Patent Application
20230392438
Architects and engineers have developed various windows, door, and window coverings in buildings for hundreds of years. Design of a window itself will usually include a way to open the window and then subsequently close the window. Similar aspects are also involved with doors and window coverings. A particular subset of window coverings is called window shutters. Window shutters may be designed to block, tune, or modulate light from coming through a window or may be designed to protect a window from severe weather. Common designs for shutters have also been around for hundreds of years.
In more modem designs, the manner in which the window shutter opens and closes may provide additional architectural or engineering features. For example, the window shutter itself may provide shade when opened or look aesthetically pleasing when in the open or closed position. However, various conventional designs of window shutters are typically clunky and somewhat difficult to operate even with motorized assistance.
Aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the claims will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the subject matter disclosed herein. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present detailed description. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed or suggested herein.
By way of overview, the subject matter disclosed herein may be an improved bi-fold shutter that includes a more efficient coupling mechanism at a hinge point suited to facilitate opening and closing the bi-fold shutter with greater ease. In one embodiment, the shutter may be designed for a window such that the shutter, when closed, is relatively close to the face of the associated window, and when open, forms an awning or overhang. The shutter includes an improved coupling mechanism at a hinge point between a first shutter portion and a second shutter portion. The improved hinge point shifts a direction of force needed to maneuver the shutter when moving the shutter from one position to another. The shift in opening and closing force directions improves the efficiency by which the shutter can be operated. In some embodiments, the shutter may be hand-operated. In other embodiments, the shutter may be powered. These and other aspects and features are discussed below with respect to
When a person wished to extend (e.g., open) the window shitter 100, a force 131 is applied in an upward direction to the lower portion 120, the two portions may swing out away from the window 115 at the coupling point hinge 125 Because the upper portion 121 is attached to the building at a stationary pivoting hinge 126, the two portions fold together into the open position shown in broken lines. This is further assisted by a guide track 123 that keeps a pin assembly 127 of the lower portion 120 in a plane parallel to the window 115.
When a person wants to retract the shutters, a force 132 may be applied in the downward direction on the lower portion 120. However, because of the pin assembly 127 and the coupling point with the pivoting hinge 125 are aligned in the same horizontal plane, there is no downward thrust force applied to the shutter itself. Rather, the thrust is only in the horizontal plane as shown by force 130. That is the downward force 132 is orthogonal to the force 130 needed to overcome any holding force of the window shutter 100 in the open position. This makes closing the shutter difficult and inefficient.
Furthermore, in the design of the window shutter 110 in
Further disadvantages of the window shutter 100 of
In this manner, the non-coupling ends of the window shutter 200 (e.g., the second end (the lower end) of the first rigid member 221 and the second end (the upper end) of the second rigid member 220 are fix within a vertical plane of motion 260 that is parallel with the window 115 and the guide track 223. This plane 260 is disposed such that the second end of the first rigid member 220 and the second end of the second rigid member 221 remain in the plane 260 during window shutter 200 motion and disposed such that the coupling 250 deviates from the plane 260 during window shutter 200 motion.
The window shutter 200 is supplemented with a lower roller assembly 255 that assists with overcoming the coefficient of friction when maneuvering the window shutter 200 from position to position. The roller assembly 225 includes wheels that remain in a plane of motion 260 parallel to the window 115. In an embodiment, the wheels are encompassed in the guide track 223. As the window shutter 200 moves to the open position, the window shutter 200 rotates about a pivot point 256 at the lower end (e.g., a second end opposite the first end at the upper end) of the lower portion 220.
The variable center hinge and the roller assembly 225 assist with reducing the force needed to maneuver the window shutter 200—especially when is a fully open or fully closed position. One reason for the reduction in force is that the thrust force 230 needed to move the shutter 200 out of the fully open position is now angled with respect to a normal of the plane of motion 260. This is because the rotation point 250 moves relative to the windows shutter portions 220 and 221. Thus, when in the fully open position, the thrust force 230 is angled from the center of rotation point 250 to the roller assembly 225 pivot point 256 so that at least some of the downward force 132 used to attempt to close the window shutter 200 is translated to this force angle 230. In some embodiments, the window assembly may include a motor 245 configured to actuate the window shutter from an extended position to a retracted position and configured to actuate the window shutter from the retracted position to the extended position.
The embodiments of the coupling are discussed next with respect to
In this embodiment, one protruding end 375a of the first member 370 is pivotally attached (at pivot point 376a) to an end of the lower section 220 of the window shutter 200 and the other protruding end 375b of the first member 370 is pivotally attached (at pivot point 376b) to an end of the upper portion 221 of the window shutter 200. In an opposite manner (mirror-image in the retracted position), one protruding end 385a of the second member 380 is pivotally attached (at pivot point 386a) to an end of the lower section 220 of the window shutter 200 and the other protruding end 375b of the second member 380 is pivotally attached (at pivot point 386b) to an end of the upper portion 221 of the window shutter 200. Further, the two members 370 and 380 may be nested such that one protruding end 375b of a first member 370 nests around (e.g., on the outside of) a protruding end 385b of the second member 380 as shown.
In this manner, when in the closed position (e.g., retracted), the relative coupling point 250 is aligned with the outer edge (top edge with respect to the alignment of the window shutter as depicted in
In this embodiment, one end 595a of the member 590 is pivotally attached (at pivot point 591a) to an end of the lower section 220 of the window shutter 200 and the other end 595b of the member 390 is pivotally attached (at pivot point 591b) to an end of the upper portion 221 of the window shutter 200. In this manner, when in the closed position (e.g., retracted), the relative coupling point 250 is aligned with the outer edge. However, as the window shutter 200 begins to move into an open position, the coupling point 250 will move along a range of motion at the ends of the portions 220 and 221 of the window shutter 200 in manner relative to the motion of the ends of the window shutter members 220 and 221. This can be seen in
The embodiment of
While the subject matter discussed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the claims to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/311,718, entitled “System and Method for An Improved Bi-Fold Shutter,” filed Mar. 22, 2016, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17719223 | Apr 2022 | US |
| Child | 18231596 | US |
