Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present inven-tion relates to a mechanically
operated concertina-foldable framed closure, such as blinds or
shutters for windows, doors or french windows.
Foldable blinds or shutters for windows, doors or
french windows are known, consisting substantially of a plurality
of vertical f lat elements disposed side-by-side and hinged to
each other, and which are suspended and guided between suitable
horizontal straight guides in such a manner as to be able to
be extended in a plane or folded back on to each other.
In said blinds the mutual hinging points between the
various component section elements are generally disposed symme-
trically about their thickness, or at two opposing corners along
a diagonal of the elements. These hinging points also alter-
nately comprise the means for engaging with the suspension and
guide rails.
Known blinds or shutters conceived in the aforesaid
manner may be divided into two types according to the arrange-
ment of their constituent modular elements when they are
completely extended i.e. when the window, door or french window
space is covered. When in the extended position, the modular
elements of the first type are mutually aligned to form a flat
wall, while the elements of the second type converge to form
a zig zag line. Both said types of blind have disadvantages
which are mainly of operational, constructional and a esthetic
character.
The first said type of blind presen-ts difficulties
in folding up its component elements, necessary for uncovering
the opening on which the blind is located, because of jamming
between the elements due to the fact that as they are aligned
and stressed by a force acting along their direction of align-
ment, they are not subjected to any component normal to the
plane of the blind.
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An attempt has been made -to overcome this by usiny
complicated supplemen-tary guides or lead-ins which, in combi-
nation with suitable contact pieces fitted to said modular
elements, aid their misaliynment so preventing said jamming.
It has however been necessary to provide a certain
degree of slippage for the blind in order to allow contact
between said contact pieces and said supplementary guides.
As is apparent, this type of blind does not give
the necessary guarantee of operation, and at the same time is
19 easily subject to breakage, is of complicated construction
and assembly because of the large number of pieces, and is
also very noisy during use.
The second type of blind, while not presenting
excessive difficulty in folding, is unattractive and favours
the introduction of atmospheric deposits and/or impurities and
water, especially in the lower guide, which can compromise its
proper operation.
The object of the present invention is to obviate
the said disadvantages by providing an improved concertina-
foldable blind or shutter which, although of simple and func-
tional construction, arranges itself automatically in a plane
when extended and presents no difficul-ty in folding up, without
using supplementary guides or other linkages for preventing
said undesirable and damaging jamming. Moreover, the blind
according to the invention is provided with a mechanical
device for its opening and closing movement, such a device
never having been provided in the case of blinds of known type.
According to the present invention there is provided
an improved mechanically operated concertina-foldable frame
closure, which comprises: a frame including first and second
parallel sections each having guide means; a plurality of
elongated flat elements separated by elongated jointing elements,
each flat element being hinged -to its two adjacent jointing
elements along respective and adjacent lateral edged; support
means fixed to alternate jointing elements at both ends thereof
and slidably engaged in said guide means of said first and
second frame sections; at least one endless chain arranged
inside said frame so as to define two coplanar chain portions
in each of said first and second frame sections, each chain
portion being guided at each corner of said frame by a respec-
tive idler wheel for movement of the chain portions in each
frame section in opposite directions, at least one alternate
jointing element being connected at one end thereof to one
chain portion in said first frame section and, at the other
end thereof, to ano-ther chain portion in said second frame
section moving in the same direction as said one chain portion;
and a sprocket wheel located in one of said corners and engaging
each endless chain so as to cause said one chain portion and
said other chain portion to move in one direction or the
opposite, thereby causing said alternate jointing elements to
move towards or away from one another to respectively open or
close said framed closure.
According to a preferred embodiment, the hinges
between the flat elements and the jointing elements are cons-
tituted by a pair of conjugate projections of curled cross-
section, and.mutually copenetrating.
Alternatively, the hinges between the flat elements
and jointing elements may comprise a. double series of spaced-
apart aligned sleeves joined by a single central pivot in -the
form of a rod.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the jointing
elements are constitued by a hollow section adapted to receive
at each end thereof a shank on which is mounted an end plate
extending in width beyond the lateral edge of the section.
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.,.
In such an instance, the support means may comprise a slide
plate extending from alternate end plates and adapted to slide
ln upper and lower guide portions of the frame.
The chain is preferably connected to the last alter-
nate jointing element by means of an appendix which extends
from the shank at each end of this jointing element and
engages in the chain lin};s.
The framed closure of the invention may be operated
by a single chain, but a two-chain drive system is preferred.
The sprocket wheel which drives the chain or chains
can be operated either manually or by an electric motor, or
by any other equivalent means.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be
describedin greater detail with reference to the appended
drawings, in which -
~ igure 1 is a partial perspective view of a framedclosure of the invention showing the support means;
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Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the
intermediate jointing element showing the means for locking the
end plugs;
Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of the framed
closure in two differen-t operating positions;
Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of an
alterna-tive embodiment of the framed closure;
Figure 5 is a partially sectional frontal view of the
completely extended framed closure, complete with operating device;
Figure 6 is a plan view of the horizontal section of
Figure 5 with the framed closure completely extended and in the
folding state (shown by dashes with two points);
Figure 7 is a partial perspective view of a portion of
framed closure showing the type of connection between the
support and guide means and one of the drive chains;
Figure 8 shows the drive means for the chains;
Figure 9 is a section on the line IX-IX of Figure 8;
Figure 10 is a cross section through the upper and
lower horizontal frame sections which act as guides both for the
shutter support means and for the horizontal portions of the
chains;
Figure 11 is a diagrammatic representation of the
drive device with a double wing and single wing shutter;
.
Figure 12 is a diagram showing an alternative design
of the operating device with a single chain for a single or dou-
ble wing shutter;
Figure 13 is a diagrammatic illustration of a further
alternative embodiment of the drive device.
For clarity of drawing and for easier understanding of
the constructional and operational characteristics of the blind
or shutter according to the invention, this latter is illustrated
in Figures l to 4 in the two proposed designs without the operat-
ing device, this latter being shown in detail in the remaining fi-
gures applied to only one of the proposed blind designs.
~ ith particular reference to Figures l to 3, the blind
consists of a set of substantially parallelepiped hollow panels
l, the outer surfaces of which comprise opposing vertical grooves
of substantially triangular cross-section 2 at which there are
provided suitable internal stiffening baffles 3.
Each individual panel l is connected to the subsequent
or preceding panel by way of a suitable intermediate jointing
element 4. Said element 4 consists essentially of an extruded
section preferably of the same material as the element 1, its
cross-section comprising centrally a bore 5 substantially configur-
ed as a sector of a circular crown, the internal contour of which
degenerates into a straight line, while the external contour
extends in the form of two suitable symmetrical spirals 6 of oppo-
site curvakure to the curvature of said external contour.
At a convenient distance from the upper edge and lower
edge these intermediate elements 4 comprise two suitable substan-
tiall~ rectangular slots 7.
The lateral edges of the panels l are con~igured as
suitable spirally curled portions 8 to obtain a surface conjugate
with the surface of the spirals 6 of the intermediate sectors 4.
Said curled portions 8 are symmetrical and opposite about the
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central axis of the panel. The connection between the intermedia~e
element 4 and panels 1 is made by axially inserting the spirals
8 of the panels 1 into the spirals 6 of said sector 4.
The spirals 8 branching from the edges of panels 1
are in opposite positions relative to the depth of the panels so
that the intermediate sectors 4 can be mounted alternately in two
opposing position.
Into the bore 5 present in the intermediate sector 4
(see Fig. 2) there is pressed a shank 10 the cross-section of
which coincides substantially with the cross-section of said bore
5, said shank being inserted until the two suitable teeth 11 branch-
ing therefrom snap into the slots 7 contained in the surfaces of
the bore 5.
The presence of the slots 7 and teeth 11 are not indis-
pensable for fixing the shank 10 into the bore 5 of each intQrme-
diate sector 4, as said fixing may be obtained in different ways,
for example by a suitable adhesive or rivets.
Above said shank 10 there is a plate 12 which rests on
the upper or lower edge of the intermediate sector 4 and on the
ends of the upper or lower edges o~ the two panels 1 connected
thereto.
A device 10-12 composed in this way is inserted into the
bore 5 of each of those intermediate sector 4 intended to move
out of the vertical plane defined by the two upper and lower guides,
while into the intermediate sectors 4 intended to remain or slide
within said plane there are inserted (see ~ig. 1) devices 10-12
which, besides the shank 10 and plate 12, also comprise a sho~t
cylindrical or prismatic portion 13 connected to the plate and
terminating in a preferably square or rectangular plate 14 parallel
to the underlying plate 12 and which seats in the upper or lower
straight guide 15.
Said upper and lower straight guides 15 are substantially
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constituted by an extruded section of convenient material, compris~
ing two longitudinal adjacent channels 15' and 15" of which the
channel 15' comprises in its lower wall a slot 16 constituting a
sliding lane for the prismatic portion 13 of ~e s~spension and guide devices
10-12 for the screen. The outer wall of the channel 15" extends
on the same side as said slot 16 by a portion 155 which branches
in the form of two shelves, orthogonal to said portion, one of
which is an end shelf 15a and the other an intermediate shelf 15b.
As stated, Figure 3 illustrates diagrammatically the
arrangement assumed by the component elements 1 and 4 of the blind
according to the invention, in two different positions.
j The position indicated by the heavy continuous line is
that which the various component elements 1 and 4 take during
partial concertina folding of the blind, while the position indicat-
ed by the thin broken line is that taken by the same elements when
the blind is completely extended, i.e. with the elements perfectly
aligned to form a flat wall.
From said figure it is evident that passage from the
extended position to the folded position and vice versa occurs
without any jamming of the blind elements because of the presence
of the intermedia e elements .
In this respect, on exerting a slight pressure on the
extended blind, moment~ are generated because of the arm existing
between the two lines of hinging, and these cause the intermediate
sectors 4 not connected to the guide 15 to move outwards, and
drag the panels 1 hinged to them~
The plates 14 slide in the channel 16 of the guide 15
until the various panels 1 are completely concertina folded and
rest one against the other.
Said configuration is made possible by the fact that
the cylindrical surface of the intermediate sectors 4 lodges in
suitable vertical curved recesses 9 provided in the lateral ed~es
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of the panels 1.
In moving the blind from the folded to the extended po-
sition, the component elements 1 and 4, on being pulled, behave
in a manner exactly opposite to that described for the reverse
movement heretofore specified.
A possible alternative embodiment of the blind or shutter
according to the invention is shown in Figu~e 4, in which the
connection between the intermediate sector 4 and side panQls 1
is made with a normal hinged joint of the type commonly used for
the doors of wardrobes. Said figure shows that the intermediate
sector 4 is substantially constituted by an extruded section of
substantially rectangular cross-section, the lateral edges of
which support small opposing bored cylinders 17 of convenient length
spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the ~ength of
said cylinders 17.
The bored cylinders 18 supported by the lateral edges of
the panel 1 are located between the cylinders 17 supported by
the intermediate sector 4. Said sector 4 and the panels 1 are
connected by inserting a wire 19 of ~teel or a suitable synthetic
material, and of suitable length, into the through bores 20 coaxial
to the cylinders 17 and 180 The ends o~ said wires are housed in
suitable flared holes 21 provided in the plate 12, and are suitably
riveted on said plate~l2.
~ he composition of the blind according to the invention
of both the proposed designs is more evident from Figures 5 to
10, which also include all the accessories and the device for their
operation as provided by the present invention.
From said fi~ures it can be seen that the pan~ls 1,
illustrated diagrammatically, are joined together by way of the
jointing elements 4, about which said~Panels 1 may rotate freely.
With the shutter completely extended, as shown in Figure 6, alter-
nate jointing elements 4 are contained within the plane defined
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by the straight lanes 16 of the upper and lower horizon-tal
sections 15. Again with reference to Fiyure 6 with the shutter
completely extended, the remaining jointing elements 4, i.e.
those which move out of and/or into said plane, are contained
within a plane parallel -to and displaced from the preceding
plane, defined substantially by a distance equal to one half the
thickness of one of the panels 1. With particular reference to
Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that two normal end sectors 22,
each provided with a flat ledge 23 one of which is complementary
or conjugate to the other, are fitted to the two wlngs
constituting the shutter by insertion.
The thickness of the flat ledges 23 is substan-tiallyone
half the thickness of the panels 1 or of the end sectors 22.
The shanks 10 are inserted and fixed into the opposing
ends of the jointing elements 4 designed to move out of the plane
containing the shutter when completely extended, the outer ends
of these shanks being provided with plates 12 which prevent the
panels 1 from separating from -the jointing elements 4.
Shanks 10 provided with a plate 12 and a plate 14 are
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inserted into the ends of the jointing elements 4 designed to
always remain within the plane defined by the shutter when
completely extended, the plate 14 being housed in the straight
channels 15' of the upper and lower sections 15 which individually
support and guide the shutter during its opening and closing.
As an alternative to said plates 14, a "Teflon"
(trademark for polytetrafluoroethylene) wheel or a pair of
opposlng TEFLON wheels may be mounted on the shanks 13 from which
the plates 14 derive, these wheels running in the straight
channels 15' of the upper and lower horizon-tal section 15.
This transforms the grazing friction of the plates 14
- into revolving friction of the TEFLON wheels to considerably
reduce the force necessary for opening and closing the shutter.
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~e last two panels 1 of the two winqs constituting the
shutter are provided both upperly and lowerly in proximity to
the corresponding jointinq element 4, with a curved abutment 24
which during the closing and opening of the shutter comes into
contact with, and rests against the vertical pegs 25 branching
from the lower and upper sections 15, on which said pegs 25 are
suitably positioned.
On the inner faces of said two last panels 1 of the
two wings o~ the shutter there are fitted the two co~plementary
parts of a normal locking device 26 for the two complementar~
wings. Two blocks 122 are provided on the centre line of that
face of the horizontal sections 15 facing outwards from the shutter.
The upper face of the lower block 122 and the lower face of the
upper block are at a slightly higher and slightly lower level
respectively than the lower and upper corners of the shutter. On
the sides of the shutter there are two vertical sections 27 which,
in contrast to the horizontal sections 15, have a cross-section
substantially of U configuration open toward the outer face of
the shutter.
Said horizontal sections 15 are connected to the verti-
cal sections 27 by three housings 28 and, at the lower right hand
corner, by the housing 29 which is slightly wider than the hous-
ings 28. Inside each housing 28 there is provided a pair of pivots
30 on which two grooved wheels 31 are idly mounted. Covers are
fixed to the housings 28 by screwing screws into the pivots 30,
and the cover 33 is fixed to the housing 29 in a similar manner.
Inside said housing 29 there are provided two grooved wheels 34
and a sprocket wheel 35 into which is inserted a prismatic shank
deriving from a handle 36. ~ chain 37 is mounted over the three
outer grooved wheels 31 and the sprocket wheel 35, its ends being
connect~d to the tension spring 38 so that said chain 37 is constan-
tly kept under tension.
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Likewise, a seccnd chain 39 is mounted over the three
inner grooved wheels 31, the pair of groovèd wh~els 34 and the
sprocket wh~el 35, its ends being connected to the opposing ends
of a tension spring 40 which keeps said chain 39 under constant
tension. With particular reference to Figure 7, from the upper
shank inserted into the jointinq element 4 to which the last panel
1 of the right hand wing is hinged, there derives an appendix 41
which is inserted into a link of the outer chain 37.
From the lower shank of the same element 4 there derives
a second appendix, not shown ~or clarity of drawing, which is
inserted into a link of the inner chain 39. The last jointing
element 4 for the left hand wing of the shutter is connectéd to
the two chains 37 and 39 in a different manner, namely upperly to
the inner chain 39 and lowerly to the outer chain 37. Figures 11,
12 and 13 are diagrammatic frontal views of said chain device and
two alternative designs, with the shutter or blind completely clos-
ed.
In Figure 11 the heavy dashed and dotted line represents
the centre line of the shutter, where the two last pannels 1 of
the two wings forming the shutter come into contact. The heavy
dashed and double dotted line represents the end edge of the
shutter or blind constituted by a single wing. The said two heavy
dashed and dotted and dashed and double dotted lines have the
same meaning in Figures 12 and 13.
In Figure 11, the heavy dots indicate the points of
connection of the last jointing element 4 of the right hand wing
to the chains 37 and 39. The points indicated by a heavy x indi-
cate the points of connection of the last jointing element 4 of
the left hand wing to the ~aid inner chain 39 and outer chain 37.
The heavy square dots indicate the point of connection of the
last jointing element 4 to said chains 37 and 39 in the case of
a blind or shutter comprising a single wing. Said heavy dots,
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heavv x points and heavy square roints, and the various reference
numbers, have the same meaning in Figures 12 and 13.
In Fig. 12, the operating device differs from that des-
cribed previGusly in that it comprises only one chain 20 which is
wound and then turned backwards over the grooved wheels 31 and
34 to assume two substantially coxial C configurations which
extend along three sides of the shutter frame, namely two horizon-
tal sides and one vertical side. The tension spring 100 is connect-
ed between the links of said chain 200 to keep -t~e chain under ten-
1~ sion.
In figure 13, the second alternative design comprisestwo chains 70 and 80, the former wound endlessly along one hori-
zontal side of the shutter frame and the latter wound endlessly
along two sides, namely one vertical and the other horizontal.
The two springs 50 and 60 are connected between the links of said
two chains 70 and 80 to keep said chains 70 and 80 under tension.
Whereas the chain 70 is driven by the sprocket wheel 35, the chain
80 is driven by the sprocket wheel 90 which is driven by said
sprocket wheel 35 by way of a third chain 92 mounted on the two
sprocket wheels 93 and 91, the former rigid and coaxial with the
sprocket wheel 35 and the second rigid and coaxial with the
sprocket wheel 90.
The third chain 92 is necessary to maintain the two
loops formed by the chains 70 and 80 in the same plane. Should
it not be necessary for these latter to lie in the same plane,
the two chains 70 and 80 may be driven by a double sprocket wheel.
The operation of the blind provided with the operating device
according to the present invention is as follows.
~ ssuming that the blind is completely closed, the opera-
tor opens the locking device 16 locking the two wings of the shuttertogether, then rotates the sprocket wheel 35 clockwise by the
handle 76 to drive the two chains 37 and 39, the first in a right
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aanded and the second in a left handed direction.
By virtue of the two appendices 41 engaged upperly in
the chain 37 and lowerly in the chain 39, the last jointing ele-
ment 4 of the right hand wing is pulled toward the right, 50 caus-
ing those jointing elements 9 not designed to remain within the
vertical plane defined by the straight lanes 16 of the sections
15, to move outwards. The jointing elements 4 desi~ned to remain
within the plane heretofore defined slide within said plane as
the plates 14 are engaged in the straight channels 15'.
In an identical manner, the left hand wing simultaneously
folds back and is pulled towards the left. During these opposing
folding movements, any,additional friction and vibration of the
shutter are easily absorbed and damped by the two traction springs
38 and 40. When the two wings have been almost completely folded
back, the curved abutments 24 which branch from the last two
panels l of said wings come into contact with the outer pegs 25 so
that said last two panels 1 are rotated and rested against the
two packs of panels l formed in proximity to the two vertical sec-
tions 27. Said last two panels l then remain continuously-resting
against the two formed packs because of the contact between said
curved abutments 24 and said outer pegs 25.
To close the two wings of the shutter, the cycle of
operations heretofore described is repeated in the reverse direc-
tion. The inner pegs 25 are positioned in such a manner that on
closure o the two wings, the curved abutments 24 come into con-
tact with said inner pegs 25 to enable the rotation of the last
- panel o~ the right hand wing to slightly lead the rotation of the
last pannel l of the left hand wing. This enables the two end
~ectors 22 to rotate without interfering with the two blocks 122
and at th~ same time allows the two f lat ledges 23 to rest one
against the other. The opening and closing of the blind or shutter
comprising a single wing takes place in a manner enti~ely similar
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to that described for the double wing blind.
secause of the simplicity of the operating device, any
description of operation of the two alternative designs illustrat-
ed diagrammatically in Figures 12 and 13 is superfluous, both in
the case of a double wing shutter and in the case of a single wing
shutter, as the operation is substantially entirely similar to the
operation heretofore described.
The position of the sprocket wheel 35 is not binding,
and the sprocket wheel 35 may be positioned as required, in accor-
dance with the method of operation, the environment in which the
blind or shutter is located and whether this latter is of the
double ~ing or single wing t~pe.
Finally, according to the invention, the operating
handle 36 may be replaced by a convenient electric motor or any
other equivalent means. Although the operating device according
- to the invention is suitable for the type of blind or shutter
described and illustrated in the two proposed designs, it may also
be suitable for application to any other type of concertina-foldable
blind.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereto-
fore described and illustrated, which have been given simply by
way of non-limiting example, bu~ also comprises all means which
are the technical equivalent of the means described, and their
combinations if these latter are conceived within the scope of
the following claims.
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