Patent Publication Number: US-2023160258-A1

Title: Rolling shutter protection

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to rolling shutters and in particular to a protection system for rolling shutters. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Such rolling shutters are typically used for covering openings such as doors and windows of entrances and commercial cabinets or cupboards for holding merchandise in homes, stores and places of business. Some of the rolling shutters are locked in order to prevent burglary. The system for locking the rolling shutters includes attaching a lock with a key or an automatic latch lock mechanism. The automatic latch lock mechanism prevents the rolling shutter from being lifted back up, therefore it locks the rolling shutter. 
     A lock with a key may cause damage to the rolling shutter, and in addition, it can also be destroyed relatively easily and quickly by breaking the lock, since it is accessible. An automatic latch lock mechanism may be destroyed by a burglar when its location is accessible, via the weak points of the rolling shutter assembly exposed for burglary, and as a result the rolling shutter assembly can be dismantled or broken. 
     There is a crate at the top part of the mechanism, storing the engine, the automatic latch lock if existed, and the shutters when the rolling shutter is at its open position. This upper crate is accessible, therefore the rolling shutter, the locking mechanism and the engine can be dismantled or broken via the upper crate. 
     Another weak point of the rolling shutter mechanism is the guide rails of the rolling shutter mechanism, which are accessible and therefore can be broken by applying force with a tool, such as a crowbar or another. When the guide rails are broken, it is easy to move the rolling shutter and break in. 
     A further weak point is the bottom of the rolling shutter, which is accessible and therefore can be broken by applying force with a tool as well. The result is a broken locking mechanism, and therefore an opportunity to lift the rolling shutter and break in. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a rolling shutter with a locking and protection mechanism that significantly reduces or overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of securing and covering the rolling shutter and the locking mechanism, therefore protecting it from an easy access and burglary, which substantially overcomes these disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a rolling shutter mechanism for protecting a rolling shutter assembly covering an opening, the rolling shutter assembly including:
         a shutter rolled between an open and closed position, having at least two slats;   guide rails to guide the at least two slats between the said closed and open positions;   a shutter roller to roll up and down the shutter when moved between said closed and open positions and store the shutter rolled in its open position;       

     a locking mechanism to lock the rolling shutter in its closed position; 
     wherein the rolling shutter mechanism has protecting means to cover the rolling shutter assembly; wherein the protecting means include protecting frames covering the guide rails. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting means further include a protecting box covering the shutter roller. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting means further include a protecting unit located at the lower part of the opening, the protecting unit covers the lower part of the shutter when it is in its closed position. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting means are attached to surfaces adjacent the opening. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting means are attached to the surfaces by screws. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting frames are generally rectangular in shape. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting box and the protecting unit are generally “U” shaped. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting frames are further attached to a contact unit. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting unit is further attached to an attachment unit. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the attachment unit is generally rectangular in shape. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting means are attached to the surfaces by adhesive material. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting means are attached to the surfaces by the screws, the contact unit, the attachment unit and adhesive material. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the protecting means are generally made of metal. 
     There is also provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention a method for protecting a rolling shutter assembly for covering an opening, the rolling shutter assembly having 
     a shutter rolled between an open and a closed position, at least two slats, shutter roller, guide rails and locking mechanism; the method includes the steps of: 
     (i) providing protecting means to cover the rolling shutter assembly; the protecting means include a protecting box, protecting frames and a protecting unit; 
     (ii) placing the protecting box on top of the shutter roller and attaching the protecting box to at least one mounting surface adjacent the opening, wherein the protecting box covers the shutter roller; 
     (iii) placing the protecting frames on top of the guide rails and attaching the protecting frames to at least one contact surface adjacent the guide rails and the opening, wherein the protecting frames cover the guide rails; 
     (iv) placing and attaching the protecting unit to at least one abutment surface at the lower part of the opening, wherein the protecting unit covers the shutter when it is in its closed position. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the method for protecting a rolling shutter assembly further includes in step (iii): attaching the protecting frames to at least one contact surface adjacent the guide rails and the opening via adhesive material. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the method for protecting a rolling shutter assembly further includes in step (iii): attaching a contact unit to at least one contact surface adjacent the opening. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the method for protecting a rolling shutter assembly further includes in step (iii): attaching the protecting frames to the contact unit by at least one screw; 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the method for protecting a rolling shutter assembly further includes: attaching the protecting means to the surfaces by the screws, the contact unit, the attachment unit and adhesive material. 
     In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the guide rails and the protecting frames are made and assembled as one unit. 
     The present invention has the preferred advantages as to a firm securing without any additional locking means. The protection of the system is installed in a simple manner, which does not require a great amount of time or money to install. The protection of the system can be installed on any type of locking mechanism, such as a lock and a key, an automatic locking system, or any other locking mechanism. Furthermore, the rolling shutter mechanism can be installed on a window, cabinet, door, or any system which includes a rolling shutter assembly. The rolling shutter mechanism can be installed even on a multiple amount of cupboards attached together, on a cabinet attached to a wall, on a cupboard attached to a cabinet, and so on. The rolling shutter mechanism can be further installed over an existing cupboard, window, cabinet or door with an existing rolling shutter assembly, or on a new cupboard window, cabinet or door designed for the rolling shutter mechanism with a new rolling shutter assembly. The rolling shutter mechanism can be further installed using guide rails with additional material that due to its shape allows the guide rails to further include protecting frames in a single unit. 
     Further or additional preferred advantages of the present invention are obvious from the general discussion above as well as the detailed discussion of the invention as provided below. In particular, the present invention prevents and/or significantly delays burglary and undesired damage to the rolling shutter assembly, by an improved protecting mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried out in practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a rolling shutter mechanism for an opening of a cupboard according to the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of the rolling shutter mechanism for an opening of a window according to the present invention; 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective exposed view of the rolling shutter mechanism shown in  FIG.  1    with a swing lift up door, covering the top part, open; 
         FIG.  4    is a detailed exploded view of a protecting box and the upper part of the rolling shutter mechanism shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a side view of an alternative protecting box to the protecting box shown in  FIG.  4   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a side view of another alternative protecting box to the protecting box shown in  FIG.  4   ; 
         FIG.  7    is a cross sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  8    is a front view of alternative protecting frames to the protecting frames shown in  FIG.  7   ; 
         FIG.  9    is a front view of other alternative protecting frames to the protecting frames shown in  FIG.  7   ; 
         FIG.  10    is a cross sectional view taken along the line X-X in  FIG.  3    with a lock key added; 
         FIG.  11    is a side exposed view of the lower part of the rolling shutter mechanism according to the present invention; 
         FIG.  12    is a side view of an alternative protecting unit to the protecting unit shown in  FIG.  11   ; 
         FIG.  13    is a side view of another alternative protecting unit to the protecting unit shown in  FIG.  11   ; and 
         FIG.  14    is a side view of an alternative attachment unit to the attachment unit shown in  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  15    is a side view of other alternative protecting frames to the protecting frames shown in  FIG.  7    that include guide rails. 
         FIG.  16    is a side view of other alternative protecting frames to the protecting frames shown in  FIG.  7    that include guide rails. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Attention is drawn to  FIGS.  1  and  2   , showing a rolling shutter mechanism  10  in accordance with the present invention. The rolling shutter mechanism  10  is used for covering openings such as doors and windows of entrances and commercial cabinets for holding merchandise in homes, stores and places of business, for example. An example of such a cupboard is seen in the figures, marked as  12 , or an example of a window  13  can be seen in  FIG.  2   . Therefore, the cupboard  12  in this description may represent the window  13 , a cabinet, a wall or any other structure to which the opening is attach. The rolling shutter mechanism  10  can cover and protect any other opening, of a door, glass-fronted display cabinet, or any other structure in a need to be covered. The rolling shutter mechanism  10  has a rolling shutter assembly  14 . The rolling shutter assembly  14  includes a shutter  16 , having at least two slats  18 . The shutter  16  is rolled between an open and closed positions. The rolling shutter assembly  14  further includes guide rails  20 . The guide rails  20  are generally “U” shaped and guide the slats  18  between the closed and open positions. 
     Attention is drawn to  FIG.  3   . The rolling shutter assembly  14  has a shutter roller  22  to roll up and down the shutter  16  when moved between said closed and open positions.  FIG.  1    shows a swing lift up door  24  covering the top part of the rolling shutter mechanism  10 , while  FIG.  3    shows the swing lift up door  24  open. The shutter roller  22  stores the engine (not seen), if exists, and stores the shutter  16  rolled in its open position. 
     Attention is now drawn to  FIG.  4   . The rolling shutter assembly  14  has a locking mechanism  26  in order to lock the shutter  16  in its closed position. Alternatively, the locking mechanism can be a simple lock and a key, to lock manually, as can be seen in  FIG.  10   , or any other locking mechanism to prevent from opening the rolling shutter mechanism  10  and break in. 
     The rolling shutter mechanism  10  has protecting means  28  in order to protect and cover the rolling shutter assembly  14 . The protecting means  28  are located in general in three different locations in the rolling shutter mechanism  10 , in order to protect the most vulnerable spots of the rolling shutter assembly  14 . The protecting means  28  include a protecting box  30  covering the shutter roller  22 , protecting frames  32  covering the guide rails  20 , and a protecting unit  34  covering the lower part of the shutter  16 , when it is in its closed position. The protecting means  28  may be composed of metal, or any other material. 
     The protecting box  30  has holes  36 , in order to attach it by screws  38  into the cupboard  12 . The protecting box  30  can also be attached with any type of glue, adhesive material, or any other material or any combination thereof which keeps the protecting box  30  attached to the cupboard  12 . The protecting box  30  is attached to a first mounting surface  40  and possibly to a second mounting surface  42  and a third mounting surface  44  adjacent the opening of the cupboard  12 . The protecting box  30  is attached firmly and cannot be easily detached from the cupboard  12 . The protecting box  30  covers entirely the shutter roller  22 , therefore the shutter roller  22  cannot be accessed easily when the rolling shutter mechanism  10  is in its closed and locked position. The protecting box  30  may generally be “U” shaped as in  FIG.  4   , or any other shape, as seen for example, in  FIG.  5   , or as seen as an example for a window, in  FIG.  6   . 
     Attention is now drawn to  FIG.  7   , showing the protecting frames  32  covering the guide rails  20 . The protecting frames  32  have holes  46 ,  48  in order to attach them by screws  50 ,  52  to the guide rails  20  and the cupboard  12  respectively. Also here, the protecting frames  32  can also be attached with any type of glue, adhesive material, or any other material or any combination thereof which keeps the protecting frames  32  attached to the guide rails  20  and the cupboard  12 . The protecting frame  32  is attached to a first contact surface  54  of the guide rails  20  and to a second contact surface  56  of the cupboard  12 . The protecting frames  32  may be further attached to the guide rails  20  by the same screws  50 ,  52 , to a contact unit  51 . The contact unit  51  may have any desired shape, for example an “L” shape and may be attached to a third contact surface  53  of the guide rails  20  and to a fourth contact surface  55  of the cupboard  12 . In the case of two attached cupboards, the protecting frames  32  may possibly be attached to a fifth contact surface  57  of the guide rails of a cupboard attached to the cupboard  12  (not seen). The protecting box  30  is attached firmly and cannot be easily detached from the guide rails  20  and the cupboard  12 . The protecting frames  32  covers entirely the guide rails  20 , therefore the guide rails  20  cannot be accessed easily when the rolling shutter mechanism  10  is in its closed and locked position. The protecting frames  32  may be rectangular in shape, as seen in  FIG.  8   , as an example when the protecting frames  32  are attached on top of a single cupboard, or as seen in  FIG.  9   , as an example when the protecting frames  32  are attached on top of a window, or the protecting frames  32  may have any other shape, including a shape similar to a pi shape, of protecting frames which cover two cupboards attached together. 
       FIGS.  10  and  11    show the protecting unit  34  covering the lower part of the shutter  16 , when it is in its closed position. As mentioned above, the locking mechanism can be with a key  58 , with an automatic locking system  26 , or any other locking system. The protecting unit  34  has holes  60 , in order to attach it by screws  62  into the cupboard  12 . The protecting unit  34  can also be attached with any type of glue, adhesive material, or any other material or any combination thereof which keeps the protecting unit  34  attached to the cupboard  12 . The protecting unit  34  is attached to an abutment surface  64  adjacent the opening of the cupboard  12 , and can generally be “U” shaped, as can be seen, for example, in  FIGS.  10  and  11   , or any other shape, as can be seen, for example, in  FIGS.  12  and  13   . The protecting unit  34  may be further attached to the cupboard  12 , by the same screw  62 , to an attachment unit  66 . The attachment unit  66  may have any desired shape, for example an “L” shape, as can be seen in  FIG.  10   , a rectangular shape, as can be seen in  FIG.  11   , or a flat shape, as can be seen in  FIG.  14   . The protecting unit  34  is attached firmly and cannot be easily detached from the cupboard  12 . The protecting unit  34  can also be attached with any type of glue, adhesive material, or any other material or any combination thereof which keeps the protecting unit  34  attached to the cupboard  12 . The protecting unit  34  covers entirely the lower part of the shutter  16  in closed position, therefore the shutter  16  cannot be accessed easily when the rolling shutter mechanism  10  is in its closed and locked position. 
     In accordance with the present invention, the rolling shutter mechanism  10  is assembled by attaching the protecting means  28  in the three locations necessary to protect the rolling shutter assembly  14 : placing the protecting box  30  on top of the shutter roller  22  and attaching the protecting box  30  to the first mounting surface  40  and possibly to the second mounting surface  42  and the third mounting surface  44  adjacent the opening of the cupboard  12 , placing the protecting frames  32  on top of the guide rails  20  and attaching the protecting frames  32  to the first contact surface  54  of the guide rails  20  and to the second contact surface  56  of the cupboard  12 , to the contact unit  51 , and possibly to a fifth contact surface  57  of the guide rails of a cupboard attached to the cupboard  12  (not seen), and attaching the protecting unit  34  to the abutment surface  64  at the lower part of the opening and to the attachment unit  66 . 
     In accordance with the present invention, the rolling shutter mechanism  10  can alternatively be assembled using a different design of guide rails  39  that include protecting frames  32 , as can be seen in  FIGS.  15  and  16   . 
     Using the rolling shutter protection mechanism  10  prevents a burglar from reaching the rolling shutter  14 , as the burglar cannot use the regular burglary tools, and needs to break the cupboard, cabinet, window or the entrance itself completely, or to cut with a forceful tool, such as a disk-shaped cutter body, a big portion of the cupboard, cabinet or window. These actions require a great amount of time so it will significantly delay the burglar, and create a high volume noise. The result is that the chances to fail and be caught are much greater, therefore the burglar will be less inclined to do so. 
     Although the present invention has been described to a certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that various alterations and modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.