Gutter strainer

Claim 1

For use with a generally U-shaped gutter having a generally curvilineal front wall, a generally straight vertical rear wall and a bottom wall extending therebetween, said front and rear walls each having inwardly and downwardly turned flanges providing open bottom recesses extending continuously along their upper edges a rigid, generally planar gutter strainer of generally rectangular configuration adapted for vertical mounting within said gutter perpendicular to its said front, rear and bottom walls and extending therebetween throughout the vertical cross sectional area of said gutter said gutter strainer having front, rear and bottom edges adapted to abut said front, rear and bottom walls, respectively, of said gutter, and a central grid portion defining a plurality of openings for impeding passage of debris while allowing passage of water therethrough said front and rear edges each having an upstanding abutment on their upper ends adapted to be received within said front and rear wall flanges, respectively, of said gutter for mounting and retaining said gutter strainer within said gutter perpendicular to its walls said central grid portion consisting of a plurality of elements defining said plurality of openings, the dimension of said elements in the direction perpendicular to the plane of said gutter strainer being substantially greater than their dimension in the direction parallel to said plane wherein said central grid portion is effective to impede passage of debris along said gutter while allowing water to flow therethrough.