AU2009222531A1 - Louvre assembly - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 924410 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address Townsend Group Pty. Ltd., of Applicant: an Australian company, ACN 056 017 004, of 50-56 Barry Avenue, Mortdale, New South Wales, 2223, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Othon Villaboim Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: Louvre assembly Associated Provisional Application Details: [33] Country: [31] Appl'n No(s): [32] Application Date: AU 2008905110 01 Oct 2008 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5845c(2321696_1) 1 LOUVRE ASSEMBLY Technical Field The present invention relates to louvre assemblies and more particularly but not exclusively to louvre assemblies that are suspended from an upper rail and are guided by 5 a lower rail for relative movement with respect to the rails. Background of the Invention Louvre assemblies typically consist of a top and bottom rail that supports louvre panels for longitudinal movement relative to the rails. The louvre panels include a pair of generally vertical side members between which there extends a plurality of louvres that 10 are pivotally mounted for angular movement about generally horizontal axes. Typically a mechanism is provided to move the louvres between an open position and a closed position. A disadvantage of the above discussed louvre assemblies is that they cannot be retained in a select position relative to the rails. is Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage. Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a louvre assembly having: 20 a rail assembly including an upper rail and a lower rail, and a plurality of recesses arranged along one of the rails; at least one louvre panel supported by the rails and extending there between and movable relative thereto in a generally horizontal direction; and a locking device mounted on the panel and having an engaging member movable 25 between an engaging position and a release position, the engaging member in the engaging position engaging in a selected one of the recesses to retain the panel in a selected position relative to the rails. Preferably, said panel is suspended from the top rail and slidably engages the bottom rail for longitudinal movement relative to the rails. 30 Preferably, said panel includes a plurality of rollers that engage the top rail so that the panel is supported thereby.

2 Preferably, said locking device includes a rod attached to the panel and movable between an upper position providing said engaging position, and a lower position providing said release position, and an actuator to move the rod between the upper and lower positions thereof. 5 Preferably, said locking device includes a spring urging the rod to the upper position engaged with a selected one of the recesses. Preferably, said recesses are provided by an insert located in the top rail, the insert including a plurality of projections spaced by the recesses. Brief Description of the Drawings 1o A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic front elevation of a louvre panel; Figure 2 is a schematic sectioned end elevation of a louvre assembly including a plurality of panels as shown in Figure 1; is Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view of the panel of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic sectioned front elevation of the panel of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a schematic side elevation of an insert located in the top rail of the assembly of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a schematic locking device of the assembly of Figure 2; 20 Figure 7 is a schematic side elevation of the locking device of Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a schematic top plan view of the locking device of Figure 6. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a louvre panel 10. The louvre panel 10 includes a pair of generally upright side members 11 that pivotally 25 support a plurality of louvres 12 that are each pivotally movable between an open position and a closed position, the pivoting movement being about generally horizontal axes 13. As seen in Figure 2, there are two panels 10 that engage an upper rail 14 and a lower rail 15 to provide a louvre assembly 16. Each of the panels 10 is provided with roller assemblies 17 that engage within channels 18 of the upper rail 14 so that each panel 10 is 30 suspended therefrom. The lower end of each panel 10 is provided with a pair of pins 19, with the pins 19 of each panel 10 being engaging within a respective one of the channels 20 of the lower rail 15 so as to be guided thereby. Accordingly the rollers 17 and the pins 3 20 provide for horizontal movement of each panel 10 in a generally horizontal direction 21 longitudinally of the rails 14 and 15. Preferably, each of the louvres 12 is fixed to shafts 22 pivotally supported in their respective pair of members 11. Fixed to each shaft 22 is a gear 23 that is meshingly 5 engaged by a pair of rack gears 24. The rack gears 24 are operated by a knob 25, or a knob 26, the knob 26 acting via a further gear 27 or manually operated. Rotation of either of the knobs 25 or 26 causes linear movement of the racks 24 in opposite directions to cause pivoting movement of the shafts 22 and therefore pivoting movement of the louvres 12. Accordingly the louvres 12 are movable between a closed position and an open 1o position. Mounted in one of the side members 11 is a locking device 27. The locking device 27 includes a rod 28 that is generally vertically oriented and that includes an upper end 29. The rod 28 is supported in a mounting bracket 30 for vertical movement relative to its associated member 11 and passes through a pair of guides 31 that guide the rod 28 is in its vertical movement relative to its associated member 11. Attached to the lower end of the rod 28 is a cable 32 that extends to an arm 33 attached to a knob 34. Angular movement of the knob 34 by use of an operator causes pivoting movement of the arm 33 and therefore movement of the cable 32. The cable 32 in turn causes movement of the rod 28. In that regard it should be appreciated a spring 35 20 is provided that engages the rod 28 and the lower of the guides 31 so that it is under compression and therefore urges the rod 28 in the upward direction. Accordingly the cable 32 is tensioned with angular movement of the arm 33 causing movement of the cable 32 and therefore downward movement of the rod 28. When the knob 34 is released, the rod 28 will move to its upper position. 25 Located within each of the channels 18 is an insert 36 that is best seen in Figure 5. The insert 36 includes a longitudinally extending base 37 that is positioned within its respective channel 18 and has fixed to it a plurality of projections 38 that project downwardly and that are spaced by a plurality of recesses 39. The upper end 29 of the rod 28 is urged into the recesses 39 to locate the respective panel 10 in a desired location 30 relative to the rails 14 and 15. A user may move the panel 10 by turning the knob 34 so as to move the rod 28 from an upper engaging position to a lower release position with respect to the recesses 39.

Claims (4)

1. 2. The louvre assembly of claim 1, wherein said panel is suspended from the top rail and slidably engages the bottom rail for longitudinal movement relative to the rails.
2. 3. The louvre assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein said panel includes a is plurality of rollers that engage the top rail so that the panel is supported thereby.
3. 4. The louvre assembly of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said locking device includes a rod attached to the panel and movable between an upper position providing said engaging position, and a lower position providing said release position, and an actuator to move the rod between the upper and lower positions thereof. 20 5. The louvre assembly of claim 4, wherein said locking device includes a spring urging the rod to the upper position engaged with a selected one of the recesses.
4. 6. The louvre assembly of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said recesses are provided by an insert located in the top rail, the insert including a plurality of projections spaced by the recesses. 25 Dated 1 October, 2009 Townsend Group Pty. Ltd. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON