U.S. patent application number 13/199882 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-22 for inside corner gutter piece.
Invention is credited to Jimmy J. Dehart, SR..
Application Number | 20120066983 13/199882 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46582452 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120066983 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dehart, SR.; Jimmy J. |
March 22, 2012 |
Inside corner gutter piece
Abstract
An inside corner gutter piece for a roof gutter system having an
angled outer wall of a center segment extending at a 45 degree
angle to outer walls of two straight end segments, the outer wall
of the center segment acting as a flow diverter for directing rain
runoff from a roof valley into connected straight gutter sections,
with a top and down turned edge acting to block a rainwater
off-flow stream from flowing up and out of the outer wall of the
inside corner gutter piece.
Inventors: |
Dehart, SR.; Jimmy J.;
(Landenberg, PA) |
Family ID: |
46582452 |
Appl. No.: |
13/199882 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12696356 |
Jan 29, 2010 |
|
|
|
13199882 |
|
|
|
|
61437774 |
Jan 31, 2011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D 13/0643
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/11 |
International
Class: |
E04D 13/064 20060101
E04D013/064 |
Claims
1. An inside corner gutter piece for a roof eave gutter system
comprising: a pair of straight end segments each configured to
receive an end of a respective adjacent gutter system section and
extending at right angles to each other, each end segment having an
outer wall, bottom wall and an inner wall connected by said bottom
wall to said outer wall; an angled center segment having an outer
wall connected to a respective outer wall of each end segment, said
outer wall extending at an angle of about 45 degrees to said outer
walls of said end segments, said center segment outer wall formed
with a top extending inwardly back toward a right angle corner
formed by two sections of said vertical rear wall of said corner
piece and also formed with a terminal edge extending downward from
the inside of said top to create a channel capturing any rainwater
flow surge climbing to the top of said outer wall.
2. The inside corner gutter piece according to claim 1 wherein each
of said outer walls of said end segments are also formed with an
inwardly extending top and downwardly extending edge integral with
said top.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/696,356 filed on Jan. 29. 2010, and also
claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No.
61/437,774 filed on Jan. 31, 2011.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention concerns rain gutter systems mounted along
the eaves of a roof to collect rainwater draining from the roof and
directing it to downspouts through which it flows down to the
ground to a point at which runoff or collection occurs.
[0003] A particular gutter problem exists at inside corners formed
at valleys on the roof by the intersection of roof sections facing
different directions. The roof valleys collect rainwater runoff
flow from both roof sections such that a heavier flow of rainwater
occurs down the valley.
[0004] An inside corner piece is often employed in the gutter
system the inside corner piece located at the bottom of such a
valley. The greater volume and velocity of the flow down the valley
often results in overflow out of the inside corner position of the
gutter system.
[0005] Efforts to avoid such overflows have included placing
upright baffle pieces across the corner of a cover to deflect the
flow back into the gutter system. A heavy rain will sometimes
result in overflows notwithstanding the presence of the baffles,
such that they are not completely effective.
[0006] Another approach is to put a horizontal diverter baffle on
top of a corner screen extending across the inside corner as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,765,743, but the velocity of water
flow in a downpour onto the diverter can deflect water flow off the
diverter and onto the ground.
[0007] Another approach is to provide a downspout at the inside
corner to collect and immediately drain away the flow as described
in U.S. published application U.S./2002/0152691; U.S./2001/0032418
and U.S./2003/0115807, but this approach requires an extra
downspout at the corner and does not totally prevent an over
splashes at the inside corner.
[0008] U.S./2002/0124476 describes a corner gutter cover, at an
inside corner formed with upright ridges, but ridges can deflect
water flow off the cover such that it is not entirely contained by
the gutter system.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 2,120,395 describes a covered gutter system
which employs a 45.degree. extending wall at the corner, to
increase the gutter capacity at the corner but again the presence
of the cover may cause deflection of the water flow off the cover
and out of the gutter system.
[0010] A covered inside corner is also described in U.S. Pat. No.
2,537,243 which is elevated and covered. This shape traps debris
and cause damming of flow to occur.
[0011] Another version described therein has a 45.degree. outer
wall at an inside corner valley. However, that gutter has a rounded
shape and low outer wall which can allow the flow to ride up and
over the low outer wall of the piece to escape the gutter
system.
[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
inside corner piece for a roof gutter system which minimizes the
overflow from the gutter of rainwater running down roof valleys
without requiring the expense of an extra downspout and effectively
prevents overflows while being easily incorporated into
conventional gutter systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The above object is achieved by an inside corner gutter
installed below a roof valley piece which is formed to connect with
adjacent straight gutter sections converging onto the piece at
right angles to each other, with an outer wall extending at
45.degree. across the inside corner with the outer wall comprising
an upright surface presented across the inside corner. The inside
corner piece has a lip along the top of the outer wall which
includes a top extending back towards the roof valley and a
downwardly extending terminal edge. The outer wall and lip formed
thereon blocks and diverts rainwater runoff flow back which has
descended down a roof valley into the inside corner gutter piece
and horizontally into the connected straight gutter sections.
[0014] At the same time the greater distance of the inside corner
gutter piece results in better blocking of the descending rainwater
flow since the water stream from the roof valley descends further
when crossing that greater distance before encountering the outer
wall which is therefore better able to block that flow. The outer
wall top lip also matches the shape of the conventionally shaped
straight gutter sections to be able to be received in the ends of
the inside corner gutter piece.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0015] FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of an inside corner gutter piece
according to the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the inside corner gutter piece
shown in FIG. 1, installed on a roof gutter system with fragmentary
portions of the roof and connected gutter straight sections
shown.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the inside corner gutter piece
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a vertical section view taken through the middle
of the inside corner gutter piece shown in FIGS. 1-3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] In the following detailed description, certain specific
terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a
particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements
of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not
intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as
the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within
the scope of the appended claims.
[0020] Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 shows an inside corner
gutter piece 10 according to the invention. A pair of straight end
segments 12, 14 extend at right angles to each other are each
shaped in section to be able to receive conventional straight
gutter sections 16, 18 of the gutter system, which could be made
slightly larger so as to slidably receive the same. The overlapped
ends would be riveted and/or caulked together in conventional
fashion.
[0021] An upright rear wall 20 of the gutter piece 10 is flat and
vertical and has two sections 20A, 20B meeting at right angle
corner 21, each section 20A, 20B normally installed behind the
lower leg of a respective length of drip edge 22 usually installed
beneath the lower course of roof shingles 24 when the roof is
installed.
[0022] The two straight end segments 12, 14 are connected by an
angled center segment 13.
[0023] According to the present invention, an outer wall portion
26A of the center segment 13 extends at a 45 degree angle to the
outer wall portions 26B, 26C of the end straight segments 12, 14
integral therewith.
[0024] A bottom wall 17 extends out from the rear wall 20
connecting together the outer walls 26A, 26B, 26C and the rear wall
20.
[0025] This locates the outer wall 26A directly aligned and in
front of the roof valley 28 and perpendicular thereto but at level
below the valley 28 when the gutter piece 10 is installed.
[0026] This creates a blocking and containment of rainwater off-
flow received from the roof valley 28 which is superior to the
prior art diverters since it is bigger than conventional diverters,
and further away and lower with respect to the bottom of the roof
valley 28.
[0027] The rainwater flow from the valley 28 plunges after leaving
the valley 28 so that it is lower when reaching the inside of the
angled outer wall 26A and less likely to surge over the top of
outer wall 26A.
[0028] In addition, the upper part of the outer wall angled portion
26A is formed with a lip comprised of a horizontal top segment 30A
directed towards a corner formed by the two rear wall sections and
a downward extending terminal edge 32A (FIG. 4).
[0029] Thus, any rainwater off-flow stream climbing up the inside
of the outer wall 26A is blocked by the top segment 30A and
redirected back down and diverted to the right and left into the
straight segments 12, 14.
[0030] A similarly shaped lip is formed on the outer wall 26B, 26C
straight segments 12 to further the channeling to the adjacent
gutter sections 16, 18.
[0031] The shape of the outer walls 26B, 26C is matched to that of
conventional gutter sections such that the straight ends 12, 14
receive the ends of adjacent straight gutter sections 16, 18 as
shown in FIG. 2.
[0032] The inside piece 10 can be made in two parts joined together
as with a miter seam 34 extending through the middle of the piece
10, by conventional gutter manufacturing techniques.
* * * * *