Covered rain gutter assembly

Abstract

A rain gutter assembly including an overlying cover. A gutter trough is in the form of a channel having an upwardly-facing opening. The cover overlies the channel opening and includes a front edge that is spaced from the front edge of the gutter channel to define a gap therebetween to allow roof runoff to flow around the convex front edge of the cover and into the channel. A series of longitudinally-spaced support brackets are positioned within the gutter channel and support the gutter trough and the cover to provide a rigid gutter assembly. An end cap is provided at each longitudinal end of the gutter channel and overlies both the gutter channel cross section and the space between the gutter channel cross section and the cover, to prevent entry of leaves, twigs, and debris into the channel through the ends of the gutter trough.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rain gutter trough cover for overlying an upwardly-facing gutter trough opening, said cover comprising: a plate-like cover body that is adapted to angularly overlie and to be spaced above the upwardly-facing opening of the gutter trough; the cover including an inturned, outwardly-facing front wall that defines a curved front surface of the cover body and that terminates at a front edge of the cover body; wherein the cover front wall receives roof runoff flow from an upper surface of the cover to flow around the curved front surface of the cover and into the gutter trough; the gutter cover including a plurality of longitudinally-extending, parallel rows of spaced gutter cover openings for receiving at least part of a roof runoff flow; wherein the openings of adjacent rows are longitudinally offset from each other and the openings of adjacent rows have respective transverse ends in overlapping relationship in a longitudinal direction of the cover to capture roof runoff flow. 
     
     
         2 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the gutter cover openings are of substantially rectangular form and have a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the major axes of the cover openings within a row of openings are coaxial with each other. 
     
     
         3 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the gutter cover openings have a longitudinal length of about ½ in. and a transverse width of about ⅛ in. 
     
     
         4 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the gutter cover openings within a row of openings are spaced from each other by about 0.4 in. 
     
     
         5 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the gutter cover openings include downwardly and forwardly extending guide panels that have an upwardly-facing surface that is inclined relative to an upper surface of the gutter cover to provide openings for receiving and guiding roof runoff into the gutter trough. 
     
     
         6 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the guide panels extend from a rearward longitudinal edge of the gutter cover openings, wherein the rearward longitudinal edge is rearward relative to the curved outer surface of the cover body. 
     
     
         7 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the gutter cover openings include a recessed panel having an upwardly-facing surface that is spaced below the opening and is spaced below an inner surface of the cover, wherein the recessed panel is substantially rectangular and includes respective spaced longitudinal ends that are connected to the cover. 
     
     
         8 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 7 , including a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel, longitudinally-extending ridges formed on the upper surface of the cover panel and spaced from the cover rear edge panel. 
     
     
         9 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the gutter cover includes a pair of longitudinal openings between longitudinal ends of the recessed panel and longitudinal ends of the cover opening to define a pair of opposed, substantially rectangular, recessed openings for receiving roof runoff flow that enters the cover opening. 
     
     
         10 . A rain gutter trough cover in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the spacing between the upwardly-facing surface of the recessed panel and the inner surface of the cover is from about 0.10 in. to about 0.125 in. 
     
     
         11 . A rain gutter trough cover panel for overlying a rain gutter trough, said cover panel comprising: an elongated sheet of substantially rigid material, the sheet having an upper surface and a lower surface and including a longitudinally-extending rear edge panel and including a convexly-curved front surface, wherein the rear edge panel and the front surface are spaced from each other a distance that corresponds substantially with a gutter trough width over which the cover panel is adapted to be positioned in inclined, overlying relationship; and a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel, longitudinally-extending rows of spaced, aligned apertures positioned between the rear edge panel and the front surface for allowing at least a portion of rain water that flows over the upper surface of the cover to flow through the apertures and into the gutter trough. 
     
     
         12 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 11 , including a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel, longitudinally-extending ridges formed on the upper surface of the cover panel and positioned between the rear edge panel and the rows of apertures. 
     
     
         13 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the apertures are of substantially rectangular form. 
     
     
         14 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the gutter cover apertures are of substantially rectangular form and have a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the major axes of the cover openings within a row of openings are coaxial with each other. 
     
     
         15 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the gutter cover apertures have a longitudinal length of about ½ in. and a transverse width of about ⅛ in., and the apertures within a row of apertures are spaced from each other by about 0.4 in. 
     
     
         16 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the gutter cover apertures include downwardly and forwardly extending guide panels that have an upwardly-facing surface that is inclined relative to the upper surface of the gutter cover panel to receive and to guide roof rain water flow into the gutter trough. 
     
     
         17 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the guide panels extend from respective rearward longitudinal edges of the gutter cover apertures, wherein the rearward longitudinal edges are rearward relative to the convexly curved front surface of the cover panel. 
     
     
         18 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the cover panel apertures include respective recessed panels having upwardly-facing surfaces that are spaced below the respective apertures and spaced below the lower surface of the cover panel, wherein the recessed panels are substantially rectangular and include respective spaced longitudinal ends that are connected to the cover panel. 
     
     
         19 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the cover panel apertures each include respective pairs of longitudinally-extending openings between longitudinal ends of the respective recessed panels and longitudinal ends of the cover apertures to define respective pairs of opposed, substantially rectangular openings below the cover panel lower surface for receiving rain water flow that enters the cover apertures. 
     
     
         20 . A rain gutter trough cover panel in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the spacing between the upwardly-facing surfaces of the recessed panels and the lower surface of the cover panel is from about 0.10 in. to about 0.125 in.