AU2011343291A1

AU2011343291A1 - Mechanism for rotating the slats of a roller shutter

Info

Publication number: AU2011343291A1
Application number: AU2011343291A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Lionel Planquette
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-12-15
Filing date: 2011-12-15
Publication date: 2013-06-06
Also published as: EP2652232A1; WO2012080386A9; WO2012080386A1; FR2969203A1; FR2969203B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a roller shutter (10) for blocking an opening (1), including a set of slats (101, 102…), the ends of which are slidably mounted in two parallel slides (120, 121) extending over two opposite sides of said opening (1), so as to be movable between a closed position of the roller shutter (10), referred to as the first position, in which the slats (101, 102…) are aligned with one another, and an open position of the roller shutter (10), referred to as the second position, in which the slats (101, 102…) are stored inside a casing (11) mounted on a third side of said opening (1). According to the invention, each slat (101, 102…) has an actuating element (50) at at least one of the ends thereof, said actuating element being capable of engaging with a control element (60) that is rigidly connected to one of said slides (120, 121) and movable in at least one direction perpendicular to said slide (120, 121), so as to move said slat (101, 102…) between a maximum blocking position and an intermediate blocking position.

Description

I Mechanism for rotating the slats of a roller shutter 1. Field of the invention The field of the invention is that of systems for closing off openings (such as doors, windows, French windows, bays or the like) especially in a building. 5 More specifically, the invention pertains to improvements made in roller shutters for closing off openings in this way. 2. Prior art Roller shutters conventionally comprise a curtain comprising slats which are connected and hinged together and have their ends guided slidingly inside 10 lateral grooves, when the curtain is raised or deployed. They furthermore comprise a casing or housing box, situated in the upper part of the curtain, the slat-winding mechanism being housed in this housing box. When the curtain is raised, the slats get wound in most cases around a winding rotary pin or shaft or drum (the diameter of which is of the order of 60 15 mm for electrical versions and 45 mm for hand-driven versions) of the housing box which is driven rotationally by a control mechanism disposed in the housing box. Other systems for stowing slats in a housing box are known. Thus, the patent application FR 1052482 filed by the present applicant 20 describes a roller shutter in which the slats constituting the curtain or the shutter are independent and are stowed side by side in parallel planes on at least two levels in the housing box, thus enabling optimized occupancy of the internal space of the housing box. In order to adjust the airing and/or lighting inside a room shuttered by a 25 roller shutter, slat-rotating mechanisms have been proposed. For example, the patent application W02010/082227 pertains to a roller shutter the slats of which have, at their ends, a fixed slat portion and a swinging (or pivoting) central portion. The roller shutter contains no drive mechanism to cause the swinging portions of the slats to pivot, the rotation of these swinging 30 portions being obtained solely by gravity. One drawback of this solution is that it requires the implementation of 2 numerous parts and that it is a source of noise when the swinging portions of the slats tend to swing in the wind. There also exist known roller shutters that work like Venetian blinds but require only that the curtain should be in the low position for the slats to be tilted. 5 To this end, the slats are connected together by levers so that, when the bottom slat of the curtain abuts the threshold of the opening, these levers are activated and the slats are driven pivotingly. One drawback of such an approach is that it uses a large number of parts and is therefore costly. 10 3. Goals of the invention The invention is aimed especially at overcoming these drawbacks of the prior art. More specifically, it is a goal of the invention, in at least one embodiment, to provide a roller shutter that is simple and costs little to manufacture. 15 It is another goal of the invention, in at least one embodiment, to provide a roller shutter of this kind providing high precision of adjustment of airing and/or lighting according to the user's requirements and wishes. It is yet another goal of the invention, in at least one embodiment, to provide a roller shutter comprising a slat-rotating mechanism that uses a limited 20 number of parts and is compact. In yet another embodiment, the invention seeks to provide a roller shutter that is robust and preserves high thermal and acoustic performance. It is a goal of the invention, in at least one embodiment, to provide a roller shutter that limits the risks of forced entry, especially when it is closed. 25 It is yet another goal of the invention, in at least one embodiment, to propose a roller shutter that shows enhanced aesthetic features and is suited especially but not exclusively to refurbishment. 4. Summary of the invention These goals as well as others that shall appear here below are achieved by 30 means of a roller shutter for closing off an opening, comprising a set of slats, the ends of which are mounted slidingly in two parallel guide rails extending on two 3 opposite sides of said opening, so as to be movable between a closed position of the roller shutter, called a first position, in which the slats extend in the prolongation of one another, and an open position of the roller shutter, called a second position, in which the slats are stowed in a housing box mounted on a third 5 side of said opening. According to the invention, each slat carries, on at least one of its ends, an element for actuating capable of cooperating with a control element fixedly joined to one of said guide rails and mobile in at least one direction perpendicular to said guide rail so as to move said slat between a maximum closing-off position and an 10 intermediate closing-off position. The roller shutter of the invention, which may be an external or internal shutter, has swiveling slats and works like a Venetian blind. The slats constituting the roller shutter may thus be oriented whatever the position of the curtain thus enabling the passage of light and easy control of 15 lighting within the dwelling. The solution of the invention is advantageous in that each slat of the roller shutter comprises an actuating element at one or at each of its ends and in that there is provided, in only one or in each of the guide rails, a control element mobile in at least one direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the guide 20 rail and fixedly joined to the guide rail. The element or elements for actuating the shutters present in the guide rails (possibly a single slat is present in the guide rails, the rest of the slats being stowed in the housing box) are able to cooperate with the control element or elements so as to shift the slats between a maximum closing-off position and an 25 intermediate closing-off position. In the maximum closing-off position, the slats are contiguous and disposed in a same plane (and they are vertical when the surface to be closed off is itself vertical) and allow no light or almost no light to pass through. In the intermediate closing-off position, the slats are in parallel planes and 30 allow light to pass through because their edges are not contiguous. The roller shutter of the invention thus combines the advantages of a 4 slatted shutter and a Venetian blind. It can be distinguished from roller shutters to which the builders add winding blinds (of the mosquito-net type) which increase the total cost of the roller shutter because of the use of dual guide rails, with dual motor drives, 5 requiring a bulkier housing box. It is also distinguished from roller shutters which integrate the function of the Venetian blind inasmuch as it does not require the slats to be linked to one another. The roller shutter of the invention is therefore particularly economical and relatively simple to assemble. 10 In short, the mechanism for orienting the slats of the invention makes it possible, whatever the position of the curtain, to allow the light needed to enter, while at the same time preserving the privacy of the inhabitants of the dwelling and ventilating a room of the dwelling while at the same time limiting risks of forced entry. 15 The mechanism of orientation of the slats is compatible with slats having single or double walls. The roller shutter of the invention efficiently seals out light, the slats being oriented by their upper ends and not by their centers. Furthermore, there is provision for an overlapping fin on each guide rail. 20 Besides, the slats are mechanically blocked in rotation, whether they are in a vertical position or oriented (i.e. mechanically blocked in that they cannot be oriented manually and the wind cannot make them swivel). In one particular embodiment of the invention, said actuating element is a lever bearing a toe or a stud. 25 The lever is sized to limit the maximum force of rotation of the slat. Preferably, the control element is a rack structure comprising slots or grooves. Advantageously, each of the slots has a tilted portion and a straight portion. 30 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said rack comprises teeth for guiding a toe in a slot.

5 Advantageously, the distance between two slots is appreciably equal to half the height of a slat. Preferably, the lever and the slot are configured to enable 0* to 1200 rotation by a slat. 5 Advantageously, said control element is controlled manually or by a motor. Thus, the rotation of the racks can be effected manually (by means of a handle) and/or electrically (by means of a linear actuator, motor-reduction gear, solenoid valve, etc). 10 The rotation of the rack does not require the application of any particular degree of force and can be actuated by a very light and low-cost system. In one variant, the slats can be oriented according to the level of luminosity and/or sunlight detected outdoors by means of at least one solar sensor. The measurements made by the solar sensor are transmitted to control means 15 which actuate the raising/lowering of the shutter and the orientation of the slats according to the external temperature and/or luminosity measured. According to one embodiment of the invention, the casing and/or said slats are equipped with at least one photovoltaic cell that controls the opening and closing of said roller shutter and/or the rotation of said slats. 20 Thus, the roller shutter of the invention can be independent and, in this case, it can be implemented without any deterioration of existing structures since its positioning does not require any electrical connection (there are no visible electrical control wires). Here below, a description is also provided of a device for positioning and 25 maintaining a housing box of a system for shuttering a surface to be shuttered, said housing box being designed to stow at least one shuttering unit, the ends of which are mounted slidingly in two parallel guide rails extending on two opposite sides of said surface to be shuttering. The device comprises: 30 - a first portion that is to get housed at least partly in an upper end of one of said guide rails, and 6 - a second portion carrying first hooking means capable of cooperating, in a fixedly attached position, with first complementary means for retaining said casing. Thus, the invention proposes a wholly novel and inventive approach to 5 positioning a system for shuttering a surface to be shuttered, such as a roller shutter, comprising a housing box for stowing at least one shuttering element and two parallel guide rails necessary for guiding the shuttering element or elements. Once the guide rails have been installed, a device for positioning and holding the housing box is placed, a part of which forms a bracket (this device is here below 10 be called a bracket for the sake of simplicity) at the open end of each guide rail, and then the housing box is inserted into these two brackets. The housing box comprises retaining means that cooperate with hooking means of each bracket so as to keep the housing box on the brackets and fixedly join the housing box with the guide rails. 15 A shuttering system of this kind is easy and fast to install and dismantle. The risks that these operations usually entail on a work site are reduced since the housing box is mounted independently of the guide rails and is not fixedly joined to them until the guide rails have been installed. Preferably, said first and second portions extend in a same plane and in 20 substantially perpendicular directions. A part of the device for positioning and holding the housing box forms a bracket that is relatively easy to manufacture and enables the positioning of the housing box perpendicularly to the guide rails. According to one particularly embodiment, the device for positioning and 25 holding a housing box comprises a third portion having means for fastening to means for linking and/or for controlling the spacing between the two guide rails. Advantageously, the third portion extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the second portion of the device for positioning and holding a housing box. 30 Means are provided for linking and/or controlling the spacing between the two brackets, and therefore the spacing between the guide rails, so as to maintain 7 a constant distance between centers between them, this distance between centers corresponding appreciably to the distance between the means for holding the brackets situated in the housing box. This minimizes the risk of wrongly positioning the shuttering system 5 relative to the surface to be shuttered. According to one particular embodiment, said first portion carries second coupling means capable of cooperating with second complementary means for holding said guide rail. Thus, the brackets are locked into the guide rails so as to prevent any 10 untimely movements of the brackets especially when the housing box is being mounted on the brackets. In one alternative, the brackets are force-fitted into a recess of each guide rail. According to another particular embodiment, said first portion has an end 15 part, the size of which enables an insertion into said guide rail, and a central part, the size of which works against the insertion into said guide rail, the transition zone between the end part and the central part abutting the upper edge of said guide rail. The brackets thus rest on the upper edge of the guide rails, and can be held 20 in the guide rails by gravity. The brackets are therefore particularly easy to position. Moreover, because the brackets are supported on the upper edge of the guide rails, the positioning of the housing box is secured. There is also proposed a housing box for stowing at least one shuttering element of a system for shuttering a surface to be shuttered, said housing box 25 being intended for being fixedly attached to two guide rails extending in parallel on said opposite sides of said surface to be shuttered, by means of a device for positioning and holding as described here above. The housing box comprises a pair of first holding means each intended for cooperating with complementary means for coupling a device for positioning and 30 holding. Such a technique for positioning and holding the housing box on the 8 brackets minimizes the number of operations to be performed by the installer. Advantageously, the housing box comprises, at its side ends, a first side plate and a second side plate each carrying first holding means. Such a solution does not require a modification of the internal structure of 5 the housing box in which the winding shaft, the shuttering elements and the drive unit are housed. Preferably, each of the side plates comprises an opening enabling the passage of the second portion and at least one part of the first portion of said device for positioning and holding. 10 The insertion of the housing box into the brackets is thereby simplified. Advantageously, each of the side plates comprises a recess to receive the second portion and one part at least of the first portion of said device for positioning and holding. Such a solution improves the aesthetic features of the shuttering device 15 once it is mounted. The invention also proposes a guide rail of a system for shuttering a surface to be shuttered, said guide rail being intended for being fixedly joined, by means of a device for positioning and holding as described here above, to a housing box as described here above. 20 The guide rail comprises means for receiving a part of a device for positioning and holding. A specific recess is therefore provided at the upper end of the guide rails in order to house a bracket therein, thus making it possible to avoid disturbing the sliding of the shuttering elements in the guide rails. 25 The invention further proposes a method for mounting a system for shuttering a surface to be shuttered, said system for shuttering comprising a housing box for stowing at least one shuttering element and two parallel guide rails intended for slidingly receiving the ends of said at least one shuttering element. 30 The method comprises the following steps: - fastening two guide rails on two opposite sides of said surface to be 9 shuttered; - positioning, in each upper end of the guide rails, a device for positioning and holding a housing box; - fastening devices for positioning and holding to means for linking and/or 5 for controlling the spacing between the two guide rails; - positioning and holding the housing box by fixedly joining said housing box with said devices; - fastening the housing box. 5. List of figures 10 Other features and advantages of the invention shall appear more clearly from the following description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of a simple illustratory and non-exhaustive example and from the appended drawings, of which: - Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a roller shutter of the present 15 invention, the curtain being partially closed and the slats of the curtain being vertical; - Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the roller shutter of figure 1, the curtain being partially closed and the slats of the curtain being horizontal; - Figure 3 is a view in detail of the mechanism of rotation of the slats when 20 the slats are vertical; - Figure 4 is a view in detail of the mechanism of rotation of the slats when the slats are horizontal; - Figure 5 is a view in perspective of a lever of a slat implemented in the mechanism of rotation of the slats of the invention; 25 - Figures 6 and 7 are views of the upper end of a slideway of a roller shutter showing the means for actuating the rack, implemented in the mechanism of rotation of the slats of the invention, in two distinct positions; - Figure 8 is a view in perspective of an opening provided with a roller shutter in which the device for positioning and holding the housing box of 30 the roller shutter is implemented; 10 - Figure 9 is a partial view in perspective of the housing box of the roller shutter; - Figure 10 is a view in perspective of the guide rails of the roller shutter at the end of which brackets are inserted; 5 - Figure 11 is a view in section of a guide rail of the roller shutter of figure 10; - Figure 12 is a view in perspective of a bracket of figure 10; - Figure 13 is a detailed view of the mechanism for locking a bracket of figure 10 in a plate of the housing box of figure 10; 10 - Figure 14 is a schematic view of the assembling of the housing box with the guide rails by means of brackets; - Figure 15 is a detailed view of the steps of the method for positioning a roller shutter in an opening. 6. Description of one embodiment of the invention 15 6.1 Exam ple of a mechanism for the rotation of slats Figure 1 shows a roller shutter 10 with slats according to one embodiment of the invention when it is partially deployed. The roller shutter 10, which is motor-driven in this example, is intended for closing off an opening 1 made in a wall 2 of any unspecified construction. The opening I is equipped with a frame 20 (not shown) for a window (not shown). In the example shown, it is an external window, but it goes without saying that such a shutter could equally well be placed inside the construction, In addition, it is clear that the invention can also be applied to the closing of doors, bays or French windows especially. The roller shutter 10 proper is essentially constituted by a certain number 25 of rectangular slats, also called deployable elements (only the slats 101 and 102 are referenced) each mounted slidingly in two vertical parallel guide rails 120, 121 (also called guiding elements) fixed on either side of the opening 1. These guide rails 120, 121 in this example have a slot (not shown) to guide the slats 101, 102, etc. but other shapes of slideways known to those skilled in the 30 art can be envisaged. Starting from their position shown in figure 1, in which the slats 101, 102, 11 ... are contiguous and partially close off the opening 1, the slats, activated by a drive system (controlled by a control button situated on the external wall for example or a remote control) can be shifted upwards along the guide rails 120, 121 to be stowed in a housing box 11 positioned at the upper part or at the top of 5 the opening 1. The invention is described here below in the particular case where the slats of the roller shutter are stowed side by side in parallel planes, on at least two levels, in the housing box of the roller shutter. This stowing technique, described in greater detail in the patent application FR 1052482, filed by the present 10 applicant, requires that one slat in two should be provided at each of its ends with a long guide pin and that, consequently, one slat in two should be provided at each of its ends with a short guide pin, the slats with a short guide pin being positioned appreciably beneath a slat with a long guide pin when it is stowed in the housing box of the roller shutter. 15 This aspect can clearly be seen in figure 3, where the slat 104 is held to the slat 105 by means of two hinged links 40, 41, the slat 105 comprising a long guide pin 30 on the upper part of its lateral edges and the slat 104 comprising a short guide pin 31 on the upper part of its lateral edges. Conversely, under the action of the drive system, the slats of the curtain 20 are guided from the housing box 11 towards the guide rails 120, 121 when the curtain is lowered. According to the invention, the roller shutter 10 integrates a mechanism for rotating or tilting the slats 101, 102, ... of the curtain making it possible especially to regulate the luminosity inside the room, whatever the position of the 25 curtain. In figure 1, the curtain is in an intermediate position, i.e. between its lowered position and its raised position. The slats 101, 102, ... of the curtain are oriented vertically and are contiguous, thus limiting the entry of natural light into the room. 30 In figure 2, the position of the curtain is substantially identical to that of figure 1. However, the slats 101, 102, ... of the curtain are oriented horizontally 12 (they have therefore undergone a 900 rotation relative to the figure 1), thus increasing the entry of natural light into the room. In other words, the slat-orienting mechanism according to the invention makes it possible thus to tilt the slats 101, 102, ... variably as in a Venetian blind, 5 whatever the position of the curtain, and makes it possible to vary the luminosity inside the room. In a non-exhaustive example, the slats can pivot by 0* (in this case the slats are vertical) to 120* (in this case the slats are tilted). To this end, the slat-orienting mechanism of the invention uses a pair of 10 levers 50 associated with each slat 101, 102, ... of the rolling frame 10 and a vertical structural section 60 is inserted into each guide rail 120, 121. These elements can be seen in figure 3 especially. For the sake of simplification, here below the elements of the slat-orienting mechanism of the invention are described for only one guide rail but it goes without saying that, 15 symmetrically, the same elements are implemented in the other guide rail. Thus, each end of a slat (104 to 106 especially) is provided with a lever 50 which is guided in a recess of the guide rail 120 (as shown in figures 6 and 7). The guide rail 120 is not shown in figure 3 for the sake of clarity. As illustrated in figure 5, the lever has three pats, namely: 20 - a pin 501 comprising a through hole that enables the insertion of the lever 50 by force on the short pins or long pins of each slat, - an arm 503, and - a toe or stud 502. A lever 50 of this kind is fixedly joined in rotation to a slat rotating about a 25 short pin or long pin as the case may be. This lever 50 remains appreciably parallel to the slat with which it is fixedly joined. As shall be seen here below, the pivoting axis of the slats is that of the short or long pins. A threaded aluminum structural section 60 is housed in each guide rail 120, 121 and takes the form of a rack comprising slots or grooves 601 disposed at 30 regular intervals along the length of the rack 60. The distance between two slots 601 is equal to half the distance between the short pin and the long pin of two 13 consecutive slats. Each slot 601 has a straight portion 601A and a curved portion 601B. The rack 60 has a tooth-shaped portion (or tip portion) 602 and a guiding surface 603 for guiding a lever 50. 5 The levers 50 are guided in guide rails as can be seen in figure 6 which is a partial view of the interior of the housing box 11 showing the upper end of the guide rail 121 which leads into the interior of the housing box 11, the slats 104, 105 and the levers 50 associated with these slats 104, 105. The edge opposite to the surface 603 of the rack 60 is curved in the 10 example of figure 6 and 7. This curved edge is inserted into a semi-circular recess 71 carried by the inner wall of the guide rail 121 throughout its height. The rack 60 and the slideway are therefore fixedly attached to each other. The dimensions of the curved edge of the rack 60 are chosen so that the rack 60 can pivot in the recess 71 under the action of a linear actuator 70 which may be a solenoid valve 15 or a motor reduction gear for example. The linear actuator 70 shifts along an axis that is substantially parallel to the short pins or the long pins of the slats and controls the pivoting of the rack 60 by means of an L-shaped element 72 (other shapes are possible) situated in the extension of the curved edge of the rack 60. Depending on its position in the guide rail 121, the rack 60 interferes or 20 does not interfere with the levers 50 of the slats of the curtain, i.e. the slats whose ends are situated in the guide rails. Thus, the rack 60 can pivot between a position where it is disengaged from the levers 50 (in the released position or idle position at the bottom of the guide rail) as shown in figure 7 and a position where it is engaged (i.e. in contact) with 25 the levers 50 as shown in figure 6. The angle between the two positions of the rack 60 is for example in the range of 10" to 15*. If we assume that the curtain is partially closed and that the slats are vertical, then when the wishes to orient the slats of the curtain, he first of all controls the linear actuator so as to shift the rack from its disengaged position 30 (figure 7) towards its engaged position (figure 6). The rack 60 comes into contact with the levers 50 of the slats of the curtain 14 (figure 3), these slats being in a position of pre-orientation in which they are locked in the vertical position. More specifically, the toes 502 of the levers 50 associated with the slats 104 to 106 are each in contact with a guiding surface 603 of the rack 60. 5 The user must then lower the curtain, this operation being performed at low speed. During the downward movement of the curtain, the toe 502 of the levers 50 of the slats 104 to 106 moves downwards along the surface 603 and is then guided in the slot 601 of the rack by the tip-shaped part 602 (which therefore facilitates the gripping between the rack and the levers). The toe 502 of the lever 10 50 is guided in the slot 601 along the curved part 601B until the toe 502 comes into contact with the bottom of the straight part 601A of the opening 601. The lever 50 and the corresponding slat are, in this example, horizontal as illustrated in figure 4 and are therefore pivoted by 90* relative to figure 3. Thus, the orientation of the slats is obtained by the main motor (or more 15 generally by the handling operation) for raising and descending the curtain and not by a complementary system. It is possible for the toe 502 of the lever 50 not to abut the bottom of the straight part 601A but to get shifted to a position situated on the straight part 601A or curved part 601B of the slot 601 depending on the angle of orientation of 20 the slats chosen by the user. It can be understood then that, in the released position of the rack 60 (figure 7), the curtain can be raised or lowered and that when the rack 60 is in an engaged or gripping position (figure 6) with the levers 50, the curtain cannot be shifted vertically but the slats of the curtain can be oriented. 25 In other words, the curtain cannot be shifted when the slats are tilted but only when they are vertical. In order to raise or lower the curtain, it is therefore necessary initially to disengage the rack 60 from the levers 50 to bring the slats into a vertical position. As mentioned here above, this makes it necessary to pivot the rack 60 from its 30 position illustrated in figure 6 to the position illustrated in figure 7 by means of the linear actuator 70.

15 The orientation of the slats is done on the upper portion of each slat, i.e. along a pivoting axis situated in the vicinity of the upper edge of each slat (when it is vertical) and not, as in the prior art, along a pivoting axis passing through the center of the slat. Even when there is wind, the slats do not open, and they remain 5 immobile whether they are in a vertical position or in a tilted position. It must be noted that the slat-tilting mechanism of the invention is compatible with a classic winding of the slats around a shaft housed in the housing box. In an electrical version, the placing of the slats in a pre-orientation position 10 as well as the control of the rotation of the racks is done in a manner that is completely transparent for the user. The roller shutter that implements such a mechanism for tilting the slats is adapted to the shuttering of horizontal, vertical or tilted surfaces (especially porches). The shape of the racks and the lever is not limited to the shape illustrated. 15 The shapes of the notches in the rack can vary depending on the shape of the levers and their angle relative to the slat. They can be straight or curved as in the embodiment described. 6.2 Example of a device for positioning and holding a housing box of a shuttering system 20 Classically, the case of a roller shutter and the slides needed for guiding the curtain are pre-assembled in the factory, and then transported to a building site where they are positioned as one integral piece on an opening of a building, especially a door or a window. The on-site installation of such a roller shutter however entails problems. 25 Indeed, the housing box in which the winding shaft, the wound curtain and the control system are installed in the factory, is a particularly heavy element and therefore difficult to handle. The installer must however lift and hold the housing box and the slideways vertically in order to first fix the slideways to the uprights of the opening and then fix the housing box to the upper cross member of the 30 opening. An installing technique of this kind entails risks of deterioration of the 16 casing and/or guide rails and does not give all the guarantees against errors in the positioning of the roller shutter in the opening. It must be noted that any wrong positioning of the roller shutter requires its complete dismantling, and such an operation is as difficult to perform as the mounting especially because of the 5 substantial weight of the housing box. Furthermore, these mounting and dismantling operations gives rise to risks for the installer. Besides, the pre-assembled roller shutter constituted by the housing box and the guide rails is particularly bulky and fragile during transportation from the 10 factory to the site. The same problems arise for other shuttering devices such as sun shields, Venetian blinds, external blinds, etc. An example of a device for positioning and holding to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art is described here below for a roller shutter but it is clear 15 that it can be applied also to other shuttering devices. Figure 8 shows a roller shutter 10' with slats when it is partially deployed. The roller shutter 10' which is motor-driven in this example is intended for closing off an opening ' made in a wall 2' of any unspecified building. The opening ' is equipped with a frame (not shown) for a window 3'. 20 In the example shown, this is an external shutter but it goes without saying that such a shutter could equally well be placed inside the building. Such a roller shutter could also shutter a door, a bay or a French window in particular. The roller shutter 10' proper is essentially constituted by a certain number of rectangular slats (only the slats 101' and 102' can be seen in this figure 8) also 25 called deployable elements, each mounted slidingly in two parallel vertical guide rails 6', also called guiding elements or slideways, fixed to either side of the opening 1' (only one of these slideways can be seen in figure 8). These guide rails 6' in this example have a slot 7' for guiding the slats 101', 102' but other forms of slideways known to those skilled in the art can be envisaged. 30 From their position shown in figure 8, in which the slats 101' and 102' are contiguous and partially close off the opening ', the slats in being activated by a 17 drive system (controlled by a control button situated on the inner wall for example, or a remote control) can be shifted: - upwards along the guide rails 6' to be stowed in a housing box (or casing) 1 ' disposed on the upper part or on the top of the opening 1', beneath the 5 lintel of the opening 1', the outer side of the woodwork, or - towards the bottom so as to completely close off the opening 1'. In this example, the housing box 11' is made of aluminum and can stow the slats around a rotating winding shaft. A stowing of slats according to another principle could be implemented. One possible alternative is thus described in the 10 French patent application 1052482 filed by the present applicant in which the slats constituting the curtain of a roller shutter are independent and are stowed side by side in parallel planes on at least two levels, in the housing box thus enabling optimized occupation of the inner space of the casing. The device for positioning and holding is aimed at facilitating the 15 installation and mounting of such a roller shutter 10' by itself, i.e. independently of the woodwork (in this case the window 3'), on the main structural work (i.e. in the framing of the opening 1). To this end, the invention implements two brackets 12' which make it possible to center the housing box 1l' horizontally, beneath the lintel, once the 20 guide rails 6' have been installed. In other words, once the guide rails 6' have been fixed to the vertical uprights opposite the opening ', a bracket is inserted into the top of each guide rail 6, and the housing box 11' is pinned into this bracket. The dismantling of the roller shutter requires the unpinning of the housing 25 box 1 ' in order to withdraw it and then withdraw the guide rails 6'. The solution described herein is advantageous in that it makes it possible to simplify the mounting and dismounting of the roller shutter and in that it limits risks for the installer usually caused by these operations on a site. The dismantling of the housing box by unpinning simplifies the operations 30 of maintenance on this housing box. The woodwork of the opening can be the original woodwork or it can be 18 installed independently and prior to the mounting of the roller shutter according to the method of the invention. The mounting method described here is adapted especially but not exclusively to refurbishment 5 Figures 9 and 10 respectively represent the housing box II' and the guide rails 6' of a roller shutter 10' making it possible to implement a method of this kind for mounting and dismantling a roller shutter. The housing box 11' is constituted by a folded aluminum sheet forming a front face, a rear face and an under-face (acting as an inspection hole). The housing box 11' is herein open on 10 the top without compromising its tight sealing quality because it is fixed beneath the lintel of the opening I' (a silicone seal finishes the tight sealing). The winding shaft for the curtain, the motor drive and the curtain (not shown) are mounted in the factory in the housing box 11' which is partially shown in figure 9. Two side plates or flanges (111', 112' are fixed to the lateral ends of 15 the housing box1l'. In this example, the front face, the rear face and the under face of the housing box 11'are made out of aluminium sheeting and the plates Ill' and 112' are made out of plastic. Figure 10 is a partial view of the lateral guide rails 6' at their upper end. A 20 first portion 12A of a bracket 12' (or linking part) is inserted into a groove 61' (or recess) provided at the upper end of each guide rail 6'. This groove 61', which is rectangular in this example, can be seen in figure 11 which is a view in section of the guide rail 6' at its upper end. The groove 61' extends in a direction parallel to the guide ways 7'. In the example shown in 25 figure 10, the bracket 12' is held by gravity in the groove 61' of the guide rail 6'. In one alternative, the bracket 12' comprises, on its first portion 12A, one or more apertures enabling the passage of fastening screws. These apertures can correspond to the fastening holes that are made in the guide rail 6' and enable this guide rail to be fixed to the vertical upright of the opening (in this case a single 30 screw is enough to fix the bracket 12' and the guide rail 6' to a vertical upright of the opening 1').

19 In another alternative, the bracket 12' can be clipped into the guide rail 6' or be force-fitted therein. It is planned that a second portion 12B of each bracket 12' will be engaged in the housing box 11' of the roller shutter 10'. In other words, once the brackets 5 12' are installed in each guide rail 6', the housing box 11' is pinned into the second portion 12B of each bracket 12' as illustrated by the arrows of figure 14'. This second portion 12B is a tab for linking and centering the housing box 11' in the upper part of the opening 1'. The bracket 12' comprises a third portion 12C extending in a plane 10 perpendicular to the plane of the first and second portions 12A, 12B of the side of the interior face I (which can be seen in figure 12) of the bracket 12'. The third portion 12C has two fastening holes 122' in the example shown in figure 10 which enable the bracket 12' to be fixed by screwing or any other equivalent means to a bottom sheet 13'. This bottom sheet 13' links the two brackets 12' and 15 ensures a constant distance between the centers of these two brackets 12', thus simplifying the pinning of the housing box 11' into the second portion 12B of the brackets 12'. It can be noted that the distance between centers of the two brackets 12' corresponds appreciably to the distance between the plates 111', 112' of the housing box 11'. 20 The bracket 12' is shown in perspective in figure 12. This figure shows, on the second portion 12B of the bracket 12', a holding hook 121' designed to cooperate with a deformable stud 113' of a lateral plate of the housing box 11', in this case the plate 111' in figure 13, so as to hold the housing box 11' on the bracket 12'. The hook 121' is situated on the upper face E of the bracket 12' (see 25 figure 10). As illustrated in figure 9, the stud 113' is situated in a guiding groove 114' situated on the inner face of the plate 111' (i.e. on the face pointed towards the interior of the housing box 11'). The plate I11' comprises an aperture 115' in the shape of a slot that extends on two edges of the plate and enables the passage of 30 the first and second portions 12A, 12B of the bracket 12' into the housing box 11'. The first portion 12A of the bracket 12' is guided in the guiding groove 114' 20 until the hook 121' cooperates with the stud 113', the second portion 12B being then housed in the recess 115' of the plate 111'. The stud 113' can be replaced by any other mechanical fastening element (screws, studs, etc). 5 In one alternative, the second portion 12B of each bracket 12' is designed to be engaged or housed in a notch or slot of the housing box of the roller shutter that is not located in a plate. In summary, the method for mounting the roller shutter 10' in the opening 1' comprises the steps described in detail in figure 15. 10 In a first stage, the guide rails 6' are placed on the uprights opposite to the opening 1'. The guide rails 6' being generally pre-perforated in the factory, fastening screws are inserted into these pre-perforated holes (step El). A bracket 12' is placed at the end (i.e. the open upper end) of each guide rail 6' (step E2). 15 The two brackets 12' are connected by a bottom sheet 13' (step 133) so as to ensure a constant distance between centers between the two brackets 12' and an easy pinning of the housing box 11' on the tabs 12B of the brackets 12' (step E4). In one alternative, the bottom sheet is fixed to these brackets in the factory. The housing box 11' is then pinned to the brackets 12', by introducing the 20 tabs 12B of the brackets into the slots 115' of the plates Ill' of the housing box 1l'. Once the hook 121' of the brackets cooperates with the stud 113' of a plate 111', the housing box 11' is fixedly joined to the guide rails 6' and can be fixed to the hinge or lintel of the opening 1' by screws, for example (step E5). 25 It can be understood that the dismantling of the housing box 11' requires the removal of the side plates Ill' from the housing box 11', thus releasing the hooks 121' from the studs 113'. In one alternative of the embodiment described here above, the faces of the housing box 11' and the plates 111', 112' are made of aluminium. In this case, a 30 spring-based metal part is provided for each flange or a plastic insert or any other mechanical fixing element such as a screw or a peg for example for fastening the 21 housing box to the brackets. The roller shutter can be motor driven or controlled manually. The shape of the housing box and of the flanges is not limited to that shown in the figures, and pentagonal or oval shapes are possible. 5 The installing system as described here above can be applied generally to all shuttering systems (swiveling sun shields, Venetian blinds, external blinds, etc). It can furthermore be applied to a window-and-shutter unit (classically comprising a fixed roller shutter fixed to a woodwork structure) to facilitate the installation and therefore the maintenance of the roller shutter part after the unit 10 has been installed as an integral single-piece element. The bottom sheet can also be replaced by any other structural section, for example the woodwork window frame the case of an interior window-and-shutter unit. The positioning of the casing is not limited to that shown here above. The 15 housing box can be mounted by being applied (i.e. from the external side of the facade) or inside (in the case of an interior window-and-shutter unit). Thus, this technique for installing (or mounting) and dismounting a shuttering system is easy and swift to implement and on the whole reduces the number of operations to be performed. 20 This technique also reduces the risks usually entailed by these operations on a site. Besides, this technique minimizes the risk of wrong positioning of the shuttering device as compared with the surface to be closed off and facilitates maintenance operations.

Claims

1. Roller shutter (10) for closing off an opening (1), comprising a set of slats (101, 102, ...), the ends of which are mounted slidingly in two parallel guide rails (120, 121) extending on two opposite sides of said opening (1), so as to be 5 movable between a closed position of the roller shutter (10), called a first position, in which the slats (101, 102, ...) extend in the prolongation of one another, and an open position of the roller shutter (10), called a second position, in which the slats (101, 102, ...) are stowed in a housing box (11) mounted on a third side of said opening (1), 10 characterized in that each slat (101, 102, ...) carries, on at least one of its ends, an element for actuating (50) capable of cooperating with a control element (60) fixedly joined to one of said guide rails (120, 121) and mobile in at least one direction perpendicular to said guide rail (120, 121) so as to move said slat (101, 102) between a maximum closing-off position and an intermediate closing-off 15 position,

2. Roller shutter (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuating element (50) is a lever bearing a toe (502).

3. Roller shutter (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control element (60) is a rack comprising slots (601). 20

4. Roller shutter (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the slots (601) has a tilted portion and a straight portion.

5. Roller shutter (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said rack (60) comprises teeth (602) for guiding a toe (502) in a slot (601).

6. Roller shutter (10) according to one of the claims 3 to 5, characterized in 25 that the distance between two slots (601) is appreciably equal to half the height of a slat (101, 102, ... ).

7. Roller shutter (10) according to one of the claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the lever (50) and the slot (601) are configured to enable a 0* to 1200 rotation by a slat (101, 102, ... ). 30

8. Roller shutter (10) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said control element (60) is controlled manually or by a motor.