Stepped gutter guard

Abstract

A self-supporting gutter guard having a roof attachment, step, trough and gutter lip attachment sections. The step section is composed of a plurality of steps with orifices disposed in one or more treads of the steps, and in the trough. The trough floor is at a lower elevation and wider than a tread of the last step section and below a top of the gutter lip attachment section. The trough and the gutter lip attachment sections share a common wall. The device provides an uneven surface for easier debris drying and removal and is oriented at a downward angle from the roof attachment portion to the trough section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A single piece, gutter guard for covering a gutter attached to a building, comprising:
 a roof attachment section;   a gutter lip attachment section;   a solid step section composed of a plurality of connected steps having treads and risers, and integrally connected to the roof attachment section;   a trough integrally connected to a last step of the solid step section and to the gutter lip attachment section, wherein a floor of the trough has a width that is wider than a tread of the last step; and   a plurality of orifices disposed in at least one of treads and risers of the connected steps and in the trough.   
     
     
         2 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the trough and the gutter lip attachment section share a common wall. 
     
     
         3 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the floor of the trough is disposed below a top plane of the gutter lip attachment section. 
     
     
         4 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein a height of the risers and a length of the treads are approximately equal. 
     
     
         5 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein an angle of junctions between treads and risers is approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein an angle of junctions between treads and risers is less than approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein a rear of the treads are lower than a front of the treads. 
     
     
         8 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of orifices are disposed in junctions of the treads and risers. 
     
     
         9 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of orifices are disposed proximal to junctions of the treads and risers. 
     
     
         10 . The gutter guard of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of orifices in the trough are disposed adjacent to the common wall. 
     
     
         11 . The gutter guard of  claim 2 , further comprising orifices disposed in the common wall. 
     
     
         12 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of orifices in the trough are disposed in a junction of the trough and the gutter lip attachment portion. 
     
     
         13 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of orifices are at least one row of orifices. 
     
     
         14 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rows are offset from each other. 
     
     
         15 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein the orifices of the plurality of orifices are non-circular. 
     
     
         16 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein an outside corner of the plurality of connected steps partially overhangs an orifice in a lower adjacent step's tread. 
     
     
         17 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein an outside corner of the plurality of connected steps completely overhangs an orifice in a lower adjacent step's tread. 
     
     
         18 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein an outside corner angle and inside corner angle the plurality of connected steps is less than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein a tread width of the treads is greater than a riser height of the risers. 
     
     
         20 . The gutter guard of  claim 1 , wherein one or more steps of the plurality of connected steps is at least one of a different size and different shape than another one or more other steps of the plurality of connected steps.