EP0368695B1 - Lath section for a screen closure, and such a screen closure - Google Patents

Abstract

Two substantially symmetrical half-slats are joined by an integral flexible joint to form a one-piece articulated slat. Adjacent slats rigidly interlock by cooperation of a projecting rib on one slat and a correspondingly shaped groove on the other slat to form an articulated curtain. The flexible joints are bendable in two directions and coextruded with the half-slats.

Description

The invention relates to a profiled blade for curtain closing and the corresponding closing curtain.

It is known from document FR-A-2,582,715 to make a curtain closure by means of profiled blades having on a longitudinal edge a male articulation element in a closed cylinder and on the opposite edge a female articulation element in open cylinder. These two elements are adapted to cooperate with the corresponding elements of the adjacent blades. When the curtain is closed, its front face is substantially flat, and the front edges of two adjacent blades are only separated by a narrow slot.

However, when the curtain blades pivot relative to each other, the articulation elements allow a wide separation of the two front edges of two adjacent blades. It follows that it is impossible to cover the front face of the curtain with a fabric or decorative paper which would be torn when the curtain is opened for the first time.

One of the aims of the present invention is to propose a closing curtain with articulated blades, the front face of which keeps substantially the same surface whatever the position of the blades.

Another object of the invention is to provide blades for a closing curtain capable of being articulated at an angle of up to approximately 60 °.

The present invention relates to a blade for curtain closure, characterized in that it comprises two plastic profiles joined by a flexible seal, in that the profiles and the seal are coextruded, and in that the profiles are substantially symmetrical with respect to the median plane passing through the flexible joint.

• un profilé présente en coupe transversale un contour polygonal à au moins 4 côtés comprenant un premier côté correspondant à une face apte à être sensiblement plane et dite "face frontale" de la lame et un deuxième côté perpendiculaire au premier et correspondant à une face latérale de la lame, ledit deuxième côté portant des moyens de fixation rigide ;
• le contour polygonal de chaque profilé présente, au droit du joint, un angle aigu entre ledit premier côté et un quatrième côté, de manière à ce que lesdits quatrièmes côtés des profilés réunis par le joint fassent entre eux un angle correspondant au pliage d'un profilé sur l'autre ;
• le quatrième côté est séparé du côté adjacent par un angle sensiblement droit ;
• l'angle correspondant au pliage d'un profilé sur l'autre est d'environ 60° ;
• le deuxième côté d'un profilé porte une nervure et ledit deuxième côté d'un autre profilé porte une rainure de sorte que deux profilés adjacents de deux lames adjacentes soient solidarisés par la coopération de la nervure et de la rainure.

According to other embodiments:

• a profile has in cross section a polygonal contour with at least 4 sides comprising a first side corresponding to a face capable of being substantially flat and called "front face" of the blade and a second side perpendicular to the first and corresponding to a lateral face of the blade, said second side carrying rigid fixing means;
• the polygonal contour of each profile has, to the right of the joint, an acute angle between said first side and a fourth side, so that said fourth sides of the profiles joined by the joint make between them an angle corresponding to the folding of a profiled on the other;
• the fourth side is separated from the adjacent side by a substantially right angle;
• the angle corresponding to the folding of a profile on the other is approximately 60 °;
• the second side of a profile carries a rib and said second side of another profile carries a groove so that two adjacent profiles of two adjacent blades are secured by the cooperation of the rib and the groove.

The invention also relates to a shutter curtain, characterized in that it consists of blades rigidly linked together, the blades being made of plastic profiles coextruded with their flexible joint joint.

• au droit des joints souples sont prévus des angles de pliage d'environ 60°, de manière à permettre l'articulation des lames pour que le rideau se comporte comme un rideau rigide à double paroi, notamment du type classique à lamelles articulées par tourillons ;
• les joints souples présentent sur la face frontale chacun une rainure en V, dont l'angle d'ouverture est d'environ 90°, le rideau étant ainsi susceptible de s'articuler dans les deux sens sans déchirer un revêtement en papier, en tissu ou analogue de la face frontale ;
• les lames présentent en coupe transversale des contours polygonaux et les contours polygonaux présentent des angles sensiblement droits, les parois extérieures de ces angles assurant seules l'appui du rideau se déplaçant dans une glissière, de manière à réduire les frottements et le bruit lors du fonctionnement du rideau.

According to other embodiments:

• at the right of the flexible joints are provided folding angles of approximately 60 °, so as to allow the articulation of the blades so that the curtain behaves like a rigid curtain with double wall, in particular of the conventional type with lamellas articulated by pins;
• the flexible seals each have a V-shaped groove on the front face, the opening angle of which is approximately 90 °, the curtain thus being capable of being articulated in both directions without tearing a covering of paper, fabric or the like of the front face;
• the blades have in cross section polygonal contours and the polygonal contours have substantially straight angles, the outer walls of these angles ensuring only the support of the curtain moving in a slide, so as to reduce friction and noise during operation of the curtain.

• Figure 1 : une vue schématique en coupe transversale d'un exemple de réalisation d'une lame profilée pour fermeture à rideau selon l'invention;
• Figure 2 : une vue agrandie du joint souple d'articulation de la lame de la figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 : une vue en coupe transversale d'un exemple de réalisation d'un rideau de fermeture disposé dans une glissière.

Other characteristics appear from the following description made with reference to the attached drawing on which we can see:

• Figure 1: a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a profiled blade for curtain closure according to the invention;
• Figure 2: an enlarged view of the flexible joint joint of the blade of Figure 1;
• Figure 3: a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a closing curtain arranged in a slide.

Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the blade according to the invention consists of two half-blades 1 and 2 joined by a flexible joint 3. Each half-blade is hollow and obtained by extruding a profile of material plastic for example. Each half-blade has, in cross section, a polygonal contour having an acute angle to the right of the joint 3, that is to say towards the middle of the blade.

From this acute angle 4, the polygonal contour of the half-blade 2 has a first side 5 corresponding to the front face of the blade, a right angle 6, a second side 7 corresponding to the side face of the blade, a obtuse angle 8, a third side 9, a substantially right angle 10̸ and a fourth side 11. In this way, the substantially right angle 10̸ is the point furthest from the first side 5. When the closing curtain moves in a slide, the outer wall of this angle 10̸ ensures only the support of the half-blade on the slide, which reduces friction.

On the outside of the half-blade 2, the second side 7 carries a T-shaped rib 12 intended to cooperate with a corresponding groove 13 of the adjacent half-blade which is identical to the half-blade 1.

The half-blade 1 is substantially symmetrical with the half-blade 2 with respect to the median plane passing through the joint 3. It has, in section, a polygonal contour with an acute angle 14, a first side 15, a right angle 16, a second side 17, an obtuse angle 18, a third side 19, a substantially right angle 20̸, and a fourth side 21. The second side 17 has a T-shaped groove 13, limited towards the inside of the half-blade 1 by a partition 22.

A half-blade such as 2 is secured to the adjacent half-blade, such as 1, by insertion of its T-rib 12 in the corresponding T-groove 13. The blades of the closure curtain are thus secured to each other by means of the ribs 12 and the grooves 13. The grooves are dimensioned so that the ribs slide therein with gentle friction. Two adjacent blades are thus effectively secured and the articulation of the curtain is done by means of the seals 3, that is to say in the middle of the blades. The angle between the two fourth sides 11 and 21 of the two half-blades 2 and 1 respectively, is approximately 60̸ °, which allows a folding angle of approximately 60̸ ° from one half-blade to the other rearward.

In Figure 2, we see that the seal 3 is disposed between the two opposite sides 11 and 21, in the immediate vicinity of the acute angles 4 and 14 of the two half-blades. This joint can be glued to the two half-blades, but it is advantageously coextruded with the two half-blades. It is flexible and plastic to be elastically deformable.

Preferably, it has on the front face of the blade, a V-shaped groove 23 whose opening angle is about 90 °. This joint 3 allows the folding of the blade both backwards (as in Figure 3) and forward. When the blade is folded back, the V-shaped groove 23 ensures that the seal does not protrude forward. In this way, the entire front face of the curtain can be covered with a fabric or paper which does not tear during the opening or closing operations of the curtain. The aesthetic appearance of the curtain is thus improved compared to a conventional curtain with lamellas hinged on each other by pins which do not allow the laying of a continuous covering.

The curtain according to the invention, consisting of hollow half-blades coextruded with their articulation joint behaves like a rigid curtain with double wall, the flexible joints ensuring articulation.

The articulated blades being obtained by coextrusion, can be cut to the desired length and assembled together to form a curtain of determined dimensions.

Unlike traditional curtains with lamellas articulated by pins, the curtain according to the invention is capable of being articulated in both directions.

The embodiments described in FIGS. 1 and 2 are only illustrative and the ribs and T-grooves can be replaced by any type of fixing, with tenon and mortise for example.

With the louvre curtain according to the invention, the noise linked to the operation of the curtain is very reduced and a great flexibility of operation can be noted.

Claims (10)

1. Slat for a shutter-type closer, characterised in that it comprises two profiled sections (1, 2) made of plastics material joined by a flexible coupling (3); in that the profiled sections (1, 2) and the coupling (3) are co-extruded, and in that the profiled sections are substantially symmetrical relative to the median plane which passes through the flexible coupling (3).
2. Slat according to Claim 1, characterised in that a profiled section (1 or 2) has in transverse cross-section a polygonal contour with at least 4 sides comprising a first side (15 or 5) corresponding to a surface suitable for being substantially flat and known as the "front surface" of the slat and a second side (17, 7) perpendicular to the first and corresponding to a lateral surface of the slat, the said second side (17, 7) supporting rigid attachment means (13 or 12).
3. Slat according to Claim 2, characterised in that the polygonal contour of each profiled section (1, 2) makes an acute angle (14, 4) with the coupling (3) between the said first side (15, 5) and a fourth side (21, 11) such that the said fourth sides (21, 11) of the profiled sections (1, 2) joined together by the coupling (3) form between themselves an angle which corresponds to the folding of one profiled section onto the other.
4. Slat according to Claim 3, characterised in that the said fourth side (21, 11) is separated from the adjacent side (19, 9) by an angle (20, 10) which is substantially at right angles thereto.
5. Slat according to Claim 3, characterised in that the said angle is approximately 60°.
6. Slat according to Claim 2, characterised in that the said second side (7) of a profiled section (2) bears a rib (12) and the said second side (17) of another profiled section bears a groove (13) such that two adjacent profiled sections of two adjacent slats are rendered integral by cooperation of the rib and the groove.
7. Slat-type closing shutter, characterised in that it comprises slats connected rigidly to one another, the slats comprising profiled sections of plastics material co-extruded with their flexible articulation coupling.
8. Shutter according to Claim 7, characterised in that the flexible couplings (3) have folding angles of approximately 60°, so as to permit articulation of the slats much that the shutter acts as a rigid double-wall shutter, in particular of the conventional type with slats articulated by journals.
9. Shutter according to either of Claims 7 or 8, characterised in that the flexible couplings (3) each have on their front surface a V-shaped groove (23), of which the opening angle is approximately 90°, the shutter thus being able to articulate in both directions without tearing a covering made of paper, fabric or the like on the front surface.
10. Shutter according to any one of Claims 7 to 9, characterised in that in transverse cross-section the slats have polygonal contours, and in that the polygonal contours (10) have substantially right angles, the outer walls of these angles (10) alone providing the support for the shutter moving in a slide, so as to reduce friction and noise when the shutter is in use.

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