Supported mesh debris preclusion system for gutters

• US 20110067318A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gutterglove Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gutterglove Inc.
• Inventors: Lenney, Robert C., Lewis, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,479,454 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

Multiple assemblies are provided to overlie a gutter to preclude debris entry. Each assembly includes a mesh positioned upon an underlying substantially rigid support. The support has a tab which can reside beneath shingles and over other portions of the roof. A front edge is provided opposite the tab which rests upon a lip of the gutter when installed. A floor is located between the front edge and tab at a position slightly below a plane in which the tab and front edge are located. The mesh overlies the floor. Holes in the floor allow water which passes down through the mesh to be conducted through the floor and to fall down into the gutter. Ribs extend up from the floor to support the mesh and draw water off of the mesh. The mesh is corrugated into a plurality of crests and troughs which extend perpendicular to the ribs.

Claims

1. A gutter debris preclusion system comprising in combination:

a substantially rigid support having an elongate form between a pair of lateral ends opposite each other;

a screen having a fenestrated configuration to allow water to pass therethrough while precluding the passage of debris sized larger than fenestrations in the screen;

said screen coupled to said rigid support and positioned overlying said support;

said screen extending along a length of said rigid support between said pair of lateral ends;

said screen in contact with said support at a plurality of locations beneath said screen;

said rigid support including a plurality of holes therein, said holes located below said screen; and

said screen being bent into a configuration including multiple crests alternating with multiple troughs, with said troughs closer to said rigid support than said crests and with at least some of said troughs in contact with said rigid support.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said rigid support is wider than said screen in a direction perpendicular to a length of said rigid support between said lateral ends, said screen coupled to said rigid support with an upper portion of said rigid support on one side of said screen including an extension overlapping on an upper edge of said screen.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said extension defines an upper portion of a slot, said upper edge of said screen located within said slot and with both portions of said crests of said screen and portions of said troughs of said screen received within said slot.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said upper portion of said rigid support is provided in the form of a tab extending from said extension adjacent said slot to a tip defining an uppermost edge of said tab.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said tab tapers from a greater thickness adjacent said slot to a lesser thickness adjacent said tip defining said uppermost edge of said tab.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said tab is formed of a material which is capable of bending without breaking along a bend line extending parallel with said slot, said tab bendable to accommodate roofs of different pitches.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said tab includes score lines thereon, said tab configured to be frangible along said score lines to allow said tab to be custom trimmed to accommodate gutter and roof geometry adjacent said system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said rigid support includes a floor on a portion of said rigid support located beneath said screen, said floor spaced from said screen, said floor including holes therein, said floor including ribs extending up from said floor, said ribs in contact with said screen.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said ribs are elongate in form and oriented substantially parallel with each other and extending between said lateral ends of said rigid support, said floor including channels located between said ribs with said holes located within said channels.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said holes have a width less than a distance between adjacent said ribs, and with said holes having a length greater than a width.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said holes have a length longer than a space between adjacent holes within common said channels, such that a majority of a length of said channels is defined by said holes, rather than said space between said adjacent holes.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said holes are located closer to an adjacent said rib located below said hole than a distance from an adjacent said rib above said hole.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said ribs include tips opposite said floor which are oriented within a substantially common plane with said screen, said troughs of said screen in contact with said tips of said ribs, with said troughs extending substantially perpendicular to said ribs for substantially point contact between said troughs and said ribs at a plurality of separate points.

14. A gutter guard attachable overlying a gutter, comprising in combination:

a screen;

a substantially rigid support underlying said screen and in contact with an underside of said screen;

said rigid support including a plurality of holes therein; and

said screen being bent into a configuration including multiple crests alternating with multiple troughs, with said troughs closer to said rigid support than said crests and with at least some of said troughs in contact with said rigid support.

15. The gutter guard of claim 14 wherein said rigid support includes a pair of slots therein including an upper slot and a lower slot, said upper slot open in a direction facing an open side of said lower slot, said screen including an upper edge opposite a lower edge with said upper edge of said screen located within said upper slot of said rigid support and said lower edge of said screen located within said lower slot of said support, and with a size of said screen between said upper edge and said lower edge similar to a distance between said upper slot and said lower slot, said slots each sized to receive both said troughs and said crests of said screen therein.

16. The gutter guard of claim 14 wherein said rigid support includes a floor spaced below said screen, said floor including ribs extending up from said floor to tips in contact with said screen, said floor including said holes therein with said holes located between said ribs, said ribs extending non-parallel with said troughs such that said ribs contact said troughs at points.

17. The gutter guard of claim 14 wherein an upper portion of said rigid support is provided in the form of a tab extending from said upper slot to a tip defining an uppermost edge of said tab.

18. The gutter guard of claim 17 wherein said tab tapers from a greater thickness adjacent said slot to a lesser thickness adjacent said tip defining said uppermost edge of said tab;

wherein said tab is formed of a material which is capable of bending without breaking along a bend line extending parallel with said upper slot, said tab bendable to accommodate roofs of different pitches; and

wherein said tab includes score lines thereon, said tab configured to be frangible along said score lines to allow said tab to be custom trimmed to accommodate gutter and roof geometry adjacent said system.

19. A method for keeping debris out of a gutter including the steps of:

selecting a length of elongate gutter guard including a screen, a substantially rigid support underlying the screen and in contact with an underside of the screen, the rigid support including a plurality of holes therein and the screen being bent into a configuration including multiple crests alternating with multiple troughs, with the troughs closer to the rigid support than the crests and with at least some of the troughs in contact with the rigid support;

placing the gutter guard over a gutter along a lower edge of a roof of a structure, with the front edge of the gutter guard adjacent and over a lip of the gutter and with the upper portion of the gutter guard opposite the front edge located over at least a portion of the roof adjacent the gutter;

allowing water and debris to travel down the roof, over the upper portion of the gutter guard and onto the screen; and

filtering water and debris on the screen with water passing through the screen and debris prevented from passing through the screen.

20. The method of claim 19 including the further step of configuring the upper portion of the gutter guard as a tab extending above the screen;

and

customizing the tab by bending and/or cutting away portions of the tab to cause the tab to fit over at least portions of the roof and under shingles located upon the roof.