GUTTER COVER WITH SNAP-IN HANGER ATTACHMENT

• US 20110138698A1
• Filed: 12/05/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horst Neumann
• Original Assignee: Horst Neumann
• Inventors: NEUMANN, HORST
• Granted Patent: US 8,322,082 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

Disclosed is a gutter cover comprising a elongated member adapted to fit over an existing gutter having a plurality of perforations to permit water flow and prevent clogging of the gutter with debris. The gutter cover has two raised areas on its surface to create three channels for water flow. The gutter cover can be fastened to a gutter without fasteners.

Claims

1. A gutter cover with a snap-in hanger attachment for a gutter, said gutter having a back wall having an end tip, said gutter cover having a snap-in hanger attachment for an inside support and an outside support, the gutter cover comprising a single rolled elongate member having a predetermined length and a predetermined width to accommodate the gutter dimensions, the gutter cover further comprising a first end, an inside vertical upward section rising from said first end, said inside vertical upward section merging with a 180°

U-shaped bend having an inside surface, said 180°

U-shaped bend merging with a first vertical downward depending section so that a space is created between the inside vertical upwards section and said first vertical downward depending section, wherein said space has a width adapted to receive said gutter back wall and wherein said snap-in hanger attachment for an inside support is achieved when said gutter back wall end tip abuts said inside surface of the 180°

bend.

2. The gutter cover of claim 1 further comprising a raised convex-shaped section below the first vertical downward depending section, wherein said raised convex-shaped section is adapted to mesh in a snap-in fashion with a convex-shaped raised section the gutter back wall when the inside support is achieved thereby creating the snap-in hanger attachment for holding the gutter cover in place on the gutter back wall without the need for fasteners.

3. The gutter cover of claim 2 further comprising, after the convex-shaped section, a second vertical downward depending section curving into a 90°

bend followed by a first horizontal section, wherein said first horizontal section is perforated with holes creating a mesh surface through which water is permitted to pass but debris is prevented.

4. The gutter cover of claim 3 wherein said first horizontal section has a width that is about one-half said horizontal width.

5. The gutter cover of claim 4 wherein the mesh holes have a density that is sufficient to pass enough water to prevent flooding of the gutter cover and gutter overflow while providing adequate water flow to flush debris from the gutter cover.

6. The gutter cover of claim 5 further comprising, following the first horizontal section, a first raised section having a convex shape followed by a second horizontal section, followed by a second raised section identical to said first raised section and parallel thereto, wherein the first raised section and said second raised section act in cooperation to reduce the velocity of water across the width of the gutter cover.

7. The gutter cover of claim 6 wherein said first raised section and said second raised section are separated by a distance equal to about one-quarter the predetermined width and a perforated to permit water of reduced velocity to fall into the trough.

8. The gutter cover of claim 7 further comprising a third horizontal section extending from the second raised section to the commencement of a downwardly disposed and slightly concavely curved section for trapping and redirecting flowing water.

9. The gutter cover of claim 8 wherein said downwardly disposed and slightly concavely curved section reverses direction at a generally “

V”

-shaped bend having a rounded apex.

10. The gutter cover of claim 9 wherein the gutter cover further comprises a slightly convexly curved section which terminates at a second end.

11. The gutter cover of claim 10 wherein said slightly convexly curved section is un-perforated.

12. The gutter cover of claim 11 wherein said gutter comprises a back wall, a bottom wall, and a front wall comprising, in succession, a first vertical section, a first convex curved section, a first concave curved section, a first 90°

angle, a second vertical section, a second 90°

angle, a first horizontal section, a first “

V”

-shaped angle followed by a depending section terminating in a gutter end, and wherein said outside support comprises said generally “

V”

-shaped bend of the cover nesting within said first 90°

angle of the gutter so that there is no other contact point between the gutter cover and the gutter to prevent penetrating the anti-rust seals of the trough.

13. The gutter cover of claim 12 wherein the depending concave section dips below the end of the depending trough section creating a space between the depending section of the gutter and the depending concave section of the cover in order to channel water flow downwards into the trough and to prevent spill over of water from the surface of the cover over the top of the trough while allowing momentum to carry debris over the top of the trough and off of the cover.

14. The gutter cover of claim 13 wherein the slightly convexly unperforated curved section acts as a splash guard.

15. The gutter cover of claim 14 wherein the first raised section and the second raised section act to separate the gutter cover into three channels having a width narrower than the predetermined width so that that water velocity over the width of the top surface of the cover is reduced in order to fall through the apertures and into the trough so that debris carried by the water can collect over the cover and so that air flow through the cover can dry the debris permitting easy cleaning by an individual.

16. The gutter cover of claim 15 wherein each aperture has a diameter of about 0.125 inches.

17. The gutter cover of claim 16 wherein the gutter cover is manufactured from one of stainless steel and aluminum.

18. The gutter cover of claim 17 wherein the gutter cover has a thickness of about 0.032 inches.

19. The gutter cover of claim 18 further comprising a surface area and wherein approximately 30% of said surface area is covered with apertures in order to keep 90% of the debris out of the gutter.

20. The gutter cover of claim 19 wherein the first raised section and the second raised section reinforce the gutter cover for receiving a load due to ice and snow.