COUVERCLE ANTI-TRAINEES, POUR GOUTTIERES

ANTI-STREAK COVER FOR EAVESTROUGH

Abrégé français

Couvercle pour gouttières conçu pour couvrir les portions latérales supérieures avant d'une gouttière conventionnelle et doté d'un fini permettant de minimiser les traînées ou les taches. Le couvercle pour gouttières est maintenu en position sur la gouttière par pression.

Abrégé anglais

An eavestrough cover designed to cover the upper front wall portions of a conventional eavestrough and which has a finish to minimize streaking or staining. The eavestrough cover snaps into position on the eavestrough.

Revendications

The embodiments of an invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is
claimed is defined as follows:
1. An eavestrough cover for use with an eavestrough having an eavestrough
rear wall,
an eavestrough bottom wall, an eavestrough front wall wherein said eavestrough
front wall
has a substantially vertical segment at an upper end thereof, an eavestrough
top wall
extending inwardly from said substantially vertical segment, and a flange
extending
downwardly and inwardly towards said substantially vertical segment, said
eavestrough
cover comprising a central planar portion, first and second side structures,
said central planar
portion being apertured;
said first side structure being designed to cover said eavestrough top wall
and said
eavestrough vertical segment, said first side structure being designed to lock
with said
eavestrough to maintain said eavestrough cover in position , said first side
structure
including a cover top wall overlying said eavestrough top wall, said cover top
wall sloping
downwardly towards said central planar portion, a cover-wall overlying said
vertical
segment;
said second side structure being designed to abut said eavestrough rear wall;
and
said cover top wall merging with an arcuate inwardly extending segment
adjacent
said central planar portion such that said arcuate section abuts said flange
of said
eavestrough.
2. The eavestrough cover of Claim 1 wherein said entire central planar
portion slopes
downwardly from said first side structure towards said second side structure.
3. The eavestrough cover of Claim 1 wherein said cover top wall and said
cover front
wall rneet to have a peaked portion, said eavestrough cover being retained in
position solely
by said first side structure.
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4. The eavestrough cover of Claim 3 further including an arcuate inwardly
extending
concave section at a bottom of said cover front wall.
5. The eavestrough cover of Claim 4 wherein said inwardly extending arcuate
portion
terminates in a flange extending downwardly and outwardly.
6. The eavestrough cover of Claim 5 wherein said flange is folded back on
itself to have
a double thickness.
7. The eavestrough cover of Claim 1 wherein said second side structure
includes a
sealing member retained by said eavestrough cover, said sealing member being
flexible and
seating against said eavestrough rear wall.
8. The eavestrough cover of Claim 1 wherein said second side structure
comprises an
inverted U-shaped configuration adapted to fit over the top of said
eavestrough rear wall on
both sides thereof.
9. In combination, an eavestrough and an eavestrough cover for use
therewith, said
eavestrough comprising an eavestrough cover for use with an eavestrough having
an
eavestrough rear wall, an eavestrough bottom wall, an eavestrough front wall
wherein said
eavestrough front wall has a substantially vertical segment at an upper end
thereof, an
eavestrough top wall extending inwardly from said substantially vertical
segment, and a
flange extending downwardly and inwardly towards said substantially vertical
segment, said
eavestrough cover comprising a central planar portion, first and second side
structures, said
central planar portion being apertured;
said first side structure covering said eavestrough top wall and said
eavestrough
vertical segment, said first side structure locking with said eavestrough to
maintain said
eavestrough cover in position, said first side structure including a cover top
wall overlying
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said eavestrough top wall, said cover top wall sloping downwardly towards said
central
planar portion, a cover side wall overlying said vertical segment;
said second side structure abutting said eavestrough rear wall ; and
said cover top wall merging with an arcuate inwardly extending segment
adjacent said
central planar portion such that said arcuate section abuts said flange of
said eavestrough.
10. The combination of Claim 9 wherein said entire central planar portion
slopes
downwardly from said first structure towards said second side structure.
11. The combination of Claim 9 wherein said cover top wall and said cover
front wall
meet to have a peaked portion, said eavestrough cover being retained in
position solely by
said first side structure.
12. The combination of Claim 11 further including an arcuate inwardly
extending concave
section at a bottom of said cover front wall.
13. The combination of Claim 12 wherein said inwardly extending arcuate
portion
terminates in a flange extending downwardly and outwardly.
14. The combination of Claim 13 wherein said flange is folded back on
itself to have a
double thickness.
15. The combination of Claim 9 wherein said second side structure includes
a sealing
member retained by said eavestrough cover, said sealing member being flexible
and seating
against said eavestrough rear wall.
16. The combination of Claim 9 wherein said second side structure comprises
an inverted
U-shaped configuration adapted to fit over the top of said eavestrough rear
wall on both sides
thereof
17. An eavestrough cover for use with an eavestrough having an eavestrough
rear wall, an
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eavestrough bottom wall, an eavestrough front wall wherein said eavestrough
front wall has a
substantially vertical segment at an upper end thereof, an eavestrough top
wall extending
inwardly from said substantially vertical segment, and a flange extending
downwardly and
inwardly towards said substantially vertical segment, said eavestrough cover
comprising a
central planar portion, first and second side structures, said central planar
portion being
apertured;
said first side structure being designed to cover said eavestrough top wall
and said
eavestrough vertical segment, said cover top wall merging with an arcuate
inwardly
extending segment adjacent said central planar portion such that said arcuate
section abuts
said flange of said eavestrough;
said second side structure being designed to abut said eavestrough rear wall;
and
an arcuate inwardly extending concave section located at a bottom of said
cover wall,
said inwardly extending arcuate portion terminates in a flange extending
downwardly and
outwardly.
18. The eavestrough cover of Claim 17 wherein said flange is folded back on
itself to have
a double thickness.
19. In combination, an eavestrough and an eavestrough cover for use
therewith, said
eavestrough comprising an eavestrough cover for use with an eavestrough having
an
eavestrough rear wall, an eavestrough bottom wall, an eavestrough front wall
wherein said
eavestrough front wall has a substantially vertical segment at an upper end
thereof, an
eavestrough top wall extending inwardly from said substantially vertical
segment, and a
flange extending downwardly and inwardly towards said substantially vertical
segment, said
eavestrough cover comprising a central planar portion, first and second side
structures, said
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central planar portion being apertured;
said first side structure covering said eavestrough top wall and said
eavestrough
vertical segment, said cover top wall merging with an arcuate inwardly
extending segment
adjacent said central planar portion such that said arcuate section abuts said
flange of said
eavestrough; and
said second side structure abutting said eavestrough rear wall.
20. The combination of Claim 19 further including an arcuate inwardly
extending concave
section at a bottom of said cover front wall.
21. The combination of Claim 20 wherein said inwardly extending arcuate
portion
terminates in a flange extending downwardly and outwardly.
22. The combination of Claim 21 wherein said flange is folded back on
itself to have a
double thickness.
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Description

CA 02608530 2007-10-29
ANTI-STREAK COVER
FOR EAVESTROUGH
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to eavestroughs or gutters, and more
particularly, relates
to improvements in a cover portion thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Eavestroughs are widely used to collect rainwater from the roof of a building
and
direct the same away from the building and in particular the foundation
thereof. The
eavestrough also protects the soil proximate to the building from erosion by
the rainwater
dripping from the roo
A common problem with eavestroughs has been the accumulation of debris
therein.
Such debris can include leaves, twigs, and the like. In order to obviate the
problem, it is
known in the art to provide a shield or cover which will allow the passage of
rainwater from
the roof to the eavestrough while protecting the same from extraneous foreign
matter such as
the aforementioned leaves and twigs.
A number of different approaches have been taken as to the design of the
shield or
cover and the attachment of the shield or cover to the eavestrough. Other
approaches have
also been taken to eliminate the problem of debris within the eavestrough.
Thus, it has been
proposed that the eavestrough be rotatably mounted such that they may be
emptied at desired
intervals. A further still further approach is one wherein a cover has an
outer edge which
curls downwardly and the water follows a curved portion due to the surface
tension and
thereafter cascades into the eavestrough. Theoretically, any leaves or other
debris would not
enter as they would continue to fall to the ground. However, when large
volumes of water
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CA 02608530 2007-10-29
are encountered, the surface tension is generally insufficient to cause all
the rainwater to
flow into the eavestrough.
When utilizing the eavestrough cover, various parameters have to be taken into
account. Thus, the size and number of the apertures in the membrane must
ensure that there
are sufficient openings to permit the water to enter the eavestrough even
during heavy
downpours. Also, it is important to take into account the attachment of the
cover or
membrane to the eavestrough. The attachment must be both secure and permit
easy
installation.
A still further problem which is encountered with the eavestrough is the
staining of
the front wall thereof. Particularly when the paint is of a poor quality, the
rain water with
surrounding contaminants can lead to a stain being formed on the front over a
period of
years. Naturally this is not aesthetically pleasing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an eavestrough cover or
membrane
which can be easily secured to the eavestrough.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an eavestrough
cover or
membrane which will also prevent the staining of the front wall of the
eavestrough.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
eavestrough
cover for use with an eavestrough having an eavestrough rear wall, an
eavestrough bottom
wall, an eavestrough front wall wherein the eavestrough front wall has a
substantially
vertical segment at an upper end thereof, an eavestrough top wall extending
inwardly from
the substantially vertical segment, and a flange extending downwardly and
inwardly towards
the substantially vertical segment, the eavestrough cover comprising a central
planar portion,
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CA 02608530 2007-10-29
first and second side structures, the central planar portion being apertured,
the first side
structure being designed to cover the eavestrough top wall and the eavestrough
vertical
segment, the first side structure being designed to lock with the eavestrough
to maintain the
eavestrough cover in position, and the second side structure being designed to
abut the
eavestrough rear wall.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided, in
combination, an eavestrough and an eavestrough cover for use therewith, the
eavestrough
comprising an eavestrough cover for use with an eavestrough having an
eavestrough rear
wall, an eavestrough bottom wall, an eavestrough front wall wherein the
eavestrough front
wall has a substantially vertical segment at an upper end thereof, an
eavestrough top wall
extending inwardly from the substantially vertical segment, and a flange
extending
downwardly and inwardly towards the substantially vertical segment, the
eavestrough cover
comprising a central planar portion, first and second side structures, the
central planar
portion being apertured, the first side structure covering the eavestrough top
wall and the
eavestrough vertical segment, the first side structure locking with the
eavestrough to
maintain the eavestrough cover in position, and the second side structure
abutting the
eavestrough rear wall.
The eavestrough cover of the present invention is for use with a standard
eavestrough
which has the eavestrough rear wall, an eavestrough bottom wall, an
eavestrough front wall
and wherein the eavestrough front wall has a substantially vertical segment at
an upper end
and with a flange extending downwardly and inwardly from a top wall portion.
The
eavestrough cover is designed to cover the top wall of the eavestrough itself
and to prevent
streaking which can be unsightly. The design of the eavestrough cover
minimizes the
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CA 02608530 2007-10-29
amount of rain dripping down the front of the eavestrough and as well, the
cover may be
designed to be of a finish which is highly resistant to streaking or staining.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the invention, reference will be made to the
accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a eavestrough cover according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view thereof;
Figure 3 is an end elevational view showing the cover in place on a
eavestrough;
Figure 4 is an end elevational view of a further embodiment of an eavestrough
cover
according to the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view thereof; and
Figure 6 is an end elevational view illustrating the eavestrough cover in
place on an
eavestrough.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference numerals thereto,
there is
illustrated in Figure 3 an eavestrough (as shown in dot dash lines) and which
eavestrough is
generally designated by reference numeral 10.
Eavestrough 10 has an eavestrough back wall 12, an eavestrough bottom wall 14,
and
eavestrough front wall 16. Eavestrough front wall 16 is comprised of three
segments; a
lower vertical segment 17, and intermediate arcuate segment 20 and an upper
vertical
segment 22. At the top end of upper segment 22, eavestrough 10 has an
eavestrough top
wall 24 and which terminates in a downwardly and inwardly extending flange 26.
The
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CA 02608530 2007-10-29
design and configuration of eavestrough 10 is one that is well known in the
art and widely
available.
The eavestrough cover of the present invention is generally designated by
reference
numeral 30 and includes a substantially planar central portion 32 having a
plurality of
apertures 33 formed therein. Apertures 33 permit the drainage of rainwater
into
eavestrough 10.
On either side of central planar portion 32 there is provided a first side
portion
generally designated by reference numeral 34 and a second side portion
generally designated
by reference numeral 36.
Referring initially to first side portion 34, as will be seen in Figure 3,
central planar
portion 32 merges with a C shaped segment 38 which in turn, merges with a
cover top
wa1140. As will be seen, cover top wa1140 angles diagonally upwardly so as to
be partially
spaced from eavestrough top wall 24 at the outer portion thereof. Cover top
wall 40
terminates in an upwardly extending peak 41. Subsequently, there is a cover
front wal142.
At its lower end, cover front wall 42 extends inwardly in a C shaped arcuate
configuration as
shown by reference numeral 43. There is provided a diagonally outwardly
extending
flange 44 with an end segment 46 being substantially parallel thereto.
At second side 36, central planar portion 32 extends upwardly in a diagonally
and
upwardly extending segment 50. A second segment 52 lies parallel to segment 50
and with
a second upwardly extending segment 54 defines therebetween a channel which is
designed
to receive a sealing strip 58 and retain sealing strip 58 in position. A U-
shaped segment 56
is utilized to finish the end of the cover.
In use, and this may be seen from Figure 3, arcuate segments 38 and 43 act to
retain
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CA 02608530 2007-10-29
cover member 30 in position on eavestrough 10. Naturally, if desired, other
fastening means
may also be utilized.
The arrangement of cover top wall 40 is such that any rain falling thereon is
directed
back towards the planar central portion 32. The termination in a peak portion
41 assists in
achieving this.
Eavestrough cover front wa1142 may be provided with any desired decorative
effect.
Reference will now be had to the embodiment of Figures 4 to 6. In this
embodiment,
similar reference numerals in the 100's are utilized for similar components.
As may be seen in Figure 6, an eavestrough 110 has an eavestrough wall 112, an
eavestrough bottom wall 114 and an eavestrough front wall generally designated
by
reference numeral 116. Eavestrough front wall 116, as in the previously
described
embodiment includes vertical lower segment 118, intermediate arcuate segment
120 and
vertical top segment 122.
The eavestrough cover 130 is similar to that previously described except with
respect
to second side 136. As may be seen in Figure 3, second side 136 includes an
essentially
vertical extending back wall 162 which merges with a diagonally extending
segment 164. A
downwardly extending segment 166, along with vertical segment 162, encases the
upper
portion of eavestrough rear wall 112.
In this embodiment, the eavestrough and cover are preferably secured by means
of a
screw extending through walls 162, 166 and 112.
It will be understood that the above described embodiment is for purposes of
illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto
without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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Dessin représentatif