AU4876199A - Improvements to louvre assemblies - Google Patents

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO LOUVRE ASSEMBLIES Louvre assemblies are widely used as exterior closures and when fitted with opaque louvres they provide the advantage of complete privacy and security when closed and good through vision and air circulation when opened.

There have been many types of exterior louvre assemblies having louvre blades formed from aluminium extrusions and from folded metal. Timber louvre blades have also been utilised but they have the disadvantage of high maintenance relative to metal louvre blades. However, timber blades provide the aesthetic S 1 advantage of exposed timber which may be treated to suit the occupant's 10 requirements. Unfortunately treatments such as varnishing do not last for long periods of time without maintenance. Furthermore if left untreated, they may deteriorate and distort, adversely affecting the sealing ability of the louvres when closed.

Louvre blades which can span relatively large widths have the advantage of 15 minimising the upright supports which must appear in an opening secured by the S°louvres. In order to provide aluminium extrusions capable of spanning relatively large distances, the normal open type extrusion is not suitable for large spans and thus manufacturers adopt extruded hollow blade members to achieve the required structural strength. This form of construction adds significantly to the cost and weight of the louvre blade.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide louvre blades and louvre assemblies which will be efficient and economical to manufacture.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a louvre blade assembly including:- 2 a timber part providing an exposed rear face bounded by longitudinal side faces and end faces which in use lie alongside the mullions, and a metal part covering the front face of the timber part.

The metal part is suitably a structural covering which has returned flanges engaged within respective slots extending along the longitudinal side faces of the timber part. Most preferably the slots are substantially parallel to either or both the rear face and/or the front face of the timber part such that the returned flanges may move therein with relative expansion and contraction between the metal part and the timber part without dislodging from the slots.

10 Preferably the metal part also provides a weatherproofing flange which extends beyond one of the return flanges so as to form a flange portion which, in use, overlaps the upper front face of a co-operating louvre blade. This flange portion may be provided with sealing means such as a slot for retention of a flexible seal or one or el more inward protrusions which inhibit flow therepast in a closed attitude.

15 Preferably the inside face of the timber part extends beyond the return flanges such that, in use, the combined inside faces of such louvre blades in a louvre assembly when closed, provide a substantially continuous timber face exposed to the inside of the louvre assembly.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a typical embodiment of the invention, wherein:- FIG. 1 is a partial section through a typical louvre assembly through two blades of a typical louvre assembly; FIG. 2 is a corresponding view showing the two blades in an open attitude; 3 FIG. 3 is a view of a further embodiment showing the blades in an open attitude, and FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention.

The louvre assembly 10 illustrated in the drawings is of conventional form having louvre blade assemblies 12 which pivot between mullions 11 between a closed attitude as illustrated in Fig. 1, and an open attitude as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Any suitable operating mechanism may be utilised for moving the louvre blades .oeooi between these positions.

Each louvre blade assembly 12 is formed as a composite of an aluminium 10 extrusion part 14 and a timber part 15 which has a substantially constant crosssectional configuration throughout its length as per the drawings. This cross-section provides a flat rear face 13 which is normally exposed to the interior of a space closed by the louvres.

The timber part 15 also provides upper and lower longitudinal side faces 16 and 16' 15 and a front face 17 which is concealed behind an aluminium front panel 14 which extends fully across the front face 17 and terminates at its upper edge in a returned flange 20 which has the return 21 extending into a slot 22 formed in the upper edge The lower edge of the panel 14 extends beyond the timber body 13 and has a returned flange 25 inwardly from its lower edge 26. The return 27 of the flange engages in a complementary slot 28 formed along the lower edge 16.

It will be seen that the slots 22 and 28 are spaced towards the front face 17 but are spaced therefrom sufficiently so that an adequate thickness of timber, see dimension remains beyond the returned flange 25. Thus only exposed timber is normally visible at the closed rear face of the louvre assembly.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that when the louvres are closed, the lower extension portion 29 provides a weatherproofing overlap across the upper edge of the louvre blade assembly 12 accommodated therebelow. This prevents driving rain or water flowing down the enclosed louvres from entering between the gaps therebetween.

It will also be seen that the shielded upper edge 24 formed by the curved return flange 20 provides opening clearance for the blades while fitting closely into the corner between the lower extension portion 29 and the returned flange 25 so as to provide operative sealing against wind penetration.

10 The aluminium extrusion part 14 may be bonded to the timber part 15 with a suitable adhesive such as an epoxy resin or a flexible gasket type mastic material.

Alternatively it may be slid onto the preformed timber part 15 formed to provide a close fit so as to maintain the aluminium extrusion part 14 tightly secured to the tl timber part 15 A louvre blade 12 formed as described above will be economical to OV manufacture and enable the blade assembly 12 to span relatively large widths between supporting mullions. Furthermore it will be pleasing to the eye and will resist weathering as most of the surface which is exposed to the elements is formed from metal.

The louvres 30 incorporate inward formations 31 adapted for retaining a flexible seal, as shown dotted at 32, or for use without a seal to provide spaced rigid sealing strips 33 which engage against or terminate adjacent the front face 34 to enhance resistance to the passage of water between the narrow gap formed between the lower extension portion 29 and the returned flange 25 of the previous embodiment.

In addition it will be seen that the louvres illustrated in Fig. 3 are relatively narrow, typically having a span of about 40mm and a more pronounced transverse curve in the front face 34. This provides an outward deflection of the lower extension portion 36 to provide clearance for the inward formations 31.

The metal blade part 40 illustrated in Fig. 4 is specifically adapted to retain a seal, shown at 41, in the longitudinal recess 42 which runs along the inside corner formed between the lower extension portion 43 and the lower returned flange 44. In .oo.oi use the seal retained thereby will engage with the outer corner formed at the junction o° 9o9o 9. between the front face 45 and the upper returned flange 46 as illustrated. This 10 drawing also illustrates that the metal parts may be utilised without the addition of the timber part.

.9 9 •It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations 9 l 9 thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within 15 the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is defined in the appended claim.