FR2959524A1 - Foldable shutter system for shielding e.g. glass surfaces of e.g. office from e.g. sunlight, has foldable window shutters fastened in side of upper and/or lower guide rail in closely folded state and arranged in side in unfolded state - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a link arm (8) extending transverse to a guide shaft (6) and connected with a hinge axle. A receiving space is formed at an end of the link arm to receive the guide shaft. Another receiving space (15) is formed at another end of the arm to receive the hinge axle. Foldable window shutters are fastened in a side of upper and/or lower guide rails in a closely folded state. The shutters are vertically arranged in the side of the rails in an unfolded state, where the side of the rails is directed towards the shutters.

Description

The present invention relates on the one hand to a system of folding shutters comprising at least two folding shutters pivotable about a vertical axis which, via one or more upper guiding devices provided with support rollers and guide rollers, are slidable in a horizontally extending upper guide rail and, via one or more lower guide devices with guide rollers, are slidable in a lower guide rail extending horizontally, and which are movable between a completely closed unfolded position and a folded open position, wherein each of the guide devices comprises a vertically extending guide shaft which is connected to a hinge axis of a hinge device The present invention further relates to a guiding device for such a system of folding shutters.

In particular, the present invention relates to a folding shutter system which is provided for closing the outer walls of buildings or large glazed areas.

To protect large glass areas in office buildings, apartment buildings and the like, against curious looks or against sunlight, we can place a system of folding shutters. Such systems are composed of several folding shutters arranged next to one another which can be opened or completely closed by folding or unfolding. As a result, they occupy little space next to the window when folded open. In addition, such a system can cover large widths.

The various folding flaps of such a system can slide, by means of guiding devices, into fixed guide rails at the head or foot of the glazed part concerned. For this purpose, the (upper) guiding devices, which are movable in the upper guide rail, comprise a plurality of support rollers and guide rollers and the (lower) guide devices also comprise a plurality of guide rollers.

Such guiding devices for folding shutters are known and are described in particular in the Swiss patent CH 690 504. However, a system of folding shutters that uses such guiding devices to slide the various folding shutters in the upper guide rail and lower has the great disadvantage that the upper rail remains visible when the folding shutters are completely closed, which is totally unacceptable from the aesthetic point of view. This aspect can be solved by providing a receiving space for the top rail in the concrete, above the glazed part concerned. However, it is obvious that this solution entails high costs.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a folding shutter system with which it is possible in particular to conceal the upper rail in the view of passers-by when the shutters are completely closed.

The object of the invention is achieved by providing a system of folding shutters, comprising at least two folding shutters pivotable about a vertical axis which, via one or more upper guiding devices provided with rollers of 15 and guide rollers, can slide in a horizontally extending upper guide rail and which, via one or more lower guide devices provided with guide rollers, can slide in a guide rail horizontally extending, and movable between a fully closed unfolded position and an open folded position, wherein each of the guide devices comprises a vertically extending guide shaft which is connected to a hinge axis of a hinge device, wherein said guide axis is connected to said hinge axis via a link arm extending transversely to the axis in which said connecting arm is provided at its first end with a receiving space for receiving the guide pin and which is provided at its other end with a receiving space for receiving the pin in such a way that the folding flaps apply, in the completely closed unfolded state, against the face of the upper and / or lower guide rail facing the folding flaps and, in the folded open state, are placed perpendicularly to the face of the upper and / or lower guide rail facing the folding shutters. Said hinge axis 30 is part of a multi-part hinge device, the first part of which is preferably formed by the end of the link arm and the other part of which is placed on the folding flap. The different parts of the hinge device are interconnected by means of this hinge axis.

The presence of a guiding device made in this way makes it possible to apply the folding shutters against the front face of the upper and / or lower guide rail, which are thereby hidden from view.

In a preferred embodiment of the folding shutter system according to the present invention, said link arm is detachably connected to the guide axis.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the folding shutter system according to the present invention, the guiding device comprises adjustment means and the connecting arm is movable on the guide axis via these adjustment means. In this way, it is now possible to move the folding shutters in height (in the vertical direction). By proceeding in this manner to the height adjustment, one must reserve practically no space on the lateral sides of the system of folding shutters, unlike known systems. In known systems, about 20 mm must be left on both sides to allow adjustment in height. According to the present invention, the space to be reserved can be limited to about 6 mm.

The link arm is movable only on the guide axis, the guide axis itself remains in a fixed position; in other words, the guide axis can not rotate in its housing. In this way, everything happens as if the point of articulation was moved and the folding shutters will be placed, in the open state, in perfectly perpendicular position to the face of the upper and / or lower guide rail turned towards the folding shutters .

In a particular embodiment of the folding shutter system according to the invention, the diameter of the guide rollers is greater than the diameter of the support rollers. The folding shutter system further comprises a lower guide device, which is movable in the lower guide rail. The lower guiding device has the same structure, only the support rollers miss because these so-called lower guiding devices assume no bearing function.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the folding shutter system according to the invention, the upper guiding device comprises coupling means for connecting them to one another. In this way, it is possible, in the open state, to connect a first guiding device to another, the flaps thus being on the one hand held in their open position and on the other hand a certain force being necessary to close shutters. Preferably, the lower guide device also comprises identical coupling means.

Another object of the present invention is a guiding device for a folding shutter system of the type described above, wherein said guiding device comprises a detachable link arm extending transversely to the guide axis, which is provided at its first end with a receiving space for receiving the guide pin and which is provided at its other end with a receiving space for receiving the hinge axis.

According to a preferred embodiment of the guiding device, said connecting arm can slide on the guiding axis. To keep the link arm in a well-defined set position on the guide axis, the guide device further comprises adjustment means. These adjustment means comprise for this purpose a nut which can slide on a screw thread formed on the guide axis.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the guiding device according to the invention, it comprises support rollers and guide rollers, in which the diameter of the guide rollers is greater than the diameter of the support rollers. By making the support rollers and guide rollers in this way, it is possible to move heavier and wider folding shutters. When this guiding device is used in the folding shutter system described above, it is even possible to partially cover upper or lower stages.

In particular, the guiding device according to the invention comprises coupling means for interconnecting the guiding devices.

More particularly, the guiding device according to the present invention is part of a folding shutter system of the type described above.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with the aid of the following detailed description of a folding shutter system and a guiding device for such a system according to the invention. This description is only intended to provide an explanatory example and to show other advantages and features of the present invention, and it should in no way be interpreted as a limitation of the scope of the invention or rights patents claimed in the context of the claims.

In this detailed description reference numerals are referred to in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective representation of a guiding device arranged to move in an upper guide rail; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a folding shutter system, seen from the rear, according to the invention in the fully closed state, in which the various guiding devices and end elements are shown; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the folding shutter system shown in FIG. 2 in the half open state; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the folding shutter system shown in FIG. 2, viewed from the front, in the fully closed state; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative system of folding shutters, seen from the front, according to the invention in the open state; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the alternative system of folding shutters shown in Figure 5, seen from the back, in the half open state; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the alternative folding shutter system shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, viewed from the front, in the fully closed state; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a connecting arm of the guide device provided on a hinge axis of a two-part hinge device, in which the guide axis is provided in a first receiving space and the hinge axis in a second receiving space; and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a connecting arm of the guide device provided on a hinge pin of a three-part hinge device.

The present invention provides a folding shutter system (1) which in particular makes it possible to protect the external walls of buildings or large glazed parts in such a way that the rail system (4, 5) in which the folding shutters (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f) can slide or be hidden from view when fully closed. The present invention also makes it possible to partially cover upper or lower stages with the same system of folding shutters (1).

The folding shutter system (1) according to the present invention and as represented in particular in FIGS. 2 to 7 consists of several folding shutters arranged next to one another (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f), which are connected to each other in an articulated manner and which can be opened and completely closed by folding / unfolding. In the completely closed state, the various folding shutters are, as shown in FIG. 5, placed perpendicularly and next to one another on the element to be protected, for example a window bay.

The folding shutter systems (1) shown are composed of six folding shutters (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f), two of which (2a, 2b) are connected to one another in an articulated manner and move to a first side of the system (1) upon opening, the remaining four folding shutters (2c, 2d, 2e, 2f) moving to the other side of the system (1) upon opening. In these, the folding shutters placed next to each other are also interconnected in an articulated manner. It is obvious that folding shutter systems, which include more or fewer folding shutters, are also part of the scope of the present invention.

To simply open and close the folding shutters (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f), the system (1) comprises a plurality of guiding devices (3), which can slide in an upper (4) and lower guide rail (4). (5) fixed which extends horizontally. This guiding device (3) is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is, according to the present invention, provided for sliding at least two folding shutters (2a, 2b), articulated around a vertical axis, in a guide rail upper (4) and lower (5) which extends horizontally. The guiding device (3) comprises a body with a guide axis (6) which extends vertically. In addition, the guiding device (3) comprises a detachable connecting arm (8) extending transversely to the guiding axis (6), which is provided at its first end with a cavity (17) (space). receiving member) for receiving the guide pin (6) and which is provided at its other end with a cavity (15) (receiving space) for receiving a hinge pin (7). The hinge pin (7) is part of a hinge device which, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, consists of at least two hinge means (13 and 14). To receive the hinge pin (7), the link arm (8) comprises a first portion (13) of a hinge device. This first portion (13) comprises a cavity (15) which is adapted to receive the hinge pin concerned (7). The second part (14) of the hinge device is provided on the folding flap concerned. Figure 8 clearly shows the manner in which the link arm is in connection with a two-part articulation device with a hinge pin (7), while Figure 9 shows how the link arm (8) of the guiding device (3) is connected with a three-part guiding device.

Since the connecting arm (8) can slide on the guide shaft (6), vertical (height) adjustment can be obtained in this way. Since the connecting arm (8) is connected to the folding shutters by means of the hinge device, the position (height) of the folding flaps can be changed in a simple manner, at the height of the axis. guide (6). For this purpose, the guiding device (3) comprises adjustment means (9). The adjustment means comprise, inter alia, a nut which, when it is turned on a screw thread formed on the guide pin, will move the safety arm upwards or downwards on the guide pin (6). . Such an execution makes it possible to adjust the height in a simple and practical manner. This solution also keeps the space on both sides of the folding shutter system at a minimum level (± 6 mm) (until now, it was necessary to keep on both side sides an available space of about 20 mm ).

As shown in Figure 1, the guide device further comprises two pairs of support rollers (10) and two pairs of guide rollers (11). The axis of the (horizontal) guide rollers (11) is parallel to the guide axis (6), while the axis of the (vertical) support rollers (10) is transverse to the plane of the guide axis (6). It should be noted that in the guide device (3) according to the invention, the diameter of the guide rollers (11) is greater than the diameter of the support rollers (10), which makes it possible to support and move heavier folding shutters (20 to 60 kg).

The guiding device illustrated in Figure 1 is more specifically a guiding device adapted to move in an upper guide rail (4). A guiding device adapted to move in a lower guide rail (5) has the same structure, only the support rollers (10) miss because these guiding devices said inferior assume no bearing function. Such lower guiding devices are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 and are designated by the numeral 3b, while the upper guiding devices are designated in these figures by the numeral 3a.

To connect the guiding devices to each other, the upper and / or lower guiding devices comprise coupling means (12a, 12b), in particular male (12a) and female (12b) coupling means. In the guiding device (3) shown, the male coupling means (12a) are formed by a protruding lug, and the female coupling means (12b) are formed by a receiving piece which is provided to receive the lug projecting. For this purpose, the receiving part comprises a spring element.

The folding shutters which are part of the folding shutter system (1) can slide, via the guiding devices described above, in the upper guide rails (4) and lower (5) which extend horizontally, and they are movable between a completely closed unfolded position and an open folded position. The presence of the detachable connecting arm (8) ensures that the folding shutters (2a, 2b) are applied, in the fully closed unfolded state, against the face of the upper (4) and / or lower (5) guide rails. turned towards the folding shutters (see for example Figure 2) and thus creates a beautiful aesthetically closed set.

The folding shutter system shown (1) comprises, as can be clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the upper rail (4) and in the lower rail (5) in each case three movable guide devices, which can differ at level of their structure according to their position and function. Thus, the lower guiding devices (3b) do not have support rollers (10), as described above. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, it is found in the guide device which is provided in the middle of the four folding flaps, in particular that which connects the hinged flap 2d to the shutter 2e, (upper central roller ), support rollers and / or guide rollers on both sides of the guide axis, while so-called end guide devices (hingedly connected to the shutter 2b and 2c) are only provided with rollers support and / or guide rollers on one side of the guide axis. To prevent the entire folding shutter system from sliding in the guide rails, the outer folding shutters (2a and 2f) are provided with a fixed device (16) (in the upper and lower guide rails respectively), of which the structure corresponds to that of the sliding guide devices described above, except of course the presence of guide rollers and / or support rollers.

The guiding device according to the invention makes it possible, as can be seen in FIG. 4, to position the folding flap hinge devices located one beside the other in a crossed position (in cross section). compared to each other. This ensures inter alia that the hinge devices do not interfere with each other during the complete closure of the folding shutters system, and it is therefore possible to greatly limit the spacing distance between the various folding flaps. In the folding shutter system according to the present invention, the distance between the various folding shutters (in the closed state) can be limited to about 17 mm. While in systems known hitherto, it is necessary to maintain a distance of about 26 mm.

Since it is possible, with the guiding devices described here, to support and move heavier folding flaps, larger folding flaps can be moved, as shown in FIGS. Folding shutters whose length (height) is greater than the distance between the upper rail and the lower rail are to be understood. In this way, it becomes even possible to move folding flaps that partially overlap upper or lower floors. The folding shutter system (1) according to the present invention will thus form an attractive element of the appearance of the facade.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS1 folding shutter system (1), comprising at least two folding shutters (2a, 2b) pivotable about a vertical axis which, via one or more upper guiding devices (3a) provided with rollers of support (10) and guide rollers (11) are slidable in an horizontally extending upper guide rail (4) and which, via one or more lower guiding devices (3b) provided with of guide rollers, are slidable in a horizontally extending lower guide rail (5) and movable between a fully closed unfolded position and an open folded position, wherein each of the guide devices (3) comprises an axis guide (6) extending vertically which is connected to a hinge pin (7) of a hinge device, characterized in that said guide pin (6) is connected to said hinge axis (7) via a link arm (8) extending transversely to the guide axis, wherein said connecting arm (8) is provided at its first end with a receiving space (17) for receiving the guide pin (6) and which is provided with its other end of a receiving space (15) for receiving the hinge axis (7), so that the folding flaps (2a, 2b) apply, in the completely closed unfolded state, against the face of the upper guide rail (4) and / or lower (5) facing the folding shutters and, in the folded open state, be placed perpendicular to the face of the upper (4) and / or lower ( 5) facing the folding shutters. 2. folding shutter system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said connecting arm (8) is detachably connected to the guide shaft (6). Folding shutter system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the guiding device (3) comprises adjusting means (9) and that the connecting arm (8) is movable on the guide axis (6) via these adjustment means (9). 4. folding shutter system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diameter of the guide rollers (11) is greater than the diameter of the support rollers (10). 5. Folding shutter system (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper guide device (3a) comprises coupling means (12a, 12b) for connecting them to one another. 6. Guide device (3) for a folding shutter system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said guiding device (3) comprises a detachable connecting arm (8) s' extending transversely to the guide axis (6), which is provided at its first end with a receiving space (17) for receiving the guide pin (6) and which is provided at its other end with a receiving space (15) for receiving the hinge pin (7). 7. Guiding device (3) according to claim 6, characterized in that said connecting arm (8) is slidable on the guide shaft (6). 8. Guiding device (3) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it comprises support rollers (10) and guide rollers (11), in which the diameter of the guide rollers (11) is larger than the diameter of the support rollers (10). 9. Guiding device (3) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it comprises coupling means (12a, 12b) for interconnecting the guiding devices (3).