Abstract:
Shutter for windows, and relative method to fit said shutter, comprising a rim ( 12 ) consisting of vertical uprights ( 14 ) and horizontal cross-pieces ( 13 ), an outer assembly box ( 11 ) suitable to be anchored at the sides ( 20 ) of a window opening, and a plurality of blades ( 15 ) attached transversely between the vertical uprights ( 14 ) and suitable to selectively obstruct the light filtering through the rim ( 12 ), wherein the assembly box ( 11 ) consists of a plurality of profiles ( 17 ) of equal section and substantially quadrangular comprising, on one side, a coupling tooth ( 16 ) defining substantially plane supporting surfaces ( 19   a   , 19   b ) able to cooperate with mating surfaces of the sides ( 20 ) defining the window opening and/or with mating surfaces of the profiles ( 13, 14 ) defining the rim ( 12 ) of the shutter ( 10 ).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 60/190,627, filed Mar. 20, 2000. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention concerns a shutter for a window, of the type comprising a rim on which a plurality of blades, also called louvers or Venetian blinds, are attached transversely. 
     The blades are suitable to be moved between a position wherein they completely prevent the passage of the light, and a position wherein they allow the light to filter, more or less partially, through the window. 
     The shutter according to the invention is applied to the windows of any room whatsoever, in an inside or outside position, and substantially functions both as a window frame and also as a blind or shutter. 
     The invention also concerns the method to fit a shutter of the type described above in correspondence with the window opening. 
     In the following description we will refer mainly to shutters made of wood, fiberboard or wood derivates, but it is obvious that the present invention is applicable to shutters made of any appropriate material also including PVC, foam based material, metal, etc. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the field of window frames and furniture accessories, the state of the art includes the shutters which are applied to windows comprising a frame onto which a plurality of blades are applied transversely, adjacent and partly superimposed. The blades can be oriented by means of a simultaneous rotation on their axis to allow more or less light to pass from outside to inside the room. 
     The rim, normally rectangular or square and comprising uprights and cross-pieces, is usually anchored to a frame or box, attached to the masonry shoulders and traverses of the window opening. 
     These shutters are very much appreciated from a functional point of view, since they function simultaneously as a window frame and as a blind or shutters, and also from the aesthetic point of view, since it is possible to achieve very pleasant combinations of shapes and colors. 
     State-of-the-art solutions normally provide that the blades are moved by means of a rod, arranged transversely to the blades and attached to each one of them, normally located in a central position with respect to the shutter. 
     The shutters, which in most cases are made of wood or fiberboard or wood derivates, normally consist of a first type of profile with which the uprights of the rim are made, a second type of profile with which the cross-pieces of the rim are made, a third type of profile with which the outer box (which is anchored to the masonry shoulders and traverses) is made, and the blades with the relative drive rod. 
     A first problem connected with the production of these shutters is that it is necessary to store in the warehouse a large number of different pieces to be able to satisfy the requirements of different clients according to the pre-selected shapes and/or sizes of the shutter. 
     Other problems arise in the assembly step due to the limited versatility and flexibility of state-of-the-art profiles, which only allow univocal assembly positions; in general they are not able to overlap with any possible pre-existing rims assembled around the window opening, and they do not generally allow to diversify the assembly position of the shutter with respect to the masonry shoulders (flush, not flush, with a gap, covered, etc.). 
     A further disadvantage of state-of-the-art shutters of this type is that, in order to satisfy the clients&#39; diverse requirements regarding shapes, colors and sizes, producers generally supply the fitters with semi-finished elements which need finishing operations before and during the fitting. 
     These finishing operations, which comprise at least a trimming to size, both lengthwise and transversely, one or more smoothing steps and one or more painting or varnishing steps, affect to a considerable degree both the fitting times and the final cost of the shutter and also, in some cases, the quality of the final product. 
     Let us consider, for example, the difficulties of painting the blades when they are assembled on the shutter; this operation is necessary after assembly to prevent the blades from being spoilt or scratched during the operation to attach them to the rim, if they are already painted. Moreover, pre-painting is not possible in all cases: frequently, the profiles are subjected before fitting to a longitudinal trimming to adapt the section to the size and shape of the window where the shutter is to be applied. 
     Another disadvantage in the state of the art is that, to be able to adapt the height of the blades to the size of the window, either the value of the overlap between the blades has to be varied, or the part of the blades hidden behind the respective cross-pieces has to be exploited, since it is not provided to modify or calculate, according to the application, the pitch with which the blades are attached to the rim. 
     All these features have until now entailed high costs and a very limited versatility of this type of shutter. 
     The present Applicant has devised and embodied this invention to overcome these shortcomings, making it possible to produce a shutter which is extremely versatile, standardized in its essential components but completely able to be personalized according to individual needs, at a reduced cost and with simplified methods, also optimizing the management of the stock and therefore the overall production costs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is set forth and characterized in the respective main claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the main embodiment. 
     The main purpose of the invention is to eliminate the shortcomings of the state of the art in the production of shutters of the type described above, providing an extremely versatile product, adaptable to every requirement of a structural type, deriving from the conformation and type of the specific application, and of an aesthetic type, according to the taste and needs of the clients. 
     Another purpose is to provide a product which is extremely easy to assemble and install, so that the fitter does not have to carry out long and complex operations which considerably affect the final cost and the final quality of the product. 
     These and other purposes of the invention, as shown hereafter, are obtained thanks to a shutter which is characterized in that it has an outside assembly frame or box suitable to be anchored to the sides of a window opening, wherein the box consists of a plurality of profiles of equal section, substantially quadrangular, comprising on one side a coupling tooth with at least a supporting surface able to cooperate with a mating surface of a side defining the window opening and/or with a mating profile defining the rim of the shutter. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the rim of the shutter consists of profiles defining respectively the uprights and the cross-pieces, wherein at least the profiles defining the uprights have a substantially quadrangular section comprising, on one side, a coupling tooth with at least a first plane supporting surface able to cooperate with a mating profile defining the box of the shutter. 
     According to another characteristic of the invention, the profiles of the cross-pieces also have a section with a coupling tooth defining an identical plane supporting surface. 
     According to a distinctive characteristic of the invention, the profiles with which the outer box, the uprights and the cross-pieces are made all have the same section. 
     This characteristic is extremely advantageous both during the production step and also during the fitting step, since it allows to minimize the stocks in the warehouse and to supply the fitter with finished elements, which only need to be cut transversely to size, in order to be adapted to the size of the window. 
     Therefore, with this invention, the blades can be supplied already painted to the fitter who thus does not have to make longitudinal cuts or complicated painting or trimming operations before assembling and fitting. 
     The fact that finished elements are supplied, straight from the production plant, entails a considerable advantage both in terms of cost and in assembly times. 
     The fact that there are reciprocal coupling teeth, mating and cooperating, allows to obtain varied assembly solutions. 
     For example, it is possible to achieve overlaps between the rim of the shutter and the elements of the box such as to maximize the light entering from the window opening, and/or to eliminate anti-aesthetic interstices through which the light passes in the line where the shutter and box are coupled, or between the separating uprights of two adjacent shutters. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other characteristics of the invention will become clear from the following description of some referential embodiments of the invention, given as a nonrestrictive example, with reference to the attached drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 shows a schematic front view of the whole shutter for windows according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a section view of a profile used to make the box and the rim of the shutter shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a part view of a first example of how the shutter shown in FIG. 1 is attached on the outside of a window opening; 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  show variants of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 shows a first example of how the shutter shown in FIG. 1 is attached on the inside of a window opening; 
     FIGS. 6 a ,  6   b ,  6   c  and  6   d  show variants of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 6 b 1 shows a front view of a portion of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 b ; 
     FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b  are prospective views of two further applications of the invention; 
     FIG. 8 shows a cross section of a further application of the invention; 
     FIG. 9 shows a part section of another application of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the attached drawings, number  10  denotes generally a shutter according to the invention, consisting of an outer box or frame  11  to be assembled on the window opening, a rim  12  consisting of uprights  14  and cross-pieces  13 , and a plurality of blades  15  arranged horizontally which can be oriented from a position in which they completely obstruct the passage of light through the window to a position in which they let the light filter through to a greater or lesser extent. 
     In the shutter  10  the profiles  17  (FIG. 2) which constitute the box  11 , and the uprights  14  and the cross-pieces  13  of the rim  12 , all have the same shaped section, substantially rectangular, defined by two long sides, respectively  18   a  and  18   b , and two short sides, respectively  18   c  and  18   d.    
     On one of said short sides, in this case on the side  18   c , there is a coupling tooth  16  able to define substantially plane supporting surfaces  19   a  and  19   b , which can be made to cooperate with mating supporting surfaces so as to achieve particular assembly solutions according to the specific application. 
     To be more exact, the unified form of the section of said profiles  17  allows to obtain varied shapes which can be attached to the masonry shoulders  20  defining the window opening wherein the shutter  10  is applied. 
     The solutions shown in FIGS. 3,  4   a  and  4   b  show attachment examples wherein the shutter  10 , partly shown with one of its uprights  14 , is assembled outside a window opening defined by the masonry element  20 . 
     In the example shown in FIG. 3, the profile of the box  11 , in this case an upright, or jamb, is positioned with one of its long sides  18   a  and the outer side of the tooth  16  against the wall  20 . 
     The profile is anchored to the wall  20  by means of an anchoring bolt  21 . The upright  14  of the rim  12  is coupled in a specular fashion with the relative box element  11  and made to overlap therewith by means of cooperation between the relative teeth  16 . 
     This solution allows an extremely simplified coupling since it is obtained by making the two teeth  16  reciprocally abut; it also allows to use hinges  22  with a threaded pin to move the shutter  10 . 
     The variant shown in FIG. 4 a  is substantially identical, with the difference that the box element  11  is resting with one of its short sides  18   d  on the wall  20 ; this solution allows to distance the upright  14  by a certain height from the wall  20 , and thus to overlap possible outside rims  23  arranged around the perimeter of the window opening. 
     The solution shown in FIG. 4 b  provides that the box element  11  is assembled rotated by 180° with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a , that is, with its tooth  16  facing towards the upright  14 ; this solution is adopted when there are pre-existing outside rims  23  of a considerable height. 
     The embodiments shown in FIGS. 5,  6   a - 6   d  refer to when the shutter  10  is assembled on the inside of the window opening defined by the masonry element  20 . In all the examples shown, between the box element  11  and the wall  20  a spacer element  24  is inserted, equipped with a through hole into which the anchorage bolt  21  is inserted. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the box element  11  is assembled with its short side  18   d  facing towards the wall  20 ; the shutter is assembled overlapping, coupling the respective teeth  16  in a substantially identical manner to what is shown in FIG. 3, so as to define an assembly position of the shutter  10  which is outside with respect to the edge of the wall  20 . 
     In this case too, this type of coupling allows to use movement hinges  22  with a threaded pin. The function of the outer rim  23  is to cover the interstice which is created between the wall  20  and the box  11 . 
     In the variant shown in FIG. 6 a , the vertical box element  11  is coupled with its long side  18   a  facing towards the wall  20 , and the upright  14  is arranged in an overlapping position with respect to the element  11 . This solution reduces to a minimum the transverse bulk occupied by the box  11  and the upright  14 , and therefore maximizes the overall inner gap available for the window. 
     The solution shown in FIG. 6 b  is similar to that in FIG. 6 a , with the difference that the upright  14  is not assembled overlapping, but flush with respect to the box element  11 . This solution requires the use of hinges  122  of a different type, which are attached with screws  25  on the cooperating inner faces of the box  11  and upright  14 . Moreover, the solution causes a gap to be formed between the upright  14  and box  11 . The gap (or interstice)  30  shown in FIG. 6 b 1, permits light to pass between the box  11  and the upright  14 . 
     In the further variant shown in FIG. 6 c , the box element  11  is coupled by its short side  18   d  with the wall  20 , and its tooth  16  couples on the inside with the tooth  16  of the upright  14 . 
     This solution allows the shutter  10  to be assembled flush with the wall  20 , with the gap being completely covered. 
     The further variant shown in FIG. 6 d  is similar to the solution shown in FIG. 6 a , with the difference that a wirecover  26  is used in continuance of a pre-existing rim  23  so as to cover the interstice between the wall  20  and the box  11 . 
     With regard to the cross-pieces  13 , by using the profile  17  with the particular section as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to achieve solutions wherein the end cross-pieces  13  overlap, in correspondence with the respective teeth  16 , the respective box elements  11 ; moreover, the teeth  16  of the cross-pieces  13  cooperate with the highest and lowest blades  15 , in their closed position, so as to. define respective shutter elements defining a condition of complete obscurity. FIG. 7 a  shows this solution, wherein some of the blades  15  also appear; for simplicity of illustration, the box elements  11  are not shown. 
     In this solution, the cross-piece  13  is obtained by coupling two profiles  17  joined together in a specular fashion in correspondence with the relative short sides  18   d  opposite the position of the tooth  16 . 
     The variant shown in FIG. 7 b  provides that cross-pieces  13  can be inserted in an intermediate position too, so as to achieve separation elements with a horizontal development on the height of the shutter  10 . 
     By using profiles  17  with a coupling tooth  16  it is possible to completely cover the gap not only in correspondence with the coupling of the uprights  14  and cross-pieces  13  with the relative box elements  11 , but also in any possible couplings between intermediate dividing elements, also vertical ones. 
     FIG. 8 shows how it is possible to achieve a solution with modular shutters  10  arranged adjacent, wherein there is an overlap both between the lateral uprights  14  with the respective uprights of the box  11 , and also between further intermediate uprights  111  arranged specular in pairs thanks to the cooperation between the respective teeth  16 . 
     In this embodiment, profiles  27  are provided between uprights  14  and respective blades  15 , which function as a union in correspondence with the coupling zones between uprights  14  and cross-pieces  13  and between uprights  14  and blades  15 . 
     By using the profile  17  as a cross-piece  13 , it is also possible to insert hardware elements, such as common pins or a double cylinder  29  as shown in FIG.  9 . 
     In this specific case, where two coupled cross-pieces  13  are used, the cylinder  29  is inserted by making a milling  30  in correspondence with one head of every cross-piece  13 ; the milling  30  communicates orthogonally with a dead hole  31  made in each of the cross-pieces  13 . 
     From the fore-going description, it can be seen how the particular section shape of the profile  17  used for the box  11 , uprights  14  and cross-pieces  13  of the shutter  10  confers extreme versatility and flexibility in assembly, and allows the shutter  10  to be adapted to every type of application made necessary by the pre-existing structure. 
     The fact that all the profiles are identical considerably rationalizes the production process of the shutters, for example with regard to managing stock, and the finishing and assembly procedures, since it allows to supply the fitter with finished, pre-painted elements which only need transverse cutting to size. 
     It is possible to make many modifications and constructional and conceptual variants to this invention, but they shall all come within the field defined by the attached claims.