Bracket used to support slats of adjustable-slat shutters

Abstract

 The present industrial invention refers to a bracket used to support the slats of shutters provided with adjustable slats, which is composed of a pair of edges (1b and 1c) that can elastically diverge and exactly house the core (2a) of a slat (2), which comprises a flat core (2a) from which two wings (2b) protrude at the ends from opposite sides, being curved in opposite direction and slightly wider than the core (2a).

Description

[0001] The present patent application for industrial invention refers to a bracket used to support the slats of shutters provided with adjustable slats.

[0002] To better understand the advantages offered by the bracket of the invention, this description continues illustrating the structural and functional configuration of the shutters with adjustable slats that are available on the market in different models and different materials, but with common construction features, as illustrated below.

[0003] Each slat of the shutter is supported at the two ends by a bracket configured as a hood, which exactly houses the ends of each slat.

[0004] A central pin with horizontal axis protrudes from the external wall of each bracket, being designed to be inserted through a hole drilled on the metal profile that contains the mechanism used to simultaneously move all the slats of the shutter with a single manoeuvring lever.

[0005] Support brackets traditionally have the configuration of a plug designed to be inserted into the two ends of each slat, which has a tubular structure, so that the plugs can be described as two special caps used to close the two opposite openings of each tubular slat.

[0006] In order to make assembly and disassembly of the slats easier and faster in case of installed shutters, i.e. when a broken slat needs to be replaced, the plug-type brackets are replaced with a new model of cursor-type bracket, which allows the prismatic coupling with the slat, meaning that the slat is housed and slides inside a longitudinal channel in the body of the bracket.

[0007] More precisely, the body of the bracket is provided with an opposite pair of longitudinal edges on the side designed to be coupled with the end of the slat, thus creating a channel with width perfectly identical to the thickness of the slat.

[0008] The said channel has a mouth, which is partially obstructed by a first transversal partition, being elastically flexible, which diverges to introduce the slat in the channel and snap-closes behind the slat, when the slat has been completely inserted and is stopped against a second fixed partition.

[0009] The use of this model of cursor-type brackets, however, is not possible in combination with a special model of slats, characterised by a cross-section having a hollow body with elliptical flat profile, from which two wings protrude at the ends from opposite sides, being curved in opposite direction and slightly wider than the core.

[0010] The curved wings are designed to create a sort of connection between adjacent slats when all the slats of the shutter are rotated in maximum closing position to completely obscure the room.

[0011] Evidently, in this position, the upper curved wing of a slat is interfaced with the lower wing, with opposite curve, of the slat above and vice versa.

[0012] As mentioned earlier, the width of each curved wing is slightly higher than the core, so that the curved wings cannot be inserted between the edges of the longitudinal channel, which is dimensioned to exactly house the core only.

[0013] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to the aforementioned disadvantage, in order to increase versatility of use of the said cursor-type brackets.

[0014] The solution has been obtained with the bracket of the invention, which is provided with two longitudinal edges that diverge elastically to open when the curved wings are forced in it and snap-close around the flat core as soon as interference with the said curved wings ends.

[0015] The capability of the two longitudinal edges to diverge elastically is obtained thanks to the special shape of their cross-section, characterised by a downward-tapered internal profile that reduces the flexural strength in the section where it is attached to the body of the bracket.

[0016] For purposes of clarity the description of the support bracket of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense, whereby:

• fig. 1 is an axonometric view of a section of shutter with adjustable slats, supported by the bracket of the invention;
• fig. 2 is a plan view of the internal side of the support bracket of the invention;
• figure 3 is a cross-section of fig. 2 with the plane III-III;
• fig. 4 is a cross-section with a transversal plane of a slat, inserted into the support bracket of the invention;
• fig. 5 is a plan view of the external side of the support bracket of the invention;
• figure 6 is a cross-section of fig. 5 with the plane VI-VI.

[0017] With reference to fig. 1, the support bracket of the invention is designed to be positioned between the slats (2) of a shutter with adjustable slats and the uprights (3) to support the slats (2) and connect them to the mechanism (not shown in fig. 1) housed in one of the uprights and designed to determine the simultaneous identical rotation of all the slats (2) by means of a manoeuvring crank (4).

[0018] As mentioned earlier, the bracket (1) has been specifically designed to support a special model of slats, characterised by a cross-section having a hollow core (2a) with elliptical flat profile, from which two wings (2b) protrude at the ends from opposite sides, being curved in opposite direction and slightly wider than the core (2a), as shown in fig. 4.

[0019] With reference to figs. 2 and 3, the body of the bracket (1) of the invention has a traditional structural configuration, being composed of a plastic-moulded plate (1a), with one face provided with an opposite pair of edges (1b and 1c) that create a longitudinal channel (5) with constant width, in which the core (2a) of the slats (2) is exactly housed, as shown in fig. 4.

[0020] The edge (1c) ends with an arched section (1c') that partially obstructs the mouth of the channel (5), where the slat (2) can be inserted because of the capability of the ending section (1c') to diverge elastically, which is separated from the plate (1a) by means of a long notch (6) internally bordering the edge (1c) and extending until approximately half of its length, as shown in fig. 2.

[0021] The section (1c') snap-closes behind the curved wing (2b) of the slat (2), when the slat (2) has completed the insertion travel into the channel (5), being stopped against the end of the other edge (1b), which ends with a curved section (1 b') that exactly embraces the other wing (2b) of the slat (2). Traditionally, the plate (1 a) is centrally provided with the square hole (7) for the corresponding pin (not shown) used to connect the bracket (1) to the actuation mechanism contained in the upright (3).

[0022] The bracket (1) of the invention is provided with two longitudinal edges (1 b and 1 c) that diverge elastically to open when the curved wings (2b) are forced in it and snap-close around the flat core (2a) as soon as interference with the said curved wings (2b) ends.

[0023] The capability of each longitudinal edge (1b and 1 c) to diverge elastically is obtained thanks to the special shape of their cross-section, characterised by a downward-tapered internal profile, as illustrated in fig. 3, which shows that the thickness of the longitudinal edges (1b and 1 c) gets thinner and thinner as we get closer to the plate (1 a).

[0024] In other words, the width of the channel (5) gradually increases as we get close to the bottom of the channel, being practically represented by the area of the plate (1 a), it being evident that the maximum width on the bottom of the channel (5) is equal or slightly higher than the wings (2b), while the minimum width of the channel (5) is equal to the core (2a).

[0025] Finally, attention is drawn on the presence of the tooth (8) on the bottom of the channel (5) in the proximity of the curved ending section (1 b'), against which one of the curved wings (2b) of the slat (2) is stopped at the end of the insertion travel.

[0026] As a matter of fact, the curved wing (2b) interferes with the tooth (8) at the end of the insertion travel, thus passing over it and being trapped between the tooth (8) and the ending section (1 b'), as shown in fig. 4.

[0027] Attention is also drawn on the presence of two housings (9) on the external side of the bracket (1), that is to say on the opposite side with respect to the side with the edges (1 b and 1c).

[0028] The two housings (9) are designed to make the plate (1 a) thinner in the channel (5) to reduce flexional stiffness, thus favouring its transversal arching when the edges (1b and 1 c) diverge elastically, following to the forced insertion of one of the wings (2b) of the slat between the edges (1b and 1c).

Claims

1. Bracket used to support the slats of shutters with adjustable slats, of the type comprising a body formed of a plastic moulded plate (1a), with one face provided with a longitudinal channel (5) with constant width, bordered by an opposite pair of edges (1b and 1c), respectively ending with two curved sections (1b' and 1 c'), of which the second section (1c') partially obstructs the mouth of the channel (5) and diverges elastically, being separated from the plate (1a) by means of a long notch (6) internally bordering the edge (1 c) and extending until approximately half of its length, bracket being characterised in that each longitudinal edge (1b and 1c) has a downward-tapered internal profile, so that the width of the channel (5) gradually increases as we get closer to the bottom of the channel (5), and the thickness of the longitudinal edges (1b and 1c) gets thinner and thinner as we get closer to the plate (1a).

2. Support bracket for shutter slats, as defined in the previous claim, characterised in that it is provided with two housings (9) on the external side of the bracket (1), capable of making the plate (1a) thinner to favour its transversal arching when the edges (1b and 1c) diverge elastically, following to the forced insertion of one of the wings (2b) of the slat (2) between the edges (1b and 1c).

3. Support bracket for shutter slats, as defined in one of the previous claims, characterised in that the channel (5) is dimensioned to exactly house the core (2a) of a slat (2), which has a flat core (2a), from which two wings (2b) protrude at the ends from opposite sides, being curved in opposite direction and slightly wider than the core (2a); it also being provided that the ending sections (1b' and 1c') are dimensioned and profiled in such a way to exactly embrace the curved wings (2b) of the slat (2).

4. Support bracket for shutter slats, as defined in one or more of the previous claims, characterised in that it is provided with a tooth (8) on the bottom of the channel (5) in the proximity of the curved ending section (1 b'), with which the tooth (8) cooperates to trap one of the curved wings (2b) of the slat (2) inserted into the channel (5).

5. Support bracket for shutter slats, as defined in the previous claims, characterised in that the plate (1a) is centrally provided with a square hole (7) for the corresponding pin used to drag the bracket (1) into rotation.

Drawing