Closure device

Abstract: Enhanced enclosure, incorporating two vertical pillars (1) with anti-friction elements (5), encompassing their total height thereof defining two slots in which are guided the respective sides of an enclosing laminar element (4), related to a motor driven roller located in the upper pillar area, presenting the laminar element at its sides two stop alignments (6) that move vertically behind the anti-friction elements in order to attach the laminar ends to the pillars. The anti-friction elements may define one or more inlets allowing their freedom through the effect of pressure during the lowering motion of the laminar element. This enclosure is used to seal an internal or external pass-through area, by way of a rolling laminar element.

Description: This patent specification refers, as its name already indicates, to an enhanced enclosure device of the type employed in pass-through areas, either indoors or leading outdoors, and which are laterally bound by two vertical pillars, making up the means guiding a laminar element upwardly attached to a roller, capable of turning through the action of a motor element, in order to allow the rolling up and unrolling of the laminar element, thus obtaining the total or partial opening and closing of its internal opening. U.S.A. publication no. 4,884,617, which represents the prior art as referred to in the preamble of claim 1, teaches a device having a shutter windable around a spindle and specially adapted to close a bay or other opening by the unwinding of the shutter, the same having flexible side edges which project beyond the shutter plane and which are retained with reduced friction in substantially continuous guideways during the unwinding and winding of the shutter, that shutter edges may disengage from their guideways when subjected to a predetermined pull transversely to guideway. Each guideway has near and upstream of the shutter spindle an access passage through which the projecting edge of any shutter which has disengaged from the guideway can reengage, as the shutter winds around its spindle, in that part of the particular guideway concerned which is disposed beyond the passage. The present invention is directed toward a closure device , of the type employed at internal pass-through areas, laterally bound by two vertical pillars, making up the guide elements of a laminar element upwardly fixed to a roller, rotatably driven through the action of a driving element, so as to allow a laminar element to roll up or unroll, each one of the pillars being fitted with anti-friction elements, encompassing the whole height of the pillars and defining between them a slot with sufficient thickness to allow the displacement within it of the laminar element, said laminar element presenting two alignments of stop elements at its sides, which may travel vertically inside the pillars, attached to the laminar element and acting upon the internal sides of the anti-friction elements whenever the laminar element is subjected to a frontal pushing force in the pass-through direction, the stops defining two low thickness portions set against each other, which contact upon the surfaces of the laminar element, making up laminar element centring means in respect of the slots defined by the anti-friction elements and two lesser diameter end portions, the purpose of which is to act upon the internal sides of the anti-friction elements whenever the laminar element is subjected to a front pressure, and in that the guiding elements assembled upon pillars are made up of two tracks, a lower straight one and an upper one the upper and lower ends of which are slightly curved towards the area lying within the bounds of the frame of the enclosure formed by the two pillars and the top profile so as to respectively allow the guiding of the stops of the laminar element towards the inside of the pillars during the laminar element lowering movement and during the rising movement, when the stops have been freed from the guiding element by the effect of pressure upon the laminar element. Depending upon the total thickness of the stop elements it may also be achieved that, whenever the laminar element is subjected to a previously determined pulling force, the top ends elastically deform the anti-friction elements, so as to appear through the slot, in order to make it possible that, if the motor breaks down when the laminar element is in the closing position, its sides may be freed without damaging the enclosure device. In order to better understand the object of this invention, the attached drawing shows a preferential embodiment thereof. In said drawing: Figure 1 shows an elevation view of the enhanced enclosure device, partially open, in which the laminar element, one of the pillars and the upper roof have been partially cut away. Figure 2 shows a profile view of the enclosure device, on which the portion of the laminar element running inside the profiles has been outlined. Figure 3 shows a plan view of one of the pillars, cut by a horizontal plane, and the side of the laminar element with one of the stop elements that relate it to the pillar. Figure 4 shows an elevation view of the upper end of one of the pillars, centrally cut buy a vertical plane, in which may be observed the arrangement of the anti-friction elements and of the stop elements, entering one of them inside the profile during the upward rising movement, and in which the laminar element has not be shown so as to achieve a greater drawing clarity. As it may observed in the fore mentioned figures, the enclosure object of this invention is made up of two pillars (1) upwardly joined by a profile (2) making up a gantry like structure, to which a rotatably driven roller (3) is fixed near its upward end, to which is attached the end of a laminar element (4) which sides are guided inside two slots defined by anti-friction elements (5) vertically attached upon the pillars (1), staying retained inside them by way of lugs (6) fixed upon the sides of the laminar element; in this way it is achieved that upon the roller turning in one or another direction the laminar element (4) rolls up or unrolls around the roller (3) effecting the opening or closure of the internal pass-through opening of the enclosure device. The roller (3) has a central axis related to a driving device (7) by way of turning motion transfer means. The pillars (1) are made up of two "U" shaped general section profiles which wings are internally fitted at their respective ends by way of mortises framed by the extensions (11), into which vertically fit the anti-friction elements (5) presenting a given flexibility, so as to centrally define a vertical slot into which is introduced the corresponding laminar element (4) side, enabling vertical sliding movement. Near the sides of the laminar element is defined an stop (6) alignment, apt to be housed inside the pillars (1), being located in the area behind the anti-friction elements (5), to hold the laminar element sides (4) upon the pillars (1). These stops (6) define two reduced thickness central portions (61) and two end portions (62) with a greater thickness and lesser diameter than the prior ones, being the central portions (61) the ones that enclose the stops (6) in respect of the vertical slot, whenever the laminar element (4) is subjected to a pulling force in the pass-through direction. Depending upon the total thickness of the stops (6) it may be achieved that they be incapable of passing through the slot defined by the anti-friction elements, independently of the pressure applied upon the laminar element (4) or that they may pass through upon applying a previously determined pressure, as a function of the thickness of the top ends (6). Should the stops (6) be sized so that they may exit through the slot defined by the anti-friction elements (5) whenever the laminar element (4) receives a push in the passage direction, upon each one of the mortises of the pillars shall be arranged in the upper area an anti-friction element portion (51), which upper (52) and lower (53) ends are oriented towards the central enclosure area, so as to allow respectively the entry of the stops (6) towards the inside of the pillars whenever the laminar element lowers to effect the closure and whenever it rises towards the opening position, returning the side of the laminar element (4) to the assembly position, through the stop (6) guiding device and towards the inside of the pillars (1) as observed in figure 4. In order to enable the upper (52) and lower (53) ends of the anti-friction portion (51) to be oriented towards the inside of the enclosure it is necessary to previously carry out a partial elimination of the extensions (11) of the pillars (1), leaving free said ends (51) and (52). Upon the lower end of the laminar element (4) is arranged a flexible element (41) that tends to keep it horizontally deployed, which makes it possible that whenever the sides of the laminar element (4) have become free of the stops (6), they near the pillars (1) to be overcome during the rising movement by the lower end (53) of the portion (51). Upon the profile (2) upwardly joining the pillars (1) is assembled a water proof strip (21) upwardly covering the roller (3) and the motor (7) and another vertically arranged water proof strip (22) partially closing the enclosure void so as to hide from view the roller (3) and the entry area of the laminar element towards the inside of the pillars (1). Once the nature of the invention has been sufficiently described, together with a practical embodiment example thereof, it is hereby stated that in respect of the whole invention and the parts that make it up may be introduced whichever modifications may be considered appropriate, as long as its essential features, claimed below, are not altered.

Claims: Enclosure device, of the type employed at internal pass-through areas, laterally bound by two vertical pillars (1), making up the guide elements of a laminar element (4) upwardly fixed to a roller (3), rotatably driven through the action of a driving element (7) so as to allow a laminar element (4) to roll up or unroll, each one of the pillars(1) being fitted with anti-friction elements (5), encompassing the whole height of the pillars (1) and defining between them a slot with sufficient thickness to allow the displacement within it of the laminar element (4), said laminar element (4) presenting two alignments of stop elements (6) at its sides, which may travel vertically inside the pillars (1) attached to the laminar element (4) and acting upon the internal sides of the anti-friction elements (5) whenever the laminar element (4) is subjected to a frontal pushing force in the pass-through direction, characterized in that the stops (6) define two low thickness portions (61) set against each other, which contact upon the surfaces of the laminar element (4) making up laminar element centering means in respect of the slots defined by the anti-friction elements (5) and two lesser diameter end portions (62), the purpose of which is to act upon the internal sides of the anti-friction elements (5) whenever the laminar element (4) is subjected to a frontal pressure, and in that the guiding elements (5) assembled upon the pillars (1) are made up of two tracks, a lower straight one and an upper one (51), the upper (52) and lower (53) ends of which are slightly curved towards the area lying within the bounds of the frame of the enclosure formed by the two pillars (1) and the top profile (2), so as to respectively allow the guiding of the stops (6) of the laminar element (4) towards the inside of the pillars (1) during the laminar element lowering movement and during the rising movement, when the stops (6) have been freed from the guiding elements (5) by the effect of pressure upon the laminar element (4). Enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that the total thickness of the stops elements (6)fixed upon the sides of the laminar element (4) have a thickness slightly greater that the slot defined by the guiding elements (5), so that they may arise through said slot, elastically deforming the anti-friction elements (5), whenever the laminar element (4) is subjected to a previously determined frontal push or pressure. Enclosure device according to claim 1, characterized in that the total thickness of the stop elements (6) fixed upon the sides of the laminar element (4), is sufficiently high to prevent their exit through the slot defined by the guiding elements (5) independently of the frontal push that the laminar element (4) may receive.

Inventors: IGLESIAS BALLESTER MIGUEL ANGE, IGLESIAS BALLESTER, MIGUEL ANGEL
Applicants: IGLESIAS BALLESTER MIGUEL ANGE, IGLESIAS BALLESTER, MIGUEL ANGEL
Application year: 1995
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: E06B9