Abstract:
A pressure-vent hurricane shutter having predetermined requisite strength of shutter framework ( 1 ) encompassing slatted-louver apertures ( 31 ) with slat-support guides ( 6 ) and ( 7 ) for protection against storm-borne objects, wind and rain and venting harmful buildups and bursts of pressure from vacuums created on building from hurricane forces. The shutter framework includes structural beams to which ends of slanted slats ( 5 ) are attached rigidly. Ends of slat-support guides ( 6 ) and ( 7 ) are affixed intermediate the ends of both the inward edges of the slanted slats ( 20 ) and the outward edges of the slanted slats ( 25 ). The shutter framework ( 1 ) have hold down tabs ( 12 ) to keep the shutter framework ( 1 ) from being blown open during a storm. The shutter framework ( 1 ) has ribbed hinges ( 17 ) to at least one side of a building aperture in accordance with desired shutter style and structure which include top-hinged Bahama Shutters ( 29 ) and sides-hinged Colonial Shutters ( 30 ).

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/966,622 filed Oct. 1, 2001, now abandoned. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to hurricane shutters and more particularly to a hurricane shutter that protects requisitely against storm-borne objects, wind and rain while also venting buildups and bursts of pressure and vacuum that react on buildings from hurricanes and other severe storms.  
           [0003]    Devastation from severe hurricanes has resulted in storm-area legal requirements and personal interest in adequate storm protection that also is attractive, convenient and, if possible, low cost. Numerous storm-protective shutters have occurred as a result. None, however, help to deflect strong hurricane force winds while addition to providing requisite protection against storm-borne objects, wind and rain in a manner taught by this invention.  
           [0004]    Examples of the most-closely related known but different devices are described in the following patent documents:  
                                               Number   Inventor   File Date   Issue Date   Classification                   U.S. 6,536,174 B   Foster et al.   May 07, 2001   Mar. 25, 2003    52/473       U.S. 3,039,155   Iacovoni   Oct. 07, 1959   Jun. 19, 1962   49/67       U.S. 5,737,874   Sipos et al.   Dec. 15, 1994   Apr. 14, 1998   49/67       U.S. 5,907,929   Poma et al.   Nov. 21, 1997   Jun. 01, 1999    49/62x       U.S. 5,617,683   Ney   Mar. 25, 1996   Apr. 08, 1997    52/202       U.S. 4,368,594   Milam et al.   Feb. 12, 1981   Jan. 18, 1983   49/67       U.S. 2,013,824   Ensminger       September 1935   160/77        U.S. 1,646,522   Berg       October 1927    49/356       U.S. 2,716,785   Schoen   Oct. 21, 1953   Sep. 06, 1955   49/67       U.S. 3,667,161   Sassano   Oct. 16, 1970   Jun. 06, 1972   49/56       U.S. 3,691,687   Economou   Aug. 06, 1971   Sep. 19, 1972   49/74                  
 
           [0005]    The Foster et al., Iacovoni, and Sipos et al. shutters do not provide weld guides to keep shutters from turning in during hurricane forces as taught by this invention. The Poma et al. shutter requires a removable rigid support for requisite protection. Shutters described by Ney, Milan et al., Ensminger, Berg and Schoen do not have pressure venting as taught by this invention. The Sassano patent does not disclose shutters, but rather a shutter operating mechanism. The Economou shutter teaches slidable slats not requiring weld guides for support.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a pressure-vent hurricane shutter which:  
           [0007]    vents damaging buildups and bursts of pressure and vacuum that react on buildings from hurricanes;  
           [0008]    provides legally requisite protection against storm-borne objects, wind and rain;  
           [0009]    can be made attractive in a variety of structural styles; and  
           [0010]    can be cost-effective for the level of protection provided.  
           [0011]    This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a pressure-vent hurricane shutter having preferably at least legally-requisite strength of framework encompassing slatted-louver apertures for protection against storm-borne objects, wind and rain in addition to venting damaging buildups and bursts of pressure and vacuum that react on buildings from hurricanes. The framework includes structural beams to which ends of slanted slats are attached rigidly and to which inward edges of the slanted slats are attached to the inward edge of the slat-support guide cover and the outward edges of the slanted slats are attached to the front wall of the slat-support guide. The framework is hinged with the requisite strength to at least one side of a building aperture in accordance with desired shutter style and structure which include top-hinged Bahama and sides-hinged Colonial styles. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front elevation view of a Bahama-Shutter embodiment;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a is a section view through section line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a is a section view through section line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an end view of a framework member;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is an end view of a slat-support guide;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of a Bahama-Shutter embodiment mounted on a building structure and being in an open mode;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is the FIG. 6 illustration in a closed mode;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of a colonial-shutter embodiment having double-louver sections for average-sized doors and windows in a closed mode;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view of a colonial-shutter hinge shown hinging two portions of the Colonial Shutter together;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 is a fragmentary end view of a preferred shutter hinge that can be used either horizontally for hang-hinging Bahama Shutters or vertically for swing-hinging Colonial Shutters;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 11 is an end view of a single shutter hinge that is shown in the FIG. 10 illustration;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 12 is an end view of a flat shutter hinge that is shown in the FIG. 10 illustration;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 13 is a top view of the single shutter hinge that is shown in the FIG. 10 illustration;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 14 is a top view of the flat shutter hinge that is shown in the FIG. 10 illustration;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 15 is a fragmentary side view of the preferred shutter hinge in which the single hinge is shown attached to a metallic or other rigid form as seen from a left side of the FIG. 10 illustration and the flat hinge is shown from a bottom of the FIG. 10 illustration;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 16 is a fragmentary side view of the preferred shutter hinge in which the single hinge is shown attached to the build-out frame which is attached to the building structure from a top side of the FIG. 10 illustration and the flat hinge is shown from the bottom of the FIG. 10 illustration;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a flat shutter hinge with ribs;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 18 is a side view of a flat shutter hinge with ribs;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 19 is a section view through section line  19 - 19  of FIG. 1;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 20 is an end view of a mullion slat-support guide assembly;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 21 is a side view of a left slat-support guide;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 22 is a side view of a right slat-support guide;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a left slat-support guide;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a right slat-support guide;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 25 is a front view of a slat-support guide;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 26 is a section view through section line  26 - 26  of FIG. 25; and  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 27 is a front view of a hold down tab. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0040]    Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description.  
                                       1.   shutter framework       2.   face walls       3.   edge walls       4.   shutter spacer       5.   slanted slats       6.   right slat-support guide       7.   left slat-support guide       8.   mullion slat-support guide       9.   slat-support cover       10.   mullion slat-support cover       11.   build out framework       12.   hold down tab       13.   shutter hinge assembly       14.   flat hinge assembly       15.   building structure       16.   single hinge       17.   flat hinge       18.   hinge pin       19.   rib       20.   inward edge of slat       21.   outward edges of guide       22.   side wall of slat-support guide       23.   front wall of slat-support guide       24.   inward side of slat-support cover       25.   outward edge of slat       26.   window opening       27.   hold open rod       28.   slot       29.   bahama shutter       30.   colonial shutter       31.   slatted-louver aperture       32.   hole                  
 
         [0041]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 5 , a pressure-vent hurricane shutter has at least one shutter framework  1  that includes structural beams that preferably are structural metal tubes having face walls  2  that are about one to two inches wide and edge walls  3  that are one-and-one half inches wide. The face walls  2  and the edge walls  3  are about one-eighth inch thick and made preferably of structural aluminum alloy 6063-T52 or a substantial equivalent.  
         [0042]    The substantial equivalent can be a ferrous alloy that is preferably stainless and rustproof with either an adequate coating or content of nickel, chrome, aluminum or other stainless constituent.  
         [0043]    The shutter framework  1  encompasses slatted-louver apertures  31  having slanted slats  5  with slat ends affixed to the shutter framework  1 . The slanted slats  5  have inward edges  20  and outward edges  25  that are oriented horizontally and attached to the right slat-support guide  6 , the left slat-support guide  7 , and the slat-support cover  9 . The slat-support guides  6  and  7  are oriented vertically with ends attached to horizontal portions of the shutter framework  1 . Both the inward edges of the slats  20  and the outward edges of the slats  25  are orthogonal to the slat-support guides  6  and  7 . The inward edges of the slats  20  are attached to the inward side of the slat-support cover  24 . The outward edges of the slats  25  are attached to the front wall of the slat-support guide  23 . The slats  5  feed into the slots  28  located on the side walls of the slat-support guide  22 .  
         [0044]    The shutter framework  1  also encompasses hold down tabs  12  located on the horizontal portions of the shutter framework  1 . The hold down tabs  12  on Bahama Shutters  29  are located on the bottom horizontal shutter framework  1 . The hold down tabs  12  on Colonial Shutters  30  are located on the top and bottom horizontal shutter framework  1 . A quarter-inch screw is inserted through the hold down tab  12  into build out framework  11  correspondingly mounted onto the building structure  15 . The hold down tabs  12  hold the shutter framework  1  to the build out framework  11  to keep the shutter framework  1  from blowing open during a storm. Flat hinges  17  with ribs  19  are located on the shutter framework  1  to keep the shutter framework  1  from hitting the single hinge  16 , thus preventing paint from rubbing off of the single hinge  16 .  
         [0045]    The slatted-louver apertures  31  includes an entire slatted enclosure of a plurality of apertures between the slanted slats  5  and the shutter framework  1 . The plurality of apertures individually are slanted with preferably about one-half inch of distance of slant orthogonally between surfaces of the slanted slats  5 . The slanted slats  5  are preferably flat aluminum bar stock about one-quarter inch thick and one inch wide. Between bottoms and tops of adjacent slanted slats  5 , there are horizontal apertures about one-eighth inch high and having a length that is a length of the slanted slats  5 , less a width of the slat-support guides  6  and  7 . The slat-support guides  6  and  7  have a side wall  22 , a front wall  23 , and a back slat-support cover  9 . The slat-support guides  6  and  7  are attached to the inward edges of the slats  20  as well as the outward edges of slats  25  to keep the slanted slats  5  from turning in and maintaining proper separation and angle when under pressure from high winds and wind borne objects. The slat-support guides  6  and  7  and the mullion slat support cover  10  have the appearance of a rectangular mullion so as to give a more aesthetic appearance.  
         [0046]    A pressure-vent object of this hurricane shutter is to allow predeterminedly slight passage of wind and rain horizontally straight through slatted-louver apertures of the shutter framework  1  and slightly more directional-change passage while also providing structural strength to prevent breakage by storm-borne objects, wind and rain of hurricanes. Allowing directional-change passage of hurricane-force wind and rain while stopping large storm-borne objects and directional-change diversion of small objects like gravel and small debris eliminates directly damaging aspects of hurricanes.  
         [0047]    Included on fronts of slatted-louver apertures  31  of Bahama Shutters  29  shown in FIGS.  1 - 7  and Colonial Shutters  30  shown in FIGS.  8 - 10  are portions of the slat-support guides  6  and  7  that are straight through horizontally between bottoms and tops of vertically adjacent slanted slats  5 . Also shown are portions of a mullion slat-support guide  8  that are slanted between the slanted slats  5  that are juxtaposed vertically.  
         [0048]    Referring to FIGS.  6 - 7 , the shutter framework  1  is sized, shaped and designed predeterminedly for a Bahama Shutter  29  having a shutter hinge assembly  13  mounted on top of the shutter framework  1  with which it is hinged to the shutter framework  1  and build out framework  11  on a building structure  15 . The top mount shutter hinge assembly  13  is representative of a selection of Bahama Shutter hinges having appropriate strength and operativeness for legal and other predetermined requisites for hinging hurricane shutters to building apertures.  
         [0049]    Referring to FIG. 8, the shutter framework  1  is sized, shaped and designed predeterminedly for a Colonial Shutter  30  having a mount shutter hinge assembly  13  mounted on the side of the shutter framework  1  and build out framework  11  on a building structure  15 . The structural member includes a Colonial build out frame  15  on the building. The Colonial Shutter  30  includes a flat hinge assembly  14  with which pluralities of the shutter frameworks  1  are hinged together for side-folding.  
         [0050]    The build out framework  11  is shown in FIG. 8. The building apertures in the buildings are not shown separately from structural members which include the build out framework  11  in FIG. 8.  
         [0051]    Referring to FIG. 9, the flat hinge assembly  14  can include a selection of aluminum hinges and other frame-fold hinges which can be positioned in accordance with folding characteristics of Colonial Shutters. Flat hinge assembly  14  in this illustration are shown on back sides of the shutter framework  1  with the slanted slats  5  and the slat-support guides  6  and  7  being seen in front of the slanted slats  5 .  
         [0052]    Referring to FIG. 10, the shutter hinge assembly  13  is a preferred hinge that can be used either horizontally for hang-hinging Bahama Shutters  29  or vertically for swing-hinging Colonial Shutters  30 . The flat hinges  17  have ribs  19  to keep the shutter framework  1  from hitting the single hinge  16 , thus preventing paint from rubbing off of the single hinge  16 . For the Colonial Shutters  30 , the shutter hinge assembly  13  can be swing-hinged and include a fold-back mode with single hinge  16  attached to the build out framework  11  and with a flat hinge  17  attached to the shutter framework  1  and joined by a shutter-hinge pin  18  as depicted in FIG. 17.  
         [0053]    As shown in FIGS.  6 - 7  and  16  for the Bahama Shutters  29 , the flat hinge  17  with ribs  19  can be hang-hinged and include a hanging mode with single hinge  16  attached to the build out framework  11 , with which is attached to the building structure  15 . The flat hinges  17  are attached to the shutter framework  1  and joined by a hinge pin  18  as depicted in FIG. 16. The hold down tabs  12  are located on the horizontal portion of the shutter framework  1 . A one-quarter inch screw is inserted through the hold down tab  12  into the build out framework  11  correspondingly mounted onto the building structure  15 . The hold down tabs  12  hold the shutter framework  1  to the build out framework  11 , helping to keep the shutter framework  1  from blowing open during a storm.  
         [0054]    Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the flat hinge  17  is shown with ribs  19  in detail.  
         [0055]    Referring to FIG. 19, a cross-section of slanted slat  5  is shown affixed to slat-support guides  6  and  7 . The slat-support guides  6  and  7  and the ends of the slanted slats  5  in turn, are affixed to the shutter framework  1 . The slat-support cover  9  is affixed to the back of the slat-support guides  6  and  7  and to the edge walls  3  of the shutter framework  1 .  
         [0056]    Referring to FIG. 20, the end view of a mullion slat-support guide  8  is shown. The mullion slat-support guide  8  consists of one right slat-support guide  6 , one left slat-support guide  7 , one mullion slat-support cover  10  affixed to form a rectangular cross-section.  
         [0057]    Referring to FIG. 21, a side view of a left slat-support guide  7  is shown without the slanted slats  5 . The side wall  22  has slots  28  where the slanted slats  5  feed into. A slat-support cover  9  would be affixed to the inward edge of slats  20  once placed into the slots  28 .  
         [0058]    Referring to FIG. 22, a side view of a right slat-support guide  6  is shown without the slanted slats  5 . The side wall  22  has slots  28  where the slanted slats  5  feed into.  
         [0059]    Referring to FIG. 23, a perspective view of a left slat-support guide  7  is shown by itself with slots  28  on the side wall  22 .  
         [0060]    Referring to FIG. 24, a perspective view of a right slat-support guide  6  is shown by itself with slots  28  on the side wall  22 .  
         [0061]    Referring to FIG. 25, a front view of a mullion slat-support guide  8  is shown.  
         [0062]    Referring to FIG. 26, a cross-section of a right slat-support guide  6  is shown. The inward edges  20  of the slanted slats  5  are affixed to the slat-support cover  9 .  
         [0063]    Referring to FIG. 27, a front view of a hold down tab  12  with a hole  32  is shown.  
         [0064]    The single hinge  16  and the flat hinge  17  of the shutter hinge assembly  13  and flat hinge assembly  14  are made preferably of structural aluminum alloy 6063-T5, 6061-T6 or a substantial equivalent. As for other metallic components, the substantial equivalent can be a ferrous alloy that is preferably stainless and rustproof with either an adequate coating or having suitably alloyed content of nickel, chrome, aluminum and/or other stainless constituent.  
         [0065]    A new and useful pressure-vent hurricane shutter having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.