Patent Publication Number: US-2003221380-A1

Title: Insulating and protective window shutter

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO A PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION  
     [0001] The present patent application hereby claims priority on U.S. Provisional Patent application serial No. 60/384,839, filed on Jun. 4, 2002, and No. 60/391,954, filed on Jun. 28, 2002, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0003] The present invention relates to architectural products and, more specifically, to a window-type shutter that provides insulation and protects from external damage.  
       [0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art  
       [0005] Shutters have long been used to cover and decorate windows. Vacuum-formed plastic shutters are used for decoration, but they do not provide protection or insulation to windows. Conventional wood shutters provide limited insulation and protection for the windows to which they are applied. However, wood shutters are limited in their ability to protect windows against storm damage, such as damage occurring as a result of a hurricane. Wood shutters also require frequent painting and are subject to rot.  
       [0006] Fiberglass shutters do provide some protection. However, they provide limited insulation and are subject to degraded appearance over time when exposed to sunlight and weathering. Furthermore, fiberglass shutters are expensive and heavy.  
       [0007] Therefore, there is a need for a window-type shutter that provides insulation to a window. There is also a need for a shutter that protects from external damage. There is also a need for a shutter that requires little maintenance. There is also a need for a shutter that is relatively inexpensive and light.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention that, in one aspect is a shutter for covering a window that includes a rigid member and a foam body. The foam body has a shutter form and is adjacent to at least one side of the rigid member. A hard impervious coating surrounds the foam body and the rigid member. A structure allows the shutter to move between a first position and a different second position. A lock selectively holds the shutter in the first position.  
       [0009] In another aspect, the invention is a shutter that includes a corrugated aluminum plate. A foam body, having a shutter form, envelops the corrugated aluminum plate. An epoxy coating surrounds the foam body.  
       [0010] In yet another aspect, the invention is a method of making a shutter having a thickness, a height and a width. A rigid member is formed so as to have dimensions that are no greater than the thickness, the height and the width of the shutter. A foam body is molded to have a shape and size corresponding to the shutter and so that the foam body is disposed so as to be adjacent to at least one side of the rigid member. A hard and impervious coating is applied to the shutter so as to surround the rigid member and the foam body. A structure that allows the shutter to move between a first position and a different second position is attached to the shutter. A lock that selectively holds the shutter in the first position is affixed to the shutter.  
       [0011] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012]FIG. 1A is a top front perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.  
     [0013]FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, taken along line  1 B- 1 B  
     [0014]FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, taken along line  1 C- 1 C  
     [0015]FIG. 2A is a top front perspective view of rigid member.  
     [0016]FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the rigid member shown in FIG. 2A, taken along line  2 B- 2 B.  
     [0017]FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the invention.  
     [0018]FIG. 3B is a front perspective view of a rigid member according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A.  
     [0019]FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a hinging mechanism.  
     [0020]FIG. 5A is an elevational view of a pivoting mechanism.  
     [0021]FIG. 5B is a plan view of a pivot.  
     [0022]FIG. 6A is an elevational view of a track-mounted shutter position with the shutters in an open position.  
     [0023]FIG. 6B is an elevational view of a track-mounted shutter position with the shutters in a closed position.  
     [0024]FIG. 6C is a detail of track and track engagement structure used to position a shutter.  
     [0025]FIG. 7A is an elevational view of a locking mechanism in a locked position.  
     [0026]FIG. 7B is an elevational view of a locking mechanism in an unlocked position.  
     [0027]FIG. 8A is an elevational view of an alternative locking mechanism in a locked position.  
     [0028]FIG. 8B is an elevational view of an alternative locking mechanism in an unlocked position.  
     [0029]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment having a rigid member on a back side of a shutter.  
     [0030]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment having a tubular reinforcing member.  
     [0031]FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a method of making a shutter. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0032] A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” 
     [0033] A shutter  100  is shown in FIG. 1A. The shutter  100  has a top end  110 , an opposite bottom end  112 , a first side  114 , an opposite second side  116 , a front side  118  and an opposite back side  120 . The front side  118  may include a border region  124  and a plurality of louver shapes  122 . The front side  118  may also include other shapes typically found on the surface of a shutter, such as raised-panel shapes.  
     [0034] As shown in FIG. 1B, the shutter  100  includes a rigid member  130  that is disposed along the length of the shutter  100 . The rigid member  130  is a plate made of a rigid substance capable of protecting a window from storm damage, such as sheet aluminum or steel, a polymer (for example, sheet acrylic) or a composite material. Such composite materials could include polymer-based composites (for example, graphite-reinforced polymers, fiber glass-reinforced polymers and nano tube-reinforced polymers) and natural composite materials (for example, particleboard).  
     [0035] A foam body  140  covers at least one side of the rigid member  130 , and in one embodiment completely envelops the rigid member  130 . The foam body  140  is made of a foam that provides additional insulation to the window and that is capable of absorbing shock from objects striking the shutter  100 . One example of a suitable type of foam is urethane foam. Another example is polystyrene foam.  
     [0036] The outer surface of the shutter  100  includes a hard and impervious coating  150 . The coating  150  could be in the form of a polymer, such as epoxy. Epoxy provides resistance to denting resulting from light contact with the shutter  100 . A paint could be used for the hard and impervious coating  150 .  
     [0037] As shown in FIG. 1C, a mounting member  132  may be added to the shutter  100  to facilitate attachment of the shutter  100  to a wall. The mounting member  132  may be integrated with the rigid member  130  or it may be separate. A mounting member  132  is not necessary, as in some embodiments of the invention; a wall attachment may be made directly to the rigid member  130 .  
     [0038] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the rigid member  230  includes a top edge  234 , an opposite bottom edge  236 , a first side edge  240  and an opposite second side edge  242 . A plurality of corrugations  250  may extend longitudinally from the top edge  234  to the bottom edge  236  to provide extra strength to the rigid member  230 .  
     [0039] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, corrugations  350  may extend latitudinally from the first side edge  240  to the second side edge  242 . If the latitudinal corrugations  330  are in the shape of louvers, or other desired outward form, the rigid member  330  could be disposed adjacent the front side  318  of the shutter  300 .  
     [0040] As shown in FIG. 4, a structure, such as a hinge  410  allows the shutter to move between a first position (such as covering a window) and a second position (such as when the shutter is opened and not covering the window). The hinge  410  includes two hinge plates  414 , one of which may be attached to the mounting member  432  (or directly to the rigid member in some applications), the other of which is mounted to a wall. Mounting to a wall, such as a masonry wall, could be accomplished by driving anchors  404  into holes drilled into the wall and driving screws  402  into the anchors  404 , thereby attaching one of the hinge plates  414  to the wall.  
     [0041] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the positioning structure  500  may include two pivot brackets  510  placed to hold the mounting member  532  there between. Each pivot bracket  510  includes an upright member  512  that may be attached to the wall. A cantilever  514  extends outwardly from the upright member  512  and a détente  516  extends transversely from a distal end  518  of the cantilever  514 . A structural support  518  may also be applied between the upright member  512  and the cantilever  514 . The détentes  516  are placed facing each other so as to engage the mounting member  532  and to allow the mounting member  532  (along with the shutter) to rotate about an axis between the détentes  516 .  
     [0042] Another example of a positioning structure is shown in FIGS.  6 A- 6 C. The structure includes a track  610  mounted adjacent to a window and a track engagement structure  602 . The track engagement structure  602  includes an axle  612  and a wheel  614 , mounted thereon, that runs along the track  610  and allows the shutter  600  to move between the first position and the second position along the track  610 .  
     [0043] As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a lock  710  selectively holds the shutter  700  in the closed position. The lock  710 , in a simple form, includes a locking pin  712  that slides through a hole  714  in each of two shutters  700 .  
     [0044] Another example of a lock  810  is shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. This example includes a standard shutter dog  820  affixed to the shutter  800 . The shutter dog  820  is affixed to a pivot pin  814 , which is affixed to a locking lever  816 . The locking lever  816  is engaged with two sliding pins  818  so as to cause the sliding pins  818  to extend or retract when the shutter dog  820  is turned. The sliding pins  818  slide into holes  812  drilled into the windowsill  802  so as to lock the shutter  800  in the closed position. The shutter  800  may be maintained in the open position by engaging the shutter dog  820  with a wall-mounted engagement knob  822 .  
     [0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the rigid member  930  may be placed along the back side  920  of the shutter  900 , opposite the louvered side  918 . As shown in FIG. 10, the mounting member  1032  may be a tube, which is not formed as part of the rigid member  1030 .  
     [0046] One example of a method for making a shutter according to the invention is demonstrated in FIG. 11. The rigid member  1130  is placed in a cavity  1112  in a mold  1110 . The cavity has the general shape of the finished shutter  1100 . Foam  1114  is injected into the cavity  1112  from an injector  1140  and allowed to harden. The mold  1110  is removed, leaving a shutter blank  1120 . Any mold flashing and injection port extrusions  1122  are removed and the hard impervious coating  1154  is applied to the shutter blank  1120 . This may be done by suspending the mold blank  1120  from a wire  1156  and dipping it into a vat  1150  of a liquid polymer  1152  (such as epoxy) from which the hard coating  1154  is made. This may also be done by spraying the liquid polymer onto the mold blank  1120 . Once the coating  1154  has cured, any added parts (such as hinges  1160 ) may be attached. While injection molding is shown herein, other methods of forming the shutter may be employed. Examples include stamping the foam and milling the foam.  
     [0047] The above-described embodiments are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.