Patent Publication Number: US-8117785-B2

Title: Gutter system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     This application claims the priority of International Application No. PCT/US05/26767, filed on Jul. 27, 2005, which claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/591,546, filed Jul. 27, 2004, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to gutter systems, and more particularly, to gutter systems for preventing debris from entering the gutter system. 
     Many gutter systems have been developed to prevent debris, such as leaves, twigs and paper, from obstructing or clogging the flow of water through the gutters to downspouts that distribute the runoff water away from structures, such as homes, office buildings, etc. For example, gutter screens that act to filter out debris without restricting the flow of water into the gutter have been developed and are commonly known. While these systems have been somewhat successful in preventing debris from entering gutters, a continual need exists for developing novel approaches for providing better solutions to this problem for homeowners. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A gutter system for preventing leaves and other debris from obstructing a gutter is provided. The gutter system includes a bracket and a gutter cover, the bracket being removably coupled to a hanger and removably secured to the gutter cover. An alternative embodiment of this invention is also provided where the bracket and hanger form an integrated structure or integrated bracket. Yet a further embodiment of the present invention is described, which includes an extension member for allowing integrated brackets to fit gutters of varying depths. 
     A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth illustrative embodiments that are indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to preferred embodiments shown in the following drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a prior art gutter system, which is attached to a structure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a gutter system employing a gutter cover; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of a gutter cover; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a side view of the gutter cover shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of the gutter cover shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a top view of the gutter cover shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a rear view of the gutter cover shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a top view of a sheet of material prior to its being formed into a gutter cover; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of a first embodiment of a gutter bracket; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a side view of the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates a side view of the gutter cover shown in  FIG. 3  assembled on the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a front view of the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a top view of the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a perspective view of a second embodiment of a gutter bracket; 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a side view of the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a front view of the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a top view of the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 17  illustrates a rear view of the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 18  illustrates a perspective view of an extension member capable of being coupled to the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a side view of the extension member shown in  FIG. 18 ; 
         FIG. 20  illustrates a front view of the extension member shown in  FIG. 18 ; 
         FIG. 21  illustrates a top view of the extension member shown in  FIG. 18 ; 
         FIG. 22  illustrates a rear view of the extension member shown in  FIG. 18 ; 
         FIG. 23  illustrates a perspective view of the extension member shown in  FIG. 18  coupled with the gutter bracket shown in  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 24  illustrates a perspective view of an inside corner mullion; 
         FIG. 25  illustrates a side view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 24 ; 
         FIG. 26  illustrates a front view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 24 ; 
         FIG. 27  illustrates a top view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 24 ; 
         FIG. 28  illustrates a rear view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 24 ; 
         FIG. 29  illustrates a perspective view of an outside corner mullion; 
         FIG. 30  illustrates a side view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 29 ; 
         FIG. 31  illustrates a front view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 29 ; 
         FIG. 32  illustrates a top view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 29 ; 
         FIG. 33  illustrates a rear view of the corner mullion shown in  FIG. 29 ; 
         FIG. 34  illustrates a perspective view of a gutter end cap; 
         FIG. 35  illustrates a side view of the gutter end cap shown in  FIG. 34 ; 
         FIG. 36  illustrates a front view of the gutter end cap shown in  FIG. 34 ; 
         FIG. 37  illustrates a top view of the gutter end cap shown in  FIG. 34 ; and 
         FIG. 38  illustrates a rear view of the gutter end cap shown in  FIG. 34 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, there is illustrated a gutter system  10 , which is attached to a structure  20 . As particularly illustrated in  FIGS. 2 through 38 , the gutter system  10  is generally comprised of a gutter  30 , a hanger  40  and a gutter cover  50 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , for attaching prior art gutter systems to a structure, a hanger  40  is positioned transverse to the gutter  30  and a nail, screw or other attachment means is inserted through gutter  30 , hanger  40  and facia  22  of structure  20 . The combination of the attachment means, hanger  40  and facia or fascia  22  also act to strengthen the structural integrity of the gutter  30 . Gutters  30  generally consist of a front wall  32 , a bottom wall  34  and a rear wall  36 , where the rear wall interfaces with the facia  22  of structure  20 . 
     To prevent debris, such as leaves, twigs and paper from entering and being lodged within gutter  30 , a gutter cover  50  may be provided. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the gutter cover may include a lip section  52 , a middle section  54  and a back section  56 . It should be understood by those with skill in the art that the gutter cover  50  blocks substantially all of gutter opening  38 . Runoff water from structure  20  is slowed by gutter cover  50  in order to allow surface tension of the water as it flows over the gutter cover  50  to cause the water to adhere to the lip section  52  and be redirected into gutter  30  without allowing debris to enter gutter  30 . For slowing the flow of runoff water from the structure and facilitating the surface tension effect of the water, a protrusion  54   a,  as shown in  FIGS. 3 through 7 , may be provided that extends along the entire width of gutter cover  50  in a direction that is substantially parallel to gutter  30 . Protrusion  54   a  is preferably located on the middle section  54 , but may also be located at different points on the gutter cover  50  as well. The middle section  54  of gutter cover  50  also includes a fold  58 , which will be discussed in detail below. 
     As gutter covers  50  generally come in five or ten foot sections, most structures will require several sections of gutter covers  50  to accommodate each side of the structure  20 . To prevent leakage at the seams that adjoin the respective gutter covers  50 , a notch  59  may be provided on each gutter cover  50  during its manufacture similar to the notch  59  on the unformed gutter cover  60  shown in  FIG. 8 . Further, once the unformed gutter cover  60  is shaped into a completed gutter cover  50 , as depicted in  FIG. 3 , the notch  59  becomes covered by fold  58 . Notch  59  allows two gutter covers  50  to be removably coupled to one another by positioning a portion of one gutter cover  50  within the area created by notch  59  in the other gutter cover  50 . In this manner, a small portion of the second gutter cover  50  will overlap a small portion of the first gutter cover  50 , thus preventing leakage. Although the shape of notch  59  shown in  FIG. 8  is generally rectangular, it should be understood that other shapes may also be employed, as long as one gutter cover  50  is able to be fitted within an adjoining gutter cover  50  to create an aesthetically pleasing seal or joint between the two gutter covers. While gutter cover  50  is preferably comprised of aluminum, gutter cover  50  may also be made of other metals, vinyl materials, plastic or any other material which is light-weight, inexpensive and capable of acting as a rigid support member. 
     To provide structural support to gutter  30  and gutter cover  50 , a bracket  100  may be provided.  FIGS. 9 through 12  depict a first embodiment of bracket  100 . Bracket  100  may be further comprised of pins  102 , a base member  104 , a front member  106 , a rear member  108  and an intermediate member  110 . For attaching bracket  100  to prior art hangers  40 , such as the hanger  40  shown in  FIG. 1 , pins  102  may be designed to correspond to apertures  42  (not shown) that are formed within standard hangers  40 . While pins  102  are designed to be snap-fit within apertures  42 , it should be appreciated that there are other ways in which the bracket  100  may be removably secured to hanger  40  and the description herein with respect to pins  102  should not be viewed as limiting the scope of this application. For example, screws or other fastening means may also be used. 
     For strengthening the structural integrity of the bracket  100 , a central wall portion  122  that fills in the area between the front member  106 , intermediate member  110 , rear member  108  and the base member  104  may also be provided. The central wall portion  122  may also include a plurality of apertures for allowing objects to extend transversely through the bracket  100  or to be attached to the bracket  100 . For example, a first aperture  124  may be provided to receive a heating member, such as a wire or coil, that may be run perpendicularly to the bracket  100  to counteract gutters being blocked by ice or snow. In addition, a second aperture (not shown) may be provided to receive an attachment means, such as straps. The strap may be used to connect the bracket  100  to the structure by fastening one end of the strap to the structure  20  and tying the other end to the second aperture of the bracket  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , front member  106  is formed to match the geometry of the lip section  52  of gutter cover  50 . This provides structural support for gutter cover  50  and prevents the collapse of gutter cover  50  within the opening  38  of gutter  30 , as a result of heavy loading by snow or other debris. To provide additional structural support for gutter cover  50 , intermediate member  110  may also be configured to mirror the geometry of the gutter cover  50 . Bracket  100  may also be removably coupled to gutter cover  50  by inserting coupling member  112 , which acts as a male member, into the area formed by fold  58 , which acts as the female member. 
     More specifically, as best shown in  FIG. 4 , the fold  58  on gutter cover  50  has a generally U-shaped side elevational shape with generally parallel, opposite wall portions  58   a  and  59   b  that are vertically spaced apart and are inclined upwardly at a predetermined angle to define the female coupling member  58  into which the male coupling member  112  on bracket  100  is received and retained, as shown in  FIG. 10A . The lower wall portion  58   b  of fold  58  is created by a reverse bend or doubled over portion  58   c  that has a closed rearward end  58   d  that protrudes rearwardly and upwardly towards the back section  56  of gutter cover  50  at the predetermined angle of fold  58 , and a necked forward end  58   e  that extends forwardly and downwardly towards the lip section  52  of gutter cover  50  at the predetermined angle of fold  58 . The male coupling member  112  on bracket  100  is in the form of a projection that protrudes forwardly and downwardly toward the front member  106  of bracket  100  at the same angle as female coupling member  58 . The projection on the male coupling member  112  is closely received and retained in the U-shaped female coupling member  58  to securely mount gutter cover  50  on mounting bracket  100 , without the need for separate fasteners. 
     In addition to increasing the structural support for gutter cover  50 , coupling member  112  also acts to prevent upward force on the gutter cover  50  from peeling the gutter cover  50  back and thereby potentially allowing debris to enter the gutter system  10 , and to form an integrated gutter system  10  that links gutter  30 , gutter covers  50 , brackets  100  and facia  22  together. Moreover, this is accomplished without requiring screws or other fasteners to attach gutter cover  50  to bracket  100 , which avoids requiring unnecessary holes to accommodate such fasteners and potential leakages caused by such holes. Bracket  100  may be formed by using standard injection molding techniques. While the bracket  100  is preferably comprised of injection molded plastic, bracket  100  may also be made of other metals, vinyl materials, plastic or any other material that is light-weight, inexpensive and capable of acting as a rigid support member. Bracket  100  may also assume varying shapes and thicknesses depending on the environment with which it is being used without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Coupling member  112  also facilitates the installation of gutter cover  50  by establishing a set distance between the lip section  52  of gutter cover  50  and the front wall  32  of gutter  30 . This is possible because the distance between the lip section  52  of gutter cover  50  and fold  58  is a predetermined distance and because the location of the apertures  42  on hanger  40  within which bracket  100  may be placed is also predetermined. Hence, by coupling bracket  100  to hanger  40  and coupling member  112  of bracket  100  to gutter cover  50 , lip section  52  of gutter cover  50  will always be positioned in substantially the same position and distance with respect to the front wall  32  of gutter  30 . This can also be achieved with other embodiments of bracket  100 , discussed below, since such embodiments would also provide a fixed position for coupling member  112  in relation to the front wall  32  of gutter  30 . Although the foregoing embodiment of the present invention preferably includes a coupling member  112  for attaching bracket  100  to cover  50 , it should be understood by those with skill in the art that bracket  100  may also be attached to cover  50  by other means, such as fasteners, snap fittings or similar means. 
       FIGS. 13 through 17  depict a second embodiment of bracket  200 , which is designed to operate independently and without any interaction with hangers or similar means. More specifically, bracket  200  generally includes base member  204 , a front member  206 , a rear member  208  and intermediate member  210  and acts to integrate the functionality provided by bracket  100  and hanger  40  (discussed above). For supporting the bracket within the gutter  30 , base member  204  also includes a lower support member  220  and an upper support member  216 . The lower support member  220  is designed to be positioned flush against rear wall  36  and the upper support member  216  is designed to be removably coupled to gutter  30 . Intermediate support member  218  may also be included to increase the structural support of bracket  200 . The combination of the upper support member  216 , the base member  204  and the rear support member  220  act to replace prior art hangers  40  and to provide improved structural support for gutter  30 . For strengthening the structural integrity of the bracket  200 , a central wall portion  222  that fills in the area between the front member  206 , intermediate member  210 , rear member  208  and the base member  204  may also be provided. The central wall portion  222  may also include a plurality of apertures for allowing objects to extend transversely through the bracket  200  or to be attached to the bracket  200 . For example, a first aperture  224  may be provided to receive a heating member, such as a wire or coil, that may be run perpendicularly to the bracket  200  to counteract gutters being blocked by ice or snow. In addition, a second aperture  226  may be provided to receive an attachment means, such as straps. The strap may be used to connect the bracket  200  to the structure by fastening one end of the strap to the structure  20  and tying the other end to the second aperture  226  of the bracket  200 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 13 , front and rear members  206 ,  208  and coupling member  212  operate similar to front and rear members  106 ,  108  and coupling member  112 , which are described in connection with the first embodiment above.  FIG. 13  also shows a diagonal bore  214  for receiving a nail (not shown) for securing bracket  200  to the facia  22  of structure  20 . Although the diagonal bore  214  is preferably located in intermediate member  210  and extends to lower support member  220 , it should be appreciated that the diagonal bore  214  may be located differently and still achieve its intended purpose. It should also be appreciated that nail may also be replaced by a screw or similar fastening means for securing the bracket  200  and gutter  30  to structure  20 . Bracket  200  may be formed by using standard injection molding techniques. While bracket  200  is preferably comprised of injection molded plastic, bracket  200  may also be made of other metals, vinyl materials, plastic or any other material which is light-weight, inexpensive and capable of acting as a rigid support member. Bracket  200  may also assume varying shapes and thicknesses depending on the environment with which it is being used without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     Since gutters  30  are available in different standard sizes (i.e., with different depths), an extension member  300  may be provided. To allow extension member  300  to be connected to lower support member  220 , extension member  300  may be designed to mirror the outer periphery of lower support member  220  of bracket  200 , as shown in  FIGS. 18 through 22 . While it is preferred that extension member  300  is approximately one inch deep, extension member  300  may assume varying depths to accommodate differently sized gutters. 
     Moreover, for attaching extension member  300  to bracket  200 , extension member  300  may be removably connected to lower support member  220  by a snap fitting. For example, as shown in  FIG. 17 , the outer periphery of the lower support member  220  may include two sets of notch portions  222   a,    222   b  and  224   a,    224   b  located on opposed sides of lower support member  220  and on the upper and lower portions thereof. As shown in  FIG. 18 , extension member  300  may include corresponding snap fittings  302   a,    302   b  and  306   a,    306   b,  which each include a barbed portion  304   a,    304   b  and  308   a,    308   b  that acts to releasably secure extension member  300  to lower support member  220 . It should be appreciated that the snap fittings  302   a,    302   b  and  306   a,    306   b  are flexible and therefore, capable of pushing outward in order to allow barbed portions  304   a,    304   b  and  308   a,    308   b  to move past the edge of notched portions  222   a,    222   b  and  224   a,    224   b.  Once the snap fittings  302   a,    302   b  and  306   a,    306   b  move past the barbed portions  304   a,    304   b,  and  308   a  and  308   b,  the tension created by this flexing will force the snap fittings  302   a,    302   b  and  306   a,    306   b  back toward the lower support member  220  and secure the extension member  300  to the lower support member  220 . 
     Extension member  300  may be formed by using standard injection molding techniques. While extension member  300  is preferably comprised of injection molded plastic, extension member  300  may also be made of other metals, vinyl materials, plastic or any other material which is light-weight, inexpensive and capable of acting as a rigid support member. Extension member  300  may also assume varying shapes and thicknesses depending on the environment with which it is being used without departing from the scope of this invention. For example, extension member  300  may be of a different size in order to allow bracket  200  to be extended by the desired length. Because the periphery of extension member  300  mirrors that of lower support member  220 , it may even be possible to couple more than one extension member  300  to bracket  200 , i.e., by coupling an extension member  300  to another extension member  300 , as needed. It should also be appreciated that the geometry of the lower support member  220  may be altered so long as the extension member  300  is able to be removably attached thereto and that other means for removably attaching extension member  300  to bracket  200  may also be used. 
     It is common in the industry for structures such as structure  20  to form inside and outside corners, rather than have just straight lines. Gutters, such as gutter  30 , must track these inside and outside corners. In order to allow the present invention to also track any inside and outside corners formed on structure  20 , an inside corner mullion  400  and an outside corner mullion  450  may be provided. As shown in  FIGS. 24 through 28  and  FIGS. 29 through 33 , each of these mullions  400 ,  450  are designed to join two abutting gutter covers  50 , where the gutter covers are positioned at different angles with respect to one another. The corner mullions  400 ,  450  each mirror the geometry of the edge  50   a  of the respective gutter cover  50  and include a channel  402   a,    402   b,    452   a,    452   b  for receiving the edge  50   a  of the respective gutter cover  50 . While each of the corner mullions  400 ,  450  require edge  50   a  to be cut at a specific angle, it should be appreciated that the required angle may be varied by providing corner mullions  400 ,  450  with varying angles. Corner mullions  400 ,  450  may be formed by using standard injection molding techniques. While corner mullions  400 ,  450  are preferably comprised of injection molded plastic, corner mullions  400 ,  450  may also be made of other metals, vinyl materials, plastic or any other material which is light-weight, inexpensive and capable of acting as a rigid support member. Corner mullions  400 ,  450  may also assume varying shapes and thicknesses depending on the environment with which it is being used without departing from the scope of this invention. 
     For sealing the ends of both gutters  30  and gutter covers  50 , an end cap  500  may be provided. This is accomplished by providing an end cap  500  that includes a gutter cap portion  502  and a gutter cover portion  504 . As shown in  FIGS. 34 through 38 , to attach end cap  500  to gutters  30 , the gutter cap portion  502  may also include a gutter cap fold  508 . In addition, fold  508  may also include a plurality of holes  510  for receiving fasteners (not shown) for attaching gutter cap  500  to gutter  30 . End cap  500  may be formed by using standard injection molding techniques and may be made of materials, such as plastic, metals, vinyl materials, plastic or any other material which is light-weight, inexpensive and capable of acting as a rigid support member. End cap  500  may also assume varying shapes and thicknesses depending on the environment with which it is being used without departing from the scope of this invention. Although  FIGS. 34 through 38  show a pair of end caps  500 , which are mirror images of each other and which form an integral unit, this unit may be cut into two end caps on-site or prior to distribution. It is preferred, however, that two end caps  500  be manufactured at a time. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.