JP7628011B2 - Method for joining slats of shutter curtains in architectural shutter devices, method for repairing shutter curtains, and device for joining slats of shutter curtains - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the technical fields of a method for joining slats in shutter curtains in architectural shutter devices that are installed at openings such as entrances and exits of buildings, a method for repairing shutter curtains, and a device for joining slats in shutter curtains.

Generally, an architectural shutter device is installed at an opening such as an entrance to a building to open and close the opening.In such cases, the opening is opened and closed by raising and lowering a shutter curtain formed by connecting a number of slats in a series in the vertical direction.
If such architectural shutter devices are installed at the entrances and exits of factories, warehouses, etc., transport vehicles such as forklifts and trucks may pass by and accidentally collide with the closed shutter curtain, damaging it. In such cases, it is suggested to replace the entire shutter curtain, but if the damage is partial, a repair method is provided in which the slats in the surrounding area including the damaged area are partially replaced from the standpoint of economy and workability (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-795 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-295973

The conventional repair method involves cutting out the guide rail at the damaged area, extracting the replacement slat from the cut-out area, and then fitting the replacement slat. However, this method cannot be adopted not only when the guide rail is deeply embedded in the structure and it is not possible to cut the guide rail to replace the slat, but also when the opening width is wide and the slats become long in the left-right direction, and it is not possible to secure space to install these long slats adjacent to the cut-out side of the part where the architectural shutter device will be installed.
Therefore, in such cases, as described in the prior art section of Patent Document 2, the repair is carried out by cutting and removing the slat to be replaced, installing a split slat divided into two, and then welding the joint edges of the split slats together.
However, such repair work is not only troublesome and complicated, but also requires consideration of fire prevention measures because it involves welding. If there are flammable items nearby, it becomes necessary to move these items to a place where they will not be affected or to cover them with fireproof sheets, making the work even more difficult. The present invention is intended to solve these problems.

The present invention has been created in consideration of the above-mentioned actual situation and with the aim of solving these problems.The invention of claim 1 is a method for joining slats in an architectural shutter device equipped with a shutter curtain formed by connecting a plurality of slats in a series in the vertical direction, in which all or a part of the slats are formed by joining the joint edges of at least two divided slats, and the divided slats are friction- joined in a butted state , wherein the friction joining is a linear friction joining in which the joint edges are melted and joined by frictional heat generated by vibrating the joint edges under pressure, and the vibration amplitude of the divided slats when making the linear friction joining is within the range of play of the joining portions at the interlock joints.
The invention of claim 2 is a method for joining slats in an architectural shutter device equipped with a shutter curtain formed by connecting a plurality of slats in a series in the vertical direction, in which all or a part of the slats are formed by joining the joint edges of at least two divided slats, and the divided slats are friction-joined in a state where the joint edges of the divided slats are butted together, the friction joining is a linear friction joining in which the joint edges are melted and joined by frictional heat generated by vibrating the joint edges under pressure, the slats are configured with a pair of interlock connecting portions formed on both end edges in the vertical direction for connecting adjacent slats, and a slat surface portion formed between the pair of interlock connecting portions, and the joint edge portion of at least one of the divided slats is such that the slat surface portion protrudes beyond the interlock connecting portion, there is no butting of the interlock connecting portions, and the linear friction joining is initiated in a state where the joint edges of the slat surface portions are butted together.
The invention of claim 3 is a method for joining slats of a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device described in claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the friction joining is a linear friction joining in which the joining edges are melted and joined by frictional heat generated by vibrating them under pressure, and the vibration of the divided slats when performing the linear friction joining is in the vertical direction.
The invention of claim 4 provides a method for joining slats of a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device according to claim 2 , characterized in that the linear friction joining is performed before the interlock joint is joined.
The invention of claim 5 is a method for joining slats of a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device as described in claim 2 , characterized in that linear friction joining is performed immediately before the joining end edges of the interlocking connection are linearly friction joined.
The invention of claim 6 is a method for repairing a shutter curtain in an existing shutter curtain that is installed in a guide rail, wherein all or some of the slats to be replaced are split slats divided into at least two, and after the slats to be replaced are installed in the guide rail from which the slats to be replaced have been removed, for the split slats among the replaced slats, the joint edges of the split slats are butted together and joined by friction welding, and if the split slat to be replaced is adjacent to an existing slat that is not being replaced, the split slats are connected by interlocking through a notch formed in the interlock joint portion on the split slat side of the existing slat, and then the joint edges of the split slats are butted together and joined by friction welding, and then the cutout of the existing slat is sealed with a sealing member.
The invention of claim 7 is a slat joining device for a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device, which includes a split slat divided into at least two slats among the slats that make up a shutter curtain and is used for linear friction joining the split slats at the construction site of the architectural shutter device, characterized in that the slat joining device is configured with a clamping means for clamping the split slats, a pressure means for butting the joint end edges of the clamped split slats together under pressure, a vibration means for vibrating at least one of the joint end edges to melt and join them by heat generated by the frictional vibration of the joint end edges, and a height adjustment means for adjusting these means to the height of the split slat to be joined.
The invention of claim 8 is a slat joining device for a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device, which includes a split slat that is divided into at least two slats among the slats that make up the shutter curtain and is used for stir friction joining the split slats at the construction site of the architectural shutter device, characterized in that the slat joining device is configured with a support means for supporting the split slats with their joining end edges butted together, a friction moving means for melting and joining the joining end edges by generating heat by frictionally moving a friction tool under pressure against the butt joint portions of the supported split slats, and a height adjustment means for adjusting these means to the height of the split slats to be joined.

By adopting the invention of claim 1 or 2 , when the slats constituting the shutter curtain include split slats divided into at least two parts, the split slats are joined by friction welding with their joint edges butted together. Therefore, even in a narrow space where it is not possible to secure space to install the replaced slats, there is no need to take into consideration fire risks as in the case of welding, and the split slats can be easily joined together, resulting in excellent workability.
Furthermore, by using the invention as defined in claim 1, when the friction joining is performed as a linear friction joining, the amplitude of the vertical vibration of the split slats when said friction joining is performed is set within the range of play of the connecting parts at the interlock joints where the slats are connected to each other, so that the joining work can be performed with the slats interlocked together, improving workability.
Furthermore, by using the invention as defined in claim 2, when the split slats are joined together by linear friction welding, the slat surface portions that protrude beyond the interlock joint are primarily friction joined, so that the interlock joint can be joined with little or no burrs generated by the joining.
By adopting the invention of claim 3 , the friction joining is a linear friction joining in which the joining edges are vibrated under pressure to generate frictional heat, and the vibration of the split slats when performing this linear friction joining can be performed in the vertical direction, which is the direction in which the slats are connected to each other, thereby making the joining work more efficient.
According to the invention as defined in claim 4 , joining can be performed without generating burrs at the interlock joint portion, and there is no influence on the swinging of the interlock joint portion.
By adopting the invention of claim 5 , it becomes possible to perform joining even when there is a small amount of burr on the interlock joint, and a strong join can be achieved with the burr having almost no effect on the swinging of the interlock joint.
According to the invention as defined in claim 6 , the work of replacing or repairing the slats at the construction site of the architectural shutter device can be easily accomplished by friction joining.
Furthermore, the split slats can be joined to each other by friction welding while being interlocked with the existing slats, and the cutouts formed in the existing slats are blocked with blocking members, thereby preventing impairment of visibility.
By adopting the invention of claim 7 , when replacing or repairing slats at the construction site of an architectural shutter device, the work of joining the split slats together by linear friction joining can be performed in accordance with the height of the split slats to be joined, improving workability.
By adopting the invention of claim 8 , when replacing or repairing slats at the construction site of an architectural shutter device, the work of joining the split slats together by stir friction welding can be performed in accordance with the height of the split slats to be joined, improving workability.

1 is a front view of an architectural shutter device showing a damaged shutter curtain. FIG. (A) (B) (C) and (D) are explanatory diagrams showing an example of cutting a removable slat, an explanatory diagram showing the state where a replacement slat is incorporated into a guide rail, an explanatory diagram showing the state where a replacement slat is incorporated into a guide rail, and an explanatory diagram showing the state where a split slat is joined. 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of a shutter curtain repaired when both the upper and lower ends are made into split slats, and when the entire curtain is made into split slats. 1A, 1B, and 1C are explanatory diagrams showing the state in which a split slat is incorporated into an existing slat, the direction of pressure and the direction of vibration when linearly friction joining the split slats together, and the state in which the cutout portion in the slat is covered with a sealing member. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the connection state of adjacent slats. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a slat joint device for linear friction joining. 1A and 1B are schematic side and front views of a slat joining device for linear friction joining. 11A, 11B, and 11C are explanatory views showing the process in which the interlock joints and the slat surface parts of the split slats are joined by linear friction joining. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D are explanatory views showing the process in which only the interlock joint portions of the divided slats are joined by linear friction joining. 13A and 13B are explanatory views showing a state in which a split slat is joined by linear friction welding at the interlock joint portion and the slat surface portion, and a state in which only the slat surface portion is joined by linear friction welding. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a slat joining device for stir friction joining. 1A and 1B are schematic front and plan views of a slat joining device for stir friction joining. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the slat surface portions of the divided slats are joined by stir friction welding; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which a split slat is replaced by pushing and bending a cut interlock joint portion. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes an architectural shutter device that is installed in an opening such as an entrance or exit of a building. The shutter device 1 is configured with guide rails 2 provided on the left and right sides of the opening, a shutter curtain 3 that is guided up and down by the guide rails 2 to open and close the opening, a shutter case 4 that houses various components such as a take-up drum (take-up shaft) that winds up the shutter curtain 3 and an opening/closing device that drives the rotation of the take-up drum (none shown), and the shutter curtain 3 can be raised and lowered by controlling the operation of the opening/closing device in response to the operation of an operating switch SW provided next to the opening, all of which are conventional.

The shutter curtain 3 is formed in a flat plate shape by connecting slats 3a long in the left-right direction in a vertical series, and the slats 3a are configured with a pair of interlocking joints 3b, 3c at both vertical end edges for connecting adjacent slats 3a, and a slat surface portion 3c formed between the upper and lower interlocking joints 3a, 3b. The upper and lower interlocking joints 3a, 3b are connected to each other so that they can swing back and forth, so that adjacent slats 3a connected in the vertical direction are connected with vertical play (a gap that allows relative movement in the vertical direction) X at the interlocking joints. The structure of this shutter curtain 3 and slats 3a is also conventional.

Next, a case will be described in which a slat 3a located at an appropriate vertical position in the shutter curtain 3 is damaged by a collision with a transport vehicle such as a forklift and is replaced or repaired. In this case, for convenience, hereinafter, the slat 3a that is damaged and is replaced (removed) will be referred to as the "removable slat 3e," the slat 3a that is replaced (changed) in place of the removed slat 3e will be referred to as the "replacement slat 3f," and the existing slat 3a that is not removed will be referred to as the "existing slat 3g."

In carrying out the repair work, it is first necessary to remove the removable slat 3e from the existing slat 3g adjacent to the removable slat 3e, and therefore, first, a procedure for removing the removable slat 3d from the shutter curtain 3 will be described. In this case, the removable slat 3d is cut at an appropriate position in the left-right middle part with an appropriate tool such as a grinder to separate it into left and right halves, and at this time, the interlock connection parts 3b, 3c with the adjacent existing slat 3g are also cut.
Furthermore, the interlocking connection portions 3b, 3c with the cut existing slat 3g are cut out to an appropriate width to form a cutout portion 3h, and the adjacent removable slat 3d is removed (pulled out) from the cutout portion 3h of the existing slat 3g, thereby making it possible to remove the removable slat 3e.

In this way, the replacement slats 3f are fitted to the shutter curtain 3 from which the removable slats 3e have been removed. In this case, the opening and closing mechanism is driven to open, widening the gap between the upper existing slat 3g and the lower existing slat 3g in the vertical direction. For the intermediate replacement slats 3f that are not connected to the existing slats 3g, if there are multiple replacement slats 3f, they are connected in a series of interlocking connections, and the left and right end edges are fitted into the guide grooves of the guide rails 2 with the vertically inclined offset.

Thereafter, a replacement slat 3f is further installed between the existing slat 3g and the replacement slat 3f that has been installed, and in this embodiment, this replacement slat 3f is a split slat 3i, 3j that is divided into two, left and right. It goes without saying that the split slat can be divided into three or any other number of parts as necessary.
The split slats 3i, 3j are then assembled in the reverse order of the removal operation, with the interlocking joints 3b, 3c being connected to each other through the cutouts 3h. In this case, the split slats 3i, 3j are moved left and right excessively by utilizing the left and right play between the slats 3a and the guide rails 2, and then moved back to the desired (predetermined) position, so that the split slats 3i, 3j can be set in a state in which the joint edges 3k, 3l described below butt against each other.
Furthermore, when installing such replacement slats 3f, if the left-right length of the slats 3a is too long and the long slats 3a cannot be transported to the site as is, for example, if the site is on an upper floor such as the second floor and the slats 3a are too long to fit through the stairs, all of the replacement slats 3f will be converted into split slats 3i, 3j and transported to the site, and in such cases, all of the split slats 3i, 3j will be installed.

Next, the split slats 3i, 3j of the assembled replacement slats 3f are integrated by friction welding the butted joint edges 3k, 3l. There are two types of friction welding: linear friction welding, in which the joint edges are fused together by the frictional heat generated by vibrating them under pressure, and stir friction welding, in which the butted joint edges are fused together by the heat generated by the frictional movement of a friction tool under pressure. The present invention can be implemented with either type of friction welding, and we will first explain how to connect the split slats 3i, 3j together by linear friction welding.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a slat joining device for linearly frictionally joining the divided slats 3i, 3j together, and the slat joining device 5 is assembled to a carriage 6 provided with wheels 6a so as to be freely movable, and a pair of left and right support pillars 7 and an auxiliary support pillar 8 arranged to face the support pillars 7 are erected on the carriage 6. Incidentally, the support pillars 7 in this embodiment are U-shaped with their upper ends connected to each other.
The left and right ends of the control unit 9 are supported on the support pillar 7 so as to be movable up and down, and the support pillar 8 supports the support part 12 so as to be movable up and down. The height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the control unit 9 and the support part 12 by moving the control unit 9 and the support part 12 up and down may be, for example, a screw shaft (supported on the support pillar 7 and the auxiliary support pillar 8 so as to rotate integrally (rotate synchronously)) 5a supported rotatably by a drive means such as a servo motor equipped with a rotation speed control mechanism (not shown, for example, provided on the dolly 6), which is screwed into the control unit 9 and the support part 12, and the control unit 9 and the support part 12 can be moved up and down based on the drive control of the drive means, and the height of the control unit 9 and the support part 12 from the floor surface can be adjusted. Incidentally, it is well known that the height adjustment can be set by the motor rotation speed when the drive means is a servo motor, and this technology can be adopted.

The control unit 9 is provided with a vibration means 10 for vibrating one of the left and right split slats 3i, 3j. As the vibration means 10, for example, a means is adopted which vibrates (excites) the vibration side support part 10a by rotating an eccentric shaft or eccentric cam with a motor. For such a means, the "vibrator" technology is generally known, and a similar technology can be adopted.
The vibration side support part 10a provided in the vibration means 10 clamps one of the split slats 3i in a pressing manner between it and the vibration side receiving part 12a provided in the receiving part 12, and vibrates the clamped split slat 3i back and forth in the vertical direction, which is the play direction between adjacent slats 3a, and the vibration amplitude is set so as not to exceed the vertical play X of the interlock connecting parts 3b, 3c that connect the slats 3a to each other.
Incidentally, the vibration means 10 in this embodiment vibrates one of the divided slats 3i, 3j, namely, the divided slat 3i, but the present invention can also be implemented by vibrating both of them. In this case, the vibration means 10 is set so that the vibrations of the vibration side support parts 10a provided on the left and right are different in the vertical direction (vibrations in which the phases of the vertical vibrations are reversed).

The control unit 9 is further provided with a pressure means 11 for butting the joint edge portions 3k, 3l of the other divided slat 3j against the one divided slat 3i in a pressurized state. The pressure means 11 is configured with a drive means such as a servo motor equipped with a load detection means, and is capable of controlling the movement in the left-right direction so that the joint edge portion 3l of the other divided slat 3j, which is clamped in a pressed state between the pressure support portion 11a provided in the pressure means 11 and the vibration side receiving portion 12b provided in the receiving portion 12, is butted against the joint edge portion 3k of the one divided slat 3i supported by the vibration side support portion 10a and the vibration side receiving portion 12a in a pressurized state.

Incidentally, the vibration side support part 10a, the vibration side support part 11a, the vibration side receiving part 12a, and the pressure side receiving part 12b, which are provided to clamp the split slats 3i and 3j, preferably have a shape corresponding to the shape of the slat to be clamped and are shaped to be able to clamp the slat 3a from the outside, and furthermore, it is preferable that they are magnetic so that the support of the slat 3a is more secure. Incidentally, either a permanent magnet or an electromagnet may be used to provide a magnetic configuration, but an electromagnet is preferable from the viewpoint of workability when attaching and detaching the slat 3a.

To join the split slats 3i, 3j together using the slat joining device 5 configured in this manner, first, with the shutter curtain 3 loosely fitted between the control unit 9 and the receiving unit 12, the control unit 9 of the slat joining device 5 is moved up and down to position the vibration means 10 and the pressure means 11 at positions corresponding to the split slats 3i, 3j, and then one of the split slats 3i is clamped between the vibration support unit 10a and the vibration side support unit 12a, and the other split slat 3j is clamped between the pressure side support unit 11a and the pressure side receiving unit 12b.
Thereafter, the pressure-applying support section 11a is moved toward the left-right vibration-applying support section 10a, and the joint edges 3k, 3l of the split slats 3i, 3j are butted together under pressure. Next, while maintaining this butted state, the vibration-applying support section 10a is vibrated (excited) in the vertical direction, which causes the joint edges 3k, 3l to slide relative to each other in the vertical direction in a rubbing state, and the frictional heat generated thereby melts and joins the joint edges 3k, 3l together, thus implementing linear frictional joining of the split slats 3i, 3j, and integrating the split slats 3i, 3j.
After the joining work is completed, the cutout portion 3h can be closed with a closing member 13 so that visibility is not impaired, and the appearance is improved.

When linear friction joining the split slats 3i, 3j together in this way, if the interlock joints 3b, 3c are also linearly friction joined together in the same way as the slat surface portion 3d, burrs Y will be generated at the interlock joints 3b, 3c due to fusion welding, just like the slat surface portion 3d. However, the burrs Y generated at the interlock joints 3b, 3c are not only exposed to the outside like the burrs Y generated at the slat surface portion 3d and can be easily removed by deburring, but also occur within the interlock joints 3b, 3c and are not exposed to the outside, so there is a risk that burrs Y cannot be deburred. If these burrs are left as they are, they may cause problems with the swinging of the interlock joints 3b, 3c.

To deal with this, the joint edge portions 3k, 3l of the slat surface portion 3d are made to protrude beyond the interlock joint portions 3b, 3c, and the linear friction joining is performed in this state, so that the slat surface portions 3d that are butted together under pressure are melted and joined. As this linear friction joining proceeds, the interlock joint portions 3b, 3c butt together in a linear friction joining state, but if the linear friction joining work is stopped in a state before the interlock joint portions 3b, 3c are linearly friction joined, the split slats 3i, 3j are only joined to each other at the slat surface portions 3d, and there is no joining at the interlock joint portions 3b, 3c, but the interlock joint portions 3b, 3c are free of burrs Y, and do not affect the rocking of the slats 3a.

In contrast, if the linear friction joining work progresses and the interlock joints 3b, 3c are linearly friction joined together, and linear friction joining is performed up to immediately after the interlock joints 3b, 3c are linearly friction joined, the split slats 3i, 3j will not only be joined between the slat surface portions 3d (joints that exert a predetermined joint strength), but will also be joined at the interlock joints 3b, 3c (joints that do not exert the predetermined joint strength), thereby increasing the strength of the joints. However, burrs Y will be generated at the interlock joints 3b, 3c, but since the burrs Y are generated before the linear friction joining has progressed, they will be small (slight) and will have almost no effect on the oscillation of the slats 3a.
Needless to say, the correspondence of the joining between the divided slats 3j using such linear friction joining can be appropriately adjusted according to the required joining specifications.
Incidentally, when the slat surface portion 3d is configured to protrude toward the interlock connection portions 3b, 3c to form a linear friction joint, both split slats 3i, 3j may be configured in this manner, but the present invention can also be implemented by configuring only one of the split slats 3i or 3j in this manner.

In the present embodiment configured as described above, the slats 3a constituting the shutter curtain 3 are divided into left and right slats 3i, 3j, and when the joint edges 3k, 3l of the divided slats 3i, 3j are joined together to form the slats 3a, the joint edges 3k, 3l are butted together and friction-joined, making it easy to transport even to a narrow work site, and when the divided slats 3i, 3j are joined together, there is no need to take into consideration the risk of fire, as is the case with welding, resulting in excellent workability.

Moreover, in this case, the friction joining is a linear friction joining in which the joining edges are melted and joined by the frictional heat generated by vibrating them under pressure, and the vibration of the split slats 3i, 3j when performing this linear friction joining is in the vertical direction, which is the connection direction of adjacent slats. Therefore, it is possible to utilize the vertical play X of the connection parts of the interlock connection parts 3b, 3c that connect adjacent slats, and the joining work can be performed with the split slats 3i, 3j assembled, thereby making the work more efficient.
Furthermore, since the vibration amplitude of the split slats 3i, 3j when performing the linear friction joining is within the range of the play X of the joining portions at the interlocking joints 3b, 3c, the joining work can be performed smoothly and reliably while the split slats 3i, 3j are interlocked with each other, thereby improving workability.

Furthermore, when performing the linear friction joining as described above, if the slat surface portions 3d of the split slats 3i, 3j are linearly friction joined so that they protrude beyond the interlocking joints 3b, 3c, the interlocking joints 3b, 3c do not butt against each other, and the linear friction joining is performed with the slat surface portions 3d butted against each other, which results in reliable joining of the slat surface portions 3d and a strong joint.
Furthermore, when linear friction joining is performed in this manner, if the joining work is completed before the interlock joints 3b, 3c are joined, joining can be performed without the generation of burrs Y on the interlock joints 3b, 3c, and there is no effect on the oscillation of the interlock joints.
In contrast, if the joining work is performed immediately after the joining edge portions of the interlocking joints 3b, 3c are joined, the joining will be performed with slight burrs on the interlocking joints 3b, 3c. However, since the interlocking joints 3b, 3c will be joined even though their strength is not sufficient, there is an advantage in that the strength can be increased commensurate with the joining.

This technique of joining the split slats 3i, 3j together by linear friction welding can be adopted in repair work to replace some of the slats 3a of an existing shutter curtain 3 installed in a guide rail 2.In this case, of the slats 3a to be replaced, at least the replacement slats 3g adjacent to the existing slats 3g that do not need to be replaced are made into split slats 3i, 3j, and after the replacement slat 3f is installed in the guide rail 2 from which the removal slat 3e has been removed, the split slats 3i, 3j of the replacement slat 3f can be joined by the linear friction welding with their joint edges 3k, 3l butted together.
In this case, when the replacement slat 3f is adjacent to the existing slat 3g, the split slats 3i, 3j are connected by interlocking through the cutouts 3h formed in the interlocking joints 3b, 3c on the replacement slat 3f side of the existing slat 3g, and then the joint end edges 3k, 3l of the split slats 3i, 3j are butted together and joined by the linear friction joint, and then the cutout 3h is closed with a closing member 13.

When replacing some of the slats 3a of an existing shutter curtain 3 in this way, the two divided slats 3i, 3j are joined together by linear friction welding, so that by making the replacement slat 3f into the divided slats 3i, 3j, it is possible to easily transport and incorporate the slats 3a into sites where it is not possible to transport a slat 3a that is long in the left-right direction, or where it is possible to transport the slats but there is not enough space to install them, and the replacement slats 3f can be easily transported and incorporated into the guide rail 2. The assembled divided slats 3i, 3j are then joined together by linear friction welding, which does not require any consideration of fire safety, improving workability.

The slat joining device 5 for performing such linear friction joining is configured so that the vibration means 10 and pressure means 11 required for linear friction joining can be moved up and down in accordance with the height of the split slats 3i, 3j to be joined, making on-site work easier and providing excellent workability.

In the above embodiment, linear friction welding is used as the friction welding, but the present invention can also be implemented using stir friction welding in which the butted joint edges 3k, 3l are fused and joined by heat generated by frictional movement of a friction tool under pressure.
The joining device 14 for stir friction joining can be configured in the same manner as the joining device 5 for linear friction joining described above, in which a support 16 and an auxiliary support 17 are erected on a cart 15, and a control unit 18 and a receiving unit 19 are provided on the support 16 and the auxiliary support 17 so that they can move up and down freely, but the control unit 18 is provided with a friction means 20 and clamping means 21 which are arranged on both the left and right sides of the friction means 20 and press the left and right split slats 3i, 3j against the receiving unit 19 and clamp them.

The friction means 20 is provided with a friction tool 20a that is rotated by a motor, and the friction tool 20a is set so as to move in an arc in the vertical direction while frictionally moving across the abutting portions of the abutted joint edges 3k, 3l of the clamped split slats 3i, 3j, and the frictional heat generated by this frictional movement melts and joins the abutted joint edges 3k, 3l. This can be used to implement the present invention, and even in this case, as in the first embodiment, the split slats 3i, 3j can be melt and joined together without having to take into consideration the risk of fire.
Incidentally, in this case, the areas to be joined are the areas where the friction tool 20a moves and comes into contact with the friction tool 20a, but the areas are the entire slat surface portions 3d of the joining end edges 3k, 3l and parts of the interlock coupling portions 3b, 3c, and the areas that are visible from the friction tool 20a side are the maximum.

In the above embodiment, the repair of an existing shutter curtain has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such repairs, and can also be used when installing a new architectural shutter device. An example of such a case is when a new shutter device is installed on the upper floor of a high-rise building after the exterior has been completed. A specific example is when a newly installed shutter device is wide and cannot be lifted and transported to the upper floors by a transport device such as a construction elevator or stairs that are too narrow. In such a case, the slats are made into a split type and lifted and transported to the upper floors, and the split slats are joined together at the site on the upper floor.

In addition, in the above embodiment, when replacing or repairing slats, as shown in FIG. 4, a notch 3h with a width in the left-right direction is formed in the lower interlock joint 3c of the adjacent slat 3a, and the slat 3a is replaced through the notch 3h. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, after cutting the lower interlock joint 3c of the slat 3a, the cut part 3m is bent to make the left and right cut parts 3m misaligned (for example, misaligned in the front-to-back direction), and in this state, the replacement part slat (split slat) 3e (3f) is detached (inserted, removed, replaced), and then the cut part 3m of the bent lower interlock joint 3c is returned to its original state, and the replaced split slats are joined together by the friction joint described above. This invention can also be implemented.

The present invention can be used as a method for joining slats in shutter curtains in architectural shutter devices, a method for repairing shutter curtains, and a device for joining slats in shutter curtains.

Reference Signs List 1 Architectural shutter device 2 Guide rail 3 Shutter curtain 3a Slat 3b Upper interlock joint 3c Lower interlock joint 3d Slat surface 3e Removed slat 3f Replacement slat 3g Existing slat
3h: notch portion 3i, 3j: divided slat 3k, 3l: joint edge portion 5: slat joint device 9: control portion 10: vibration means 11: pressure means 12: receiving portion 13: blocking member X: play Y: burr

Claims (8)

A method for joining slats in an architectural shutter device having a shutter curtain formed by connecting a plurality of slats in a vertical direction in such a way that all or a portion of the slats are formed by joining the joint edges of at least two divided slats together, the method comprising frictionally joining the joint edges of the divided slats together in a butted state,
The friction joining is a linear friction joining in which the joining edges are melted and joined by frictional heat generated by vibrating them under pressure, and the vibration amplitude of the split slats when performing the linear friction joining is within the range of play of the joining parts at the interlock joint.This method for joining slats in a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device is characterized in that A method for joining slats in an architectural shutter device having a shutter curtain formed by connecting a plurality of slats in a vertical direction in such a way that all or a portion of the slats are formed by joining the joint edges of at least two divided slats together, the method comprising frictionally joining the joint edges of the divided slats together in a butted state,
The friction welding is a linear friction welding in which the joining edges are fused together by frictional heat generated by vibrating the edges together under pressure,
A method for joining slats in a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device, characterized in that the slats are configured with a pair of interlocking joints formed at both upper and lower end edges for connecting adjacent slats, and a slat surface portion formed between the pair of interlocking joints, and the joint end edge of at least one of the split slats has a slat surface portion that protrudes beyond the interlocking joint, so that there is no abutment between the interlocking joints, and the linear friction joining is initiated with the joint end edges of the slat surface portions abutting against each other. A method for joining slats in a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the friction joining is a linear friction joining in which the joining edges are melted and joined by frictional heat generated by vibrating them under pressure, and the vibration of the split slats when performing the linear friction joining is in the vertical direction. 3. The method for joining slats of a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device according to claim 2 , wherein the linear friction joining is performed before the interlock joint is joined. 3. The method for joining slats of a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device according to claim 2 , wherein the linear friction joining is performed immediately before the joining edge portions of the interlocking joint are linearly friction joined to each other. A method for repairing an existing shutter curtain by replacing some of the slats of the existing shutter curtain that is assembled into a guide rail, wherein all or some of the slats to be replaced are split slats that are divided into at least two parts,
After the slat to be replaced is installed in the guide rail from which the slat to be replaced was removed, the split slats among the replaced slats are joined by friction welding while the joint ends of the split slats are butted against each other,
A method for repairing a shutter curtain in a construction shutter device, characterized in that when a split slat to be replaced is adjacent to an existing slat that is not to be replaced, the split slats are interlocked and connected through a notch formed in the interlock joint on the split slat side of the existing slat, the joint end edges of the split slats are butted together and joined by friction welding, and then the cut-out portion of the existing slat is sealed with a sealing material. A slat joint device includes a shutter curtain and a split slat divided into at least two slats. The split slats are linearly friction-joined at an installation site of an architectural shutter device. The slat joint device is
A clamping means for clamping the divided slats;
a pressing means for butting the joint edge portions of the sandwiched divided slats together under pressure;
a vibration applying means for vibrating at least one of the joining edge portions to cause frictional vibration between the joining edge portions, thereby melting and joining the joining edge portions by heat generation;
A slat joining device for a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device, characterized in that said means are equipped with height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the divided slats to be joined. A slat joining device includes a shutter curtain slat that is divided into at least two slats, and the slats are joined by stirring and friction welding at an installation site of an architectural shutter device, the slat joining device comprising:
A support means for supporting the divided slats with their joint edges butted against each other;
a friction moving means for frictionally moving a friction tool under pressure against the butt joint portions of the supported divided slats to melt and join the joint edges by generating heat;
A slat joining device for a shutter curtain in an architectural shutter device, characterized in that said means are equipped with height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the divided slats to be joined.

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