IL105712A - Anti-blast double-wing window shutter - Google Patents

Description

"ANTI-BLAST DOUBLE-WING WINDOW SHUTTER11 THE APPLICANT: J. ATLASOVITZ 24, D*ISRAELI ST. ¾Kjnm mm HA I FA. .Λ a » n ANTI-BLAST DOUBLE-WING WINDOW SHUTTER.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

The invention relates to a shutter for tightly closing the space in front of a window whenever a hostile air attack is imminent. It relates particularly to a window shutter which will prevent shattering of window panes and seal the window opening against entry of dust and dirt raised by an explosion. It is, however, not destined to seal the window against penetration of noxious gases.

During the past Gulf War it became evident that the population living in apartment houses is not able to reach the air raid shelter in the basement after sounding of the air raid warning and the arrival of the first missiles. Even in the case that warning could be sound about five minutes before the first hit, as was possible in the above war owing to observation cf the missile site by means of satellites, for people living more than one floor above the shelter time was too short to reach it. For this reason the authorities at that time decreed that a safe room be prepared in each house and each apartment by sealing the doors and windows with tape to prevent gases from entering. However, this precautionary measure did not prevent the window panes from being shattered by blast from close explosions and prevent gases from entering the room. For this occurrence all persons in these safe rooms were obliged to wear gas masks, a matter inconvenient and uncomfortable as well.

For these reasons the Israeli authorities have decreed that in future buildings at least one room should be made safe by containing only one window and one door which are suitable for being sealed against penetration of gases. The window should additionally be protected by a removable shutter strong enough to protect the window panes from being shattered by blast from a near explosion, and to seal the room, to a certain degree, against penetration of dust and dirt raised by the explosion. Protection against poison gas is provided by the window itself whose wings and panes are sealed to a sufficient degree.

The present shutter represents an addition tc the protective shutters in use at present, which comprise: 1. a sliding shutter described in the Co-Pending Patent Application of the present applicant No 100,461, which can be slid into a recess in the wall when not in use. This shutter has the" main advantage of not being visible in peace time, but requires a relatively expensive recess in the bui Iding wall. 2. a shutter fastened to one side of a frame surrounding the window opening and to be swung into position in front of the window opening about these hinges. This shutter is relatively inexpensive, but requires the person to lean far out of the window, in order to haul it into position, a task which may be impossible for an elderly or weak person .

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a window shutter which will protect the window, particularly the window panes against action of a blast of an explosion in the vicinity, as well as against the rebound pressure occurring immediately after the blast wave has passed the building.

It is an important object to provide a window shutter which will permit its easy positioning in front of the window, even by elederly or weak persons.

And, last not least, it should be of a design that is foolproof in operation, will require a minimum of mechanical maintenance and be of low-cost manufacture and erection, in order to permit its installation in every new apartment house as protection of the window in the so-called "safe roorc".

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.

The blastproof window shutter of the invention comprises two wings which, in open state, are positioned two both sides of the window opening along the house wall and which, in closed state, cover the window and protect it against explosion blast and rebound. Each wing is pivotally fastened to the vertical sides of a strong frame which is rigidly connected to the wall surrounding the window opening, by at least two hinges, preferably containing ball- or roller-bearings, enabling the wings to be readily swung into position in front of the window. Each wing is made of a steel plate of a thickness designed to withstand the blast of an explosion defined by a pressure of /LSbar lasting for~.<. ms and is, in closed state, supported along its outer edge and its top and bottom edges by the frame, and is strongly reinforced along its inner edge defining the joint between the two wings. Each wing is reinforced by a channel which is rigidly fastened to the inside along the inner edge of each wing, as e.g. by welding, and is, by itself, reinforced by a steel strip extending along the channel's inside close to its base. A first wing contains a lock mounted inside its reinforcing channel which serves to hold the wing in position by two belts engaging with corresponding openings in the top and the bottom of the frame and holds the other wing by means of a strong steel strip firmly connected to the outside of the first wing along its inner edge and protruding beyond the edge, thereby covering the inner edge of the second wing.

The lock is closed and opened by means of a handle in the form of a long lever, permitting to exert a strong turning moment for driving the lock bolts into the frame openings.

The main advantage of the double shutter is the ease with which the wings can be reached by a person leaning out of the window and to be swung into position, compared with that of a single, wide wing used up to now as blast protection .

Its cost is much lower than that of the sliding shutter described in the applicant's co-pending patent application No 100,461 and, if suitably painted, may look like a conventional wooden shutter, thus not unduly disfiguring the house front.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

Figure 1 is an outside view of a window and shutter in open state, Figure 2 is an outside view of the shutter of Figure 1 in closed state, Figure 3 is an outside view of an arched window and suitably shaped shutter in open state, Figure 4 is an inside view of the shutter in closed state, Figure 5 is a section along line 5-5 of Figure 4, Figure 6 shows the edge reinforcement of the two wings and the locking mechanism at an enlarged scale, and Figure 7 is a section along line 7-7 of Figure 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

Figures 1 and 2 show a double shutter for a rectangular window from the outside of a building, in open and closed position respectively. If painted in suitable colors, it may look like an ordinary wooden shutter. Its construction will be shown in detail in Figures 4 through 7.

Figure 3 shows a double shutter designed for covering an arched window by means of correspondingly shaped wings.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7, the blast-proof closure includes a rectangular steel frame I which covers the four wall portions of the window opening (11) and the rim of the opening in the form of a rectangular flange 12. The shutter includes two wings II and II' which are pivotally attached to the vertical sides of flange 12 by two pairs of hinges 10. The hinges may be of conventional design, but preferably contain ball- or roller bearings for the purpose of easier manipulation. The shutters are made of steel plate of a thickness capable of sustaining the blast pressure of an explosion in the vicinity and are reinforced along their inner edges by steel channels 1 and 2 of trapezoidal shape. The flanges are connected to the steel plates by welding along the flange edges to effect maximum strength agsinst buckling, and are themselves internally reinforced by steel strips 3 nd 4, 4' welded close to their base plates. A strong, flat strip 8 is welded along the inner edge of shutter II while protruding beyond this edge, thereby covering the edge of shutter II1 for the purpose of covering the slit between the shutters and, mainly, to hold shutter II' in position during rebound blast. A locking mechanism is positioned inside channel 2 to be operated by a handle 7 adapted to turn a lever 6 about its axis. This action drives two belts 5 into corresponding openings in the top and bottom of the frame by means of two connecting bars 6 and 6a. As visible in Figure 6, the reinforcement strip 4, 4' is interrupted (14) to permit movement of the locking mechanism. A recess 9 is provided in channel 3 close to its bottom end serving as grip for pulling and swinging shutter II1 from its normal position along the wall into emergency position, while shutter II can be moved by means of locking handle 7 The shutter protecting the arched window shown in Figure 3 is of similar construction, and it will be understood that any otherwise shaped window and window opening can be protected by a double-wing shutter of correspondingly shaped wings. It is reiterated that the double-wing shutters are more effective and decorative than the one-wing shutter in use up to now, in spite of slightly higher cost. One the otherr hand, they are no replacement for the sliding shutter defined in patent application No 100,461, but owing to their being cost-effective, their use is recommended in dwellings designed for lower-income f ami 1 ies .

Claims (8)

1. An anti-blast, double-wing window ehutter adapted co er to protect window panes and frame against shattering by an explosion outside of the building, comprising, a frame covering the four sides of said window opening and covering the edges of said opening in the form of a flange, said flange having two vertical sides, a top and a bottom portion, two wings each in the shape of a steel plate of a size larger than one ha]f of th¾ window opening to be covered, having an inside and an outside, of a thickness suitable for resisting a given pressure resulting from blast and rebound of an explosion* each said wing being pivotally attached to one vertical side of said flange by hinge means permitting their being swung about said hinge means from their normal position along the wall of said building into position in front of said window opening with a minimum gap between said two wings, each said wing being reinforbed along its edge adjoining the other wing by a Vertically positioned steel channel, locking raeans provided on a first wing along its vertical side adjoining said second wing adapted to hold said wing in position by means of locking bolts engaging with the top and bottom portions of said frame, a strong flat strip welded to the vertical edge of said firrt wing protruding out of said edge and covering the edge of Said second wing, adapted to hold said wing in position itt :front of Said window opening.

2. The anti-blast shutter of .Claim ls wherein each said steel chatthe). ositioned alon the ed a

3. The anti-blast shutter of Claim 2, wherein said two channels are of trapezoidal cross section.

4. The anti-blast shutter of Claim 2, wherein each of said reinforcing channels is additionally reinforced by a steel strip welded to its inside close to its base portion .

5. The anti-blast shutter of Claim 2, wherein said locking mechanism is positioned inside said channel of said first wing.

6. The anti-blast shutter of Claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism includes a lever adapted to be rotated about its central axis by a handle protruding out of said channel, and two bolts engaging with openings in said frame, moved in respective upward and downward direction by connecting bars piotally connected to said bolts and said lever.

7. The anti-blast shutter of Claim 2, wherein said channel along the edge of said second wing is provided witha recess close to its bottom, said recess serving as handhold for swinging said wing into closed position.

8. The anti-blast shutter of any of the preceding Claims and as illustrated in ttie accompanying drawings. FOR THE APPLICANT, PATENT ATTORNEY.