GB2231609A

GB2231609A - Convertible shutter blind

Info

Publication number: GB2231609A
Application number: GB9006872A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Arthur Leisk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-03-28
Filing date: 1990-03-28
Publication date: 1990-11-21
Also published as: GB8906967D0; GB9006872D0

Abstract

A convertible shutter/blind comprises a plurality of slats 12, and means 16, 20 for positioning the slats at spaced intervals and for tilting the slats, the slats being so formed at or adjacent opposed edges 26, 28 that adjacent slats may interlock. When interlocked, the slats form a shutter. When not interlocked the slats act as a blind. <IMAGE>

Description

CONVERTIBLE SHUTTER/BLIND FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to blinds and shutters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Blinds consisting of individual slats, venetian blinds, are common fittings to window door or other openings.

Movable shutters consisting of hinged or interlocked sections, roller shutters, are also common fittings and are used to provide a secure means of closure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, there is provided a convertible shutter/blind, comprising: a plurality of slats, and means for positioning the slats at spaced intervals and for tilting the slats, the slats being so formed at or adjacent opposed edges that adjacent slats may interlock.

When interlocked, the slats form a shutter. When not interlocked the slats act as a blind.

Preferably, the slats are so formed as to hook together so as to interlock.

In order to prevent the slats being separated or prised apart, they are preferably so formed as to limit pivotal movement in one direction between adjacent interlocked slats. To this end one edge of a slat is preferably formed with a dependant portion projecting beyond a hooked portion so that, in use, when the hooked portion is engaged with a hooked portion of an adjacent slat, the dependant portion engages the other slat to prevent relative pivotal movement in one direction.

To the same end, alternatively or additionally, there is included means to tension the interlocked slats.

The means to tension the slats preferably includes means for interlocking with the outer edges of the outermost slats.

The shutter/blind preferably includes means for gathering the slats, into a stack, and for extending the slats from the stack to the spaced intervals, the arrangement being such that tilting and then extending the stack causes the slats to hook together as they are extended.

Additionally or alternatively to prevent the interlocked slots being prised apart, each slat preferably includes stop means for preventing movement of the slats towards each other when interlocked. The stop means preferably comprises a lip projecting from one slat to limit the distance one slat can side over the other from a position in which they are interlocked.

In order to facilitate engagement between adjacent slats, a hooked edge of one slat is preferably formed with one or more tongues, an interlocking hooked edge of an adjacent slat having a corresponding slot or slots formed in the hook to receive the tongue(s).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1, 2 and 3 show in a series of sectional drawings an embodiment of the invention in operation as a venetian blind; Figures 4, 5 and 6 show in a series of section drawings the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 in operation as a security shutter; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 in position across a window opening as a security shutter; and Figure 8 is a detail section through another embodiment with slats in the process of linking to form a security shutter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to Figure 1, a top assembly 10 is securely fixed at the top of a window opening. Below the top assembly 10 is supported a plurality of slats and a bottom member 14. As shown in Figure 3, when lowered, the slats are supported at spaced intervals by a plurality of lattices 16 formed of cords, spaced along the length of the slats.

Only one lattice 16 is shown in the drawings. The top assembly 10 comprises a casing which is secured to the surround of the window opening and a body 20 containing a standard mechanism for tilting the lattices and thus the slats, so as to adjust the amount of light the blind allows through. Further cords, one of which is shown in the drawing at 22, extend thorough holes in the slats and are attached to the bottom member 14. The cords 22 can be withdrawn by another standard mechanism in the body 20 in order to raise the blind by gathering the slats into a stack. The blind is shown fully lowered in Figure 3, partly raised in Figure 2 and fully raised into a stack in Figure 1.

The casing 18 has endplates 19, only one being shown in the drawing. A hole (not shown) is formed in each endplate and receives a pin 24 mounted at each end of the body 20 so that the body can pivot about the axis of the pins 24. When used as a blind the body 10 is secured, by means not shown, in the position shown in Figures 1 to 3.

In order to use the blind as a shutter, with the slats fully raised, the body 10 is lowered pivotally to the position illustrated in Figures 5 to 7. This tilts the slats as shown at the bottom of Figure 5. Initially all the slats in the stack are tilted (not shown since Figure 5 shows a stage past this).

The slats are formed so as to interlock at or adjacent opposed edges. In the embodiment illustrated, the edges are formed with a hook-shaped cross-section. Considering the slats when tilted, the uppermost edge is formed with an upwardly turned hook 26 while the lower edge is formed with a downwardly turned hook 28. A hooked edge 28 is also provided on the body 10 in such a position as to receive the upper hooked edge of the uppermost slat in the stack when the body 10 is tilted and the cord 22 is lowered to lower the slats.

With the hooked upper edge of a slat engaged with the hooked lower edge of the adjacent slat (or with the hooked edge 30) the effect of further lowering of the slats is illustrated in Figure 5. A slat 12a has its upper hooked edge 26a engaged with the hooked lower edge 28b of the adjacent upper slat 12b. As the cord 22 is lowered, the slats remaining in the stack are lowered and the lower hooked edge of the slat 12a slides across the surface of the adjacent lower slat 12c until it reaches the hooked upper edge 26c thereof which it engages with. To assist this action, the upper surface of each slat is generally concave.

As the stack is lowered further, the lower hooked edge 28c slides across the upper surface of the adjacent lower slat, and so on until all the slats have progressively hooked together. Notches 31 (Figure 7), formed in one or both of the edges 2i and 28 of each slat, accommodate the cords of the support lattices. The bottom member 14 is formed with a hooked edge 32 with which the lower hooked edge of the lowermost slat engages.

The bottom member 14 is provided with a sliding bolt at each end. To secure the lower end of the shutter, the bolts 34 are engaged in sockets 36 in the window jambs.

In order to reduce the possibility of the slats being prised apart, the shutter is preferably tensioned so as to hold the hooked edges securely engaged. This could be achieved simply by placing the sockets 36 a little lower than the position which the bolts 34 assume when gravity alone acts on the shutter. Downward manual pressure is thus necessary to engage the bolts 34 in the sockets 36, providing tension in the shutter. Alternatively, a mechanism, not shown, could be provided to tension the shutter after the bolts have been engaged in the sockets.

In order to further reduce the possibility of the slats being separated, the edge 26a of each slat is formed to limit pivotal movement in one direction between the interlocked slats. In order for a slat to get from the position, say, of the slat 12a to that of the slat 12b, some pivotal movement is, of course necessary between adjacent slats. In order to reduce the possibility of the shutter from being burst, it is desirable to limit such pivotal movement to the position where adjacent slats are in line, as with the slat 12b and its adjacent slat 12d in Figure 5.

In the form illustrated, the upper hooked edge 26 of each slat is provided with a dependant projection 38. The lower hooked edge 28 of each slat is formed complimentarily to the projection 38 so that the two fit together as illustrated in Figure 6. The dependant projection 38 engages the adjacent slat so preventing pivotal movement between the slats which would be caused by pressure from the left of the Figure.

The embodiment described has its slats horizontal. As with conventional venetian blinds, modifications may be made so that the slats are vertical.

In the embodiment disclosed, the edges of the slats are described as hooked. In other embodiments, any suitable interlocking form may be used, for example projections, grooves or recesses and such features may be formed at the edge or spaced inwardly therefrom.

Additional or alternative means for preventing the slats being prised apart are provided in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 8. A lip 39 is formed adjacent one edge of each slat so that adjacent slats can hook together and the lower slat can pivot from the position shown at A in the centre of Figure 8 to the position shown at B in the upper part of Figure 8. In the position shown at B, sliding movement of one slat towards the other is limited by the lip 39 so that their interlocked hooked edges cannot be disengaged.

In a situation where adjacent slats are not exactly parallel, they may not readily interlock in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7. In order to facilitate interlocking of adjacent slats, one edge of each slat in the embodiment of Figure 8 is formed with tongues 40 at intervals therealong. At suitable intervals the other edge of each slat is formed with slots 41 inside the hook which slots receive the tongues as illustrated in Figure 8. If two adjacent slats are slightly out of alignment, such that in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 8 the hooked edges would not meet at one end, the tongue 41 would be long enough to engage in the hooked edge of the adjacent slot. As the lower slats are lowered their weight, or perhaps when the shutter is tensioned as described in relation to Figure 7, the tongue draws the hooked edges together and slides through the slot 41.

The cords described for positioning and for raising and lowering the slats may be replaced by cables.

Claims

1. A convertible shutter/blind, comprising: a plurality of slats, and means for positioning the slats at spaced intervals and for tilting the slats, the slats being so formed at or adjacent opposed edges that adjacent slats may interlock.

2. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slats are so formed as to hook together so as to interlock.

3. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slats are so formed as to limit pivotal movement in one direction between adjacent interlocked slats.

4. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in claim 3, wherein one edge of a slat is formed with a dependant portion projecting beyond a hooked portion so that, in use, when the hooked portion is engaged with a hooked portion of an adjacent slat, the dependant portion engages the other slat to prevent relative pivotal movement in one direction.

5. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in any preceding claim, including means to tension the interlocked slats.

6. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in claim 5, wherein the means to tension the slats includes means for interlocking with or adjacent the outer edges of the outermost slats.

7. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in claim 6, including means for gathering the slats, into a stack, and for extending the slats from the stack to the spaced intervals, the arrangement being such that tilting and then extending the stack causes the slats to hook together.

8. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for positioning the slats comprises cords or cables in the form of a plurality of spaced lattices, the slats having notches formed in one or both edges to accommodate the cords or cables when interlocked.

9. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in any preceding claim, including stop means for preventing movement of the slats towards each other when interlocked.

10. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in claim 9, wherein the stop means comprises a lip projecting from one slat to limit the distance one slat can side over the other from a position in which they are interlocked.

11. A convertible shutter/blind as claimed in claim 2 or any claim dependent thereon, wherein a hooked edge of one slat is formed with one or more tongues, an interlocking hooked edge of an adjacent slat having a corresponding slot or slots formed in the hook to receive the tongue(s).

12. A convertible shutter/blind substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.