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Title:
ROLLER SHUTTER WITH ORIENTABLE SLATS PROVIDED WITH A SIMPLIFIED MEANS FOR ANGULAR ROTATION
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2021/070003
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A shutter (20) comprising a plurality of slats (21), hooked by ends thereof to a respective slat holder support (22), which is rotatably associated to a respective chain element (23), which chain element (23), together with further chain elements (23) consecutively connected to one another exclusively by the various slat holder supports (22), is inserted in a groove (24) formed on a vertical profile (25), positionable in the compartment of a window or a French window or another outward opening of a building. Said slat holder support (22) comprises a profiled projection (26) for joint-fitting to the respective slat (21), and further superiorly comprises pins (27, 28) that are parallel to one another and arranged on the opposite side to the slat holder with respect to the profiled projection (26). Each chain element (23) is provided, at the two opposite ends thereof, with holes (29, 30) arranged parallel, of which the first is lower and the second is higher. The lower hole (29) of each chain element (23) is destined to accommodate the upper pin (28) of the slat holder located on the lower slat, while the upper hole (30) accommodates the lower pin (27) of the slat holder (22) located on the same level.

Inventors:
MANCUSO GIOVANNI (IT)
GIAMPA' FRANCESCANTONIO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2020/059091
Publication Date:
April 15, 2021
Filing Date:
September 29, 2020
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
MANCUSO GIOVANNI (IT)
International Classes:
E06B9/34
Foreign References:
EP3221544A12017-09-27
JP2013151812A2013-08-08
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
SANDRI, Sandro (IT)
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Claims:
CLAIMS

1.A shutter (20) comprising a plurality of slats (21), hooked by ends thereof to a respective slat holder support (22), which is rotatably associated to a respective chain element (23), which chain element (23), together with further chain elements (23) consecutively connected to one another, is inserted in a groove (24) formed on a vertical profile (25), positionable in the compartment of a window or a French window or another outward opening of a building, characterised in that said slat holder support (22) comprises a profiled projection (26) for joint fitting to the respective slat (21), and further superiorly comprises pins (27, 28) that are parallel to one another and arranged on the opposite side to the slat holder with respect to the profiled projection (26), and in that each chain element (23) is provided, at the two opposite ends thereof, with holes (29, 30) arranged parallel, of which a first is lower and a second is higher, and wherein the lower hole (29) of each chain element (23) is destined to accommodate the upper pin (28) of the slat holder located on the lower slat, while the upper hole (30) accommodates the lower pin (27) of the slat holder (22) located on the same level.

2.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that each slat holder (22) comprises retaining means (31) which insert in respective holes provided in the pins (27, 28) then to be introduced into channels (32) longitudinally formed in the profiled element of each slat (21) determining the retaining of the slat (21), slat holder (22) and chain (23) assembly on the same level and chain (23) corresponding to the adjacent upper slat, with a possibility of angular rotation between the slat holder (22) and chains (23).

3.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that said retaining means (31) which insert in respective holes provided in the pins (27, 28) then to be introduced into channels (32) with which the slats (21) are provided, are represented by self-tapping screws.

4.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that said chain elements (23) are exclusively connected by means of the pins (27, 28) present on the slat holder (22) and each slat holder (22) connects two chain elements (23), i.e. one being its own chain and the adjacent one being the chain located immediately above.

5.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that said slats (21) are fixed on the respective slat holders (22) from which the slats (21) receive motion.

6.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that there is not only no direct connection between the slats (21), but there also exists no other connection by means of other extruded profiles.

7.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that the angular rotation of the slats during the lowering of the shutter takes place by force of gravity determined by the weight of the shutter which by unloading onto the upper pins (28) sets the pins in rotation about the axes of the holes (30) and the lower pins (27), progressively causing all the slats to rotate, as the upper pin (28) of each slat holder (22), located in the hole (29) of the immediately-superior chain (23), rotates about the axis of the hole (30) in which the lower pin (27) of the same slat holder (22) is housed, setting all the slat holder and thus the respective slat (21) in rotation.

8.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that said upper pin (28), due to the angular rotation of the slats which occurs during the lowering of the shutter, passes from an initial position overlying the position of the lower pin (27) in which the slats are closed to a position in which the upper pin (28) is flanked to the lower pin (27) in which the slats are orientated.

9.The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that the lower part of the shutter comprises compensation elements represented by a first profile (33) and a second profile (34) arranged parallel with respect to the slats (21) and closed at ends thereof by caps (35, 36), whereby the compensation elements constitute the lower terminal part of the curtain.

10. The shutter (20) according to claim 9, characterised in that the travel of the first profile (33) in the second profile (34) defines the space in which the user of the shutter can halt the unwinding of the curtain and obtain an intermediate condition of the shutter fully lowered, but with the slats closed.

11. The shutter (20) according to the preceding claims, characterised in that the closing of the slats takes place when, by winding the curtain about the winding roller, the weight stops unloading on the upper pin (28) which, on the contrary, is brought by the force of gravity of the lower part of the curtain, to assume the initial position thereof above the lower pin (27).

Description:
ROLLER SHUTTER WITH ORIENTABLE SLATS PROVIDED WITH A

SIMPLIFIED MEANS FOR ANGULAR ROTATION

FIELD OF APPLICATION

The present invention relates to a roller shutter with orientable slats provided with a simplified means for angular rotation of the slats themselves. More precisely, the roller shutter with orientable slats according to the invention, destined to allow the closure of doors and windows to form a barrier to the outside, provides for the movement of the slats themselves, unlike known solutions, to be carried out using an extremely reduced number of components, with a considerable advantage both from the production point of view due to the reduction in the number of components used, and from the point of view of product reliability.

Basically, the roller shutter according to the invention provides for each slat to be associated with a respective support called "slat holder" which is simultaneously connected to two elements of support and of transmission of the rotary motion called "chains". That is, each slat holder is connected to its corresponding chain and to the one located immediately above, thus avoiding any direct connection between the slats themselves.

The present invention finds application in the field of frames, doors and windows, shutters and blinds, which can be used mainly in the civil field, but also in the industrial sector. PRIOR ART

It is known that a shutter is constituted by a plurality of horizontal sticks, or slats, joined together in a flexible way, so as to be able to wind on a roller located above the window frame in a compartment called "box".

Many models of roller shutters are known and the first evolution is the one described in document EP2398993 according to which the slats are of the orientable type, since the shutter is made using a plurality of slats constrained together, but with freedom of angular movement so that they can be oriented allowing the passage of light and air when the shutter is fully lowered. Said slats, like in a traditional shutter, vertically slide in lateral guides during the winding and unwinding steps produced by the rotation of the winding roller which can be operated manually or by motorization.

According to this first evolution, the slats are oriented one at a time starting from the bottom following the progressive unwinding of the shutter, after it has rested on the threshold of the wall compartment in which the shutter itself is located. This type of orientable shutter requires the use of additional profiles to support the slats and said profiles participate in the function of orientation of the slats, and this causes a certain limitation of the angle of orientation of the slats themselves, as this angle is produced by the connection between each slat and an additional curl-shaped profile located on each adjacent slat, since if a certain limit of the orientation angle were exceeded, the slats would be released.

It is also known that according to document EP2722475 there is a second evolution of the orientable shutters which provides for the simultaneous orientation of the slats. In this case, the orientation of the slats is obtained by a mechanical device, actuated by the winding roller, which is in turn connected to a motion source. This mechanism therefore transmits the motion from one slat to another. The rotation of the roller allows winding and unwinding the shutter on the roller itself and, when it is fully lowered, orienting the slats simultaneously by means of said mechanism.

The mechanism is made up of several elements such as link or chain elements which, combined with slat supports, arms and connecting rods, allow the simultaneous movement of the slats by means of a special kinematic mechanism.

The aforementioned kinematic mechanism is permanently mechanically connected to the winding roller. Consequently, with the shutter completely lowered, when the roller rotates in the unwinding direction of the curtain, the kinematic mechanism is set in motion which in turn transmits the motion to the arms and from them to the pins integral with the slat supports rigidly constrained to the slats which then rotate in angular orientation making a maximum angle greater than 90°, while when the roller rotates in the winding direction, the slats rotate in the direction opposite to the previous one until they close completely.

According to other solutions, such as the one relating to document EP3221544, it is envisaged to realise a roller shutter of the type with orientable slats that can also be installed on standard guides, which, compared to traditional solutions, offers the double advantage of being able to be installed also on existing guides and of using a mechanical means which allows the orientation of the slats that make up the shutter by means of kinematic mechanisms without arms, which already represents a considerable simplification compared to the traditional mechanisms for simultaneously orientable shutters described above.

Further even more evolved solutions, such as the one described in document EP915227, envisage that as well as being of the slidable type in the guides and being of the angularly orientable type, the slats are also provided with a compacting/decompacting function through devices that can distance or near the longitudinal edges of the slats.

In other types of orientable shutters on the market such as those described in WO2016/166694 and EP382172 it happens that the numerous mechanical components used, precisely due to their number and complexity, remain visible especially when the slats are arranged in angular orientation, obtaining a rather onerous and nonetheless not aesthetically pleasing structure, which is above all dangerous for the hands during operation due to the absence of suitable protections.

In general, all these systems for moving traditional shutters suffer from the common drawback of requiring a large series of mechanical components that must be used to perform even complex functions, which components in the long run can also jam and therefore require constant assistance.

Furthermore, traditional shutters with orientable slats can, as mentioned, be subject to a limitation of the orientation angle and other similar drawbacks of a practical nature.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide a roller shutter with orientable slats provided with a simplified means for angular rotation of the slats themselves, thus creating a condition which is capable of eliminating or at least reducing the drawbacks highlighted above.

The invention aims in particular to provide a roller shutter with orientable slats provided with a simplified means for the operation thereof, which is realised using a very limited number of components, so as to obtain a structure with contained production costs, extremely functional and characterised by a linear aesthetic effect as it has no visible mechanical parts and support profiles. This is achieved by means of a roller shutter with orientable slats provided with a simplified means for angular rotation of the slats themselves, the characteristics of which are described in the main claim.

The dependent claims of the present solution outline advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The main advantages of this solution concern the fact that the simplification of the components used makes the shutter easier to realise with a saving for the manufacturer and an economic advantage for the consumer as well, and also makes the shutter itself more functional in use also because it is possible to exploit a high angle of orientation of the slats.

According to one of the advantages proposed by the invention the limitation of the components used allows that there is not only no direct connection between the slats, but that there also exists no other connection by means of other extruded profiles.

ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures illustrated in the appended tables of drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a schematic and axonometric perspective view of a portion of the shutter according to the invention with the slats in the closed position; Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view in axonometric perspective similar to the previous one with the slats in the opening position, that is with the slats angularly oriented;

Figure 3 is an exploded schematic view highlighting the components of the shutter according to the invention; - Figures 4 to 9 represent, from different angles, pairs of components of a shutter according to the invention represented by slat holder elements associated with respective chain components for the kinematic connection; Figures 10 to 14 illustrate schematic and detailed views from different angles of a slat holder element according to the invention;

Figures 15 to 19 are schematic views of a chain component and taken from different angles. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the attached figures, and initially in particular to Figure 3, the reference number 20 generally indicates a shutter as a whole comprising all the components thereof, the main of which are represented by a plurality of slats 21, hooked by ends thereof to a respective slat holder support 22, which is rotatably associated to a respective chain element 23, which chain element 23, together with further chain elements 23 consecutively connected to one another by the various slat holder supports 22, is inserted in a groove 24 formed on a vertical profile 25, positionable in the compartment of a window or a French window or another outward opening of a building.

More precisely, each slat 21 is made using an elongated and particularly shaped profiled element comprising a central through cavity made in such a way that the two ends of each slat allow accommodating respective slat holder elements 22 which perform the function of respective closing caps and of support for the lifting, lowering and orientation operations of the slats of the shutter itself, for a total of two mirror supports for each slat, which are fixed on the same ends in order to remain constrained thereto.

As represented in Figures 10 to 14, each slat holder support 22 is configured according to the same profile of each slat and comprises a shaped projection 26 designed to be introduced into the central through cavity when the slat holder is applied by joint-fitting on the end of the respective slat, in such a way as to form a single body with the same.

Furthermore, each slat holder 22 superiorly comprises two pins 27 and 28 that are parallel to one another and arranged on the opposite side to the slat holder with respect to the profiled projection 26.

In turn, each chain element 23, as represented in Figures 15 to 19, is made with a body also having a shape that resembles the one of the slat holder 22, and is provided, at the two opposite ends thereof, with two holes arranged parallel, indicated respectively with 29 and 30, of which the first is lower and the second is higher. As represented in Figure 3, the lower hole 29 of each chain element 23 is destined to accommodate the upper pin 28 of the slat holder located on the lower slat, while the upper hole 30 accommodates the lower pin 27 of the slat holder located on the same level.

Each slat holder remains constrained to a pair of consecutive chain elements 23, with the possibility of angular rotation on the parallel axes of the pins 27 and 28, by screws 31 which are inserted passing through the holes in the pins 27 and 28 of the slat holders 22, to penetrate into channels 32 formed longitudinally in the profiled element of each slat 21 and to stably fix the same slat 21 to the respective slat holder 22. The head of each screw 31 effectively prevents each slat holder from slipping off the respective chain elements 23 to which it is coupled, i.e. the corresponding one and the one immediately above.

The lower part of the shutter comprises compensation elements represented by profiles 33, 34 arranged parallel with respect to the slats 21, which constitute the lower terminal part of the curtain, and by respective lateral closing elements 35, 36.

The profile 33 is free to slide vertically inside the profile 34 with a travel that defines the space in which the user of the shutter can halt the unwinding of the curtain and obtain an intermediate condition of the shutter fully lowered, but with the slats closed.

From an operational point of view, the chain elements 23 are exclusively connected by means of the pins 27 and 28 present on the slat holder 22 and, consequently, each slat holder connects two chain elements 23, i.e. one being its own chain and one being the chain located immediately above. Furthermore the slats 21 are fixed only on the respective slat holders 22 from which they take the motion, consequently there is no direct connection between the slats themselves, or by means of other profiles.

The angular rotation of the slats, during the lowering of the shutter along the groove 24 of the profile 25 takes place because the upper pin 28 of each slat holder 22, located in the hole 29 of the immediately-superior chain 23, rotates about the axis of the hole 30 in which the pin 27 of the same slat holder is housed, setting all the slat holder and thus the respective slat in rotation.

According to the embodiment represented in Figures 1 and 2, this takes place when the shutter is fully lowered, and the compensation system constituted by the profiles 33 and 34 is fully compacted, due to the thrust of the force of gravity exerted by the weight of the upper part of the curtain on each upper pin 28 of each slat holder.

With reference to Figures 8 and 9, the pin 28 passes from a position overlying the position of the lower pin 27 (closed slats) to a position in which the upper pin is flanked to the lower pin 27 (oriented slats).

A too small width of the groove 24 could prevent all the travel of the pin 28 about the axis of the hole 30 causing an undesirable lower degree of orientation.

However, this condition does not occur in the present invention since the dimensions of the various components have been defined in such a way as to allow the travel of maximum orientation (which is in the order of 90°) in a width of the groove 24 which is the one of a standard shutter guide profile on the market. The aforementioned compensation system, constituted by the profiles 33 and 34 which represent the lower terminal part of the curtain, and the respective lateral closing elements 35 and 36, has the function of allowing the user to easily identify the intermediate condition of the shutter in which the curtain is fully lowered, but all the slats are closed, that is not oriented. In fact, the profile 33 results to be inserted in the profile 34 and has the possibility of sliding therein in a telescopic manner in a vertical direction.

The travel of the profile 33 in the profile 34 defines the space in which the user of the shutter can halt the unwinding of the curtain and obtain the aforementioned intermediate condition. The further unwinding brings the profile 33 to rest on the bottom of the profile 34 with consequently unloading of the weight of the shutter on the threshold of the compartment in which it is placed with the effect that the force of gravity determined by the weight of the shutter is unloaded onto the pins 28 setting them in rotation about the axes of the holes 30 and of the pins 27 and by progressively causing all the slats to rotate.

The closure of the slats takes place when, by winding the curtain about the winding roller, the weight stops unloading on the pin 28 which, on the contrary, is brought by the force of gravity (this time of the lower part of the curtain) to assume again the initial position thereof above the pin 27.

The invention has been described in the foregoing with reference to a preferential embodiment thereof. However it is clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variants which fall within the scope thereof, and which are technically equivalent.