GB2290100A - Shutter system - Google Patents

Abstract

A shutter system (10) has a shutter comprising a plurality of interconnected panels (11, 12, 13) which are moveable relative to one another to enable the shutter to be moved between an unfolded condition in which the shutter obstructs an opening, and a folded condition to permit access through the opening. The inter-connected panels are hinged to one another in a manner which permits the shutter to be wound about an axis located selectively to either side of the panels. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Shutter System Description of Invention This invention relates to a shutter system of the kind having a shutter comprising a plurality of interconnected panels which are movable relative to one another to enable the shutter to be moved between an unfolded condition in which the shutter obstructs an opening, and a folded condition to permit access through the opening. Such a shutter system will hereinafter be referred to as being "of the kind specified".

A shutter system of the kind specified is disclosed in Dutch Patent NL8802826 in which each panel is relatively hinged to an adjacent panel about a hinge axis to permit interconnected panels to be in alignment in a shutter plane when the shutter is unfolded, and hinged out of alignment as the shutter is folded, ie is wound about a spindle. The hinge axis is spaced to one side of the shutter plane.

However in the arrangement of this specification the shutter can only be wound about the spindle with the spindle positioned to one side of the panels ie the side common with the hinge axis, because of the nature of the hinged connections between the panels.

According to one aspect of the invention I provide a shutter system of the kind specified characterised in that the interconnected panels are hinged to one another in a manner which permits the shutter to be wound about an axis located selectively at either side of the panels.

Thus a spindle, which may comprise part of a shutter folding mechanism of the system, can be located on either side of the opening, for example on the inside or the outside of a structure providing the opening which the shutter is adapted to close, whichever is the most convenient.

Preferably each panel has a panel part and along one edge thereof a pair of spaced hinge formations, and along an opposite edge of the panel part a further hinge formation, the spaced hinged formations of one panel being adapted to receive between them the further hinge formation of an adjacent panel, there being a pivot member received in a passage provided by the hinge formations thus to interconnect the panels for relative hinging movement.

Thus each of the panels may be of substantially identical configuration.

However if desired, each panel may have a panel part and along one edge thereof a pair of spaced hinge formations and along an opposite edge of the panel part a further pair of hinge formations eg aligned with the hinge formations along the one edge, each pair of hinge formation being adapted to receive between them a hinge formation of an adjacent panel.

In such a construction, a plurality of types of panels of various hinge formation positionings may be required.

The hinge formations may be connected to their respective panels by means of connecting parts which serve to space the hinge axis to a first side of the respective panel part, but permit relative hinging of adjacent interconnected panels such as to bring second sides of the panel parts towards one another.

For example, the connecting parts may permit relative hinging such as to bring the second sides of the panel parts together such that the second sides of the panel parts may subtend an angle between them of less than 140 degrees.

The connecting parts may each provide a recess between the panel part and the respective hinge formation, into which the edge of an adjacent panel part may be received during relative hinging of the interconnected panels, so as to enable the second sides of the panel parts to be together.

Each of the panels, or at least some of the panels may be made in an at least translucent, or transparent, plastics material, for example as a integral moulding. The pivot members where provided, may comprise rods or tubes made of metal, or another suitably strong material.

The panels are preferably arranged vertically generally one above the other in the shutter plane when unfolded.

Preferably each panel has a plurality of pairs of spaced hinged formations along one edge of its panel part, and a plurality of further hinge formations provided along the opposite edge of the panel part, with each further hinge formation being received, in use, between a pair of spaced hinge formations of the adjacent panel, a single pivot member being received in a passage provided by all of the hinge formations of two adjacent panels to interconnect the panels for relative hinging movement.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of three interconnected panels of a shutter system in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is side illustrative view of a part of a shutter system in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is an end view of part of a panel of the shutter system of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a shutter system 10 which is generally of the kind disclosed in Dutch Patent 8802826.

The system 10 comprises a plurality of interconnected panels 11, 12 and 13 for examples only, which are each conveniently made in a plastics material, each as a integral moulding. Suitable plastics materials are translucent or

transparent polycarbonate or acrylic or perspex tor examples only.

Each panel, for example panel 11 in Figure 1, comprises a panel part 14 which in this example is generally planer, and of rectangular configuration, but could in another example be slightly curved, and could be square or of alternative configuration as desired.

Along one edge 15 of the panel part 14 of panel 11 there are provided a plurality of spaced hinge formations, four in this example shown at 16, 17, 18 and 19.

Along an opposite edge 20 of the panel part 14 there are provided four further hinge formations indicated at 21, 22, 23 and 24.

It can be seen that each pair of hinge formations 16, 17 or 17, 18 or 18, 19 along edge 15 of panel part 14, are adapted to receive between them a further hinge formation 21, 22, 23, 24 of an adjacent panel. A pivot member,comprising in this example a hinge pin 25, is received in a passage P provided by each of the hinge formations 16 to 19 and further hinge formations 21 to 24, to interconnect the panel 11 to further panels for hinging.

It can be seen in Figure 1 that a plurality of small panels 11 and 12 are provided side by side in a row and that two panels in the one row interconnect with the same panel 13 of the next row, and so on.

In this way, any two panels as panels 11 and 12 in any row are not relatively moveable but are moveable as a unit together relative to an adjacent panel 13 in the next row.

Referring to Figure 3, the hinge formations 16 to 19 and 21 to 24 are each connected to the panel part 14 by means of connecting elements 26. The connecting elements 26 space the hinge axes, indicated at H1 and H2 to one side 27 of a respective panel part 14 and when the panels 11-13 are generally vertical to one side of a shutter plane S defined by the shutter of the system when the shutter is in an unfolded condition closing an opening T to a structure.

It will be appreciated from Figure 1 and 2 that the rows of panels 11 to 13 are in this example arranged one above the other, such that the shutter plane S is, at least where the shutter is across the opening T, generally vertical.

The connecting elements 26 also enable a small recess R1, R2 to be provided between each hinge formation 16 to 19 or further hinge formation 21 to 24 and the respective edge 15, 20 of the panel part 14.

Referring now particularly to Figure 2, it can be seen that the shutter is foldable to allow access through the opening T which is closed by the shutter when the shutter is in an unfolded condition.

The shutter is folded by means of being wound about a spindle 30 located above the opening T, the spindle 30 being rotated about the spindle axis 31 by any suitable motive means, in a generally clockwise direction shown in Figure 2.

In this example, the spindle 30 and mechanism for folding the shutter, are located on an outside of the opening T to the structure although as will be appreciated from what is said hereinafter, if desired, the spindle 30 and folding mechanism may be located at the inside of opening T if desired.

By virtue of the recesses R1 and R2 provided by the connecting elements 26 the edges 15, 20 of the panels 11 to 13 can be received in respective recesses R2, R1 of adjacent panels, to permit adjacent panels in adjacent rows eg panels 11 and 13, to hinge relative to one another so as to bring second surfaces S2 of their respective panel parts 14 towards one another. The connecting elements 26 and recesses R1, R2 are arranged such that adjacent panels 11, 12 and 13 can be relatively hinged so as to bring the second surfaces S2 together, so as to subtend an angle x between the second surfaces of less than 140 degrees and preferably of less than 100 degrees.

Hence provided that the spindle 30 has a sufficiently great radius, the panels 11 to 13 of the shutter can be wound around the spindle 30 in a spiral, so as to fold up the shutter.

It will be appreciated that the shutter can be unfolded by rotating the spindle 30 in an anticlockwise direction and that the panels 11 to 13 of the shutter will thus hinge so as to move their second surfaces S2 away from one another, to allow the panels 11 to 13 to be in alignment with one another in the shutter plane S.

It will be appreciated that if desired, spindle 30 may be located at an inside of a opening T, rather than the outside as shown.

In this event the spindle 30 would be located to the first side 27 of the panels 11 to 13 and an opposite side of the shutter plane. Folding of the shutter may than be achieved by rotating the spindle 31 in an anticlockwise direction in which case, the panels 11 to 13 will be relatively hinged to bring the first surfaces S1 of the panel parts 14 of adjacent interconnected panels 11 to 13, together.

Hinging in this direction is freely permitted by virtue of the hinge axes H1 and H2 being offset from the planar panel parts 14 of the panels 11 to 13.

Thus utilising the present invention a shutter system may be provided in which the spindle 30 around which the shutter is wound and hence the spindle axis 31 can selectively be located on the inside or the outside of a opening T which the shutter closes when unfolded, and to either side of the shutter.

It will be appreciated that in some applications it is more convenient for the spindle 30 and a housing to accommodate the folded shutter to be located on one or other side of the opening T.

It will be appreciated that in the example shown, from Figure 2, that although in the region f the opening T, the shutter has been described as being generally vertical, in the region from the top of the opening to the spindle 30, the panels of the shutter are in alignment, but are inclined to the vertical towards the spindle 30. The amount of such inclination obviously depends on the spacing of the spindle axis 31 from the shutter plane S.

By virtue of the nature of the hinged connections as described, the axis 31 can be spaced significantly to one or other side of the shutter plane S.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the arrangement described, each panel part 14 has four hinge formations 16-19 along one edge 15 and four alternately spaced 21-24 further hinge formations along an opposite edge 20, whereas in another arrangement, more or less than four hinge formations may be provided along each edge.

In the example described, in hinge formations along edge 15 of the panel part 14 are spaced alternately relative to the further hinge formation 21 to 24 provided along edge 20 of the panel 11. In this way, each of the panels 11 to 13 may be of identical configuration.

However if desired, the hinge formations on the opposite edges of a panel may be aligned, but in this event, it may be necessary to provide two alternative types of panels, for alternate rows of the shutter.

In the example described, the pivot member 25 comprises a solid hinge pin. In another example, the pivot member may comprise a tube. In each case, the pivot member may be made of metal or another suitably strong material.

Although it is preferred for each of the panels of the shutter of be made of an least translucent, and preferably transparent material, at least some of the panels may be opaque.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (15)

1. A shutter system having a shutter comprising a plurality of inter-connected panels which are moveable relative to one another to enable the shutter to be moved between an unfolded condition in which the shutter obstructs an opening and a folded condition to permit access through the opening, wherein the interconnected panels are hinged to one another in a manner which permits the shutter to be wound about an axis located at selectively at either side of the panels.

2. A shutter system according claim 1 wherein each panel comprises a panel part and along one edge thereof a pair of spaced hinged formations, and along an opposite edge of the panel part a further hinge formation, the spaced hinge formations of one panel being adapted to receive between them the further hinge formation of an adjacent panel, there being a pivot member received in a passage provided in the hinge formations thus to inter-connect the panels for relative hinging movement.

3. A shutter system according to claim 2 wherein each of the panels is of substantially identical configuration.

4. A shutter system according to claim 2 wherein each panel comprises a panel part and along one edge thereof a pair of spaced hinge formations and along an opposite edge of the panel part a further pair of hinge formations, each pair of hinge formations being adapted to receive between them a hinge formation of an adjacent panel.

5. A shutter system according to claim 4 wherein the pair of spaced hinge formations along one edge of the panel part are aligned with the further pair of hinge formations along an opposite edge of the panel part.

6. A shutter system according to claim 2 or 3 wherein each panel comprises a plurality of pairs ofspaced hinge formations along one edge of its panel part, and a plurality of further hinge formations provided along the opposite edge of the panel part, with each further hinge formation being received, in use, between a pair of spaced hinge formations of the adjacent panel, a single pivot member being received in a passage provided by all of the hinge formations along respective edges of two adjacent panels to inter-connect the panels for relative hinging movement.

7. A shutter system according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the hinge formations are connected to their respective panel parts by means of connecting parts which serve to space the hinge axis to a first side of the respective panel part, but permit relative hinging of adjacent inter-connected panels such as to bring second sides of the panel parts towards one another.

8. A shutter system according to claim 7 wherein the connecting parts permit relative hinging such as to bring the second sides of the panel parts together such that the second sides of the panel parts subtend an angle between them of less than 140".

9. A shutter system according to claims 7 or 8 wherein each connecting part provides a recess between the panel part and the respective hinge formation, into which the edge of an adjacent panel part may be received during relative hinging of the inter-connected panels, so as to enable the second sides of the panel parts to be moved together.

10. A shutter system according to any preceding claim wherein at least some of the panels are made in a translucent, or transparent, plastics material.

11. A shutter system according to claim 10 wherein the panels made of plastics material are made as an integral moulding.

12. A shutter system according to any one of claims 2 to 11 wherein the pivot members comprise rods or tubes made of metal.

13. A shutter system according to any preceding claim wherein the panels are arranged vertically generally one above the other in the shutter plane when unfolded.

14. A shutter system constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

15. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.