to the roof in the following manner.

- -

A first tile is applied along the gutter line so that the first edge 8 is substantially flush with the gutter line and is then fixed to the roof by screws or nails inserted through the bush 20.

A second tile is then applied adjacent to the preceding such that the channel 28 is superposed on the channel 16 and the appendix 22 and bush 20 are mutually superposed, so enabling a second nail to be inserted.

When the row has been completed, that tile which was the first one to be fixed is overlapped by a tile such that its edge 8 rests on the smooth surface (see Figure 4). Said tile is then pulled towards the ridge so that the appendices 10 engage in the slots 14 (see Figure 5). By virtue of this traction the upper transverse edge of the lower tile becomes covered by the lower transverse edge of the overlapping tile, to hence mask the appendices and bushes.

The tile engaged in this manner is then fixed in that configuration by inserting nails through the bush 20.

It should be noted that the connection between the tiles of the first row (the gutter row) and those of the upper row can be achieved even if the tiles are offset, as the mutual arrangement of the appendices and slots allows various degrees of offset depending on the number n of slots. In the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 the tile comprises a semi-cylindrical body 30, from the longitudinal edges of which there extend two coplanar flanges 32.

The two flanges have those transverse edges 34 closer to the gutter line bent through 90° and comprise U-shaped ribs 38 for engagement as an insertion fit into corresponding U-shaped seats 40 provided in those transverse edges 42 more distant from the gutter line.

- -

The tiles are provided with a bush 44 and an appendix 46 for their fixing to the roof and have their upper surface provided with a rainwater drain channel 48 cooperating with a channel 50 present on their lower side.

The tiles of this embodiment are also applied by applying a first tile along the gutter line with its edge 34 flush with the gutter line, then fixing it to the roof by screws or nails inserted through the bushes. Again in this case a second tile is applied adjacent to the preceding such that the channel 50 is superposed on the channel 48 and the appendix 46 and bush 40 are mutually superposed to enable a second nail to be inserted. From the aforegoing it is apparent that the tile of the invention presents numerous advantages, and in particular:

- it provides reliable water-tightness as the regions through which the screws or nails are inserted are covered by the overlying tile,

- it provides reliable resistance to stresses by wind gusts as lifting is prevented in both directions, by virtue of the double longitudinal and transverse insertion fit.