GB2295182A - Shutters - Google Patents

Abstract

A structure has an open front 10 which may be opened or closed by displacing shutter (30, figure 1). The shutter (30) is secured 36 in the structure in such a way as to permit folding of shutter stored in the open structure into two or more opposed shutter runs. This may enable the shutter to be stored more compactly in the open structure, as compared to winding the shutter onto a storage roller. Sliding movement and appropriate folding of the shutter is suitably guided by guide tracks in the structure. <IMAGE>

Description

SHUTTERS The present invention relates to shuttered structures.

Examples of shuttered structures include openfronted enclosures, such as cabinets, cupboards, desks and the like, having a sliding shutter (or tambour) which is displaceable for opening and closing the open-front of the enclosure. Typical shutters comprise a plurality of slats pivotally connected to one another. The slats are generally accommodated in guide tracks arranged alongside opposing edges of the open front and which together define the path for displacement of the shutter. The shutter may be slid up and down or from side to side, as appropriate, to open and close the structure.

It is known to load the shutter onto a storage roller which, in use, is rotatably secured inside the structure and spaced rearwardly from the limit of the open front. Especially in the case where the shutter is arranged to move vertically i.e. up and down, the storage roller may incorporate a spring which becomes tensioned upon the shutter being unwound from the roller and drawn downwardly into the closed position. In this way, the spring of the storage roller may assist in subsequent opening of the shuttered structure, which involves sliding the shutter upwards.

Disadvantages are associated with roller shutter structures, whether the shutter is arranged to be movable up and down or from side to side. One difficulty is that the storage roller, when wound with shutter, occupies a considerable space in the structure and accordingly reduces its capacity.

The present invention recognises and seeks to alleviate the aforementioned problems.

Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention provides an open-fronted shuttered structure having a sliding shutter which is displaceable for opening and closing the open front, wherein the shutter is secured in the structure so as to permit folding of shutter stored in the open structure into two opposed shutter runs.

Typically, the shutter is secured to the internal surface of the structure, at or near one end of the shutter. Suitably, the shutter is secured to the structure at or near the limit of its open front. The appropriate location for securing the shutter will depend upon relative dimensions (including length and thickness) of the shutter and the size of the structure.

Suitably, guide tracks are provided in the structure at least alongside its open front so as to guide appropriate sliding displacement of the shutter. Thus, in preferred embodiments of the present invention the structure includes one or more guide tracks located inside the structure and which each provide a path for opposed shutter runs. In this way, the guide tracks may guide the shutter so that it folds and doubles back on itself inside the open structure for storage purposes.

In particularly preferred embodiments the structure includes opposing first guide tracks of a first configuration which both define a path for a single run of shutter and which are arranged alongside the open front of the structure, the first guide tracks communicating with second guide tracks of a second configuration located inside the structure and directed away from the open front and which each define a path for two opposed runs of the shutter. Suitably, a second guide track is a lateral extension of a first guide track, arranged so that the shutter is capable of being deflected from the first guide track into the second guide track.

The present invention is particularly applicable to shuttered structures in which the shutter is movable from side to side and which include first guide tracks arranged above and below the open front of the structure and second guide tracks located at one side of the upper and lower internal surfaces of the structure and which are arranged to extend from the open front to the rear of the structure. Preferably, the or each first guide track is a channel of a first width and the or each second guide track is a channel of a second, greater width.

Any such guide tracks as aforesaid may accommodate the free edges of the shutter. Alternatively, the tracks may accommodate runners on which the shutter is mounted.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the shutter comprises a plurality of pivotally interconnected slats mounted on such runners. Suitably, the slats of the shutter are secured at the pivotal connection and at each free edge to a runner comprising an enlarged, generally circular, head for location in the guide track and a barbed neck for securing the runner to the slat.

In preferred embodiments the shutter is pivotally secured to opposing internal surfaces of the structure, suitably at or near one end of the shutter. Use of a pivotal connection between the shutter and structure has been found to allow for particularly smooth folding and unfolding of the shutter inside the structure.

Suitably, an end of the shutter is pivotally secured to the structure near the limit of the open front of the structure so as to permit folding of the shutter into opposed runs inside the structure and behind the opening.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an elevational view of an example side opening shuttered cabinet; Fig. 2 illustrates interengagement of a slatted shutter in a guide track in the cabinet of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 illustrates the guide tracks and location of stored slatted shutter for a second cabinet when in the "open" position; and Fig. 4 illustrates guide tracks and the location of a slatted shutter for the second cabinet when in the "closed" position.

Turning firstly to Fig. 1, this illustrates an openfronted structure 1, which may be used as a cabinet.

The structure 1 has opposing top and bottom walls 2, 4, opposing left and right side walls 6, 8, a rear wall (not illustrated) and an open front 10.

The structure 1 accommodates a slatted shutter 30.

The shutter 30 comprises a plurality of pivotally interconnected extruded slats 32. A handle 34 is provided on a slat 32 at or near the free end 33 of the shutter 30.

The shutter 30 is slidably mounted in the structure 1 so as to be movable from side to side (from left to right in Fig. 1) to close the open front 10. This type of structure (in which the shutter moves horizontally from side to side) is termed a "side-opening" shutter.

Thus, the term "side-opening" relates to the direction of movement of the shutter, although the structure aperture or opening is at the front face.

The slats 32 in shutter 30 run in upper and lower guide tracks 40 and 50 respectively. The manner of interengagement of slats 32 and track 40 is illustrated in Fig. 2.

In more detail, Fig. 2 shows that each slat 32 includes an engager part 38 and a receiver part 39. The engager part 38 of a first slat is accommodated in a receiver part 39 of a second slat to provide a pivotal interconnection. The engager part 38 is also hollowed to define an aperture 37 for receiving a barbed neck 64 of a runner 60. The runner 60 has an enlarged cylindrical head 62 which is accommodated in the channel section track 40. The runners 60 are freely slidably movable within track 40. A similar arrangement is employed for interengagement of shutter 30 in opposing track 50.

Thus, to open the shuttered structure of Fig.l, shutter 30 is drawn to the left so that runners 60 slide in tracks 40 and 50. Eventually, the shutter is displaced to the limit 10' of the open front 10. At this stage, the free end 33 of shutter 30 is at or near the left hand side wall 6. Also, a major proportion of the shutter 30 is accommodated inside the structure 1. The present invention concerns a new method for storing the shutter 30 in such a structure. This may be explained in more detail with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

Turning firstly to Fig. 4, this illustrates lower guide tracks in a side opening shutter which opens by sliding the shutter to the right (as opposed to the left in Fig. 1).

In more detail, Fig. 4 shows a lower guide track 50' comprising a first narrow guide track 51' which deflects into a laterally extending second wide, guide track 52'.

An end 35 of shutter 30 is pivotally secured to the track 52' at 36. This is spaced just above and to the rear of the limit 10' of the open front 10 of the structure.

Both tracks 51' and 52' are of channel section. The width of channel 51' is selected so as to snugly accommodate runners 62 whilst permitting smooth sliding movement thereof. The width of channel 52' is selected so as to be at least twice the thickness of the shutter 30.

Fig. 4 illustrates the closed position of the structure, in which shutter 30 is drawn over the open front 10. Fig. 3 illustrates the open position in which the open front 10 is exposed. To open the structure 1, the shutter 30 is displaced to one side towards guide track 52', causing the free end 35 of the shutter to pivot about 36. Further displacement of shutter 30 feeds slats 32 into guide track 52' so that the shutter doubles back on itself to provide opposing runs 13, 13' inside the structure and aongside the limit 10' of the open front 10.

The extent to which the shutter 30 can be folded and compactly fitted into the structure 1 depends upon the flexibility of the shutter 30 and the interconnections between slats 32. Also, the degree of folding necessary will depend on the width of the guide track 52' inside the enclosure.

We have found that particularly compact structures can be provided by utilising two types of guide tracks, such as illustrated. The space available in the side (or top) of such a structure need only just exceed twice the thickness of the shutter. This is in contrast to use of a storage roller which may include many turns of the shutter. In that case, the space available must correspond to at least the diameter of the roller which will be of considerably greater size than twice the shutter thickness.

Various modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiments. For example, the structure may accommodate a host of different types of shutter. Also, the guide tracks may accommodate the shutter directly (rather than runners for the shutter). In addition, in some cases it may be feasible to employ guide tracks along only one side edge of the open front. Furthermore, the invention is applicable to structures in which the shutter moves vertically rather than horizontally. Also, the guide track may be arranged so as to deflect the shutter into more than two opposing runs, in serpentine fashion. This may be desirable if the structure to be shuttered is of great height but small depth.

Claims (15)

1. An open-fronted shuttered structure having a sliding shutter which is displaceable for opening and closing the open front, wherein the shutter is secured in the structure so as to permit folding of shutter stored in the open structure into two or more opposed shutter runs.

2. A structure according to Claim 1 wherein the shutter is secured to the internal surface of the structure.

3. A structure according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the shutter is pivotally secured to opposing internal surfaces of the structure.

4. A structure according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the shutter is secured to the structure at or near the limit of its open front.

5. A structure according to Claim 4 wherein the shutter is pivotally secured to the structure near the limit of the open front of the structure so as to permit folding of the shutter into opposed runs inside the structure and behind the opening.

6. A structure according to any preceding claim wherein one or more guide tracks are provided in the structure at least alongside its open front so as to guide appropriate sliding displacement of the shutter.

7. A structure according to Claim 6 which includes one or more guide tracks located inside the structure and which each provide a path for opposed shutter runs to guide the shutter so that it folds and doubles back on itself inside the open structure for storage purposes.

8. A structure according to Claim 7 which includes opposing first guide tracks of a first configuration which both define a path for a single run of shutter and which are arranged alongside the open front of the structure, the first guide tracks communicating with second guide tracks of a second configuration located inside the structure and directed away from the open front and which each define a path for two opposed runs of the shutter.

9. A structure according to Claim 8 wherein a second guide track is a lateral extension of a first guide track, arranged so that the shutter is capable of being deflected from the first guide track into the second guide track.

10. A structure according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 which includes first guide tracks arranged above and below the open front of the structure and second guide tracks located at one side of the upper and lower internal surfaces of the structure and which are arranged to extend from the open front towards the rear of the structure.

11. A structure according to any one of Claims 8 to 10 wherein the or each first guide track is a channel of a first width and the or each second guide track is a channel of a second, greater width.

12. A structure according to any one of Claims 6 to 11 wherein the or each guide track accommodates the free edges of the shutter.

13. A structure according to any one of Claims 6 to 11 wherein the shutter is mounted on runners which are accommodated in the guide tracks.

14. A structure according to Claim 13 wherein the shutter comprises a plurality of pivotally interconnected slats mounted on such runners.

15. A structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, any one of the accompanying drawings.