Abstract:
An insulated window covering for mounting over the external surface of a window frame in a building having a flat planar sheet of material designed to substantially cover the external surface of the window, and having a flat planar sheet of insulation secured to one surface of the sheet of material adjacent to the window surface to form an insulated panel. Fasteners secure the insulated panel to the building and consist of L-brackets. The insulated panels are easily attachable and detachable to the window openings of the building and are used to insulate the building in summer and winter to provide savings in energy costs.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to insulated window panels for use over windows of residential homes or commercial buildings for the purpose of saving energy and protecting the windows from violent storms.  
         [0003]     In many areas of the south, such as Florida, it is desirable to keep the sun from entering through the windows and heating up the building. For many residents of the south, the afternoon sun, especially during the summer, is almost at its zenith in the sky, and therefore windows on the east and west sides of the buildings will receive a great deal of direct sunlight that causes an undesirable heating of the house. This effect requires an increased use of air conditioning during these times. Any attempt to block the sun on the interior of the house, such as with the use of shades, awnings or blinds, will still allow much of the sun to heat the interior coverings, and thus spread the heat into the interior of the building.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     Accordingly, the present invention provides an apparatus for completely covering some or if not all of the windows on the east and west, or other sun exposed areas of the building by using a rigid window covering together with an insulated backing to form an insulated panel to completely block out the light and heat from entering the building. This is useful especially when the occupants of the house or building have to be away for any lengthy period of time, and have to leave the air conditioning turned on during their absence.  
         [0005]     2. The Prior Art  
         [0006]     In the prior art, there are many types of external window coverings, such as hinged shutters, roll-down awnings, and other devices that will keep the sun or heat partially from entering the house, but will not especially keep the heat from entering through the windows during the mornings and afternoons when the sun is shining on these windows. Moreover, many of these external shutters and awnings do not contact the windows and thus create a heated chamber between the outside surface of the windows and the shutters. This further allows heat to be transmitted into the building.  
         [0007]     Accordingly, the present invention provides rigid window coverings having a layer of insulation cemented to one side of the rigid coverings to form an insulated panel so that the coverings can be placed against the windows, with the insulation contacting the windows or the window mullions to block both the heat and the light from coming into the building. By mounting the insulated rigid window coverings flush to the windows, or window mullions, the coverings and the insulation prevent both the heat and light from entering the building, with a minimum of any air pockets or no air pockets between the windows and the externally mounted window panels. The insulation may consist of any sheet insulation material, such as Styrofoam sheeting or fiberglass that can be cemented to the rigid surface, such as a sheet of aluminum, metal such as galvanized or stainless steel, sheet vinyl or fiberglass. Suitable angle brackets mounted along the periphery of the rigid insulated panel will allow the panel to be detachable secured to the edges and periphery of the window openings or inside the window recesses of the building, thereby preventing their accidental removal by wind or gravity. The brackets may consist of any elongated L-brackets that may be affixed to either the wood or cement around the recessed window edges in suitable locations, so as to retain the rigid insulated panels flush against the windows. Suitable fasteners such as screws or quick release hardware can be provided to secure the panels to the brackets so that they can be easily removed when there is a change in season and the occupants return to the house. The window panels may also be hinged to opposite sides of the window openings so that they can be easily opened and closed as needed. By designing the rigid insulated window panels so that its insulation is maintained tightly against the windows or window mullions, very little heat if any, is transmitted into the building. Moreover, the rigid outer surface of the window coverings if constructed of metals such as sheet aluminum, will reflect away the sunlight, further reducing the heat transfer through the panel.  
         [0008]     In northern climates where the outside of the building is much colder than the heated inside, and where the occupants will be away for any significant period of time, it is also desirable to cover the windows with the same insulated rigid window panels. This will prevent the heat within the building from being transferred more quickly through the windows than through the side walls of the building. Thus, by covering the windows with the insulated flat panels, a great deal of the heat loss through the windows can be eliminated even if the windows are thermopane windows, and are tinted. The insulated panels also serve to protect the windows from damage caused by high winds and storms, flying debris, and from vandals. Moreover the insulated panels add strength to the window openings and protect the windows from imploding during hurricanes. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which disclose the embodiments of the invention.  
         [0010]     In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of the inventive window coverings installed in the window recess along the side wall of a building;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2   a  is a perspective view of an individual panel with its insulated backing;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2   b  is a cross-sectional view of  FIG. 2   a  taken along line  2   b - 2   b;    
         [0014]      FIG. 3  shows another embodiment of an insulated window panel that is hinged to the window recess of the building for easy opening and closing of the panels;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of the invention wherein the edges of the insulated panel have right angle flanges for securement to the building; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  shows still a further embodiment of the invention wherein the edges of the panel have straight flanges to contact the wall of the building.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     Turning now in detail to the drawings, referring to  FIGS. 1, 2   a  and  2   b , there is shown a rectangular window opening  10 , and a semi-circular sunburst window opening  11  formed in the building wall  9 . Set into rectangular window opening  10  in the building are two rigid flat panels  12  and  13 , which substantially cover the windows  86  mounted in that rectangular opening  10 . Rigid panels  12  and  13  may consist of a single sheet of aluminum, vinyl, galvanized sheet metal, or other metal, fiberglass, or other rigid material to completely cover rectangular opening  10 . Panels  12  and  13  more conveniently, can be split into two panels, as shown, with a detachable and overlapping seam  14  running vertically through the center of the panels. Panels  12  and  13  are designed to overlap each other by an amount sufficient to allow fasteners such as screws  15  to join the panels together, along their overlapped portions  14 . At the top edge of the panels and inserted into rectangular recess  10  is an L-bracket  16  spanning substantially the width of panels  12  and  13 . The lower portion of L-bracket  16  overlaps the top edge of panels  12  and  13 . The other portion of L-bracket  16  is bent at 90° so as to allow securement to the top inside surface  17  of rectangular recess  10 . Suitable fasteners  18  will connect L-bracket  16  to the top of panels  12  and  13 . Likewise, a plurality of fasteners  19  will secure the top portion of L-bracket  16  to the overhanging recessed portion  17  of rectangular recess opening  10 . If the building is constructed of cement block or other rigid material, suitable cement screws  19  would be used to bolt L-bracket  16  to the building structure.  
         [0018]     In a similar manner, elongated L-bracket  20  is secured by means of fasteners  21  to the bottom edge of panels  12  and  13 . The other portion  22  of L-bracket  20  bent at 90° will be secured to sill  23  of recess  10  by means of suitable fasteners  24 .  
         [0019]     Along the left and right hand vertical side surfaces of recess opening  10  are also provided L-brackets  25  and  26  which are fastened to the vertical periphery of panels  12  and  13  by means of fasteners or screws  27  and  28 . Likewise, the other portion of L-brackets  25  and  26 , bent at 90° which abut the jamb, or sidewalls of the recess  30  and  31  are fastened or screwed by means of suitable fasteners  32  and  33  to the building jamb surface. If two flat panels  12  and  13  are used, they can be easily installed after the four opposing L-brackets are permanently mounted to the building by sliding them into the brackets. Thus, if the upper bracket  16  has a larger vertical overlap to panels  12  and  13 , than the lower L-bracket  20 , then panels  12  and  13  can be first slid upward so that their top edges fit inside the horizontal space of L-bracket  16 . This allows the lower edge to sweep over the top surface of L-bracket  20  and drop slightly downward into the space defined by lower L-bracket  20  to rest on the edge of the sill, without the panels disconnecting themselves from the upper bracket. This can easily be accomplished by making L-bracket  16  overlap panels  12  and  13  by about one inch and allowing lower bracket  20  to only overlap the bottom edge of panels  12  and  13  by ½ inch. Panels  12  and  13  would thus be slightly shorter in length than the vertical dimension of recess  10  by slightly more than ½ inch to allow the panels to be slipped into the oppositely mounted brackets.  
         [0020]     With panels  12  and  13  being constructed of thin, rigid material such as vinyl or aluminum, they can be made to overlap each other and then slid sideways in opposite directions to engage inside vertical L-brackets  25  and  26  before being fastened to those brackets. Once the outside vertical edges of panels  12  and  13  are secured to their corresponding L-brackets  25  and  26 , then fasteners  15  can be tightened along seam  14  to prevent any more horizontal movement of panels  12  and  13 . Likewise, the remaining fasteners  18 ,  21 ,  27  and  28  can be inserted into the peripheral brackets  16 ,  25 ,  20  and  26 .  
         [0021]     To further facilitate the installation of flat panels  12  and  13 , handles  35  with hollow handgrips are preferably provided bolted to the approximate center of the panels so that they can be moved up and into the top and bottom panels and slid sideways to engage the side panels, as described above.  
         [0022]     In a similar manner, recess  11  designed to receive a sunburst-type window (not shown) will be fitted with an arc shaped L-bracket  40  along its top inside surface. L-bracket  40  has been bent and formed to fit into the arc shape of the semi-circular recess  11  and would contain suitable fasteners  41  to secure to arc-shaped panels  42  and  43 . In a similar manner, fasteners  44  on the other portion of L-bracket  40  will secure the bracket to the inside top portion of semi-circular recess  11 . Additional side brackets  45  and  46  having a slight arc-shape bend, will fit into recess  11  to secure the lower edges of panels  42  and  43  to the building by means of fasteners  47 . In a manner similar to the lower rectangular panels, the upper arc-shaped panels  42  and  43  are designed to overlap in a seam  48  and will be secured together by suitable fasteners such as screws  49 . An elongated lower L-bracket  50 , having a vertical height less than the vertical drop of bracket  40  will thus allow panels  42  and  43  to be likewise inserted upward and over bottom bracket  50  before being dropped down behind the edge of bracket  50  without being disengaged from upper arc-shaped bracket  40 . Obviously, panels  42  and  43  will have a vertical dimension slightly less than the height of semi-circular recess  13  to allow them to be slipped into the brackets, and secured by  47 ,  44 ,  49  and  51 .  
         [0023]     All of the L-shaped brackets are designed so that the surface, contacting the sill and jamb portions of the window openings  10  and  11  will be secured permanently, either by cement screws, rivets, or other means and will not normally have to be removed thereafter. Thus, only the fasteners connecting to the peripheral edges of the flat panel to the brackets need to be removed each time the panels are removed at the change of the season.  
         [0024]     For smaller size windows, only a single insulated panel need be used and can be bent and fixed into the bracket arrangement with suitable dimensions.  
         [0025]     To add additional protection in the event of high winds, a horizontal crossbar  65  can be inserted thru the handgrip openings of handle  35  to add further rigidity to the mounted panels.  
         [0026]     In place of using the L-brackets, suitable hinges  60  can also be mounted, joining panels  12  and  13  to the building jamb surfaces by means of hinge fasteners  61  and  62 . In this case it would not be necessary to remove panels  12  and  13 , but only swing them open as needed on their hinges  16  and when fully opened clamp them to the walls of the building.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 2   a , there is shown a prospective view of the backside of a typical rectangular panel  12  onto which is cemented a sheet of insulation  70  in the form of a foam pad substantially covering the backside of panel  12 . Foam pad  70  is designed so that one edge is recessed back from the four peripheral edges of panel  12  so as to allow the edges of panels  12  and  13  to overlap on seam  14  and to allow their easier horizontal movement within recess frame  10  during installation.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2   b  shows a cross-sectional view of the mounted insulated panels along line  2   b - 2   b  of  FIG. 1 , secured in recess  10  against windows  86  with its center mullion  87  and side frame  88 . Panels  12  and  13  with thus attached insulation pads  70  are mounted as close as possible to the surface of windows  86 , and may even touch frames  88  to minimize the air gap between them.  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  shows a hinged variation of the panels having cabinet type hinges  75  secured to the panels and the window opening  10  of the building. Along seam  14  is pivotably mounted release and locking handles  76  for closing and locking panels  12  and  13  together when the panels are closed and abut each other. Locking handles  76  are similar to those used to close the back doors of trucks, and may include a vertically moving rod (not shown), the ends of which engage into openings formed in sill  23  and top jam  17 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows another embodiment of the invention wherein the insulated panel  12 ′ has been made with right angle flanges formed along the peripheral edges of the panel, and extending 90° away from insulation pad  70 . Here, screw holes  85  can be formed in the flanges to allow the flanges, instead of brackets, to be used to mount the insulated panels to the recessed window surfaces. These panels with their flanges, would thus have to be dimensionally accurate to fit snugly into recessed window surfaces  10 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the invention wherein rigid flat panel  100  is constructed with extended flanges  95  and  96 , designed to contact and mount to the outside surface  9  of the building, adjacent to window recess  10 . Here screw fasteners inserted in holes  97  would mount the insulated panels almost flush with the building wall. To fill up the air gap between insulation pad  70  and the outside surface of the window, additional thickness of insulation would have to be added to pad  70 .  
         [0032]     In an actual construction of rigid panel  12 , flat aluminum sheet was used, which had a thickness between 0.062 to 0.090 inches for panels that were approximately 3 feet wide by 6 feet tall. The insulating sheet  70  was constructed of polystyrene foam, or styrofoam ¾″ thick, which had a heat insulation R factor of slightly less than 10. Polyurethane foam could also be used. Fiberglass with a finished aluminum surface could also be used as the insulator.  
         [0033]     The fasteners used to hold the insulated panels may be any metal L-brackets, hinges, magnetic holders, snap couplings, screws or other commonly known hardware.  
         [0034]     During an actual experimental test, the panels, when mounted with the L-brackets, withstood the force of hurricane Wilma, with winds exceeding 110 m.p.h. without any damage. Moreover, the panels protected the windows to which they covered, from any flying debris or damage.  
         [0035]     In the six month period of time in which the panels were used during the late spring, summer and early fall season in Florida, they resulted in reducing the electric bills for a 3,000 sq. ft. home, to approximately 25% of what they were the previous year by blocking the heat coming through the windows.  
         [0036]     Accordingly, while a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.