AU647454B2

AU647454B2 - A gutter guard

Info

Publication number: AU647454B2
Application number: AU71940/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Vince Squillace
Original assignee: METAL LINE IND Pty Ltd
Current assignee: METAL LINE INDUSTRIES Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1990-02-28
Filing date: 1991-02-28
Publication date: 1994-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2011-02-28
Also published as: AU7194091A

Description

4 745 4 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952-1969 M -r L-1 I TL\ INTBRebb INDUZTRIHS PTYLT eses @0.S

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556 Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: .4 4 a:WRW**" el .6 rd 46 eTan me 1 Queensland, 4129.

CULLEN CO.,( Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qid. 4000, Australia.

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FGOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED:

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S .5 55 G 5 5 5* .A GUTTER GUARD The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 THIS INVENTION relates to a gutter guard and in particular to a gutter guard for excluding leaves and twigs from roof gutters.

Almost all roofs and especially roofs on domestic dwellings are provided with gutters to catch rainwater and to channel the rainwater to a appropriately positioned downpipe.

It is important that the gutters are kept clean of debris such as leaves or twigs in order to minimise the possibility of the Goo.

gutter clogging or overflowing.

There have been various attempts to provide screens O*O 5 or guards on gutters to allow rainwater to enter the gutter while at the same time preventing entry of debris. Australian patent specification 38345/78 provides E roof plumbing device comprising a surface having a first portion which is inclined :5 to the horizontal and onto which rainwater can flow and a *s.

e second portion extending downwardly and under the first portion to carry the rainwater into the gutter. The roof plumbing device works on the well known principle that water will adhere or flow over a curved surface. Any leaves or debris carried with the rainwater will generally tend to pass *s over the first portion and onto the ground. A disadvantage with such guards are that they are generally complex to manufacture. Further, the guard is either integral with the gutter as shown in figure 1 of the specification or is of the type which is required to be fitted underneath a roof tile or other roof covering. In both cases, the interior of the gutter is not readily available for cleaning should this be required.

Further, the device will not function efficiently under heavy n 3 rain conditions as a large portion of the rainwater will overflow the gutter, and during windy conditions the wind tends to disrupt the surface flow of the rainwater into the gutter.

Australian patent specification 45546/79 is directed to a similar type gutter arrangement as described above where the rainwater flows over a curved surface and into the gutter.

Again, such a device is not suitable for heavy rain conditions or rain accompanied by wind for the reasons outlined above.

oooo 1. The gutter arrangement is relatively expensive to manufacture and is difficult to remove to enable the gutter to be accessed should that be required.

Australian patent specification 58059/80 discloses a leaf guard having one longitudinal edge shaped into a hooked S. configuration to be engageable with a hooked portion on the 0 gutter and having a second longitudinal edge which can be S affixed to a building wall. The transverse cross-section of the leaf guard is of a saw-tooth profile. A disadvantage with Sthis leaf guard is that the guard and the gutter are required to have a hooked configuration which increases manufacturing am costs and difficulty in installation. Further, the rear portion of the guard is normally secured directly to a roof stud or truss which makes the guard difficult to remove should this -e required. Further, the saw-tooth configuration of the guard results in debris being accumulated within the valleys of the saw-tooth and thus the guard is required to be cleaned on a regular basis in order to prevent blocking of the rainwater channels in the guard.

Australian patent specification 12444/83 is directed to a leaf excluder comprising a clamp to which the excluder is fitted. Such an arrangement is cumbersome to fit and adds to the manufacture and cost of the assembly.

Australian patent specification 21640/83 is directed to a gutter lid wherein the lid is pivotable around a bead formed on the outer lip of the gutter. A disadvantage with this system is that the gutter is required to be of a particular shape having a rounded radiused bead on the outer IA. lip which contributes to the manufacture and cost of the assembly. Further, the gutter lid is of a substantially planar configuration and debris such as leaves and sticks generally sit on this portion and block the rainwater channels. Thus, from time to time the gutter lid is required to be cleaned which can be a time consuming task.

"Australian patent specification 27973/84 discloses a gutter arrangement having a guard comprising a particular type of mesh configuration. The gutter is provided with an internally curled outer edge into which a correspondingly shaped longitudinal end of the gutter guard .a fitted. The 0 water receiving part of the mesh is planar in configuration and thus does not readily shed leaves or twigs and requires periodic cleaning.

Australian patent specification 35621/84 discloses a leaf guard including a plurality of brackets for attachment to the rear portion of the gutter. A disadvantage with this system is that the brackets are an additional step which is required to be performed to fit the leaf guard to the gutter r which increases manufacturing and assembly costs. Further, the saw-tooth configuration of the leaf guard results in debris accumulating in the valleys of the saw-tooth and requires periodic cleansing.

Australian patent specification 31729/89 discloses a gutter guard arrangement having a plurality of resiliently deformable tubular or sleeve-like elements which are adapted to be located within the gutter. A disadvantage with this system is that the assembly and manufacturing costs of the d. plurality of elements increases the verall cost of the guard.

Australian patent specification 37232/84 is directed to a leaf excluder for use in a gutter wherein the gutter is required to be provided with a curled bead on an outer longitudinal edge. The leaf excluder is provided with a plurality of bead engaging fingers along and projecting from a first edge which engage with the curled bead of the gutter.

The rear portion, of the leaf excluder is located in the bottom edge of the gutter. A disadvantage with this system is that the leaf excluder is required to be provided with a plurality

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of fingers which contribute to the complexity and cost of manufacture of the excluder. Further, by having the rear of the excluder located in the bottom of the gutter, the available area of the gutter is reduced.

It is an object of the invention to provide a gutter guard which may partially overcome the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful choice.

In one form the invention resides in a gutter guard for excluding leaves and twigs from a gutter, the gutter 6 comprising a front wall having an inwardly directed flange, a rear wall and a bottom wall, said gutter guard comprising a resilient sheet-like material of curved configuration having a first longitudinal end adapted to bear against the flange of the gutter, a second longitudinal end adapted to bear against the rear wall of the gutter and adjacent an upper edge of the rear wall, a convex portion relative to the bottom wall of the Sgutter in use, and adjacent the rear wall of the gutter, a 0S e e concave portion relative to the bottom wall of the gutter in Jq. use, and adjacent the front wall of the gutter, and a

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pluraltiy of openings to allow water to pass through the guard 'e but to inhibit passage of leaves and twigs.

In another form, the invention resides in a gutter including the gutter guard as described above.

I The gutter guard may be of any convenient length for ease a positioning into a gutter. Suitable lengths are in the order of 1 to 3 metres. The gutter guard may vary in width depending on the spacing between the front and rear walls of the gutter with ranges of between 10 20 centimetres being common for gutters for domestic dwellings. The gutter guard

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suitably comprises a unitary member formed from a resilient sheet like material. The sheet material may comprise plastics or sheet metal. The sheet metal may be protected against corrosion such as by galvanisation.

The first longitudinal end of the gutter guard may comprise a substantially planar portion which bears up against the flange on the front wall of the gutter. The flange may comprise a downwardly projecting portion which may engage with 7 a longitudinal slot, groove or recess formed in the first longitudinal end of the gutter guard.

The second longitudinal end may comprise a substantially upwardly directing portion in use, which may bear up against the rear wall of the gutter. The periphery of the second longitudinal end may be co-terminus with the upper edge of the rear wall of the gutter.

The gutter guard is preferably of a substantially oeio type configuration. The guard includes a concave portion which may extend from adjacent the first longitudinal end to a point approximately mid-way across the guard. The guard further comprises a convex portion which may extend from approximately mid-way across the guard to adjacent the second longitudinal end.

The gutter guard may, in use, be positioned in the gutter such that the lowest portion of the guard is tapproximately mid-way along the front wall.

The openings on the gutter guard may be randomly spaced or ordered. The openings may be of a size to allow At r free passage of water through the gutter guard but to inhibit passage of leaves, twigs or the like. The openings may be of varying sizes depending on their position on the gutter guard.

The openings may be of a substantially circular, polygonal, oval or other cross-sectional configurations and may be flush or proud from the surface of the gutter guard. Preferably, the gutter guard includes holes with a diameter of between 2and more preferably between 5-6mm. A perforation ratio of 10-80%, and preferably 30-50% can be used.

The gutter to which the gutter guard is applied may be of a substantially shaped configuration. The gutter may be formed "on site" from a roll of sheet material using known techniques. The front wall of the gutter may include an inwardly directed longitudinal flange terminating with a downwardly projecting longitudinal flange. The front wall of the gutter may extend from the bottom wall to a larger degree than the rear-wall.

The gutter may be attached to a facia panel or board 1D.. by clips. The clips may be spaced along the facia panel and may be provided with a hooked portion adapted to clip to or 'i around the upper portion of the facia panel. A front face of the clip may comprise a pair of spaced projections to clip to the rear wall and bottom wall of the gutter. The spaced •*150, projections may include a hooked portion to hook around the peripheral edge of the rear wall of the gutter and a flange to abut against the bottom wall of the gutter. The clip may include graduations to allow the gutter to be inclined relative to the facia panel.

Za6 The front wall of the gutter may be strengthened by an overstrap. The overstrap may comprise a strap of sheet metal material having a first end secured to or clipped to the facifr panel and a second end secured to or clipped to the front wall of the gutter. The overstrap preferably has a hooked portion which bears against the front wall of the gutter and the inwardly directing flange. The overstrap preferably extends below the gutter guard.

9 The overstrap may assist in the securing of the gutter guard to the gutter. The first longitudinal end of the gutter guard may be captured between the flange and the end portion of the overstrap.

To assemble the gutter, the clips are secured to the facia panel and/or to the gutter and the gutter is secured to the facia panel by the clips. Overstraps are positioned in the gutter at regular spaced intervals. The gutter guard may be initially resiliently deformed to reduce its width and thereafter placed in the gutter with the second longitudinal end bearing against the rear wall of the gutter and the first .longitudinal end being positioned between the overstrap and the flange of the gutter.

The invention will be better described by reference 15. to the following description of one preferred embodiment in which Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a gutter guard positioned in a gutter.

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of figure 1.

6a. Figure 3 is an exploded view of figure 1.

The figures each disclose a gutter guard 10, a gutter 11 having a front wall 12, a rear wall 13, and a bottom wall 14; a facia panel 15, a clip 16 and an overstrap 17.

The front wall of gutter 11 is provided with an inwardly directed flange 18 terminating in a downwardly directing flange 19. These two flanges define a substantially inverted shaped channel recess at the top portion of wall 12. The gutter guard 10 is configured in an approximately "S" shaped configuration having a convex portion 20 and a concave portion 21 relative to the bottom wall 14 of the gutter. The convex portion 20 is located adjacent rear wall 13 while the concave portion is located adjacent front wall 12. The convex and concave portions each extend approximately half way across the width of gutter guard The gutter guard comprises a first longitudinal end 22 (see fig 3) which is substantially parallel to bottom wall 14 in use and bears against the periphery of flange 19.

.l.Q Flange 19 can engage with a recess (not shown) extending adjacent the first longitudinal end.

The gutter guard further comprises a second longitudinal end 23 which bears against the rear wall 13 of gutter 11 at a position adjacent the peripheral edge of wall 13.

The gutter guard is provided with an array of regularly spaced circular openings 24 extending along and across the entire width of the gutter guard. Each opening is approximately 2.5mm in diameter.

Gutter 11 is mounted to facia board by means of

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clips 16. As shown more clearly in figure 3, a clip 16 includes a hooked portion 25 which overlies facia panel 15 and is clipped thereto. Clip 16 further comprises a pair of spaced projections 26,27. Projection 26 is also hooked shaped in configuration and hooks over the peripheral edge of rear wall 13. Projection 27 is in the form of a flange which supports base wall 14 of gutter 11. Clip 16 is provided with a series of graduations 28 to allow the gutter to be clipped i n 11 to facia panel 15 with a slight incline.

The gutter is further provided with an overstrap 17.

Overstrap 17 comprises a strip of metal having a hook 29 at one end which clips onto facia panel 15. The other end of overstrap 17 comprises an inwardly directing portion 30 which is sized to fit in the channel shaped portion of the front wall of gutter 11 defined by wall 12 and flanges 18 and 19.

The first longitudinal end 22 of gutter guard 10 can be positioned -o be captured between flange 19 and overstrap 0Q. 17.

e 0. 0 The lower edge of the roof of a dwelling suitably 0 abuts against the mid portion of gutter guard 10 with the convex portion 20 of the gutter guard being shielded by the roof line. In this manner, the convex portion does not accumulate debris.

To remove gutter guard 10 from gutter 11, the gutter guard can be resiliently deformed and either slid out or levered out of gutter 11.

By having the roof tiles or sheets abutted against gutter guard 10, there is no requirement to bird proof or rodent proof the roof as the usual gap is no longer available.

The gutter guai L aids in filtering water which makes suitable for dwellings relying on roof water for drinking.

The gutter guard can be used on any gutter sys'ocm nw or old and can be fitted to existi&g houses. The simple locking system of the gutter guard makes it suitable for cyclone conditions where ordinary plastic guards or wire mesh guards m£ay be dislodged. The gutter guard also assists overstrap 17 k 12 in supporting the front of the gutter against inward deformation. The curved configurations reduces the tendency of the guard to clog. Thus any debris which io retained by the guard falls under gravity to the convex portion and results in the concave portion being free from debris thereby allowing water to pass through the guard into the gutter.

The gutter may be provided with one or more overflow slots spaced along the front wall of the gutter. The overflow S slots are positioned to lie below the upper edge of the rear 1A. wall so that excess water in the gutter will exit through the 0.

overflow slots and not into the roof of the dwelling.

It should be appreciated that various other changes es* and modifications can be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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Claims

1. A gutter guard for excluding leaves and twigs from a gutter, the gutter having a front wall with an inwardly directed flange, a rear wall and a bottom wall, said gutter guard comprising an elongate resilient sheet-like material of curved configuration having a first longitudinal end adapted to bear against the flange of the gutter, a second longitudinal end adapted to bear against the rear wall of the gutter and adjacent an upper edge of the rear wall, a convex portion relative to the bottom wall of the gutter in use adjacent the rear wall of the gutter, a concave portion relative to the bottom wall of the gutter in use adjacent the front wall of the gutter, and a plurality of openings to allow water to pass through the guard but to inhibit passage of leaves and twigs.

2. The gutter guard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first longitudinal end comprises a substantially planar portion to bear up against the flange of the front wall of the gutter.

3. The gutter guard as claimed in claim 2, including a longitudinal recess extending adjacent the first longitudinal end for co-operation with a downwardly ojecting portion of the inwardly directed flange to assist in securing the gutter guard to the gutter.

4. The gutter guard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second longitudinal end comprises a substantially upwardly directing portion in use, to bear up against the rear wall of the gutter.

The gutter guard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the concave portion extends from adjacent the first longitudinal end to a point approximately midway across the guard.

6. The gutter guard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the convex portion extepds from approximately midway, across the guard to adjacent the second longitudinal end.

7. The gutter guaod as claimed in any one of the <yi 14 preceding claims, wherein the plurality of openings define a perforation ration 10% to

8. The gutter guard as claimed in claim 7, wherein the perforation ration is between 40% to

9. The gutter guard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of openings are substantially circular and have a diameter of between 2 to mm.

The gutter guard as claimed in claim 9, wherein the diameter is between 5mm to 6mm.

11. A gutter assembly comprising a gutter and a gutter guard as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

12. The gutter assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second longitudinal end of the gutter guard has a periphery co-terminus with an upper edge of the rear wall of the gutter.

13. The gutter assembly as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the lowest part of the convex portion extends approximately midway along the front all.

14. The gutter assembly as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the front wall of the gutter includes an inwardly directed flange terminating with a depending flange, the peripheral edge of the depending flange co-operating with a longitudinal groove in the gutter guard to assist in securing the gutter guard to the gutter.

The gutter assembly as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 14, including clips to attach the gutter to a fascia panel or board.

16. The gutter assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the clips include a hooked portion adapted to clip to or around an upper portion of the fascia panel, a pair of spaced projections extending from a front face of the clip and comprising an upper hooked projection to hook around the peripheral edge of the rear wall of the gutter and a lower flange to abut against the bottom wall of the gutter, the clip including graduations to allow the gutter to be inclined relative to the fascia panel.

17. The gutter assembly as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 16, including an overstrap to assist in securing the gutter guard to the gutter and to strengthen the front wall of the gutter.

18. The gutter assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the overstrap comprises a strap of sheet material having a first end securable to the fascia panel and a second end securable to the front wall of the gutter, said overstrap extending below the gutter guard.

19. A method for assembling a gutter assembly as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 18, comprising securing the gutter to a fascia panel by clips, positioning overstraps in the gutter at regular spaced intervals, initially resiliently deforming the gutter guard to reduce its width to allow the gutter guard to be placed in the gutter with the second longitudinal end bearing against the rear wall of the gutter and the first longitudinal end being positioned between the o: overstrap and the flange on the front wall of the gutter and releasing the gutter to allow it to resiliently engage with the rear wall of the gutter and the front wall of the gutter.

The gutter guard as claimed in any one of claims 1 wherein the guard does not contact the bottom wall of the gutter in use and the lowermost portions of the gutter is the convex portion which is spaced from the bottom wall by a distance sufficient to allow water to flow through the gutter S without contacting the guard.

21. The gutter guard as claimed in any one of the V preceding claims which is formed of steel.

22. A gutter guard substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. A gutteiL assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Seventeenth day of January 1994. METAL LINE INDUSTRIES PTY LTD By Their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO