Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
i29~6Z~i
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an eavestrough
assembly in which the eavestrough section is designed to
create a high rate of water flow therethrough with
substantially no torque action on the eavestrough section.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A traditional eavestrough comprises a generally
rounded eavestrough section with a mounting bracket
secured at one side of the eavestrough section. This
mounting bracket then extends beneath to the other side of
the eavestrough section.
There are two primary drawbacks with conventional
eavestrough sections as described above. Firstly, because
of their rounded nature they tend to have a very wide
surface area over which water flows through the
eavestrough section. This results in a relatively slow
water flow without the ability to carry leaves, sediment
and debris, etc. along the eavestrough.
In addition, and again as a result of the
relatively wide flow path along a conventional
eavestrough, there is a substantial amount of torque or
twisting outwardly away from the point at which the
eavestrough is secured to a building or the like. This is
very evident by simply looking at most eavestroughs and
seeing how they have either been bent downwardly or
actually pulled away from the building.
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1 A second major drawback with standard eavestrough
construction is that during periods of freezing the
typical rounded design does not shed water well and allows
for the buildup of large icicles which is again very
evident on almost all eavestrough.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
.
The present invention provides an eavestrough
section for use in an eavestrough assembly whereby the
section itself is designed to overcome the problems
described above. More particularly, the eavestrough
section of the present invention comprises a first
interior flat wall set in a vertical posi-tion and having a
bottom end meeting at a sharp angle with a second flat
wall and thereby creating a water trough at -the juncture
between the two walls. The second flat wall is set in an
upwardly-outwardly angled position and has an outer end
terminating at a short vertical stud mounting wall section
parallel to the first wall.
With the arrangement as described above, the
sharp angled water trough or flow region is located
immediately beneath and in line with the location at which
the eavestrough section is mounted to a building. The
interior wall presents no ice buildup surface whatsoever,
while the outwardly angled wall has very little grip
surface for the buildup of ice.
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1 BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above as well as other advantages and
features of the present invention will be described in
greater detail according to the preferred embodiments of
the present invention in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an
eavestrough assembly according to a preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 2 is sectional view through the upper end
of the inner vertical wall of the eavestrough section from
Figure l;
Figure 3 is an assembled perspective view of the
eavestrough assembly of Figure 1 when mounted to a
building.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Figure 1 shows the components of the overall
eavestrough assembly. These components comprise an
eavestrough section 1, a screen 11 for removably mounting
to the eavestrough section and a mounting stud or screw 19.
Eavestrough section 1 comprises a first interior
flat wall 3 and a second flat wall 5 joining at the base
of the interior wall and extending upwardly, outwardly
therefrom. The juncture of these two walls creates a
sharply defined or angled trough or water flow region 7.
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1 Extending upwardly from the outer end of wall 5
is a third short stud mount wall section 9. The upper end
of this stud mount wall section is level or coterminous
with the upper end of interior wall 3.
The mounting of the eavestrough section to the
building as shown in Figure 3 is designed for fast and
efficient do-it-yourself installation. The trough section
can either be prepunched, as indicated at 17, or it can be
left solid for the do-it-yourself to punch at desired
locations. The mounting screw or stud 19 which includes a
self-tapping inner end 21 and an enlarged head 23 with a
screw drive is simply forced through the opening punched
in stud mount 19 for penetration directly through the
interior wall 3 and tapping into the building as again
shown in Figure 3. Located immediately next to the head
23 on the stud mount is a small recess 25 which when the
stud has fully penetrated the eavestrough section provides
a bracket-like hanger at the stud mount wall section 9.
As will be clearly apparent from the drawings,
the interior wall is completely hidden from ice buildup
and the like and the outwardly angled wall does not
present any curving surfaces which might otherwise allow
the buildup of ice on the bottom of the eavestrough
section. In addition, all water flowing through the
eavestrough section will immediately move to the sharply
angled trough area 7 resulting in an extremely high flow
rate through and self-cleaning properties of the
eavestrough. In addition, this flow area is directly
beneath and in line with the point at which stud 19
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1 penetrates the building, i.e. the area of maximum strength
of, with substantially no torquing or twisting on the
eavestrough. Essentially all the weight carried by the
eavestrough hangs directly down from the secured end of
the stud and is supported inwardly by the building itself.
Screen 11 is designed to snap in and out of
eavestrough section 1. The fitting of the screen,
designed for preventing leaves from getting down into the
eavestrough, is best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.
Here it will be seen that the screen includes outer
V-shaped ends 12 designed to fit into small screen
receiving channels to either side of the eavestrough. In
particular, the upper end of interior wall 3 is provided
with channel 13 with channel 15 being provided to the
outside of the eavestrough section. Each of these
channels is provided with an inwardly directed ridge for
releasably locking with the V-shaped outer ends 12 of
screen 11. Again, Figure 2 shows channel 13 provided with
inwardly directed ridge 14 engaging the outer end of the
screen. A similar ridge and screen engagement is provided
to the outside of the eavestrough section.
For mounting purposes, the screen, which has
elastic properties, is simply deformed or bent as shown in
Figure 3 to snap into the two channels at either side of
the eavestrough section. It is then held in position by
its own expansion properties and can be quickly and easily
snapped out of position by manually collapsing the screen.
It will now be seen how the eavestrough assembly
of the present invention, which is specifically designed
for the do-it-yourselfer, has high water flow
1~:9~24
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1 self-cleaning characteristics with structural integrity
designed specifically to prevent pulling of the
eavestrough section away from the building to which it is
mounted.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
invention have been described in detail, it will be
appreciated that variations may be made without departing
from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the
appended claims.
5078A
