GB2112850A - Fastening for roller shutters - Google Patents

Abstract

A roller shutter handle comprises a bar 11 with a swinging arm 12 at either end. Each arm 12 is pivoted on a bracket 14 mounted on a lath 16 of the shutter. A latch member 21 is pivoted on the hinge pin for each arm 12 and carries a pin 23 which extends across the adjacent arm 12 and a roller 25 on its other side. Keepers 27 form bights 31 in which the rollers 25 are received to latch the shutter, and ramps 29 which deflect the rollers 25 as the shutter is being closed. The handle is pivoted about the hinge pins to open the shutter, acting through the pins 23 to deflect the latch members 21 and remove the rollers 25 from the bights 31. When the shutter is closed the latches automatically engage their keepers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A shutter latch mechanism This invention relates to shutters and is concerned particularly with a latch mechanism by which such a shutter is latched closed.

Each of British Patent Specifications Nos.

1,350,592; and 1,508,838 and 1,519,608 and French Patent Specification No. 2,370,843 discloses a shutter latch mechanism which is operable to release a latch whilst the shutter is held manually against a load which urges it open.

Such latch mechanisms are prone to jamming being vulnerable to grip etc. Also it is usual practice for them to be located internally with respect to the shutter so that access to them from outside for cleaning and maintenance in the event of failure is not possible when the shutter is closed.

An object of this invention is to provide a shutter with a latch mechanism which is easier to open from the latched condition, is less vulnerable to grit, and affords access to the latch mechanism when the shutter is closed.

According to this invention there is provided a shutter assembly comprising structure which surrounds an opening, a shutter which comprises a plurality of laths hingedly connected together at their longitudinal edges and movable across the opening in a direction substantially normal to those longitudinal edges to open and close the opening, a handle by which the shutter is held manually during movement of the shutter in both the opening and closing directions, and a latch mechanism operable to retain the shutter in the location in which it extends across the opening and closes the opening, the latch mechanism comprising at least one movable latch member which is mounted on the shutter and, for each latch member, a keeper which is mounted on the frame and which has a projecting portion with which the respective latch member co-operates, wherein the handle is pivotally mounted on a lath of the shutter for pivotal movement relative to that lath about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the lath, and the or each latch member is pivotally mounted on a lath for pivotal movement relative to that lath about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the lath, the or each latch member having one lateral projection which co-operates with the handle and another lateral projection which co-operates with the projecting portion of the respective keeper, the arrangement being such that, during closing movement of the shutter, the or each latch member is deflected relative to the handle by engagement of its other lateral projection with the projecting portion of the respective keeper as it is carried past that keeper projecting portion whereafter it swings back relative to the handle into latching engagement with the respective keeper to latch the shutter in the closed condition, and the or each latch member is displaced from its location of latching engagement with the respective keeper by pivotal movement of the handle which is transmitted to it by engagement of the handle with said one lateral projection, such pivotal movement of the handle being caused by initial application of a shutter opening force to it.

The shutter assembly may include resilient loading means which urge the shutter in the opening direction towards a storage location.

Preferably there are two latch members and the handle extends between them over substantially the full length of the lath upon which it is mounted.

Conveniently either end of the handle is pivotally mounted upon the respective lath by a respective mounting bracket which is fixed to the lath and the adjacent latch member is pivotally mounted on that mounting bracket as well.

Usually opening movement of the shutter is upwards, in which case each mounting bracket may also form a stop at its top, the stops being adapted to limit upward movement of the shutter by abutting the structure at the top of the opening.

Each mounting bracket may form stop surfaces which limit pivotal movement of the handle in either direction relative to the lath on which it is mounted. The handle may comprise a swinging arm at either end and a bar which extends between the swinging arms, each swinging arm and the adjacent latch member being pivotally mounted upon the respective mounting bracket by a common hinge pin, each swinging arm being between the respective mounting bracket and the adjacent latch member. The handle may carry a cover at either end, each cover enveloping a major part of the respective mounting bracket when the handle abuts the respective stop surface during closing movement of the shutter, and comprising or enveloping the respective swinging arm.Each cover may be formed with an aperture through which the portion of the respective mounting bracket that forms the stop at its top extends, the stop surface that limits pivotal movement of the handle that is caused by initial application of a shutter opening force to it being formed by said mounting bracket portion and cooperating with an edge of said aperture to stop such pivotal movement of the handle.

One form of shutter in which this invention is embodied is described now by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the lower right hand corner of the shutter and the respective latch mechanism when the shutter is latched in its closed position, the latch mechanism being viewed from outside the opening at a location displaced from the opening to the right of the opening; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating disengagement of the latch mechanism during initial opening of the shutter;; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the lower left hand corner of the shutter, the handle, the respective latch mechanism and keeper as the latch member approaches the keeper during closing movement of the shutter, the latch mechanism being seen from outside the opening at a location displaced from that left hand latch mechanism to the right thereof; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing initial deflection of the latch mechanism by the keeper during closing movement of the shutter; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 3 and 4 illustrating engagement of the latch mechanism with its keeper to close the shutter; and Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a modification of the latch mechanism shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

A vehicle, such as a fire engine, has an opening which provides access to a storage compartment.

The opening is surrounded by a frame 1 0 (see Figures 1 to 5) and is normally closed by a roller shutter.

The roller shutter comprises a plurality of elongate laths, which are hinged together along their longitudinal edges. Any convenient hinge arrangement, such as that which is described and illustrated in the description filed with our co-pending British Patent Application No. 8236060 which designates priority of our British Patent Application No. 8200378, rnay be used. The lath (not shown) at one end of the shutter is fixed to a storage roller which is mounted within the compartment adjacent to and substantially parallel to the upper edge of the opening. The storage roller is spring loaded in the direction in which it must rotate to draw the shutter across the opening so as to open the opening, the shutter being wrapped around the roller as it is so drawn.

A handle is provided on the outer surface of the shutter so that an operator can restrain opening movement of the shutter so that it does not open too quickly under the action of the spring loading of the roller and can move the shutter against that spring loading to close it.

Figures 1 to 5 show that the handle comprises a bar 11 which is pivotally mounted at either end by a respective swinging arm 12, 13 on a respective mounting bracket 14, 1 5 which is secured to the outer surface of a lath 1 6 of the roller shutter adjacent the respective end of that lath i 6. Each mounting bracket 14, 15 forms stop surfaces (not shown) which respectively limit upwards and downwards movement of the handle by abutment therewith of the respective swinging arm 12, 13. Hence there is always a clearance between the bar 11 and the lath 16. Each mounting bracket 14, 15 also has an upstanding portion which forms a stop 1 9, 20 at its top.

A latch member 21, 22 is pivotally mounted on each mounting bracket 14. 15 by the same hinge pin as the respective swinging arm 12, 13, the swinging arm 12, 1 3 being between the respective latch member 21, 22 and the mounting bracket 14, 1 5. Each latch member 21, 22 has one laterally projecting pin 23, 24 which extends over the adjacent swinging arm 12, 13. It also carries a roller 25,26 upon a pin which projects in the opposite direction. Each latch member 21, 22 has a complex geometrical shape for reasons which will be explained.

Each roller 25, 26 is in a vertical plane which also contains a respective keeper 27, 28 which is fixed to the frame 1 0 alongside the opening. Each keeper 27, 28 projects outwardly from the frame 10 parallel to the edge of the opening. Its upper surface forms a ramp 29 and 30 which slopes downwardly and outwardly from the frame 10.

Each keeper 27, 28 forms a bight 31, 32 below the ramp 29, 30. The horizontal depth of the bight 31, 32 is greater than the radius of the respective roller 25, 26.

The geometrical form of each latch member 21, 22 is such that, when the swinging arms 12 and 13 abut the stop surfaces that limit downwards movement of the handle and the rollers 25 and 26 are in horizontal alignment with the respective bights 31 and 32, each of those rollers 25 and 26 is located within the respective bight 31 and 32 (as shown in Figure 1) by gravity or by spring means, whereby the shutter is latched against upward movement by that projecting portion of each keeper 27. 28 that extends across and above the respective roller 25, 26.

In order to open the shutter, the operator grasps the bar 11 and pivots it upwards (see Figure 2) as if to lift the shutter. The consequent angular movement of the swinging arms 12 and 13 causes the arms 12 and 13 to force the pins 23 and 24 upwards and outwards thereby angularly deflecting the latch plates 21 and 22 sufficiently to withdraw the rollers 25 and 26 from the bights 31 and 32 of the keepers 27 and 28, thus releasing the latches and allowing opening of the shutter subject to any manual restraint imparted thereon by the operator via the bar 11 and until upward movement of the shutter is inhibited by engagement of the stops 1 9 and 20 with the top of the frame 1 0.

In order to close and latch the shutter, the operator grasps the bar 11 and pulls it down until the bar 11 approaches the keepers 27 and 28 as shown in Figure 3. When the rollers 25 and 26 contact their respective keepers 27 and 28, (as shown in Figure 4), the latch members 21 and 22 are deflected angularly relative to the respective swinging arms 12 and 13 by the interengagement of the rollers 25 and 26 with the respective ramps 29 and 30, the swinging arms 12 and 13 being held against such angular movement by the action of the operator holding the bar 11 so that they are held against the respective stop surfaces. Such angular movement of the latch members 21 and 22 relative to the swinging arms 12 and 13 continues until the rollers 25 and 26 reach the lower ends of the respective ramps 29 and 30 whereupon, due to the action of gravity or spring means, they swing back into the respective bight 31 and 32 (as shown in Figure 5) to latch the shutter in the closed condition.

Figures 6 and 7 show that each outer end of the bar 11 and much of the respective mounting bracket 14, 1 5 may be enclosed within a respective cover 33 which is integral with the respective swinging arm 12. 13 and which is movable with the swinging arm 12. 13 relative to the mounting bracket 14, 1 5. The cover 33 is formed with an aperture 34 sufficient to allow the relative movement between it and the upstanding portion that forms the respective upper stop 19.

20 with angular movement of the bar 11 relative to the respective mounting bracket 14, 1 5. The outer surface 35 of the portion of each mounting bracket 1 4, 1 5 that projects through each aperture 34, that is to say the surface of that mounting bracket portion that is remote from the respective lath, serves as the stop surface that limits upwards pivotal movement of the handle, cooperating with the opposed edge of the respective aperture 35 to do so. Downwards pivotal movement of the handle is limited by abutment of each cover 33 with a planar surface 36 formed by the major portion of the respective mounting bracket 1 4, 1 5 as is shown in Figure 6.

Claims (10)

1. A shutter assembly comprising structure which surrounds an opening, a shutter which comprises a plurality of laths hingedly connected together at their longitudinal edges and movable across the opening in a direction substantially normal to those longitudinal edges to open and close the opening, a handle by which the shutter is held manually during movement of the shutter in both the opening and closing directions, and a latch mechanism operable to retain the shutter in the location in which it extends across the opening and closes the opening, the latch mechanism comprising at least one movable latch member which is mounted on the shutter and, for each latch member, a keeper which is mounted on the frame and which has a projecting portion with which the respective latch member co-operates, wherein the handle is pivotally mounted on a lath of the shutter for pivotal movement relative to that lath about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the lath, and the or each latch member is pivotally mounted on a lath for pivotal movement relative to that lath about an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges of the lath, the or each latch member having one lateral projection which co-operates with the handle and another lateral projection which co-operates with the projecting portion of the respective keeper, the arrangement being such that, during closing movement of the shutter, the or each latch member is deflected relative to the handle by engagement of its other lateral projection with the projecting portion of the respective keeper as it is carried past that keeper projecting portion whereafter it swings back relative to the handle into latching engagement with the respective keeper to latch the shutter in the closed condition, and the or each latch member is displaced from its location of latching engagement with the respective keeper by pivotal movement of the handle which is transmitted to it by engagement of the handle with said one lateral projection, such pivotal movement of the handle being caused by initial application of a shutter opening force to it.

2. A shutter assembly according to Claim 1, including resilient loading means which urge the shutter in the opening direction towards a storage location.

3. A shutter assembly according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein there are two latch members and the handle extends between them over substantially the full length of the lath upon which it is mounted.

4. A shutter assembly according to Claim 3, wherein either end of the handle is pivotally mounted upon the respective lath by a respecitve mounting bracket which is fixed to the lath and the adjacent latch member is pivotally mounted on that mounting bracket as well.

5. A shutter assembly according to Claim 4, in which opening movement of the shutter is upwards and wherein each mounting bracket forms a stop at its top, the stops being adapted to limit upward movement of the shutter by abutting the structure at the top of the opening.

6. A shutter assembly according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein each mounting bracket forms a stop surface which limits pivotal movement of the handle relative to the lath on which it is mounted.

7. A shutter assembly according to any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the handle comprises a swinging arm at either end and a bar which extends between the swinging arms, each swinging arm and the adjacent latch member being pivotally mounted upon the respective mounting bracket by a common hinge pin, each swinging arm being between the respective mounting bracket and the adjacent latch member.

8. A shutter assembly according to Claim 7 when appended to Claim 6, wherein the handle carries a cover at either end, each cover enveloping a major part of the respective mounting bracket when the handle abuts the respective stop surface during closing movement of the shutter, and comprising or enveloping the respective swinging arm.

9. A shutter assembly according to Claim 8 when appended to Claim 4, wherein each cover is formed with an aperture through which the portion of the respective mounting bracket that forms the stop at its top extends, there being a stop surface which limits pivotal movement of the handle that is caused by initial application of a shutter opening force to it, said stop surface being formed by the respective mounting bracket portion and cooperating with an edge of the respective aperture to stop such pivotal movement of the handle.

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

ii. A roller shutter substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, or modified substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.