U.S. patent application number 11/051867 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-18 for gutter protector.
Invention is credited to Olthoff, John R..
Application Number | 20050178072 11/051867 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34885955 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050178072 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Olthoff, John R. |
August 18, 2005 |
Gutter protector
Abstract
A gutter protector for keeping debris and insects out of the
interior of a gutter comprises a plurality of flexible elongated
gutter protector members formed of a porous open-cell foam, the
foam incorporating therein an anti-microbial agent and a UV
inhibitor. The members are formed in sections of predetermined
length that are shaped to fit in predetermined gutter shapes. Each
member has a recessed portion in a lower side that is spaced away
from the gutter. The recessed portion is substantially isolated
from the exterior of the protector member so as to permit water to
flow unobstructed through the gutter without admitting insects to
the interior of the recessed portion. For a conventional gutter
shape, the gutter protector desirably has a generally right
triangular cross section with a flat top and a tapered edge that
fits under a front lip of the gutter.
Inventors: |
Olthoff, John R.; (Grand
Rapids, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VARNUM, RIDDERING, SCHMIDT & HOWLETT LLP
333 BRIDGE STREET, NW
P.O. BOX 352
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49501-0352
US
|
Family ID: |
34885955 |
Appl. No.: |
11/051867 |
Filed: |
February 4, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60541637 |
Feb 4, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D 13/076 20130101;
E04D 13/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/012 |
International
Class: |
E04D 013/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A gutter protector for keeping debris and insects out of the
interior of a gutter comprising: a plurality of flexible elongated
gutter protector members formed of a porous open-cell foam, the
foam incorporating therein an anti-microbial agent and a UV
inhibitor, the members being formed in sections of predetermined
length, the members being shaped to fit in a predetermined gutter
shape, each member having a recessed portion in a lower side
thereof that is spaced away from the gutter and allows water to
flow unobstructed therethrough, the recessed portion being
substantially isolated from the exterior of the protector member so
as to permit water to flow unobstructed through the gutter without
admitting insects to the interior of the recessed portion.
2. A gutter protector as in claim 1 wherein the protector members
have generally triangular cross sections.
3. A gutter protector as in claim 2 wherein the protector members
have right triangular cross sections, with a right angle edge being
at an upper rear edge of the gutter.
4. A gutter protector as in claim 1 wherein the protector members
have half-round lower sides with recesses in the lower sides.
5. A gutter protector for restricting leaf accumulation in a
gutter, wherein the gutter includes an enclosed bottom portion and
an open top, the gutter being suspended on a structure by
attachment devices that are spaced a predetermined distance apart
and extend between front and back upper edges of the gutters and
are attached to the structure, the gutter protector comprising a
plurality of elongated, flexible, porous, open-cell foam members
shaped to fit end-to-end in the interior of the gutter, each member
having an upper surface, a lower surface, a rear surface, and a
front surface, the lower surface being substantially narrower than
the bottom of the gutter so that the lower surface abuts only a
portion of a bottom of the gutter, leaving an open portion of the
gutter that is at least substantially unobstructed for liquid flow,
the lower surface being positioned adjacent a rear side of the
gutter, the top surface extending across the top of the gutter
between the front and rear sides thereof, the rear side extending
downwardly between rear ends of the upper and lower surfaces in
abutment with a rear side of the gutter, the front surface of the
member extending upwardly and outwardly at an inclined angle from a
front edge of the bottom surface to a front edge of the upper
surface of the member, the portion of the front surface of the
member below the upper front edge being spaced away from a front
side of the gutter, providing a rain flow cavity between the member
and front side of the gutter, the member being formed of a readily
deformable flexible foam material that can be deformed to fit in
the gutter and under the support structure therein and to adapt to
the shape of the gutter at the upper surface thereof.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on and claims the benefit of the
filing date of Applicant's co-pending application Ser. No.
60/541,637, filed Feb. 4, 2004, which is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an improved gutter
protector that permits water to flow freely through the gutter but
prevents accumulation of debris in the gutter and prevents birds,
mosquitoes, wasps, and other insects from nesting in the
gutter.
[0003] The clogging of rain gutters with leaves and other debris is
a perennial problem. A number of devices have been developed to fit
in or cover the top of a gutter to prevent leaves from falling in
the gutter, while at the same time admitting water into the gutter.
Many of these are expensive or difficult to install or both. In
addition, some require attachment to the roof structure, which can
void the warranty of a new roof. Others provide incomplete
protection. Most gutter protectors do not prevent mosquitoes from
breeding in standing water in the gutter. In addition, most gutter
protectors do not restrict the growth of mildew and mold in the
gutter. Many gutter protectors deteriorate relatively rapidly over
time.
[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a cost
effective, easy to install gutter protector that both eliminates
the accumulation of debris in the gutter and shields the interior
of the gutter from access by birds or insects and restricts the
development of mold, mildew, and the like.
[0005] The advantages of the present invention are that the product
is cost effective and can be installed by an ordinary homeowner
easily and quickly with no special tools. The product does not
require attachment to a roof structure, which can void a roof
warranty. The anti-microbial agent incorporated in the foam
restricts the development of mildew and mold in the foam, and the
UV protection limits sun damage. The interior of the gutter is
shielded from access by birds, mosquitoes, wasps, and other
insects. A major location for mosquito breeding is thus denied with
the present invention. This is of particular significance with the
more serious illnesses, such as West Nile virus, that are
propagated by mosquitoes.
[0006] These and other advantages and features of the present
invention will become apparent from a description of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, which is described in detail
below and shown in the appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter system in which the
gutter protector of the present invention is being installed.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of
FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one block of the gutter
protector of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 is an end view of the gutter protector of FIG. 3.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an end view of a modified gutter protection
member.
[0012] FIG. 6 is an end view of another modified gutter projector
member.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a gutter protector
member used in a semicircular gutter supported by a bottom
bracket.
[0014] FIG. 8 is an end view of another modified gutter
protector.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] In accordance with the present invention, an improved gutter
protector for protecting the interior of a gutter comprises a
plurality of elongated, flexible, porous, open-cell foam members
adapted to fit end to end in the interior of the gutter. The foam
members have an upper surface that extends over the upper surface
of the gutter, preventing debris from accumulating in the gutter
and denying access to the interior of the gutter to mosquitoes,
wasps, and other insects, while at the same time readily admitting
water through the foam members into the interior of the gutter. In
one aspect of the invention, the foam members have a generally
triangular cross section, with a wedge-shape front edge that wedges
under the front edge of the gutter while providing an open
passageway at the bottom of the foam members for water to flow
unobstructed through the gutter. The foam members have a lower
surface or edge that contacts a portion of the bottom of the
gutter, with the bottom surface preferably being no more than about
one half of the width of the bottom surface of the gutter, leaving
the other portion free for unobstructed flow of water
therethrough.
[0016] The foam members are formed of a resilient, readily flexible
open-cell foam. The foam is soft and pliable, and readily can be
conformed to fit under or over gutter attachment devices employed
for attaching the gutter to a house or other structure. The foam
members are desirably shaped to conform with gutters of particular
sizes, with the foam being readily compressible when necessary to
fit under or around gutter brackets and into gutters of different
sizes. An exterior grade polyurethane foam is preferred.
[0017] The polyurethane foam desirably includes an anti-microbial
agent that is incorporated in the foam during manufacture. This
restricts the development of mold, mildew, and the like.
[0018] The foam members of the present invention also include a UV
protective agent that reduces UV radiation damage to the exposed
foam.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Referring to the drawings, a gutter protection system 10 is
shown in FIG. 1 in the process of being installed in a gutter 12
attached to a structure 14, such as a house at a lower edge of a
roof 16. A downspout 18 extends downwardly from an end of a gutter
through a hole 20 in the bottom of the gutter.
[0020] Gutter 12 is attached to the roof structure in the exemplary
embodiment by gutter spikes 22. In a typical installation, gutter
spikes or gutter support brackets are positioned about 18-24 inches
apart and extend from a lip 24 at an upper edge of a front side 26
of the gutter to an upper edge of a rear side 28 of the gutter. A
bottom of the gutter connects lower edges of the front and rear
sides of the gutter and forms a trough. In the explemplary
embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the backside of the gutter is
substantially vertical and the front side is provided with a
contoured arch, shaped for decorative purposes. A semicircular
gutter 71 is shown in FIG. 7. Gutters are formed in a wide range of
shapes and sizes, and the gutters disclosed herein are merely
exemplary of the types of gutters in which the present invention
can be used.
[0021] Other types of gutter attachment devices are brackets that
either extend over the top of the gutter or fit under the gutter or
extend inside the gutter. The present invention will work with any
type of gutter or gutter bracket. The size and shape of the gutter
members can be modified for any particular gutter shapes and
sizes.
[0022] The gutter protector system comprises a series of individual
elongated members 32 formed of resilient, flexible open-cell foam
material, preferably a commercially available exterior grade
polyurethane foam. This polyurethane foam has the characteristics
of cushion material and is contrasted with a rigid foam material,
which is undesirable in the present invention.
[0023] The foam material of the present invention is readily
porous. This will permit a very high flow rate of water, equivalent
to over 24 inches of rain per hour. This is twice the highest-ever
recorded rainfall and much more than other gutter systems can
handle.
[0024] Members 32 of the gutter protector of the present invention
desirably are about twice the length of the attachment devices for
holding the gutter to the roof. Because normal gutter spike spacing
is about 18-24 inches, gutter protector members normally are formed
in 48-inch lengths. Thus, a gutter protector can be installed as in
FIG. 2 under two gutter spikes or other attachment devices, so that
the gutter attachment devices hold both ends of the protector
members in place. The extreme pliability of the protector members
make them easily deformable so that they can be bent and deformed
as desired to be wedged into place under the attachment devices in
a gutter.
[0025] While the sections desirably are pre-formed at desired
lengths, they could be formed in a continuous length and packaged
in a roll, with the individual sections of desired length being cut
to length at the work site.
[0026] Members 32 are shaped so that they cover the entire upper
surface of the gutter, while the bottom portion of the gutter
remains relatively unobstructed for water flow along the bottom of
the gutter. Members 32 each include an upper surface 34, a rear
surface 36 extending downwardly from the rear edge of the upper
surface, a lower surface 38 extending along the bottom 30 of the
gutter, and a front surface 40 extending upwardly and outwardly
from the front edge of the bottom surface to the front edge of the
top surface. The lower surface desirably extends only a portion of
the way across the bottom of the gutter, and then extends upwardly
at an angle to the front edge of the gutter, leaving an
unobstructed open space 42 on the underside of the front portion of
the gutter protector for unobstructed water flow through the
gutter. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the protector
extends over only about one half the hole 20 for the downspout,
thus assuring that water will always have an unobstructed path to
the downspout.
[0027] The upwardly inclined, wedge-shaped front edge of gutter
member 32 ensures that the protector will cover the top of the
gutter, while providing a somewhat thinner front edge of the
protector member. This provides improved water flow characteristics
through the trough. However, the porosity of the polyurethane is
sufficient to permit adequate water to flow through the protector
members, even if the protector members were to be substantially
thicker.
[0028] As stated previously, a commercial grade exterior
polyurethane foam is employed in the present invention. An
anti-microbial additive desirably is incorporated in the foam. This
restricts the development of mildew, moss, and other fungi in the
gutter. The additive is available commercially in the urethane
product.
[0029] In the present invention, the foam also incorporates an
additive to restrict the effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays on the
product. A UV protection additive usually is not present in
polyurethane foam but provides an advantage in the present
invention, retarding the deterioration of the foam from sunlight
exposure.
[0030] With the wedge-shaped front edge of the gutter, the front
edge 44 is relatively narrow. This flexible, narrow edge fits in
the interior of concave lip 24 of the front edge of the gutter,
thus ensuring that the gutter protector covers the entire upper
surface of the gutter. The gutter protector desirably is formed so
that it just fills the gutter and is not substantially compressed.
Excess compression can reduce porosity. While the gutter protector
could be somewhat larger so that it is compressed somewhat in
installation, this is not necessary.
[0031] Two other embodiments of the wedge shaped gutter protector
are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Gutter protector 50, shown in FIG. 5,
is similar to protector member 32 of FIG. 1 but the lower edge 52
is narrower than lower surface 38 of member 32. This lower edge is
wide enough that it provides some base support for the member but
it leaves most of the bottom of the gutter unobstructed. This lower
edge 52 may be narrow enough such that it fits on gutter ridge 54
adjacent downspout opening 20 without extending over and
obstructing the downspout opening and minimizing the obstruction of
the bottom of the gutter. This lower edge preferably has some width
so that the lower edge supports the protector member without undue
compression of the edge. The lower edge desirably is about 0.5 to
1.0 inches wide for most common installations.
[0032] In FIG. 6, protector member 60 is similar in shaped to
member 50, except that the front vertical edge has a narrow flat
portion 62. This facilitates the installation or enhances the fit
of the member in certain gutters, such as a 5 inch K style, a 6
inch K style, or a 5 inch fascia style. Portion 62 typically may be
about one-quarter (1/4) to three eighths (3/8) inches wide in
common installations. All of the members 32, 50, and 60 are
considered to be generally triangular in cross section, even though
the edges may have flat portions.
[0033] Another protector member configuration 70 is shown in FIG.
7. This is for a half-round gutter 71. Generally, such gutters are
supported by half-round brackets 72 from underneath the gutter.
Member 70 has a generally flat upper surface 74 and a half-round
lower surface 76 that mates with the interior of gutter 71. An
arcuate channel 78 is provided in the bottom of the member to
permit unobstructed water flow along the gutter. Because the gutter
support bracket is under the gutter and the gutter therefore does
not have upper gutter spikes or support brackets to hold the
protector member in the gutter, the protector member is held in
place with intermittent spots 79 of silicon adhesive or
construction adhesive. These hold the members in place.
[0034] Still another gutter protector member configuration 80 is
shown in FIG. 8. Member 80 is shaped to fit in a 4-inch U-shaped
gutter. Member 80 has a flat top 82 and spaced legs 84, with
inwardly tapered surfaces 86 on the outside of the legs. The legs
have bases 88 at lower ends of the legs, and an arcuate open
channel 90 is formed in the bottom side of the member.
[0035] While the present invention is disclosed herein in
connection with typical gutter installations, it should be
understood that the present invention can be employed with
virtually any type of style of gutter. In order to install the
present invention, a gutter is first cleaned. Then, the gutter
protector members are installed in the gutter. To do this, the ends
of the gutter protector are wedged under the supports (if the
supports are on the top ridge of the gutter) at each end of the
members, so that the gutter protector is held in place by two
gutter supports and extends past the supports about halfway toward
the next gutter supports. The process is repeated down the gutter,
with each gutter protector being easily wedged into place by
deforming the foam as necessary in order to fit the members into
place in end-to-end contact alignment.
[0036] When the gutter protectors are all installed, they provide a
protective cover is provided to the gutter that is not visible from
the street. Moreover, the protector cannot be damaged by bending,
denting, or cracking, like aluminum, and cannot be damaged by ice
and snow, falling tree limbs, or high winds. No nails or screws are
required, and there is no danger of losing a roof warranty.
Moreover, homeowners can re-shingle a house without removing or
destroying the gutter protection.
[0037] The filtering effects of the gutter protector are sufficient
to protect even the smallest debris from passing through the gutter
protector. Thus, this also protects downspouts from accumulation or
clogs caused by gutter sludge. This saves plumbing fees that are
often incurred by homeowners.
[0038] It should be understood that the foregoing is merely
representative of the preferred practice of the present invention
and that various changes and modifications may be made in the
arrangements and details of construction of the embodiments
disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present invention.
* * * * *