Rain gutter diverter

Abstract

A rain gutter diverter includes a body and a diverter wall. The body includes a roof and side walls to capture water running down a valley between roof sections. The diverted wall forms a vertical splitter and directs the captured flow into the gutter.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to rain gutters and in particular to diverters for diverting a flow of water into the gutters which otherwise might overshoot the gutters.

Rain gutters are often attached to lower edges of roofs to catch and control runoff during rain storms. Such gutters are very effective along straight roof edges. However, at locations where rain runoff is concentrated, the flow of water often overshoots the gutter, and results in a stream of water shooting off the roof. Compounding the problem, roof lines often include a meeting of two roof portions near an entry to the house. When such meeting forms a “V”, the flow of rain runoff is concentrated in the “V” and may easily overshoot the gutter and produce a waterfall off of the roof. When this occurs near an entry, the result may be both annoying and produce a slippery walkway.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a rain gutter diverter which includes a body and a diverter wall. The body includes a roof and side walls to capture water running down a valley between roof sections. The diverted wall forms a vertical splitter and directs the captured flow into the gutter.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a rain gutter diverter. The rain gutter diverter comprising a diverter body and a diverter wall. The diverter body includes a body roof, a body right side wall, a body left side wall, a body centerline, a mouth end, and a diverter end. The body right side wall extends downward from a roof right edge, and the body left side wall extending downward from a roof left edge. The diverter wall is attached to the diverter end of the diverter body and comprising a right diverter wall, a left diverter wall and a vertical splitter separating the right diverter wall from the left diverter wall. The vertical splitter forms a “V” pointed toward the mouth end of the diverter body. The body roof meets and is substantially sealed to top edges of the right diverter wall and the left diverter wall. The body right side wall meets and is substantially sealed to a right edge of the right divert wall. The body left side wall meets and is substantially sealed to a left edge of the left diverter wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a prior art rain gutter system.

FIG. 2 is a rain gutter system including a rain gutter diverter according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a detailed view of the rain gutter diverter on a roof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rain gutter diverter according to the present invention.

FIG. 4A is a front view of the rain gutter diverter.

FIG. 4B is a rear view of the rain gutter diverter.

FIG. 4C is a side view of the rain gutter diverter.

FIG. 4D is a top view of the rain gutter diverter.

FIG. 5A is a front view of a diverter body according to the present invention of the rain gutter diverter.

FIG. 5B is a rear view of the diverter body.

FIG. 5C is a side view of the diverter body.

FIG. 5D is a top view of the diverter body.

FIG. 6A is a front view of a diverter wall according to the present invention of the rain gutter diverter.

FIG. 6B is a rear view of the rain diverter wall.

FIG. 6C is a side view of the diverter wall.

FIG. 6D is a top view of the diverter wall.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

A house 10 having a prior art rain gutter system having two gutter sections 16a and 16b are shown in FIG. 1. The gutter sections 16a and 16b are attached to bottom edges of corresponding roof sections 14a and 14b. The roof sections 14a and 14b meet where a roof valley 17 between the roof sections 14a and 14b intersect the bottom edges of the roof. Such meeting point is often proximal to an entry 12 and a walkway leading to the entry 12. Unfortunately, during moderate to hard rain, a large amount of water running down the valley 17 is too great to merely flow into the gutter sections 16a and 16b, and a large amount of water may overshoot the gutter sections 16a and 16b and cause a waterfall 17 proximal to the entry 12.

A house 10 with a rain gutter system including a rain gutter diverter 20 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2, and a more detailed view of the rain gutter diverter 20 on the roof 14a, 14b is shown in FIG. 2B. The rain gutter diverter 20 captures some or all of the water running down the valley 17 and diverts the water into the gutter sections 16a and 16b. Guides 30a (not shown) and 30b help guide the water into the gutters 16a and 16b.

A perspective view of the rain gutter diverter 20 is shown in FIG. 3. The rain gutter diverter 20 includes a diverter body 20a (see FIGS. 5A-5D) and a diverter wall 20b (see FIGS. 6A-6D). The diverter body 20a has a mount 22 which captures a flow of water running down the valley 17. The flow of water is directed by the diverter body 20a toward the diverter wall 20b. The diverter wall 20b splits the flow of water into a flow into the gutter sections.

A front view of the rain gutter diverter 20 is shown in FIG. 4A, a rear view of the rain gutter diverter 20 is shown in FIG. 4B, a side view of the rain gutter diverter 20 is shown in FIG. 4C, and a top view of the rain gutter diverter 20 is shown in FIG. 4D. The diverter body 20a has a body roof 24, a body right side wall 26a (not shown) extending downward from a roof right edge, a body left side wall 26b extending downward from a roof left edge, and body diverter end 42 and a body mount end 44 opposite the body diverter end 42. A diverter wall 20b is attached to the diverter end 42 of the diverter body 20a and comprises a right diverter wall 28a, a left diverter wall 28b, and a vertical splitter 46 separating the right diverter wall 28a from the left diverter wall 28b.

The vertical splitter 46 forms a “V” pointed toward the mouth end 44 of the diverter body 20a. The body roof 24 meets and is substantially sealed to top edges of the right diverter wall 28a and the left diverter wall 28b, whereby most or all of the water captured by the rain gutter diverter 20 is directed into the gutter sections 16a and 16b, wherein the escape of a small amount of water from the rain gutter diverter 20 is permissible. The body right side wall 26a meets and is substantially sealed to a right edge of the right divert wall 28a, and the body left side wall 26b meets and is substantially sealed to a left edge of the left diverter wall 28b. Such sealing may be accomplished using a common sealant, and is preferably accomplished using a silicone sealant or a plastic roof cement.

The diverter wall 20b is an approximately vertical wall, and the divert body 20a is attached to the diverter wall to extend upwardly away from the diverter wall 20b at between approximately 12 degrees and approximately 25 degrees and is preferably approximately 17 degrees or corresponding to the slope of the valley 17. The rain gutter diverter 20 preferably straddles the valley 17 and resides against the roof sections 14a and 14b when mounted.

The diverter wall has a full height H1 which is preferably approximately five inches, and a lower portion height H2 which extends below the side walls 26a and 26b is preferably approximately 2.5 inches. The length L of the roof 24 is preferably approximately 8.5 inches and the width W of the roof 24 is preferably approximately six inches.

A front view of a diverter body 20a according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 5A, a rear view of the diverter body 20a is shown in FIG. 5B, a side view of the diverter body 20a is shown in FIG. 5C, and a top view of the diverter body 20a is shown in FIG. 5D. The diverter end 42 of the body roof 24 is shaped to cooperate with the diverter wall 20b. The diverter body 20a preferably includes guides 30a and 30b and rear tabs 32a and 32b, on the right and left sides of the diverter body 20a respectively. The guides 30a and 30b are preferably triangular and help guide water captured by the diverter 20 into the gutters 16a and 16b (see FIG. 2B) and the rear tabs are preferably square tabs and are used to attach the diverter 20 to the roof 14a and 14b, preferably using nails, screws, or adhesives.

A front view of a diverter wall 20b according to the present invention of the rain gutter diverter 20 is shown in FIG. 6A, a rear view of the rain diverter wall 20b is shown in FIG. 6B, a side view of the diverter wall 20b is shown in FIG. 6C, and a top view of the diverter wall 20b is shown in FIG, 6D. The diverter wall 20b includes breakaway portions 38a-38d which may individually be broken or cut away from the diverter wall to adjust the rain gutter diverter 20 for different gutter section 16a and 16b heights with respect to bottom edges of the roof sections 14a and 14b. The breakaway portions 38a-38d may be simply marked to allow accurate cutting, or may be etched sufficiently to allow breaking away using, for example, pliers.

The diverter wall 20b further includes roof tabs 34a and 34b, and wall tabs 36a and 36b. The rain gutter diverter 20 is preferably constructed by attaching the diverter wall 20b to the diverter body 20a using the tabs 34a, 34b, 36a, and 36b. The roof tabs are attached to the roof 24 by, for example, spot welding of or pop riveting, and sealed to the roof 24 by a sealant, preferably silicone or plastic roof cement, and the wall tabs are preferably similarly attached to the walls 26a and 26b.

The rain gutter diverter 20 is preferably constructed from sheet metal, and more preferably from galvanized sheet metal. However, the rain gutter diverter 20 may also be constructed from any metal or plastic (for example aluminum, galvanized steel, stainless steel, painted or plated steel, copper, brass, or vinyl) and a rain gutter diverter 20 comprising a diverter body and a diverter wall as described herein and made from any material is intended to come within the scope of the present invention.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A rain gutter diverter comprising: a diverter body having a body roof, a body right side wall extending downward from a roof right edge, a body left side wall extending downward from a roof left edge, a body centerline, a mouth end, and a diverter end; and a diverter wall attached to the diverter end of the diverter body and comprising a right diverter wall, a left diverter wall and a vertical splitter separating the right diverter wall from the left diverter wall, the vertical splitter pointing toward the mouth end of the diverter body, wherein: the body roof meets top edges of the right diverter wall and the left diverter wall; the body right side wall meets a right edge of the right divert wall; and the body left side wall meets a left edge of the left diverter wall.

2. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the vertical splitter is aligned with the centerline of the diverter body.

3. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the diverter splitter forms a “V” pointed toward the mouth end of the diverter body.

4. The rain gutter diverter of claim 3, wherein the “V” is approximately a 45 degree “V”.

5. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the diverter wall includes breakaway portions along a bottom edge of the diverter wall whereby the height of the diverter wall may be adjusted.

6. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the diverter wall is an approximately vertical wall, and the diverter body is attached to the diverter wall to extend upwardly away from the diverter wall at between approximately 12 degrees and approximately 25 degrees.

7. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the diverter body includes mounting tabs extending outward from the lower edges of the body right side wall and the body left side wall.

8. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the diverter wall includes roof tabs for attaching the diverter wall to the body roof.

9. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the diverter wall includes wall tabs for attaching the diverter wall to the body side walls.

10. The rain gutter diverter of claim 1, wherein the diverter end of the diverter body is substantially sealed on the top and sides by attachment to the diverter wall.

11. A rain gutter diverter comprising: a diverter body having a body roof, a body right side wall extending downward from a roof right edge, a body left side wall extending downward from a roof left edge, a body centerline, a mouth end, and a diverter end; and a diverter wall attached to the diverter end of the diverter body and comprising a right diverter wall, a left diverter wall and a vertical splitter separating the right diverter wall from the left diverter wall, the vertical splitter forming a “V” pointed towards the mouth end of the diverter body, wherein: the body roof meets top edges of the right diverter wall and the left diverter wall; the body right side wall meets a right edge of the right divert wall; and the body left side wall meets a left edge of the left diverter wall.

12. A rain gutter diverter comprising: a diverter body having a body roof, a body right side wall extending downward from a roof right edge, a body left side wall extending downward from a roof left edge, a body centerline, a mouth end, and a diverter end; and a diverter wall attached to the diverter end of the diverter body and comprising a right diverter wall, a left diverter wall and a vertical splitter separating the right diverter wall from the left diverter wall, the vertical splitter forming a “V” pointed towards the mouth end of the diverter body, wherein: the body roof meets and is substantially sealed to top edges of the right diverter wall and the left diverter wall; the body right side wall meets and is substantially sealed to a right edge of the right divert wall; and the body left side wall meets and is substantially sealed to a left edge of the left diverter wall.