TWI437160B - Louver - Google Patents

Description

shutter

The present invention relates to a louver for controlling light or ventilation through a building opening such as a window in a building.

The louver has an elongated substantially rectangular panel having opposing first and second longitudinal edge portions. Two support brackets extending laterally from a support bar support the louver on the elongated support bar, the support bar extending longitudinally from the panel. Each bracket can be easily mounted to and hold one of the opposite longitudinal ends of the panel.

This known blind has been used successfully in many applications, but is limited by the size of the panel that the bracket of the blind can support, i.e., between its opposite longitudinal ends. Thus, as shown in U.S. Patent No. 1,403,054, it is desirable to extend the larger panel area by a continuous louver and intermediate frame members. Therefore, there is an urgent need to support larger panels on elongated support bars having brackets that can also be simply mounted to the panels.

This louver is disclosed in European Patent No. EP 1 696 097, in which each bracket can be longer, but with a hook that simply engages one of the keys on the support rod for reliable The bracket and the support bar are coupled together to support a larger panel on the support bar.

However, other alternatives have long been sought to securely attach the longer bracket to the support bars of the louvers, and the manner It is easier to use and/or less expensive to manufacture.

To this end, the present invention provides a louver comprising: an elongated substantially rectangular panel having opposite lateral edge portions; an elongated longitudinally extending support bar; and at least two laterally extending brackets, The brackets are spaced along the support bar and support opposite lateral edge portions of the panel on the support bar; wherein each of the brackets is located on opposite sides of the louver by a pair of louvers The upper and lower keyway structures are fixed to the support rod.

Advantageously, the upper keyway formation is a mating ball and socket arrangement, and the lower keyway formation is in a snap fit configuration.

The blinds are simple to make and can be installed inside or outside the building.

Figures 1 and 2 show the louver L of the present invention. The top of the louver L supports an elongated generally rectangular panel 1 which can be drilled in different ways, for example as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The louver L has a centrally elongated longitudinally extending support rod 3 and has at least one pair of laterally extending brackets 4 on the laterally opposite sides of the support rod 3 for the panel 1 Supported on the louver and positioned above the support rod 3. Each support bracket 4 has a laterally extending bracket member 4A and a vertically extending bracket member 4B that cooperates with the support rod 3 to securely support the bracket 4 on the support rod 3 And reliably supporting the panel 1 on the support The rods are laterally opposite the brackets on the sides. The outer surface of the inwardly curved free end 5 of each pair of laterally extending bracket members 4A is shaped to tightly engage and support the inner surface of the inwardly curved lateral edge 11 of the panel 1. The longitudinal end of each of the support rods 3 can have a rotating journal (not shown) for pivotally supporting the louver L between the upright columns of the building (e.g., as described in U.S. Patent No. 1,403,054 description).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the louver L has at least one pair of upper keyway formations K1 between its opposite lateral sides. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 3, each of the upper keyway formations K1 has a mating ball and socket arrangement. The arrangement includes a longitudinally elongated rib 6 extending laterally from an upper portion of the lateral portion of the bracket 4 on a lateral side of the louver to an upper portion of the associated lateral side of the support rod 3 on the same lateral side of the louver The longitudinally extending socket 7 is matched with the upper one. As can be seen more clearly from Figure 3, each rib 6 has a vertical cross section which is generally circular, but a portion of which forms a round chord 6A and is flat. As can also be clearly seen from Figure 3, each bracket 4 can be positioned by a laterally extending bracket member 4A that extends slightly upwardly and outwardly from the support rod 3 so that the generally rib 6 is generally straight. Portion 6A is located substantially at the bottom of the rib. As can also be seen from Figure 3, each socket 7 has a vertical cross section with its inner circumference substantially the same as the outer circumference of its mating rib 6. However, when the straight portion 6A of the rib is located at the bottom of the rib, as shown in FIG. 3, the vertical cross section of each socket 7 adjacent to the lateral opening 7A of the rib 6 is larger than the rib 6 of the mating rib 6 The vertical cross-section of the transversely extending diameter is large, but when the flat portion 6A of the rib is not at or near the bottom of the rib, the vertical cross-section of the lateral opening 7A of each socket 7 is smaller than the vertical of the rib 6. Cross section. Therefore, when the flat portion 6A of the rib is positioned at the bottom of the rib, the rib 6 of each upper keyway formation K1 can be inserted laterally (from left to right, as shown in Fig. 3) to the socket 7, as shown in Fig. 3. Show. Therefore, the rib 6 can be reliably fixed by rotating the bracket 4 of the rib and its laterally extending bracket member 4A to the support rod 3 downward (in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3) to rotate the rib. On the socket 7, so that the straight portion 6A of the rib is no longer at or near the bottom of the rib or the socket.

As also shown in Figures 1 and 2, the louver L has at least one pair of lower keyway formations K2 between its opposite lateral sides. As can be seen from Figure 4, each of the lower keyway formations K2 has a snap fit configuration. The arrangement includes a hook 8 extending laterally from the bottom of the lower bracket member 4B of each bracket 4 on the opposite lateral sides of the louver to a longitudinal extension within the bottom of the support rod 3. Groove. When the hook has been snapped into the recess, the vertically extending inner lateral surface 8A of each hook 8 is adapted to frictionally engage a vertically extending transverse surface 9A of an adjacent recess 9 in which the recess The bracket 4 is the same lateral side of the inner lateral surface 8A of the hook. The hook 8 can be easily snapped into the recess 9 so that the inner lateral surface 8A of the hook tightly engages the lateral surface 9A of the recess 9 of the support rod by forcing the bracket of the hook The bottom of the lower bracket member 4B of 4 enters the groove 9 upwardly so that the inner lateral surface 8A of the hook moves upward along the lower edge of the adjacent lateral surface 9A of the groove 9 and passes through the groove The lower edge of the adjacent lateral surface 9A of 9. Only the rib 6 of the bracket of the hook has been inserted laterally into its adjacent socket 7 (the laterally extending bracket member 4A of the hook extends slightly upwards, the straight portion 6A of the rib At the bottom of the rib), and the rib is supported After the frame 4 and its laterally extending bracket member 4A have been rotated down to the support bar 3 to rotate the rib, each hook 8 can be snapped into the groove 9 so that the flat portion 6A of the rib is no longer At or near the bottom of the rib or the socket.

Alternatively, the hook 8 is additionally fixed to the bottom of the support rod 3 at the bottom of each lower bracket member 4B of each bracket 4. This is preferably accomplished by one or more screws 10, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, which extend upwardly through a vertically extending opening in the hook and engage the top of the recess 9. Threaded holes (not shown).

The louver L and the panel 1 supported by the top of the louver may be formed from a sheet metal, such as aluminum, but may also be made of a rigid plastic. The inner curved lateral edges 5 and 11 of the blinds L and the panel 1 can be made of rolled metal strips.

The present invention is of course not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention or at the expense of all the advantages of the embodiments. In this regard, the above description and the terms in the following claims, such as: "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "bottom", "top", "internal", and "external" ', used only as a relative term to describe the interrelationship of the various components of the louver of the present invention, wherein the louver of the present invention is used to control light or ventilation through a building opening such as a window through a building.

1‧‧‧ Panel

3‧‧‧Support rod

4‧‧‧ bracket

4A‧‧‧ bracket components

4B‧‧‧ bracket components

5‧‧‧Inside curved lateral edge

6‧‧‧ rib

6A‧‧‧ string

7‧‧‧ socket

7A‧‧‧lateral opening

8‧‧‧hook

8A‧‧‧Internal lateral surface

9‧‧‧ Groove

10‧‧‧ screws

11‧‧‧Inside curved lateral edge

An embodiment of the present invention is exemplarily described above with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a partial perspective perspective view of a substantial portion of the louver of the present invention viewed from below; a lateral side of a central longitudinally extending support rod One of the upper pair of arms supports a portion of the rectangular sheet at the top of the basic louver portion The thin plate portion has a circular small hole through which air and light can easily pass; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the louver viewed from below, which is composed of three basic louver portions as shown in FIG. Composed; three pairs of arms on opposite lateral sides of the longitudinally extending support bars support a larger rectangular sheet on the top of the louver; the larger sheet has narrow apertures from which a plurality of air and light are available Figure 3 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the ball and socket arrangement of one of the keyway formations on the louver of Figures 1 and 2, the cross-sectional view taken vertically from Figure 1; 4 is an enlarged, simplified cross-sectional view of one of the snap fit configurations of the keyway underneath the louver of FIGS. 1 and 2, the cross-sectional view being taken vertically from FIG.

1‧‧‧ Panel

3‧‧‧Support rod

4‧‧‧ bracket

4A‧‧‧ bracket components

4B‧‧‧ bracket components

5‧‧‧Inside curved lateral edge

6‧‧‧ rib

7‧‧‧ socket

8‧‧‧hook

9‧‧‧ Groove

10‧‧‧ screws

11‧‧‧Inside curved lateral edge

Claims (11)

A louver comprising: an elongated substantially rectangular panel having opposite lateral edge portions; an elongated longitudinally extending support bar; and at least two laterally extending brackets along the bracket Separating the support bars and supporting the opposite lateral edge portions of the panel on the support bar; wherein each of the brackets is supported by a pair of upper and lower keyways on opposite lateral sides of the louver The structure is fixed to the support rod. The louver of claim 1, wherein each of the upper keyway formations comprises a rib extending transversely from the upper lateral portion of one of the brackets on one of the lateral sides of the louver to the same lateral direction of the louver One of the support rods on one side of the support rod has a mating socket on an upper portion of one of the lateral sides. The louver of claim 2, wherein the rib has a vertical cross section that is substantially circular, but a portion of which forms a chord of a circle and is flat. The louver of claim 3, wherein the rib and the socket are longitudinally elongated. The louver of claim 3, wherein the bracket is positionable to face away from the support bar such that a substantially flat portion of the rib is tethered to the bottom of the rib. The louver of claim 4, wherein the bracket is positionable to face away from the support bar such that a substantially flat portion of the rib is tied thereto The bottom of the rib. The louver of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the socket has: a vertical internal cross section having a circumference substantially the same as an outer cross section of the rib; and a lateral opening adjacent to the rib when the rib When the straight portion is at the bottom of the rib, the vertical cross section of the transverse opening is larger than the vertical cross section of the laterally extending diameter of the rib, but when the straight portion of the rib is not at or near the bottom of the rib The transverse opening has a vertical cross section that is smaller than a vertical cross section of the rib. The louver of claim 7, wherein the lower keyway formation comprises a hook extending laterally from a lower portion of one of the brackets on one of the lateral sides of the louver to a position at the bottom of the support rod The longitudinal extension groove in the middle. The louver of claim 8, wherein the hook has a vertically extending inner lateral surface, the inner lateral surface being adapted to frictionally engage in the same groove as the hook when the hook has been snapped into the groove A vertically extending lateral surface of the bracket adjacent one of the grooves on a lateral side of the inner lateral surface of the hook. The louver of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the lower keyway formation comprises a hook extending laterally from a lower portion of a bracket on a lateral side of one of the louvers to One of the bottoms of the support rod extends longitudinally in the groove. The louver of claim 10, wherein the hook has a vertically extending inner lateral surface, the inner lateral surface being adapted to frictionally engage in the same groove as the hook when the hook has been snapped into the groove The bracket and the hook An adjoining vertically extending lateral surface of one of the grooves on the lateral sides of the inner lateral surface of the article.