Roller shutter with mosquito net

Abstract

TITLE. Roller shutter with mosquito net. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1), comprising a box (2) delimiting an interior volume for the winding of the shutter curtain, said box (2) comprising longitudinal panels and first lateral sides (22) extended by first guides (21) for the curtain, a horizontal-looking panel of the box (2) oriented downwards having on one side, between the first guides, a passage slot (23) for said curtain and on the other side an inspection hatch (24), the mosquito net (1) comprising second sides (12) arranged at the end of a rotating shaft (10) for winding the mosquito net fabric (1) and second guides (11) for the lateral edges of the fabric.The mosquito net (1) is attached to one side of the housing (2) adjacent to said slot, the sides (12) of the mosquito net (1) each having at least one stop (13) which extends, opposite said side of the attachment, outwards from the side (12) of the mosquito net (1). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig.2.

Description

Title of the invention: Roller shutter with mosquito net

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of roller shutters designed for closing openings or bays in building walls. More particularly, it relates to the roller shutter housing, that is, the storage space for the shutter curtain, which constitutes the actual closing device, rolling into said space when the bay is open. In the context of the present invention, it should be noted that insect screens can share the same space, that is, close the same openings, but with a distinctly different function, which generally leads to their use at different times.

[0002] Sharing space between the roller shutter and the mosquito net can, however, complicate the installation of either one, particularly since both devices must be easily accessible, both for their common use and for maintenance. This sharing requires managing the use of space near the windows or French doors, at the point where they are "stored" in the open position, i.e., at the location where the housing is installed.

[0003] To simplify installation, avoid the need to mount a separate insect screen—either inside or outside the window—in addition to the roller shutter, and save space, it is common practice to combine a roller shutter and an insect screen into a single unit. Systems exist that integrate both functions, with the insect screen positioned directly within the roller shutter housing and able to be rolled out independently. Users can thus choose to use only the insect screen, only the roller shutter, or both simultaneously if necessary.

[0004] However, integration leads to slightly more complex technical configurations for roller shutter boxes, which are more expensive to produce, and above all, it requires choosing the type of roller shutter to install from the outset, with or without an integrated mosquito net. Otherwise, the entire installation must be reviewed if the user decides to switch from a simple shutter to a mosquito-proof configuration, or if a renovation is undertaken with an option including mosquito nets for the windows of a home. The cost of such a change is not negligible, and if the mosquito net option was not chosen from the start, users generally opt to install separate mosquito nets, trying to make the best of the available space near the windows.

[0005] A solution is also known in which an extension device for the roller shutter box is provided for receiving an additional blackout and / or protection device, such as a blind, a mosquito net or Similar. However, this extension system requires top and side extensions to the enclosure to accommodate, for example, a mosquito net, which significantly alters the volume of the original enclosure. The leveling work, involving dismantling each enclosure, modifying its volume, and reassembling it—often slightly offset due to the change in volume—remains substantial.

[0006] To remedy these problems, the invention provides an intermediate solution between integration and outright separation of the two functions. The proposed solution helps to resolve the space management issue and allows the installation to be modified by adding the mosquito-repellent function without requiring any changes to the existing roller shutter boxes.

[0007] The idea is to attach a mosquito net to the roller shutter housing by means of an external mounting that secures them together and also ensures accessibility to both for all practical purposes. Simply combining a roller shutter housing and a mosquito net is not sufficient for operation under real-world conditions.

[0008] To this end, the roller shutter with mosquito net of the invention conventionally comprises a housing defining an interior volume for the winding of the shutter curtain, said housing having longitudinal sections and first lateral sides extended by first guide rails for the curtain. This housing has a horizontally oriented downwards section having, on one side, between the first guides, a passage slot for said curtain and, on the other side, an access panel. The mosquito net also comprises, in a known manner, second sides arranged at the end of a rotating shaft for winding the mosquito net fabric and second guide rails for the lateral edges of the fabric.

[0009] According to the invention, the mosquito net is attached to one side of the box adjacent to said slot, the sides of the mosquito net each having at least one stop deploying, opposite said side of the fixing, towards the outside of the side of the mosquito net.

[0010] The object of the present invention is actually to allow the mosquito net to be attached to the housing in a way that makes it possible to change the functions of the installation without altering the initial assembly. The roller shutter housing is modified only very peripherally, to contribute to securing the mosquito net to the housing. The housing features specifically designed to allow the adaptation of a mosquito net are minor and only superficially modify the design of said housings. They can therefore be present on all housings, regardless of their intended use.

[0011] The mosquito net is positioned on the back of the housing, on the side of the housing's tracks. Since the housings are generally mounted near a vertical wall, close to the window or door frame, it is therefore essential to ensure sufficient space between the wall and the housing for installing the mosquito net. However, simply providing space for attaching the mosquito net is not enough; this space must also be suitable for the mosquito net's intended use and, in particular, allow access for maintenance. The stops therefore guarantee a volume that facilitates maintenance and, if necessary, its removal.

[0012] More specifically, each stop can consist of a protrusion forming a rod parallel to the panel containing the access hatch, said rod extending from a portion of the periphery of the distal side of the insect screen on the roller shutter housing. It can also be an arm wider than a simple rod. In practice, this rod is oriented substantially horizontally when the insect screen is attached to the housing. It creates a free space between the rest of the insect screen, a vertical wall of the building, and the back of the housing, which not only allows very easy access to the screen but also provides ample room for its manipulation, if necessary. All movements of the insect screen, for example during assembly / disassembly, become easier.

[0013] Preferably, the mosquito net is attached to the housing by removable fasteners. The attachment can be made to the housing wall adjacent to the mosquito net, but also to the sides of the housing. There are no technical constraints on the choice of attachment point; it depends in particular on the chosen fastening method and the ease of manufacturing the components involved in the attachment.

[0014] According to one possibility, the removable fastening means consist of at least one hook element extending from the mosquito net or the housing and hung by gravity in at least one opening made respectively in the housing or in the mosquito net. Such a fastening method allows the mosquito net to be easily attached and removed from below, using the tracks which then serve as a handle, given that the stops on the mosquito net's side panels provide sufficient space between the back of the housing and the vertical wall so that such manipulations can be controlled from below. In this configuration, the hook elements can be provided on the sides of the mosquito net or on its tracks, and the openings in the sides of the housing or in a wall of the housing, or vice versa.

[0015] Alternatively, the removable fastening means consist, at a contact surface between the mosquito net and the side of the housing, of at least one clip element protruding from either the mosquito net or the housing and elastically fitting into at least one opening in the other. Again, the elastic clip elements may extend from either the mosquito net or the housing.

[0016] The removable fastening means for the mosquito net can, for example, be arranged on each track of said mosquito net, or on its side panel, or on a wall connected to them. The mosquito net can be attached to the side panel of the housing near the upper end of each track panel, which faces the side panel of the housing. Or to a wall of the housing whose openings are positioned to allow for the correct relative positioning of the mosquito net with respect to the housing.

[0017] Alternatively, the part of the removable fixing means relating to the mosquito net can be disposed at least partially on each side of said mosquito net, or in a wall protruding from it.

[0018] Preferably, when the mosquito net is fixed to the housing by means of removable fasteners, the second side channels of the mosquito net rest against the first side channels of the housing. This support is particularly preferable when the removable fasteners operate by gravity alone.

[0019] According to one possibility, the second side channels of the mosquito net and the first side channels of the housing can be a single piece. In this case, preferably, the second side channels of the mosquito net are a single piece with an upper section of the second side channels whose lower end is aligned with the horizontal face of the housing oriented downwards, the one which includes the access panel and the slot for the shutter curtain.

[0020] Advantageously, a removable protective cover can be attached to the stops, said cover covering from below the upper part of the mosquito net, including the rotating shaft for winding the mesh. It allows the winding mechanism of the mosquito net to be concealed from view below, and also protects it from soiling (cobwebs, etc.) which inevitably occurs over time.

[0021] Preferably, this cover can consist of a folded sheet metal comprising, on one side, two panels delimiting the protective volume of the upper part of the mosquito net, and on the other side, a lip extending outwards from said volume, the ends of which are fixed by screwing to the stops. This simple, easy-to-clean structure is very easily fixed at its two ends to the two stops that extend outwards from the sides of the mosquito net, and are therefore well suited for this fixing.

[0022] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, which presents a preferred embodiment of the invention. This is given, however, only by way of illustration and not limitation.

[0023] Understanding this description will be facilitated by referring to the drawings attached in the appendix, in which:

[0024] [Fig. 1] represents a perspective view of a roller shutter box with a mosquito net according to the invention;

[0025] [Fig.2] shows in perspective view one end of the mosquito net, including the part of the cheek containing the stop;

[0026] [Fig.3] represents a perspective view of the mosquito net attached to the sides of the box;

[0027] [Fig.4] shows an enlargement of one end of the previous view;

[0028] [Fig.5] shows an enlargement of the other end of the previous view;

[0029] [Fig.6] represents one end of the mosquito net alone; and

[0030] [Fig.7] shows a perspective view of the box cut along a vertical plane showing the interior towards the wall to which the mosquito net is attached and fixed, revealing removable fixing hooks protruding from said mosquito net;

[0031] [Fig.8] represents a perspective view of part of the box showing in filigree the mosquito net and showing more precisely the means of attachment;

[0032] [Fig.9] is a side view of the configuration of the housing and the one-piece double-sliding mosquito net; and

[0033] [Fig. 10] is a similar side view of the configuration of the box and the separate sliding mosquito net;

[0034] [Fig. 11] shows in perspective view from below the upper part of a mosquito net to be covered by a removable cover which appears in the following figure;

[0035] [Fig. 12] represents the same view as the previous one, with the protective cover; and

[0036] [Fig. 13] shows, in perspective view, an enlargement of an axial end of the upper part of the mosquito net fitted with its hood.

[0037] With reference to [Fig. 1], the mosquito net 1 is in the foreground, attached to the back of the housing 2. The latter conventionally comprises longitudinal panels forming a prismatic volume closed at each end by end plates 22, relative to which a rotating shaft for winding the roller shutter curtain is mounted inside the housing 2. [Fig. 1] shows the upper panel 20 of the housing 2, comprising a chamfered panel 20a connecting it to the vertical panel forming the back of the housing 2, and one of the two end end plates 22 surmounting a guide rail 21 for the curtain. The lower panel of the housing 2 has a passage slot 23 for the roller shutter curtain and an access panel 24 (see [Fig. 7]).

[0038] The mosquito net 1 has a shaft 10 supporting the screen, which rotates about two end flanges 12, which are located – in an axial direction – approximately at the same level as the flanges 22 of the housing 2. This means that the two pairs of flanges 22, 12 respectively of the housing 2 and the mosquito net 1 are separated by approximately the same distance, and that the width of the roller shutter curtain and The dimensions of the mosquito net 1 are similar. Given that the opening in front of which they move is the same, this characteristic seems logical. The side panels 12 of the mosquito net 1 are positioned above tracks 11 which are parallel to, and preferably adjacent to, the tracks 21 of the housing 2. A cord 14 allows the mosquito net 1 to be lowered.

[0039] Figure 2 shows an enlarged detail of the left end of the mosquito net 1, with one of the cheeks 12, the periphery portion of which is located opposite the box 2 and its chamfered edge 20a, is provided with a rod 13 constituting a stop, establishing a template shape to indicate the space necessary for the use, as provided for by the invention, of a mosquito net 1 attached to the box 2: the stop 13 - horizontal in appearance when the mosquito net 1 is mounted to the box 2 of the roller shutter - must be able to be inserted into the space separating the back of the box 2 and a vertical wall of the same orientation as the opening to be fitted with a roller shutter, to ensure that the mosquito net 1 is easily accessible without having to dismantle the box 2. The stop 13 can take other forms, such as for example an arm thicker than the simple rod.

[0040] Figures 3 to 5 show more specifically the assembly formed by the mosquito net 1 and the sides of the housing 2, showing the relative levels of, on the one hand, the first end sides 22 of said housing 2 and, on the other hand, the second end sides 12 or the tracks 11 of the mosquito net 1. The general configuration obtained appears in [Fig. 3], which clearly shows the proximity, at each end, of the sides 12 and 22 resulting from the attachment of the mosquito net 1 to the housing 2. The following figures show enlarged details of this attachment seen from each end at different angles. It can thus be seen that the sides 12 of the mosquito net are no longer in contact, upwards, with the housing 2 due to the existence of a chamfered edge on the sides 22 of the housing 2, which is located in line with the chamfered edge 20a of the housing 2.

[0041] The fastening is achieved via hooks 15, 16 and a flexible tab 17 extending from the mosquito net 1. In the example configuration shown, these elements extend from the mosquito net 1 at the upper end of the track 1. They are intended to cooperate with corresponding openings or openings 25, 26 made in the wall of the box 2 adjacent to the mosquito net 1, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The fastening results from a combination of hooking by means of the hooks 15, 16 and clipping, at the top of the opening 26, by the elastic tab 17, which also appears in [Fig. 6].

[0042] Figure 9 shows one possible configuration of the invention according to which the The second set of tracks for the mosquito net 1 and the first set of tracks for the housing 2 are a single piece, forming a wider track 211. In this case, the sides 12 of the mosquito net are extended downwards by an upper section of the second set of tracks. slides 11', which is in one piece with the cheek 12. The lower end of this upper section 11' of slide is then aligned with the horizontal-looking face of the box 2 oriented downwards, the one which contains the passage slot of the apron 23 and the inspection hatch 24 (see in [Fig.7]).

[0043] Figures 1 and 12 show substantially the same image, the mosquito net 1 being shown respectively without and with the protective cover 30 according to the invention. This cover 30 is removablely attached to the stops 13, and it is designed to cover the upper part of the mosquito net 1, for users who have a view of it from below. It therefore conceals the rotating shaft 10 for winding the mosquito net fabric, as well as the end pieces 12 and, at least partially, the stops 13, which in this example are larger than a simple rod, since they include means for attaching the cover 30.

[0044] Thus, this can take the form of a folded sheet metal having two sides 31, 32 delimiting a parallelepiped volume covering the upper part of the mosquito net 1. For fastening purposes, the sheet metal is folded a second time to create a lip 33 projecting outwards. The axial ends of this lip are fixed by screwing to the stops 13, which for this purpose include, for example, a screw shank 130.

[0045] The design modalities illustrated by the figures are of course not exhaustive of the invention, which on the contrary includes variants of form in particular likely to affect the stop 13, as has been seen, or the means of fixing in the form of hooks 15, 16 combined with a flexible tab 17 protruding from the mosquito net 1, the design of which is not limited to the lines appearing in the figures.

Claims

Demands

1. A roller shutter with an integrated mosquito net (1), comprising a housing (2) defining an interior volume for winding the shutter curtain, said housing (2) comprising longitudinal sections and first side panels (22) extended by first guide rails (21) for the curtain, a horizontal section of the housing (2) facing downwards having, on the one hand, between the first guide rails, a passage slot (23) for said curtain and, on the other hand, an access panel (24), the mosquito net (1) comprising second side panels (12) arranged at the end of a rotating shaft (10) for winding the mosquito net fabric (1) and second guide rails (11) for the lateral edges of the fabric, characterized in that the mosquito net (1) is attached to one side of the housing (2) adjacent to said slot, the side panels (12) of the mosquito net (1) each comprising at less a stop (13) extending, opposite said side of the fixing,towards the outside of the cheek (12) of the mosquito net (1).

2. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each stop (13) consists of an outgrowth forming a rod (13) parallel to the panel containing the inspection hatch, said rod (13) protruding from a portion of the periphery of the cheek (12) of the mosquito net (1) distal to the box (2) of the roller shutter.

3. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mosquito net (1) is fixed to the casing (2) by removable fixing means.

4. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the removable fixing means consist of at least one hook element (15), (16) protruding from the mosquito net (1) or the box (2) and hooked by gravity in at least one opening (25), (26) made respectively in the box (2) or in the mosquito net (1).

5. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the removable fixing means are constituted, at the level of a contact surface between the mosquito net (1) and the casing (2), by at least one clipping element (17) protruding from one of the mosquito net (1) or the box (2) and fitting elastically into at least one opening of the other.

6. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that in the position of fixing the mosquito net (1) on the casing (2) by the removable fixing means, the second slides (11) of the mosquito net (1) rest against the first slides (21) of the casing (2).

7. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second guides (11) of the mosquito net (1) and the first guides (21) of the box (2) are of a single piece.

8. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the second sides (12) of the mosquito net are in one piece with an upper section of second tracks (11') the lower end of which is aligned with the horizontal-looking panel of the box (2) oriented downwards.

9. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a removable protective cover (30) is fixed to the stops (13), said cover (30) covering from below the upper part of the mosquito net (1) including the rotating winding shaft (10) of the fabric.

10. Roller shutter with mosquito net (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the cover (30) consists of a folded sheet having on one hand two sides (31), (32) delimiting the protection volume of the upper part of the mosquito net (1), and on the other hand a rim (33) protruding outwards from said volume, the ends of which are fixed by screwing to the stops (13).