Abstract:
A protective covering for an opening in a structure is presented that allows a single user to install and secure the covering. The protective covering may be easily and quickly installed without many tools or additional parts. The protective covering may also be installed from the inside or the outside, providing a more secure covering that may also be used while the owners of the structure are away for extended periods of time to prevent unauthorized entry.

Description:
[0001]     The present invention relates to a protective covering for a structure, and more particularly, a protective covering for a structure that can be easily installed from the inside or the outside of the structure to which it is attached and which may also be adjustable.  
         [0002]     There are several prior art protective coverings or hurricane shutters, however, the majority of those protective coverings have many panels that need to be individually installed and secured or require more than one person to install. These coverings take a long time and require a lot of effort to mount on the structures. Therefore, once these are installed, they are usually left mounted for extended periods of time, making the structure extremely dark and uninviting. There are other protective coverings that require reinforcement members or complicated elements or brackets to attach the shutters or protective device to the structures. Again, these take a long time to install and are usually left in place once installed.  
         [0003]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a protective covering and method for installing a protective covering on a structure that substantially obviates one or more of the problems and disadvantages in the prior art. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the apparatus and process particularly pointed out in the written description and claims, as well as the appended drawings.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention is directed to removable, adjustable protective covering for protecting an opening in a structure that includes a first panel, the first panel having an upper edge configured to be attached to a portion of the structure adjacent one side of the opening, and a second panel, the second panel configured to be secured to the first panel and having a lower edge configured to be attached to a portion of the structure adjacent an opposite side of the opening.  
         [0005]     In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to an adjustable protective covering for protecting an opening in a structure that includes a first panel for covering at least a portion of the opening in the structure and a second panel for covering at least a portion of the opening and configured to be adjustably secured to the first panel, wherein the first and second panels secured to one another having a size that covers at least a portion of the opening in the structure.  
         [0006]     In another aspect, the invention is directed to a removable, adjustable protective covering assembly for protecting an opening in a structure that includes a first panel, the first panel having an upper edge configured to be attached to a portion of the structure adjacent one side of the opening, a plurality of central panels, each of the central panels having a top edge configured to engage a previous panel and a bottom edge configured to engage a next panel, and a final panel, the final panel configured to be secured to one of the plurality of central panels and having a lower edge configured to be attached to a portion of the structure adjacent an opposite side of the opening; wherein the securing of the final panel to the structure locks the panels to protect the opening in the structure.  
         [0007]     In another aspect, the invention provides a removable protective covering for protecting an opening in a structure that includes a protective panel sized to cover at least a portion of the opening, the protective panel having an edge configured to be attached to a portion of the structure adjacent a first side of the opening, and a securing means mounted to at least a second side of the opening to secure the protective panel over the at least a portion of the opening.  
         [0008]     In yet another aspect, the invention provides for a method of installing a protective covering for protecting an opening in a structure that includes providing a first panel for covering at least a portion of an opening in the structure and a second panel for covering at least a portion of the opening and configured to be adjustably secured to the first panel, the first and second portions covering a majority of the opening, attaching the first panel to a first side of the opening from inside the structure, attaching the second panel to a second side of the opening from inside the structure, and securing the first panel to the second panel from inside the structure with mechanical fasteners such that the fasteners are not easily removable from outside the structure.  
         [0009]     It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.  
         [0010]     The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification. The drawings illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front view of one embodiment of a protective covering mounted on a structure according to the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the protective covering in  FIG. 1  prior to being attached to the structure;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the protective covering in  FIG. 1  attached to the structure over an opening;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is an attachment member used in conjunction with the protective covering of  FIG. 1  and mounted to the structure;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a side view of another embodiment of a protective covering according to the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a front view of another embodiment of a protective covering according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the protective covering of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is a partial view of another embodiment of a protective covering according to the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  is a partial view of the protective covering of  FIG. 8  with the securing hardware reversed for interior mounting;  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  is a side view of another embodiment of a protective covering according to the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 11  is a front view of another embodiment of a protective covering according to the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view of the protective covering of  FIG. 11  along the line  12 - 12 ; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 13  is a side view of another embodiment of a protective covering according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     A protective covering  20  according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The protective covering  20  has preferably two panels an first panel  22  and a second panel  24 . The first and second panels  22 , 24  are secured to one another by mechanical fasteners  26 . The mechanical fasteners  26  are preferably a bolt or machine screw  28  and a wing nut  30 . The mechanical fasteners  26  may also be other mechanical fasteners such as a rod with a head and shaft where the shaft has a groove to allow a snap lock ring or other types of securing fasteners. The bolt or screw  28  may be of any type, size, or configuration that is appropriate to secure the panels  22 , 24  together. The wing nut  30  may also be any other type of nut or engagement member as long as it holds the two panels together with the bolt or screw  28 . The second panel  24 , which is illustrated as being the lower panel in the figures, has an opening  32  through which the bolt or machine screw  28  passes. The openings  32  may be small enough to engage a shank on the bolt or machine screw  28  to prevent rotation of the bolt or machine screw  28  when the wing nut  30  is secured. If a shank is provided, then bolt or machine screw  28  need not have a slotted head, but could be smooth. Similarly, the first panel  22  preferably has slots  34  for each of the mechanical fasteners to protrude through and engage the wing nut  30  or any other type of nut. This feature of non-rotation of the bolt or machine screw may also be provided by the shape of the shank or a part of the shank that is not round, such as square, and this shape is matched by the shape of the corresponding opening in the panel.  
         [0025]     The panels  22 , 24  are preferably attached to the structure  36  over an opening  38  with an attachment members  40  that are previously secured to the structure  36 . The attachment members  40  are best seen in  FIG. 4 . The attachment members  40  are preferably made from steel or other metal to provide the most security and safety. The attachment members  40  preferably have a flat back portion  42  and a curved portion  44 , approximately forming a J-shape. See  FIG. 2 . The attachment members  40  are secured to the structure  36  with screws or bolts  46  in opposite directions. As can best be seen in  FIG. 2 , the top attachment member  40  is attached with the curved portion  44  opening in an upward direction (away from the opening in the structure), while the bottom attachment member  40  is attached with the curved portion  44  opening in a downward direction (away from the opening in the structure). The panels  22 , 24  also have a curved portion  48  along one edge to engage the attachment members  40  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . While the panels  22 , 24  and the attachment members  40  have curved portions to engage one another, the portions may be more square or even in a sharper curved shape, approaching more of a V-shape rather than a J-shape.  
         [0026]     The attachment members  40  are preferably mounted well in advance of the need to use the protective covering  20 . The attachment members  40  may be painted or otherwise treated to make them appear to be a part of the structure  36 .  
         [0027]     The panels  22 , 24  are preferably made of sheet metal that is approximately 1.5 to 2.0 mm thick. The panels  22 , 24  may also be made of a clear plastic material (i.e., acrylic, polycarbonate) that is thick enough (about 3.0 to 6.5 mm) to comply with the hurricane standards along the coasts, but also allows light to enter the structure. However, thicker or thinner panels may be used.  
         [0028]     To mount the panels to the attachment members  40 , preferably the first panel  22  is loosely attached to the second panel  24 , and the curved portion  48  of first panel  22  is placed into the curved portion  44  of the attachment member  40  attached to the structure  36  adjacent the opening  38 . The panels  22 , 24  are then pushed against the structure  36  and the second panel  24  is pushed upward such that the curved portion  48  engages the curved portion  44  of the attachment member  40 . Once the lower panel  24  engages the attachment member  40 , the mechanical fasteners  26  is tightened, securing the protective covering  20  to the structure  36 .  
         [0029]     Alternatively, the first panel  22  could be mounted on (hung on) the attachment member  40  and then the second panel  24  could be loosely attached to the first panel  22 , before being pushed up to engage the lower attachment member  40  and secured with the mechanical fasteners.  
         [0030]     An alternative way of mounting the protective covering  20  is illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The protective covering  20  is the same as that illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , but the attachment members  40  are not needed in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the structure has an opening  50  (and a window in this particular illustration) that has a lip  52  to which the curved portions  48  of panels  22 , 24  are attached. The protective covering is mounted in the same way as described above, with the lip  52  functioning as the attachments members.  
         [0031]     Another alternative embodiment of the protective covering according to the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 6 &amp; 7 . The protective covering  60  is similar to protective covering  20  but has a flange  62  on each side that provides strength and stability to first panel  64 . While second panel  66  does not have the flanges  62 , the flanges could be added to the second panel  66  as well. The first panel  64  and the second panel  66  are the same as those discussed above, including having mechanical fasteners  68  that pass through holes  70  in the second panel  66  and slots  72  in the first panel to secure them to one another. The first and second panels also have curved portions  74 , that are used to attach the panels  64 , 66  to the structure as in the prior embodiments.  
         [0032]     An alternative arrangement for securing the panels of the protective covering is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . In this embodiment, only a portion of which is shown, the first panel  22 ′ and second panel  24 ′ have an energy absorber  80  inserted where the two panels  22 ′, 24 ′ overlap and are secured to one another by mechanical fastener  82 . The energy absorber  80  may any material that reduces noise and shock when the panels  22 ′, 24 ′ are impacted by flying objects or even the wind. Such materials may include rubber elastomers, foam, cork, and synthetic polymeric materials.  
         [0033]     The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 9  is similar to that in  FIG. 8 , except that the mechanical fastener  82  is turned round, with the wing nut  84  facing the inside of the structure. In this configuration, the protective covering may be installed from the inside of the structure. The panels are carried to the opening and installed as noted above. The final tightening of the mechanical fastener  82  is then done from the inside, preventing someone from the outside from unfastening the fastener  82 . Preferably, the screw or bolt  86  has no slots or other configurations to allow a person to gain access. The screw or bolt  86  may also be secured to one of the panels (by welding or any other appropriate manner) to prevent the removal of the bolt or screw. Additionally, while the second panel  88  is illustrated to be on the inside of the first panel  90 , it may also be on the outside of the first panel  90 .  
         [0034]     Another embodiment of a protective covering is illustrated in  FIG. 10 . In this embodiment, protective covering  100  is a single panel  102  that has a curved portion  104  at the top to cooperate with an attachment member  106 , that is similar to the attachment members discussed above. The panel  102  attaches to a screw or bolt  108  attached to the structure  110  with a wing nut  112  or any other appropriate fastener, as discussed above. The protective covering  100  is preferably for smaller openings  114 , so that the panel  102  is not too heavy for the owner to lift and put in place.  
         [0035]     Another embodiment of a protective covering  120  is illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 12 . The protective covering  120  has multiple horizontal covering part of an opening in a structure and multiple vertical panels that are linked to those horizontal panels. Protective covering  120  is similar to the other protective coverings in  FIGS. 1 and 6  in that they have two panels, a first panel  122  and a second panel  124 , that cooperate to cover the opening from the top to the bottom of the structure. However, the protective covering  120  also has panels ( 122 ′, 122 ″, 124 ′, 124 ″) that extend across the opening, especially when the opening is relatively large, such as a sliding glass door or a large picture window. Otherwise, each of the panels  122 , 124  may be too large to handle. As can best be seen in  FIG. 12 , each of the panels has a portion  126  that is off set to and receives the neighboring panel, for example panel  122  receives panel  122 ′. Each of the panels has additional holes and slots to allow a fastener  128  to secure the overlapping panels to one another. For example in  FIG. 12 , a first panel  122  has a fastener  128  to secure it to first panel  122 ′. Similar fasteners are used to secure each of the second panels to one another (for example panel  124  to panel  124 ′ and panel  124 ′ to panel  124 ″).  
         [0036]     Another embodiment of a protective covering  140  is illustrated in  FIG. 13 . The protective covering  140  has a plurality of panels  142 , 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 , 152  that rest on one another in a vertical direction to cover a larger opening. Each of the panels  142 , 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 , 152  may be identical, or the last one, as illustrated in  FIG. 13  may be slightly different. That is, the panels each have an S-shape, with a curved portion  154  at the top and  156  at the bottom so that they may attach to one another. However, it is also possible that panel  152  has only one curved portion  154  at the top and a flat portion  158  at the bottom for attachment to the structure  160 . While there are six panels shown in  FIG. 13 , there may be more or fewer panels and they may be wider (top to bottom) or narrower than those illustrated.  
         [0037]     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the protective covering of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.