Concealed Gutter Mounting Assembly With Clip Tongue Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gutter mounting solutions are visible and complex, compromising aesthetic appeal and ease of assembly, particularly in modern architectural contexts where concealment and functional integrity are desired.
Innovation Solution
A gutter mounting assembly with a hook arm and clip tongue design that conceals mounting elements, utilizing a hook arm bent towards the gutter bottom and a clip tongue that overlaps the gutter edge, providing a minimalist appearance and improved water discharge functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional gutter mounting methods (screws, nails, adhesives) are used, then the gutter can be attached to the fascia board, but the mounting hardware becomes visible and detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the gutter system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes traditional visible mounting hardware (screws, nails, adhesives) from the gutter system by integrating the mounting function into the gutter body itself through hidden hanger mechanisms with engagement features that attach to the fascia board without exposed fasteners
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the gutter body and mounting mechanism into a single integrated assembly where the hanger features are built into the gutter structure, eliminating the need for separate visible mounting components
2Ease of manufacture
If hidden hanger gutters are used to improve aesthetics, then mounting hardware is concealed, but the gutter becomes susceptible to ice dams and requires frequent manual cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a heating element within the gutter system that can be activated to melt ice and snow, dynamically responding to freezing conditions to prevent ice dam formation and reduce manual cleaning requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element acts as an intermediary between the power source and the ice/snow accumulation, using electrical heating to melt accumulated precipitation and prevent ice dam formation without requiring direct mechanical intervention
3Reliability
If manual cleaning of hidden hanger gutters is performed frequently, then ice dams are prevented, but significant time and effort are required
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element operates automatically in response to freezing conditions, self-regulating to melt ice and snow without requiring manual intervention, thereby preventing ice dams while eliminating the time and effort previously required for manual cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates temperature sensing capability that provides feedback on freezing conditions, automatically activating the heating element when ice dam conditions are detected and deactivating when conditions improve, creating a self-regulating ice prevention system
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1d
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The invention constitutes a mounting assembly for a gutter having on its front edge a front clip directed towards the inside of the gutter trough, in particular of a square gutter, comprising a hook, in which the gutter is seated, having an arm and a base, mounted to the front plane using mounting openings in the base, characterised in that the hook arm A, constituting a flat bar preferably 3.5-6 mm in thickness and preferably 10-45 mm in width, has a rod 2 cut perpendicularly on its free end 3, extending from the hook base B, in the working position perpendicularly to the gutter C, with its free end 3 tangential to the inner bending edge 5 of the front gutter clip 1, and on the rod 2 of the hook arm A a clip tongue D, seated adjacently to the rod 2 with a mounting element 11, constituting a flat bar with certain deformability, in the working position extending above the outer bending edge of the front gutter clip 6, adjacently to the gutter face at a depth of at least 5 mm beyond the outer bending edge of the front gutter clip 6, as well as a hook arm foot 4, in the working position overlapped by the gutter C to a depth of at least 15 mm beyond the gutter trough curvature 8.