The disclosure generally relates to eavestroughs and, more specifically, is directed at an eavestrough or gutter hanger bracket designed for supporting an eavestrough and/or an eavestrough protection system.
To protect the foundations of buildings, an eavestrough, also known as a gutter, is typically installed under the edge of a roof. The eavestrough collects and manages the flow of rainwater off of the roof and directs it away from the base of the building.
Under certain conditions, rainwater, snow and/or ice may accumulate within or atop the eavestrough, which can add a significant amount of weight to the eavestrough and its supporting components. In order to address this problem, some current solutions anchor the eavestrough to the building by way of a simple fastener, however, this generally does not provide sufficient support to the eavestrough to carry the extra weight.
In some other scenarios, leaves, pine needles, and other debris dropped onto the roof can also collect in the eavestroughs which can clog the eavestroughs and downspouts connected to the eavestroughs causing the rainwater to overflow and collect around the base of the building. To alleviate this problem, debris guards can be installed on eavestroughs to reduce the amount of debris from entering the eavestrough while still allowing the rainwater to flow through. These debris guards require structural support in order to perform their function and to maintain their structural integrity. Similar to the eavestrough itself, ice and snow can also accumulate on the debris guards adding significant weight that must be supported by the eavestrough.
In many cases, simple hangers or hanger brackets with a hooked end and a flat end that can be screwed to the side of a building are used to hang or mount eavestroughs to the building. However, current hangers are ill suited for supporting debris guards and for providing the necessary weight bearing capabilities, particularly during and after adverse weather conditions.
Therefore, there is provided a novel eavestrough hanger bracket that overcomes disadvantages of current solutions.
In one aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a hanger bracket for securing an eavestrough to a structure, including a main body portion, the main body portion including a clip end aligned with the structure a first end of the main body portion and configured to be coupled to receive one end of the eavestrough; and a curved end arranged at a second end of the main body portion opposite to the first end and configured to support a second end of the eavestrough; and a fastener tunnel configured to receive a fastener for securing the eavestrough and the hanger bracket to the structure through the clip end.
In another aspect, the main body portion includes a pair of body portions. In a further aspect, the pair of body portions are attached along a longitudinal axis of the hanger bracket. In yet a further aspect, the pair of body portions are mirror images of each other. In yet another aspect, the hanger bracket includes an upper contour for supporting a debris guard. In yet a further aspect, the upper contour includes at least two contact surfaces for supporting the debris guard. In another aspect, the fastener tunnel is formed between the at least two contact surfaces. In another aspect, the pair of body portions are connected to each other via an adhesive, a fastener, a rivet or weldments. In a further aspect, the hanger bracket of claim 1, wherein the hanger bracket is formed by injection molding.
In another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a hanger system including an eavestrough; and a hanger bracket, the hanger bracket including a main body portion, the main body portion including a clip end aligned with the structure a first end of the main body portion and configured to be coupled to receive one end of the eavestrough; and a curved end arranged at a second end of the main body portion opposite to the first end and configured to support a second end of the eavestrough; and a fastener tunnel configured to receive a fastener for securing the eavestrough and the hanger bracket to the structure through the clip end.
In another aspect, the hanger system includes a debris guard wherein the hanger bracket includes an upper contour for receiving a bottom contour of the debris guard.
Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:
It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.
The current disclosure is directed at an eavestrough hanger, or hanger bracket. In some embodiments, the disclosure is used to anchor or fasten an eavestrough to a building and to support the weight of the eavestrough. The disclosure may also provide support to the eavestrough when the eavestrough experiences a higher load due to environmental (rain, snow or ice) conditions. In some embodiments, the disclosure may also support, when installed, other rainwater accessories, such as, but not limited to a debris guard such as when the debris guard is experiencing a significant weight or load.
Eavestrough hanger brackets should be simple and easy to install to avoid damaging the eavestrough or the structure of the building to which it is attached. Improperly installed eavestrough hangers or hanger brackets may lead to weak points in the eavestrough resulting in damage to the eavestrough and/or the building. In some embodiments, eavestrough hanger brackets in accordance with the disclosure supporting debris guards and eavestroughs have high strength, durability and multiple contact points with the debris guard to allow for sufficient support.
In some embodiments, the eavestrough hanger includes a main support body portion. The main support body portion may be a single piece or may include a pair of somewhat symmetrical body portions that are connected together to form the main support body portion. One end of the main support body portion includes a clip end, or clip flange end for securing the hanger bracket and one end of an eavestrough to a building. At an opposite end of the main support body portion, the main support body portion includes a curved support end or curved flange end may for securing the other end of the eavestrough to the eavestrough hanger bracket.
In some embodiments, the hanger bracket includes a rib wall that is somewhat perpendicular to the main support body portion and may protrude from a center of the main support body portion and along a length of the main support body portion. The rib wall may include a fastener tunnel configured to receive a fastener, such as, but not limited to, a screw which secures the eavestrough and the eavestrough hanger bracket to the building through the clip end. The top surface of the rib wall may be curved or inclined as to conform to the contours of a bottom of a debris guard or cover as to better provide support for the debris guard. In some embodiments, the debris guard may also be secured to the eavestrough hanger at the curved flange or curved end of the main body support portion. In some embodiments, the main body support portion of the eavestrough hanger bracket may be formed by two opposing body portions or halves that are joined along a center axis along a length of the eavestrough hanger whereby each body portion includes a main portion having a curved end and a clip end such that the hanger bracket may be formed upon the joining of the two opposing body portions. The eavestrough hanger bracket can also be produced using injection molding or other plastic forming processes, which can reduce costs and improve production efficiency and consistency.
Embodiments are described below, by way of example only, with reference to
Turning to
The eavestrough hanger bracket 10 includes a main support portion 12 and a fastener portion 14. In the current embodiment, the main support portion 12 includes a pair of body portions 16a and 16b (more clearly shown in
In the current embodiment, the pair of body portions 16a and 16b are somewhat identical or symmetrical with respect to each other. In other words, the pair of body portions 16 and 16b may be seen as mirror images of each other. As can be more clearly seen in
In the embodiment of
Each body portion 16a and 16b includes a curved supporting, or curved flange, end 20 (seen as supporting ends 20a and 20b, respectively) and a clip, or clip flange, end 22 (seen as clip ends 22a and 22b, respectively). In some embodiments, an upper contour 24 of each body portion 16 is shaped to follow a bottom contour of a debris guard (not shown) in order to provide support to the debris guard when installed. The upper contour 24 may include the double rib when the main support portion 12 includes the two body portions 16 and may include a single support area or rib when the main support portion 12 is a single piece construction. It is understood that the upper contour 24 of each body portion 16 or of the main support portion 12 may be designed to mate or follow a bottom contour of an installed debris guard and does not have to follow the contour designs shown in the current Figures. A top of each of the pair of body portions 16a and 16b may be seen as a supporting rib with respect to the debris guard whereby the combination of the two body portions forms the double rib.
In the current embodiment, the upper contour 24 for each body portion 16 includes a cut-out portion 26 where an end of the fastener 14 is located and can be screwed into the fastener tunnel 18. The upper contour 24 also includes a pair of contact surfaces 28 and 30 between the hanger bracket 10 and the debris guard when the debris guard is installed. In the current embodiment, each cut-out portion 26 is angled such that it is somewhat parallel to the fastener tunnel 18 to provide room for a user to maneuver tools as the hanger bracket and eavestrough are being installed or being removed. This will be described in further detail below with respect to
When the body portions 16 are connected together, a first section 32, which may be seen as upper walls or a portion of the body portion 16 above the fastener tunnel 18 and a second section 34, which may be seen as lower walls or a portion of the body portion below the fastener tunnel 18 support the contact faces 28 and 30 of the body portions 16. The cut-out portions 26 may also allow for spacing between the debris guard and the fastener 14.
Turning to
In some embodiments, the inner edges of the lower walls 34 may respectively form connecting faces or edges which may be curved or inclined. A lower or bottom portion 44 of the lower walls, or second section, 34 provides extra support and a mechanism to prevent or reduce excessive bending moments on the hanger bracket from loading experienced at the curved supporting end 20. When installed, the bottom portion 44 is in contact with the eavestrough between the clip end 22 and the curved support end 20. In the event of extreme loading on the curved support end 20, which could cause a bending movement in the downward direction, this contact acts to prevent or reduce material failure in the hanger bracket 10.
The clip end 22 includes an eavestrough housing area 46 that receives an end of the eavestrough to sandwich the eavestrough to provide a more secure fit between the eavestrough and the hanger bracket 10. In other embodiments, the size and shape of the eavestrough housing area 46 can vary to fit different sized eavestroughs. The housing area 46 includes holes 47 allowing for the fastener to pass through when the eavestrough is installed.
In some embodiments, the holes 47 in the housing area may be formed via a punching operation. In
Turning to
Turning to
As shown in
As discussed above, the upper contour 24 of the main support portion 12 is shaped to receive or support a bottom portion, or contour 110 of the debris guard 104 along the pair of contact surfaces 28 and 30. In other words, in some embodiments, a geometric profile of the upper contour 24 or a portion of the upper contour 24 is shaped or designed to fit a bottom contour of the debris guard 104. In the current embodiment, by providing at least two points of contact and/or support between the main support portion 12 and the debris guard 104, there is an increased level of support provided to the overall system when debris is collected in the debris guard 104, such as during rainy or stormy weather conditions or under ice and snow loading. It is understood that the upper contour 24 of the hanger bracket 10 may be designed to provide more than two points of contact or more than two contact surfaces. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the contact surfaces 28 and 30 are angled or shaped to match the convex shape of the bottom contour 110 of the debris guard 104 to distribute forces to the main support portion 12 of the hanger bracket 10 and into the adjacent building or wall 102 of the building. In other embodiments, the angle, shape and variation in height or upper contour of the body portions 16 can differ from what is shown in order to conform to the bottom contour of different eavestrough debris guards.
In order to attach the eavestrough to the building, the fastener 14 passes through the fastener tunnel 18 of the main support portion 12 and holes 47 in the clip end 22 (which houses an end 112 of the eavestrough 100 proximate the wall 102) into the wall 102 in order to mount the eavestrough 100 and to secure the hanger bracket 10 to the wall 102.
In use, the contact between the hanger bracket 10 and the lip 106 of the eavestrough 100 and the portion 112 of the eavestrough 100 proximate the wall 102 and captured by the clip end 22 support the weight of debris, water, ice, snow or any other weight that may act on the eavestrough 100 and eavestrough debris guard 104.
The hanger bracket 10 of
In one embodiment, the hanger bracket 10 includes a pair of body portions 16 that are connected together to form a main support portion 12. As with the previous embodiment, the main support portion 12 may also be a single piece construction. The hanger bracket further includes a curved supporting end 20 and a clip end 22 as with the embodiment of
In the current embodiment, contact surface 28 is formed by and/or supported by ribs walls 410, 412, 414 and 416 that are formed along a length of the fastener tunnel 18. The rib walls 410, 412, 414 and 416 may form a continuous ribbed structure incorporating the screw tunnel 18.
Turning to
Turning to
It would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the system and components shown in the figures may include components not shown in the drawings. For simplicity and clarity of the illustration, elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale and are only schematic. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.
It is contemplated that any part of any aspect or embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented or combined with any part of any other aspect or embodiment discussed in this specification.
It should be recognized that features and aspects of the various examples provided above can be combined into further examples that also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.
The disclosure may also broadly include the parts, elements, steps, examples and/or features referred to or indicated in the specification individually or collectively in any and all combinations of two or more said parts, elements, steps, examples and/or features. In particular, one or more features in any of the embodiments described herein may be combined with one or more features from any other embodiment(s) described herein.
The disclosure claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 63/460,920 filed Apr. 21, 2023 and 63/467,637 filed May 19, 2023, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63460920 | Apr 2023 | US | |
| 63467637 | May 2023 | US |