Movable or removable closures – Closures interconnected for concurrent movement – Louver-type closures
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2002-06-11
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
Closures interconnected for concurrent movement
Louver-type closures
C049S074100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06401391
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a control for determining angled positioning of a set of louvers in a movable louver assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Shutters having movable louvers are becoming more and more popular as window coverings. When movable louver shutters were first introduced to the marketplace, they were generally made of wood. A control bar was loosely attached by staples to each of the louvers centrally of the shutter. The louvers were then opened or closed simultaneously with one another through the use of the control bar. The wood to wood contact at the ends of the louver with the surrounding frame would generally hold the position in which the louvers were set by the control bar.
More recently, plastic material such as vinyl and the like has been used as a replacement for wood in building movable shutter assemblies. The plastic material has the benefit of being more durable and more easily cleaned than wood.
When working with plastic, it has again been the norm to build a one piece control bar attached by loose fasteners to the individual louvers generally centrally of the shutter. However, because of the weight of the control bar and the relatively low co-efficient of friction at the interface between the louver ends and the surrounding frame, it is usually the case that some type of additional louver tensioning system is required. This tensioning system is generally built within the supporting frame engaging the louver ends where they enter the frame.
Again, in accordance with conventional plastic construction, the control bar is formed from an elongated extrusion and then cut to a specific length according to the height of and the number of louvers used in the shutter. The attachment of the control bar generally requires some type of an opening to be cut into the main body of the louvers to interfit a fastener between the control bar and the louvers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a louver control system used in a movable louver assembly. The system includes a control bar formed from a plurality of bar segments, one for each louver. The bar segments are interlocked vertically aligned with one another to build the control bar in which each individual bar segment is pivotally secured to an associated louver.
In accordance with the present invention, the control bar is quickly and easily built at the same time that the shutter is assembled with the number of segments used in the control bar being determined by the number of louvers provided in the shutter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 534076 (1895-02-01), McFarland
patent: 1324973 (1919-12-01), McQueen
patent: 1960763 (1934-05-01), Waddell et al.
patent: 2164814 (1939-07-01), Griffith
patent: 2577072 (1951-12-01), Cotner
patent: 3691687 (1972-09-01), Economou
patent: 4497413 (1985-02-01), Tocci
patent: 5588766 (1996-12-01), Lai
patent: 5775399 (1998-07-01), Shields, Jr.
Stodola Daniel P.
Thompson Hugh B.
Vinylbiltshutter Systems Inc.
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