U.S. patent application number 10/286414 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-06 for gutter and cover system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Eastside Machine Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Bullinger, Michael J..
Application Number | 20040083657 10/286414 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32175445 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040083657 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bullinger, Michael J. |
May 6, 2004 |
Gutter and cover system
Abstract
A gutter and cover system mounts at an edge of a roof to collect
water into the gutter without other debris. The system includes a
combination gutter and cover made from a monolithic element. The
gutter includes a front, bottom and rear extending up to the cover,
which extends over the gutter. The cover has a pooling section and
a front, curving edge. The pooling section slows down the flow of
water and allows it to flow over the curving edge and adhere to the
cover due to surface tension while debris falls outside of the
gutter. A support element slides inward to provide support for the
cover and a front face of the gutter. The support element includes
structure for receiving mounting hardware.
Inventors: |
Bullinger, Michael J.;
(Fargo, ND) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Assignee: |
Eastside Machine Co., Inc.
Fargo
ND
|
Family ID: |
32175445 |
Appl. No.: |
10/286414 |
Filed: |
October 31, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D 13/076
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/012 |
International
Class: |
E04D 013/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A gutter and cover system comprising a monolithic element
forming a gutter having a front face, a bottom and a rear portion
extending upward to a cover, the cover extending over the gutter,
and having a debris separation portion extending above the front
face and a kinetic energy dispersion section intermediate the rear
portion and the debris separation portion.
2. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, wherein the
kinetic energy dispersion section comprises a pooling section.
3. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, wherein the
debris separation portion comprises a curving front portion
extending downward and rearward.
4. The system described in claim 1, wherein the debris separation
portion is configured to have sufficient surface tension that water
clings to the system and drops into the gutter while debris falls
off the system.
5. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, wherein the
front face defines an ogee profile.
6. A gutter and cover system according to claim 2, wherein the
debris separation portion comprises a curving front portion
extending downward and rearward and configured to have sufficient
surface tension that water clings to the system and drops into the
gutter while debris falls off the system.
7. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, wherein the rear
portion extends above the cover portion.
8. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, wherein the
cover portion further comprises a section extending rearward and
downward to the rear of an upper end of the front face.
9. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, wherein the
monolithic element comprises an aluminum sheet.
10. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, wherein the
monolithic element has a thickness of approximately 0.03
inches.
11. A gutter and cover system according to claim 1, further
comprising a support member extending under the cover and an upper
portion of the front face.
12. A gutter and cover system according to claim 11, wherein the
front face comprises a lip an upper end of the front face, and
wherein the support member comprises a first portion engaging an
underside of the cover and a second portion engaging an underside
of the lip of the front face, and wherein the support member is
configured for engaging the rear portion of the gutter.
13. A gutter and cover system according to claim 12, wherein the
support member defines a mounting orifice extending there
through.
14. A roof and a gutter and cover system positioned at an edge of
said roof, the system comprising: a monolithic element forming a
gutter having a front face, a bottom and a rear portion extending
upward to a cover, the cover extending over the gutter, and having
a curving front portion extending downward and rearward above the
front face, kinetic energy dispersing means intermediate the rear
portion and the curving front portion, and mounting means for
securing said system at said edge of said roof.
15. The system described in claim 14, wherein said mounting means
further comprises an internal support having a cover support
segment engaging an underside of the cover, front face segment
engaging the front face of the gutter, and a rear segment engaging
the rear portion of the gutter.
16. The system described in claim 15, further comprising affixation
means for positioning said support member with respect to said
gutter and cover system and for positioning said system to said
edge of said roof.
17. The system described in claim 15, wherein the support member
defines an orifice extending through said support member, wherein
mounting hardware extends through the orifice to a hole in said
rear portion of said gutter and into said structure.
18. The system described in claim 15, wherein said mounting means
is repeatedly positioned at determined distances along said gutter
and cover system.
19. A gutter and cover system comprising a monolithic element
forming a gutter having a front face, a bottom and a rear portion
extending upward to a cover, the cover extending over the gutter,
having a curving front portion above the front face extending
downward and rearward, and a slightly concave pooling portion
intermediate the rear portion and the curving front portion.
20. The system described in claim 19, wherein said front face
defines an ogee profile.
21. The system described in claim 19, wherein said front face
defines a continuously curved profile.
22. The system described in claim 19, wherein said front face
defines a substantially square profile.
23. A gutter and cover system comprising a monolithic element
forming a gutter having a front face, a bottom and a rear portion
extending upward to a cover, the cover extending over the gutter,
and having a curving front portion extending downward and rearward
above the front face, kinetic energy dispersing section
intermediate the rear portion and the curving front portion; and a
support element for supporting said cover.
24. The system described in claim 23, wherein said support element
comprises an internal member having a cover support segment, front
face segment and rear segment engaging said monolithic element.
25. The system described in claim 24, wherein the curving front
portion is configured to have sufficient surface tension that water
clings to the system and drops into the gutter while debris falls
off the system.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a gutter and cover system
such as is used at the edge of a roof, and in particular to a
gutter and cover system with a single element forming the gutter
and the cover.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Gutters are used on a vast majority of dwelling houses and
other buildings to redirect water to a down pipe, which then
directs the run-off to a more convenient disposal location. This
avoids splashing, "trenching", flooding, and other such nuisances.
However, a persistent problem with such gutters is that they
collect leaves, sticks, pine needles and other debris, which causes
the gutters and/or down pipes to become blocked. As a result, water
can back up and flood over the gutter edge and sometimes down the
side of a building. Gutters blocked by debris can also cause
devastating consequences during the winter months by not allowing
melting snow and ice to properly drain off the roofs of buildings.
During melting and refreezing cycles, this blocked water can then
refreeze and act as a dam to the snow, which can continue to melt
and leak into the interior of the building.
[0005] To cure this deficiency and alleviate the necessity for
manually cleaning out gutters and/or down pipes, various proposals
have been made. Such proposals include screen devices that cover
the gutter opening to deflect debris from going into the gutter.
However, instead of deflecting the debris, such screen devices
instead cause an accumulation of debris, which still must be
manually removed over a period of time. Other proposals have been
made to utilize surface tension to direct the water into the
gutter, while the leaves and other debris carried by the water is
jettisoned off to the ground. It has been found, however, that
surface tension of the water is often not sufficient to contain the
water flow against certain counter-forces, such as large volumes of
water. To cure this deficiency, proposals have been made to add
measures for interrupting the flow of water, such as ribs, to the
covers of gutters to slow the water, allowing the surface tension
to direct debris-free water into the gutter. Although such devices
do increase the effectiveness of surface tension, they still fail
to satisfactorily alleviate the above problem. Further, these
earlier gutter devices generally have at least two parts, a gutter
and a cover over the gutter, which increases the time, cost and
difficulty of installing such gutter systems as well as
manufacturing such gutter systems.
[0006] Earlier gutter devices utilizing the surface tension of
water to separate water from leaves and other debris fail at
effectively directing the debris-free water into the gutter portion
of the devices. A system is needed that deflects leaves and other
debris while effectively capturing and retaining the debris-free
water within the gutter portion of the system. Such a gutter and
cover system should be structurally simpler and easier to install
and manufacture than the prior gutter devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed to a gutter and cover
system for an edge of a roof. The present invention combines the
cover with the gutter in a single element. The configuration of the
gutter may take on several embodiments, but generally includes a
front face that may have a lip at an upper end thereof extending
down to a gutter bottom and rear wall. The rear wall of the gutter
extends upward and forms a flange. The flange extends above the
cover, which extends outward forward from the flange. The cover
forms a pooling section and a front curving section that extends
under the cover and rearward above the gutter. The curving section
preferably extends forward at least even with a forward plane of
the gutter.
[0008] The pooling section receives and collects water falling from
the roof, thereby slowing the water, dispersing its kinematic
energy. As the water pools, it fills the pooling section and flows
over the front edge of the cover. Surface tension causes the slowed
down water to cling to the curving section and flow downward and
rearward to drop into the gutter. The debris falls over the front
edge of the cover and is separated from the water so that it does
not enter the gutter. In this manner, the gutters receive only
water while debris falls outside of the gutter and lessens the need
for cleaning the gutters. A rear flange portion extending up from
the rear wall portion and projecting above the cover provides a
guard against backsplash and aids in alignment for mounting at the
edge of the roof.
[0009] A support element inserts into the combination cover and
gutter. In one embodiment, the support element has a forked front
portion with a top arm that extends upward to the underside of the
cover and forward to the curving section in a preferred embodiment.
A second lower arm of the support element extends downward under
the front lip of the front face of the gutter. The support element
extends rearward to engage the rear portion of the gutter. The
support element includes an orifice extending there through
receiving mounting hardware, such as a screw, bolt or nail that
extends through the rear portion of the gutter and into a fascia of
the building or roof edge. A typical system includes multiple
support elements spaced at intervals along the edge of the roof. A
typical distance may be approximately two feet, the distance
depending upon the climate, roof construction and other design
needs.
[0010] In a first embodiment of the application, the gutter
includes an ogee profile. In other embodiments, the gutter includes
a more squared front face and may have a slight angle relative to
horizontal and vertical. In a further embodiment, the front face of
the gutter includes a continuously arcing profile. Each of these
configurations include the gutter and cover made from a single
element and are preferably monolithic. Typical materials may
include aluminum and steel and a typical thickness may be
approximately 0.03 inches, although other materials with different
properties could also be used.
[0011] These features of novelty and various other advantages that
characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in
the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a
better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the
objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the
drawings that form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying
descriptive matter, in that there is illustrated and described a
preferred embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference
numerals and letters indicate corresponding structure throughout
the several views:
[0013] FIG. 1 is an end view of a first embodiment of a gutter and
cover system according to the principles of the present invention
mounted to the edge of the roof;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an end view of an integral gutter and cover for
the system shown in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a support member for
the system shown in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of
an integral gutter and cover for the system shown in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of
an integral gutter and cover for the system shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a fourth embodiment of
an integral gutter and cover for the system shown in FIG. 1;
and
[0019] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a fifth embodiment of
an integral gutter and cover for the system shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] Referring to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an end view of
a gutter and cover system 10 for mounting under an edge 32 of a
roof 30 of a building or structure 33. In accordance with the
present invention, the gutter and cover system 10 is typically
roll-formed from a monolithic sheet of material, preferably a metal
material such as aluminum, having a uniform wall thickness,
typically about 0.032 inch. It can be appreciated that other
suitable materials such as steel and alloys and different material
thicknesses may be used, depending on the particular application.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the gutter system 10 that includes a cover
portion 22 and a gutter portion 24 integrally connected by a rear
wall 17. In a preferred embodiment, the rear wall 17 continues
approximately 1 inch above the cover portion 22, forming a flange
or extension 14 positioned under a drip edge 31 of the structure 33
to prevent flowing water from splashing back onto the roof of the
structure 33. The gutter portion 24 includes a bottom wall 15 that
integrally connects the rear wall 17 to a front wall 19. The bottom
wall 15 is shown in the figures with a flat surface. However, it is
to be understood by those skilled in the art that it may be rounded
to collect water at its center or shaped to collect the water
closer to the back area of the gutter portion 24. The front wall 19
extends upward toward the cover portion 22 and desirably concludes
by extending rearward and downward to form a lip portion 20.
[0021] FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate alternative embodiments of
the gutter and cover system, generally designated 50, 60, 70, and
80, respectively. The front wall 19 may define a number of profile
embodiments including, but not limited to, an ogee profile,
illustrated in FIG. 1; a continuously curved profile, illustrated
in FIG. 7; or a straight profile, illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and
6.
[0022] The cover portion 22 of the present invention extends from
and is integrally connected with the rear wall 17. Extending
generally over the gutter portion 24, the cover portion 22
concludes by preferably curving downward and rearward to form a
debris separation portion 12. The debris separation portion 12
preferably comprises a minimum radius to provide sufficient surface
tension such that water clings to the debris separation portion 12
and flows behind the lip portion 20 and drops into the gutter
portion 24 while debris is jettisoned off the system. Intermediate
the rear wall 17 and the debris separation portion 12, cover
portion 22 includes a kinetic energy dispersion section 18. As
shown in FIG. 2, the pooling section or kinetic energy dispersion
section 18 preferably commences at the intersection 26 of rear wall
17 and cover portion 22 and concludes at the top 25 of the debris
separation portion 12. In a preferred embodiment, the low point 28
of kinetic energy dispersion section 18 is equidistant from the
intersection 26 of rear wall 17 and cover portion 22 and the top 25
of the debris separation portion 12. In alternative embodiments,
the low point 28 of kinetic energy dispersion section 18 may be
positioned in a variety of locations along the kinetic energy
dispersion section 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the low point 28 of the
kinetic energy dispersion section 18 is located below both a
horizontal axis al tangent to intersection 26 and a horizontal axis
a2 tangent to the top 25 of the debris separation portion 12,
causing the water flowing over the cover portion 22 to pool and
lose kinetic energy before flowing over the debris separation
portion 12 and into the gutter portion 24. By dispersing the
kinetic energy of the flowing water, the kinetic energy dispersion
section 18 allows the surface tension properties of water to
effectively direct the slowly flowing water over the debris
separation portion 12 and into the gutter portion 24.
[0023] The system of the present invention may further include a
support member 40 extending under the cover portion 22 and lip
portion 20 of the front wall 19 for strengthening the gutter and
cover system 10 against heavy rainfall, snow and other natural
elements. The support member 40 may be formed from metal, plastic
or other suitable rigid material. As shown in FIG. 3, the support
member 40 includes a first portion 46 engaging the underside of
cover portion 22 (see FIG. 1), a second portion 44 engaging the
underside of the lip portion 20 of the front wall 19 (see FIG.),
and a third portion 42 engaging the rear wall 17 of the gutter and
cover system 10 (see FIG. 1). The support member may further
include a plurality of bracing members, such as crossbeams 45,
formed from metal, plastic or other suitable rigid material to
further strengthen the gutter and cover system 10. Preferably, the
support member 40 also includes a mounting orifice 41 extending
through the support member 40, wherein mounting hardware, such as a
nail, screw or similar fastener, may extend through the orifice 41
to an opening in the rear wall 17 of the gutter system 10 and into
the front of structure 33. In this manner, the gutter system 10 is
fixed with respect to the structure 33 and the roof 30 of the
structure. The support members 40 are repeatedly positioned at
predetermined distances along the gutter and cover system 10 with a
typically spacing being two feet.
[0024] FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate further embodiments 50, 60 70
and 80 of gutter and cover systems according to the present
invention. In each of the alternative embodiments, a cover portion
22 includes a kinetic energy dispersion section 18 intermediate the
rear wall 17 and the debris separation portion 12 that causes water
to pool and lose kinetic energy before flowing over the debris
separation portion 12 and into the gutter portion 24. In addition,
the alternative embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7
include a support member, similar to the support member 40, which
extends under the cover portion and lip portion of the front wall
of each of the embodiments.
[0025] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in
matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in that the appended claims are
expressed.
* * * * *