GB2104120A

GB2104120A - Sealing arrangements in gutters

Info

Publication number: GB2104120A
Application number: GB08124327A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Upton
Original assignee: POSICLIP Ltd
Current assignee: POSICLIP Ltd
Priority date: 1981-08-08
Filing date: 1981-08-08
Publication date: 1983-03-02
Also published as: GB2104120B

Abstract

Retaining member 11 snap- engages gutter section 1 to trap seal 17 therebetween. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sealing arrangements in gutters or the like This invention relates to sealing arrangements in gutters or the like, and is particularly although not exclusively concerned with gutters made of thermoplastics materials.

When a joint is made between two parts of a plastics gutter, for example, between two adjacent runs of guttering, or between one run of guttering and a fitting, it is customary to provide a seal of rubber or the like at a socket end of one part of the gutter. The respective end of the adjacent part of the gutter is then placed into this socket end, in engagement with the seal.

Conventionally, the seal is applied by adhesive to the thermoplastics material of the gutter part.

This has the disadvantage that an extra manufacturing operation is required to apply the adhesive, and also there is the disadvantage that the adhesion may not always be totally reliable, that the seal may tend to come away.

The present invention aims to provide a sealing arrangement in a gutter or the like, which may be improved in the foregoing respects. Preferred embodiments of the present invention aim to provide such sealing arrangements comprising parts of thermoplastics material, which are particularly susceptible to manufacture by injection moulding, in a simple and economic manner.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sealing arrangement in a gutter or the like, the arrangement comprising a gutter section and a retaining member adapted to engage the gutter section in a snap-engaging manner to trap a seal therebetween.

Preferably, the gutter section and the retaining member are each moulded of a thermoplastics material. The gutter section may be any part of a guttering system, such as a run of guttering, or a gutter fitting, such as, for example, a rightangle bend.

Preferably, the external surface of the retaining member conforms to the internal surface of the gutter section.

In order to provide the snap engagement between the retaining member and the gutter section, one of the retaining member and gutter section is provided with projections which snapengage in respective apertures provided in the other of the gutter section and retaining member.

Each of said projections and recesses is of circular cross-section, which may facilitate economical injection moulding. If desired, at least one of said projections and/or its respective aperture may taper. Preferably, at least two of said projections extend in mutually opposite directions, which may provide enhanced securement of the retaining member in the gutter section. In an especially advantageous arrangement, three said projections are provided, one of which extends in an opposite direction to the other two projections.

Preferably, said projections are provided on the retaining member, and said corresponding recesses are provided on the gutter section. In an advantageous arrangement, at least one of said recesses is provided in a securing flange extending partially over the open (top) part of the gutter section.

The retaining member and the gutter section preferably define therebetween a channel in which a seal may be trapped. The channel may advantageously be of substantially dovetail section.

The gutter section may be of any desired shape, such as, for example, semi-circular, part rectangular or part trapezoidal.

The invention also includes a sealing arrangement in accordance with said one aspect of the invention, together with a seal trapped between said gutter section and said retaining member.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a gutter section for use in a sealing arrangement in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof; Figures 3 and 4 are respectively an end elevation and a side elevation of a retaining clip for use with the gutter section; Figure 5 is a cross-section of a seal for use with the gutter section and retaining clip; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a sealing arrangement formed of the gutter section, retaining clip and seal; and Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line VIl-VIl of Figure 6.

The gutter section shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a right-angle bend fitting 1, affording identical sockets 2 at each of two ends thereof.

The fitting 1 is of semi-circular section, and at each of the sockets 2, the fitting 1 is provided with two successively enlarged diameter portions 3 and 4. A pair of securing flanges 5, each having a lip 6, is provided to extend partially over the top open surface of the fitting 1, at each socket 2. A tapered internal wall portion 7 is provided between the two enlarged diameter portions 3 and 4. A shoulder 8 is provided at one end of the enlarged diameter portion 3. A respective circular hole 9 is provided in each flange 5. Afurther circular hole 10 is provided centrally of the socket 2, at the base thereof.

The configuration of the fitting 1, particularly having regard to the orientation and shapes of the holes 9 and 10, is such that it may be readily moulded from thermoplastics material, in an injection moulding process. The holes 9 and 10 are aligned in "the line of draw", such that the mould parts may be withdrawn from the holes 9 and 10 in a straight line, along the axes thereof.

The retaining clip 11, shown in Figures 3 and 4, is also injection moulded of the thermoplastics material, its configuration also being such as to facilitate such moulding. It will be seen that the retaining clip 11 is also of semi-circular shape, to conform to the internal cross-section of the fitting 1. It is provided at its upper part with two projections 12, which are adapted to engage the holes 9 respectively. Each of the projections 12 is of circular cross-section, but tapers somewhat upwardly, as shown, to assist location of the projections 12 in the holes 9. The retaining clip is also provided with a single central projection 13, which projects downwardly, in an opposite direction to the projections 1 2. The retaining clip 11 has two bevelled faces 14 and 15, which are bevelled in opposite directions.The bevelled face 1 5 is adapted to mate with a correspondingly bevelled face 1 6 on the fitting 1. The bevelled face 14 is adapted to co-operate with the inclined face 7 on the fitting 1, as will become apparent later.

The seal 17, shown in Figure 5, is of extruded and/or plastics material. It will be seen that the seal 1 7 is substantially of dovetail section and is provided with annular ribs 1 8. It is hollow.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate how the fitting 1, retaining clip 11, and seal 1 7 are assembled together. Firstly, the seal 1 7 is placed into one of the sockets 2, with a tapering side face of the seal 1 7 abutting the correspondingly tapering face 7 in the fitting 1. The retaining clip 11 is then introduced into the end of the socket 2, such that the projection 13 engages in the respective aperture 10, and the projections 12 thereafter snap-engage into their respective apertures 9. In this way, the spring clip 11 is positively located in position within the fitting 1, and because of the exactly opposite directions of extent of the projections 12 and 13, is difficult to remove therefrom subsequently.In this position, the bevelled face 14 of the retaining clip 11 bears against a respective face of the seal 1 7, to trap the seal 1 7 in position between the faces 14 and 7 of the retaining clip 11 and the fitting 1. Due to the corresponding dovetail configurations of the seal 1 7 and the channel defined between the retaining member 11 and the fitting 1, the seal 1 7 is positively retained in position, against accidental dislodgement.

With the seal 1 7 thus secured in position, the respective socket 2 is then ready to receive a free end of another gutter part (for example, a run of guttering), which is introduced into the socket 2, to engage under the lips 6 on the flanges 5, until it abuts the shoulder 8 provided at the internal end of the enlarged diameter portion 3. The introduced guttering portion is then held firmly against the seal 17, by the flanges 5.

It will be appreciated that the above described arrangement affords a means of securing a seal in a gutter section, in a simple yet very effective manner. As gutter sections are often produced in very large quantity, it is especially important to appreciate the advantages offered by the configuration of the fitting 1 and the retaining clip 11, whereby they can be injection moulded at relatively low cost.

Claims (Filed 21 July 1982) 1. A sealing arrangement in a gutter or the like, the arrangement comprising a gutter section and a retaining member adapted to engage the gutter section in a snap-engaging manner to trno a seal therebetween.

2. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, in which the gutter section and the retaining member are each moulded of a thermoplastics material.

3. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the external surface of the retaining member conforms to the internal surface of the gutter section.

4. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the present claims, in which one of the retaining member and gutter section is provided with projections which snap-engage in respective apertures provided in the other of the gutter section and retaining member.

5. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 4, in which each of said projections and recesses is of circular cross-section.

6. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which at least one of said projections and/or its respective aperture tapers.

7. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, in which at least two of said projections extend in mutually opposite directions, with a view to providing enhanced securement of the retaining member in the gutter section.

8. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, in which three said projections are provided, one of which extends in an opposite direction to the other two projections.

9. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 8, in which said projections are provided in the retaining member, and said corresponding recesses are provided on the gutter section.

1 0. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 9, in which at least one of said recesses is provided with a securing flange extending partially over the open top part of the gutter section.

11. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the retaining member and the gutter section define therebetween a channel in which a seal may be trapped.

1 2. A sealing arrangement as claimed in Claim 11, in which the channel is of substantially dovetail section.

1 3. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the gutter section is of semi-circular, part rectangular or part trapezoidal shape.

14. A sealing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, together with a seal trapped between said gutter section and said retaining member.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. conform to the internal cross-section of the fitting 1. It is provided at its upper part with two projections 12, which are adapted to engage the holes 9 respectively. Each of the projections 12 is of circular cross-section, but tapers somewhat upwardly, as shown, to assist location of the projections 12 in the holes 9. The retaining clip is also provided with a single central projection 13, which projects downwardly, in an opposite direction to the projections 1 2. The retaining clip 11 has two bevelled faces 14 and 15, which are bevelled in opposite directions. The bevelled face 1 5 is adapted to mate with a correspondingly bevelled face 1 6 on the fitting 1.The bevelled face 14 is adapted to co-operate with the inclined face 7 on the fitting 1, as will become apparent later. The seal 17, shown in Figure 5, is of extruded and/or plastics material. It will be seen that the seal 1 7 is substantially of dovetail section and is provided with annular ribs 1 8. It is hollow. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate how the fitting 1, retaining clip 11, and seal 1 7 are assembled together. Firstly, the seal 1 7 is placed into one of the sockets 2, with a tapering side face of the seal 1 7 abutting the correspondingly tapering face 7 in the fitting 1. The retaining clip 11 is then introduced into the end of the socket 2, such that the projection 13 engages in the respective aperture 10, and the projections 12 thereafter snap-engage into their respective apertures 9. In this way, the spring clip 11 is positively located in position within the fitting 1, and because of the exactly opposite directions of extent of the projections 12 and 13, is difficult to remove therefrom subsequently.In this position, the bevelled face 14 of the retaining clip 11 bears against a respective face of the seal 1 7, to trap the seal 1 7 in position between the faces 14 and 7 of the retaining clip 11 and the fitting 1. Due to the corresponding dovetail configurations of the seal 1 7 and the channel defined between the retaining member 11 and the fitting 1, the seal 1 7 is positively retained in position, against accidental dislodgement. With the seal 1 7 thus secured in position, the respective socket 2 is then ready to receive a free end of another gutter part (for example, a run of guttering), which is introduced into the socket 2, to engage under the lips 6 on the flanges 5, until it abuts the shoulder 8 provided at the internal end of the enlarged diameter portion 3. The introduced guttering portion is then held firmly against the seal 17, by the flanges 5. It will be appreciated that the above described arrangement affords a means of securing a seal in a gutter section, in a simple yet very effective manner. As gutter sections are often produced in very large quantity, it is especially important to appreciate the advantages offered by the configuration of the fitting 1 and the retaining clip 11, whereby they can be injection moulded at relatively low cost. Claims (Filed 21 July 1982)

1. A sealing arrangement in a gutter or the like, the arrangement comprising a gutter section and a retaining member adapted to engage the gutter section in a snap-engaging manner to trno a seal therebetween.

1 5. A sealing arrangement constructed and

arranged substantially as herein described, with reference to Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.