Gutter debris screen

Abstract

The gutter debris screen includes a front mounting portion, a central screen portion, and a rear mounting portion. The central screen portion includes a fine mesh top layer coupled to a supporting bottom layer of expanded metal having a coarse gauge mesh. The central screen portion has at least one longitudinally extending reinforcement rib formed by a downward fold of the screen layers. The front mounting member is formed from sheet metal and provides a lip that engages the front or outer wall of the gutter channel. The rear mounting member is also formed from sheet metal, and may be flat to fit between the roof and the roof shingle, or may be formed generally as an angle adapted for fastening to the rear or shingle wall of the gutter when the roof has bent shingles. The front and rear mounting portions are crimped to the central portion.

1 . A gutter debris screen for use with a gutter, the gutter having a rear wall, a front wall, a front ledge extending inward from the front wall and a bottom wall connecting the front wall with the rear wall, the gutter being disposed adjacent a roof having shingles, the gutter debris screen comprising: 
 a rear mounting portion;    a front mounting portion; and    a central screen portion extending between the front and rear mounting portions and having: 
 a fine mesh top layer, the mesh having a 94 mesh screen size; and  
 an expanded metal bottom support layer forming a grate beneath the mesh layer, the central screen portion having a front end and a rear end and at least one reinforcement rib depending therefrom.  
   
   
   
       2 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein the rib extends parallel to the front the rear mounting portions.  
   
   
       3 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein the rib is about one-half of an inch deep.  
   
   
       4 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one rib comprises two ribs.  
   
   
       5 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein said rib comprises a fold in the top and bottom layers loosely crimped together.  
   
   
       6 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein the rear mounting portion has a first end and a second end, the first end forming a single accordion pleat defining a slot beneath the rear mounting portion for receiving the rear end of the central screen portion, the accordion pleat being crimped to rigidly retain the rear end of the central screen portion, the second end being generally flat and adapted for being received between a roof panel and shingles mounted on the roof panel.  
   
   
       7 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein the front mounting portion includes a flange depending from the central screen portion and having an edge folded over and crimped to the front end of the central screen portion.  
   
   
       8 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein the screen has a width of about six inches.  
   
   
       9 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 1 , wherein the mesh layer extends slightly beyond the expanded metal layer.  
   
   
       10 . A gutter debris screen for use with a gutter, the gutter having a rear wall, a front wall, a front ledge extending from the curved wall and a bottom wall connecting the rear wall with the front wall, the gutter debris screen comprising: 
 a rear mounting portion having a first end and a second end, the second end being perpendicular to the first end, the second end being adapted for attachment to the rear wall of the gutter;    a front mounting portion; and    a central screen portion extending between the front and rear mounting portions and having: 
 a fine mesh top layer, the mesh having a  94  mesh screen size; and  
 an expanded metal bottom support layer forming a grate beneath the mesh layer, the central screen portion having a front end and a rear end and at least one reinforcement rib depending therefrom.  
   
   
   
       11 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein the rib is about one-half of an inch deep.  
   
   
       12 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein said at least one rib comprises two ribs.  
   
   
       13 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein the first end of the rear mounting portion forms a single accordion pleat defining a slot beneath the rear mounting portion receiving the rear end of the central screen portion, the accordion pleat being crimped to rigidly retain the rear end of the central screen portion.  
   
   
       14 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein the second end of the rear panel includes a first wall hinged to a second wall, the first wall and the second wall being normal to the central screen portion and capable of expanding or contracting to bear against the rear wall of the gutter.  
   
   
       15 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein the front mounting portion includes a flange depending from the central screen portion and having an edge folded over and crimped to the front end of the central screen portion.  
   
   
       16 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein the mesh layer has mesh screen size of  94 .  
   
   
       17 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein the screen has a width of about four and one-half inches.  
   
   
       18 . The gutter debris screen according to  claim 10 , wherein the mesh layer extends slightly beyond the expanded metal layer.