What is claimed is:

1. A gutter assembly for a structure comprising: a gutter having a front wall with a flange, a bottom wall, and a rear wall that define and border a trough; a gutter shield having a cover portion, a rounded portion, and a wall portion; a gutter clip including a first portion secured to the wall portion of the gutter shield and a second portion secured to the gutter.

2. The gutter assembly specified in claim 1 wherein the second portion of the gutter clip is secured to the flange of the front wall.

3. The gutter assembly specified in claim 1 wherein the wall portion includes a notch that is retained in a cavity of the first portion of the gutter clip.

4. The gutter assembly specified in claim 1 wherein the flange of the front wall is retained between two wall zones of the second portion of the gutter clip.

5. The gutter assembly specified in claim 1 wherein the gutter clip includes a rear wall zone, a front wall zone, a first forward wall zone, a rearward wall zone, and a second forward wall zone.

6. The gutter assembly specified in claim 5 wherein a cavity is formed in one of the rear wall zone or the front wall zone and receives a notch formed in the wall portion of the gutter shield.

7. The gutter assembly specified in claim 5 including at a tail formed at a terminus of the second forward wall zone.

8. The gutter assembly specified in claim 7 wherein the tail prevents the gutter clip from pulling away from the flange of the gutter.

9. The gutter assembly specified in claim 5 wherein the gutter clip is formed as a single element from a bendable material.

10. A gutter assembly for covering a gutter comprising: a gutter shield having a cover portion, a rounded portion, and a wall portion; and a gutter clip including a first portion secured to the wall portion of the gutter shield and a second portion secured to the gutter.

11. The gutter assembly specified in claim 10 wherein the wall portion of the gutter shield includes a notch that is retained a cavity formed in the first portion of the gutter clip.

12. The gutter assembly specified in claim 11 wherein the cavity is formed in an arm of the gutter clip.

13. The gutter assembly specified in claim 12 wherein the notch and cavity each have a complementary angled configuration.

14. The gutter assembly specified in claim 10 wherein the gutter clip includes a rear wall zone, a front wall zone, a first forward wall zone, a rearward wall zone, and a second forward wall zone.

15. The gutter assembly specified in claim 14 wherein a cavity is formed in one of the rear wall zone or the front wall zone and receives a notch formed in the wall portion of the gutter shield.

16. A gutter clip for securing a gutter shield wall portion having a notch to a gutter comprising: a wall; a cavity formed in the wall complementary to the notch, wherein the notch snaps into the cavity to secure the gutter shield wall portion to the gutter, and means for securing the wall to the gutter.

17. The gutter clip specified in claim 16 wherein the gutter clip is formed as a single element from a bendable material.

18. The gutter assembly specified in claim 16 wherein the gutter clip includes a rear wall zone and a front wall zone, wherein the cavity is formed in one of the rear wall zone or the front wall zone, the gutter clip further includes a first forward wall zone, a rearward wall zone, and a second forward wall zone, wherein the gutter is received between the rearward wall zone and the second forward wall zone to retain the clip on the gutter.

19. The gutter assembly specified in claim 18 including at a tail formed at a terminus of the second forward wall zone.

20. The gutter assembly specified in claim 19 wherein the tail prevents the gutter clip from pulling away from the flange of the gutter.

21. A gutter assembly for a structure comprising: a gutter having a front wall with a flange, a bottom wall, and a rear wall that define and border a trough; a gutter shield having a cover portion, a rounded portion, and a wall portion; and a gutter clip having a first cavity to receive the wall portion of the gutter shield and a second cavity to receive the flange of the gutter.

22. The gutter assembly specified in claim 21 wherein the first cavity is defined by a pair of spaced apart zones.

23. The gutter assembly specified in claim 21 wherein one the zones includes a dimple to secure the wall portion of the gutter shield.

24. The gutter assembly specified in claim 21 wherein the second cavity is defined by a pair of spaced apart zones.

25. The gutter assembly specified in claim 24 wherein one the zones includes a notch to secure the flange of the gutter.

Description:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates in general to gutters for buildings and other structures, and in particular is concerned with a gutter clip that secures a gutter shield to a gutter.

[0002] Gutters for buildings are well known. Many gutters include open horizontal troughs or channels that receive rain water. Gutters are usually secured to exterior walls adjacent rooflines of a building to carry away water. Gutters can be connected to closed vertical conduits, commonly referred to as downspouts, drainspouts or conductors, to direct water to a drain or to the ground away from a building. Popular cross sections or configurations for gutters include generally rectangular and semi-circular designs. Oftentimes, hangers or brackets are used to attach gutters to a mounting surface.

[0003] Modern gutters can be formed by bending a coiled strip of material to a desired profile and cutting the strip to a desired length. Popular materials for gutters include aluminum, copper and steel. A strip can be bent by a machine having a series of rollers to produce the desired profile. Such a machine is commonly referred to as a rollformer.

[0004] Leaves and other debris fall may into the open trough of a gutter. When debris accumulates in a gutter, it can tend to clog a gutter and prevent the free flow of water. To combat this problem, screens and shields adapted to be mounted on an open gutter have been developed. Such screens can be mounted on a gutter by fasteners and clips or can be positioned between front and back walls of a gutter and retained by front and rear edges that engage respective walls.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] This invention includes a gutter clip for securing a gutter shield to a gutter. The gutter clip provides an economical and quick device for retained a front portion of a gutter shield to a front wall of the gutter. An installer simplifies pushes downwardly onto the gutter shield until the front portion snaps into a receiving cavity formed on the clip.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, a gutter assembly for a structure includes a gutter, a gutter shield, and a gutter clip. The gutter includes a front wall with a flange, a bottom wall, and a rear wall that define and border a trough. The gutter shield includes a cover portion, a rounded portion, and a wall portion. The gutter clip includes a first portion secured to the wall portion of the gutter shield and a second portion secured to the gutter.

[0007] Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a gutter assembly including a first embodiment of a gutter clip according to this invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 is an end view of a portion of the gutter assembly of FIG. 1 .

[0010] FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view of the gutter clip of FIGS. 1 and 2 removed from the gutter assembly.

[0011] FIG. 4 is an end view of a second embodiment of a gutter assembly including a second embodiment of a gutter clip according to this invention.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a top view of the gutter clip of FIG. 4 removed from the gutter assembly.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a side view of a third embodiment of a gutter clip according to this invention.

[0014] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a gutter assembly including a fourth embodiment of a gutter clip according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] A gutter clip according to this invention is indicated generally at 200 in FIGS. 1, 2 , and 3 . The gutter clip 200 secures a front edge of a gutter shield 100 to a gutter 10 . The gutter shield 100 prevents debris such as leaves and twigs from entering and possible clogging the gutter 10 .

[0016] The gutter 10 is mounted on a fascia board or other outer surface 12 of an exterior wall adjacent a roofline of a structure or building. Shingles 14 are secured to a roof 16 in a well-known manner.

[0017] The gutter 10 includes a front wall 20 , a bottom wall 22 , and a rear wall 24 that define and border a trough or channel 26 for receiving and carrying water. The front wall 20 can include a decorative and/or strengthening profile as illustrated. A flange 28 projects rearwardly from an upper end of the front wall 20 . The flange 28 can be formed as a rearwardly projecting first portion 30 and a forwardly projecting second portion 32 . The flange 28 strengthens the gutter 10 and provides a planar top surface to the front wall 20 . The gutter 10 can be formed from any suitable material including aluminum, copper, and steel.

[0018] The gutter shield 100 covers the trough 26 . Leaves and other debris are washed down the shingles 14 and onto the gutter shield 100 . The gutter shield 100 prevents such debris from entering the trough 26 .

[0019] The gutter shield 100 includes an extension portion 102 , a cover portion 104 , a curved or rounded portion 106 , and a wall portion 108 . Preferably, these four portions 102 , 104 , 106 , and 108 are integrally formed as a single piece from a suitable material such as aluminum. Other bendable materials may be used to form the gutter shield 100 .

[0020] The extension portion 102 is preferably angled upwardly from cover portion 104 . A bend line 110 is formed between the extension portion 102 and the cover portion 104 . During installation of the gutter shield 100 , the extension portion 102 is bent as desired at bend line 110 so that the extension portion 102 can be secured to a roof. Preferably, the extension portion 102 is inserted beneath the lower shingles 14 mounted on the roof 16 . If desired, suitable fasteners can be used to secure the extension portion 102 to the roof 16 . Preferably, the extension portion 102 is formed as a planar member.

[0021] The cover portion 104 spans a substantial portion of the width of the trough 26 of the gutter 10 . Preferably, the cover portion 104 is a generally planar member angled downwardly toward the rounded portion 106 .

[0022] The rounded portion 106 begins with a section having a preferably constant radius. The rounded portion 106 terminates with a rearwardly projecting portion 112 . Preferably, the rearwardly projecting portion 112 is a planar member.

[0023] The wall portion 108 extends substantially downwardly a predetermined length. A notch 112 is formed in the wall portion 112 . The notch 112 can be a continuous element that extends along a width of the wall portion 108 as illustrated. In other embodiments, the notch 112 can be formed as an intermittent element extending along the width of the wall portion 108 . The notch 112 results in a depression 114 formed in a surface of the wall portion 108 facing the rear wall 24 and a protrusion 116 formed in a surface of the wall portion 108 facing the front wall 20 .

[0024] The clip 200 is preferably formed as a bendable member from a relatively thin material such as bendable steel or aluminum. As illustrated best in FIG. 3 , the clip 200 includes five zones: a first or rear wall zone 202 , a second or front wall zone 204 , a third or first forward wall zone 206 , a fourth or rearward wall zone 208 , and a fifth or second forward wall zone 210 . The rear wall zone 202 and the front wall zone 204 are connected by a first bend 212 and spaced-apart from one another to receive the wall portion 108 of the gutter shield 100 . The front wall zone 204 includes a cavity 214 that is complementary to the notch 112 of the wall portion 108 . The cavity 214 results in a depression 216 formed in a surface of the front wall zone 204 facing the rear wall zone 202 and a protrusion 218 formed in an opposite surface of the rear wall zone 204 . When the wall portion 108 is inserted between the front wall zone 202 and the rear wall zone 204 , the notch 112 is received in and retained by the cavity 214 to secure a front edge of the gutter shield 100 to the front wall 20 of the gutter 10 . This installation is simple and quick and does not require any special tools. Preferably, an assembler pushes downwardly on the gutter shield 100 until the notch 112 snaps into the cavity 214 . Thus, the clip 200 secures or locks the gutter shield 100 to the gutter 10 . In other embodiments, the cavity can be formed in the rear wall zone 202 .

[0025] The first forward wall zone 206 is connected to the rear wall zone 204 by a second bend 220 . The rearward wall zone 208 is connected to the first forward wall zone 206 by a third bend 222 . The second forward wall zone 210 is connected to the rearward wall zone 208 by a fourth bend 224 . The second forward wall zone 210 is spaced-apart from the rearward wall zone 208 to receive the flange 28 of the gutter 10 . A tail 226 can be formed in the second forward wall zone 210 by a fifth bend 228 to secure the gutter clip 200 on the flange 28 . The tail 28 prevents the clip 200 from pulling away from the flange 28 .

[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a leading surface of the rounded portion 106 is spaced a predetermined distance X from a leading surface of the front wall 20 . In other words, a plane extending through a leading surface (front) of the cover shield 100 is spaced a predetermined distance X from a plane extending though a leading (front) surface of the flange 28 of the front wall 20 .

[0027] As water washes down the shingles 14 and the cover portion 104 , debris may be carried along until reaching the rounded portion 106 . At this point, debris such as leaves and the like are ejected from the gutter shield 100 and fall away from the gutter 10 . Water adheres to the rounded surface 106 and drops into the trough 26 upon reaching the region of the flange 28 and/or the wall portion 108 .

[0028] Preferably, the cover shield 100 is formed with a length equal to a length of a gutter 10 to be covered. The gutter shield 100 can be formed by a bending machine from a roll of stock and cut to a desired length.

[0029] The gutter clip 200 , gutter shield 100 , and gutter 10 comprise a gutter assembly 250 that prevents leaves and other debris from falling into and possible clogging the gutter 10 . The assembly 250 includes an economical and effective means for attached a front edge of the gutter shield 100 to the gutter 10 .

[0030] A second embodiment of a gutter clip according to this invention is indicated generally at 300 in FIGS. 4 and 5 . The clip 300 can be formed from a bendable material and includes a first arm 302 and a second arm 304 . The tail 326 is formed between the arms 302 and 304 . An angled cavity 314 and a gap 315 are formed in each arm 302 and 304 . The cavity 314 receives and retains a complementary angled notch 312 formed in the wall portion 108 of the gutter shield 100 . Preferably, an installer pushes downwardly on the gutter shield 100 until the notch 312 snaps into the cavity 314 .

[0031] The gutter clip 300 , gutter shield 100 , and gutter 10 comprise a gutter assembly 350 that prevents leaves and other debris from falling into and possible clogging the gutter 10 . The assembly 350 includes an economical and effective means for attached a front edge of the gutter shield 100 to the gutter 10 .

[0032] A third embodiment of a gutter clip according to this invention is indicated generally at 400 in FIG. 6 . The clip 400 can be formed from a bendable material and includes a body 401 having a tail 426 is formed between a pair of arms (not illustrated) similar to arms 302 and 304 . A cavity 414 and a gap 415 are formed in each arm. The cavity 414 receives and retains a complementary notch 112 formed in the wall portion 108 of the gutter shield 100 . Preferably, an installer pushes downwardly on the gutter shield 100 until the notch 112 snaps into the cavity 414 .

[0033] A fourth embodiment of a gutter clip according to this invention is indicated generally at 500 in FIG. 7 . The gutter clip 500 , gutter shield 100 , and gutter 10 comprise a gutter assembly 550 that prevents leaves and other debris from falling into and possible clogging the gutter 10 . The assembly 550 includes an economical and effective means for attached a front edge of the gutter shield 100 to the gutter 10 .

[0034] The clip 500 can be formed from a bendable material and includes a series of zones bent into a desirable configuration. A first zone 502 and a second zone 504 cooperate to form a cavity 505 that receives and retains a wall portion 108 of the gutter shield 100 . Preferably, a notch 113 formed in the wall portion 108 is pressed into the cavity 505 . Notch 113 results in a depression formed in a surface of the wall portion 108 facing the front wall 20 of gutter 10 and a protrusion formed in an opposite surface of the wall portion 108 . If desired, a dimple 507 can be formed in the first zone 502 that assists in the retention of the wall portion 108 in the cavity 505 .

[0035] A third zone 506 connects a fourth zone 508 to the second zone 502 . A fifth zone 510 is spaced from the fourth zone 508 to form a cavity 509 . The cavity 509 receives and retains the flange 28 of the gutter 10 . If desired, a notch 511 can be formed in the fifth zone 510 to engage and retain the second portion 32 . A sixth zone 512 can be connected to the fourth zone 508 and extend back toward the second zone 502 to strengthen the clip 500 .

[0036] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.