1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hurricane shutter systems and, more particular, to accordion shutter systems which use a plurality of vertically oriented slat members movable along a track system in a folding and unfolding action.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Hurricane shutters and panels of various type are well known, particularly in areas which are regularly subjected to the threat of tropical storms and hurricanes. Storm shutters and panels are typically used to protect windows, doors and other vulnerable structure from the force of high winds and flying objects. Many coastal areas have now enacted building codes modeled after the building code of Dade County, Florida, which require storm shutters and panels to withstand specific levels of wind force and degrees of deflection caused by flying objects hitting the panels or shutters.
Storm shutters provide the added convenience of deployment with the use of interconnecting slats or blade portions which rotate relative to one another when moved along a guide track. The two primary types of storm shutters are generally categorized as roll-up shutters and accordion or folding shutters. Roll-up shutters typically move vertically up and down relative to a window or door opening and wrap about a central winding axis, in a roll form, when moved to the open or stowed position. Accordion shutters on the other hand, typically move horizontally relative to a door or window opening along a header and sill or base track. The slats of accordion shutters are arranged in a generally zig zag formation and stack upon one another, in a fan folded arrangement, when moved open to the side(s) of the door or window.
While most of the accordion shutter systems presently available on the market do comply with building code requirements, they are, for the most part, bulky and difficult to operate. In particular, accordion shutters tend to bind or jam when pulled along their tracks. This is generally due to the weight of the slats coupled with the friction resulting from uneven balance (off-center) of the slats as they are moved along the track system. A further problem is encountered when attempting to install and deploy accordion shutters about a curved structure. Most track structures in accordion shutter systems are manufactured straight and are not suitable for bending about a curve. Moreover, the uneven balance of the slats makes it extremely difficult to move the interconnecting and folding slats about a curved track.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the storm shutter industry for an accordion shutter system which is designed to balance the load in the center of the track for easier movement, without binding or jamming, and further wherein the tracks are designed for ease of curving to permit installation about a non-linear structure.
The accordion shutter system of the present invention is directed to a system which has a folding arrangement of interconnected slats moveably supported on a track assembly. The track assembly includes an overhead header with longitudinal rails on opposite sides of a central gap and outboard abutment surfaces. The track assembly further includes a lower floor track extending parallel with the header along the same plane and having a guide slot arranged in opposing relation to the gap in the header. The slats extend vertically between the header and floor track and are each rotatable about a vertical axis defined at the interconnection of male end and female end fittings of adjacently positioned slats. Trolleys are captivated within the header and have opposite wheels for rolling travel along the rails. Each trolley connects to the center of a correspondingly positioned slat to support the slat vertically between the header and floor track and to permit evenly balanced horizontal and folding movement of the folding slat arrangement between a fully open position and a closed position to protectively cover a door, window or other building structure. The accordion shutter system is structured to withstand high velocity winds in a category 5 hurricane.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The accordion shutter system and the component parts thereof are shown throughout the several views of the drawings, wherein the accordion shutter system is generally indicated as 10.
Referring initially to
With further reference to
The plurality of slats forming the interconnected folding slat arrangement 40 are supported by a plurality of trolleys 50 movably disposed within the header. Each trolley 50 includes a center carriage 52 and opposite wheels 54 rotatably guided along the rails 28 of the track, thereby permitting travel of the trolleys along the length of the track in the header. The carriage 52 of each trolley is connected to a corresponding slat member 42, to support the slat member in hanging relation to the header so that the slat member extends between the header 20 and floor track 30. More specifically, a pin 43 or like fastener connects between the carriage of the trolley and the top end of a respective one of the slat members, with the pin connecting approximately at the mid point along the top edge of the slat member. A bushing 44 is provided between the top end of the slat member and the underside of the carriage of the trolley to provide spacing and rotation of the respective slat member relative to the trolley.
The floor track 30 is provided with an elongate central guide slot 32 extending along the entire length of the floor track. The guide slot 32 is positioned in parallel, vertical alignment with the gap 24 of the header 20. A guide pin 45 with bushing 46 is attached to the bottom center of each slat member for guided receipt and travel along the guide slot 32 of the floor track 30. Like the attachment of the top end of each slat member 42 to the respective trolleys 50, the guide pins 45 are centered on the lower end of each of the respective slat members so that the slat members are balanced on center between the gap 24 of the header 20 and the guide slot 32 of the floor track 30.
To further maintain center balance and guided travel of the interconnected, folding slat arrangement, contact bushings 48 are fitted to the interconnection points between adjacent slat members, on both the top and bottom ends. The contact bushings are specifically structured for engagement with the outer abutment surfaces of both the header and floor track. More specifically, bushings 48 on the top ends of the respective slat members engage the opposite outboard rail surfaces 25 of the header, while the contact bushings 48 on the lower ends of the respective slat members are disposed in abutting engagement with outboard side surfaces 35 of the floor track 30.
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The full slat members 42a (
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While the instant invention has been shown and described in accordance with a preferred and practical embodiment thereof, it is recognized that departures from the instant disclosure are contemplated within the spirit and scope of the present invention.