AU2011239327B2

AU2011239327B2 - Roofing Gutter Sump

Info

Publication number: AU2011239327B2
Application number: AU2011239327A
Authority: AU
Inventors: James Bogdanov; Tony Davey
Original assignee: Davey Anthony Selwyn
Current assignee: Davey Anthony Selwyn
Priority date: 2010-12-15
Filing date: 2011-10-26
Publication date: 2017-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2031-10-26
Also published as: AU2011239327A1

Abstract

Abstract A sump 10 for a roofing gutter, the sump 10 comprising a recessed rainwater 5 collection portion 12, having a lip 14 for attaching the sump 10 to a roofing gutter. The sump 10 also includes a rainwater spout portion 16 depending downwards from the rainwater collection portion 12 for directing rainwater collected in the rainwater collection portion 12 into a downpipe. The spout portion 16 preferably has a frusto-conical shape. The sump 10 further 10 comprises a cylindrical neck portion 18 attached to a lower end of the spout portion 16 for connecting the sump to a downpipe. Drawing suggested to accompany the Abstract: Figure 1 Inn

Description

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ORIGINAL

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

Invention title: “ROOFING GUTTER SUMP”

Applicant:

JAMES BOGDANOV

Priority Application Numbers:

Innovation patent number: 2010101164 Provisional application: 2010905490

The following statement is a full description of the Invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 2011239327 26 Oct 2011 “ROOFING GUTTER SUMP”

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a sump for a roofing gutter and relates 5 particularly, though not exclusively, to such a sump for a roofing box gutter.

Background to the Invention

Commercial and industrial buildings often have a very large roof area. When it rains it is necessary for the rainwater to be able to be safely conveyed off 10 the roof into a storm water drainage system away from the building. For this purpose rooves of large commercial and industrial buildings are often fitted with box gutters which have the capacity to capture large volumes of rainwater draining from the roof and convey the rainwater to downpipes. An important component in such a roofing gutter system is the provision of a 15 suitable rain head or sump for directing the rainwater from the gutter into a downpipe.

Prior art rain heads or sumps for box gutters typically comprise a rectangular box made of sheet metal with a connecting pipe located centrally in the base of the box for connection to a downpipe. The metal rain head has to be 20 riveted or screwed into a purpose-cut hole in the box gutter. One of the problems with these prior art sumps is that over time the sheet metal and/or fasteners rust or corrode and have to be replaced. To overcome the problems with corrosion prior art rain heads made of PVC or other plastics material are known. To attach these prior art rain heads to a box gutter a hole 25 is cut in the base of the gutter and the rain head is attached from underneath. One of the problems with these prior art rain heads is that fast-flowing rainwater tends to overshoot the mouth of the rain head rather than being directed downwards into the downpipe.

The present invention was developed with a view to providing an improved 30 roofing gutter sump for box gutters that is more effective in directing large 2011239327 28 Mar 2017 3 volumes of rainwater into a downpipe. It will be understood that the sump may also be applied to other types of roofing gutters.

References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is 5 part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a sump for a roofing gutter, the sump comprising: a recessed rectangular shaped rainwater collection portion, having a lip for 10 attaching the sump to a roofing gutter, and having side walls extending down to a floor; and a circular cross-section, frustro-conical rainwater spout portion depending downwards from the floor of the rainwater collection portion for directing rainwater collected in the rainwater collection portion into a downpipe. 15 Preferably the sump further comprises a cylindrical neck portion attached to a lower end of the spout portion for connecting the sump to a downpipe.

Typically the recessed rainwater collection portion is rectangular in shape and is sized to fit in the base of a box gutter. Most preferably the recessed rainwater collection portion is square-shaped. Preferably the rainwater collection portion 20 extends substantially the full width of the base of the box gutter.

Preferably the rainwater collection portion is formed with four side walls which extend in a substantially vertical direction when the sump is viewed in an upright position. Typically the rainwater collection portion further comprises a floor which extends in a substantially horizontal direction when the sump is 25 viewed in an upright position, and wherein the side walls extend from the floor to the lip which also extends in a substantially horizontal direction. Advantageously the lip is attached to the base of the box gutter so that the rainwater collection portion is recessed into the base of the gutter, and wherein 4 2011239327 28 Mar 2017 the side walls are of a height designed to give the rainwater collection portion a typical depth of between 50mm -100mm.

Preferably the frusto-conical spout portion is positioned centrally in the floor of the rainwater collection portion. In one embodiment the frusto-conical spout 5 portion is formed in two sections, a first section which extends downwards from a mouth with a first maximum diameter to a first minimum diameter at its lower end, and a second section which is also of frusto-conical shape but has a much shallower slope and extends downwards from a mouth with a second maximum diameter to a second minimum diameter substantially equal to the 10 first maximum diameter at the mouth of the first section. Typically the mouth of the second section of the spout portion has a diameter equal to substantially the full width of the floor of the rainwater collection portion.Typically the spout portion extends downwards from a maximum diameter of between 350-450mm at its mouth to a minimum diameter of approximately 150mm at its lower end. 15 Advantageously the neck portion is formed with an annular stepped collar, the stepped collar providing a dual fitting to permit a downpipe, or other roof plumbing fitting, to be connected to either the outside or the inside of the neck portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a roofing 20 box gutter manufactured from plastics material and adapted to receive a sump as defined above therein.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but 25 not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word “preferably” or variations such as “preferred”, will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention. 30 2011239327 28 Mar 2017 5

Brief Description of the Drawings

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of a roofing gutter sump, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 5 Figure 1 is top perspective view of a first embodiment of a roofing gutter sump according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the roofing gutter sump of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the roofing gutter sump of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a roofing 10 gutter sump according to the present invention;

Figure 5 is bottom perspective view of the roofing gutter sump of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is top perspective view of a third embodiment of a roofing gutter sump according to the present invention;

Figure 7 is bottom perspective view of the roofing gutter sump of Figure 6; 15 Figure 8 is top perspective view of a roofing box gutter incorporating a roofing gutter sump according to the present invention;

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a fourth embodiment of a roofing gutter sump according to the present invention. 20 Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments A first embodiment of a roofing gutter sump 10 in accordance with the invention, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, comprises a recessed rainwater collection portion 12, having a lip 14 for attaching the sump to a roofing gutter (not shown). In this, and in each of the subsequently illustrated embodiments, 25 the recessed rainwater collection portion 12 is rectangular in shape and is sized to fit in the base of a box gutter. However it will be appreciated that the 6 2011239327 28 Mar 2017 rainwater collection portion may also be formed in other shapes, for example, a circular shape. A rainwater spout portion 16, depending downwards from the rainwater collection portion 12, is provided for directing rainwater collected in the 5 rainwater collection portion into a downpipe (not shown). The spout portion 16 has a frusto-conical shape, and as can be seen in the drawings, has a circular cross-section throughout its axial extent. The sump 10 further comprises a cylindrical neck portion 18 attached to a lower end of the spout portion 16 for connecting the sump to a downpipe. 10 The rainwater collection portion 12 is typically square-shaped and formed with four side walls 13, which extend in a substantially vertical direction when the sump 10 is viewed in an upright position as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The rainwater collection portion 12 further comprises a floor 15 which extends in a substantially horizontal direction when the sump 10 is viewed in an upright 15 position as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The side walls 13 extend from the floor 15 to the lip 14 which also extends in a substantially horizontal direction.

The lip 14 is attached to the base of the box gutter (see Figure 8) so that the rainwater collection portion 12 is recessed into the base of the gutter. Preferably the rainwater collection portion 12 extends substantially the full 20 width of the base of the box gutter. In this way the rainwater collection portion 12 forms an effective collection cavity for the rainwater (and any debris carried along by the water) flowing in the gutter. The side walls 13 are of a height designed to give the rainwater collection portion 12 a typical depth of between 50mm -100mm. In this embodiment the rainwater collection portion has a 25 depth of about 50mm.

Preferably the frusto-conical spout portion 16 is positioned centrally in the floor 15 of the rectangular rainwater collection portion 12. In this embodiment, the spout portion extends downwards from a maximum diameter of approximately 350mm at its mouth to a minimum diameter of approximately 150mm at its 30 lower end. The shape of the spout portion helps to direct the flow of rainwater into the downpipe in a spiral flow. At its lower end the spout portion 16 joins to 7 2011239327 28 Mar 2017 the cylindrical neck portion 18 which has an internal diameter of approximately 150mm. Advantageously the neck portion 18 is formed with a annular stepped collar 19, as can be seen most clearly in Figure 3. The stepped collar 19 provides a dual fitting to permit a downpipe, or other roof plumbing fitting, to 5 be connected to either the outside or the inside of the neck portion 18.

The sump 10 is preferably manufactured from plastics moulded UV stabilised polypropylene with a wall thickness of 4mm. Advantageously all the parts of the sump 10 are moulded together as a single integral item. The sump 10 may be attached by the lip 14 to the base of a box gutter using conventional 10 fasteners, such as pop-rivets, tech screws and/or glue. The lip 14 may be attached to the inside or the outside surface of the base of the box gutter.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of a sump 20 according to the invention. Many parts of the sump 20 are similar to the corresponding parts in the first embodiment of the sump 10, and therefore the same reference 15 numerals are used to identify the similar parts, and they will not be described again in detail. The main differences between the sump 20 and the previous embodiment are in the depth of the rainwater collection portion 12, and the maximum diameter of the spout portion 16. In sump 20 the side walls 22 are of a height designed to give the rainwater collection portion 12a depth of about 20 100mm. Likewise the maximum diameter (at the mouth ) of the frusto-conical spout portion 16 in this embodiment is also larger, at about 450mm. As can be seen most clearly in Figure 4, the mouth of the spout portion 16 extends substantially the fill width of the base 25 of the rainwater collection portion 12. It will be appreciated that these increased dimensions give the sump 20 25 increased capacity to collect the rainwater and direct it into a downpipe.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a third embodiment of a sump 30 according to the invention. Many parts of the sump 30 are similar to the corresponding parts in the first embodiment of the sump 10, and therefore the same reference numerals are used to identify the similar parts, and they will not be described 30 again in detail. The main differences between the sump 30 and the sump 10 are in the depth of the rainwater collection portion 12, and the arrangement of 8 2011239327 28 Mar 2017 the spout portion 36. In sump 30, (as in sump 20), the side walls 22 are of a height designed to give the rainwater collection portion 12 a depth of about 100mm. The frusto-conical spout portion 36 is formed in two sections. A first section 32 is of similar shape to the spout portion 16 of the first 5 embodiment, and extends downwards from a maximum diameter of approximately 350mm to a minimum diameter of approximately 150mm at its lower end. A second section 34 is also of frusto-conical shape but has a much shallower slope and extends downwards from a maximum diameter of approximately 450mm to a minimum diameter of approximately 350mm at the 10 mouth of the first section 32. It will be seen that the mouth of the second section 34 of the spout portion 36 has a diameter equal to substantially the full width of the floor of the rainwater collection portion 12 (similar to the second embodiment described above).

Figure 8 illustrates a section of roofing box gutter 40 with a sump 20 according 15 to the present invention incorporated therein. Advantageously the box gutter 40 may itself also be manufactured from extruded or moulded plastics material, such as polypropylene, with a square hole for the sump already preformed therein. The sump 20 can therefore be fixed to the gutter 40 with a suitable plastics adhesive or by heat welding. 20 Figure 9 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a sump 50 according to the invention. Many parts of the sump 50 are similar to the corresponding parts in the first embodiment of the sump 10, and therefore the same reference numerals are used to identify the similar parts, and they will not be described again in detail. The main differences between the sump 50 and the previous 25 embodiments is in the neck portion 18.

At its lower end the spout portion 16 joins to the cylindrical neck portion 52. Advantageously the neck portion 52 is formed with a stepped configuration. The stepped neck portion 52 has three sections, a first section 54 with an outer diameter of 150mm, a second section 56 with an outer diameter of 100mm, 30 and a third section 58 with an outer diameter of 90mm. The stepped neck portion 52 provides an adjustable fitting to permit a downpipe, or other roof 2011239327 28 Mar 2017 9 plumbing fitting of varied diameter, to be connected to the neck portion 52. If the first section 54 is intended to be used, then the second and third sections can be cut off with a saw. Likewise, if the second section 56 is intended to be used, then the third section 58 can be removed. 5 Now that preferred embodiments of the roofing gutter sump have been described in detail, it will be apparent that the described embodiments provide a number of advantages over the prior art, including the following: (i) There are no problems with rust or corrosion and the material from which the sumps are made is similar to other roof plumbing products and is easy to 10 work with. (ii) The design of the sumps with an integral rainwater collection portion ensures effective rainwater collection and redirection of rainwater flow into a downpipe. (iii) The sumps can be readily incorporated into a box gutter made from a 15 similar plastics material or other material.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example, the spout portion 20 may also incorporate a section which is not of frusto-conical shape and which forms a transition between the rectangular floor of the rainwater collection portion and the circular mouth of the spout portion. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described.

Claims

The Claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A sump for a roofing gutter, the sump comprising: a recessed rectangular shaped rainwater collection portion, having a lip for attaching the sump to a roofing gutter, and having side walls extending down to a floor; and a circular cross-section, frustro-conical rainwater spout portion depending downwards from the floor of the rainwater collection portion for directing rainwater collected in the rainwater collection portion into a downpipe.
2. A sump as defined in claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical neck portion attached to a lower end of the spout portion for connecting the sump to a downpipe.
3. A sump as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the recessed rainwater collection portion is rectangular in shape and is sized to fit in a base of a box gutter.
4. A sump as defined in claim 3, wherein the recessed rainwater collection portion is square-shaped.
5. A sump as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rainwater collection portion extends substantially the full width of the base of the box gutter.
6. A sump as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rainwater collection portion is formed with four side walls which extend in a substantially vertical direction when the sump is viewed in an upright position.
7. A sump as defined in claim 6, wherein the rainwater collection portion further comprises a floor which extends in a substantially horizontal direction when the sump is viewed in an upright position, and wherein the side walls extend from the floor to the lip which also extends in a substantially horizontal direction.
8. A sump as defined in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the lip is attached to the base of the box gutter so that the rainwater collection portion is recessed into the base of the gutter, and wherein the side walls are of a height designed to give the rainwater collection portion a typical depth of between 50mm -100mm.
9. A sump as defined in any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein the frusto-conical spout portion is positioned centrally in the floor of the rainwater collection portion.
10. A sump as defined in claim 9, wherein the frusto-conical spout portion is formed in two sections, a first section which extends downwards from a mouth with a first maximum diameter to a first minimum diameter at its lower end, and a second section which is also of frusto-conical shape but has a much shallower slope and extends downwards from a mouth with a second maximum diameter to a second minimum diameter substantially equal to the first maximum diameter at the mouth of the first section.
11. A sump as defined in claim 10, wherein the mouth of the second section of the spout portion has a diameter equal to substantially the full width of the floor of the rainwater collection portion.
12. A sump as defined in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the spout portion extends downwards from a maximum diameter of between 350-450mm at its mouth to a minimum diameter of approximately 150mm at its lower end.
13. A sump as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the neck portion is formed with an annular stepped collar, the stepped collar providing a dual fitting to permit a downpipe, or other roof plumbing fitting, to be connected to either the outside or the inside of the neck portion.
14. A roofing box gutter manufactured from plastics material and adapted to receive a sump as defined in any one of the preceding claims.