System for maintaining gutter debris free

• US 6,926,210 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Baxter
• Original Assignee: David Baxter
• Inventors: Baxter, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNEY, SETH E
• Application Number:
  US10/649,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20050045738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 239/208, 239/63, 239/67, 239/68, 239/69, 239/7, 239/373, 239/722, 169/9, 169/13, 169/16, 169/45, 134/104.4, 134/166.R, 52/12, 52/16
• US Class Current: 239/208
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/0765 Cleaning tools

Abstract

An automatic gutter cleaning system for cleaning a rain valley, gutter or drainage channel with a medium, such as air or water. The system includes carrying apparatus for carrying the medium through nozzles into the gutter or channel. The medium flushes the debris located in the valley or gutter either out of the valley or gutter or down the gutter through the down spouts. The system is automatically operated by a controller that either controls the frequency the medium is sent to the nozzles or turns on the system due to inputs from a monitoring means that monitors whether debris is or isn'"'"'t present in the valley or gutter.

Claims

1. A system for removing debris from a valley/gutter of a residential or commercial building or other structure comprising:

a plurality of orifices for directing a clearing medium there through being attached and positioned located along the valley/gutter in order to direct the medium into the valley/gutter;

a pipe for transporting the medium being pressurized into the orifices;

a system to pressurize and force the medium through the pipe and to the orifices;

a automatic controller for controlling when and how long in time the medium is forced through the pipe into the valley/gutter flushing any debris located in the valley/gutter down the valley/gutter into a down spout attached to the gutter thereby having the valley/gutter substantially free from debris mud allowing any rain caught therein to flow freely through the valley/gutter and the down spout; and

a monitoring apparatus connected to the automatic controller for monitoring the gutter to determine if a certain amount of debris has entered the valley/gutter and triggering the automatic controller, once such certain amount is reached, and monitoring the gutter once such certain amount of debris is removed from the valley/gutter and triggering the automatic controller to shut off the system due to such certain amount of debris is removed.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the medium is air which is pressurized by an air compressor having a pressure of 20 psi and 500 psi.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the valley/gutter defines an axis and the orifices being position at and angle from the axis into the valley/gutter in order to spray the air substantially parallel to the axis in order to flush the debris located along the valley/gutter out of the valley/gutter.

4. The system of according to claim 2 wherein the orifices have openings with a diameter and shape to provide a sufficient spray and force of the air into the valley/gutter to clear the debris located in the valley/gutter.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the monitoring apparatus is a camera that dynamically monitors the valley/gutter to sense that such certain amount of debris has entered the gutter.