EP0272733B1 - Shutter device - Google Patents

Abstract

A device having a shutter windable around a spindle and especially adapted to close a bay or other opening by the unwinding of the shutter, the same having flexible side edges which project beyond the shutter plane and which are retained with reduced friction in substantially continuous guideways during the unwinding and winding up of the shutter, that shutter edges may disengage from their guideways when subjected to a predetermined pull transversely to guideway. Each guideway has near and upstream of the shutter spindle an access passage through which the projecting edge of any shutter which has disengaged from the guideway can re-engage, as the shutter winds around its spindle, in that part of the particular guideway concerned which is disposed beyond the passage.

Description

The present invention relates to a shutter device which can be wound around an axis and intended in particular for closing a bay or another opening by the unwinding of the shutter, as defined in the preamble of claim 1.

The document CH-A 192 088 describes and represents a guide device for a roller shutter of the aforementioned type.

This device has the disadvantage that when, by accident, e.g. the edge of the flap emerges from one of its guide paths, all disassembly is necessary to reintroduce it therein. In addition, generally in such a case, the guide path and / or the clear edge of the flap are deteriorated and require repair or even, replacement.

One of the essential aims of the present invention is to present a device of the aforementioned type of an extremely simple design and construction and of perfect reliability, which, moreover, is entirely self-repairing, without even having to stop its operation for a moment when such an accident occurs, that is to say when, for example, under the effect of a large and sudden shock, one or both edges of the flap are released from their guide path.

To this end, each of these guide paths has, near and upstream of the winding axis of the shutter, an access passage through which the corresponding projecting edge of the shutter, which has become clear, can again engage in the portion of the guide track considered located beyond this access passage, during the winding around the aforementioned winding axis, and the subsequent unwinding of the flap, the aforementioned means comprising guide profiles which can s '' open under the effect of the above-mentioned tensile force.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the above profiles are made of a somewhat elastic material.

The invention also relates to a shutter device which can be wound on a drum around a tree and intended in particular for closing a bay or other opening by the unwinding thereof.

This device is characterized in that it comprises a wheel wedged on one of the free ends of the rotation shaft of the drum projecting laterally relative to the latter, this wheel having a diameter smaller than that of the drum, a counterweight cooperating with this wheel, so as to go up during the unwinding of the flap and to go down during the winding of the latter on the drum, damping means being provided to slow down the movement of the flap somewhat before the latter has reached its fully rolled up or fully unwound position.

• La figure 1 est une vue schématique générale en élévation et de face, avec brisures partielles, de cette forme de réalisation particulière.
• La figure 2 est, à plus grande échelle, une vue latérale de cette forme de réalisation.
• La figure 3 est, à plus grande échelle, avec brisures partielles, une coupe suivant la ligne III-III de la figure 1.
• La figure 4 est, à plus grande échelle, une vue en élévation et de face, avec brisures partielles, d'un détail de la partie supérieure de la figure 1, avec une partie du bord du volet dégagé de son chemin de guidage.
• La figure 5 est une vue latérale avec brisures partielles du même détail que celui montré à la figure 4, dans laquelle toutefois le volet a, pour la clarté, été omis.
• La figure 6 est une section, à plus grande échelle, suivant la ligne VI-VI de la figure 1.
• La figure 7 est une section, également à plus grande échelle, suivant la ligne VII-VII de la figure 4.
• La figure 8 est une section analogue à celle de la figure 6, dans laquelle, toutefois, le bord du volet est partiellement dégagé de son chemin de guidage.

Other details and particularities of the invention will emerge from the description given below, by way of nonlimiting example, of a particular embodiment of the invention with reference to the appended drawings.

• Figure 1 is a general schematic elevation and front view, with partial broken, of this particular embodiment.
• Figure 2 is, on a larger scale, a side view of this embodiment.
• Figure 3 is, on a larger scale, with partial breaks, a section along line III-III of Figure 1.
• Figure 4 is, on a larger scale, an elevational and front view, with partial broken, of a detail of the upper part of Figure 1, with part of the edge of the flap released from its guide path.
• Figure 5 is a side view with partial breaks of the same detail as that shown in Figure 4, in which however the flap has, for clarity, been omitted.
• Figure 6 is a section, on a larger scale, along line VI-VI of Figure 1.
• Figure 7 is a section, also on a larger scale, along the line VII-VII of Figure 4.
• Figure 8 is a section similar to that of Figure 6, in which, however, the edge of the flap is partially disengaged from its guide path.

In the different figures, the same reference numbers refer to the same elements.

The device according to the invention and a particular embodiment of which is shown in the appended figures, comprises a flap 1 which can be wound around an axis 2 and intended for the closing of a bay 3 or any opening or passage by the progress of this component.

By the word "shutter", it is necessary to understand, within the framework of the present invention, any element which can be wound around an axis, such as a tarpaulin, assembly of articulated strips, etc.

It should, however, be noted that a pronounced preference is given to flexible shutters formed e.g. from a tarpaulin.

The description below has therefore been limited to such an embodiment of the invention.

D; in general, the device according to the invention is characterized in that the flap 1 is provided with flexible lateral edges having a projecting part 4 with respect to its plane, the latter being maintained with slight friction in guide tracks substantially continuous 5, so as to be able to move in these paths during the unwinding and winding of the shutter 1.

This projecting part 4 is advantageously formed by a succession of small rigid and identical blocks 6 connected in a flexible manner to each other, so as to allow the lateral edges of the shutter 1 to be wound in a spiral around the axis 2.

These blocks 6 can be made of a rigid plastic material molded on a strip of fabric 1 'fixed on the edge of the sheet, of which the flap is made, at a certain distance from one another, so as to allow to articulate two consecutive blocks one with respect to the other and thus to wrap the lateral edges of the shutter 1 around the axis 2.

In a practical way, a preference is given to blocks 6, which are formed by what is ap peeled "the stitches" from a traditional zipper.

Thus, the projecting part 4 of the side edges of the flap 1 can be formed by one of the two chains of such a zipper. This was, among other things, clearly illustrated in FIG. 4.

Each of the guide tracks 5 has two longitudinal edges 7 and 8 which extend on either side of the lateral edges of the flap 1, more particularly of the projecting part 4 of the latter. These edges 7 and 8 are directed towards each other, so as to partially surround this protruding part 4 which is held in the guide path 5.

In the embodiment as shown in the figures, each guide path 5 comprises two separate sections 9 and 10, extending at a certain distance next to each other, while being held by their base 11 in a support 12.

A part 13 of these sections 9 and 10 protrudes from this support 12 and has the abovementioned longitudinal edges 7 and 8.

More particularly, the two sections 9 and 10 have a cross section having substantially the shape of a Z, one of the wings of which forms the rim 7 and 8 and the other wing of which forms the base 11. The support 12 is constituted by 'a U-shaped, whose wings have flanges 14 and 15 directed towards each other, so as to have the appearance of a "C". The two Z-shaped sections 9 and 10 are held by three intermediate pieces 16, 17 and 18 clamped, on the one hand, between the support 1 and the sections 9 and 10 and, on the other hand, between the latter two. By changing the thicknesses of the parts 16 and 17, it is possible to adjust the height of the part 13 of the sections 7 and 8 protruding from the support 12.

For this, it may be important that the distance d between the base of the U-shaped profile 12 and the flanges 14 and 15 of the latter is greater than the thickness of the wings 11 of the profiles 9 and 10.

The two profiles 9 and 10 are advantageously made of a plastic material, preferably self-lubricating, while the support 12 is advantageously a metal profile.

Furthermore, the part 13 of the profiles 9 and 10 of the guide path 5 has a certain elasticity, so as to allow the blocks 6 provided at the lateral edges of the flap 1 to disengage from their guide path 5 as soon as a a certain tensile force, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the latter, notably substantially in the plane of the flap 1, is exerted on these edges. This has been clearly illustrated in FIG. 8, in which the direction of this tensile force has been shown by arrow 19.

Thus, a very important security is obtained which makes it possible to prevent the device from being damaged in the event of a very strong storm and especially when a vehicle knocks the flap in its closed or partially closed position.

The support 12, which therefore consists of a U-shaped section, is freely placed in a housing 37 in the form of a channel, substantially along the axis of the latter. This housing 37 is determined by another U-shaped profile 40, more rigid and wider than that of the support 12, which is fixed by screws, not shown, or by welding to a frame 32 mounted at the edges of the opening 3 (see FIGS. 2, 6, 7 and 8) and which has on either side of the support 12, between its side wall 41 and the wing of the latter situated opposite this wall a certain space 38.

A clamping element 36, formed in the present case by a cylindrical metal tube, extends along the support 12 and bears in an adjustable manner at least laterally against the latter, so as to be able to control the distance between the edges 14 and 15 and thus the necessary tensile force in order to be able to release the projecting edges 4 of the flap 1 of the two sections 9 and 10 of the guide path 5.

More particularly, the tube therefore constituting this clamping element 36, is engaged laterally and partly to a certain depth in the space 38 of the housing 37 and is fixed by screws 39, passing right through this tube, auf bottom 42 of the housing 37. The outside diameter of the tube 36 is somewhat greater than the distance separating a wing from the support 12 from the side wall 41 of the housing located opposite this wing, so that when the screws 39 are tightened a force is exerted on the support 12, a composnate of which is oriented towards the bottom 42 of the housing 37, another component being oriented in a direction parallel to this bottom towards said wing.

In this regard, the screws 39 are fixed in an adjustable manner in tapped holes 43 made in said bottom 42 of the housing 37.

Thus, thanks to the two tubes 36 provided on either side of the support 12, it is possible, on the one hand, to fix the support 12 in a removable and adjustable manner to the U-shaped profile 40 and, on the other hand, to adjust the distance between the free ends of the flanges 14 and 15 of the support 12 and thus the distance and possibly the pressure between the sections 9 and 10 and projecting edges 4 of the flap 1 by tightening the screws 39 at least.

As shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5, each of the guide tracks 5 has according to the invention at its upper part an access passage 20 through which the blocks 6, provided at the side edges of the flap 1, which would have been released from their guide path 5, can then again automatically engage in the portion 21 of the latter located directly above this passage 20 during the movement of the flap 1 upwards, as indicated by the arrow 22 in FIG. 4 , that is to say during the winding of the shutter around its axis 2.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the access passage 20 is obtained by cutting, over a distance of a few centimeters, the part 13 of the sections 9 and 10 which protrudes relative to the support 12. In certain cases, it might be sufficient cutting only the edges 7 and 8 of the sections 9. and 10 to allow the projecting edges 4 of the flap to reengage between these sections 9 and 10.

In addition, according to the invention, to guide the small blocks 6 somewhat along the axis of the guide path 5 at the entrance to this passage 20, a V-shaped cut 23 is made in the edges 7 and 8 of the profiles 9 and 10 delimiting the lower side of this passage 20.

In the portion 21 of the guide path, located above the passage 20, the part 13 of the sections 9 and 10 is supported on its outer faces by stiffeners 24 which prevent the small blocks 6 of the side edge of the flap 1 from being emerge from these profiles under the action of a tensile force in the direction of arrow 19. This has been illustrated in FIG. 7.

It is, in fact, as if such stiffeners 24 were not provided, the sections 9 and 10 could possibly open, somewhat as shown in Figure 8 at the place where the blocks 6 enter the portion 21 of the guide path when they are reintroduced therein.

In this regard, it is useful to note that, since this portion 21 is located in the upper part of the opening 3, the risks that such a force in the direction of the arrow 19 occurs at this location are fairly minimal.

The winding of the shutter 1 preferably takes place on a drum 25, having a relatively large diameter, and therefore relatively rigid, mounted for rotation about the axis 2 in the upper part of the opening 3. The upper free end of the two guide paths 5 extends almost as far as against the cylindrical wall of the drum, so as to ensure that the flap is wound as perfectly as possible on the latter.

A relatively narrow strip 26 of the shutter 1 is advantageously fixed by its upper edge, eg by gluing or riveting, to the cylindrical wall of the drum, along the generatrix thereof, while its lower edge is joined in a removable manner to the remaining part of the flap, eg by a zipper 27.

This can be very practical when installing the device or when replacing the shutter.

The lateral edges of the shutter 1, presenting the blocks 6, protrude relative to the two ends of the drum 25 during the winding of the shutter on the latter. This has been shown in detail in Figure 3.

Thus, a free space 28 is provided on either side of the drum 25, in the extension of the latter.

The longitudinal axis of the guide tracks extends approximately in a vertical plane tangent to the cylindrical wall of the drum 25, on the side of the latter where the winding of the shutter 1 begins, so that the lateral edges of the flap 1, as they emerge from the upper end of their respective guide paths, during the winding of flap 1 on the drum 25, can wind freely around the axis 2 and fall back into the free space 28. This therefore makes it possible to compensate for the excess thickness at the lateral edges of the rolled up shutter.

The shutter thus remains perfectly tensioned on the drum, without it being necessary to provide superchargers on the face of the shutter to compensate for the difference in thickness of the blocks 6 compared with that of the shutter 1.

In fact, the axis of the guide tracks can be in a vertical plane which is tangent to the cylinder formed by half of the wound part of the flap on the drum.

If the shutter 1 is formed by a sheet, the thickness of the latter being relatively reduced, the variations in the diameter of the shutter wound on the drum will also be very small, especially since the diameter of the drum itself can be relatively large.

Means for driving the shutter 1 are provided allowing at least the latter to be wrapped around the drum 25, while its lower edge is preferably weighed down uniformly over its entire length, so as to allow or thus facilitate the unfolding of the shutter, mainly under the effect of its weight.

In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, these drive means comprise a motor not shown in the figures, which is incorporated in the drum 25.

The latter is advantageously constituted by a hollow cylinder made of a hard plastic material, eg polyvinyl chloride, and thus exhibits great rigidity while being relatively light. It is mounted in rotation on a shaft 29. The free ends of this shaft 29 protruding from the drum 25 are mounted in the aforementioned frame 32, formed by L-shaped profiles, which laterally delimit the bay 3 and on which are also fixed the U-shaped profiles 40 of the guide tracks 5, as already mentioned above.

The drive means of the shutter 1, more particularly of the drum 25, also comprise a counterweight 33 suspended by means of a chain 34 from a pinion 35 wedged on one of the free ends of the shaft 29 projecting laterally relative to the drum 25.

The chain 34 is open and is placed on the pinion 35, so as to determine two branches 34a and 34b hanging freely on either side of this pinion.

The counterweight 33 is suspended from the branch 34a of the chain, so as to be lifted during the unwinding of the shutter 1 and to descend when the latter is wound around the drum 25.

Damping means are provided for slowing down the movement of the shutter 1 somewhat before it has reached its fully wound or fully unwound position.

In this regard, in the embodiment shown in the figures, more particularly in FIG. 2, the damping means comprise, at each end of travel of the chain 34, near the pinion 35, two air dampers 53, 54 , 55 and 56 extending two by two on either side of the branches 34a and 34b of this chain 34. Each of these shock absorbers comprises a piston rod 57 moving in a cylinder and extending through the base of the latter, parallel to the branches of the chain.

Driving members 58 and 59 are provided at each of the branches 34a and 34b making it possible to act on the piston rods 57 during the displacement of these branches upward and thus to cause the progressive braking of the movement of the shutter 1.

In addition, the piston rods 57 actuated by these members 58 and 59 can act on switches 60 and 61 connected in the engine supply circuit and mounted along the tragjet of the branches respectively 34a and 34b of the chain 34, so as to allow the power supply to the engine to be cut off when the shutter is braked by the abovementioned dampers.

In practical terms, it has been found that it is useful to cut the engine substantially at the start of braking of the shutter.

It goes without saying of course that one could make use of separate members which act on the switches.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the weighted edge is obtained by a steel bar placed in a housing 50 formed at the lower edge of the flap 1. This housing can, moreover, contain below this bar a flexible cushion 51 eg in foam, making it possible to create a seal between the shutter 1 and the ground 52 delimiting the lower side of the opening 3, when the shutter 1 is in its fully unrolled position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Finally, to also ensure a seal at the upper part of the opening 3, when the shutter is in its closed position, a bead 30 extends applied over substantially the entire width of the outer face of the shutter, slightly above from the level of the linteua 62 delimiting the upper side of the opening 3, when the shutter is completely unwound (see FIG. 2).

It is understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above or shown in the accompanying drawings, but that many variants can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Thus, for example, the small blocks 6, forming the protruding part 4 of the side edges of the flap 1, could be replaced pe by a continuous flexible bead, which can be constituted by a cord fixed throughout lateral edges of the shutter, and that the guide path 5 could be a U-shaped profile with edges folded towards one another in which slides, for example, directly the projecting part 4 of the lateral edges of the shutter 1.

The drive means of the drum 25 could be constituted by a motor and a transmission located outside the drum or by a spiral spring incorporated in the drum and acting on the shaft 29, so as to arm during the course of the flap and thus facilitate or cause the winding of the latter, or even only by a counterweight.

Furthermore, the shutter device could be used not only for closing window or door openings, but for example also as a retractable partition in a room or even to cover swimming pools, close silos or tanks.

Claims (14)

1. A device having a shutter (1) windable around a spindle (2) and adapted more particularly to close a bay (3) or other opening by the unwinding of the shutter, the shutter presenting flexible side edges (4) which project beyond the shutter plane and which are retained with reduced friction in substantially continuous guideways (5) during the unwinding and winding-on of the shutter (1), means being provided at least at the height of the bottom part of the bay (3) to enable the shutter edges (4) to disengage from their guideways (5) when a predetermined pulling power transversely to the longitudinal direction of the guideways (5) is acted on these edges (4), each guideway (5) having near and upstream of the shutter spindle (2) of the shutter (1) an access passage (20) through which the corresponding projecting edge (4) of any shutter (1), which has disengaged from the guideway (5) can re-engage in that part (21) of the particular guideway (5), concerned which is disposed beyond the passage (20), during the winding-on around the spindle (2) and the subsequent unwinding of the shutter (1), said means comprising guiding members (9, 10) which can be opened under said pulling power.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible edges (4) are embodied by a succession of small closely-spaced flexibly-interconnected substantially rigid and substantially identical blocks (6) which extend in the prolongation of each other.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that in the case in which the guideway (5) has two facing longitudinal edgings (7, 8) which extend on either side of the shutter (1) so as to engage at least to some extent around the shutter edge (4) retained in the adjacent guideway (5), the access passage (20) is contrived at least in the longitudinal edgings (7, 8) over some of the length of the guideway (5).

4. A device according to claim 3, characterised in that the access passage (20) is gradually narrowed substantially in a V-shape on its edge opposite the edge near the spindle (2) by an inclined recess (23) in the longitudinal edgings (7, 8) as a means of guiding and centring the shutter edge (4) substantially axially of the guideway (5) upon engagement in the access passage (20).

5. A device according to any of claims 2-4, characterised in that the guideway part disposed beyond the access passage (20) on the side near the spindle (2) is adapted to substantially inhibit disengagement of the corresponding shutter side edge (4) in response to a pull substantially in the shutter plane.

6. A device according to any of claims 1-5, characterised in that each guideway (5) comprises two separate section members (9, 10) which extend for some distance in side-by-side relationship to one another while being retained by way of their base (11) in a support (12), a part (13) of the section members (9, 10) extending beyond the support (12) and having the facing longitudinal edgings (7, 8) which engage to some extent around the projecting shutter edge (4) guided between the two section members (9,10).

7. A device according to claim 6, characterised in that the two section members (9, 10) have substantially Z-shaped cross-section, one of the two arms of the two section members forming the longitudinal edging (7, 8) while the other arm form the base (11), the support (12) being a channel-section member whose arms have facing edgings (14, 15), the two Z-members (9, 10) being retained in the channel-section member (12) by at least one intermediate member (16, 17, 18) clamped therein between the two Z-members (9, 10).

8. A device according to claim 6 and/or 7, characterised in that the two section members (7, 8) are made of a slightly resilient substance.

9. A device according to any of claims 6-8, characterised in that the height of that part (13) of the two section members (9, 10) which extend beyond the support (12) is adjustable.

10. A device according to claim 9, characterised in that the gap (d) between the base of the channel-section member (12) and the edgings (14, 15) thereof is greater than the thickness of the base (11) of the two separate section members (9, 10) so that the height of the part (13) of the two section members (9, 10) is adjustable.

11. A device according to any of claims 6-10, characterised in that it comprises at least one clamping element (36) which extends along the support (12) and which bears adjustably thereon at least laterally so that the pull required to disengage the projecting edges (4) from the two section members (9, 10) can be controlled.

12. A device according to claim 11, characterised in that in the case in which the support (12) is in the form of a channel-section member whose arms have facing edgings (14, 15), the support is disposed in a channel (37) substantially axially thereof, the clamping element (36) engaging at least to some extent in a gap (38) between each of the two arms of the support (12) and the adjacent side wall of the channel (37) and being secured at an adjustable distance from the channel base, so that at least an external lateral pressure can be applied to the edge of the arms and the pressure of the edgings (14, 15) on the two section members (9, 10) can be adjusted.

13. A device according to claim 12, characterised in that the clamping element (36) is a substantially cylindrical rod secured by screws (39) extending right through the rod to the base of the channel (37).

14.. A device according to any of the previous claims 1 to 13 characterised in that it comprises a drum (25) rotatable around the shutter spindle (2), the shutter (1) being so attached to the drum (25) as to be adapted to wind thereonto or unwind therefrom by rotation around the spindle (2), the projecting edges (4) of the shutter (1) projecting laterally beyond both ends of the drum (25) during the winding movement of the shutter (1), a gap (28) being left at each end of the drum (25) in extension thereof, the longitudinal axis of the guideways (5) extending substantially in a plane tangential to the cylindrical wall of the drum (25) on that side thereof where the shutter (1) starts to be wound on to the drum (25), so that according as the drum side edges (4) disengage from the end of their respective guideway (5) as the shutter winds on to the drum, they can wind freely around the drum spindle (2) and drop back towards the spindle (2) in the gap (28).

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