Nested Gutter Wedge Design for Fascia Angle Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rain gutter wedges are difficult to fabricate, expensive, and lack adjustability, leading to deformation and inefficiency due to water weight, especially when fascia is non-perpendicular or uneven, causing gaps and reduced effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A gutter wedge with a support member and attachment member that can be nested, made from elastic materials like steel or plastics, featuring indentations and score markings for easy adjustment and increased stability, allowing for better resistance to lateral motion and deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional gutter wedges (T-wedge or triangle wedge) are used, then the gutter can be supported against water weight, but the fabrication process becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The gutter wedge is divided into two separate members: a support member and an attachment member. The support member provides structural support against water weight, while the attachment member simplifies the fabrication process by being a separate, easier-to-manufacture component that attaches to the support member, eliminating the need for complex machining of single-piece wedges.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment member is designed to nest within the support member, with the attachment member fitting into an indentation or recess of the support member. This nesting arrangement provides a stable, pre-fabricated assembly that is easier to manufacture than traditional single-piece wedges while maintaining the necessary support capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If standard size wedges are purchased and shortened to match actual angle, then cost is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in making straight cuts
Solution Approach 1:
The gutter wedge system allows for adjustable positioning where the attachment member can be positioned at different locations along the support member. This dynamic adjustability eliminates the need for precise pre-cutting of standard sizes, as the system can be adapted to match actual roof angles through positioning rather than precision cutting.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is pre-formed with indentations or recesses at specific locations that accommodate the attachment member. This preliminary structuring of the support member provides predetermined positioning features that ensure accurate angle matching without requiring precise cuts during installation, as the geometry is already established in the pre-fabricated components.
3Productivity
If the gutter is fully weighted with water, then the gutter conveys maximum water volume, but the gutter deforms and loses effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is designed with sufficient rigidity and structural strength to counteract the downward force exerted by full water loads. The nested attachment member provides additional structural reinforcement that prevents deformation, allowing the gutter to maintain its shape and effectiveness even when completely filled with water.
Solution Approach 2:
The gutter wedge utilizes a composite structure combining the support member and attachment member as separate but integrated components. This composite arrangement distributes the mechanical stress from water weight across multiple structural elements, preventing deformation while maintaining the gutter's water conveyance capacity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the protrusion of T-wedge is made perpendicular to the rain gutter, then it is easy to fabricate, but it cannot properly contact non-perpendicular fascia
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment member is designed with a geometry that allows it to be positioned at various angles relative to the support member. This dynamic adjustability enables the attachment member to contact fascia at different angles, adapting to non-perpendicular fascia configurations while maintaining the simplicity of the separate-component fabrication process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for changes in the angular parameter of the attachment member's contact surface. By adjusting the orientation and positioning of the attachment member, the system can accommodate different fascia angles without requiring complex fabrication, as the geometric parameters can be modified through positioning rather than manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed gutter wedge design provides improved stability and adjustability, resisting deformation and maintaining effectiveness even under heavy water loads, with the ability to match various roof angles and fascia configurations without complex machining or high costs.
Implementation Method 1
made from elastic materials like steel or plastics
Data Source
AI summary
A gutter wedge with improved performance comprising an attachment member and a support member is disclosed. The support member and the attachment member may comprise indentations that are capable of being nested. The configuration of the support member and the attachment member provide additional strength and stability with respect to known gutter wedges.