Optionally Heated Moss Inhibitive Gutter Guard

Abstract

The system includes a substantially corrugated rigid screen body providing underlying support for a heating element. The body includes a heating wire or other heat source coupled with the body formed of heat conducting material. The body is configured with downward extending protrusions, that may be L-shaped or otherwise shaped, forming flexible heat element receiving channels that are open faced toward the front end of a rain gutter for easy insertion of the heating element during installation of the corrugated rigid body. The gutter guard also employs an ultra-slick coating, tape, or intrinsic material on portions of the gutter guard to prevent or limit ice or ice cycle formation.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The following invention relates to gutter guard systems. Specifically, this invention relates to filter mesh screen type gutters that employ screens of 20 or more threads per inch to prevent debris entrance into a rain gutter while allowing water to filter through into the gutter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gutters are commonly used along eaves at the terminal edge of a roof structure to catch water running off of the roof and channel it away from a building. They often clog with debris. Accordingly, gutter guard devices are known in the prior art for attachment over the gutters as a means of preventing debris entrance into a rain gutter while simultaneously channeling water run off from a building's roof into the gutter.

One type of gutter guard utilizes a corrugated structure positioned perpendicular to the length of rain gutter. One example of such prior art corrugated system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 546,042 to J. M Van Horn. The invention utilizes upraised ribs or corrugations parallel to the forward flow of water off of a roof structure to both provide a forward to rearward strength for the invention and to help suspend debris above the lower plane of the gutter guard. Two patterns of corrugation are illustrated by Mr. Van Horn: one in which the peak of the corrugation is v-shaped and one in which the peak of the corrugation is flat.

Another type of gutter guard found extensively in field 52/12 utilizes screen or expanded metal structures singularly as both the water receiving area and the debris preclusion area of the gutter guard. Examples of this are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,526,271 to E. Probst (a corrugated screen) and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,991 to Kim (stepped expanded metal).

Another utilizes micromesh or fine screen filtering membranes composed of 19 or more threads per inch. The first such issued patent of this gutter guard method is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,352 to Higginbotham which re-issued as RE42,896.

Another type of gutter guard utilizes a screen or expanded metal water receiving area that employs downward extending inseams as a means to direct forward flowing water downward as is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,398 to Abramson where Mr. Abramson employs a “just-behind-the-front-lip” downward extending inseam in a non-supported expanded metal screen and in my U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,951,077 and 8,006,438 where I employ downward extending inseams in other areas of the water-receiving portion of a combination of screens.

Another type of gutter guard utilizes an application of caulk or adhesive on the underside of a screen or perforated or porous body to create areas of contact between overflowing her top flowing water in the caulk or adhesive, beneath the screen, at which water will cease to flow forward and begin to flow downward into an underlying gutter. The first such issued patent of this gutter guard method is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,077 to Higginbotham and a subsequent patent to Higginbotham: U.S. Pat. No. 8,006,438 in which claim specifically identifies an adhesive or tape or (as would be obvious to skilled in the art) other adhesive element positioned beneath an overlying screen or filtering membrane. Another or related example of a thin strip of material positioned beneath the body of an overlying screen is found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,714 to Swistun. Additionally this feature, disclosed in my prior teaching, is employed by R. Lenney and found in his U.S. patent application 20110056145 as well as in a gutter guard product entitled: “Leaf Blaster” that is currently marketed by R. Lenney which employs a screen with underlying adhesive strip.

The water receiving area of the Leaf Blaster product, I believe, is mostly a non-unique combination of public domain prior art such as the Van Horn corrugation (front to back and perpendicular rather than parallel to the length of a gutter) which obviously would be applicable with singular screens or perforated planes. Non public domain elements disclosed in my U.S. patents '077 and '438, however, do differentiate Leaf Blaster from public domain art: one being the utilization of more than 18 threads per inch in screen construction for use as a debris preclusion method. Leaf Blaster had, in previous embodiments that comprised a simple Van Horn style corrugated screen with a front securing lip, failed to direct water into any underlying gutter. Although Mr. Lenney states in his 20110056145 application: “When water runs off of the roof and lands on the corrugated mesh material, degrees From passing through the small openings in the mesh. Water does tend to adhere to this mesh but is drawn by gravity down into the troughs between crests corrugated mesh material as the water is concentrated in these troughs the water collection to drop sufficiently large that the weight of the water drops exceeds adhesion forces surface tension forces so that the water drops.” Testing of the initial embodiments of the Leaf Blaster product cannot recreate or demonstrate this statement by Mr. Lenney. Instead, significant amounts of water are shown to channel forward clinging to the screen mesh and overshooting the rain gutter.

However, in what I believe was the third embodiment of the Leaf Blaster product, the addition of an underlying bead of caulk, as taught by Higginbotham, began to direct forward flowing water downward through the screen. My own initial testing of the third embodiment of the Leaf Blaster product (which utilizes the underlying adhesive caulk or strip) proved to do better at directing forward flowing water downward into an underlying rain gutter but in critical “oil testing” of the product it is found to recoat itself with shingle oil after water flow subsides as oil is never completely washed off of the product. This is due, in part, to the tendency of oil to cling to any polymer such as the caulk strip Leaf Blaster employs as it's means of directing water downwards into an underlying rain gutter. Oil coating is the second primary cause of gutter guard failure and, oil and lime deposits from shingles remaining on a gutter guard encourage moss and mold growth: this circumstance seems likely to occur a on the Leaf Blaster product as it currently manufactured and taught in the R. Lenney application. I have not yet tested the third embodiment in a spring or summer season or long enough to witness moss and mold growth on the product but believe that the design of the product will lend itself to such.

Another disadvantage of the Leaf Blaster design and of the Gutter Glove “Ice Breaker” design and of other screen or other filtering products is the non-provision for the inclusion or insertion of an intrinsic heating method or area to receive a heating method that does not interfere with a gutter guard's ability to receive water and channel it downward. In the Leaf Blaster product, the ability to heat the product is nonexistent. In the gutter glove “Ice Breaker” product which is an embodiment of an invention disclosed in U.S. patent application 2010/0287846 to Lenney, a heat receiving channel is taught that near the front lateral edge of the product such channel being overlain by solid metal reducing the water receiving area of the gutter guard and such channel having a solid non-perforated bottom further disallowing the utilization of the area for water reception and redirection. Lenney, and prior art in the field do not provide for a heating element able to have at least some open air access for it's radiant heat to overlying ice or snow allowing for a quicker defrost or deicing. Although metal distributes heat, metallic covers also dissipate and provide less heat available for direct contact with overlying ice or snow: a brief example of this would be to turn on an electric element or gas burner and place your hand over it for a moment . . . hot!, then place a frying pan between your hand and the heat source: less hot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With this invention, a gutter guard system is provided for a gutter which includes a filtration layer, formed of expanded metal screen or other porous material which filters out debris while allowing water to pass through. The filtration layer is corrugated to provide structural integrity as has been taught in prior art. The corrugations extend perpendicular to the long axis of the gutter and parallel with the direction that water is flowing off of the roof as has been taught in the U.S. Pat. No. 546,042 to Van Horn.

Intrinsic to the filtration membrane is a downward extending L-shaped extension that may at singularly or in conjunction with an adjacent downward extending inseam or channel to form a heat receiving channel into which a heating cable are other element may be inserted at the time of gutter guard installation. Due to it's positioning beneath a porous screen the heat cable receiving channel; itself fashioned from water permeable screen or membrane, loses no area of water reception as the water may freely pass through an overlying screen portion of the invention, down and around the heat cable, and further dropping down through the porous-surfaced lowermost portion of the channel upon which the heat cable rests.

A downward extending inseam or L-shaped extension will exist near the front lateral edge of the filtration membrane that transverses the entire length of the filtration membrane parallel to and immediately behind the front top lip of a rain gutter. This extension serves as a flexible or adjustable portion of the present invention allowing its rearward portion to adapt to varying roof pictures that the rearward portion may be secured to.

In testing of prototypes, I have employed downward extending inseams taught in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,077 in place of the bead of caulk or adhesive on the underside of a screen that I had also taught, achieving much greater capture and downward redirection of water as well as allowing for a more readily adaptive and flexible gutter guard than the wholly rigid Leaf Blaster gutter guard.

An extruded material front lip that laterally transverses the front edge of the corrugated filtration membrane, for securing to the front lip of a rain gutter, is provided that incorporates both a downward extending heat or other element receiving channel as well as a forward extending channel that may receive any number of elements. The front lip also incorporates a top and rearward extending filtration element receiving channel.

An extruded material rear member that laterally transverses the rear edge of the corrugated filtration membrane incorporates a forward and a rearward receiving channel. The forward facing receiving channel is adapted to receive the lateral rear edge of the corrugated filtration membrane. The rearward facing receiving channel is adapted to receive planar, reverse curve, or other elements that allow the present invention to be secured to the roof or fascia board of the building structure or to be secured within the top open end of a rain gutter.

The downward extending inseams or channels that exist within the body of the filtration membrane allow for the insertion for various shaped copper or zinc elements that serve to discourage the growth of moss mold or mildew. These downward extending inseams or channels additionally may have water redirecting elements or gutter guard cleaning elements inserted within them.

The present invention will utilize on portions of its body Teflon or other non-adhering coating or intrinsic non-adhering materials to discourage or disallow the formation of icicles. After market or manufacture attachment of clips to the underside of a gutter guard may accomplish similar objectives but an intrinsic-to-the-body utilization of cable receiving channels offers advantages over clips, one being an ability to further direct water downward into a gutter and another: “out-of-the-box” speed of packaging a finished product and/or of installation over inserting clips in the field.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a gutter guard that prevents debris from passing into a rain gutter while allowing large volumes of water to pass through and into the gutter.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter guard that discourages or eliminates the growth of moss mold or mildew.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter guard cable of limiting or disallowing the formation of icicles that would distend from the forward portion of the gutter guard.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter guard not subject to waterproofing due to oil, that has clung to elements of the gutter guard, spreading in recoding the filtration membrane as the flow of water through the filtration membrane subsides.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter guard that may either be adapted to varying roof pictures are be adapted to secure within the open top end of the rain gutter or be adapted to secure to the facia board of a building structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter guard that allows for the inclusion of heating elements on the underside of the gutter guard body by means of intrinsic or “add-on” receiving channels or clips or supporting members easily inserted into downward extending protrusions specifically designed to receive such clips or supporting members.

Other further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the included drawing figures the claims and detailed descriptions of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Is a view of a rigid-corrugated-screened-body gutter guard installed in a rain gutter.

FIG. 2 Is a view of a corrugated screen with a gasket element inserted and an adhesive caulk adhering to the underside of the screen

FIG. 3 Is a view of a rigid-corrugated-screened-body gutter guard illustrating a rear dual-channeled receiving element, a downward extending water directing element, a downward extending L-shaped heat cable receiving channel, a front lip heating cable receiving channel intrinsic to the front lip, and a non-stick coating or application present on or in the front securing lip of the gutter guard

FIG. 4 Is a view of a rigid-corrugated-screened-body gutter guard with intrinsic heat receiving channels and water directing elements installed in a rain gutter

FIG. 4A Is an exploded view of the front portion of the rigid-corrugated-screened-body gutter guard illustrating a portion of the guard that rests on the underlying lip of a rain gutter

FIG. 5 Is a view of an embodiment of a front securing lip of the present invention

FIG. 6 Is a view of the rear portion of the present invention illustrating corrugated screen and a t-shaped rear element inserted into a dual receiving channel

FIG. 7 Is a view of the rear portion of the present invention, illustrating corrugated screen and a t-shaped rear element inserted into a dual receiving channel, inserted into a rain gutter

FIG. 8 Is a view of a gutter guard with an intrinsic L-shaped receiving channel

FIG. 8A Is a view of a lower section of a gutter guard

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

Referencing the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the various figures, viewing (FIGS. 1 and 2) reference numeral 1 is directed to a gutter guard system mountable overlying an opening on an upper portion of a gutter 2. The gutter 2 is attached to a fascia 3 along a lower edge of a roof 4 to capture water running off of shingles or other roof cover 6 supported over a moisture barrier 5. Water runs off the shingles 6 and then down onto the gutter guard system 1 overlying the gutter 2. Viewing (FIG. 2)8, the system is primarily formed of screen or other porous material shaped into a corrugated form, the porosity enabling water to pass through and downward to the underside of the rear wall 18 of downward extending L-shaped plane 15 extends to a height greater than the top surface of areas 8C and 8B. water flowing along the top and bottom surface of area 8B of the corrugated screen 8 will be impeded in its forward flow upon encountering rear wall 18 whose height allows it to act as a dam in the path of the forward flowing water; creating one more area within the invention that redirects water downward into an underlying gutter. The most forward positioned downward extension: 7 serves to capture and redirect downward any remaining forward flowing water.

A heat cable or other element receiving channel 17 is formed between the L-shaped downward extension 15 and downward extension 7. To additionally aid in the prevention or reduction of icicle formation, Teflon or other non-slick appliqués 11 are affixed to top lip 1A of the present invention. My own testing this previous winter of my micromesh gutter guard product: Master Shield® demonstrated that non-slick surfaces form far fewer or completely eliminate the formation of icicles when positioned as illustrated in the drawings of the present invention. The non-slick surface may be adhesively applied, intrinsically a part of a spray on paint coating, or otherwise applied to the front top lip 1A of the present invention.

Referring to (FIG. 8) an extruded or roll-formed gutter guard body 26 is shown with an intrinsic “L-shaped” downward extending plane 15A shaped to receive and support a heating cable. The open end of the channel 15A1 faces forward so that during installation an installer may easily insert a heating cable by lifting the gutter guard slightly, after having inserted it's rear portion 8C or plane beneath shingles or other roofing elements present on a subroof. Please refer to (FIGS. 4) 17 and 8 for clarification if needed: In (FIG. 4) element 17 would coincide with element 15A of (FIG. 8) and element 8 of (FIG. 4) with element 8 of (FIG. 8).

Referring again to (FIG. 8), it is understood that the L-shaped channel may be configured in any shape and incorporate any feature such as protrusions (not shown) rising upward from the lower plane 15A1 of 15A that encourages a heating cable to remain in place. Downward extending L-shaped planes 15B and 15C may act in combination to form a receiving channel to receive any element when 15C precedes 15B as shown. Additionally, 15B and 15C may act in combination to secure a slide on or clip on or tension mounted sleeve 23 such sleeve acting to support a heating element.

Referring specifically to (FIG. 5), an element of the present invention: a front securing lip, is illustrated. Planes 12A and 12B form a receiving channel 12H which receives the front lateral edge of corrugated screen 8. Planes 12B and 12D form a receiving channel 12J into which may be inserted reverse curved planes, lip extensions, or other elements. Raised bump 12E acts to secure any insertable element: when plane's lateral edge is inserted 12D and 12A may be pressed together and 12E acts to “bite” into and further secure the plane.

Downward extending L-shaped plane 12C may act singularly or in conjunction with downward extending inseam 7 to form heat receiving channel 17. As illustrated, a heat cable 13 may be inserted within this channel. Upward extending plane 12F may be optionally included to further form heat receiving channel 17.

Not shown, but optional in lieu of or in conjunction with heating cable 13: a gasket material may be inserted in channels 12J and 17 to prevent water overrun that commonly occurs at the seam where two adjacent pieces of gutter guard abut or adjoin one another. As illustrated with heating cable 13, the gasket would extend past the edge of planes 12D and 12C and into the same areas present in an adjoining section of the present invention. Referring to (FIG. 4) 22 it is also shown that any solid insertable element may also be inserted into a downward extending inseam 7 and when this is specifically done at the forwardly most positioned downward inseam 7 such an insertion would also act to stop the forward flow of water that often occurs at the seams or side edges of two adjoining pieces of gutter guard product such as are found in the present and other inventions, if the insertable material extends past the edge of one gutter guard piece into another. Referring specifically to (FIG. 2) the insertable tab 9 that serves to act as yet another point of downward redirection of water will also act in gasket fashion if it extends past the side edge of one section of corrugated screen 8 into an adjoining section.

Referring specifically to (FIGS. 5, 6) it is illustrated that the rear sleeve 19 of the present invention is dual channeled with a forward screen receiving channel 19B and a rear element receiving channel 19A. Rear sleeve 19 would be extruded or vacuum-formed to achieve it's shape. The rear receiving channel allows for the insertion of any number of shaped planes to allow for any number of varying installation circumstances. “T” back shaped elements 21 may be inserted to allow the invention to not have it's rear portion placed beneath the shingles of a roof or it may have (not illustrated) a simple flat plane of flexible or bendable material inserted to allow for adaptation to varying roof pitches when a “beneath the shingle” installation is opted for.

Both the front and rear securing sleeves 12 and 19 may be crimped or otherwise affixed to the front and rear lateral edges of the corrugated screen 8 portion of the present invention.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 Corrugated gutter guard with downward extending inseam-or-channel installed in a rain gutter.

1A a plane of the invention that rests on the front top lip of a rain gutter

2 rain gutter

2A front top lip of a rain gutter

3 fascia board

4 subroof

5 shingle underlayment

6 shingle or other roof membrane

7 downward extending inseam or channel

8 corrugated screen

8A first or front segment or portion of corrugated screen

8B a second or mid segment or portion of corrugated screen

8C a third or rear segment or portion of corrugated screen

9 insertable tab

10 adhesive caulk

11 teflon or other non stick coating

12 front securing member

12A front top plane of securing member

12B lower plane of securing member

12C downward extending L-shaped plane of front securing member that acts with downward extending inseam-or-channel 7 to form 14: a heat cable or gasket receiving channel between the inner walls of each downward extending plane

12D a lower plane of front securing member 12 that in conjunction with 12B forms a securing channel enabling the invention to fasten and hold to the front top lip of a rain gutter

12E upward raised extrusion

12F terminal edge of L-shaped plane 12C

12G rearmost plane of securing member 12 that extends upward from the terminal edge of 12C

12H receiving channel

12J receiving channel

13 heat cable

14 a heat cable or gasket receiving channel between the inner walls of each downward extending plane

15 downward extending L-shaped plane formed of corrugated screen body

15A extruded or rollformed downward extending L-shaped plane intrinsic to an extruded or rollformed body

15A1 Open end of a channel formed by 15A

15B Downward extending L-shaped plane facing forward

15C Downward extending L-shaped plane facing rearward

16 open air space between the terminal edges of downward extending planes 7 and 17

17 heat cable receiving channel

18 outer wall portion of downward extending plane 17 that rises above portion 8A

19 Rear receiving sleeve with front and rear receiving channels

19A rear receiving channel of rear receiving sleeve

19B front receiving channel of rear receiving sleeve

20 gutter hanger

21 Insertable rear element that allows the present invention to rest on and be supported by a gutter hanger

22 insertable water directing and/or or moss prohibiting element

23 heat cable securing clip that fastens by any means to a downward extension of a gutter guard

24 Pop rivet or crimp or other fastening method

25 tension mounted clip placed between two downward extensions

26 Extruded or roll formed-extruded Gutter Guard body

27 Perforations

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A gutter guard system comprising a first portion that attaches to or is positioned over the front lip or forward most plane of an underlying rain gutter and having a second screened portion that overlies an underlying rain gutter: the second filtering portion having a downward extending flexible inseam such inseam having an area on which a heating cable or other element may rest.

15. A gutter guard system comprising a first portion that attaches to or is positioned over the front lip or forward most plane of an underlying rain gutter and having a second filtering portion that overlies an underlying rain gutter: the second filtering portion having a first distending member; such member having a plane that extends away from it and toward the front of a rain gutter and having a second distending member; such member being parallel to the first distending member and having a plane that extends away from it and toward the rear of the rain gutter, the first and second distending members each having their extending planes of similar shape and being located in the same or approximate plane allowing for the free ends of a clip to wrap around the extending planes allowing said clip to support overlying elements that may be inserted between the two downward distending members.

16. A gutter guard system comprising a first portion that attaches to or is positioned over the front lip or forward most plane of an underlying rain gutter and having a second portion that receives and directs water into the underlying rain gutter, the first portion being comprised of, or having attached to it, a material whose dry static coefficient of friction value is less than 0.2