WO2010149800A1

WO2010149800A1 - Roller blind with movable slats

Info

Publication number: WO2010149800A1
Application number: PCT/ES2009/000338
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlos Maria De Pernia Monso; Marc Queralt Monso
Original assignee: Alemany Barros, Albert; Alemany Monso, Albert
Priority date: 2009-06-24
Filing date: 2009-06-24
Publication date: 2010-12-29

Abstract

The invention relates to a roller blind, provided with two pairs of guide rails that each include one fixed guide rail and one movable guide rail, the blind comprising a plurality of slats provided at the ends thereof with respective guide pins, one at the top and the other at the bottom, suitable for sliding inside the fixed and movable guide rails, respectively, the bottom guide pins being longer than the top guide pins and the blind being provided at the top of each pair of guide rails with a bushing for splitting the pins, provided with a downward ramp that ends at the inner wall of the fixed guide rail, intended for supporting the free end of the bottom guide pins of the unrolled slats and for accompanying said pins up until the mouth of the movable guide rail.

Description

D E S C R I P C I Ó N

"Rolling shutter with mobile slats"

Technical sector of the invention

The invention relates to a roller shutter with movable slats, orientable around a longitudinal axis, which is attachable to the frame of an opening in a building and roll-up on a rotating winding drum.

Background of the invention

There are currently known embodiments of roller blinds attachable to the frame of windows or wall openings composed of a plurality of slats, with essentially rectangular format, the ends of which are housed in corresponding U-guide profiles, the slats having the ability to rotation around its longitudinal axis between the open positions, in which the slats adopt the essentially horizontal, and closing position, in which the slats adopt an essentially vertical position. In this way, the passage of solar or air radiation through the window or the wall opening in which the blind is installed can be regulated. To achieve the rotation of the slats, these are conventionally provided at their longitudinal ends with respective projections that are connected to a mechanism that connects all the slats and allows the simultaneous rotation of the slats when operated by the user.

The main drawback of the solution described above to modify the orientation of the slats around its longitudinal axis is that, in order to vary said orientation, the total development of the blind is required, that is to say that the totality of the slats must be arranged in the U-shaped guide profiles, so it is not possible to turn the slats when the blind is partially developed. Patent document ES2162571 describes a blind that solves the drawback described above. Said blind comprises on both vertical sides of the wall opening two vertical guide profiles, one fixed and one mobile, of general U-shaped cross-section, joined by a plurality of articulation devices, both of which are guide profiles, fixed and mobile , co- planar to each other and the movable guide profile being movable with respect to the fixed guide profile, so that it can move away and approximate from it following a path resulting from the combination of a horizontal translation movement and a vertical elevation or descent movement, staying in everything moved parallel to the fixed guide profile.

Each of the slats is provided at each of its ends with two guide pins, one upper and one lower, which run inside the fixed and mobile guide profiles, respectively, to the extent that said slats are unwound. In this way, when the blind is fully or partially developed, when the mobile guide profile is displaced, it moves in a simultaneous way to all the slats whose lower guide pins are inserted in the mobile guide profiles, which produces the rotation of the slats around their upper guide pins.

It has as its first objective the present invention, to ensure that said upper and lower guide pins arranged at each end of each blade are introduced into the respective fixed and mobile guide profiles, as the blind is developed, in a simple manner and sure.

Another object of the invention is to improve the drag of the slats when the mobile guide profiles are displaced, in the sense of moving away from the fixed guide profiles, so that all the slats are uniformly displaced since it has been observed that in the embodiments such as the one described in patent document ES2162571, especially when the movable guide profiles perform a practically vertical lifting movement, the lower guide pins slide downwards through the interior of the guide and consequently the slats are not able to adopt a essentially horizontal position.

Explanation of the invention

The roller shutter object of the invention is provided with two pairs of vertical guide profiles, each of which consists of a fixed guide profile and a mobile guide profile that determine individual rails, each pair of guide profiles intended to be mounted on the frame of an opening of a building, such as a window or a door, so that the two guide profiles of each pair are comprised in the same plane and that the mobile guide profile is connected to the corresponding fixed guide profile by means of at least one device articulated that In this plane, alternative separation and approach movements with respect to the fixed guide profile can be carried out horizontally, the blind comprising a plurality of horizontal slats equal and linked together by means of respective articulated link links arranged at their ends, the set of slats being Rollable and developable around a winding drum, each blade having its guide pins, one upper and one lower, equipped with an alternative slide and respectively up and down along the inside of the rails of the guide profiles fixed and mobile when the corresponding slat is unwound, each upper guide pin being articulated to a corresponding lateral link link whereby the displacement of the mobile guide profiles produces a simultaneous rotation movement of the unwound slats around its pins of super guided or.

In essence, the blind is characterized in that the lower guide pins are longer than the width of the lateral link links, and because in the area of the upper end of each pair of guide profiles a splitting nozzle is arranged of the pins, provided on the bottom wall of the fixed guide profile of a ramp in a downward direction towards the mobile guide profile, whose mouthpiece is arranged at a lower height than that of the mouth of the fixed guide profile, and which dies in the interior wall of this, adjacent to the mobile guide profile, each ramp being destined to receive the support of the free ends of the lower guide pins of the slats that are developed and to accompany them to the mouth of the mobile guide profile.

According to another characteristic of the invention, from the lower end of each ramp, a flat partition is extended without continuity solution and downwardly applied to the corresponding inner wall of the fixed guide profile, which reaches a height below the mouth of the mobile guide profile, the partitions being designed to receive the support of the free end of the lower guide pins of the slats that are unwound and to accompany them until they are deposited inside the lane determined by the mobile guide profile.

According to another feature of the invention, the slats are provided at each end of a cover, solidly fixed to the blade and provided at its lower end of the lower pin and of a protrusion protruding downwards from said cover and which is adapted to get cool - TO -

tata to the inner surface of the outer wall of the mobile guide profile, said protuberance being oblong longitudinal section so that, when the plank adopts the essentially vertical position, which corresponds to the maximum approach position between the fixed and mobile guide profiles, The protuberance is separated from said inner surface of the outer wall of the rail of the mobile guide profile, while when the slat exceeds a predetermined inclination, the protrusion rubs against said inner surface of the outer wall of the mobile guide profile.

In a preferred embodiment, the movement of separation of the mobile guide profile with respect to the fixed guide profile is the movement resulting from the combination of a horizontal translation movement and a vertical lifting movement, and the approach movement of the mobile guide profile with respect to Fixed guide profile is the movement resulting from the combination of a vertical descent movement and a horizontal translation movement. According to another characteristic of the blind, the lateral link links are articulated hooked together forming a side chain and each link is provided with a groove adapted to receive the housing of the corresponding lower guide pin, when the blind is wrapped around the winding drum. According to a particularly interesting variant, the maximum thickness of each lateral link is greater than the maximum thickness of a slat.

Brief description of the drawings

The attached drawings illustrate, by way of non-limiting example, an embodiment of the roller shutter with mobile slats object of the invention. In said drawings: Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c are plan views of the rolling shutter of the invention, which represent a sequence of the splitting of the upper and lower guide pins of one end of a slat and its introduction into the corresponding fixed guide profiles and mobile;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partially sectioned and devoid of a pair of guide profiles at one of its ends, of the roller shutter of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the area of the upper mouth rior of a fixed guide profile; Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c are side views of a slat and a mobile guide profile, inside which the lower guide pin is inserted, according to different inclinations corresponding to different relative positions between said mobile guide profile and the corresponding fixed guide profile;

Fig. 5 is a plan and sectional view of the blind of the invention devoid of a pair of guide profiles at one of its ends and in which a slat is essentially horizontal, corresponding to the maximum distance between the guide profiles fixed and mobile; Figs. 6a and 6b are side views of a slat and its corresponding link, in which the slat adopts an essentially vertical and slightly inclined position, respectively; Y

Fig. 7 is a side view of the winding of a plurality of slats of the blind according to the invention.

Detailed description of the drawings

The blind 1 shown in Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c and in Fig. 2 comprises, in a manner known per se, two pairs of ios guide profiles that only one has been represented in said Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c and Fig. 2. Of the pair of guide profiles shown, the guide profile 5 corresponds to a fixed guide profile while the guide profile 6 is a mobile guide profile, joined to the fixed guide profile 5 by means of a plurality of articulated devices, not shown, that allow to make movements of distance or approach with respect to the fixed guide profile 5. The trajectory of said movements of distance or approach result from the combination of a movement of horizontal translation and a movement of vertical elevation , and of the combination of a vertical descent movement and a horizontal translation movement, respectively.

Each of the two fixed and mobile guide profiles 5 comprises a generally U-shaped opening that determines a rail 5c and 6c, respectively (see Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c), whose function will be explained later. Each pair of guide profiles is intended to be mounted within the framework of an opening of a building, such as a window or a door, facing another pair of analogous guide profiles and mounted on the opposite frame of the window or door. The shutter 1 comprises a plurality of equal horizontal slats 2, which are linked to each other by means of respective links 7, articulated link T arranged at their ends and which are roll-up and developable around a winding drum 12 (see Fig. 7 ). Each strip 2 is provided at its ends with a corresponding cover 10, 10 ', each of which is provided with a pair of guide pins, one upper 3, 3' and the other lower 4, 4 ', adapted to slide alternately and respectively in an upward and downward direction through the lanes 5c and 6c of the fixed guide profiles 5 and mobile 6 when the corresponding plank 2 is developed. Each upper guide pin 3, 3 'is articulatedly connected to a corresponding lateral link 7, T link with which the displacement of the movable guide profiles 6 produces a simultaneous rotation movement of the slats 2 developed around its guide pins higher 4 and 4 '.

With the aim of introducing the upper guide pins 3 and 3 'and the lower guide pins 4 and 4' in the corresponding rails 5c and 6c, respectively, to subsequently be able to produce the rotation of the slats 2 and vary their inclination with the displacement of the movable guide profile 6, the lower guide pins 4 and 4 'have been provided longer than the width of the lateral link links 7, T, so that they protrude laterally from the assembly formed by the blade 2, the corresponding ones extreme covers 10 and 10 'and links 7, T. The shutter 1 is also provided in the area of the upper opening of each pair of guide profiles of a splitting nozzle of the upper and lower guide pins 4 of each slat 2.

In Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c and in Fig. 2 it is observed that each splitting nozzle is provided on the bottom wall 16 of the fixed guide profile 5 of a ramp 8 downwards towards the mobile guide profile 6, whose mouthpiece 18 is arranged at a height less than the mouth 17 of the fixed guide profile 5. Said ramp 8 dies on the inner wall 5a of the fixed guide profile 5 (see Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c), adjacent to the mobile guide profile 6, and is adapted to receive the support of the free end of the lower guide pins 4, 4 'of the slats 2 that are developed and accompany them to the mouth 18 of the mobile guide profile 6.

In the sequence represented in Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c, Fig. 1a shows a slat 2 in a newly developed essentially vertical position and before the upper and lower guide pins 3 are introduced in lanes 5c and 6c that determine guide profiles 5 and 6, respectively. In said Rg. 1a it is observed that when the lama 2 descends, the free end of the lower guide pin 4 encounters the ramp 8. This situation corresponds to that of the upper lama 2 of the perspective representation of Fig. 2. Starting from Ia position represented in Fig. 1a and in Fig. 2, if the blade 2 is lowered, the guide pin 4 will slide down the ramp 8 and the blade 2 will turn slightly. This situation is represented in Fig. 1b.

If the descent of the strip 2 continues, the guide pin 4 will reach the end of the ramp 8 and will descend outside the lane 5c determined by the fixed guide rail 5, supported on the inner wall 5a thereof, until it is introduced inside lane 6c through the mouth 18 of the movable guide profile 6, see Fig. 1c, which is supported on the inner wall 5a of the guide profile 5.

In Fig. 3 it can be seen that from the lower end of each ramp 8 a flat partition 9 is extended without continuity solution and downwardly applied to the corresponding inner wall 5a of the fixed guide profile 5, which reaches a height below the mouth of the movable guide profile 6, not shown, whose upper end is arranged supported on the inner wall 5a of the fixed guide profile 5 in the zone 18 '. The partition 9 is intended to receive support from the free end of the lower guide pin 4 of the slats 2 during its descent and to accompany it until it is deposited inside the rail 6c of the moving guide profile 6. The thickness of the partition 9 prevents the pin of lower guide 4 can run against the upper edge of the mouth 18 of the guide profile 6, making it difficult to enter the rail 6c.

It is noted that the greater length of the lower guide pins 4, 4 "in comparison with the length of said pins in the known embodiments, solves another drawback up to the unresolved date. The length of the lower guide pins 4 , 4 'as can be seen in Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c and in Fig. 5 it is similar to the depth of the rail 6c of the movable guide profile 6, whereby the guide pins 4, 4' are inserted in the rails 6c practically to its bottom wall, consequently, when each mobile guide profile 6 is moved away from the corresponding fixed guide profile 5, the guide pins 4, 4 ', which receive the thrust of the mobile guide profile 6, are they rest on the entire inner wall 6a of said profile and not only on its outer edge as it happens in the known embodiments you give. When the reaction force exerted by the lower guide pins 4, 4 'is not concentrated on the corresponding mobile guide profile 6 at the edge of the inner wall 6a, during its push, a moment is not generated on said mobile guide profiles 6 around their articulated joints with the corresponding fixed guide profile, so that the articulated devices 11 that join both fixed and mobile guide profiles 5 are subjected to much smaller bending stresses, which facilitates the movement between the guide profiles.

As an example, in said Rg. 3 one of the articulated devices 11, coupled to the fixed guide profile 5, designed to jointly link the latter to the mobile guide profile, not shown for clarity, can also be seen.

In Figs. 2, 4a, 4b and 4c and in the Rg. 5 it can be seen in greater detail that the slats 2 are provided at their ends with respective covers 10 and 10 ', solidly fixed to the slats 2, each of which is provided at its lower end of said lower pin 4, 4' and of a protuberance 13, 13 'protruding downward from said cover 10, 10'. The protuberances 13, 13 'have a particular oblong configuration, adapted to bump against the inner surface 19 of the outer wall 6b of the guide profile 6 only when the slat exceeds a predetermined inclination.

Indeed, in Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c a sequence has been represented in which the slats 2 first adopt a slightly inclined position, an intermediate position and an essentially horizontal position, respectively. It can be seen in Fig. 4a that the protuberances 13 face the inner surface 19 of the outer wall 6b of the movable guide profile 6, without contacting said inner surface 19. On the contrary, in Fig. 4b in Ia that the slats 2 adopt a greater inclination, the same protrusions 13 rub against the internal surface 19, while in the Rg. 4c, in which the slats adopt an essentially horizontal position, corresponding to the position of maximum distance between the fixed guide profiles 5, not shown, and mobile 6, the protrusions 13 contact and even slightly press the surface 19 of the outer wall 6b of the guide profile 6. This fact ensures that the lower guide pins 4, 4 'do not slide along the inside of the rail 6c when the movable guide profile moves in an essentially vertical direction and that instead they are dragged by the guide profile mobile 6 during said movement, together with plank 2 to which the pins of the guided lower 4, 4 '. Thus, when moving the movable guide profiles 6, all the slats 2 whose guide pins 4, 4 'are inserted in the rails 6c rotate simultaneously, without losing their parallelism, adopting the same inclination. In Fig. 5 a variant of the blind according to the invention is shown, in which the inner surface 19 of the outer wall 6b of the mobile guide profile 6 is provided with a non-slip material, such as a rubber, which increases even more the friction between the protuberances 13 and the rail 6c determined by the movable guide profile 6. Although the solution of coating said inner surface 19 with a non-slip material, such as that of partially or totally covering or covering the opposite surface corresponding to the inner surface of the inner wall 6a of the same mobile guide profile 6 (variant not shown) are a complement to the solution of providing the lower guide pins 4, 4 'with the protuberance 13 to avoid sliding along the rail 6c when the slats 2 they adopt an almost horizontal position, it is also provided that said coatings can replace the solution of the protuberances 13, and that these are the only ones non-slip means incorporating the blind 1 to produce the described effect. In Figs. 6a and 6b a strip 2 and its corresponding cover 10, whose upper guide pin (not visible) is articulated to the corresponding link 7, is shown in profile, according to two different inclinations of the blade 2. In said Figs. 6a and 6b, it can be seen that the thickness of link 7 is greater than that of plank 2, so that it is capable of being completely hidden behind link 7. It is also observed that link 7 is provided with a groove 15 adapted for receive in the situation described above the housing of the corresponding lower guide pin 4.

This feature allows that when the blind is wrapped around the winding drum 12, as shown in Fig. 7, the lower guide pins 4 are housed in the grooves 15 being protected against the pressure they may exert on them. the links 7 of the slats 2 superimposed or wound to a higher level of the winding. The thickness of the links 7 also ensures that the outermost slats 2 overlap the innermost slats 2, with the links of the the first on links 7 of the second, without damaging the profile that constitutes each strip 2.

Claims

1.- Retractable blind (1), provided with two pairs of vertical guide profiles, each of which consists of a fixed guide profile (5) and a mobile guide profile (6) that determine individual rails (5c, 6c), each pair of guide profiles intended to be mounted within the framework of an opening of a building, such as a window or a door, so that the two guide profiles of each pair are comprised in the same plane and that the mobile guide profile it is connected to the corresponding fixed guide profile by means of at least one articulated device (11) which allows it to carry out in said plane alternative movements of separation and approach with respect to the fixed guide profile horizontally, the blind comprising a plurality of equal horizontal slats (2) and linked to each other by means of respective articulated link links (7, T) arranged at their ends, the array of slats being wound and developable around a winding drum (12), each strip being provided at its ends with respective guide pins, one upper (3, 3 ') and one lower (4, 4'), adapted to slide alternately and respectively upward and downward through the interior of the rails of the fixed and mobile guide profiles when the corresponding slat is wound and unwound, each upper guide pin articulated to a corresponding lateral link link whereby the movement of the mobile guide profiles produces a simultaneous rotation movement of the unwound slats around its upper guide pins, characterized in that the lower guide pins are longer than the width of the lateral link links, and because in the upper end area of each pair of guide profiles a pin splitting nozzle is arranged , provided on the bottom wall (16) of the fixed guide profile (5) of a ramp (8) downwards towards the profile The mobile guide (6), whose mouth (18) is arranged at a lower height than that of the mouth (17) of the fixed guide profile, and which dies in the inner wall (5a) thereof, adjacent to the mobile guide profile , each ramp being destined to receive the support of the free ends of the lower guide pins (4, 4 ') of the slats (2) that are developed and to accompany them to the mouth of the mobile guide profile.

2. Blind (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that from the lower end of each ramp (8) extends without continuity solution and down a flat partition (9), solidary applied to the corresponding interior wall (5a) of the fixed guide profile (5), which reaches up to a height below the mouth (18) of the mobile guide profile (6), with the partitions intended to receive the support of the free end of the lower guide pins (4, 4 ') of the slats (2) that are unwound and accompany them until they are deposited inside the lane (6c) determined by the mobile guide profile.

3. Blind (1) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the slats (2) are provided at each end of a cover (10, 10 '), solidly fixed to the slat and provided at its lower end of the lower pin (4 , 4 ') and of a protuberance (13, 13') that protrudes downwards with respect to said cover and which is adapted to face the inner surface (19) of the outer wall (6b) of the mobile guide profile ( 6), said protuberance being oblong longitudinal section so that, when the slat adopts the essentially vertical position, which corresponds to the maximum approach position between the fixed (5) and mobile guide profiles (6), the protuberance is separated from said inner surface of the outer wall of the rail of the mobile guide profile, while when the slat exceeds a predetermined inclination, the protrusion rubs against said inner surface of the outer wall of the mobile guide profile.

4. Blind (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner surface (19) of the outer wall (6b) of the mobile guide profile (6) is provided with a non-slip material.

5. Blind (1) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the movement of separation of the mobile guide profile (6) with respect to the fixed guide profile (5) is the movement resulting from the combination of a horizontal translation movement and a movement of vertical elevation, and because the approach movement of the mobile guide profile with respect to the fixed guide profile is the movement resulting from the combination of a vertical descent movement and a horizontal translation movement.

6. Blind (1) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the lateral link links (7, T) are articulated hooked together forming a side chain (20, 20 '), and because each link is provided with a groove ( 15, 15 ') adapted to receive the housing of the corresponding lower guide pin (4, 4'), when the blind is wrapped around the winding drum (12).

7. Blind (1) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the maximum thickness of each link side link (7, 7 ') is greater than the maximum thickness of a slat (2).