Patent ID: 8176965

Claim:
A hurricane screen protection system for protecting an opening of a building from impact damage, the opening having a first frame and a second frame traversing opposite ends of the opening, said system comprising: a length of flexible screening material having a substantially uniform continuous cross-section, said screening material having a first edge and an opposite second edge and being sized to cover the building opening; a pair of outer thickened areas and at least one inner thickened area connected to said screening material and extending from said first edge to said second edge along an entire length of said screening material, each of said pair of outer thickened areas extending along one of a pair of sides of said screening material, and said at least one inner thickened area disposed between said outer thickened areas; and a plurality of buckles each having a pair of jaws pivotally connected about a pivot point between a first end and a second end, each of said second ends of said pair of jaws includes corresponding mating slots that extend in a width direction of said buckle, wherein said first edge of said screening material is anchored to the first frame, and said outer thickened areas and said at least one inner thickened area adjacent said second edge are gripped between said first ends of each of said plurality of buckles, said mating slots are in communication to form an elongated slot extending through said buckle when said pair of jaws are in a closed position with said first ends gripping said thickened areas and said second ends being in abutting contact and wherein said second ends of said jaws are anchored to the second frame in order to place the screening material under tension.