Gutter system and a method of assembling a gutter system
A gutter system comprising a number of gutter sections with a convex outer surface and gutter fittings with a concave inner surface adapted for receiving and fixing the open end of two gutter sections so that the convex outer surface of each gutter section rest against the concave inner surface of the gutter fitting, and where the gutter fitting comprises one or more indentations arranged in the concave inner surface and the gutter section comprises one or more projections arranged on the convex outer surface of the gutter trough, and where the one or more indentations and the one or more projections are adapted so that the one or more projections can be inserted into the one or more indentations with a snap fit.
1 . A gutter system comprising:
a plurality of gutter sections and a plurality of gutter fittings,
wherein each gutter section comprises a gutter trough extending along a longitudinal axis with at least one open end having a convex outer surface and each gutter fitting having a concave inner surface configured for receiving and fixing the open end of two said gutter sections so that the convex outer surface of each gutter section rests against the concave inner surface of a respective said gutter fitting, and
wherein the gutter fittings comprise one or more indentations arranged in the concave inner surface and the gutter sections comprise one or more projections arranged on the convex outer surface of the gutter trough, and the one or more indentations and the one or more projections are configured so that the one or more projections are inserted into the one or more indentations with a snap fit connection.
2 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein one of the projections is a ridge.
3 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein the gutter fittings comprise two grooves arranged mutually parallel with a distance therebetween.
4 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein each gutter section is open and comprises projections arranged at distal ends thereof.
5 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein the gutter fittings comprise a bracket part adapted for attaching the gutter fittings to a supporting structure.
6 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein each gutter section is made from a thermoplastic material.
7 . The gutter system according to claim 6 , wherein the projections are formed integrally with the gutter sections by molding.
8 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one said indentation forms a groove adapted so that the one or more projections engages with the groove by way of the snap fit connection.
9 . The gutter system according to claim 8 , wherein the groove extends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
10 . The gutter system according to claim 8 , wherein the groove comprises an end stop arranged at distal ends of the groove and a length of the groove corresponds to a length of the projections so that opposite ends of the ridge abuts the end stop of the groove such that the projections are only released from or inserted into the grove by elastic deformation of the gutter fittings or the gutter trough.
11 . A method of assembling the gutter system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
arranging each projection on each gutter section in front of a respective said indentation on the respective gutter fitting, and
pressing each projection into a snap engagement in the respective indentation.
12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein each gutter section is provided from cutting a respective section of a longer gutter profile made from a thermoplastic material and thereafter inserting an end of the respective section into a mold adapted for melting and reshaping the thermoplastic material at the end of the respective section to form the one or more projections.