Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Cover with surface water receiver at eave or valley – With separator; e.g. – strainer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-07-24
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Cover with surface water receiver at eave or valley
With separator; e.g., strainer
C052S016000, C210S459000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263618
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1.Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rain gutter devices and more specifically it relates to a rain gutter cleaning assembly for removing leaves and other debris from a conventional rain gutter thereby allowing unobstructed drainage of water within the rain gutter.
It is common for rain gutters and downspouts to become obstructed from debris such as leaves and dirt. To remove the debris, the user must either stand upon the roof or a ladder to clean out the debris with a garden hose or broom. This is extremely dangerous and sometimes leads to serious injury to the individual while attempting to clean the obstructed gutter or downspout. In addition, while attempting to clean the gutter with water, often times the wet leaves will accumulate within the downspout which is even harder to clean. Therefore, there is a need for a rain gutter cleaning system that does not require the user to have to manually clean leaves and other debris from within the gutter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rain gutter devices have been in use for years. Typically, rain gutter devices comprise a gutter attached to the edge of a roof for collecting rain water runoff from the roof. A downspout is connected to the bottom surface of the gutter generally at a lower end of the gutter for receiving the accumulated water.
Unfortunately, debris such as leaves and dirt can become accumulated within the gutter and the downspout thereby obstructing free flowing of the accumulated water. Since the water is unable to exit through the downspout, it overflows the edges of the gutter thereby penetrating the building structure thereby causing severe damage such as rotting to the building structure.
Examples of rain gutter cleaning devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,051 to Mazziotti; U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,612 to Wade; U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,360 to Fort et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,900 to Edelman; U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,091 to Barbera; U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,776 to Murray which are all illustrative of such prior art.
Mazziotti (U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,051) discloses a debris removal device for rain gutter downspouts. Mazziotti teaches an elongate tubular housing open on both ends and having an unobstructed third opening formed transversely through the tubular wall between the ends, and a partition having apertures formed therein extends within the tubular housings at an inclination.
Wade (U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,612) discloses a leaf free gutter and downpipe rain head. Wade teaches a box compartment having an upwardly facing included inlet over which a primary screen is located and a lower outlet connected to a downpipe through which the filtered water passes.
Fort et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,360) discloses a gutter liquid separator. Fort teaches a debris discharge outlet and a liquid separator wherein the debris discharge includes a flow surface and an inner and outer wall.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for removing leaves and other debris from a conventional rain gutter thereby allowing unobstructed drainage of water within the rain gutter.
In these respects, the rain gutter cleaning assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of removing leaves and other debris from a conventional rain gutter thereby allowing unobstructed drainage of water within the rain gutter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of rain gutter cleaning devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new rain gutter cleaning assembly construction wherein the same can be utilized for removing leaves and other debris from a conventional rain gutter thereby allowing unobstructed drainage of water within the rain gutter.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new rain gutter cleaning assembly that has many of the advantages of the rain gutter cleaning devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new rain gutter cleaning assembly which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art rain gutter cleaning devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a guide structure having an upper opening, a lower opening and a front opening. The upper opening of the guide structure mates with a gutter opening with the rain gutter. A plurality of prongs are positioned within the guide structure and are inclined toward the front opening and extend outwardly through the front opening a finite distance. A funnel structure is attachable to the lower opening of the guide structure for connecting to a conventional downspout. In operation, when leaves accumulate within the rain gutter the wind blows the dried leaves about the rain gutter. When the leaves approach the gutter opening, they fall through the guide structure and slide upon the plurality of prongs out through the front opening thereby not allowing the leaves to obstruct the downspout. During rainy conditions, the water within the rain gutter flows toward the gutter opening. As the water flows through the gutter opening it passes through the plurality of prongs into the downspout free of the debris that is separated from the water by the prongs.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a rain gutter cleaning assembly that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object is to provide a rain gutter cleaning assembly that automatically removes leaves and other debris from a gutter prior to entering a downspout.
An additional object is to provide a rain gutter cleaning assembly that reduces the number of times an individual must manually clean a gutter system.
A further object is to provide a rain gutter cleaning assembly that removes debris during both dry and wet conditions.
Another object is to provide a rain gutter cleaning assembly that is attachable to most designs of rain gutter systems.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 36343 (1999-10-01), Silva
patent: 3889474 (1975-06-01), Frangmeier
patent: 4247397 (1981-01-01), Dobosi
patent: 4472274 (1984-09-01), Williams
patent: 4615153 (1986-10-01), Carey
patent: 4798028 (1989-01-01), Pinion
patent: 4801377 (1989-01-01), Bolt
patent: 5526612 (1996-06-01), Wade
patent: 5678360 (1997-10-01), Fort et al.
patent: 5
Friedman Carl D.
Neustel Michael S.
Wilkens Kevin D.
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