GB2310238A

GB2310238A - Furniture roller shutter slat with integral hinge

Info

Publication number: GB2310238A
Application number: GB9603297A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Richard Webb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-02-16
Filing date: 1996-02-16
Publication date: 1997-08-20
Also published as: GB9603297D0

Description

FURNITURE ROLLER SHUTTER SLAT WITH INTEGRAL HINGE This invention relates to a fumiture roller shutter slat with integral hinge.

Furniture roller shutter slats where one slat interlocks with another so as to form a hinge are well known. The existing arrangement has been used for many years but the mechanical interlocking system has many limitations in use such as when the slats are dealt a severe blow against their surface which can occur when someone falls against them and the interlocking separates.

Another limitation is that of longitudinal movement of one slat against the other thus causing the slats to jam in the end supporting channels. Such slats can allow dust from one side to the other since the interlocking arrangement must have a small amount of clearance to provide the rotary movement.

According to the present invention there is provided a composite extrusion which comprises of two rigid profiles which are held together by a flexible membrane. One part of the rigid material snaps into the adjacent rigid profile which is identical to the other half of the composite construction. This action is repeated for every adjacent slat. The final assembly is a continuous roller shutter door system where a box like slat section is obtained by snapping one section into the adjacent section and where the hinge which joins the two slats is obtained by the flexible membrane.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:- Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of the composite section.

Figure 2. shows the composite section when joined to other adjacent composite sections.

Figure 3. shows the assembled slats when bent around a roller.

Figure 4. shows the cross sectional form of the finger pull profile as joined to the adjacent standard slats.

Referring to the drawing Fig 1. it can be seen that the rigid profile 1. is joined to the rigid profile 2. by the membrane 3. The triangular arrow shaped ribs 4 are designed to snap into the box like recesses 5 of the adjacent slat. When the adjacent slat is fitted the comer face 7 of one slat butts up against the surface 6 of the adjacent slat.

Figure 2. shows the slats when assembled to the adjacent slats. It can be seen that the triangular arrow shaped ribs 4. are located in the box like recesses 5. When 2. is located into the rigid part 1. of the adjacent slat a strong box like slat is produced Figure 3. shows a group of slats when fitted around a roller. This figure outlines the performance of the flexible membrane in this position.

Figure 4. shows a detailed view of the finger pull section. The finger pull section is similar to the main slat section but with the recess produced by the lower surface 9 and the vertical sides 8.

When the various slats are joined together the two triangular arrow shaped ribs 4. fit firmly into the box like grooves 5. When all the slats are fitted together there will be no movement longitudinally between each adjacent slat. The flexible membrane that connects one slat form to the next one allows lateral rotation between the adjacent slats.

When all the assembled slats are situated in a flat surface position the two surfaces 6 and 7 of each adjoining slat will be in contact with each other. This is the effect that will be obtained when the assembled slats are located in straight channels. Such channels would be located on the inside surfaces of an office cupboard and would be designed to receive the assembled slats.

Claims

1. A fumiture roller shutter slat with an integral hinge which comprises of two rigid polyvinyl chloride extrusions joined together by a flexible polyvinyl chloride membrane where one of the rigid extrusions interlocks with the other rigid extrusion on the adjacent section. The interlocking prevents longitudinal movement of one slat against the other but provides lateral angular movement between one slat assembly and the adjacent slat assembly.

2. A fumiture roller shutter slat with integral hinge where the integral hinge is made from the same material as that of the main two profiles of the slat. The integral hinge can be created by thinning the section at the hinge point to produce a permanent hinge. Such a hinge can be obtained by using a thin membrane of polypropylene copolymer when the main two sections are also made from polypropylene copolymer.

3. A fumiture roller shutter slat with integral hinge where the integral hinge is made from the same material as that of the main two profiles of the slat and similar in construction to that described in Claim 2 but where the material is of rigid polyvinyl chloride.

4. A fumiture roller shutter slat with integral hinge where the integral hinge is made from either similar or different material and where the adjacent slats are locked together with one male and female interlocking member.

5. A fumiture roller shutter slat with integral hinge generally as described in Claim 4 but where the adjacent slats are locked together with more than one male and female interlocking members.

CLAIMS (CONT)

6. A fumiture roller shutter slat with integral hinge generally as described in Claim 4. but where the adjacent slats are locked together with a suitable adhesive such as two sided adhesive tape.

7. A fumiture roller shutter slat with an integral hinge but where the hinge mechanism is manufactured by using a separate flexible membrane which is joined onto two small rigid profiles that form the locking arrangement. The locking arrangement being similar to that described in Claim 1.