AU2004203622A1 - Shutter assembly for doors and windows - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR: ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO: Architectural Window Systems Pty Limited ACN 067 950 903 Mark Darcy McCleary Peter Maxwell Associates Level 6 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 SHUTTER ASSEMBLY FOR DOORS AND WINDOWS 2003 904 485 20 August 2003 Australia The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:m:\docs\20041 039\062366.doc The present invention relates to a shutter assembly for doors and windows and, in particular, to a plantation shutter assembly that may be used for bifolding doors, hinged doors, windows or fixed frames. The invention also relates to a shutter doors and shutter windows that include such shutter assemblies.

Shutter assemblies for doors and windows are commonplace, especially in tropical and sub-tropical dwellings. In the main, they provide an easy to operate, inexpensive and effective means for regulating the passage of light and wind therethrough, thereby satisfying the privacy and ventilation requirements of a user thereof.

Many known shutter assemblies utilize a slide bar disposed vertically adjacent the middle of horizontally disposed shutter blades and being directly pivotally connected to each shutter blade. When the shutter blades are in an open position, the slide bar is clearly visible at the middle of the assembly. Not only may its visibility spoil the view through the gaps between the shutter blades, but the middle location of the slide bar makes it prone to damage, particularly when the shutter assembly is used in a door.

Also, many known shutter assemblies are not suited to co-operate with door and window frames that are constructed by extrusion processes.

Extruded frame members for doors and windows are becoming increasingly popular in the building industry, and so there is a need for a shutter assembly that is adapted for fitting to, and co-operating with, such doors and windows.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative to the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided a shutter assembly for a door or window, comprising:-

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a plurality of shutter blades adapted for rotational movement between a closed position and an open position, a slide bar for controlling the movement of the shutter blades, and being slidably supported against a vertical frame member of the door or window, means for translating a sliding movement of the slide bar into rotational movement of the shutter blades, and means for arresting the rotational movement of the shutter blades at a selected position intermediate the closed and open positions, wherein, in use, the slide bar is caused to slide between a first position where the shutter blades assume the closed position and a second position where the shutter blades assume the open position.

Preferably, the translating means comprises an actuator arm for each of the shutter blades, each actuator arm having a first end pivotally connected to the slide bar and a second end pivotally connected to its respective shutter blade.

Preferably, the slide bar includes track engaging means adapted to slidably engage a track of the vertical frame member of the door or window.

It is preferred that the slide bar is an extruded member and the track engaging means are lug portions adapted to slidably engage groove portions of an extruded vertical frame member of the door or window.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a shutter door, comprising a vertical frame member and the aforementioned shutter assembly, wherein the slide bar includes track engaging means adapted to slidably engage a track of the vertical frame member.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig 1 is a perspective view of a shutter door having a preferred shutter assembly of the invention fitted to, and co-operating with, a door frame, the shutter assembly having its shutter blades in an open position, Fig 2 is a view similar to that of Fig 1, but showing the shutter blades in a closed position, Fig 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the shutter door of Fig 1, Fig 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the shutter door of Fig 2, Fig 5 is a side view of the shutter door portion of Fig 3, Fig 6 is a side view of the shutter door portion of Fig 4, Fig 7 is a perspective view of a disassembled dummy end portion of a shutter blade of the shutter assembly shown in Figs 1 to 6, Fig 8 is a perspective view of another portion of the shutter door of Fig 2, with the control end portion of a shutter blade thereof disassembled to show a control end cap of the blade operably connected to an actuator arm for the blade which is, in turn, operably connected to a slide bar engaged to a door frame member, Fig 9 is a perspective view of the actuator arm shown in Fig 8, Fig 10 is a top view of the portion of the shutter door of Fig 4, and Fig 11 is a sectional view through 11-11 of the shutter door shown in Fig 2.

The shutter door 10 shown in Figs 1 and 2 has a shutter assembly 12 fitted to, and co-operating with, a door frame 14.

The shutter assembly 12 includes a plurality of shutter blades 16, a slide bar 18, actuator arms 20 for each of the shutter blades 16, and frictional means

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(shown in Fig 10) for arresting the movement of the shutter blades 16 at a user selected position.

The door frame 14 includes a vertical pair of opposed hinge and lock stiles 22, 24 and a horizontal pair of opposed top and bottom rails 26, 28.

The shutter blades 16 may be rotated between an open position, as shown in Fig 1, and a closed position, as shown in Fig 2, by user manipulation of a handle 30 that causes the slide bar 18, which controls the movement of the shutter blades 16, to slide between a first position, as shown in Fig 1, and a second position, as shown in Fig 2.

The slide bar 18 (as shown in Fig 10) is an extruded length of aluminium having lug portions 32, 34 which provide means for slidably engaging corresponding groove portions 36, 38 of a controlling adaptor extrusion which forms an adaptor part of the hinge stile 22.

As shown in Figs 3 and 4, when the slide bar 18 is slidably moved in the downward direction of arrow A from its second to its first position, the shutter blades 16 assume an open position, and when the slide bar 18 is slidably moved in the upward direction of arrow B from its first position to its second position, the shutter blades 16 assume a closed position. The rotation of the shutter blades 16 may be arrested by the user at a selected position intermediate the closed and open positions by a friction acting device 42 that frictionally interengages the controlling adaptor extrusion 40 and the slide bar 18 throughout its sliding movement (see Fig 10). The device 42, which in this case is a strip of mohair, is located in a continuous channel 44 formed in the slide bar 18 so as to move together'with the slide bar 18 but remain in continuous frictional contact with the controlling adaptor extrusion

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Linear motion of the slide bar 18 is translated into rotational motion of the shutter blades 16 by means of the actuator arms 20 (see especially Figs 6, 8 and 9).

Each actuator arm 20 has a first enlarged end 46 from which extends in a first perpendicular direction a first flexible prong device 48 having retraction and expansion characteristics.

The prong device 48 is pivotally fitted to a respective aperture formed along the length of the slide bar 18 so that the actuator arm 20 can pivot about the aperture when the slide bar 18 undergoes linear motion. A second end of each actuator arm 20 has a second flexible prong device 52 having retraction and expansion characteristics, and which extends therefrom in an opposite direction to the first perpendicular direction for the prong device 48.

The prong device 52 is pivotally fitted to an aperture formed through an off-centre region of a control end cap 54 of the shutter blade 16. The aperture is eccentrically spaced apart from the central rotating aperture 55 of the end cap 54 which receives therethrough a pin 56 that rotatably connects the shutter blade 16 to a respective aperture formed along the length of the controlling adaptor extrusion 40. With the aforementioned arrangement, the shutter blade 16 can rotate about the pin 56 when the actuator arm 20 is pivoted in response to linear motion of the slide bar 18.

At the opposite or dummy end of each shutter blade 16 (see Fig 7) is a dummy end cap 58, and a pin 60 which is received through a central rotating aperture 62 of the end cap 58 and is axially aligned with the rotating axis for the shutter blade 16. The pin 60 rotatably connects the shutter blade 16 to a respective aperture formed along the length of a dummy adaptor extrusion 64 (see Fig 11) which forms an adaptor part of the lock stile 24.

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Each shutter blade 16 has a central tube 66 extending along its full length, and each end of the tube 66 (adjacent the end cap 54, 58) receives therethrough a hollow sleeve 68. Located within the bore of the sleeve 68 is a coil spring 70 and a mounting portion 72 of the pins 56 and Fig 10 shows the cross-sectional shape of the extrusion used as the hinge stile 22 for the shutter door 10, the cross-sectional shape of the controlling adaptor extrusion 40 which forms an adaptor part of the hinge stile 22, and the cross-sectional shape of the extrusion used as the slide bar 18.

The controlling adaptor extrusion 40 includes clips 74, 76 that interferingly fit through a slot formed through a wall of the hinge stile 22 to secure the extrusion 40 to the hinge stile 22.

Fig 11 shows the cross-sectional shape of the extrusion used as the lock stile 24 for the shutter door 10, and the cross-sectional shape of the dummy adaptor extrusion 64. The dummy adaptor extrusion 64 includes clips 78, 80 that interferingly fit through a slot formed through a wall of the lock stile 24 to secure the extrusion 64 to the lock stile 24.

Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A shutter assembly for a door or window, comprising:- a plurality of shutter blades adapted for rotational movement between a closed position and an open position, a slide bar for controlling the movement of the shutter blades, and being slidably supported against a vertical frame member of the door or window, means for translating a sliding movement of the slide bar into rotational movement of the shutter blades, and means for arresting the rotational movement of the shutter blades at a selected position intermediate the closed and opened positions, wherein, in use, the slide bar is caused to slide between a first position where the shutter blades assume the closed position and a second position where the shutter blades assume the open position.

2. The shutter assembly of claim 1 wherein the translating means comprises an actuator arm for each of the shutter blades, each actuator arm having a first end pivotally connected to the slide bar and a second end pivotally connected to its respective shutter blade.

3. The shutter assembly of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the slide bar includes track engaging means adapting to slidably engage a track of the vertical frame member of the door or window.

4. The shutter assembly of claim 3 wherein the slide bar is an extruded member and the track engaging means are lug portions adapted to slidably 03/08/2004 I engage groove portions of an extruded vertical frame member of the door or window.

The slide assembly of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the slide bar is caused to slide between the first and second portions by user manipulation of a handle.

6. The slide assembly of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the arresting means comprises a friction acting device that frictionally interengages a hinge stile and the slide bar throughout its sliding movement.

7. A shutter door, comprising a vertical frame member and the shutter assembly of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the slide bar includes track engaging means adapted to slidably engage a track of the vertical frame member.

8. A shutter assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A shutter door substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 3 day of August 2004 Architectural Window Systems Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES 03/08/2004