Patent ID: 8578658
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: E04D

Abstract:
1. A gutter cover apparatus for-a rain gutter, said rain gutter having a front wall defining a front top edge, a rear wall defining a rear top edge, and a bottom wall extending transversely between said front wall and said rear wall to define a gutter interior space between said front and rear gutter walls, said apparatus comprising: a sheet member having a top surface, an opposed bottom surface, a predetermined longitudinal extent, a predetermined thickness, a predetermined transverse extent, a front longitudinally extending portion for engaging said front wall top edge of said gutter, and a rear longitudinally extending portion for overlying said gutter rear wall top edge, said sheet member further including a longitudinally extending intermediate portion transversely extending between said sheet member front portion and said sheet member rear portion for overlying said interior space of said gutter, said sheet member longitudinally extending intermediate portion being substantially planar throughout its longitudinal and transverse extent, and wherein said substantially planar sheet member intermediate portion includes a multiplicity of drainage openings therein for allowing water impinging on said top surface of said sheet member to flow into said rain gutter interior when said apparatus is positioned on said rain gutter with said front portion resting on said gutter front wall top edge and said sheet member rear portion overlying said gutter rear wall top edge, said substantially planar sheet member intermediate portion further including means for maintaining leaves or other debris falling on said top surface of sheet member elevated with respect to said openings to avoid clogging of said openings, wherein said multiplicity of openings are arranged in a multiplicity of spaced longitudinally extending rows on said sheet member intermediate portion, and said means for maintaining leaves or other debris elevated with respect to said openings comprise at least one longitudinally extending ridge disposed on said sheet member top surface in the region of said sheet member intermediate portion, said at least one longitudinally extending ridge being disposed in such a manner as to divide said multiplicity of rows of openings into separate zones of rows of openings on said substantially planar longitudinally extending intermediate portion located respectively on opposite sides of said at least one longitudinally extending ridge, and wherein said front longitudinally extending portion includes a first longitudinally extending substantially planar section bent upwardly at a first obtuse angle with respect to said top surface of said substantially planar intermediate portion, a second longitudinally extending substantially planar section extending at a second acute angle with respect to a plane parallel to a top surface of said first longitudinally extending substantially planar section, a third longitudinally extending substantially planar section extending at a third acute angle with respect to a plane parallel to a top surface of said second longitudinally extending substantially planar section to define a longitudinally extending drip lip adapted to overhang said front wall top edge of said gutter and extend downwardly therefrom when said apparatus is positioned on said rain gutter with said second longitudinally extending substantially planar section of said front portion resting on said gutter front wall top edge and said sheet member rear portion overlying said rear wall top edge of said gutter, and wherein said predetermined transverse extent of said sheet member including said longitudinally extending drip lip has a combined transverse extent greater than the transverse extent between said rain gutter front wall and said rain gutter rear wall sufficient to enable said longitudinally extending drip lip to overhang said front wall top edge of said gutter and extend downwardly therefrom when said apparatus is positioned on said rain gutter with said second longitudinally extending substantially planar section of said front portion resting on said gutter front wall top edge and said sheet member rear portion overlying said rear wall top edge of said gutter as aforesaid.