Patent ID: 8533996

Claim:
A shutter drive apparatus for use in adjusting the louvers of a tilt-rod-less shutter, said apparatus having a first drive strip, a second drive strip, and a plurality of pinion gears, wherein each of said drive strips defines a generally elongated strip having a flange and a plurality of drive openings, each of said drive openings having a plurality of drive teeth positioned on a first side of said drive strip in said drive opening, and wherein each of said pinion gears defines a pinion gear having an axle and a gear member having a plurality of teeth, and wherein said apparatus is assembled such that said first and second drive strips are positioned in relative slidable contact with each other with each drive opening of said first drive strip at least partially overlapping with a corresponding drive opening of said second drive strip, and such that a pinion gear is drivably positioned in each of said at least partially overlapping drive openings such that said teeth of said positioned pinion gears are drivably meshed with the teeth of both of said at least partially overlapping drive openings within which said pinion gears are drivably positioned.