Shutter system and method

• US 5,596,849 A
• Filed: 10/10/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Metal Fabricators, Inc.
• Original Assignee: George A. Hill
• Inventors: Hill, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US08/541,393
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 52/202, 52/783.11, 52/783.12, 52/783.14, 52/783.15, 52/784.1, 52/579, 52/746.1, 52/748.1, 49/57, 49/61, 49/62, 49/464
• US Class Current: 52/202
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/005 Storm panels; hurricane shutters
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/02 Shutters, movable grilles, or other safety closing devices, e.g. against burglary louvre windows or grilles E06B7/08; lamellar blinds E06B9/26

Abstract

A shutter system and method in which the shutters are normally rolled to a nominal one foot width and have an infinite length, normally no less than two feet and no more than twelve feet is disclosed. These dimensions can be modified on one foot modules. The shutters are provided with a self-secured panel lock assembly at the overlapping joints on the inside between the shutter and windows normally on two foot spacing vertically. This can be horizontal, however, in other applications. The system includes the utilization of an angle frame at the base, and an overlapping receiver as a header. End caps may be of varying shapes but normally are typical L-shaped angles. An alternative system is direct mounted and omits the header and the footer, but must extend above and below the opening by a minimum of four inches for a twelve inch wide shutter panel, or two inches for a six inch wide shutter panel. The panel lock assembly and its spacing remains the same as the embodiment utilizing a header and a footer except that the screws are positioned at the top and the bottom of the opening being covered. The shutters are installed by raising the same upwardly and inwardly to the overhang on the upper header, lowering the same to the point where the lower portion overlap has a keyhole slot, aligning the same, and then manually threading the panel lock assembly in place and the bottom lock screw in place. Where the extrusions of the system are not employed, the threaded members engage a concrete anchor secured in the wall of the structure.

Claims

1. A shutter system for enclosing an opening in a wall of a structure comprising, in combination:

a plurality of shutter panels,

each of said panels having lateral edges that terminate in a pair of parallel lips,

each such lip having a lip bottom and an edge lock angled upwardly from the lip bottom, such that each panel can be overlapped with a like panel along their lips,

each of said panels having a vertically spaced releasably securable means along the lip bottoms for securing said panel to a like panel that has been placed adjacent thereto and overlapped along the lip,

each of said panels having a laterally spaced releasably securable means top and bottom for securing said panel to a wall opening,

each of said panels having a laterally spaced releasably securable means top and bottom for securing said panel to a wall opening,

each panel being characterized by an isosceles trapezoidal cross-sectioned configuration comprised of a pair of parallel ribs flanking a single groove, whereby when said panels are overlapped on their lips to form an interlocked panel system they form a shutter system for enclosing an opening in a wall of a structure.

2. The shutter system of claim 1, in which a six inch panel is being shuttered from the bottom and top to the laterally spaced releasably securable means.

3. The shutter system of claim 1, in which a twelve inch panel is being shuttered from the bottom and the top to the laterally spaced releasably securable means.

4. The panel of claims 1, 2, or 3 in which the aluminum forming the same is the equivalent of 0.063 aluminum alloy 5052-832 or ASTMB 209-92A.

5. In any of claims 1, 2, or 3 above, in which the material is hot-dip zinc-coated mill edge steel ASTM A525 thickness and tolerance plus only galvanized steel, structural quality, ASTM A446-93 thickness 0.035 inches, the equivalent.

6. The method of assembling a shutter system for enclosing an opening in a wall of a structure in which a plurality of shutter panels are employed, in which each of said panels has an isosceles cross-section configuration including a pair of parallel ribs flanking a single groove and lateral edges with lips, and each of the shutter panels having a keyhole mounting means, the steps comprising:

fixing securing means in said wall of a structure surrounding an opening in top and bottom alignment,

positioning panels adjacent each other to define a shutter system,

securing the adjacent panels to the securing means top and bottom,

positioning uniform spaced panel lock assemblies along the lips of adjacent overlapped shutter panels; and

engaging the panel lock assemblies and said keyhole mounting means to secure the panels to said wall of a structure and to each other, thereby enclosing the opening in the wall of the structure.