A ROLLER SHUTTER FOR WINDOWS, DOORS AND THE LIKE AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING

Abstract: In a roller shutter for windows, doors and the like a number of slats (1) of a mainly curved cross-sectional profile are arranged in parallel and secured individually to a flexible web or cloth (3) which forms hinge connections in the interspaces (2) between the slats. The slats (1) are individually secured to said web or cloth (3) by means of an intermediate layer (4) of a thermoplastic material which is in full surface contact with the web or the cloth (3) and with the concave side of the slats (1). The roller shutter may be manufactured by applying to one side of the cloth (3) a coating of thermoplastic material to provide the intermediate layer (4), on top of which the slats (1) are placed in parallel transversely to a forwarding direction for the web or cloth (3) by means of a shaping device (12) which brings the concave side of the slats in surface contact with the thermoplastic intermediate layer (4), the intermediate layer (4) in the interspaces between the slats (1) being impacted with the cloth (3) to a thickness suited for providing said hinge connection.

Description: A ROLLER SHUTTER FOR WINDOWS, DOORS AND THE LIKE AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING The present invention relates to a roller shutter for windows, doors and the like with a number of slats of a mainly curved cross-sectional profiile secured individually to a flexible web or cloth which forms hinge connections in the interspaces between the slats . From EP-B1-0 410 364 a roller shutter is known, in which the slats are connected in pairs around the flexible web or cloth. For the manufacture of a roller shutter with given dimensions a double set of slats is therefore required, the manufacture being simultaneously made complicated by the prescribed pairwise inter- locking of the slats. The fact that the flexible web or cloth on account of the interlocking has to follow the cross-sectional profile of the individual slats that requirements are made as to good strength of the flexible web or cloth. EP-A-0 343 755 discloses a roller shutter of the above type, in which the slats are secured individually by being directly embedded on the flexible web or cloth. It is a prerequisite for such an embedding to use slats of plastic material which by use of a plastic foil as carrier web also has to be mouldable at a lower temperature than the plasticizing temperature. Moreover, a comparatively heavy deformation of the carrier web takes place at the embedment . On this background it is the object of the inven- tion to provide a roller shutter which, compared to the first-mentioned E-B-0 410 364 is simpler and cheaper in respect of material consumption and manufacturing process, and, compared to the last-mentioned E-A-0 343 755 provides a wider freedom of choice in respect of the slat material, just as deformation of the carrier web is substantially avoided. To meet this object the roller shutter according to the invention is characteristic in that the slats are prefabricated and secured to said web or cloth by means of an intermediate layer of a thermoplastic material which is in full surface contact with the web or cloth and with the concave side of the slats. The slats may consist of curved, extruded profiles of metal foil, for instance aluminium foil, or thermoplastic material, whereas the flexible web or cloth may be a fine-meshed synthetic web and the intermediate layer may consist of a suitable thermoplastic material like for instance thermoplastic polyurethane . Further advantages and details of the roller shutter according to the invention appear from the sub- claims 1-10. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing the roller shutter, which method accord- ing to the invention is characterized in that to one side of a flexible web or cloth a coating of thermoplastic material is applied to provide said intermediate layer, on top of which the prefabricated slats are placed in parallel transversely to an advanc- ing direction for the web or cloth by means of a shaping device which brings the concave side of the slats in surface contact with the thermoplastic intermediate layer, the intermediate layer in the interspaces between the slats being impacted with the cloth to a thickness suited for providing said hinge connection. In this way a manufacturing process is obtained which is well suited for industrial production. Further advantages and details of this method appear from the subclaims 12-16. The invention will now be explained in the following with reference to the schematic drawings, in which Fig. 1 in perspective shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a roller shutter according to the inven- tion, Fig. 2 an enlarged sectional view of a part of the sectional view shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 the substantial parts of a plant for the manufacture of a roller shutter as shown in Figs 1 and 2 for illustrating the method according to the invention. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 a roller shutter according to the invention comprises a number of slats 1 of a curved cross-sectional profile and secured parallel to each other with interspaces 2 to a flexible cloth 3 which forms hinge joints in the slat interspaces 2. According to the invention the retainment of the slats 1 to the cloth 3 takes place by means of an intermediate layer of thermo-plastic material and is carried out such that the intermediate layer 4 is in full surface contact with both the cloth 3 and the concave side of the slats 1. In the example shown the slats 1 are in the example shown made as curved extruded profiles of aluminium foil with a thickness 0.1 - 0.5 mm, for instance 0.2 mm. The slats may typically have a width of 25-40 mm, for instance 30 mm, and a radius of curvature of 35-60 mm, for instance 45 mm, whereas the slat interspaces 2 may have a width of 4-10 mm, for instance 5 mm. In another embodiment the slats 1 may be made as curved profiles of a thermoplastic material, for instance thermoplastic polyurethane, with a thickness of 1.5 - 2.5 mm, for instance 2 mm. The thermoplastic intermediate layer 4 may consist of any suitable thermoplastic material. A suitable material is thermoplastic polyurethane . As explained in detail in the following, the application of the inter- mediate layer 4 preferably takes place in such a way that the thickness of the intermediate layer 4 together with the cloth 3 in the slat interspaces 2 is in the range from 0.4 to 0.7 mm, for instance 0.5 mm, such that a good flexibility of the hinge connection formed in the interspaces 2 is obtained. In order to further ensure the retainment of the slats 1 to the cloth 3 by the intermediate layer 4, a coating 5 of thermoplastic material has been applied to the convex side of the slats 1. Such a coating may form a comparatively thin film with a thickness of for instance 0.2 mm, and, like in case of the intermediate layer 3, a suitable material for this may be thermoplastic polyurethane. By use of slats made from aluminium foil or other metal foils such a coating will also function as a protective weather shield. The coating 5 is, however, not absolutely necessary, as the slats 1 may for instance be provided on the concave side with a profiling which is anchored or interlocked in the thermoplastic intermediate layer 4. This may for instance be advantageous when using slats made form a thermoplastic material. In order to provide a good retainment of the slats 1 to the intermediate layer 4, also at the transition to the hinge joints in the slat interspaces 2 and a good wearability of the hinge joints, it may be advantageous if the cross-sectional profile of the slats 1, as shown in Fig. 2, tapers towards the side edges 6 facing the interspace 2. At the manufacture of the roller shutter on a production plant as shown schematically i Fig. 3, the cloth 3 is advanced from a roll towards an application station 8, in which the thermoplastic material, for instance thermoplastic polyurethane, which is to form the intermediate layer 4, in the example shown is applied in powder form and brushed off to the desired thickness by means of a brushing off device 9, following which the cloth 3 with the applied thermoplastic material passes a heat -treatment station 10, in which the thermoplastic material is melted to a viscous consistence. Subsequently, the slats 1 are positioned on in a feeding station 11 by means of a shaping device in form of a profiled roller 12 with longitudinal grooves or tracks 13 adapted to the cross-sectional profile of the slats 1, the slats 1 being supplied to the roller 12 from a feeding stack 14. The special design of the shaping roller 12 with a star-like cross-section also has the effect that the intermediate layer 4 and the cloth 3 in the slat interspaces 2 are compressed to the desired thickness as described above. In the coating station 15, a thin foil coating is applied as described above, for instance by spraying, before the cloth 3 with the slats 1 positioned thereon and retained by means of the intermediate layer 4 is taken to a cooling station 16 and further on to a rewinding drum 17 for the finished roller shutter. Instead of application of the thermoplastic material for the intermediate layer 4 in powder form as described above, the intermediate layer 4 may be applied by coextrusion with lamination of the intermediate layer 4 to the cloth 3.

Claims: P A T E N T C L A I M S 1. A roller shutter for windows, doors and the like with a number of slats (1) of a mainly curved cross-sectional profile arranged in parallel and secured individually to a flexible web or cloth (3) which forms hinge connections in the interspaces (2) between the slats, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the slats (1) are prefabricated and secured to said web or cloth (3) by means of an intermediate layer (4) of a thermoplastic material which is in full surface contact with the web or cloth (3) and with the concave side of the slats (1) . 2. A roller shutter according to claim 1, c h a ra c t e r i z e d in that a coating (5) of a thermo- plastic material is applied to the convex side of the slats (1) facing away from the cloth (3) . 3. A roller shutter according to claim 1 or 2 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the slats (1) are made as curved extruded profiles with a width in the range from 25 to 40 mm, a radius of curvature of 35-60 mm and a mutual spacing in the area of 4-10 mm. 4. A roller shutter according to claim 2, c h a ra c t e r i z e d in that the slats (1) are profiles made from metallic foil with a thickness of 0.1 - 0.5 mm. 5. A roller shutter according to claim 2, c h a ra c t e r i z e d in that the slats are profiles of thermoplastic material with a thickness of 1.5 - 2.5 mm. 6. A roller shutter according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said web or cloth (3) consists of a fine-meshed synthetic web with a thickness of 0.1 - 0.4 mm. 7. A roller shutter according to one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the thermoplastic intermediate layer (4) together with said web or cloth (3) and possibly said coating (5) in the interspaces (2) between the slats (1) has a thickness of 0.3 - 0.7 mm. 8. A roller shutter according to one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the intermediate layer (4) consists of thermoplastic polyurethane . 9. A roller shutter according to claim 2, c h a r- a c t e r i z e d in that said coating (5) consists of thermoplastic polyurethane. 10. A roller shutter according to one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the slats (1) are made with a cross-sectional profile which tapers with the side edges (6) facing the interspaces (2) . 11. A method for the manufacture of a roller shutter according to one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that to one side of a flexible web or cloth (3) a coating of thermoplastic material is applied to provide said intermediate layer (4) , on top of which the prefabricated slats (1) are placed in parallel transversely to an advancing direction for the web or cloth (3) by means of a shaping device (12) which brings the concave side of the slats in surface contact with the thermoplastic intermediate layer (4) , the intermediate layer (4) in the interspaces between the slats (1) being impacted with the cloth (3) to a thickness suited for providing said hinge connection. 12. A method according to claim 11, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the application of said coating is made by applying a powder with subsequent heat- treatment . 13. A method according to claim 11, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the application of said coating is made by co-extrusion of said web or cloth (3) by lamination of the thermoplastic material. 14. A method according to claim 11, 12 or 13, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said shaping device (12) comprises a profiled roller with longitudinal grooves or tracks (13) adapted to the cross-sectional profile of the slats. 15. A method according to one of the claims 11-14, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a coating (5) of a thermoplastic material is applied to the convex side of the slats (1) . 16. A method according to claim 15, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that said coating (5) is applied in the form of a dispersion of a thermoplastic material.

Inventors: HANSEN SOEREN, NIELSEN TORBEN HOLST, HANSEN, SOEREN, NIELSEN, TORBEN, HOLST
Applicants: HANSEN SOEREN, NIELSEN TORBEN HOLST, RASMUSSEN KANN IND AS, HANSEN, SOEREN, NIELSEN, TORBEN, HOLST, V. KANN RASMUSSEN INDUSTRI A/S
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: B29C65, E06B9