Patent ID: 7198714

Claim:
A gutter screen assembly for minimizing water runoff and debris collection adjacent a gutter, the gutter comprising a roof-engaging portion and a gutter rim portion, the roof-engaging portion being affixed adjacent a roof border region, the gutter screen assembly comprising a filter support grid, a form-fitting filter screen, and at least one ridge-forming member, the filter support grid comprising a roof-engaging grid edge, a rim-engaging grid edge, two latitudinally-opposed grid edges, a filter-supporting, water inlet grid surface, and a water outlet grid surface, the grid surfaces extending intermediate the grid edges, the filter screen comprising a roof-engaging filter edge, a rim-engaging filter edge, two latitudinally-opposed filter edges, a water inlet filter surface, and a water outlet filter surface, the filter surfaces extending intermediate the filter edges, the ridge-forming member extending intermediate the water inlet grid surface, the water outlet filter surface, and the latitudinally-opposed grid edges and filter edges, the filter screen being form fit to the grid surface and the ridge-forming member thus forming a form-fitted, dual-layered screen assembly, the ridge-forming member thus forming an energy-absorbing filter ridge at the water inlet filter surface, the energy-absorbing filter ridge for straining the water surface tension of a water film formed upon the filter screen, the filter ridge thus allowing water to permeate through the filter screen and the filter support grid into the gutter.