Systems and methods of a gutter cleaning system

• US 7,926,141 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Umagination Labs, LP
• Original Assignee: Umagination Labs, LP
• Inventors: Park, Sung, Dayton, Douglas C., Florence, Mark R
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/838,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 15/3, 15/211, 15/23, 15/24, 15/884, 15/931, 15/933, 151/040.9, 151/040.95, 151/041.2, 152/360.4
• US Class Current: 15/23
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/001 Cylindrical or annular brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/02 power-driven carriers
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3073 Brush for cleaning specific unusual places not otherwise covered, e.g. gutters, golf clubs, tops of tin cans, corners
• CPC Class Codes: E04D 13/0765 Cleaning tools

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention, a method of a gutter cleaning system comprises providing a housing configured to fit into a gutter, disposing at least one impeller at an end of the housing, driving the impeller with an impeller drive facility, the impeller drive facility being disposed within the housing, and attaching the housing to a placement facility for guiding the housing along the gutter.

Claims

1. A gutter cleaning system, comprising:

a housing configured to fit into an open residential gutter;

at least one impeller disposed at an end of the housing, the impeller having an axis of rotation oriented substantially horizontally and parallel to the open residential gutter when the housing is placed inside the open residential gutter;

a support wheel coupled to the housing by an axle disposed transverse to the impeller axis of rotation, the support while positioned to ride on a gutter edge of the open residential gutter when the housing is placed inside the open residential gutter;

an impeller drive disposed within the housing that drives the at least one impeller; and

a guide pole including a fastener removably attached to the housing for placement and guidance of the housing in the open residential gutter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one impeller is configured to remove debris from the open residential gutter.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control facility associated with the gutter cleaning system, wherein the control facility provides control of the gutter-cleaning system.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a conductor within the guide pole that provides an electrical connection to the control facility.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an impeller chute for housing a portion of the at least one impeller, wherein debris may be rotated against the chute by the at least one impeller prior to ejection from the gutter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one impeller is selected from a group consisting of a helical-bristled brush, a flexible paddle, a full stiff bristle brush, a spiral stiff bristle brush, a wire brush, a dethatching brush, an alternating paddle brush, a flexible bucket, a multiply-vaned impeller, a counter-rotating brush, and an alternating flexible blade.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the fastener is selected from a group consisting of a nut and bolt, a screw, a nail, a rivet, a magnet, an adhesive, a hook-and-loop, an interference locking system, a threaded connection, a sliding attachment, a hinge, a clamp, a tab, a spring-loaded attachment, a sleeve attachment, a snap-fit connection, a ball closure, discrete interlocks, a clasp, a clip, a zipper, a snap, a gasket, an O-ring type closure, a hook-and-eye, and a spring-locking hinge.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a power base on an opposite end of the guide pole from the impeller drive, the power base electrically connected to the impeller drive through the guide pole.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the guide pole is selected from a group consisting of a segmented pole and a telescoping pole.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the support wheel is free-wheeling about the axle.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the axle includes a driven axle to power the support wheel.