Balustrade water deflector

Abstract

A deflector 150 for use with a balustrade 100 provides a sloping surface to deflect water when located below a lower edge of the balustrade in use. The deflector may be used in conjunction with struct

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to balustrades for use with structures such as balconies which project from buildings or other structures. Background Water management is an important part of balcony design. Water which falls on a balcony floor can be handled in one of two ways. One is positive drainage, where the water is directed and channelled to a traditional rainwater pipe. For aesthetic reasons, the rainwater pipe is preferably located on the building facade rather than at the outer side of the balcony. The second is where water is directed and channelled to the outer side of the balcony and is allowed to fall from the balcony without being piped away. In the second scenario, and particularly in the case of multiple balconies on a building at different levels, it may be desirable to project the water further outward, away from the outer side of the balcony, so that the water does not fall on any other balconies below. In some markets, there may be regulations which require that water is projected a defined distance away from the balcony footprint. The present invention is intended to assist with water management and to provide a cost-effective improvement which can be employed to upgrade the water management of existing balcony structures or can be specified in new balcony installations. Although the invention is described primarily in relation to balustrades for balconies, the invention may be useful with other structures having balustrades. Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect, the invention provides a deflector for use with a balustrade, wherein the deflector is configured to provide a sloping or angled surface to deflect water incident on the sloping surface when the deflector is located in use below a lower edge of the balustrade. In at least preferred embodiments, the deflector functions to deflect water incident on the surface in-board of the balustrade, to a path passing underneath or through the balustrade, and to the out-board edge of the deflector, away from the structure to which the balustrade is attached. The water may be directed from the structure to the deflector in a variety of ways. For example, water may be directed from the floor of the structure, e.g. balcony, to the out-board edge of the structure by a sloping or angled surface underneath the floor, which itself is porous to water. The water may then fall vertically onto the deflector, as shown in the detailed embodiments described below, and then be deflected horizontally out-board by the deflector. The sloping or angled surface may be underneath the floor but above the main support structure, or may be within the main support structure, or may be below the main support structure. In the latter example, the sloping or angled surface may be the upper surface of a pitched soffit. The angle of the sloping / angled surface relative to the horizontal (in use) may be about 2-20, about 5-10 or about 7 degrees. In some embodiments, the deflector has a deflector body which is substantially planar and wherein the top side of the deflector body forms the sloping surface. For example, the deflector may be formed from a substantially planar sheet of material. Alternatively, the deflector body may be three-dimensional in section with the top side of the deflector body forming the sloping surface. In this embodiment, the deflector body may be formed from one or more substantially triangular portions in section. The deflector body may be substantially hollow or have a plurality of substantially hollow cavities. In some embodiments, the deflector body is made from extruded aluminium. In some embodiments, the deflector body has a fixing hole for a fixing to attach the deflector to the balustrade. In some embodiments, the deflector further includes one or more spacers for insertion between the deflector body and the lower edge of the balustrade. The height of the spacer, and / or other dimensions, may be adapted to suit different balcony configurations, e.g. different soffit heights or locations. The spacer may be integral with the deflector body, or alternatively the spacer and the deflector body may be discrete. The spacer may be made from the same material as the deflector, e.g. aluminium, or may be made from a different material. In a preferred embodiment, the spacer is made from a plastic material. The spacer may be injection moulded. A plastic spacer may be advantageous in preventing water from contacting the balustrade, which will typically be made of metal, and therefore reducing the risk of corrosion. In some embodiments, the spacer has a sloping under side with an angle corresponding to the angle of the sloping surface of the deflector. In accordance with a second aspect, the invention provides a balustrade system for a balcony, building or other structure, the system comprising a balustrade and a deflector located at or below the lower edge of the balustrade and configured to provide a sloping surface to deflect water incident on the sloping surface. The deflector of the second aspect may include any of the features of the deflector described above in relation to the first aspect. The deflector sloping surface preferably extends horizontally beyond the width of the balustrade in at least one direction. "Width" in this context is the width of the crosssection of the balustrade. In a preferred embodiment the deflector sloping surface extends horizontally beyond the width of the balustrade in both directions. In this way, the surface extends on the inner side of the balustrade to catch water received vertically above from the structure, in between the structure and the balustrade, and extends to the outer side of the balustrade to project the water a specified distance (e.g. 30mm) away from the structure (e.g. balcony) footprint. The balustrade system may further include a plurality of spacers for location between the balustrade and the structure to which it is to be attached in use, to provide one or more gaps between the balustrade and the structure to provide a path for water to flow down and subsequently contact the sloping surface of the deflector. In some embodiments, the deflector forms the lower edge of the balustrade. For example, the balustrade main panel / uprights etc. could connect directly to the deflector (which may or may not include the spacer mentioned above). In other embodiments, the deflector is located below the lower edge of the balustrade. In this case, the balustrade may include a lower member forming the lower edge of the balustrade to which the deflector is attached. The deflector may be formed integrally with the lower member. The balustrade system may be a modular system and the deflector may be formed as a separate component from the balustrade. In accordance with a third aspect, the invention provides a balcony for a building or other structure including the balustrade system described above. Any reference to attachment or connection to may be direct or indirect, with additional components in between. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a section of a balcony formed from a concrete slab and including a balustrade fitted with a deflector in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 shows a side sectional view of the balcony of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a detailed sectional view of the deflector of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a front elevation of the balcony of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 shows a side sectional view of a balcony formed from a metal chassis and including a balustrade fitted with a deflector in accordance with the invention; Fig. 6 shows a side sectional view of the balcony of Fig. 1 including a drainage path; Fig. 7 shows a side sectional view of the balcony of Fig. 5 including a drainage path; and Fig. 8 shows a side sectional view of the balcony of Fig. 5 including a second drainage path. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a section of a balcony 10 formed from a concrete slab 11. The balcony also has a floor 12, which is usually configured to allow water falling onto the balcony to pass through the floor onto a surface below where it is directed to the outer edge of the balcony furthest from the building. A soffit 13 is fitted underneath the concrete slab, primarily for aesthetic purposes. Fig. 1 also shows a balustrade 100 in accordance with the invention. The balustrade comprises a plurality of infill bars 110 which are attached at their lower ends to a fascia panel 120. A handrail 130 is provided at the top ends of the infill bars. Fig. 2 shows a side sectional view of the balcony of Fig. 1. The balustrade 100 is attached to the concrete slab 11 by means of a plurality of spaced brackets 140. Each bracket 140 is attached to the concrete slab by fixings 141 and the fascia panel 120 is attached to each bracket by fixings 142 (Fig. 4). With reference to Figs. 2 and 3, a deflector 150 is attached to the lower ends of the infill bars 110. A spacer 160 made of a plastics material is located between each infill bar and the deflector. The spacers provide a plurality of drainage channels underneath the fascia panel and between each infill bar (Fig. 4). The lower surface 161 of each spacer 160 is angled so that the upper surface 151 of the deflector is angled to provide a sloping surface to deflect water incident on the sloping surface away from the balcony. The deflector 150 is formed from extruded aluminium and generally has two triangular sections 152 and 153 spaced by a mounting section 154. Fixings 155 secure the deflector and the spacers to the infill bars 110. Caps 156 may be provided to cover the fixings 155 once in position. Fig. 4 shows a front elevation of the balcony of Fig. 1. An outline profile of a bracket 140 is shown and also fixing bolts 142. The plurality of brackets 140 are spaced from each other so that water can pass from the upper surface of the balcony structure, behind the fascia panel and between the brackets. Water may also be able to pass through the brackets in a vertical direction if they are not solid, for example if they are U-shaped in section with flanges as in the shown embodiment. A plurality of drainage channels 170 are formed underneath the fascia panel 120 and between each infill bar 110. The water incident on the top surface of the deflector is deflected outwards, away from the balcony. This prevents water falling on a balcony below and, in certain markets, can be configured to meet planning regulations which may, for example, require that water is projected a defined distance away from the balcony footprint. Fig. 5 shows a side sectional view of a balcony formed from a metal chassis and including a balustrade 100 fitted with a deflector 150 in accordance with the invention. The balustrade 100 is the same as the one shown and described above with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. The balcony is formed from a plurality of e.g. steel or aluminium beams 14, one of which is shown in Fig. 5. A spacer 180 is fitted between the beam 14 and the fascia panel 120 and the balustrade is secured to the chassis by means of fixings 181. Fig. 6 shows a side sectional view of the balcony of Fig. 1 including an example drainage path D shown in a dashed line. Fig. 7 shows a side sectional view of the balcony of Fig. 5 including an example drainage path D shown in a dashed line. Fig. 8 shows a side 5 sectional view of a similar balcony to that of Fig. 5 with a pitched soffit, including an example drainage path D shown in a dashed line from the soffit across the deflector.

Claims

1. A deflector for use with a balustrade, wherein the deflector is configured to provide a sloping surface to deflect water incident on the sloping surface when the deflector is located in use below a lower edge of the balustrade.

2. The deflector of claim 1, wherein the angle of the sloping surface relative to the horizontal is about 2-20, about 5-10 or about 7 degrees.

3. The deflector of claim 1 or 2, wherein the deflector has a deflector body which is substantially planar and wherein the top side of the deflector body forms the sloping surface.

4. The deflector of claim 1 or 2, wherein the deflector has a deflector body which is three-dimensional in section and wherein the top side of the deflector body forms the sloping surface.

5. The deflector of claim 4, wherein the deflector body is formed from one or more substantially triangular portions in section.

6. The deflector of claim 4 or 5, wherein the deflector body is substantially hollow or has a plurality of substantially hollow cavities.

7. The deflector of any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the deflector body is made from extruded aluminium.

8. The deflector of any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the deflector body has a fixing hole for a fixing to attach the deflector to the balustrade.

9. The deflector of any of claims 3 to 8, wherein the deflector further includes one or more spacers for insertion between the deflector body and the lower edge of the balustrade.

10. The deflector of claim 9, wherein the spacer is integral with the deflector body.

11. The deflector of claim 9, wherein the spacer and the deflector body are discrete.

12. The deflector of claim 11, wherein the spacer is made from a plastic material.

13. The deflector of claim 11 or 12, wherein the spacer has a sloping under side withan angle corresponding to the angle of the sloping surface of the deflector.

14. A balustrade system for a balcony, building or other structure, the system comprising:a balustrade; anda deflector located at or below the lower edge of the balustrade and configured to provide a sloping surface to deflect water incident on the sloping surface.

15. The balustrade system of claim 14, wherein the deflector sloping surface extends horizontally beyond the width of the balustrade in at least one direction.

16. The balustrade system of claim 14, wherein the deflector sloping surface extends horizontally beyond the width of the balustrade in both directions.

17. The balustrade system of any of claims 14 to 16, further including a plurality of spacers for location between the balustrade and the structure to which it is to be attached in use, to provide one or more gaps between the balustrade and the structure to provide a path for water to flow down and subsequently contact the sloping surface of the deflector.

18. The balustrade system of any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the deflector forms the lower edge of the balustrade.

19. The balustrade system of any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the deflector is located below the lower edge of the balustrade.

20. The balustrade system of claim 19, wherein the balustrade includes a lower5 member forming the lower edge of the balustrade to which the deflector is attached.

21. The balustrade system of claim 20, wherein the deflector is formed integrally with the lower member.10 22. The balustrade system of any of claims 14 to 20, wherein the system is modularand the deflector is formed as a separate component from the balustrade.

23. A balcony for a building or other structure including the balustrade system of any of claims 14 to 22.

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