Shutter panel

An improved shutter panel designed to fit over window openings in the advent of high winds or driving rains and thereby protect against glass breakage and water damage. The shutter panel is bounded by a rectangular frame made of U-shaped metal channels, which houses a centrally located steel sheet having a series of spaced apart parallel V-shaped grooves and a pair of sheets of extruded polystyrene designed to lie against the opposite sides of the steel sheet. A sheet of woven plastic netting is spread over the outermost surfaces of the two sheets of polystyrene and then a layer of stucco is troweled over each sheet of netting and allowed to air dry, creating a strong light weight shutter panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Shutters which in fair weather lie adjacent to a window opening are usually 
hung so that in inclement weather the shutter can be moved to cover the 
window opening to shield it from high winds and driving rains. Various 
arrangements have been and are being used to move the shutter panel into 
position where it covers and protects the window opening from wind and 
rain. 
Perhaps the most common arrangement is to mount the shutter panel on hinges 
beside the window opening or alternatively to split the shutter into two 
similar halves mounted on hinges on opposite sides of the window opening. 
Then upon a forecast of high winds and/or rain, the shutter panel or pair 
of shutter panels can be swung 180.degree. and locked into position to 
shield the window and its opening from the impending storm. 
Another popular arrangement is the Bahama shutter which is hung from one or 
more hinges located directly above the window opening. In fair weather, 
the shutter panel is maintained at an angle of about 45.degree. below 
horizontal to serve as a sun shade over the window opening by a pair of 
rods whose opposite ends are located in slots on the building wall and in 
the opposite edges of the shutter panel. On the approach of high winds or 
driving rain, the rods are removed and the shutter panel will swing down 
to completely cover the window opening where it is locked into position. 
Shutter panels are made from a wide variety of materials including natural 
and processed wooden sheets and panels, rolled aluminum and steel sheets, 
aluminum and plastic extruded channels and other shapes, and flat and 
molded panels made of various plastic materials. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
I have invented an improved shutter panel which is more rugged and better 
able to withstand hurricane force winds and yet can be built at less cost 
per square foot than most shutters presently on the market. 
My shutter panel is attractive and its outer surface made to match the 
color and style of the exterior of the building from which the shutter is 
hung. 
Briefly put, the shutter has a rectangular frame made of U-shaped metal 
channels of the type conventionally used as studs in the walls of 
buildings. The flat center section of the channels form the four outer 
edges of the panel. The frame houses a multi-layered assembly of 
components, all of which are readily available at most hardware stores and 
building material warehouses. 
The components include at the center of the panel a sheet of galvanized 
steel about 3/8" thick and contains a series of parallel V-shaped grooves 
stamped into the sheet which strengthens and stiffens the panel and 
prevents the sheet from being bent. Lying against the opposite sides of 
the steel sheet are two similar rectangular sheets of extruded polystyrene 
having the same outer dimensions as the steel sheet. Preferably the two 
extruded polystyrene sheets each have a thickness of one inch. 
A sheet of netting or screening lies against the side of each polystyrene 
sheet which is not pressed against the steel sheet. Preferably the sheet 
of screening is made of nylon. 
A layer of finish stucco is troweled over each sheet of screening to cover 
the screening and the polystyrene sheet which when dry forms a decorative 
finish on both sides of the shutter panel. The stucco can be colored and 
finished to match the color and appearance of the exterior surface of the 
building wall to which the shutter is attached.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings portray one of the many ways my shutter panel 
10 can be mounted adjacent a window opening in fair weather and upon a 
forecast of stormy weather be easily moved over the window opening to 
shield the window from wind and rain. 
Shutter panel 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a Bahama shutter hung from an 
elongated header 12 by hinge 14. The header is affixed to exterior 
building wall 15 by three bolts 16. Header 12 lies directly above window 
18 as best shown in FIG. 1. 
Shutter panel 10 is shown in its fair weather position, lying at an angle 
of about 45.degree. below horizontal serving as a sun screen to prevent 
bright sun from shining directly through window 18. Shutter 10 is held in 
place by a pair of removable steel rods 20 whose opposite ends fit onto 
brackets on building wall 15 and in holes on the opposite sides of shutter 
10. 
Upon receiving a storm warning, rods 20 are removed and shutter 10 will 
swing down into a vertical position where it is locked into position 
covering the window opening and shielding window 18 from damage by the 
storm. 
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of shutter panel 10 showing its 
multi-layer construction. The panel is bounded by a rectangular metal 
frame 22 of U-shaped channels. At the center of panel 10 is a rectangular 
galvanized steel sheet 24 having a series of parallel V-shaped channels to 
provide strength and rigidity to the panel and prevent the sheet from 
creasing or bending. 
Two rectangular sheets 26 of extruded polystyrene preferably about one inch 
thick lie against the opposite sides of the steel sheet. The outer 
dimensions of polystyrene sheets 26 approximate the outer dimensions of 
the steel sheet. 
A sheet of preferably nylon netting or screening 28 is laid against the 
surface of the side of each polystyrene sheet 26 which is not in contact 
with steel sheet 24. A layer of wet finish stucco 30 is troweled over the 
sheets of plastic screening 28 to completely cover the screening and the 
polystyrene sheets. The troweled stucco 30 when dry forms a desirable 
decorative finish to both sides of the shutter panel. Finish stucco is a 
mixture of portland cement, silica sand, hydrated lime, vinyl acetate 
polymer and water which is widely used to form the exterior surfaces of 
buildings in Florida and other sunbelt regions. If desired, stucco 30 can 
be colored and finished to match the appearance of the exterior surfaces 
of the building. 
While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my shutter 
panel, such disclosure should not be viewed as limiting the scope or 
breadth of my invention. The scope of my invention is defined only by the 
appended claims.