HANGER AND STRAP ASSEMBLY FOR RAIN GUTTERS

Abstract

Disclosed herein are examples of hanger and strap systems arranged to secure and support rain gutters and accommodate the installation of a gutter guard system with the rain gutter. Ab exemplary system includes a hanger and a strap. The hanger includes a body, a hook portion located on one end of the body, a flat end portion located at an opposite end of the body, and a plurality of slots passing though the body. The strap includes a body, neck section, a head section, and a plurality of apertures passing through the body. The neck and head sections are arranged to engage with one of the plurality of slots of the hanger to support the rain gutter and accommodate the installation of a gutter guard system with the rain gutter. In an alternative embodiment, the hanger includes a clipped portion on one end in place of the flat end portion.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to hanger and strap systems for supporting and securing rain gutters. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to hanger and strap systems arranged to support and secure rain gutters with a gutter guard system installed with the rain gutter.

BACKGROUND

Rain gutter systems are commonly used for residential homes, building, and other structures to manage rainwater by collecting the rainwater and channeling that rainwater away from the structure. Such management of rainwater can be critical for the overall maintenance and condition of the structure by reducing or eliminating damage to the structure and its foundation that can be caused by uncontrolled rainwater. Rain gutters are typically secured to a structure at the bottom edge of the roofline by passing screws or nails through the back side of the rain gutters and into the fascia boards of the structure. When a structure has no fascia board, rain gutters can be attached directly to rafter tails extending to the edge of the roofline. As will be appreciated, rain gutters are durable products with long service lives and, once installed, it is anticipated that rain gutters will remain secured in place and functional for decades. While the preferred method is to secure rain gutters directly to fascia boards or rafter tails using screws or other fasteners, under certain conditions, relying simply on screws and nails to secure rain gutters to fascia boards or rafter tails can lead to rain gutters sagging and pulling away from the structure over time and ultimately failing to perform as designed. This is particularly the case when installing new gutters on an existing structure. It is fairly common for fascia boards or rafter tails to soften and deteriorate over time. Thus, when rain gutters are replaced on an existing structure, the wood of the fascia boards and rafter tails may no longer have the structural integrity to hold screws of other fasteners that secure the rain gutters to the home. Therefore, there are a number of techniques in the rain gutter industry for further securing rain gutters to structures that are designed to withstand weather and other environmental conditions and maintain the rain gutters in place and functional for long periods of time.

One common technique for installing rain gutters to promote a long service life is to use additional hardware to support and secure rain gutters to a structure. One typical hardware solution is to install a combination of a hanger and a strap at several points along the length of the rain gutters. FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a prior art hanger and strap system 10 used to further support rain gutters secured to a structure. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a hanger 20 is a metal component that includes a body 30 with a hook 40 on a front end of the body 30 and a clip 50 on the back end of the body 30. A strap 60 is a thin, flat metal component that is permanently attached to the center of the hanger 20 by a rivet 70 or other attachment mechanism.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the prior art hanger and strap system 10 is typically installed to the rain gutter 80 so that the body 30 of the hanger 20 is within the rain gutter 80 and the strap 60 extends out of and above the rain gutter 80. When installed, the hook 40 engages with the underside of the front lip of the rain gutter 80 and the clip 50 engages with the back lip of the rain gutter 80 to secure the body 30 of the hanger 20 within the rain gutter 80. FIG. 3 illustrates the engagement of the hanger and strap system 10 with the roof of the structure. As illustrated, either when the rain gutter 80 is first installed or during maintenance of the rain gutter 80 over time, a shingle is lifted to expose the roof's substrate 90, and the strap 60 is manually bent so that the strap 60 lies flat and aligns with the roof's substrate 90. One or more fasteners 95 are then used to secure the strap 60 to the substrate 90 of the roof and the shingle is replaced, completing the installation of the hanger and strap system 10. In some instances, the shingle cannot be lifted up from the roof. In such cases one or more fasteners are passed through the shingle to secure the strap to the substrate of the roof, and the area around the fastener is sealed, completing the installation of the hanger and strap system. As will be appreciated, when fully installed, the hanger and strap system 10 provides additional support to the rain gutter 80 and can significantly extend the surface life of the rain gutter 80.

Once rain gutters are installed on a structure, it is common to add additional functional components such as the addition of gutter guards. Gutter guards are components or systems that are typically attached to or incorporated into rain gutters to prevent leaves, pine needles, branches, soot, and other such debris from entering the rain gutter. Such debris can clog the rain gutters and reduce their effectiveness in channeling rainwater away from a residential home, building, or other structure. In addition, such debris can damage and shorten the service life of a rain gutter system by causing corrosion, pitting, or other deleterious effects on the rain gutter system. Unfortunately, prior art hanger and strap systems often interfere with the installation and use of gutter guards systems and either make it impossible to install a gutter guard system of make the gutter guard system less effective and efficient upon installation.

There is a need in the rain gutter industry for improved hanger and strap system that can both secure and support a rain gutter attached to a structure and accommodate gutter guard systems installed with the rain gutter. This disclosure provides such improved hanger and strap systems.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are examples of hanger and strap systems for securing and supporting rain gutters, where the hanger and strap systems are arranged to accommodate the installation of a gutter guard system with the rain gutter. A hanger and strap system includes a hanger and a strap. The hanger includes a body, a hook portion located on one end of the body, a flat end portion located at a second and opposite end of the body, and a plurality of keyhole slots passing though the body. The strap includes a body, neck section, a head section, and a plurality of apertures passing through the body. The neck and head sections of the strap are arranged to engage with one of the plurality of keyhole slots of the hanger to both support the rain gutter and accommodate the installation of a gutter guard system with the rain gutter. In an alternative embodiment, the hanger includes a clipped portion on one end in place of the flat end portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, structures are illustrated that, together with the detailed description provided below, describe example embodiments of the disclosed systems, methods, and apparatus. Where appropriate, like elements are identified with the same or similar reference numerals. Elements shown as a single component can be replaced with multiple components. Elements shown as multiple components can be replaced with a single component. The drawings may not be to scale. The proportion of certain elements may be exaggerated for the purpose of illustration.

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art hanger and strap system.

FIG. 2 illustrates the hanger and strap system of FIG. 1 installed with a rain gutter.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the hanger and strap system of FIG. 1 securing the rain gutter to the roof of a structure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary gutter guard system.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary hanger and strap system.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary clipless hanger for use with a hanger and strap system.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the hanger of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the hanger of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary strap for use with a hanger and strap system.

FIG. 10 illustrates a front plan view of the strap of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 illustrates a side view of the strap of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a photograph depicting a hanger and strap system installed in a rain gutter and a gutter guard system partially installed with the rain gutter.

FIG. 13 is a photograph depicting a hanger and strap system installed in a rain gutter and a gutter guard system fully installed with the rain gutter.

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary clipped hanger for use with a hanger and strap system.

FIG. 15 illustrates a top view of the hanger of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 illustrates a side view of the hanger of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view of the hanger of FIG. 14.

FIG. 18 illustrates another perspective view of the hanger of FIG. 14.

FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view of another clipless hanger for use with a hanger and strap system.

FIG. 20 illustrates a top view of the hanger of FIG. 19

FIG. 21 illustrates a perspective view of another clipped hanger for use with a hanger and strap system.

FIG. 22 illustrates a top view of the hanger of FIG. 21

FIG. 23 illustrates an embodiment of a hanger fabricated with an elevation angle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The apparatus, systems, arrangements, and methods disclosed in this document are described in detail by way of examples and with reference to the figures. It will be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and described examples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements, apparatus, methods, materials, etc. can be made and may be desired for a specific application. In this disclosure, any identification of specific techniques, arrangements, method, etc. are either related to a specific example presented or are merely a general description of such a technique, arrangement, method, etc. Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be and should not be construed as mandatory or limiting unless specifically designated as such. Selected examples of hanger and strap systems are hereinafter disclosed and described in detail with reference made to FIGS. 1-23.

Disclosed herein are novel hanger and strap systems that secure rain gutters to the roofs of structures while accommodating the installation of gutter guards with the rain gutters. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary gutter guard system 100. Such gutter guard system includes a body 110 and a mesh screen 120 across the upper surface of the body 110. As will be appreciated, the body 110 of the gutter guard system 100 includes openings that comprise thin slits and the mesh screen 120 is a continuous member. Such an arrangement makes it difficult to install the gutter guard 100 with a rain gutter when there are prior art hanger and strap systems securing the rain gutter.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary hanger and strap system 200 that includes a hanger 210 and a strap 220. As will be further described herein, hangers are arranged in two general embodiments, a first is a clipless hanger (as illustrated in FIG. 6-8) and second is a clipped hanger (as illustrated in FIGS. 14-18). The hangers illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 and 14-18 are designed to accommodate a five inch rain gutter. Unless otherwise stated, any features described for a clipless hanger is also applicable to a clipped hanger and vice versa. FIGS. 6-8 illustrate the clipless hanger 210 of FIG. 5. The hanger 210 includes a body 220 with a front end 230 and a back end 240. The front end 230 includes a hooked portion 250, where the hooked portion 250 includes a section that is generally perpendicular to the body 220 of the hanger 210 and a portion that is generally parallel to the body 220 of the hanger 210 and spaced apart and above the body 220 of the hanger 210. The back end 240 includes a flat section 260 that is generally perpendicular to the body 220 of the hanger 210 and extends upward from the body 220 of the hanger 210. The flat section 260 includes an aperture 270 formed through the flat section 260. The body 220 of the hanger 210 includes a plurality of slots (280, 290, 300). Each of these slots (280, 290, 300) includes a combination of a narrow opening with a circular opening on one end of the narrow opening. This shape will be described as a “keyhole slot” throughout this disclosure.

The hanger 210 is arranged to be installed within a rain gutter. The hooked portion 250 is arranged to fit under the front lip of a rain gutter and engage with and capture the front lip of the rain gutter. As illustrated, the corners at the front edge of the hooked portion 250 are rounded to facilitate ease of installing the hanger 210, particularly the hook portion 250, into the rain gutter. While the hanger 210 can also be fabricated with ninety degree corners for the hooked portion 250, such an arrangement can on occasions during installation cause damage to the front of the rain gutter. The flat end section 260 is arranged to be positioned flush with the back of the rain gutter proximate to the back lip of the rain gutter and a screw or other fastener can be passed through the aperture 270 to secure the hanger 210 to the rain gutter and directly to the structure. As will be subsequently described, the plurality of slots (280, 290, 300) are arranged to engage with a strap. The body 220 includes a pair of flutes (310, 320) running the longitudinal length of the body 210 and upward along the hooked portion 250 and flat end 260. The flutes (310, 320) add rigidity and strength to the hanger 210, which not only provides for more support for the rain gutter but resists any deformation that could cause the hanger to disengage from the rain gutter over time. As will be appreciated, the weight of the rain gutter is borne by the strap, which transfers that force to the hanger at its point of engagement with the hanger. If the hanger does not have sufficient structural integrity, the hanger will bend or bow upward, which can result in the hanger disengaging from the rain gutter, and a failure of the hanger and strap system. The flutes prevent such upward bending of bowing of the hangers.

FIGS. 9-11 illustrate an exemplary strap 400. The strap 400 includes a long, thin body 410, a neck 420 extending from the body 410, and a head 430 extending from the neck 420. The body 410 of the strap 400 includes a plurality of apertures (440, 450, 460, 470). The neck 420 and head 430 of the strap 400 are arranged to conveniently and easily be passed through one of the keyhole slots (280, 290, 300) of the hanger 210 and manually maneuvered to be secured within the keyhole slot (280, 290, 300). Two of the apertures the strap 400 are arranged at different angles than the other two apertures. As best illustrated in FIG. 10, the top and the third apertures (440, 460) are angled to the right (with respect to FIG. 10) and the second and fourth apertures (450, 470) are angled to the left (with respect to FIG. 10). Once the strap 400 is secured to the roof of a structure with fasteners, such an arrangement of slots prevents slippage of the straps 400 over time by causing resistance to movement of the strap 400 relative to the fasteners.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are photographs demonstrating the installation of a gutter guard system with a hanger and strap system. In FIG. 12 illustrates a rain gutter with a pair of hangers installed in the rain gutter. A pair of slits are made in the mesh screen to accommodate a pair of straps. The straps are passed through the slits in the mesh screen and through openings in the body of the gutter guard system. The straps can be passed through the mesh screen and body of the gutter guard system either from above or from below. It is noted that the top edge of the strap is chamfered to make it easier to pass the top edge of the strap through the mesh screen. Once the straps are passed through the gutter guard system, the heads and necks of the straps are passed through a keyhole slot of the hanger and manually maneuvered to secure the heads of the straps in the keyhole slots. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the gutter guard system is lowered and the installation is complete. In such an arrangement, the gutter guard assembly rests, at least in part, on the tops of the hangers. While FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate only two hanger and strap systems in a demonstration of the functionality of the hanger and strap system, in practice this same process can be performed an any number of locations across the length of the rain gutters. Depending on the structure, a rain gutter can span 60 or more feet. It will be understood that such long lengths of rain gutter will include a number of hanger and strap systems. The hanger and its keyhole slots and the strap and its neck and head combination are arranged so that once installed, the gutter guard system is in essence self-leveling and will be generally evenly suspended across the length of the rain gutters. Such functionality is important, particularly for long lengths of rain gutter. With prior art hangers and straps, installers often struggle to level long lengths of rain gutter, which can result in gaps between the gutter and the structure along such long lengths of rain gutters. Thus, the hanger and strap systems described and illustrated herein resolve one of the main issues with prior art hangers and straps.

As previously noted, hangers can be “clipless” or “clipped.” FIGS. 14-18 illustrate a clipped hanger 500. The hanger 500 includes a body 510 with a front end 520 and a back end 530. The front end 520 includes a hooked portion 540, where the hooked portion 540 includes a section that is generally perpendicular to the body 510 of the hanger 500 and a portion that is generally parallel to the body 510 of the hanger 500 and spaced apart and above the body 510 of the hanger 500. Unlike the clipless version of the hanger, the back end 530 of the clipped hanger 500 includes a clip portion 550 that includes a generally u-shaped body 560 forming a downward extending slot 570. The clipped portion 550 includes a pair of generally concentric apertures (580, 590, as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18) formed through the u-shaped body 560 and slot 570. The body 510 of the hanger 500 includes a plurality of keyhole slots (600, 610, 620) that each include a combination of a narrow opening with a circular opening on one end of the narrow opening.

The hanger 500 is arranged to be installed within a rain gutter. The hooked portion 540 is arranged to fit under and capture the front lip of a rain gutter. As illustrated, the corners at the front edge of the hooked portion 540 are rounded to facilitate ease of installation into the rain gutter. The clipped portion 550 is arranged to capture the back lip of the rain gutter. The pair of apertures (580, 590) are arranged so that a screw or other fastener can be passed through the apertures (580, 590) to further secure the hanger 500 to the rain gutter and to directly secure the hanger 500 and rain gutter to the structure. As will be subsequently described, the plurality of slots (600, 610, 620) are arranged to engage with the strap. The body 510 includes a pair of flutes (630, 640) running the longitudinal length of the body 510 and upward along the hooked portion 540 and clipped portion 550. The flutes (630, 640) add rigidity and strength to the hanger 500 to support the rain gutter and resist any deformation over time.

The location of the keyhole slots can be selected to align with openings in the body of a particular gutter guard system. Therefore, embodiments of hangers can be arranged to facilitate installation of various other gutter guard systems. FIGS. 19-22 illustrate hangers with alternative location placements for its series of keyhole slots. The hangers illustrated in FIGS. 19-22 are designed to accommodate a six inch rain gutter. FIGS. 19-20 illustrate an alternative clipless hanger 700 with three keyholes (710, 720, 730) that are grouped near the center of the hanger 700. Such an arrangement will accommodate a gutter guard system with a different pattern of opening than a gutter guard system accommodated by the clipless hanger 210 of FIGS. 6-8. FIGS. 21-22 illustrate an alternative clipped hanger 800 with three keyholes (810, 820, 830) that are grouped near the center of the hanger 800. Such an arrangement will accommodate a gutter guard system with a different pattern of opening than a gutter guard system accommodated by the clipped hanger 500 of FIGS. 14-18.

The hangers can be arranged so that each of the plurality of keyhole slots addresses a specific function of the hanger and strap system. For example, in one embodiment, when installing or maintaining rain gutters, at the initiation of the installation or maintenance service for a rain gutter (i.e., the first location where a hanger and strap system is used for that rain gutter), the installer will use the keyhole slot located closest to the hook portion of the hanger, which is also closest to the front lip of the rain gutter. At the conclusion of the installation or maintenance service of the rain gutter (i.e., the last location where a hanger and strap system is used for that rain gutter), the installer will use the keyhole slot located farthest from the hook portion of the hanger, which is the keyhole slot closest to the back lip of the rain gutter. For all the locations between the first and last installation points, the middle keyhole slot is used. In such an arrangement, first and last locations prevent the rain gutter from twisting away from the roofline and ensures proper positioning of the rain gutters relative to the structure. The use of the middle keyhole slot for the remainder of the locations provides for the rain gutters to be balanced and easily moved into position and makes the rain gutters easier to handle and manage for the installer.

The hanger can be arranged so that it supports a gutter guard system in a position where the gutter guard system is most effective. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 23, a clipped hanger 900 can be fabricated so that the body 910 inclines at an angle A from the front end 920 to the back end 930 to accommodate the intended incline of a gutter guard system. In one embodiment, angle A is 3.5 degrees. In other embodiments may be greater or smaller than 3.5 degrees and designed for a specific gutter guard system.

The foregoing description of examples has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the forms described. Numerous modifications are possible in light of the above teachings. Some of those modifications have been discussed, and others will be understood by those skilled in the art. The examples were chosen and described in order to best illustrate principles of various examples as are suited to particular uses contemplated. The scope is, of course, not limited to the examples set forth herein, but can be employed in any number of applications and equivalent devices by those of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. A hanger and strap assembly for attaching a rain gutter to a structure, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of hangers arranged to attach to a rain gutter, each hanger comprising: a hanger body with a top side and a bottom side; a hook portion positioned at a first end of the hanger body; a back end portion located at a second and opposite end of the hanger body; a first flute extending the longitudinal length of the hanger body from the first end of the of the hanger body to the second end of the hanger body; a second flute extending the longitudinal length of the hanger body from the first end of the of the hanger body to the second end of the hanger body wherein the first flute and second flute are generally parallel to each other; and a plurality of hanger apertures passing though the hanger body positioned between the first end of the body and second end of the body; and

a plurality of straps arranged to engage with one of the plurality of hangers, each strap comprising: a strap body; a shoulder section positioned at a first end of the strap body and arranged to engage with the top side of the hanger proximate to one of the plurality of hanger apertures; a neck section extending from the shoulder section and arranged to engage with one of the plurality of hanger apertures; a head section extending from the neck section and arranged to pass through one of the plurality of hanger apertures and engage with the bottom side of the hanger proximate to the one of the plurality of hanger apertures; and a plurality of strap apertures passing through the strap body;

wherein when each of the plurality of hangers is attached to a rain gutter and each of the plurality of straps is engaged with one of the plurality of hangers to attach a rain gutter to a structure, the rain gutter is self-leveling and there are no significant gaps between the rain gutter and the structure.

2. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hanger apertures includes:

a first hanger aperture positioned proximate to the first end of the hanger body;

a second hanger aperture positioned between the first hanger aperture and the second end of the hanger body; and

a third hanger aperture positioned between the first hanger aperture and the second hanger aperture.

3. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 2, wherein when the hanger and strap assembly is used to attach a rain gutter to a structure:

a first hanger is attached to the rain gutter proximate to a first end of the rain gutter and a first strap is engaged with the first hanger such that the shoulder, neck, and head of the first strap are engaged with the first hanger aperture of the first hanger;

a second hanger is attached to the rain gutter proximate to a second end of the rain gutter and a second strap is engaged with the second hanger such that the shoulder, neck, and head of the second strap are engaged with the second hanger aperture of the second hanger; and

a third hanger is attached to the rain gutter between the first hanger and the second hanger and a third strap is engaged with the third hanger such that the shoulder, neck, and head of the third strap are engaged with the third hanger aperture of the third hanger.

4. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein the hook portion of each hanger comprises:

a first section positioned adjacent to the body of the hanger and generally perpendicular to the body of the hanger; and

a second section positioned adjacent to the first section of the hanger and generally perpendicular to the first section of the hanger.

5. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 4, wherein the second section of the hook portion is spaced apart from the body of each hanger so that it is generally parallel to and above the body of the hanger.

6. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 5, wherein the second section of the hook portion of each hanger is arranged to engage with a front end of a rain gutter.

7. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 6, wherein corners of the second section of the hook section are rounded.

8. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein the back end portion of each hanger is a flat section that is positioned adjacent to the body of the hanger and generally perpendicular to the body of the hanger, where this flat section includes an aperture.

9. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 8, wherein the flat section of each hanger is arranged to engage with a back end of a rain gutter.

10. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of hanger apertures includes an elongated slot section and a circular section at one end of the elongated slot section.

11. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 10, wherein the neck and head sections of each strap are arranged to engage with one of the plurality of hanger apertures to secure the strap to the hanger.

12. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 11, wherein when each strap is engaged with one of the plurality of hanger apertures, the head section of the strap is positioned on one side of the hanger, the strap body is positioned on the opposite side of the hanger, and the neck section is positioned in the hanger aperture.

13. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 11, wherein the process for engaging each strap with one of the plurality of hanger apertures includes:

orienting the strap so that the head section can passed through the hanger aperture;

passing the head section through the hanger aperture; and

rotating the strap approximately ninety degrees to engage the strap with the hanger.

14. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein the back end portion of each hanger is a generally u-shaped section that is positioned adjacent to the body of the hanger and generally perpendicular to the body of the hanger.

15. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 14, wherein the u-shaped section includes a front section, a top section, and a back section, when a slot is formed between the front section, top section, and back section.

16. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 15, wherein the front section includes a first aperture and the second section includes a second aperture this is aligned with the first aperture.

17. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 16, wherein the u-shaped section of each hanger is arranged to engage with a back end of a rain gutter.

18. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 17, wherein when the u-shaped section of each hanger is engaged with a back end of a rain gutter, the back end of the rain gutter is positioned within the slot of the u-shaped section.

19. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of strap apertures are arranged as elongated slots.

20. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of strap apertures are positioned at an angle with regard to the length of the strap.

21. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of strap apertures is positioned at an opposite angle with respect to any adjacent strap apertures.

22. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein corners of each strap positioned at a second and opposite end of the strap are rounded.

23. The hanger and strap assembly of claim 1, wherein the first flute extends along the hook portion of the hanger and the second flute extends along the hook portion of the hanger.