(12) United States Patent
`Higginbotham
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,598,352 B2
`Jul. 29, 2003
`
`US006598352B2
`
`(54) SELF CLEANING GUTTER SHIELD
`
`
`
`Father Inventor: Edward AI Higginbotham, Judge Rd Amherst VA (Us) 24521
`
`
`
`6,134,843 A 10/2000 Tregear
`6,151,837 A 11/2000 Ealer
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`
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`6,161,338 A * 12/2000 KllhIlS ......................... .. 6,182,399 B1 * 2/2001 Pollera .
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`52/11
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`’
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`’
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`6,363,662 B1 * 4/2002 Coates . . . . .
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`. . . . . . .. 52/12
`
`'
`.
`( * ) Notice.
`
`~
`~
`~
`~
`SubJect to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`6367 743 B1 * 4/2002 Iannelli ................... .. 248/482
`’
`’
`6,412,228 B1 * 7/2002 Meckstroth .................. .. 52/12
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(21) APP1-N9-109/922,636
`
`.
`'
`(22) Flled'
`
`Aug‘ 7’ 2001
`
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2003/0046876 A1 Mar. 13, 2003
`
`(51) Int. Cl.7 ............................................ .. E04D 13/064
`(52) US. Cl. ............................ .. 52/12; 52/98; 248/481;
`210/474
`(58) Field of Search ............................... .. 52/11, 12, 15,
`52/98; 248/481; 210/474
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`GB
`JP
`
`JP
`JP
`
`2351757 A * 1/2001
`1304254 A * 12/1989
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`......... .. E04D/13/76
`.............. .. 52/12
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`* 4/1999
`11-100953
`2001349022 A * 12/2001
`
`.. E04D/13/64
`......... .. E04D/13/72
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`W0
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`WO 95/02100
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`
`
`A * * 1/1995
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`. . . . . . . . . .. ......... .. E04D/13/06
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`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`_
`_
`Leafguard 131181169110“
`K—guard Publication.
`* Cited by examiner
`
`Primary Examiner—Carl D. Friedman
`Assistant Examiner—Brian E. Glessner
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`3,855,132 A 12/1974 Dugan
`4,727,689 A
`3/1988 Bosler
`4,745,710 A * 5/1988 Davis .......................... .. 52/12
`2
`3
`$5‘?
`52/12
`5’010’696 A * 41991 Kline;
`5’O72’5 51 A * 12/1991 Manoogi'i'i'r'lml'r' """""""" " 52/12
`5:459:965 A * 10/1995 Meckstroth’
`........ ..'.'.'. 52/12
`5,491,998 A
`2/1996 Hansen
`5,495,694 A
`3/1996 Kuhns
`5,555,680 A
`9/1996 Sweers
`5,595,027 A
`1/1997 Vail
`576197826 A * 4/1997 Wu _
`2
`g/
`Kline“; """""""""""" " 52/12
`5’813’173 A * 41998 Wa rag:
`52/12
`5’813’573 A
`9/1998 Wa? ' """"""""""" "
`518421311 A 12/1998 Morin
`5,956,904 A
`9/1999 Gentry
`6,098,344 A * 8/2000 Albracht ...................... .. 52/12
`
`An elongated strip of extruded plastics material includes a
`vertical rear plane adapted to seat on the rear portion of a
`guttephanging bracket The rear Vertical plane integrally
`connects to a second forWard extending plane that joins, by
`means of an underlying u-shaped channel, a v-shaped per
`forated third plane that forces Water to pool and drop through
`the perforations- The third Plane joins, by means of an
`underlying u-shaped channel, a ?ange that pro]ects out
`Wardly for retaining the strip to a gutter. A ?lter con?gura
`tion comprised of a debris repelling membrane, overlying a
`skeletal structure of ellipsoid rods spaced and resting on
`vertical planes, serves to break the forWard How of Water and
`to channel Water onto and through its integral perforated
`horiZontal plane. The ?lter con?guration is readily inserted
`into the u-shaped channels existing on the forWard and rear
`edges of the v-shaped perforated third plane.
`
`7 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets
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`359
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`20
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`IPR2018-00031
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 29, 2003
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`Sheet 1 0f 9
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`US 6,598,352 B2
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`IPR2018-00031
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`U.S. Patent
`US. Patent
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`Jul. 29, 2003
`Jul. 29, 2003
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`Sheet 2 0f 9
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`US 6,598,352 B2
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`U.S. Patent
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`US. Patent
`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 29, 2003
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`Jul. 29, 2003
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`Figure 11a
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`U.S. Patent
`US. Patent
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`Figure 12a
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`US 6,598,352 B2
`
`1
`SELF CLEANING GUTTER SHIELD
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`Gutter covering systems are known to prevent debris from
`entering into the open top end of a rain gutter.
`When debris accumulates Within the body of a rain gutter
`in an amount great enough to cover the opening of a
`doWnspout-draining hole the draining of Water from the rain
`gutter is impeded or completely stopped. This occurrence
`Will cause the Water to rise Within the rain gutter and spill
`over it’s uppermost front and rear portions. The purpose of
`a rain gutter: to divert Water aWay from the structure and
`foundation of a home is thereby circumvented.
`2. Prior Art
`The invention relates to the ?eld of Gutter Anti-clogging
`Devices and particularly relates to screens With af?Xed ?ne
`?lter membranes, and to devices that employ recessed Wells
`or channels in Which ?lter material may be inserted, af?Xed
`to gutters to prevent debris from impeding the desired
`drainage of Water.
`Various gutter anti-clogging devices are knoWn in the art
`and some are described in issued patents.
`US. Pat. No. 5,557,891 to Albracht teaches a gutter
`protection system for preventing entrance of debris into a
`rain gutter. Albracht teaches a gutter protection system to
`include a single continuous tWo sided Well With angled sides
`and perforated bottom shelf 9 into Which rainWater Will How
`and empty into the rain gutter beloW. The Well is of a depth,
`Which is capable of receiving a ?lter mesh material.
`HoWever, attempts to insert or cover such open channels of
`“reverse-curve” devices With ?lter meshes or cloths is
`knoWn to prevent rainWater from entering the Water receiv
`ing channels. This occurrence eXists because of the tendency
`of such membranes, (unsupported by a proper skeletal
`structure), to channel Water, by means of Water adhesion
`along the interconnected paths eXisting in the ?lter mem
`branes (and in the enclosures they may be contained by or
`in), past the intended Water-receiving channel and to the
`ground. This occurrence also eXists because of the tendency
`of ?lter mediums of any present knoWn design or structure
`to quickly Waterproof or clog When inserted into such
`channels creating even greater channeling of rainWater for
`Ward into a spill past an underlying rain gutter. Filtering of
`such open, recessed, channels eXisting in Albracht’s inven
`tion as Well as in US. Pat. No. 5,010,696, to Knittel, US.
`Pat. No. 2,672,832 to GoetZ, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,459,350, &
`5,181,350 to Meckstroth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,998 to Hansen,
`US. Pat. No. 4,757,649 to Vahldieck and in similar “reverse
`curved” inventions that rely on “reverse-curved” surfaces
`channeling Water into an open channel have been knoWn to
`disalloW entrance of rainWater into the Water-receiving
`channels. Albracht’s as Well as previous and succeeding
`similar inventions have therefore notably avoided the utili
`Zation of ?lter insertions. What may appear as a logical
`anticipation by such inventions at ?rst glance, (inserting of
`a ?lter mesh or material into the channel), has been shoWn
`to be undesirable and ineffective across a broad spectrum of
`?ltering materials: Employing insertable ?lters into such
`inventions has not been found to be a simple matter of
`anticipation, or design choice of ?lter medium by those
`skilled in the arts. Rather, it has proved to be an ineffective
`option, With any knoWn ?lter medium, When attempted in
`the ?eld. Such attempts, in the ?eld, have demonstrated that
`the ?lter mediums Will eventually require manual cleaning.
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`German Patent 5,905,961 teaches a gutter protection
`system for preventing the entrance of debris into a rain
`gutter. The German patent teaches a gutter protection system
`to include a single continuous tWo sided Well 7 With angled
`sides and perforated bottom shelf Which rainWater Will How
`and empty into the rain gutter beloW. The Well is recessed
`beneath and betWeen tWo solid lateral same plane shelves
`close to the front of the system for Water passage near and
`nearly level With the front top lip of the gutter. The Well is
`of a depth, Which is capable of receiving a ?lter mesh
`material. HoWever, for the reasons described in the preced
`ing paragraphs, an ability to attach a medium to an
`invention, not speci?cally designed to utiliZe such a
`medium, may not result in an effective anticipation by an
`invention. Rather, the result may be a diminishing of the
`invention and its improvements as is the case in Albracht’s
`US. Pat. No. 5,557,891, the German Patent, and similar
`inventions employing recessed Wells or channels betWeen
`adjoining planes or curvatures.
`U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,027 to Vail teaches a continuous
`opening 24A betWeen the tWo top shelves. Vail teaches a
`gutter protection system having a single continuous Well 25,
`the Well having a depth alloWing insertion and retention of
`?lter mesh material 26 (a top portion of the ?ller mesh
`material capable of being fully eXposed at the holes). Vail
`does teach a gutter protection system designed to incorpo
`rate an insertable ?lter material into a recessed Well.
`HoWever, Vail notably names and intends the ?lter medium
`to be a tangled mesh ?berglass ?ve times the thickness of the
`invention body. This type of ?ltration medium, also claimed
`in US. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees, and in prior art currently
`marketed as FLOW-FREE. TM. is knoWn to trap and hold
`debris Within itself Which, by design, most ?lter mediums
`are intended to do, i.e.: trap and hold debris. Vail’s invention
`does initially prevent some debris from entering an under
`lying rain gutter but gradually becomes ineffective at chan
`neling Water into a rain gutter due to the propensity of their
`claimed ?lter mediums to clog With debris. Though Vail’s
`invention embodies an insertable ?lter, such ?lter is not
`readily accessible for cleaning When such cleaning is neces
`sitated. The gutter cover must be removed and uplifted for
`cleaning and, the ?lter medium is not easily and readily
`inserted replaced into its longitudinal containing channel
`extending three or more feet. It is often noted, in the ?eld,
`that these and similar inventions hold fast pine needles in
`great numbers Which presents an unsightly appearance as
`Well as create debris dams behind the upWardly eXtended
`and trapped pine needles. Such ?lter meshes and non-Woven
`lofty ?ber mesh materials, even When composed of ?ner
`micro-porous materials, additionally tend to clog and ?ll
`With oak tassels and other smaller organic debris because
`they are not resting, by design, on a skeletal structure that
`encourages greater Water ?oW through its overlying ?lter
`membrane than exists When such ?lter meshes or mem
`branes contact planar continuously-connected surfaces.
`KnoWn ?lter mediums of larger openings tend to trap and
`hold debris. KnoWn ?lter mediums smaller openings clog or
`“heal over” With pollen and dirt that becomes embedded and
`remains in the ?ner micro-porous ?lter mediums. At present,
`there has not been found, as a matter of common knoWledge
`or anticipation, an effective Water-permeable, non-clogging
`“medium-of-choice” that can be chosen, in lieu of claimed
`or illustrated ?lter mediums in prior art, that is able to
`overcome the inherent tendencies of any knoWn ?lter medi
`ums to clog When applied to or inserted Within the types of
`Water receiving Wells and channels noted in prior art.
`Vail also discloses that ?lter mesh material 26 is recessed
`beneath a planar surface that utiliZes perforations in the
`
`IPR2018-00031
`Petitioners Ex. 1107 p. 11
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`US 6,598,352 B2
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`3
`plane to direct Water to the ?lter medium beneath. Such
`perforated planar surfaces as utilized by Vail, by SWeers
`US. Pat. No. 5,555,680, by Morin US. Pat. No. 5,842,311
`and by similar prior art are known to only be partially
`effective at channeling Water doWnWard through the open
`apertures rather than forWard across the body of the inven
`tion and to the ground. This occurs because of the principal
`of Water adhesion: rainWater tends to How around perfora
`tions as much as doWnWard through them, and miss the rain
`gutter entirely. Also, in observing perforated planes such as
`utiliZed by Vail and similar inventions (Where rainWater
`experiences its ?rst contact With a perforated plane) it is
`apparent that they present much surface area impervious to
`doWnWard Water ?oW disalloWing such inventions from
`receiving much of the rainWater contacting them.
`A simple design choice or anticipation of multiplying the
`perforations can result in a Weakened body subject to
`deformity When eXposed to the Weight of snoW and/or debris
`or When, in the case of polymer bodies, eXposed to summer
`temperatures and sunlight.
`US. Pat. No. 4,841,686 to Rees teaches an improvement
`for rain gutters comprising a ?lter attachment, Which is
`constructed to ?t over the open end of a gutter. The ?lter
`attachment comprised an elongated screen to the underside
`of Which is clamped a ?brous material such as ?berglass.
`Rees teaches in the Background of The Invention that many
`devices, such as slotted or perforated metal sheets, or
`screens of Wire or other material, or plastic foam, have been
`used in prior art to cover the open tops of gutters to ?lter out
`foreign material. He states that success With such devices
`has been limited because small debris and pine needles still
`may enter through them into a rain gutter and clog its
`doWnspout opening and or lodge in and clog the devices
`themselves. Rees teaches that his use of a ?ner opening
`tangled ?berglass ?lter sandWiched betWeen tWo lateral
`screens Will eliminate such clogging of the device by smaller
`debris. HoWever, in practice it is knoWn that such devices as
`is disclosed by Rees are only partially effective at shedding
`debris While channeling rainWater into an underlying gutter.
`Shingle oil leaching off of certain roof coverings, pollen,
`dust, dirt, and other ?ne debris are knoWn to “heal over”
`such devices clogging and/or effectively “Water-proo?ng”
`them and necessitate the manual cleaning they seek to
`eliminate. (If not because of the larger debris, because of the
`?ne debris and pollutants). Additionally, again as With other
`prior art that seeks to employ ?lter medium screening of
`debris; the ?lter medium utiliZed by Rees rests on an
`inter-connected planar surface Which provides non-broken
`continuous paths over and under Which Water Will ?oW, by
`means of Water adhesion, to the front of a gutter and spill to
`the ground rather than drop doWnWard into an underlying
`rain gutter. Whether ?lter medium is “sandwiched” betWeen
`perforated planes or screens as in Rees’ invention, or such
`?lter medium eXists beloW perforated planes or screens and
`is contained in a Well or channel, Water Will tend to How
`forWard along continuous paths through cur as Well as
`doWnWard into an underlying rain gutter achieving less than
`desirable Water-channeling into a rain gutter.
`US. Pat. No. 5,956,904 to Gentry teaches a ?rst ?ne
`screen having mesh openings af?Xed to an underlying screen
`of larger openings. Both screens are elastically deformable
`to permit a user to compress the invention for insertion into
`a rain gutter. Gentry, as Rees, recogniZes the inability of
`prior art to prevent entrance of ?ner debris into a rain gutter,
`and Gentry, as Rees, relies on a much ?ner screen mesh than
`is employed by prior art to achieve prevention of ?ner debris
`entrance into a rain gutter. In both the Gentry and Rees prior
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`art, and their improvements over less effective ?lter medi
`ums of previous prior art, it becomes apparent that antici
`pation of improved ?lter medium or con?gurations is not
`vieWed as a matter of simple anticipation of prior art Which
`has, or could, employ ?lter medium. It becomes apparent
`that improved ?ltering methods may be vieWed as patenable
`unique inventions in and of themselves and not necessarily
`an anticipation or matter of design choice of a better ?lter
`medium or method being applied to or substituted Within
`prior art that does or could employ ?lter medium. HoWever,
`though Rees and Gentry did achieve ?ner ?ltration over
`?lter medium utiliZed in prior art, their inventions also
`eXhibit a tendency to channel Water past an underlying gutter
`and/or to heal over With ?ner dirt, pollen, and other pollut
`ants and clog thereby requiring manual cleaning.
`Additionally, When ?lter medium is applied to or rested upon
`planar perforated or screen meshed surfaces, there is a
`notable tendency for the underlying perforated plane or
`screen to channel Water past the gutter Where it Will then
`spill to the ground. It has also been noted that prior art listed
`herein exhibits a tendency to alloW ?lter cloth mediums to
`sag into the opening of their underlying supporting struc
`tures. To compensate for forWard channeling of Water, prior
`art embodies open aperatures spaced too distantly, or alloWs
`the aperatures themselvs to encompass too large an area,
`thereby alloWing the sagging of overlying ?lter membranes
`and cloths. Such sagging creates pockets Wherein debris
`tends to settle and enmesh.
`U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,132 to Dugan teaches a porous solid
`material Which is installed in the gutter to form an upper
`barrier surface (against debris entrance into a rain gutter).
`Though Dugan anticipates that any debris gathered on the
`upper barrier surface Will dry and bloW aWay, that is not
`alWays the case With this or similar devices. In practice, such
`devices are knoWn to “heal over” With pollen, oil, and other
`pollutants and effectively Waterproof or clog the device
`rendering it ineffective in that they prevent both debris and
`Water from entering a rain gutter. Pollen may actually
`cement debris to the top surface of such devices and fail to
`alloW Wash-off even after repeated rains. US. Pat. No.
`4,949,514 to Weller sought to present more Water receiving
`top surface of a similar solid porous device by undulating the
`top surface but, in fact, effectively created debris “traps”
`With the peak and valley undulation. As With other prior art,
`such devices may Work effectively for a period of time but
`tend to eventually channel Water past a rain gutter, due to
`eventual clogging of the device itself. There are several
`commercial ?ltering products designed to prevent foreign
`matter buildup in gutters. For eXample the FLOW-FREE
`.TM gutter protection system sold by DCI of Clifton
`Heights, Pa. Comprises a 0.75-inch thick nylon mesh mate
`rial designed to ?t Within 5-inch K type gutters to seal the
`gutters and doWnspout systems from debris and snoW
`buildup. The FLOW-FREE. TM device ?ts over the hanging
`brackets of the gutters and one side eXtends to the bottom of
`the gutter to prevent the collapse into the gutter. HoWever,
`as in other ?ltering attempts, shingle material and pine
`needles can become trapped in the coarse nylon mesh and
`must be periodically cleaned.
`U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,843 to Tregear teaches a gutter device
`that has an elongated matting having a plurality of open
`cones arranged in transverse and longitudinal roWs, the base
`of the cones de?ning a loWer ?rst plane and the apeXes of the
`cones de?ning an upper second plane. Although the Tregear
`device overcomes the eventual trapping of larger debris
`Within a ?ltering mesh composed of fabric suf?ciently
`smooth to prevent the trapping of debris he notes in prior art,
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`IPR2018-00031
`Petitioners Ex. 1107 p. 12
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`US 6,598,352 B2
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`5
`the Tregear device tends to eventually allow pollen, oil
`Which may leach from asphalt shingles, oak tassels, and ?ner
`seeds and debris to coat and heal over a top-most matting
`screen it employs to disalloW larger debris from becoming
`entangled in the larger aperatured ?ltering medium it covers.
`Tregear indicates that ?ltered con?gurations such as a com
`mercially available attic ventilation system knoWn as Roll
`Vent.RTM. manufactured by Benjamin Obdyke, Inc.
`Warminster, Pa. Is suitable, With modi?cations that acco
`madate its ?tting into a raingutter. HoWever, such a device
`has been noted, even in its original intended application, to
`require cleaning (as do most attic screens and ?lters) to
`remove dust, dirt, and pollen that combine With moisture to
`form adhesive coatings that can scum or heal over such attic
`?lters. Filtering mediums (exhibiting tightly Woven, knitted,
`or tangled mesh threads to achieve density or “smoothness”)
`employed by Tregear and other prior art have been unable to
`achieve imperviousness to Waterproo?ng and clogging
`effects caused by a healing or pasting over of such surfaces
`by pollen, ?ne dirt, scum, oils, and air and Water pollutants.
`Additionally, referring again to Tregear’s device, a loWer
`?rst plane tends to channel Water toWard the front lip of a
`rain gutter, rather than alloWing it’s free passage doWnWard,
`and alloW the feeding and spilling of Water up and over the
`front lip of a rain gutter by means of Water-adhesion
`channels created in the loWer ?rst plane.
`Prior art has employed ?lter cloths over underlying mesh,
`screens, cones, longitudinal rods, hoWever such prior art has
`eventually been realiZed as unable to prevent an eventual
`clogging of their ?ner ?ltering membranes by pollen, dirt,
`oak tassels, and ?ner debris. Such prior art has been noted
`to succumb to eventual clogging by the healing over of
`debris Which adheres itself to surfaces When intermingled
`With organic oils, oily pollen, and shingle oil that act as an
`adhesive. The hoped for cleaning of leaves, pine needles,
`seed pods and other debris by Water ?oW or Wind, envi
`sioned by Tregear and other prior art, is often not realiZed
`due to their adherence to surfaces by pollen, oils, pollutants,
`and silica dusts and Water mists. The cleaning of adhesive
`oils, ?ne dirt, and particularly of the scum and paste formed
`by pollen and silica dust (common in many soil types) by
`?oWing Water or Wind is almost never realiZed in prior art.
`Prior art that has relied on reverse curved surfaces chan
`neling Water inside a rain gutter due to surface tension, of
`varied con?gurations and pluralities, arranged
`longitudinally, have been noted to lose their surface tension
`feature as pollen, oil, scum, Eventually adhere to them.
`Additionally, multi-channeled embodiments of longitudinal
`reverse curve prior art have been noted to alloW their Water
`receiving channels to become packed With pine needles, oak
`tassels, other debris, and eventually clog disalloWing the free
`passage of Water into a rain gutter. Examples of such prior
`art are seen in the commercial product GUTTER HEL
`MET.RTM. manufactured by American metal products and
`sold by Mr. Fix It of Richmond, Va. In this and similar
`Commercial products, dirt and mildeW build up on the
`bull-nose of the curve preventing Water from entering the
`gutter. Also ENGLERT’S LEAFGUARD. RTM. Manufac
`tured and distributed by Englert Inc. of Perthamboy NJ. and
`K-GUARD. RTM. Manufactured and distributed by KNUD
`SON INC. of Colorado are similarly noted to lose their
`Water-channeling properties due to dirt buildup. These com
`mercial products state such, in literature to homeoWners that
`advises them on the proper method of cleaning and main
`taining their products.
`None of theses above-described systems keep all debris
`out of a gutter system alloWing Water alone to enter, for an
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`extended length of time. Some alloW lodging and embed
`ding of pine needles and other debris is able to occur Within
`their open Water receiving areas causing them to channel
`Water past a rain gutter. Others alloW such debris to enter and
`clog a rain gutter’s doWnspout opening. Still others, par
`ticularly those employing ?lter membranes, succumb to a
`paste and or scum-like healing over and clogging of their
`?ltration membranes over time rendering them unable to
`channel Water into a rain gutter. Pollen and silica dirt,
`particularly, are noted to cement even larger debris to the
`?lter, screen, mesh, perforated opening, and/or reverse
`curved surfaces of prior art, adhering debris to prior art in a
`manner that Was not envisioned.
`Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
`provide a gutter shield that permits drainage of Water runoff
`into the gutter trench Without debris becoming entrenched or
`embedded Within the surface of the device itself and that
`employs a ?ltration membrane con?guration that possesses
`suf?cient self-cleaning properties that prevent the buildup of
`scum, oil, dirt, pollen, and pollutants that necessitate even
`tual manual cleaning as is almost alWays the case With prior
`art.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide a
`gutter shield that employs a ?ltration membrane that is
`readily accessible and easily replaceable if such membrane
`is damaged by nature or accident. Another object of the
`present invention is to provide a gutter shield that better
`enhances the cosmetic appearance and blending of and With
`a building’s rain gutter system than is offered by prior art.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide a
`gutter shield that Will accept more Water run-off into a ?ve
`inch K-style rain gutter than such a gutter’s doWnspout
`opening is able to drain before alloWing the rain gutter to
`over?oW (in instances Where a single three-inch by ?ve-inch
`doWnspout is installed to service 600 square feet of roo?ng
`surface).
`Other objects Will appear hereinafter.
`
`SUMMARY
`
`It has noW been discovered that the above and other
`objects of the present inventioin may be accomplished in the
`folloWing manner. Speci?cally, the present invention pro
`vides a gutter shield for use With gutters having an elongated
`opening. Normally the gutters are attached to or suspended
`from a building.
`The gutter shield device comprises an extruded polymer
`uni-body of an angled ?rst plane that rests on the front lip of
`a rain gutter and that adjoins a second doWnWardly angled
`perforated plane by means of a u-shaped channel that exists
`on the underside of the rear edge of said ?rst plane.
`A second plane then joins to an upWard vertical support
`leg that joins to a third perforated plane that angles doWn
`Ward (referenced to the rear Wall of an underlying rain
`gutter) and inWard toWard the vertical leg.
`Second and third perforated planes thereby exibit an
`extended v-shaped con?guration that directs Water to the
`inWard center of a rain gutter Where it is then dammed by a
`vertical support leg that forces the Water to pool upWard and
`drop through perforations rather than channel past them.
`A fourth upWardly angled plane positioned above an
`behind the v-shaped con?guration of planes tWo and three,
`joins to plane three by means of a u-shaped channel and
`vertical leg, joined to and beneath the forWard edge of the
`u-shaped channel, that exists underside the forWard
`(referenced to the front lip of a rain gutter) edge of plane
`four.
`
`IPR2018-00031
`Petitioners Ex. 1107 p. 13
`
`

`

`US 6,598,352 B2
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`7
`The fourth plane has embedded in the center of its upper
`surface, a recessed channel to facilitate scoring and braking
`of the fourth plane.
`The fourth plane then joins to a rear vertical leg by means
`of a rear u-shaped channel.
`A ?ltration con?guration is inserted in the extruded body
`of the gutter sheild device.
`The upper membrane of the ?lter con?guration is com
`prised of smaller threads intersecting or adjoing larger ones
`at centermost points on the sides of the larger threads. The
`upper membrane thereby avoids presenting overlapping or
`underlapping thread joints that tend to trap and hold debris,
`While presenting a very Water permeable surface that more
`readily lends itself to self-cleaning by Way of ?oWing Water.
`The upper membrane is seWn to the edges of an under
`lying skeletal structure that exhibits a strong siphoning
`action.
`The loWer supporting skeletal structure beneath the upper
`membrane is comprised of ellipses spaced approximately
`0.19 inch from end to end that have underlying vertical legs
`that join, at their loWest point, to a horiZontal perforated
`surface that has underlying vertical extending legs. This
`combination of multiple elliptical surfaces so spaced, and of
`vertical planes above and beneath a perforated horiZontal
`plane, exhibits strong tendencies to break forWard Water
`channeling, that often causes Water to spill past a rain gutter,
`and redirect Water doWnWard and inWard into an underlying
`rain gutter.
`The gutter sheild body may be inserted into and secured
`in a rain gutter by common methods noW recogniZed as
`public domain. The ?ltration con?guration is pinched on
`each lateral edge and then the edges are realeased into
`u-shaped edge receiving channels. The ?ltration con?gura
`tion is supported in its center by an upWard extending
`vertical leg that adjoins perforated planes tWo and three at
`their loWest edges.
`OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
`An object of the present invention is to provide a gutter
`shield device that employs a ?ne ?ltration combination that
`is not subject to gumming or healing over by pollen, silica
`dust, oils, and other very ?ne debris.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide a
`gutter shield body that can quickly and easily, in the ?eld at
`the time of installation, be retro?tted With the current gutter
`coil employed in extruding the raingutters the present inven
`tion Would be installed in. Another object of the present
`invention is to provide a ?ltration membrane that is not
`af?xed to an underlying surface by adhesive means that tend
`to gum and trap debris in hot Weather.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide a
`?ltration con?guration that does not alloW its ?lter cloth or
`membrane to sag and develop debris catching pockets.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide a gutter
`shield device that disalloWs the entrance of debris into a
`raingutter in the event its removable ?lter requires replace
`ment due to storm damage.
`Another object of the present invention is to provide a
`?ltration con?guration and encompassing body that elimi
`nates any forWard channeling of rain Water. Another object
`of the present invention is to provide a ?ltration con?gura
`tion that may more readily be inseted into or removed, if
`required, than has been realiZed in prior art.
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`THE DRAWING
`FIG. 1. is a partial or fragmentary sectional edge vieW of
`the present invention displaying the pro?le of the main body
`of the gutter cover as it Would appear extruding from a die.
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`FIG. 2. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective vieW of
`the main body of the present invention.
`FIG. 3. is a partial or fragmentary sectional edge vieW of
`a component of the present invention displaying the pro?le
`of a supporting skeletal ?ltration structure that is an insert
`able component employed by the present invention.
`FIG. 4. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective vieW of
`the supporting skeletal ?ltration component employed by
`the present invention.
`FIG. 5. is an enlarged isolated vieW of a ?lter medium
`Which af?xes to the supporting ?ltration skeleton component
`employed by the present invention.
`FIG. 6. is a partial or fragmentary top perspective vieW of
`the completed ?ltering component of the present invention
`as it appears prior to insertion into a receiving channel of the
`main body of the present invention.
`FIG. 7. is a partial or fragmentary sectional e