Patent Abstract:
A custom shutter includes a central body portion and first and second end caps. The central body portion includes two stiles and a central portion all of which are formed integrally as one piece. The top and bottom end caps include first and second legs and a central connecting body portion. The legs are designed to be inserted within the hollow interior of the stiles with the top edges of the stiles resting against the stepped portions of said end cap and wherein an inner surface of said end cap covers any exposed edge of the central portion of the shutter body.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Plastic shutters that are used to decorate the exterior of a house are normally formed in a single mold. Because of this molding process, standard sizes are manufactured at a reasonable cost. Occasionally, non-standard-sized shutters are required. 
     It is too expensive to have molds for every possible size. Therefore, manufacturers have developed customizable shutters. These products require cutting portions of the shutter parts and various assembly techniques. 
     In many of these customizable shutters, separate stiles are employed which connect to slats. Caps are positioned on the top and bottom. An example of this is disclosed in Vagedes U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,255. Others simply cut off the portions of the top and bottom of a preformed shutter and add an end cap. Such shutters are disclosed in Gandy U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,688 and Vagedes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,986 and 5,347,782. 
     It is very important that customized shutters have the appearance of a standard molded shutter. In other words, it is important not to be able to detect cut edges. It is also important that the assembly process not be labor intensive and, of course, the overall product must be aesthetically appealing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is premised on the realization that a customizable shutter can be formed wherein only straight cuts at 90 degree angels are made at the top and bottom of a preformed shutter body that includes both stiles. Such cuts are easily made with available equipment. A special end cap is formed that includes legs that fit into the hollow interior of the stiles with an end cap body portion that has a generally stepped configuration allowing the ends of the stiles to butt up against the end cap, giving the appearance of a finished shutter. Provision is also made to allow the inside wall of the stile to be concealed by the end cap. This can be used for both slatted shutters as well as raised panel shutters. 
     The objects and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed description and drawings in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention with portions cut away; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken at lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken at lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the embodiment in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  with portions cut away; 
         FIG. 10  is a plan view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view taken at lines  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view taken at lines  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a customizable shutter  10  includes a body portion  12 , a first end cap  14  and a second end cap  16 . The body portion  12  includes first and second stiles  20  and  22 , each with hollow interior portions  24  and  26 . The body portion  12  further includes a central portion  28  which is formed integrally with the first and second stiles  20  and  22 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , shutter  10  is a raised panel shutter, which also includes first and second panels  30  and  32  with peripheral inner bevel portion  36  and side bevel portions  38 . Separating the panels  30  and  32  is a cross member  40  which extends from stile  20  to stile  22 . 
     The body portion  12  has a top edge  42  and a bottom edge  44 . As can be seen, these edges are simply straight cuts that extend at a 90 degree angle from either of the two parallel stiles. 
     The end caps  14  and  16  both include first and second legs  52  and  54  and a body portion  56 , which is perpendicular to legs  52  and  54  and has a narrow portion or width approximately equal to the width of stiles  22  and  20 . The body portion  56  includes a front surface  58 , an outer surface  60  and an inner surface  62 . The inner surface  62  is designed to mate with the profile of the raised panels  30  or  32 , and conceal the cut edge  42  or  44 , respectively. As such, each of these inner surfaces  62  include a first and second wing portion  64  and  66  which are adapted to mate with the beveled side portions  38 . Extended between the two winged portions is a narrow strip  68  which is adapted to contact and rest on the central panels  30  or  32 . The wings  64  and  66  each have an outer edge  69  which is adapted to butt against an inner side wall  71  of the stiles  20  and  22 . Thus, small channels  70  and  72  are provided between the legs  52  and  54  and the outer edges  69  of the wings  64  and  68 . 
     As is shown in  FIG. 2 , the legs  52  and  54  have a cross sectional configuration adapted to mate with the interior surface of stiles  20  and  22  with the outer edges  73  of the stiles butted against stepped portions  75  in the end caps  14  and  16  at the juncture of the legs with the body portion  56 . Inner edges  77  of the inner walls  71  of the stiles rest in channels  70  and  72  respectively. 
     To assemble these shutters, the body portion  12  is simply cut at 90 degree angles relative to the stiles  20  and  22  at the top and bottom to achieve a desired length. The legs  52  and  54  of the end caps are then inserted into the hollow interior of the stiles so that the outer edges of the stiles abut the stepped portions  75  of the end caps  14  and  16  with the inner walls  71  of the stiles located in channels  70  and  72  respectively. The interior wall  68  of the body  56  of the end caps cover the outer cut edges of the raised panel with the wing portions  64  and  66  resting immediately on the beveled portions and the edge  68  resting on the panel surface  28 . Thus, the entire cut edges  42  and  44  on the top and bottom of the body portion  12  either abut stepped portions on the end cap or are concealed by the interior wall  68  of the end cap. The legs  52  and  54  can then be welded, adhered, or fastened to the stile surface to provide a unitary custom-sized shutter. 
       FIG. 7 to 12  show an alternate embodiment of the present invention and specifically a customizable slatted shutter  80 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , shutter  80  includes a body portion  82  with first and second integral stiles  84  and  86  and a central slatted portion  88  and first and second end caps  90  and  92 . Top and bottom edges  96  and  98  of the body portion  82  are cut edges, which extend 90 degrees relative to the two stiles to provide the desired size. 
     The end caps  90  and  92  include first and second legs  100  and  102  with a central body portion  104  that extends 90 degrees from the legs. The body portion includes a front surface  106 , an outer surface  108  and an inner surface  110  which faces the slatted portion. The inner wall  110  is a very thin rectangular panel which extends from side to side and includes side edges spaced from legs  100  and  102  providing side channels  122  and  124 . The legs  100  and  102  are sized to mate with the interior surface of the stiles  84  and  86  which, as shown, each includes an outer wall  116 , an inner wall  118  and a top wall  120 . The edges  134  and  136  of the top and outer walls  120  and  116  of the stiles abut against the stepped portions  112  and  114  between the legs  100 ,  102  and the body portion  104  of end caps  90 ,  92 . Edges  138  of the inner wall  118  of stiles  84  and  86  rest in channels  122  and  124 . 
     As with the raised panel shutter, the slatted shutter is formed by simply cutting body portion  82  and inserting the end caps  90  and  92 . The legs  100  and  102  can then be welded, adhered, or fastened to the body portion at the interior surfaces of the stiles. The inner wall  110  of the caps will cover the edges  96 ,  98  of the body portion  82 . The edges of the stiles will butt against the stepped portions  112  and  114  of the end caps  90  and  92  to provide a neat, clean appearance which will basically be identical to the pre-molded unitary shutters. 
     The present invention can, of course, be modified without departing from the scope of the invention. As an example, the leg portions of the end caps can be modified so that they do not take the exact configuration of the interior surface of the stiles, but can simply be a single tab or two tabs, as opposed to the three-walled structure shown in the present invention. As long as they can mate along one or more surfaces of the stiles, they can provide the needed stability for the assembled product. 
     This has been a description of the present invention along with the preferred method of practicing the present invention. However, the invention itself should only be defined by the appended claims,

Technology Classification (CPC): 4