GB2311797A

GB2311797A - Preventing longitudinal movement between adjacent slats of a roller shutter

Info

Publication number: GB2311797A
Application number: GB9606838A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Richard Webb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-03-30
Filing date: 1996-03-30
Publication date: 1997-10-08
Also published as: GB9606838D0

Abstract

For preventing longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats, for example of conventional design (figure 1), a headed pin 17, which may be of plastic, ferrous or non-ferrous material, is located in the circular hole 8 within the longitudinal edge connecting formation 2 of one slat and the head 14 of the pin is of a sufficient size to extend beyond the connecting formation 2 to overlap the complementary longitudinal edge connecting formation 3 of the adjacent slat, thus preventing any longitudinal movement between the adjacent slats. The pin 17 may be retained within the hole 8 by utilising radial or longitudinal ribs or barbs 13, a single notch (figure 3), friction fit by the driving in of a pin of slightly larger size than hole 8, or by adhesive.

Description

METHOD OF CONTROLLING LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN ADJACENT ROLLER SHUTTER SMUTS.

This invention relates to plastic or metal roller shutter slats.

Roller shutter slats are well known and can be manufactured from a number of different types of materials such as metal or plastics. The basic principle of a slat is for a circular part of one side of the slat to locate in the hook part of the other side of a slat of the adjacent slat. When adjacent slats are adjoined, the hook and the small circular form which rests within it allow the slats to rotate laterally one against the other. The angular movement is restricted by the limitation of the movement of the hook and the circular form. This permitted angular movement does not however fix the one slat against the other in a longitudinal manner. It follows that unless restricted by some method, the slats can move longitudinally one against the other.

This is an undesirable feature since when these slats are situated in a cupboard and within the appropriate channels which guide them, this longitudinal movement can allow the slats to jam in the channel section. The normal method of preventing longitudinal movement between one slat and the adjacent slat is by two strips of adhesive tape which are fitted on the backs of the slats. These adhesive tapes still allow the hinge action to take effect but do prevent the longitudinal movement of one slat against the other. Another method that is used is to notch part of the hook to produce an angled lip which reacts against the eye part of the adjacent slat. The eye being cut back from the end of the slat so as to ensure that notching is a short distance from the slat end.

According to the present invention there is provided a means of preventing longitudinal movement of one slat against the other by fixing a special headed pin at each end of the slat lengths where the headed pin is located within the hole in the eye part of the slat. The head diameter is of a sufficient size to extend beyond the diameter of the eye but to prevent the hook from moving longitudinally out of position.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a typical slat design. The front surface of the slat is shown as 1 and the eye which is formed from an annular ring is shown as 2. The hook is shown as 3.

Figure 2 shows two typical slats one is joined to the other.

Section AA shows the special headed pin 17 in position. Figure 2 also shows the typical design of pin 17. The special features of the pin 17 are a tapered spigot 12, the parallel shank 11 where this shank is a clearance fit within the hole 8 and where the circular ribs 13 are of an interferance fit with the hole 8 but are allowed to compress during fitting by forcing the hole 10 to reduce in diameter. The radial compression of this hole 10 ensures that the outer form of the eye 7 does not increase in diameter by the pressure from the ribs on the pin, thus preventing free rotation of the pin within the hook surface 9.

The head of the pin is chamfered or radiused at 14 to ensure that there is no mechanical interruption between the head of the pin and any part of the channel into which slat assembly operates.

Figure 3 illustrates a method of retaining the flanged pin by a mechanical method using a barb 16 which will spring into a suitable hole or form that is pierced in the side of the eye of the slat section 2.

Figure 4 shows the interconnection of one slat against the other where the annular form 2 fits into the hook 3. The head of the pin is shown at 15 and the diameter of the head extends approximately halfway between the outer diameter of the annular form 2 and the thickness of the hook 3. This ensures that the outside diameter of the pin head 15 does not protude beyond the overall width of the slat.

Figure 5 shows a number of slats joined together where all of the slats are retained by a number of special headed pins fixed at each end of the slats.

Claims

1 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats by using a special designed headed pin which can be forced into a circular hole in the slat where the head of the pin is of a suitable diameter to cover the hook part of the adjacent slat but not protude beyond the width of the slat.

The head of the pin controls the longitudinal movement of one slat against the adjacent slat. The specially designed pin incorporates a tubular hole whereby the circular ribs or longitudinal barbs are allowed to compress when fitting the shank of the pin into the hole in the slat. This radial contraction prevents the annular form around the hole from expanding and therefore tightening within the hook and prevent lateral rotational movement between one slat and the adjacent slat.

2 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats. As claimed in Claim 1, but where the specially designed pin does not incorporate circular barbs or ribs but has a plain outside form where the specially designed pin is allowed to contract during fitment within the hole 8 by reducing the diameter of the hole 10.

3 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats. As claimed in Claim 1, but where the specially designed pin incorporates longditudinal barbs or ribs where these ribs or barbs are allowed to contract during fitment within the hole 8.

4 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats by using a specially designed pin which can be mechanically retained by using a notched form within the annular form around the hole 8.

5 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats whereby the specially designed pin is made from steel or other non ferrous material and where the outside diameter of the shank of the pin is designed to give a slight interference fit within the hole 8.

6 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats whereby a headed pin of any design is supported firmly within the hole in the slat whereby the method of retention does not materially increase the outside diameter of the circular form surrounding the hole in such a way as to prevent effective free lateral radial movement between one slat and its adjacent slat.

7 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats whereby part of the roller shutter slat has been machined away to allow the head of the pin to be set below the surface of the ends of the roller shutter slats.

8 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats whereby the specially designed pin is retained by adhesive.

9 A method of controlling longitudinal movement between adjacent roller shutter slats whereby a specially designed pin is retained by a screw thread system similar to that used for ordinary standard screws. The screwed thread of the pin being of the self tapping type so as to create a thread form in the hole 8.