EP1366266B1

EP1366266B1 - Hiding enclosure device

Info

Publication number: EP1366266B1
Application number: EP02715664A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Franco Sparaventi
Original assignee: S F SERVIZI Srl; Sf Servizi Srl
Current assignee: Sf Servizi Srl
Priority date: 2001-02-01
Filing date: 2002-01-30
Publication date: 2007-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 2022-01-30
Also published as: PT1366266E; DE60222382T2; WO2002061229A1; ATE373158T1; ES2292736T3; ITBO20010052A0; EP1366266A1; DE60222382D1; ITBO20010052A1

Abstract

A hiding enclosure device includes: - a closure portion (2) having a side end connected to a vertical stud (4) and a side end connected to a horizontal stud (6); - hiding means (10) associated to said closure portion (2). The hiding means (10) are mobile between an opening condition (A) and a closing condition (C) for partially or fully blind the sight through the related portion (2).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the enclosure and hiding devices for boundary, external and internal entries, windows, attics, gardens, parks, patios, terrace, and fenced areas generally.
Particularly the invention refers to a hiding enclosure device fit to hide the fenced areas.

BACKGROUND ART

It is known that in order to hide a fenced area, there are hedges grown in correspondence of the enclosure.
The main drawback of the hedges, consists in that they can not be planted in correspondence of the gates and in the expensive maintenance and care required by hedges. Furthermore, the hedges made by deciduous leaf plants, during the winter season loose almost completely the hiding ability.
There are known mats or fabric fixed to the enclosures and gates, generally by means of iron wire, in such a way to hide the sight of the areas lying behind.
The main drawback of said known means, consists in their irremovability with the consequence that, said known means, remain perpetually fixed to the enclosure exposed to the inclemency of the weather and they are not removed even when their presence is undesired or superfluous.
A further drawback of the known means consists in their esthetical aspect often in contrast to the environment.
Documents EP 0 911 476 and US 6 145 251 disclose a hiding enclosure device including a closure portion, having a side end connected to a vertical stud and a side end connected to horizontal studs. The device further includes hiding means associated to said closure portion and mobile between an opening condition and a closing condition, to partially or fully blind the sight through the related portion.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to propose a hiding enclosure device for boundary, external and internal entries, windows, attics, gardens, parks, patios, terrace, and fenced areas generally which can be easily and quickly closed, safeguarding the privacy of the people inside the enclosure having the device;
A further object is to propose a device aesthetically suitable to the environment and which can be applied to preexisting enclosures and gates for providing these latter with the hiding function.
Further object of the present invention is to propose a device having easy manufacture, low cost and high reliability.
The objects above-mentioned are achieved according to the content of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristics of the invention are underlined in the following with particular reference to the attached drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a front view of the preferred embodiment of the hiding enclosure device;
figure 2 shows an enlarged front and partial view of a hiding mean of figure 1;
figure 3 shows a longitudinal section view of figure 2;
figure 4 shows a front view of a second embodiment of the device object of the present invention;
figure 5 shows a top view of the figure 4 device;
figure 6 shows a front view of a variant of the figure 4 device in a closing condition;
figure 7 shows a section view according to line VII - VII of figure 6;
figure 8 shows a front view of the figure 6 device in an opening condition;
figure 9 shows a section view according to line IX -IX of figure 8;
figure 10 shows an enlarged partial section view of the figure 8 device;
figure 11 shows a section view according to a vertical plane of figure 10.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to figures from 1 to 3, numeral 1 indicates the hiding enclosure device including a plurality of closure portions 2, consisting of railing fixed elements and/or gates, which can have one or more hinged or sliding shutters.
Each closure portion 2 has side ends respectively connected to vertical studs 4 and horizontal studs 6 and it is associated to hiding means 10, which are mobile between an opening condition A and a closing condition C to partially or fully obstruct the sight through the closure portion 2.
The closure portion 2 has closing means 7 consisting, for instance, of parallel and elongated bars fit to prevent the passage of people and, eventually, animals.
Each horizontal stud 6 has guiding means 9 while at least a vertical stud 4 has a winding mean 8 for the hiding means 10, consisting of a roller shade, whose transversal ends are fixed respectively to a shaft 13 of said winding mean 8 and to a crosspiece 11, whose ends 12 slide over the guiding means 9.
The hiding means 10 consist for instance in an opaque canvas made of synthetic fabric, eventually coated with PVC, or other synthetic material.
The canvas can have faces colored or decorated in identical or different way. For instance, the faces of the canvas can be white or colored with flat dyed or can have images showing, for instance, a garden, a grove or the closing means 7 or architectural elements.
An end of the shaft 13 is connected to elastic means 14, for instance consisting of a plain spiral spring, which exerts to the shaft 13 a rotating axial torque in order to roll the hiding means 10. It is provided that guiding means 9 include friction means for the ends 12 of the crosspiece 11, which has handles for the manual operation of the device 1.
The operation of the hiding enclosure device provides the partial or full closure of the device 1 by exerting on the crosspiece 11 a force suitable to win the frictions of the ends 12 over the friction means of the guiding means 9 and the elastic force of the elastic means 14, in order to unroll and translate the hiding means 10 from the opening condition A to the partial or full closing condition C.
The opening is made exerting a force in the opposite direction, while the elastic means 14 provide to rewind the hiding means 10 around the shaft 13.
A variant of the preferred embodiment provides that the crosspiece 11 is moved by an electromechanism which includes nut screws 20, associated to the ends 12 of the crosspiece 11, engaged by respective threaded axle 21, housed inside the guiding means 9 and driven by an electric motor 22. The motor driving according to a rotating direction causes the opening or the closing of the hiding means 10.
A further variant provides that the crosspiece 11 is connected to elastic means, known and not shown, housed into the guiding means 9 and exerting to said crosspiece 11 a force for unrolling the hiding means 10 in the closing condition C. The shaft 13 is connected to an electric motor, known and not shown, that causes the shaft rotation in order to wind the hiding means 10 in the opening condition A.
In the second embodiment, shown in the figures 4 and 5, the hiding means 10 consist of a plurality of fins 15 associates to each closing mean 7. Each fin 15 rotates around the longitudinal axis of a related closing mean 7 between the closing condition C and the opening condition A.
Each fin 15 is rotatably or rigidly fixed to the related closing means 7 and these latter are rotatably or rigidly fixed to the respective horizontal stud 6.
A side portion of each fin 15 is hinged, for instance by means of a pin, to connecting means 16, consisting, for instance, of a bar hinged to the fins 15, at a predetermined constant distance from the respective closing means 7.
The connecting means 16 can be operated by actuator means 17, for instance of electric or hydraulic or pneumatic linear type, interposed between the connecting means 16 and a fixed element of the device 1, for instance a vertical stud 4 or a horizontal stud 6.
The operation of the second embodiment provides that the device 1 hides or discovers the area behind said device 1, by rotating the fins 15. The rotation can be manually made acting on each fin 15 or on the connecting means 16, if present.
If there are the actuator means 17, the opening and closing of the device 1 is made operating the actuator means 17, by means of related buttons or levers.
Figures 6 - 11 show a variant of the second embodiment of the device 1, which includes flange means 19, each connected to a related fin 15 and housed inside a corresponding horizontal stud 6. The flange means 19 are coupled to the connecting means 16, which rotate said flange means 19.
Each flange mean 19 has a toothed portion fit to engage corresponding seats carried out in the connecting means 16, which are constituted, for instance, by flattened holed bar or belt or chain.
It is provided, alternatively, that the flange mean 19 includes a toothed pulley engaged by the connecting means 16, constituted in the specific case by a closed loop timing belt or a chain.
The operation of this last variant does not differ substantially from the operation of the preceding variant, since the rotation of the closing means 7 and the fins 15 is made by translating the connecting means 16. Said translation can be manually operated, for instance by means of a lever 18, sliding in a corresponding slot carried out in the horizontal stud 6, or through the actuator means 17.
It is important to observe that the first embodiment provides that the winding means 8, including the hiding means 10 and the guiding means 9, can be advantageously fixed to preexisting enclosures, railings and gates in order to give them the hiding function.
Furthermore, it is important to observe that the device 1, in both embodiments, can be advantageously installed also in correspondence of windows, attics, gardens, parks, patios, terrace, and in correspondence of boundaries, peripheral walls, external and internal entries.
The main advantage of the present invention is to provide a hiding enclosure device, which can be easily and quickly closed, safeguarding the privacy of the people protected by the enclosure having the device.
Other advantage is to provide a device aesthetically suitable to the environment, being an effective protection against the wind and which can be applied to preexisting enclosures and railings for providing these latter with the hiding function.
Further advantage of the present invention is to provide a device having easy manufacture, low cost and high reliability.

Claims

Hiding enclosure device includes :
- at least a closure portion (2) having at least a side end connected to a vertical stud (4) and at least a side end connected to a horizontal stud (6) having guiding means (9);

- winding means (8) of the vertical stud (4) provided with a shaft (13) ;

- hiding means (10), consisting of a roller shade and whose transversal ends are respectively fixed to the shaft (13) and to a crosspiece (11), whose ends (12) slide over the guiding means (9) ;

- elastic means housed inside the guiding means (9);
characterized in that it further includes:
- an electric motor (22) connected to the shaft (13); wherein
the elastic means exert a force for unrolling the hiding means (10) in a closing condition (C), the electric motor (22), by rotating the shaft (13), rolls the hiding means (10) in an opening condition (A).
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the roller shade of the hiding means (10) consists of a decorated canvas.
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that at least one end of the shaft (13) is connected to elastic means (14) exerting a rotating axial torque to the shaft (13) for rolling hiding means (10).
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that
a closure portion (2) includes a plurality of parallel and elongated shaped closing means (7) rigidly fixed to horizontal studs (6); the device (1) including:
- plurality of fins (15) each one coupled to the related closing mean (7) and revolving on a longitudinal axis thereof;

- connecting means (16) coupling the fins (15);
fins (15) are mobile between an opening condition (A) and a closing condition (C) to partially or fully blind the sight through the portion (2).
Device according to claim 4 characterized in that the connecting means (16) are operated by electric or hydraulic or pneumatic actuator means (17).
Device according to claim 4 characterized in that includes flange means (19) each connected to a related fin (15) and housed inside a corresponding horizontal stud (6); each flange means (19) being connected to the connecting means (16).
Device according to claim 6 characterized in that each flange mean (19) has a toothed portion fit to engage corresponding holes of the connecting means (16), including at least a flat bar.
Device according to claim 4 characterized in that the connecting means (16) are manually operated by means of a lever (18).
Device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the faces of the hiding means (10) are decorated to show a garden, a grove or architectural or ornamental elements.
Device according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the faces of hiding means (10) are both decorated in identical or different way.