Rain gutter debris preclusion device

• US 20080163561A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gutterglove Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gutterglove Inc.
• Inventors: Lenney, Robert C., Lewis, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/12
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/076 Devices or arrangements for removing snow, ice or debris from gutters or for preventing accumulation thereof

Abstract

A barrier is provided to preclude debris from passing into a rain gutter. The barrier includes a screen supported upon a channel. The channel includes a tab positionable between a roof and shingles upon the roof, and with a lip opposite the tab resting upon a portion of a gutter opposite the roof. The channel includes a recess between the tab and the lip. The recess includes a floor defining a lower plane of the channel. Ribs extend from the floor up to an upper plane of the channel in which the screen is supported. The ribs have sufficient height to remain in contact with the screen. Water is drawn through the screen and along the ribs down to the floor of the recess. Apertures in the floor allow the water to fall down through the channel and into the gutter, while debris is precluded from passing through the screen.

Claims

1. :

A rain gutter debris preclusion barrier, comprising in combination;

a substantially rigid support structure adapted to span the gutter open upper end;

said support structure including holes to allow water to pass therethrough;

said support structure including raised elements that extend up from a lower portion, said holes located below said raised elements;

a pair of slots on said support structure oriented facing each other and spaced from each other by a width of a water collection region above said raised elements and said holes of said support structure;

a screen resting upon said raised elements with opposite edges of said screen located within each of said pair of slots, said screen being porous to allow water flow therethrough;

a seam separating said support structure and said screen between separate elongate sections of said support structure and said screen;

said seam covered by a connecting member;

said connecting member having opposite ends spaced similar to a spacing between said pair of slots; and

said opposite ends of said connecting member each located within one of said pair of slots and on top of said screen to cover said seam.

2. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein said connecting member has a friction fit above portions of said screen and within said slots of said support structure.

3. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein said connecting member is sufficiently flexible to facilitate insertion of opposite ends of said connecting member into each of said pair of slots while said connecting member is curved, and then flattening said connecting member to fully insert opposite ends of said connecting member into said slots.

4. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein said connecting member includes an elongate ridge extending at least partially between said opposite ends and between sides and parallel with sides of said connecting member, said ridge defining a portion of said connecting member raised slightly relative to other portions of said connecting member.

5. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein said connecting member includes holes passing therethrough adjacent opposite ends thereof, said holes adapted to receive fasteners passing through said connecting member, through said screen and at least into portions of said support structure to secure said connecting member to said screen and said support structure.

6. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein said connecting member has beveled corners, such that insertion of opposite ends of said connecting member into said slots is facilitated.

7. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein sides of said connecting member extend between said opposite ends, said sides each including a recessed edge portion such that said connecting member is narrower at a midpoint thereof than at ends thereof adjacent said opposite ends.

8. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein said connecting member includes a wing in the form of a pair of bends in said connecting member, such that a cross-section of said connecting member at said wing exhibits an inverted “

V”

shape, said connecting member oriented with said wing extending up from said connecting member.

9. :

The barrier of claim 8 wherein said connecting member is formed of resilient material, such that when said connecting member is flexed about said wing, said connecting member resiliently returns to a rigid original form when loads are later removed.

10. :

The barrier of claim 1 wherein said connecting member is in the form of a section of screen having a width between said opposite ends similar to a distance between said pair of slots, with the connecting member providing an overlapping layer of screen overlying said seam.

11. :

A rain gutter debris preclusion barrier for extending between a front lip of a gutter and a location between shingles on a roof and structural portions of the roof, the barrier allowing water to pass therethrough but precluding passage of debris therethrough, the barrier comprising in combination;

a substantially rigid support structure adapted to span the gutter open upper end;

said support structure including holes to allow water to pass therethrough;

said support structure including raised elements that extend up from a lower portion, said holes located below said raised elements;

a pair of slots on said support structure oriented facing each other and spaced from each other by a width of a water collection region above said raised elements and said holes of said support structure;

a screen resting upon said raised elements with opposite edges of said screen located within each of said pair of slots, said screen being porous to allow water flow therethrough;

said support structure including a lip at one end thereof, said lip adapted to rest upon said gutter front lip; and

said support structure including a tab opposite said lip, said tab extending in a planar fashion away from said lip, said tab adapted to be inserted between shingles on the roof and a structural portion of said roof.

12. :

The barrier of claim 11 wherein said tab terminates at a tip in a common plane with a majority of other portions of said tab, said tab having a substantially constant thickness at said tip and away from said tip for a majority of area of said tab.

13. :

The barrier of claim 11 wherein a seam is provided separating said support structure and said screen between separate elongate sections of said support structure and said screen;

said seam covered by a connecting member;

said connecting member having opposite ends spaced similar to a spacing between said pair of slots; and

said opposite ends of said connecting member each located within one of said pair of slots and on top of said screen to cover said seam.

14. :

The barrier of claim 13 wherein said connecting member has a friction fit above portions of said screen and within said slots of said support structure.

15. :

The barrier of claim 14 wherein said connecting member is sufficiently flexible to facilitate insertion of opposite ends of said connecting member into each of said pair of slots while said connecting member is curved, and then flattening said connecting member to fully insert opposite ends of said connecting member into said slots.

16. :

A method for installing a rain gutter debris preclusion barrier over an open upper end of the gutter and extending from a front lip of the gutter to a portion of a roof between shingles on the roof and a structural portion of the roof adjacent where the gutter is mounted, the method including the steps of;

providing a substantially rigid support structure adapted to span the gutter open upper end, the support structure including holes to allow water to pass therethrough, the support structure including raised elements that extend up from a lower portion, the holes located below the raised elements, a pair of slots on the support structure oriented facing each other and spaced from each other by a width of a water collection region above the raised elements and the holes of the support structure, a screen resting upon the raised elements with opposite edges of the screen located within each of said pair of slots, the screen being porous to allow water flow therethrough, the support structure including a lip at one end thereof, the lip adapted to rest upon the gutter front lip, and the support structure including a tab opposite the lip, the tab extending in a planar fashion away from the lip, the tab adapted to be inserted between shingles on the roof and a structural portion of the roof;

locating the barrier over the open upper end of the gutter with the lip of the support structure resting upon the front lip of the gutter; and

inserting the tab between shingles on the roof and a structural portion of the roof.

17. :

The method of claim 16 including the further steps of configuring the tab to have a tip at a terminal edge of the tab which is similar in thickness to a majority of a width of said tab, said tip located in a common plane with a majority of said tab.

18. :

The method of claim 16 including the further steps of;

providing the barrier in the form of a plurality of separate discrete sections separated by a seam;

placing two sections adjacent each other at the seam with the two sections overlying a common gutter;

providing a connecting member having opposite ends spaced similar to a distance between the pair of slots in the support structure; and

locating ends of the connecting member within the pair of slots and overlying the seam.

19. :

The method of claim 18 including the further steps of first flexing the connecting member to have a length less than a distance between the pair of slots, then inserting the connecting member with opposite ends thereof into each of the pair of slots and returning the connecting member to a substantially planar form fully inserted into the pair of slots.

20. :

The method of claim 19 wherein said flexing and reflexing steps occur by spring action of the connecting member formed of a spring steel material.