Patent Application
20080141600
This invention relates to accordion hurricane shutters, and, more particularly, to a molding system for mounting to the top, bottom and sides of an opening in a building in position such that the panels of accordion hurricane shutters, when retracted, and the tracks within which they move, are hidden from view.
The damage to buildings and their contents due to storms, and especially hurricanes, is an ever increasing problem. Doors, windows and other openings in buildings must be secured from wind and rain. Once a door or window of a building is breached, wind can enter the interior of the structure and damage or destroy walls, the roof and other parts of the building.
At least two basic approaches to secure openings in buildings are in general use, particularly in areas prone to hurricanes. One approach is to equip doors and windows in the building with “hurricane-resistant” glass, which generally comprises a combination of plastic vinyl layers and polyester film bonded between panes of glass to form a single sheet. Impacts by flying debris and the like from a storm may shatter the outer pane(s) of glass, but the interior plastic layer(s) generally prevent a breach of the opening. While laminated glass products of this type are effective, they are quite expensive to initially install and must be completely replaced, including the frame for the glass, if damaged.
The most common approach to securing the openings in buildings involves placing a hurricane shutter or plywood over a window, door, etc. to protect against wind, rain and flying debris. There are many types of hurricane shutters, including storm panel shutters, accordion shutters, colonial shutters, bahama-style shutters, roll-down shutters and others. Storm panel shutters come in different forms, but generally comprise a number of corrugated panels formed of metal or plastic which overlap one another and mount within tracks or to bolts affixed to the sides of the window or door opening. Colonial and bahama-style shutters are more aesthetically pleasing, and permanently mount either at the top or along the sides of the opening. Shutters of this type have louvered panels which may be closed, and the shutters secured to the building, during a storm.
Accordion hurricane shutters typically comprise one or two groups of pivotally interconnected panels which are movable between a retracted position at one side of the opening, and an extended position to cover the opening. The top and bottom of each panel includes rollers which are received within upper and lower track assemblies secured to the building at the top and bottom of the opening. If two groups of panels are used, due to the width of the opening, each group of panels is mounted at one side of the opening and they are secured to one another when extended.
Accordion hurricane shutters have the advantage of fast and easy deployment in advance of a storm. Each group of panels may be quickly extended from a retracted to an extended position to cover the opening, and if two panel groups are used they may be easily secured to one another. A problem with this type of shutter arrangement, however, is that the groups of panels and the upper and lower track assemblies, once installed, permanently remain in position about the window or door openings of a building. Even in the retracted position, the panels have a bulky appearance at the sides of the door or window, and the upper and lower tracks are also not aesthetically pleasing. This can greatly detract from the overall appearance of a building, and is unacceptable to many homeowners.
This invention is directed to a molding system for use with accordion hurricane shutters which includes a top section, a bottom section, a first side section and a second side section each formed of a foam material such as polyurethane, polystyrene or the like. The sections are secured to the walls of a building around an opening such as a window or door in a position to hide from view the upper and lower tracks of the accordion shutters, as well as the shutter panels when in the retracted position.
In the presently preferred embodiment, both the top section and the bottom section of the molding system have a front surface, a rear surface and an inside surface which rests against one of the upper and lower track assemblies of the accordion shutters. The front surface of the top and bottom sections terminates with a protruding lip, which, when such sections are mounted in position relative to a door or window, hides the upper and lower track assemblies of the accordion shutters from view. The rear surface of each of the top and bottom sections is formed with an elongated slot which receives adhesive for mounting the sections to the wall of the building.
The first and second side sections of the molding system of this invention each comprise a side panel and a front panel. A first edge of each side panel abuts the wall of the building along one side of the opening, and extends outwardly from the wall at substantially a 90° angle. A front panel is affixed to each side panel, along a second edge opposite the first edge, in a position generally parallel to the wall of the building. The front and side panels of each side section therefore collectively form an L-shaped enclosure along each side of the opening in the building within which the panels of the accordion hurricane shutters may be hidden from view when in the retracted position.
The structure, operation and advantages of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent upon consideration of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring initially to
The molding system 10 generally comprises a top section 16, a bottom section 18, a first side section 20 and a second side section 22. Each of the sections 16, 18, 20 and 22 is formed of foam material such as polyurethane, polystyrene or other suitable strong, lightweight and weather resistant foam material. A hard coat and primer may be applied to the foam material, if desired, to improve weather resistance and obtain a desired aesthetic effect. As seen in
Before discussing the molding system 10 in more detail, a brief description of the accordion shutters 14 is provided. The detailed construction of the accordion shutters 14 forms no part of this invention, and therefore it is only partially described herein. As best seen in
The shutter panels 26 are movable within an upper track assembly 28 and a lower track assembly 30. Both of the track assemblies 28 and 30 include a rear flange 32 affixed to the building by screws, bolts or the like (not shown) and a pair of opposed track arms 34 and 36. The rear flange 32 and track arms 34, 36 are connected to a plate 38. Rollers 40 and 42 are mounted at the juncture of two shutter panels 26, at both the top and the bottom of the panels 26. The rollers 40 and 42 are received within the track arms 34 and 36, respectively, to permit movement of the shutter panels 26 along the upper and lower track assemblies 28, 30. A side flange 43 is mounted to the building by screws, bolts or the like (not shown) at both sides of the accordion shutters 14 to form a stop which limits the travel of the shutter panels 26 when they are moved to the retracted position.
Referring now to
The bottom section 18 has a construction similar to the top section 16. The bottom section 18 includes a front surface 58 formed with contours or other aesthetically pleasing design, a rear surface 60 spaced from the front surface 58 and an inside surface 62 which rests against the plate 38 of the lower track assembly 30. The front surface 58 terminates with a lower lip 64, extending downwardly relative to the inside surface 62. In the presently preferred embodiment, the rear surface 60 of the bottom section 18 is formed with a slot 66 and a recess 68 each extending substantially along the entire length of the bottom section 18. The slot 66 receives adhesive 53 which mounts the bottom section 18 to the building wall 56, as schematically depicted in
As seen in
Referring now to
The molding system 10 of this invention therefore provides a visually pleasing covering for the shutter panels 26 and upper and lower track assemblies 28, 30 of the accordion hurricane shutters 14, which is inexpensive, durable and easy to install.
While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
