Patent ID: 7353636

Claim:
A shutter, comprising: first and second vertical stiles and top and bottom rails assembled together to form a frame having an inside and an outside, said first stile defining a first vertically elongated cavity which opens to the inside of said frame; a first elongated louver strip defining a plurality of spaced-apart holes, said first elongated louver strip being received in said first elongated cavity; a plurality of first pinion gears mounted between said first elongated louver strip and said first stile, each of said first pinion gears having a pinion gear opening defining an axis of rotation aligned with one of the holes in said first elongated louver strip; a first elongated rack having a back surface and a toothed front surface, said first elongated rack being received in said first elongated louver strip and said toothed front surface defining teeth which mesh with said plurality of first pinion gears; a plurality of first pins on which said first pinion gears are mounted for rotation with said first pins, each of said first pins defining first and second ends, said first ends projecting inwardly from said first stile and through one of said louver strip holes; a plurality of louvers spanning between said first and second vertical stiles, wherein each of said louvers receives the first end of one of said first pins; and means for biasing said louver strip inwardly and for allowing said biased louver strip to be moved outwardly against said biasing means a sufficient distance to permit said louvers to be mounted on and removed from said assembled frame while said louver strip remains mounted on its respective vertical stile.