Shutter assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9732553-B2
Application number	US-201514810531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A shutter assembly including a plurality of shutter panels arranged side-by-side. Each shutter panel has a respective plurality of louvers and a respective operable tilt mechanism configured to adjust the tilt angle of the respective plurality of louvers. A control shaft operates the tilt mechanisms. The control shaft is configured to drive simultaneously the respective tilt mechanisms of all of the plurality of shutter panels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shutter assembly comprising:
a plurality of shutter panels arranged side-by-side, each shutter panel including a respective plurality of louvers and a respective operable tilt mechanism configured to adjust the tilt angle of the respective plurality of louvers; and
a control shaft for operating the tilt mechanisms; wherein:
the control shaft is configured to drive simultaneously the respective tilt mechanisms of all of the plurality of shutter panels; and
the respective tilt mechanism of at least one shutter panel of the plurality of shutter panels is operable independently of the control shaft by disengaging the tilt mechanism from the control shaft.

2. A shutter assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of respective actuators for the plurality of respective shutter panels, each respective actuator operatively engageable with the respective tilt mechanism and all of the respective actuators operable by the control shaft to drive the respective tilt mechanisms.

3. A shutter assembly according to claim 2 further comprising a plurality of respective gear mechanisms for converting rotational movement of the control shaft to translation of respective actuators.

4. A shutter assembly according to claim 2 wherein each respective actuator extends towards the respective shutter panel and is configured to translate parallel to a plane defined by the respective shutter panel and thereby drive the respective tilt mechanism.

5. A shutter assembly according to claim 2 wherein a respective tab of each respective tilt mechanism of each respective shutter panel extends towards a respective actuator for engagement therewith and is operable by the respective actuator to drive the respective tilt mechanism.

6. A shutter assembly according to claim 2 further comprising one or both of: a plurality of respective clutches between respective actuators and the control shaft;
and a plurality of respective clutches forming respective engagements between the respective tilt mechanisms and the respective actuators, each respective clutch allowing relative slip between the respective tilt mechanism and the respective actuator once a breakaway resistance has been overcome.

7. A shutter assembly according to claim 6 wherein each respective clutch or engagement or both includes at least one of a mechanical engagement, a magnetic engagement and an electro-magnetic engagement.

8. A shutter assembly according to claim 2 further comprising a frame supporting the plurality of shutter panels.

9. A shutter assembly according to claim 8 wherein the control shaft extends within a portion of the frame.

10. A shutter assembly according to claim 8 wherein the actuators extend from the frame towards the respective shutter panels.

11. A shutter assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of respective clutches formed between the respective tilt mechanisms and the control shaft, each respective clutch allowing relative slip between the respective tilt mechanism and the control shaft.

12. A shutter assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one shutter panel of the plurality of shutter panels is pivotably supported and is pivotable from a closed position in which the at least one shutter panel defines a plane and an open position in which the at least one shutter panel at least partially extends from the plane; and
wherein, when the at least one shutter panel is in a position pivoted from the closed position, the respective tilt mechanism of the at least one shutter panel is pivoted away from the control shaft so that the respective tilt mechanism of the at least one shutter panel is disengaged from the control shaft.

13. A shutter assembly according to claim 12 wherein each respective shutter panel has a respective connector configured to operably connect drive of the control shaft to the respective tilt mechanism when the respective shutter panel is in the closed position and configured to disconnect drive of the control shaft to the respective tilt mechanism when the respective shutter panel is in a position pivoted away from the closed position.

14. A shutter assembly according to claim 13 wherein each respective connector includes one or both of a mechanical engagement and a magnetic engagement.

15. A shutter assembly according to claim 1 further comprising a motor configured to rotate the control shaft.

16. A shutter assembly according to claim 15 wherein the motor is housed within the portion of the frame.

17. A shutter assembly according to claim 1 wherein each louver is tiltable about a respective longitudinal axis extending longitudinally along the louver and the louvers of a respective plurality of louvers are arranged in a side-by-side array with the respective longitudinal axes parallel.

18. A shutter assembly according to claim 17 wherein each respective louver includes, at one longitudinal end of the respective louver, a respective louver gear rotatable with the respective louver about the respective longitudinal axis of the louver for tilting the louver and wherein each respective tilt mechanism includes a rack bar extending substantially perpendicular to the louvers of the respective plurality of louvers and engaging with the respective louver gears of the respective plurality of louvers such that the louvers of the respective plurality of louvers tilt together.

19. A shutter assembly according to claim 1 wherein each respective shutter panel of the plurality of shutter panels includes a respective edge member and the respective tilt mechanism of the respective shutter panel is housed within the respective edge member.

20. A shutter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the respective tilt mechanism of the at least one shutter panel is operable independently of the control shaft by pivoting the tilt mechanism away from the control shaft.

21. A shutter assembly comprising:
a plurality of shutter panels arranged side-by-side, each shutter panel including a plurality of louvers and a tilt mechanism configured to adjust the tilt angle of the plurality of louvers; and
a control shaft for operating the tilt mechanisms of the plurality of shutter panels; wherein:
the control shaft is configured to drive simultaneously the tilt mechanisms of all of the plurality of shutter panels; and
a shutter panel of the plurality of shutter panels is pivotable out of a plane defined by other shutter panels of the plurality of shutter panels to disengage the tilt mechanism of the at least one shutter panel from the control shaft.

22. A shutter assembly comprising:
a plurality of shutter panels arranged side-by-side, each shutter panel including a plurality of louvers and a tilt mechanism arranged to adjust the tilt angle of the plurality of louvers; and
a control shaft for operating the tilt mechanisms;
wherein:
the control shaft is arranged to simultaneously drive each tilt mechanism of each plurality of shutter panels;
the tilt mechanism of at least one shutter panel of the plurality of shutter panels is operable independently of the control shaft;
the at least one shutter panel is pivotable between a closed position and an open position; and
when the at least one shutter panel is in a position pivoted from the closed position, the tilt mechanism of the at least one shutter panel is pivoted away from the control shaft to disengage the tilt mechanism of the at least one shutter panel from the control shaft.

Assignees

• Hunter Douglas Ind Bv

Inventors

• Rotchell Ken

Classifications

• E06B7/094

  operable in sequence; characterised by additional independent movement · CPC title

• E06B7/086 Primary

  interconnected for concurrent movement · CPC title

• E06B7/09

  mounted in movable wing, e.g. door · CPC title

• E06B7/096 Primary

  operated or interconnected by gearing (wing operators with gearing in general E05F11/00) · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

  Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses · CPC title