Patent ID: 6148895
Filing Date: 2000-11-21
Classification: E06B

Abstract:
A storm panel for covering a building opening comprising, in combination:a series of one-piece, substantially horizontal, substantially identical elongated plate members each having two lateral edges, a main body portion, and opposed end portions,a first hollow hinge member formed on one lateral edge of each said plate member, anda second hollow hinge member on the opposite lateral edge of each plate member,said first and second hollow hinge members being formed to matingly and pivotally engage the opposite hollow hinge member on an adjacent such plate member to form a hollow core hinge,the main body portion of each of said plate member being joined to each of said lateral hollow hinge edges, said plate members being joined by said hinge members to form said panelthe main body portion of each of said plate member being transversely curvilinear and imperforate from said first hollow hinge edge to said second hollow hinge edge and substantially identical with adjacent plate members and said main body portions being alternately concave and convex in lateral cross-section such that each said plate member nests into an adjacent said plate member in a convex concave, adjacent juxtaposition,said plate members being formed and proportioned to be concave downwardly, at least a plurality of said plate members having a rope engaging assembly at a mid portion of its ends, one of said plurality plate members being positioned at the bottom of the plurality of plate membersa plurality of said plate members except the bottom most plate member each being slidably engaged by a rope passing through the rope engaging assembly;the rope engaging assembly of said bottom plate member being fixedly engaged by said rope and oriented to progressively shift the lifting load from the panel center to the tangentially contacted lateral hollow hinge edges;whereby the amount of space occupied by a plurality of such plate members when pleated in the shutter closed configuration is minimized, and whereby the entire assembly of plate members can be raised by the rope without the necessity for a footer, and whereby convex concave corrugated like nesting members at the raised position resist buckling and bending of the kind which occurs when the plate members are flat.