Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a plastic molded shutter assembly that can be customized in size. A shutter of a standard length, or series of shutters of standard lengths are manufactured. A plurality of cuts are made in the shutter, removing a predetermined amount of material from the shutter. The end cap is replaced and fixedly secured to the remaining shutter, resulting in a single shutter of a desired length.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO ELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 60/771,632 filed Feb. 9, 2006. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to the manufacture of shutter panels and more particularly to shutter panels that can be customized in length. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Different plastic injection molded shutters exist in the market, including customizable shutters. Customizable shutters are desirable because the costs associated with injection molds for each shutter length are high. The methods used for the customizable shutters require at least two injection molded components and a multiplicity of complex cuts to remove the excess material. In particular, the methods require the injection molding of a standard shutter and the injection molding of the shutter ends, which are removed from the original shutter when the excess material is removed. The removal of the excess material involves a series of cuts, including angled and straight lines, along the seams formed in the shutter designs. These assemblies can be higher in cost due to the multiple injection molded components, the complex cutting pattern, and the extra material waste. And because the assembly processes include multiple injection molded components, the components can be slightly dissimilar in coloration. It would be desirable to provide a method of customizing a shutter having a single injection molded component and less material waste. Therefore it is an objective of the present invention to provide a method of reducing the length of a standard shutter using a single injection molded shutter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a closure panel, for example a shutter panel assembly, includes molding a single plastic shutter panel of a standard size. Alternatively, the single molded plastic shutter panel is selected from a few pre-molded plastic shutter panels of common panel lengths. The shutter panel selected is the common panel length that is greater than the desired length and is closest to the desired panel length. The plastic molded shutter panel can be, for example, configured with a decorative pattern having two symmetrical center panel portions. The measurement of unwanted excess length of the shutter is determined. A cut is made straight across one end of the shutter at the upper horizontal edge of the raised top center panel section, completely detaching a first small portion from the remaining shutter. The small detached portion forms a top end cap of the shutter. A second cut is made across the opposing end of the shutter at the lower horizontal edge of the raised center panel section, completely detaching a second small portion from the remaining shutter. The second small detached portion forms a bottom end cap of the shutter. A third cut is made straight across the top cut edge of the remaining shutter, removing exactly one-half of the predetermined excess length from the top portion. The remaining one-half of the predetermined unwanted excess length is removed by a fourth cut straight across the bottom cut edge of the shutter. The top end cap is replaced on the third cut edge and fixedly secured to the shutter. The bottom end cap is replaced on the fourth cut edge and fixedly secured to the shutter. The top and bottom end caps are fixedly secured by a heat stake process or a spot weld process. The cut seams formed between the top and bottom end caps and the cut edges are concealed by applying a heat plate stamp having a wood grain pattern that reintroduces the effect into the deformed areas created by the cuts. 
     In an alternate embodiment where the shutter panel has two center panels, a first excess part or portion is removed from a lower part of the upper center panel near the center rail of the shutter. A second excess part or portion is removed from an upper part of the lower center panel near the center rail of the shutter. Under either two center panel embodiments, the first and second excess lengths can either be the same lengths or can be different lengths to create different length center panels as desired. 
     In yet another preferred embodiment, the molded shutter includes a single center panel section surrounded by an outer frame. The measurement of unwanted, excess length of the shutter is determined. A cut is made straight across one end of the shutter at the top edge of the raised center panel section, completely detaching a small portion from the remaining shutter. The small detached portion forms the end cap of the shutter. A second cut is made across the cut end of the remaining shutter, removing the predetermined excess length. The end cap is replaced on the cut edge and fixedly secured to the shutter. In the preferred embodiment the end cap is heat staked or spot welded to the shutter. The cut seam formed between the end cap and the cut edge is covered using a heat plate stamp that reintroduces the wood grain effect back into the seamline. 
     The method of customizing a shutter panel of the present invention is advantageous over other customizable shutter panels in that the present invention re-uses the end cap removed from the original plastic molded shutter panel, eliminating the possibility of a slightly distorted pigmentation may be present in the use of different molded plastic pieces. Furthermore, the present invention also eliminates the waste and expense of injection molding shutter panels in a significant number of varying lengths. This feature may be advantageous when manufacturing shutter panels of uncommon length. 
     Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a shutter panel having an adjustable length according to the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of a double center panel patterned shutter having an adjustable length as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of an adjusted double center panel shutter as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a single center panel shutter having an adjustable length according to the preferred embodiment; and 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of an adjusted single center panel shutter as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of an alternate embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     Referring to the drawings, a customizable enclosure panel, for example a shutter,  10  having two symmetrical center panels  12 ,  14  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The shutter  10  is to be manufactured as a single-piece shutter formed of a pre-molded plastic of a standard length. The shutter  10  can also be chosen from a limited selection of manufactured one-piece pre-molded shutters of common lengths. The shutter panel  10  chosen from the selection is the common shutter that is closest in length to the desired length, but is not shorter than the desired length. It is understood that enclosure panel  10  can be a shutter or other enclosure panel, for example a door and other closure panels known by those skilled in the art. 
     The unwanted excess length of shutter material is determined. The excess length of shutter material is calculated by subtracting the desired custom shutter length from the actual or standard shutter length. A first cut edge  16  is formed straight across the shutter  10  along the upper horizontal center panel edge  13  of the top center panel  12 . A first portion, for example a top end cap,  18  comprising the top  11  of the shutter  10  to the upper horizontal edge  13  of the top center panel  12 , is detached from the top  11  of the shutter  10 . A second cut is made on the opposing, bottom end  23  of the shutter  10 . The second cut edge  20  is formed straight across the shutter  10  along the lower horizontal edge  15  of the bottom center panel  14 . A second portion, for example a bottom end cap,  22  comprising the bottom  23  of the shutter  10  to the lower horizontal edge  15  of the bottom center panel  14 , is detached from the bottom  23  of the shutter  10  by the second cut. 
     A third cut edge  24  is created straight across the remaining portion of shutter  30 . The third cut edge  24  is made from a distance from the first cut edge  16 . The distance from the first cut edge  16  is exactly one-half of the predetermined excess length  26 . When the third cut is made, one-half of the predetermined excess shutter material  26  is removed and discarded. 
     A fourth cut edge  28  is made straight across the remaining shutter  30  a distance from the second cut edge  20 . The distance from the second cut edge  20  to the fourth cut edge  28  is exactly one-half of the predetermined excess shutter length  26 . The fourth cut removes the remaining predetermined excess length, which is discarded. 
     The cut edge on the top end cap  18  is aligned along the third cut edge  24  of the remaining shutter and fixedly secured in position by a heat stake or spot welding. The cut edge of the bottom end cap  22  is aligned along the fourth cut edge  28  of the remaining shutter and is also fixedly secured by a heat stake or spot welding. A heat stamp having a wood grain pattern is applied to the top seam  32 , formed between the top end cap  18  and the third cut edge  24 , and the bottom seam  34 , formed between the bottom end cap  22  and the fourth cut edge  28 . This step restores the wood grain pattern effect in the areas marred by the cuts made in the shutter  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  an alternate embodiment of a two center panel enclosure panel or shutter is illustrated. In this example, first cut edge  16  is cut straight across the shutter  10  along a bottom horizontal center panel edge  13  of the top center panel  12  near a center rail  60 . A first portion  18  of the shutter above the first cut edge is detached from the remaining portion. A second cut is made along second cut edge  20  across the shutter  10  along an upper horizontal edge  15  of the bottom center panel  14  near center rail  60 . A second portion  22  of the shutter below the second cut edge is detached from the remaining portion. A third cut edge  24  is created across the first portion  18  and a first excess length part or portion  26   a  is removed and discarded. A fourth cut edge  28  is made across the second portion  22  and a second excess length part or portion  26   b  is removed and discarded. The first portion  18  and the second portion  22  are reattached to the remaining portion including center rail  60  as described herein. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a second embodiment of a shutter  40  having an adjustable length is configured with a single center panel  42  and an outer frame  44 . The excess shutter length  50  is determined A first cut edge  46  is made straight across the shutter  40  along the top edge  43  of the center panel  42  opposite the bottom edge  43 ′ of the center panel  42 . The material removed by the first cut forms a first portion, for example an end cap,  48  that is reused in the remaining shutter. A second cut edge  52  is made straight across the shutter  40 , a distance from the first cut edge  46 . The distance from the first cut edge  46  is equal to the predetermined excess shutter length  50 . The predetermined excess shutter material  50  is completely removed and discarded. The end cap  48  is aligned to the remaining shutter along the second cut edge  52 . The end cap  48  is fixedly secured to the shutter  40  by a heat stake or spot welding. A seam  54  formed between the end cap  48  and the second cut edge  52  is concealed by a heat stamp having a wood grain pattern, which reestablishes the wood grain effect into the distorted seam  54  area of the shutter  40 . 
     While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.