Gutter

Abstract

The invention relates to a gutter element for draining, for example, road surfaces, which can be joined together to form a line of guttering. In order to seal off the connection, an elastic seal (30) is provided in the abutment region. In order to improve the hydraulic properties of the gutter, the cross-sectional profile of the invert (16) of the gutter (10) is substantially V-shaped. To improve sealing, the profile following the seal (30) in cross-section should be formed differently to that of the invert (16) in such a way that it has a constant maximum radius of curvature in the region of the gutter invert.

Claims

1. A gutter for draining a road surface comprising: a first gutter (10) comprising a first end (17) and a second end (18), the first end (17) of the first gutter (10) positioned on a retaining surface (20), an invert (16) of the first gutter (10) has a non-semicircular cross-sectional profile, the retaining surface (20) has a cross-sectional profile in the direction of the longitudinal axis that deviates from the non-semicircular cross-sectional profile, the invert (16), and the retaining surface (20) comprises a retaining slot (21) for retaining an attachment flank (31) of a seal (30), wherein the retaining slot (21) is disposed on an inner side of the retaining surface (20) and extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first gutter (10).

2. The gutter of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the retaining surface (20) is semicircular.

3. The gutter of claim 1, wherein a sealing shoulder (40) for engagement with the seal (30) of a second gutter (10), the sealing shoulder is positioned at an end (18) of the second gutter that lies opposite the retaining surface (20) of the first gutter (10).

4. The gutter of claim 3, wherein the sealing shoulder (40) and the seal (30) extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first gutter in a sealing engagement.

5. The gutter of claim 4, wherein the first gutter (10) comprises an abutment surface (41) for pressing the seal (30) against the first gutter (10) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first gutter.

6. The gutter of claim 5, wherein the shape of the sealing shoulder (40) and the seal (30) extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first gutter to form a tilt between the adjoining first and second gutters (10, 10), wherein the engagement of the sealing shoulder (40) with the seal (30) is retained.

7. The gutter of claim 3, wherein the sealing shoulder (40) comprises an abutment surface (41) located on an inward-facing surface of the first gutter.

8. A gutter for draining a road surface comprising: a first gutter (10) comprising a first end (17) and a second end (18), the first end (17) of the first gutter (10) is positioned on a retaining surface (20), an invert (16) of the first gutter (10) has a non-semicircular cross-sectional profile and the retaining surface (20) has a cross-sectional profile that deviates from the non-semicircular cross-sectional profile the invert (16), and a sealing shoulder (40) for engagement with a seal (30) of a second gutter (10), the sealing shoulder is positioned at an end (18) of the second gutter that lies opposite the retaining surface (20) of the first gutter (10).

9. The gutter of claim 8, wherein the retaining surface (20) comprises a retaining slot (21) for retaining an attachment flank (31) of a seal (30), the retaining slot (21) is disposed on an inner side of the retaining surface (20) and extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first gutter (10).

Description

(1) Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be explained in greater detail by way of the drawings. Shown are in:

(2) FIG. 1 a perspective view of a gutter showing an end face with sealing shoulder disposed thereon;

(3) FIG. 2 the sealing shoulder of FIG. 1 shown enlarged;

(4) FIG. 3 the arrangement according to FIG. 1 but rotated so that the second end face can be seen;

(5) FIG. 4 a cross-section along line IV-IV in FIG. 7 in which a sealing shoulder may be provided;

(6) FIG. 5 a sealing shoulder of the kind that may be inserted in FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 a cross-section through two adjoining gutters along the line VI-VI of FIG. 7;

(8) FIG. 7 a front view of a gutter according to FIG. 1;

(9) FIG. 8 a rear view of a gutter according to FIG. 1, and

(10) FIG. 9 a depiction according to FIG. 8 to help explain the different profiles of gutter invert and seal.

(11) The following description uses the same reference numbers for the same parts or parts that have the same function.

(12) The perspective representation of the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1-3 shows that the gutter 10 is provided with side walls 11, 12 and a bottom 13 as well as end walls 14, 15. The inner space or the invert of the gutter 10 respectively is designated with the reference number 16. A seal 30 is attached to the gutter 10 at a first end 17 via an attachment flank 31, which rests in a corresponding slot of gutter 10 described in more detail later. The seal 30 is provided with an outer sealing lip 32 and an inner sealing lip 33. It is also possible to forgo the sealing lip 32 so that the main body of the seal comes into contact with the abutment surface 41.

(13) A sealing shoulder 40, which has an abutment surface 41 facing to the inside, is provided at a second end 18. If two gutters of the kind described here are joined in such a way that the first end 17 of a first gutter 10 is connected to a second end 18 of a second gutter, the outer sealing lip 32 is joined tightly to the abutment surface 41 of the sealing shoulder 40 as described in more detail below by way of FIGS. 4-6.

(14) FIG. 4 shows a first end 17 of a gutter 10 in horizontal section. Here it is apparent that the end 17 is provided with a protruding retaining surface 20 as well as a slot 21 that extends the retaining surface in longitudinal direction of the gutter 10. The seal 30 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with an attachment flank 31 with interlocking lips, which is inserted into slot 21 and locked in. The inner sealing lip 33 presses hard against the retaining surface 20 whilst the outer sealing lip 32 protrudes to the outside. If two gutters 10, 10 are now joined, a first end 17 of the gutter 10 forms a sealed connection with the second end 18 of the gutter 10, as shown in FIG. 6. Due to the fact that the sealing of the joint does not depend on the end faces 14 and 15 of subsequent gutters being pressed together but that the sealing action is, as it were, in radial direction, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gutter, the subsequent gutters do not necessarily have to be tightly pressed together. There can be some play which allows the subsequent gutters to be tilted with respect to each other without diminishing the sealing action.

(15) The FIGS. 7-9 depict next to each other the end faces 14, 15 or the ends 17, 18 respectively of a gutter to indicate that the profile of the invert 16 of the gutter 10 deviates from the profile of the seal 30 or the sealing shoulder 40 respectively. Whilst the profile of the invert 16 of the gutter 10 is approximately V-shaped with a very small curvature radius R.sub.1, the profile of the seal 30 or the sealing shoulder 40 respectively has in its curved section a uniform, much larger curvature radius R.sub.2 that follows a semicircle. This has the effect that on the one hand even at low water quantities a relatively high flow rate is achieved in gutter 10, which improves the flushing out of dirt deposits, and on the other hand the seal 30 is routed to cause the least amount of curvature strain or has the largest curvature radius that is possible considering the overall size of the gutter 10. This causes on the one hand a less than usual strain on the seal, but on the other hand ensures good hydraulic performance.

(16) It should be noted here that the seal 30 and the sealing shoulder 40 may also be arranged in reverse, that is, the seal 30 may point inwards and the sealing shoulder 40 with its abutment surface 41 outwards. Moreover, a different kind of attachment of the seal 30 to the retaining surface 20 is possible.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(17) 10, 10 Gutter 11 Side wall 12 Side wall 13 Bottom 14 End wall 15 End wall 16 Invert 17 First end 18 Second end 20 Retaining surface 21 Slot 30 Seal 31 Attachment flank 32 Outer sealing lip 33 Inner sealing lip 40 Sealing shoulder 41 Abutment surface R.sub.1 Curvature radius of invert R.sub.2 Curvature radius of seal