Patent Application
20100181029
The patent is directed to shutters, and more particularly to a rolling protective shutter and build-out dowels for fastening the rolling protective shutter about an opening of a wall having an uneven surface.
Hurricane protection is desired more and more by business owners, home owners and municipalities, and the engineering and testing requirements for such protection are becoming increasingly stringent and rigorous. Many different solutions have been implemented in the attempt to protect structures from the varying forces and conditions associated with hurricanes. For example, openings for windows, doorways, porches and the like require protection from the forces created by the severe winds associated with the hurricanes that cause positive pressure pressing against the openings on the windward side of the structure, and negative pressure pulling outwardly from the opening on the leeward side of the structure.
One attempted solution for protecting openings is the installation of panels attached to the surrounding support structure of the building defining the opening such that the opening is essentially isolated from the surrounding environment. The panel configured to cover an opening defined by the surrounding structure, and having a window or door disposed therein. The panel has a plurality of openings around the perimeter of the panel configured to receive fasteners that will anchor the panel to the surrounding structure on the both sides and above and below the opening. The panels are fabricated from material that may withstand the conditions present during the hurricane, such as metal, plywood, fabric and the like.
As an alternative to such panels, rolling protective shutters have been implemented for protection openings during hurricanes for many years.
The illustrated shutter assembly 30 has a gearbox 62 which interconnects the rotatable shaft 42 with a hand crank 64 via a conventional gear assembly (not shown). When mounted to protect a window or other opening, the shutter tracks 60 of the shutter assembly 30 are positioned on either side of the opening and attached to the walls with fasteners, and the shutter housing is positioned over the top of the opening. Alternatively, in some applications, the side tracks 60 and shutter housing are positioned within the opening. When the shutter 50 is not in use, it is rolled up on the shutter support member 40 via the hand crank 64 so that it is at least partially enclosed by the shutter housing. The hand crank 64 may be disposed on a rear portion of the shutter assembly 30 so that the shutter 50, when attached over a window for example, can be unrolled from inside the window. Alternatively, when the gearbox 62 is not provided, the support member 40 may include a torsion spring. The shutter 50 may be rolled and unrolled with the assistance of the tension in the spring by exerting a force on a bottommost slat 66 by grasping a handle 68 that extends longitudinally along the slat 66 and outwardly from the shutter 50. Other drive mechanism, such as straps, tubular operators and motors are well known in the art and are used to open and close rolling shutters.
To prevent the shutter curtain 50 from pulling out of the side tracks 60 and to increase the capacity of the shutter curtain 50 to withstand pressure loading during extreme conditions, end retention systems have been developed to hold the two ends of the slats 52 captive within the side tracks 60.
The slats 52 are fabricated such that the inner diameter of the socket 84 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the rod 86. The shutter curtain is assembled by sliding the rod 86 of one slat 52 into the socket 84 of the adjacent slat 52. The slats 52 are oriented with their concave surfaces on the same side of the shutter curtain so that the curtain rolls up properly onto the shutter support member 40. When the slats 52 are assembled, the rods 86 are pivotal within the sockets 84 to facilitate movement of the shutter curtain between the rolled and unrolled positions. Since the sockets 84 cover over half the diameter of the rods 86, the rods 86 are permanently retained within the sockets 84. The sockets 84 and rods 86 are configured to form a hinge that allows the connected slats 52 to rotate between a first position in which the sockets 84 and the rods 86 of the slats 52 are substantially linearly aligned, and a second position wherein the slat portions 82 combine to define an arc.
Once the shutter curtain is assembled, extension members 90 are attached to the screw bosses 88. The extension members 90 are adapted to keep the slats 52 vertically aligned and to captivate the shutter curtain within the side tracks 60 to prevent the shutter curtain from pulling out of the side tracks 60 during either an attempted break in or extreme wind conditions. Each of the extension members 90 has an inner flange 92 and an outer flange 94 separated by a neck 96 having a smaller diameter than the flanges 92, 94. Each extension member 90 further includes a threaded shank 98 that is dimensioned to correspond to the screw boss 88. The extension members 90 are attached to the shutter curtain by screwing the shanks 98 into the screw bosses 88 so that the extension members 90 are attached to both ends of a given screw boss 88.
The extension members 90 extend outwardly from the shutter curtain and the outer flanges 94 are captivated by the side tracks 60, as shown in
Other examples of slats for rolling shutter curtains configured to receive retention mechanisms for retaining the ends of the shutter curtains within the side tracks can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,224, entitled “Shutter Tracks for Rolling Protective Shutters,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,225, entitled “Shutter Slat with Integrated Screw Boss,” and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0205221 A1, entitled “Dual Boss Shutter Slat with Retention Plate,” the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In each case, retention members are connected to the ends of the slats of shutter curtains, and the side tracks are configured to engage the retention members and retain the ends of the slats within the side tracks.
The shutters may be attached to the exterior surfaces 14 of buildings substantially as described above where the exterior surface 14 is substantially flat and there is no outwardly extending framing around the opening, or other obstructions such as door handles, hinges and the like. On such surfaces, the panel or shutter may be mounted flush against the surface via the fasteners, and the surface need only be pierced by holes that are large enough to receive the fasteners. In many installations, however, the shutters must be installed on various types of exterior surfaces that are not substantially flat and do not allow the shutters to be mounted flush against the surface. Consequently, exterior material such as shingles, siding, stucco and dryvit, for example, result in uneven surfaces in general and at the openings around which the shutters are to be mounted. For example,
While the construction materials causing the uneven surfaces protect the subsurface, they do not provide an adequate surface and structure for mounting shutters 30 thereto. The materials typically do not have sufficient strength to support the shutters 30, even where the shutters 30 are mounted through the exterior layer and into the subsurface. Instead, a flat surface is necessary for mounting the shutters 30 to the wall.
As discussed above, the exterior surface protects the subsurface from the elements. Once the exterior surface is pierced and a portion removed to accommodate the frame, the protection provided by the exterior surface is compromised. The exposed portions of the subsurface are now vulnerable to the elements. Also, the edges of the siding planks are exposed to the wind which can potentially pull the siding away from the subsurface. Consequently, once the shutter and/or the frame are installed, careful attention is required to reestablish the protection for the subsurface and prevent the loss of integrity of the structure. Such attention can be time consuming, expensive, and can even damage the structure that the shutters are intended to protect if not performed properly. For these reasons, a need exists for an improved method for installing rolling shutters on uneven surfaces that does not compromise the integrity of the structure.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a rolling shutter assembly for covering an opening in a wall of a structure having an external protective surface, an underlying support surface and a subsurface disposed therebetween. The assembly may include a shutter housing, a shutter support member rotatably disposed within the shutter housing, a shutter coupled to the shutter support member, and a pair of side tracks. The assembly may further include a plurality of dowels each having a first end, and second end, a length, a diameter and a longitudinal opening extending therethrough. The wall may have a plurality of holes through the external protective surface on either side of opening configured to receive the first ends of the dowels so that the first ends of the dowels may be inserted into corresponding holes of the external protective surface, and the side tracks may each have holes therethrough corresponding to holes through the external protective surface such that the dowels and the corresponding holes through the side tracks and the external protective surface may be aligned when the first ends of the dowels are inserted into the holes through the external protective surface and the side tracks are disposed on either side of the opening at the second ends of the dowels. A plurality of fasteners may be provided, wherein each fastener may be inserted through one of the holes through the side tracks and through the longitudinal opening of the corresponding one of the dowels disposed in a corresponding one of the holes through the external protective surface, and may be engaged by at least one of the subsurface and the underlying support structure to secure the rolling shutter assembly around the opening of the wall.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for mounting a rolling shutter assembly around an opening of a wall of a structure having an external protective surface, an underlying support structure, and a subsurface disposed therebetween. The assembly may include a shutter housing, a shutter support member rotatably disposed within the shutter housing, a shutter coupled to the shutter support member, a pair of side tracks each having a plurality of holes therethrough, and a plurality of dowels each having a first end, a second end, a length, a diameter and a longitudinal opening extending therethrough. The method may include providing a plurality of holes through the external protective surface on either side of the opening configured to receive the first ends of the dowels, and inserting the first ends of the dowels into corresponding holes of the external protective surface. The method may further include disposing the side tracks adjacent the second ends of the dowels and aligning the holes of the side tracks with the corresponding holes through the external protective surface of the wall and the dowels inserted therein, and inserting fasteners through the holes of the side tracks and the longitudinal openings of the corresponding dowels and into engagement with at least one of subsurface and the underlying support structure to secure the rolling shutter assembly around the opening of the wall.
In a further aspect, the invention is directed to an improvement in a rolling shutter assembly for covering an opening in a wall of a structure having an external protective surface, an underlying support surface and a subsurface disposed therebetween. The assembly may include a shutter housing, a shutter support member rotatably disposed within the shutter housing, a shutter coupled to the shutter support member, and a pair of side tracks. The improvement may include a plurality of dowels each having a first end, and second end, a length, a diameter and a longitudinal opening extending therethrough, wherein the wall may have a plurality of holes through the external protective surface on either side of opening configured to receive the first ends of the dowels so that the first ends of the dowels may be inserted into corresponding holes of the external protective surface. The side tracks may each have holes therethrough corresponding to holes through the external protective surface such that the dowels and the corresponding holes through the side tracks and the external protective surface may be aligned when the first ends of the dowels are inserted into the holes through the external protective surface and the side tracks are disposed on either side of the opening at the second ends of the dowels. A fastener may be inserted through each of the holes through the side tracks and through the longitudinal opening of the corresponding one of the dowels disposed in a corresponding one of the holes through the external protective surface, and may be engaged by at least one of the subsurface and the underlying support structure to secure the rolling shutter assembly around the opening of the wall.
Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of this patent.
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.
It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph.
In order to mount a rolling protective shutter to an uneven external protective surface of a building with minimal penetration of the surface and with reduced time and effort in installing the shutters and reestablishing the protection of the surface, an improved attachment mechanism including a plurality of build-out dowels is provided to secure the shutter to the structure surrounding an opening. The build-out dowels may be interposed between the subsurface of the wall and the components of the rolling protective shutter to eliminate the need for cutting out a signification portion of the external surface material. Instead, holes that need only be large enough to receive the dowels are drilled through the external surface. The dowels may be dimensioned to a length approximately equal to the maximum depth of the external surface. Configured in this way, the build-out dowels provide a support surface for attaching the rolling shutter to the wall without damaging the exterior surface while facilitating the reestablishment of protection for the subsurface of the wall.
Turning to
With reference to
The dowels 222 may be dimensioned as necessary to provide an adequate fastening surface for the shutter 30. In some implementations, the length of the dowels 222 may approximate the depth of the exterior surface 208 such that the shutter housing and side tracks 60 bear upon the exterior surface 208 to receive partial support there from, but without applying enough force to cause the exterior surface 208 to deform or crack. Alternatively, where a relatively brittle material is used for the exterior surface 208, the dowels 222 may have a length that is greater than the depth of the exterior surface 222 so that the shutter housing and side tracks 60 do not bear upon the exterior surface 208. In such installations, the dowels 222 may have a sufficient diameter and/or be provided in sufficient numbers to ensure that the shutter 30 is stable and retained during severe weather conditions without the additional support provided by direct engagement with the exterior surface 208.
Another installation condition that may require extended length dowels 222 may occur where the exterior framing 204 around the opening 206 and/or hardware for the window 202 or a door covering the opening 2006 extend beyond the uneven exterior surface 208 of the wall 206. As one alternative, the dowels 222 may be provided with a length sufficient to place the shutter housing and side tracks 60 beyond the frame 204 or other obstruction so that the shutter curtain 50 may be raised and lowered without interference. As a further alternative, the necessary spacing may be provided by installing the support frame 210 discussed above between the dowels 222 and the shutter 30. Referring to
While the preceding text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/146,459, filed on Jan. 22, 2009, entitled “Build-Out Dowels for Rolling Protective Shutters,” which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61146459 | Jan 2009 | US |
