Abstract:
An open fluid channel with wind powered cyclonic separation for debris removal. The present disclosure is a channel shape, applied to a rain gutter, that harnesses wind energy to create cyclonic separation wherein channel debris, excited to rotary motion by a vortex are, upon gaining sufficient angular momentum ejected from the channel, reducing the need to manually clear the rain gutter.

Description:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     The present disclosure relates to a rain gutter and more specifically a fluid flow channel with features to foster cyclonic circulation within the channel to eject debris. 
     Conventional rain gutter systems include generally horizontal gutters to collect water from a roof surface, and vertical downspouts to drain water from the gutters to the ground below. A problem with such gutters is that they also accumulate debris such as leaves. These accumulations must be removed from time to time, and someone standing on a ladder typically does this manually. 
     Cyclonic clearing of debris, from a channel used for rainwater conveyance, serendipitously discovered while testing a channel adapted to a fluid flow scavenging system without the benefit of the scavenger assembly. The fluid flow scavenging system is the subject of pending application Ser. No. 12/930,218. 
     Environmental tests of the fluid flow channel without a scavenger system showed it to be unusually clear for its location relative to tree foliage and expected debris deposition rates. Initial observation showed a gutter channel would fill with leaf and seed litter and subsequent inspection showed a clear channel. It was then theorized that wind action was somehow interacting with the channel to eject leaf litter better than anticipated. To check if a similar result would be observed, testing was conducted on two additional homes with correlating outcomes. Video analysis, under controlled conditions, showed rotational movement of leaf litter in the channel prior to expelling, which is consistent with particle movement in cyclonic separation devices that harness vortical motion to separate particles from a gas. 
     A search of prior art gutter channel profiles has shown that none appear to efficiently harness cyclonic circulation as a means to eject debris from a gutter channel. An extensive search of gutter profiles that could potentially act in a similar manner found the Victorian Ogee profile, common in Great Britain, to be relevant prior art. Testing of a simulated Victorian Ogee profile showed it was not well optimized to take advantage of cyclonic separation. 
     Other prior art shows ogee wooden gutter profiles to also be relevant. None were tested as of the writing of this application. However, analysis of the shape in light of what this application reveals shows them to be suboptimal in terms of cyclonic separation as a debris ejection mechanism. 
     The present disclosure reveals what is a previously unharnessed functionality applied to rain gutters which can offer a lower cost simplified solution to the problem of maintaining clear rain gutters. 
     SUMMARY 
     In summary, the present disclosure is a channel shape, applied to a rain gutter, that harnesses wind energy to create cyclonic separation wherein channel debris, excited to cyclonic motion by a vortex are, upon gaining sufficient angular momentum, ejected from the channel. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. 
         FIG. 1  is a left front perspective of my rain gutter with cyclonic debris removal  70  suitably attached to a structure under the edge of a roof  10  depicting cyclonic air movement in proximity to channel  60 . 
         FIG. 2  is a right side view of the rain gutter  70  attached to fascia  12  depicting cyclonic inter-action of air currents within cyclonic channel  60 . 
         FIG. 3  is a right side view of the rain gutter  70  showing details of the cyclonic features of channel  60 . 
         FIG. 4  is a right side view of the rain gutter  70  in a different embodiment attached to fascia  12  showing cyclonic inter-action of air currents within channel  60 . 
         FIG. 5  is a right rear perspective view of the rain gutter  70  where a rounded portion of cyclonic channel  60  is comprised of a series of flats. 
         FIG. 6  is a right side view of the rain gutter  70  showing a curved reflective surface  35 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     With reference now to the drawing figures: 
       FIG. 1  shows a cyclonic separation rain gutter  70 , mounted under roof  10  with an incident air current  20  pointed towards gutter  70 . 
       FIG. 1  also depicts three dimensional air circulations within a fluid flow channel  60 . 
       FIG. 2  shows channel  60  having features to promote and sustain a cyclonic vortex. Cyclonic motions of air are rotary air currents within channel  60  that cause debris to be expelled by virtue of acquired rotational velocity and momentum from vortex  22 . 
     In  FIG. 2  a back wall surface  30  serves as a portion of the channel and an abutment surface.  FIGS. 2 &amp; 4  shows gutter  70  suitably attached to fascia  12  using fasteners (not shown). The fascia  12  may also act as an abutment surface. An abutment surface is a surface that interacts with air current  20  to influence vortex formation. An incident air current  20  that interacts with an abutment surface may be deflected into, below, or above fluid flow channel  60 . 
     In  FIGS. 2 &amp; 4  air currents circulating within channel  60  interact with a reflective surface  34  which directs them along a floor surface  36  and towards a vortex-enhancement curved surface  40 . The curved surface  40  turns the rotating air up towards current  20 . A ramp surface  42  creates a forward wall relative to the back wall surface  30  to create a channel and acts as an ejection path for debris (not shown). 
       FIG. 2  shows a fluid flow channel  60  with features to promote and sustain a vortex  22 . The vortex  22  is a circular airflow characterized by a pressure gradient with lowest pressure at its center. Generally, a vortex is characterized by vorticular motion, meaning air or gas spinning about a center. As an aside, vorticular motion can be either rotational or irrotational. A hurricane is an example of irrotational motion where, to an external observer, particles away from the center appear to not rotate on their own axis. In contrast, a carousel is an example of rotational motion, where to an outside observer, looking down, and the model horses (not shown) appear to rotate about their own axis or poles. Put more simply, in a rotational vortex, if an observer&#39;s frame of reference were on the carousel at its center, the model horses of the carousel would not appear to rotate about their center poles. If, on the other hand, the carousel horses exhibited irrotational vortex motion, the observer standing at the center of the carousel would observe the model horses rotating about their center poles as the carousel revolved. 
     The above discussion is relevant to the present disclosure because vorticular motion inside of a cyclonic separator is rotational and driven by a tangential injection of air, compared to the tornadic action of a tornado or hurricane. 
     An irrotational vortex is typically motivated along the internal portion of the vortex while a rotational vortex is driven along its edge by a tangential force. Rotational and irrotational vortices are recognized by orbiting particulate motion. 
       FIG. 3  shows rain gutter  70  in detail. Gutter  70  is 3.7″ in height and 7″ in width and formed by an aluminum extrusion process with walls that are 0.1″ thick. Alternatively, rain gutter  70  may be formed in a plastic extrusion process or using some other non-organic substance to avoid decay. 
       FIG. 3  also shows the channel  60  profile in detail. Wall surface  30  is 2.8″ tall. Reflective surface  34  is 1″ long with a reflective angle  52  of 45°. Floor surface  36  is 2.25″ in length and floor angle  50  is 90°. Curved surface  40  is 3.3″ in radius. Ramp angle  56  is 45°. Ramp surface  42  is 1.9″ long. Lip surface  44  is 0.375″ in width and 2.5″ in height above the bottom of gutter  70 . Depending surface  46  0.4″ in height and 7″ forward of the back wall of gutter  70 . 
       FIG. 4  shows and alternate embodiment in which gutter  70  is constructed of formed aluminum sheets 0.05″ in thickness in which forming is done with a brake press or roll forming methods. 
       FIG. 5  shows how curved surface  40  may be approximated using a series of flat surfaces. 
       FIG. 6  shows a curved reflective surface  35  with a 0.8″ radius of curvature. 
     OPERATIONAL DESCRIPTION 
     Because airflow is turbulent and invisible, all descriptions of air movement herein are illustrative. 
       FIGS. 2 &amp; 4  show wind modeled as a perpendicular current of air moving towards fascia  12  and rear wall surface  30 . Both fascia  12  and rear wall surface  30  can serve as abutment surfaces. At an abutment surface, the local velocity in the current is zero, and per Bernoulli&#39;s equations, the static pressure is highest. The locally higher static pressure before the abutment surface above channel  60  causes the perpendicular current to diverge and a portion thereof to flow into the channel. 
     Airflow diverted into channel  60  stimulates circulation within the channel as, illustrated in  FIG. 2 , to create rotational flow. Vorticular motion is necessary for cyclonic separation in which a fluid transfers angular momentum to resident debris. Upon achieving sufficient angular momentum, debris is expelled from channel  60 . 
     Pressure inside of channel  60  will tend to vary from least at the center of the vortex  22  to greatest at a boundary. Pressure variation in combination with centrifugal forces acting on debris causes cyclonic separation in which denser debris migrates towards a boundary, and sufficiently less dense debris towards the center of vortex  22 . 
     Debris of greatest density, acquiring sufficient momentum and velocity, may be ejected from channel  60  along ramp surface  42  while less dense debris may spiral along the length of channel  60  and eject at an end or corner (not shown) of channel  60  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Lateral ejection occurs because of local variations in current  20  velocities and lateral velocity components within current  20 . The term “lateral” here indicates approximately parallel to gutter  70 . Lighter debris may also achieve an escape velocity where their centrifugal momentum overcomes the vacuum of vortex  22  and fly upward into air current  20  to be carried away from channel  60 . 
     Vortical flow in an open channel is motivated by air current  20  and it will tend to be turbulent. Turbulence contributes to the motivation of debris out of channel  60 . 
     Circle and Radius of Curvature 
     The circle that is tangent to a plane curve at P, whose center lies on the concave side of the curve and that has the same curvature as the curve has at P, is called the circle of curvature. Its radius is 1/k. The radius of curvature ρ at P is defined to be 
     Radius of curvature 
     
       
         
           
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     In the following claims, any terms indicative of orientation are intended to correspond with the illustrations as an aid to understanding the present disclosure. Such terms are not intended as positive limitations. The concept and scope of the present disclosure are only limited by the following claims. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 PARTS LIST 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Number 
                 Name 
                 FIG. 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 10 
                 Roof 
                 1, 2 
               
               
                 12 
                 Fascia 
                 2, 4 
               
               
                 14 
                 Structure 
                 1 
               
               
                 20 
                 Air Current 
                 1, 2, 4 
               
               
                 22 
                 Vortex 
                 2, 4 
               
               
                 30 
                 Back Wall Surface 
                 2, 3, 4 
               
               
                 32 
                 Back Wall 
                 3 
               
               
                 34 
                 Reflective Surface 
                 2, 3, 4 
               
               
                 35 
                 Curved Reflective Surface 
                 6 
               
               
                 36 
                 Floor Surface 
                 2, 3, 4 
               
               
                 40 
                 Vortex-Enhancement  
                 2, 3, 4, 5 
               
               
                   
                 Curved Surface 
                   
               
               
                 42 
                 Ramp Surface 
                 2, 3, 4 
               
               
                 44 
                 Lip Surface 
                 3 
               
               
                 46 
                 Depending Surface 
                 3 
               
               
                 48 
                 Flat surface 
                 5 
               
               
                 50 
                 Floor Angle 
                 3 
               
               
                 52 
                 Reflective Angle 
                 3 
               
               
                 56 
                 Ramp Angle 
                 3 
               
               
                 60 
                 Fluid Flow Cyclonic Channel 
                 2, 3, 4, 5 
               
               
                 70 
                 Rain Gutter with Cyclonic  
                 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 
               
               
                   
                 Debris Removal