Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Roll type – With rotating means
Patent
1999-03-23
2000-09-19
Purol, David M.
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Roll type
With rotating means
160133, E06B 915
Patent
active
061197599
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a novel opening and closing device for protecting a defined building space which can be used, for example, on folding shutters, sliding doors, roller shutters and similar structures.
As an example, roller-type shutters are often used to protect a defined building space. Such roller-type shutters are generally comprised of plural slats which are fixed to one another by a system of hinges to form a sheet which is capable of sliding within two lateral guides. The resulting sheet is wound around a drum, which is generally located at the top of a window or some other aperture for delimiting the building space, making it possible to completely open the roller-type shutters.
Such roller-type shutters are closed by slowly unwinding the sheet which has been wound on the drum, making it possible for the slats to slide in the lateral guides. The slats are not made pivotable so as to better carry out the closing operation.
An object of the present invention is to provide slats for such shutters which are capable of pivoting on themselves, which has been found to provide additional and useful operating functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by fastening mirror strips or equivalent elements to the slats which form the shutters, and by permitting the slats to selectively pivot on themselves. This has been found to provide the following additional functionality.
Using such strips or equivalent elements on the slats of a roller-type structure provided for the lower stories of a building allows the natural lighting within the building to be maximized by virtue of the reflective properties of the strips, while at the same time maintaining complete privacy for the enclosed space (i.e., room). The intensity of the lighting and the degree of privacy can be adjusted by rotation of the slats.
Using such strips or equivalent elements on the slats of a roller-type structure provided for the upper stories of a building allows lighting to be provided on demand by varying the pivoting angle for the strips, which then function both as a beam inhibitor and/or a beam diffuser. In this way it is made possible to regulate the internal temperature of the protected building space from the inside (e.g., with only a few slats exposed to the sun being opened) and to maintain the coolness of the interior space.
In both cases, when the shutters are completely closed, the shutters form a mirror over approximately the entire inner surface, giving the illusion of space and a pleasant view while at the same time adding an attractive decoration to the interior space. In addition, by making it possible to accommodate the strips and the motor, the relatively thick slats contribute to the reduction of annoying noise and at the same time offer high thermal resistance to heat and cold. Moreover, an appreciable saving of energy is achieved and there is no longer any need to use curtains.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,577 describes a door having inclined slats which carry mirror elements. However, the disclosed slats are stationary, and it is impossible to adjust the lighting and temperature.
The present invention provides an improved closing and opening device for a building space, such as a roller-type shutter for a window, having slats which can slide in two vertically extending, lateral guides and which are attached to one another by an attachment system comprising a male/female interlocking system extending along the length of the slats so that the slats can be lowered or raised, to close or open the given space. The slats are movable between a closed and an opened position. When in a completely closed position, the lowermost slat comes to rest on a horizontal surface and the slats are all caused to interlock with one another over their entire length to form a continuous sheet. When in a partially or completely open position, the slats are disengaged and separated from one another by a space defined by the height of
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Cohen Gary M.
Purol David M.
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