JP7654428B2 - Rain gutter structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gutter structure.

Gutters installed on buildings such as houses include an eaves gutter that receives rainwater flowing down from the roof and eaves, and a downspout whose upper end is connected to the outlet of the eaves gutter and directs the rainwater flowing down from the eaves gutter to an underground drainage pipe. Traditionally, fall prevention devices to prevent debris (foreign objects) such as fallen leaves from falling into the downspout along with the rainwater have been installed around the outlet of the eaves gutter.

As shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-32548 (Patent Document 1), a configuration has also been proposed in the past in which a mesh-like receiving plate is provided inside the downspout to receive debris that falls from the eaves gutter, and part of the downspout acts as a connecting tube that can slide up and down, making it possible to clean out debris that has accumulated on the mesh-like receiving plate.

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-32548

Because gutters are installed at a high altitude, it is difficult and dangerous to regularly carry out maintenance work such as cleaning and inspecting them. For this reason, when fall prevention devices are installed at the outlet of the gutters, there are cases where large amounts of garbage accumulate on the fall prevention devices, which act as a barrier and cause rainwater to overflow from the gutters.

In contrast, in Patent Document 1, a garbage receiving member (mesh-like receiving plate) is provided inside the downspout, and part of the downspout is made into a slidable connecting tube, making it possible to easily carry out maintenance work on the garbage receiving member at a low altitude. However, in cases such as when a large amount of garbage flows down, the garbage receiving member may become clogged with garbage. In that case, the configuration of the downspout member in Patent Document 1 does not allow rainwater to escape, and there is a risk that drainage will be stagnant for a long period of time.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a gutter structure that makes it easy to perform maintenance on the garbage receiving member and allows for early detection of clogging of the garbage receiving member.

A gutter structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a first downspout member whose upper end is connected to the eaves gutter, a second downspout member that is directly or indirectly connected to an underground drainage pipe and is arranged with a working space of a predetermined height between the lower end of the first downspout member, a third downspout member that is fitted outside the first downspout member and inside the second downspout member to shield the working space and to allow the working space to be exposed, a permeable garbage receiving member that is provided inside the second downspout member and receives garbage flowing down from below with rainwater from the first downspout member, and an overflow flow path that allows rainwater that cannot pass through the garbage receiving member to overflow outside the third downspout member when the garbage receiving member becomes clogged with garbage.

Preferably, the third downspout member is placed on the garbage receiving member. In this case, it is desirable to provide a gap between the second downspout member and the third downspout member to guide rainwater that has overflowed outside the third downspout member via the overflow passage to the outer edge of the garbage receiving member.

In this case, it is also preferable that the gutter structure further includes a first positioning member for positioning the third downspout member so that a gap is provided between the third downspout member and the second downspout member.

In one embodiment, the overflow passage is formed by an upper gap provided between the first downspout member and the third downspout member.

In this case, it is preferable that the gutter structure further includes a second positioning member for positioning the third downspout member so that an upper gap is provided between the third downspout member and the first downspout member.

As a variant, the overflow passage may be formed by at least one opening provided in the third downspout member.

According to the present invention, maintenance work for the dust receiving member is easy, and clogging of the dust receiving member can be detected early.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a main part of a gutter structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the normal state. FIG. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of a main part of a gutter structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the state during operation. 3A is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line IIIA-IIIA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of an arrangement of positioning members. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view conceptually showing a state in which rainwater normally overflows in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining a modified example of the gutter structure according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are given the same reference numerals and their description will not be repeated.

<Outline of rain gutter structure>
An overview of a gutter structure according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The gutter includes an eaves gutter (not shown) that receives rainwater flowing down from the roof and eaves of the building, and a downpipe 1 whose upper end is connected to the outlet of the eaves gutter and directs the rainwater flowing down from the eaves gutter to an underground drainpipe 14. In the gutter of this embodiment, no member is provided around the outlet of the eaves gutter to prevent fallen leaves and other debris from falling, and the debris on the eaves gutter flows down the downpipe 1 together with the rainwater. Instead, a debris receiving member 20 is housed at the lower end of the downpipe 1. The downpipe 1 is divided into a first downpipe member 11 located relatively above, a second downpipe member 12 located relatively below, and a third downpipe member 13 located between them and provided so that the work space S described below can be exposed. Therefore, according to the gutter structure of this embodiment, maintenance work on the debris receiving member 20 can be easily performed at a low position.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the downspout 1 is configured so that if the garbage receiving member 20 becomes clogged with a large amount of garbage (or mud or sand), the clogging can be visually confirmed. The configuration and usage of such a downspout 1 will be described in detail below. In the following description, for ease of understanding, the first downspout member 11 will be referred to as the "upper pipe 11," the second downspout member 12 as the "lower pipe 12," and the third downspout member 13 as the "connecting pipe 13."

<Configuration of the downspout>
The configuration of the downspout 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The downspout 1 mainly comprises an upper pipe 11, a lower pipe 12, a garbage receiving member 20, and a connecting pipe 13. The upper pipe 11, the lower pipe 12, and the connecting pipe 13 are typically made of opaque cylindrical members. The upper pipe 11, the lower pipe 12, and the connecting pipe 13 are made of a material such as resin.

The upper pipe 11 is connected at its upper end to a eaves gutter (not shown) and extends vertically. The lower pipe 12 is directly or indirectly connected to an underground drainage pipe 14 and extends vertically. The upper end 121 of the lower pipe 12 is disposed above the ground, and the lower end 122 is connected to the drainage pipe 14 underground. In this embodiment, the upper end 121 of the lower pipe 12 has a larger diameter than the lower end 122, and the lower pipe 12 has a tapered middle portion 123 connecting the upper end 121 and the lower end 122. The lower pipe 12 may be formed of a straight cylindrical member.

The upper tube 11 and the lower tube 12 are disposed apart from each other, and a working space S is provided between the upper tube 11 and the lower tube 12. In other words, the lower tube 12 is disposed with the working space S between it and the lower end of the upper tube 11. The distance between the upper tube 11 and the lower tube 12, i.e., the height L1 of the working space S, may be high enough that a person's hand can be inserted from the side, and is, for example, 100 to 200 cm.

The dust receiving member 20 is a member that receives dust from below that has passed through the upper tube 11, and is formed in a flat or dish shape. A flat dust receiving member 20 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The dust receiving member 20 is typically formed in a mesh shape and is water permeable. The dust receiving member 20 is made of metal (wire mesh), for example.

The dust receiving member 20 is provided inside the upper end 121 of the lower tube 12 so as to cover the entire opening of the lower tube 12. The dust receiving member 20 according to this embodiment is circular in plan view and is composed of an annular ring portion that forms the outer periphery and a mesh portion surrounded by the ring portion. In this case, since the ring portion of the dust receiving member 20 contacts the inner periphery of the lower tube 12, there is no gap or only a very small gap (for example, 2 mm or less) between the outer periphery of the dust receiving member 20 and the inner periphery of the lower tube 12.

It is desirable that the waste receiving member 20 is supported by the lower tube 12 so that it can be attached and detached from the upper working space S. In this embodiment, an interlocking portion 124 that protrudes inward is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion 121 of the lower tube 12, and the waste receiving member 20 is supported from below by the interlocking portion 124. The interlocking portion 124 is provided at a position lower than the upper end of the lower tube 12. The interlocking portion 124 may be provided continuously in the circumferential direction, or multiple interlocking portions 124 may be arranged at intervals from each other in the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting pipe 13 is fitted on the outside of the upper pipe 11 and inside the lower pipe 12. In other words, since the connecting pipe 13 is inserted into the lower pipe 12 and the upper pipe 11 is inserted into the connecting pipe 13, the outside dimension (diameter) of the connecting pipe 13 is larger than the outside dimension of the upper pipe 11 and smaller than the outside dimension of the lower pipe 12. The length (height) of the connecting pipe 13 is longer than the height L2 from the garbage receiving member 20 to the upper pipe 11, and is, for example, 200 to 300 mm. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the connecting pipe 13 shields the working space S and functions as part of the downspout 1. This state is called "normal".

The connecting pipe 13 is normally placed on the dust receiving member 20 of the lower pipe 12. The connecting pipe 13 is not fixed to either the upper pipe 11 or the lower pipe 12 by screws or the like, and is supported from below by a latching portion 124 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lower pipe 12 via the dust receiving member 20. In other words, the connecting pipe 13 is normally positioned at a predetermined position (height) by its own weight alone.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting pipe 13 is provided so as to be able to expose the working space S. In other words, it is provided so as to be able to slide vertically relative to the upper pipe 11. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the entire connecting pipe 13 is located above the lower end of the upper pipe 11, and the entire working space S is exposed. This state is referred to as "during work."

Here, gaps 31 and 32 are provided between the connecting pipe 13 and the upper pipe 11, and between the connecting pipe 13 and the lower pipe 12, respectively. The gaps 31 and 32 will be described with further reference to FIG. 3(A).

Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3(A), the upper pipe 11 and the lower pipe 12 are fixed so as to be concentric. When the center of the connecting pipe 13 is arranged so as to substantially coincide with the center line C of the upper pipe 11 and the lower pipe 12, it is desirable that the dimensions (radial lengths) D1, D2 of the gaps 31, 32 are 5 mm or more and 25 mm or less. By making them 5 mm or more, the gaps 31, 32 can be used as a flow path for rainwater, as described below. Also, by making them 25 mm or less, the intrusion of debris through the gaps 31, 32 can be suppressed.

As described above, since the connecting pipe 13 is normally simply placed on the dust receiving member 20, it is desirable to provide positioning members 41, 42 for positioning the horizontal position of the connecting pipe 13. An example of the positioning members 41, 42 is shown in Figures 3(A) and (B).

The positioning member (second positioning member) 41 is composed of multiple protrusions provided on the inner peripheral surface of the connection pipe 13. As shown in FIG. 3B, the positioning member 41 is provided in the height direction at a portion (hereinafter referred to as the "upper portion") P1 where the connection pipe 13 normally overlaps with the upper pipe 11, and protrudes inward by the dimension D1 of the gap 31. The positioning member (first positioning member) 42 is composed of multiple protrusions provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connection pipe 13. As shown in FIG. 3B, the positioning member 42 is provided in the height direction at a portion (hereinafter referred to as the "lower portion") P2 where the connection pipe 13 normally overlaps with the lower pipe 12, and protrudes outward by the dimension D2 of the gap 32. Note that the positioning members 41 and 42 are not shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

The multiple protrusions constituting each positioning member 41, 42 function as spacers and are spaced apart (preferably at equal intervals) along the circumferential direction of the connecting pipe 13. It is desirable that the positioning members 41, 42 have elasticity or flexibility to enable the connecting pipe 13 to slide. The positioning members 41, 42 may be formed integrally with the connecting pipe 13.

The positioning member 41 in contact with the upper pipe 11 prevents the upper end (upper part P1) of the connecting pipe 13 from shifting out of position, and the positioning member 42 in contact with the lower pipe 12 prevents the lower end (lower part P2) of the connecting pipe 13 from shifting out of position. Therefore, the connecting pipe 13 can be positioned in a centered state under normal circumstances. As a result, continuous annular gaps 31 and 32 can be provided between the connecting pipe 13 and the upper pipe 11, and between the connecting pipe 13 and the lower pipe 12. Note that as long as the lower end of the connecting pipe 13 is positioned by the positioning member 42, the positioning member 41 provided on the inner surface of the upper end of the connecting pipe 13 can be omitted, since the positioning member 41 can be prevented from shifting out of position.

As described above, an annular gap 32 is provided between the lower end of the connecting pipe 13 and the lower pipe 12, and as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3(A), when viewed from above, the dust receiving member 20 has an annular outer edge 21 that faces the gap 32. The outer edge 21 of the dust receiving member 20 is formed integrally with the central portion into a mesh shape and is water permeable (excluding the annular ring portion).

<How to use the downspout under normal circumstances>
A method of using the downspout 1 under normal circumstances will be described with reference to Figs.

As shown in FIG. 1, under normal circumstances, the connecting pipe 13 is placed on the garbage receiving member 20, shielding the working space S. Therefore, rainwater (arrow A1) flowing down from the eaves gutter into the upper pipe 11 passes through the connecting pipe 13 and the lower pipe 12 in order, and flows into the drain pipe 14 (arrow A2). Furthermore, if garbage falls along with the rainwater at that time, the garbage is blocked by the garbage receiving member 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent garbage from flowing into the drain pipe 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, a large amount of garbage 50 may accumulate in the garbage receiving member 20, causing the garbage receiving member 20 to become clogged. In such a case, the rainwater (arrow A11) flowing down from the upper pipe 11 may not be able to pass through the garbage receiving member 20 because the garbage 50 acts as a barrier, which may cause poor drainage. In other words, a large amount of rainwater may accumulate inside the connecting pipe 13.

However, in this embodiment, an annular gap 31 is provided between the connecting pipe 13 and the upper pipe 11, i.e., between the upper part P1 (FIG. 3(B)) of the connecting pipe 13 and the lower end of the upper pipe 11, which overlap each other in the height direction. Therefore, rainwater that has accumulated inside the connecting pipe 13 can overflow from this gap 31 (arrow A12). In other words, the gap 31 between the connecting pipe 13 and the upper pipe 11 can function as an "overflow flow path" that allows rainwater that cannot pass through the dust receiving member 20 to overflow outside the connecting pipe 13.

In addition, an annular gap 32 is provided between the connecting pipe 13 and the lower pipe 12, i.e., between the lower part P2 (FIG. 3B) of the connecting pipe 13 and the upper end of the lower pipe 12, which overlap each other in the height direction. Therefore, rainwater that overflows outside the connecting pipe 13 can be guided to the outer edge 21 of the garbage receiving member 20 through this gap 32 (arrow A13). In addition, since the garbage 50 is stored inside the connecting pipe 13 and there is almost no garbage 50 on the outer edge 21 of the garbage receiving member 20, the rainwater that overflows outside the connecting pipe 13 can be drained directly into the drain pipe 14 through the outer edge 21 of the garbage receiving member 20.

In this manner, in this embodiment, if the dust receiving member 20 becomes clogged, the rainwater is actively made to overflow, making it possible to quickly check for clogging of the dust receiving member 20. In addition, because the overflowing rainwater is led directly to the drain pipe 14, it is possible to drain the water into the drain pipe 14 even if the dust receiving member 20 becomes clogged.

<How to use the downspout during work>
A method of using the downspout 1 during work will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 4(A).

As described above, the connection pipe 13 is provided slidably relative to the upper pipe 11. Therefore, periodically or when the worker finds that the dust receiving member 20 is clogged, the worker slides the connection pipe 13 upward as shown in FIG. 2 to expose the working space S. This allows the worker to visually check the dust receiving member 20 through the working space S, making it easy to perform maintenance work on the dust receiving member 20. In other words, the worker can remove dust 50 on the dust receiving member 20 through the working space S, or remove the dust receiving member 20 to inspect it.

In addition, as shown in the figure, the litter receiving member 20 is located near ground level, making maintenance work safe and easy.

As described above, the gutter structure according to this embodiment is provided with an overflow flow path (gap 31) that allows rainwater that cannot pass through the garbage receiving member 20 inside the connecting pipe 13 to overflow to the outside of the connecting pipe 13 under normal circumstances. This makes it easy to check for clogging of the garbage receiving member 20 even if the inside of the connecting pipe 13 and the lower pipe 12 cannot be seen. Therefore, garbage 50 on the garbage receiving member 20 can be removed at an appropriate time. Note that at least a portion of the connecting pipe 13 may be made transparent or semi-transparent so that the state inside the connecting pipe 13 can be seen from the outside.

As described above, a gap 32 is provided to guide rainwater that has overflowed outside the connecting pipe 13 via the overflow flow path (gap 31) to the outer edge 21 of the garbage receiving member 20. Therefore, even if the removal of garbage 50 from the garbage receiving member 20 is delayed, the rainwater can be drained from the outer edge 21 of the garbage receiving member 20 to the drain pipe 14. This prevents the rainwater from being unable to drain properly for a long period of time.

<Modification>
In the present embodiment, the dust receiving member 20 is supported from below by the engaging portion 124 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lower tube 12, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the dust receiving member 22 may be engaged with the upper edge of the lower tube 12 via a plurality of hooks 23. The hooks 23 have their lower ends connected and fixed to the outer peripheral portion (ring portion) of the dust receiving member 22 and extend upward.

In addition, in this embodiment, both positioning members 41, 42 are configured with a plurality of protrusions that function as spacers, but this is not limited to this example. For example, as in the dust receiving member 22 shown in FIG. 5, when the dust receiving member 22 includes a mesh-like disk portion 22a having approximately the same diameter as the connecting tube 13 and a mesh-like tapered portion 22b that expands in diameter upward from the outer periphery of the disk portion 22a, the tapered portion 22b can function as a positioning member 42A for the lower end of the connecting tube 13. Therefore, in such a case, the positioning member 42 shown in FIGS. 3(A) and (B) can be omitted.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the dust receiving member 20 becomes clogged with dust 50, the "overflow flow path" that allows rainwater that cannot pass through the dust receiving member 20 to overflow outside the connecting pipe 13 is configured by the gap 31 between the connecting pipe 13 and the upper pipe 11, but is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the overflow flow path may be configured by at least one opening 33 provided in the connecting pipe 13. In this case, there is no relatively large gap 31 between the connecting pipe 13 and the upper pipe 11 as described above, and it is sufficient if there is a very small gap that allows the connecting pipe 13 to slide. Such a gap is smaller than the gap 32 between the connecting pipe 13 and the lower pipe 12, for example, 3 mm or less.

As shown in FIG. 5, the opening 33 is typically a hole that penetrates the connecting pipe 13 in the radial direction. The height at which the opening 33 is provided is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of improving the design, the opening may be provided at a position that normally overlaps with the lower pipe 12. The opening may also be a notch provided in the lower edge of the connecting pipe 13.

In addition, in this embodiment, the working space S can be exposed by sliding the connecting pipe 13 in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, an opening window that communicates with the working space S may be provided in a part of the connecting pipe 13, and the working space S may be exposed by opening and closing a cover member that covers the opening window.

In addition, in this embodiment, the three pipes 11 to 13 that make up the downspout 1 all have different outer diameters (diameters), but if the connecting pipe 13 is a different diameter socket like the lower pipe 12, the upper pipe 11 and the lower pipe 12 may have the same diameter.

In addition, in this embodiment, all three pipes 11 to 13 that make up the downspout 1 are made of cylindrical members, but this is not limited to this example and they may be made of square tube members, for example.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1 Downspout, 11 Upper pipe (first downspout member), 12 Lower pipe (second downspout member), 13 Connection pipe (third downspout member), 14 Drain pipe, 20, 22 Garbage receiving member, 21 Outer edge, 31, 32 Gap, 33 Opening, 41, 42, 42A Positioning member, 50 Garbage, S Working space.

Claims (5)

A first downspout member having an upper end connected to the eaves gutter;
A second downspout member that is directly or indirectly connected to an underground drainage pipe and is disposed with a predetermined height of working space between the second downspout member and the lower end of the first downspout member;
a third downspout member that is fitted to the outside of the first downspout member and the inside of the second downspout member to shield the work space and to be able to expose the work space;
a water-permeable garbage receiving member provided inside the second downspout member and configured to receive garbage flowing down from the first downspout member together with rainwater from below;
an overflow passage for allowing rainwater that cannot pass through the garbage receiving member to overflow outside the third downspout member when the garbage receiving member becomes clogged with garbage,
the third downspout member is placed on the garbage receiving member,
A gutter structure in which a gap is provided between the second downspout member and the third downspout member to guide rainwater that overflows outside the third downspout member through the overflow flow path to the outer edge of the garbage receiving member . The gutter structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a first positioning member for positioning the third downspout member so that the gap is interposed between the third downspout member and the second downspout member. The gutter structure according to claim 1, wherein the overflow passage is formed by an upper gap provided between the first downspout member and the third downspout member. The gutter structure according to claim 3 , further comprising a second positioning member for positioning the third downspout member so that the upper gap is interposed between the third downspout member and the first downspout member. The gutter structure according to claim 1, wherein the overflow passage is formed by at least one opening provided in the third downspout member.

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