Patent ID: 8011414

Claim:
An electrically driven roll-up shutter for a building opening, comprising a plurality of upper pivoted link elements each of which supports all lower components, the link elements being arranged to allow rolling-up on a shutter shaft or tube, the lowest of said link elements being attached to a slat tilt mechanism, said link elements are in tension when only the highest of said link elements is in contact with said shutter shaft or tube form a substantially straight line; when rolled up and said link elements are in contact with said shutter shaft and take up a concave form; when the shutter is fully deployed said link elements are in compression and form a convex curve and act as a push rod; a plurality of interconnected shutter slats, rotatably suspended from opposed ends by one of a chain of interconnected pivoted hinge blocks, said hinge blocks being configured to slidingly engage a fixed vertical guide member provided at each side of said building opening, and said hinge blocks allowing at least 90 degree of slat swing on a horizontal axis and being interconnected by hinge elements to allow roll-up on a shutter shaft or tube, said shutter slats each having at an extremity a further pivot engaging said slat tilt mechanism; a reversible electric motor geared to a speed reduction device operatively connected to drive said shutter shaft in either direction; and user control means responsive to at least three commands to said motor including DOWN, UP, and OFF; whereby said shutter may be electrically driven to a retracted position wherein a major portion of said shutter is rolled up; a partially deployed position wherein said slats remain closed; a stopped fully-deployed position wherein the lowest of said slats encounters an obstacle such as the floor or a fixed window frame; and a slat-open position wherein further operation of said motor, after said stopped fully-deployed position, activates said slat tilting mechanism allowing air and light to pass through said shutter.