Slat guide mechanism in shutter device

Abstract

To attain a smooth initial shutter curtain winding from a fully closed state of an opening part.SOLUTION: A slat guide mechanism G disposed above a building opening and below a winding shaft 3 includes a guide surface extending along a moving path of a slat when viewed from side, and a virtual inclined surface P 1 defined by the guide surface is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the winding shaft 3 when viewed from side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slat guide mechanism that is provided above an opening in a building. [Background technology]

[0002] In a shutter device, a so-called smoother is sometimes attached to the lintel above the building opening as a slat guide mechanism to ensure smooth opening and closing of the shutter curtain. Rollers are well known as such smoothers, but when the interlocking parts of the slats are guided by contacting the rollers, if the roller diameter is small, the rollers may fall between the upper and lower interlocking parts of the slats, causing the slats to get stuck on the outer periphery of the rollers. If the slats get stuck on the outer periphery of the rollers when the shutter is opened or closed, this can hinder smooth opening and closing and can also cause opening and closing noise.

[0003] In response to this, the present applicant has proposed a slat guide mechanism including an upper guide roller with a guide circumferential surface that contacts the slat, a lower guide roller with a guide circumferential surface that contacts the slat, and a resin guide plate with a guide surface that bridges the guide circumferential surface of the upper guide roller and the guide circumferential surface of the lower guide roller (Patent Document 1). The above slat guide mechanism employs an upper guide roller and a lower guide roller with smaller diameters, but the guide plate is arranged to bridge the guide circumferential surface of the upper guide roller and the guide circumferential surface of the lower guide roller, so that when the shutter is opened or closed, the slat does not fall into the space between the upper guide roller and the lower guide roller, and opening and closing noise that would be generated if the slat fell between the guide rollers can be reduced.

[0004] The left diagram of Figure 12 illustrates a conventional (Patent Document 1) slat guide mechanism G', in which the upper guide roller is positioned farther away from the shutter core than the lower guide roller, and the guide surface of the guide plate is an inclined surface that moves away from the shutter core from the lower end to the upper end. An upward extension of this inclined surface passes through a position spaced away from the outer circumferential surface of the winding shaft 3 toward the shutter core. In the embodiment shown in the left diagram of Figure 12, a tangent line P passing through the guide surface of the slat guide mechanism G' 0 However, the slats are positioned so that they stand up toward the body (shutter core side) of the winding shaft 3 relative to the outer periphery, so that when the shutter curtain is first rolled up from the fully closed state, the slats may flap and hit the smoother hard, generating unpleasant noise or causing the paint on the slats to peel off. [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-121462 DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a slat guide mechanism that enables smooth initial winding of a shutter curtain from a fully closed state of the opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technical means adopted in the present invention are: The slat guide mechanism, located above the building opening and below the winding shaft, A guide surface extending along a moving path of the slat in a side view, When viewed from the side, a virtual inclined surface defined by the guide surface is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the winding shaft. A slat guide mechanism in a shutter device. In one embodiment, the guide surface has a dimension substantially the same as the height dimension of the slats or a dimension larger than the height dimension of the slats in a side view.

[0007] In one embodiment, the slat guide mechanism includes an upper roller and a lower roller, and the imaginary inclined surface is a common circumscribing surface of a peripheral surface of the upper roller and a peripheral surface of the lower roller. In the above-mentioned aspect, the peripheral surfaces of the upper roller and the lower roller may be guide surfaces with which the slats come into contact (for example, the slat guide mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1), or may not be guide surfaces with which the slats come into direct contact (the slat guide mechanism disclosed as an embodiment described later).

[0008] In one embodiment, the slat guide mechanism includes an upper roller, a lower roller, and an endless belt wound around the circumferential surface of the upper roller and the circumferential surface of the lower roller, the endless belt is rotatable integrally with the upper roller and the lower roller when the slat comes into contact with the endless belt, The endless belt forms the guide surface.

[0009] In one embodiment, an intermediate element is provided between the upper roller and the lower roller and has a receiving surface facing the lifting path of the slat, A portion of the endless belt is in sliding contact with or close to the receiving surface of the intermediate element.

[0010] The slat guide mechanism includes an upper roller and a lower roller that are rotatably supported, and an endless belt that is wound around the circumferential surface of the upper roller and the circumferential surface of the lower roller, When the endless belt is in contact with the slat, the endless belt can rotate integrally with the upper roller and the lower roller, and a portion of the endless belt constitutes a guide surface for the slat. In one embodiment, the imaginary inclined plane defined by the guide surface is a common circumscribing plane of the peripheral surfaces of the upper roller and the lower roller (P in FIG. 12). 1 ). In addition, the imaginary inclined plane defined by the guide surface is an inclined plane (P 1 The inclined surface may be parallel to the inclined surface of the inclined surface of the inclined surface. Effect of the Invention

[0011] In the slat guide mechanism of the present invention, when the opening is fully closed, the inclined posture formed by the multiple slats that form the upper end portion of the shutter curtain approximately coincides with the virtual inclined plane defined by the guide surface of the slat guide mechanism, and the slats can be smoothly rolled up when the shutter curtain is first rolled up from the fully closed state, thereby preventing the slats from flapping as much as possible and ensuring quietness. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is a front view of the shutter device (with the opening fully closed). [Figure 2A] FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial vertical cross-sectional view showing an upper portion of the shutter device (exposure fit). [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial vertical cross-sectional view showing an upper portion of the shutter device (fitted inside the ceiling). [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the lintel portion of the shutter device, showing the relationship between the slat guide mechanism and the slats according to this embodiment (exposed position). [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the lintel portion of the shutter device, showing the relationship between the slat guide mechanism and the slats in this embodiment (fitted inside the ceiling). [Figure 4A] 1A and 1B are front and side views showing a slat guide mechanism attached to a lintel portion (for exposed installation). [Figure 4B] 1A and 1B are front and side views showing a slat guide mechanism attached to a lintel portion (for installation inside a ceiling). [Diagram 5] 11 is a diagram showing the number and arrangement of slat guide mechanisms according to the opening width dimension. FIG. [Figure 6] 2A and 2B are front and side views of the slat guide mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the mounting base is removed from the slat guide mechanism in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the endless belt has been removed from the smoother of the slat guide mechanism. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a mounting base according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a shutter device equipped with a slat guide mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention in a fully closed state, and a partially enlarged view of a lintel portion. [Figure 11] 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view and a partially enlarged view of the lintel, showing a state in which several slats at the upper end have been rolled up from the state shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12] The left figure shows the posture of a conventional slat guide mechanism, and the right figure shows the posture of the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 to 20 show the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment, with FIG. 13 showing the previous stage. [Figure 14] 13 to 20 show the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment, and FIG. 14 shows the process of removing one of the screws using a tool. [Figure 15] 13 to 20 show the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment, and FIG. 15 shows a state in which one of the screws has been removed. [Figure 16] 13 to 20 show the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment, and FIG. 16 shows the process of moving the smoother in the horizontal direction to separate it from the other screw. [Figure 17] 13 to 20 show the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment, and FIG. 17 shows the process of removing the smoother from the mounting base. [Figure 18] 13 to 20 show the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment, and FIG. 18 shows the process of removing the smoother from between the slat and the lintel. [Figure 19] 13 to 20 show the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment, and FIG. 19 shows the process of removing the smoother from between the slat and the lintel. [Figure 20]11 shows the movement trajectory of the smoother during the process of removing the slat guide mechanism according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a shutter device (when the opening is fully closed), and FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are vertical cross-sectional views of the upper part of the shutter device (when the opening is fully open). The shutter device includes left and right guide rails 1 erected at both left and right ends of the width direction of the building opening, a shutter case 2 provided above the building opening, a winding shaft 3 provided in the shutter case 2, and a shutter curtain 4 whose upper end is connected to the winding shaft 3. The shutter curtain 4 is formed by interlocking a plurality of slats 40 with each other, and a seat plate 41 is provided at the lower end. In two slats 40 adjacent to each other, the upper interlock connection part 400 of the lower slat 40 engages with the lower interlock connection part 401 of the upper slat 40, and when winding up, the interlock connection part (lower interlock connection part 401) of the slat 40 abuts against the circumferential surface of the winding shaft 3 and the surface part of the slat 40 that has already been wound up.

[0014] In the form shown in Fig. 2A and Fig. 3A (exposed installation), the lower surface 20 of the shutter case 2 is exposed above the space partitioned by the shutter curtain 4, and in the form shown in Fig. 2B and Fig. 3B (inside the ceiling installation), a ceiling CL is provided above the space partitioned by the shutter curtain 4, and the shutter case 2 is located in the space inside the ceiling CL. An opening that forms a lifting path for the shutter curtain 4 is formed above the opening, and the opening communicates with the internal space of the shutter case 2. The opening is formed between the first lintel 10 on the side farther from the structure W and the second lintel 11 on the side closer to the structure W. As shown in Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B, Fig. 4A, and Fig. 4B, the configurations (shape, position, etc.) of the first lintel 10 and the second lintel 11 differ depending on the installation of the shutter curtain 2.

[0015] The shutter curtain 4 rises and falls while its widthwise ends are guided by the guide grooves of the left and right guide rails 1. The upper end of the guide rail 1 extends upward beyond the upper end of the opening, and an expanded upper guide 1A is formed at the upper end. A smoother assembly Sm, i.e., a slat guide mechanism G, is provided above the opening, at approximately the same height as the upper guide 1A, facing the ascending and descending path of the shutter curtain 4.

[0016] 6 and 7, the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment includes an upper roller 5 and a lower roller 6 arranged in the height direction, an intermediate element 7 provided between the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 and having receiving surfaces (a central receiving surface 70, an upper receiving surface 71, and a lower receiving surface 72) facing the lifting path of the slat 40, and an endless belt 8 wound around a circumferential surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and a circumferential surface 60 of the lower roller 6. The upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 are rotatably supported by a bracket 9, the intermediate element 7 is fixed to the bracket 9, and the endless belt 8 is rotatable integrally with the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6.

[0017] 3A and 3B, the slat guide mechanism G is detachably attached to a mounting base 10C fixed to the first lintel 10, located on the opposite side of the upper end portion (shutter core C) of the guide rail 1 from the main body W. In this specification, the terms "slat guide mechanism G" and "smoothener assembly Sm" can often be used interchangeably, but when distinguishing between the two, the assembly of the slat guide mechanism G that does not include the mounting base 10C is referred to as the smoothener assembly Sm, and the slat guide mechanism G includes the mounting base 10C as a component.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, left and right brackets Br are provided in a corrugated shape on the body W, one of which is a driven bracket and the other is a driving bracket. The winding shaft 3 is rotatably supported between the left and right brackets Br, and is driven to rotate by an opening / closing device M attached to the driving bracket Br. As the winding shaft 3 rotates forward and backward, the shutter curtain 4 is unwound from the winding shaft 3 and lowered to close the building opening, and the shutter curtain 4 is wound up on the winding shaft 3 and raised to open the building opening.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the first reinforcing member 12, the second reinforcing member 13, and the first cross member 10A of the first lintel 10 are provided between the left and right brackets Br so as to bridge the left and right brackets Br. The first reinforcing member 12, the second reinforcing member 13, and the first cross member 10A are long members extending horizontally in the opening width direction, and together with the left and right brackets Br, they form the framework of the shutter case 2. In the embodiment shown in Figures 2A, 3A, and 4A, the first lintel 10 is formed by welding the second cross member 10B to the first cross member 10A. In the embodiment shown in Figures 2B, 3B, and 4B, the first lintel 10 is formed by welding the second cross member 10B to the first cross member 10A, and welding the third cross member 10D to the second cross member 10B. The configuration of the first lintel 10 will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the shape and configuration of the first lintel 10 are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0020] In the embodiment shown in Figures 2A, 3A, and 4A, the first lintel 10 is formed from a first horizontal member 10A having a rectangular cross section and a second horizontal member 10B having a generally L-shaped cross section. The first horizontal member 10A is a square pipe having an upper side 100, a lower side 101, a first vertical side 102, and a second vertical side 103. The second horizontal member 10B is formed from a horizontal side 104, a first rising side 105, a second rising side 106, and a horizontal side 107 at the upper end of the rising side 105. The lower side 101 of the first horizontal member 10A is fixed (welded) onto the horizontal side 104 of the second horizontal member 10B to form the first lintel 10.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2A and 3A, the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10 faces the building body W at a distance, and an opening (a path for the shutter curtain 4 to move up and down) extending in the width direction of the opening is formed between the first rising edge 105 and the building body W, and the opening connects the internal space of the shutter case 2 to the building opening. The upper ends of the left and right guide rails 1 are located at both ends in the width direction of the opening. In the embodiment shown in Figures 2A and 3A, the upper guide 1A of the guide rail 1 is located slightly above the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10, and the slat guide mechanism G and the second lintel 11 are located at approximately the same height as the upper guide 1A.

[0022] A stay 108, which is inclined in side view, is provided between the corner of the upper end of the first horizontal member 10A facing the body and the corner of the upper end of the first rising side 105 of the second horizontal member 10B. A mounting base 10C is provided at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the first horizontal member 10A and the second horizontal member 10B. No stay 108 is provided at the position where the mounting base 10C is provided.

[0023] 9, the mounting base 10C is composed of a vertical mounting surface portion 109, an upper surface portion 110, and left and right side surfaces 111. Two left and right screw holes 112 are formed in the mounting surface portion 109. The tip side portion of the upper surface portion 110 extends beyond the tips of the side surfaces 111. The mounting base 10C is fixed to the first lintel 10 by abutting the lower end of the facing surface portion 109 against the horizontal side 107 at the upper end of the rising side 105 of the second cross member 10B of the first lintel 10, abutting the tip of the side portion 111 against the first vertical side 102 of the first cross member 10A of the first lintel 10, and welding the tip of the side portion 111 to the first vertical side 102 and the tip of the top portion 110 to the top side 100 in a state where the mounting base 10C is fixed to the first lintel 10. The shape of the mounting base 10C is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and the shape and connection (welding) points of the mounting base 10C may vary depending on the shape of the first lintel 10 to which the mounting base 10C is fixed.

[0024] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2B, Fig. 3B, Fig. 4B, the first lintel 10 includes a third horizontal member 10D in addition to the first horizontal member 10A and the second horizontal member 10B. As shown in Fig. 4B, the third horizontal member 10D is composed of an upper side 113, a hanging side 114, a lower side 115, and a rising side 116, and the upper side 113 is fixed (welded) to the building body side part of the horizontal side 104 of the second horizontal member 10B so that the hanging side 114 and the first rising side 105 of the second horizontal member 10B form a flush vertical surface. As shown in Fig. 2B and Fig. 3B, the hanging side 114 of the third horizontal member 10D of the first lintel 10 faces the second lintel 11 at a distance, and an opening (a lifting path of the shutter curtain 4) extending in the width direction of the building opening is formed between them. The above description can be used for the configuration and fixing structure of the mounting base 10C.

[0025] 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B, the height position at which the slat guide mechanism G is provided is approximately the same as the height position of the upper guide 1A at the upper end of the guide rail 1. While both longitudinal (widthwise) ends of each slat 40 of the shutter curtain 4 are positioned within the groove of the guide rail 1, both ends are guided by the guide rail 1 as they move up and down, but from the upper guide 1A to the unwinding / winding position of the winding shaft 3, both longitudinal ends are free, so that at the height position of the upper guide 1A, the midway portion of the slat 40 in the longitudinal (widthwise) direction is guided by the slat guide mechanism G.

[0026] One or more slat guide mechanisms G are provided above the opening depending on the opening width dimension (length dimension of the slats 40). When only one slat guide mechanism G is provided, it is provided so as to be located near the center of the opening width, and when multiple slat guide mechanisms G are provided, they are provided with appropriate intervals in the opening width direction. A mounting base 10C is provided on the first lintel 10 in accordance with the mounting position of the slat guide mechanism G (smoothener assembly Sm).

[0027] As shown in FIG. 6, the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment includes an upper roller 5 and a lower roller 6 spaced apart in the height direction, an intermediate element 7 provided between the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 and having receiving surfaces (main surface: central receiving surface 70, upper receiving surface 71, and lower receiving surface 72) facing the lifting path of the slat 40, and two endless belts 8 wound around the circumferential surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the circumferential surface 60 of the lower roller 6. The upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 are rotatably supported by a bracket 9, and the intermediate element 7 is fixed to the bracket 9. The slat guide mechanism G (smoother assembly Sm) is detachably attached to the mounting base 10C via the bracket 9. In the illustrated embodiment, the circumferential surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the circumferential surface 60 of the lower roller 6 are spaced apart from each other, but they may be in contact with each other.

[0028] A portion of the endless belt 8 is in sliding contact with or close to the receiving surfaces (central receiving surface 70, upper receiving surface 71, lower receiving surface 72) of the intermediate element 7, and the endless belt 8 rotates integrally with the upper roller 5 and lower roller 6 when the slat 40 contacts it during the raising and lowering of the shutter curtain 4. In this embodiment, the upper roller 5 and lower roller 6 are made of resin, the intermediate element 7 is made of metal, and the endless belt 8 is made of resin (polyurethane). The endless belt 8 may also be made of rubber. In the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment, the slat 40 does not contact the upper roller 5, lower roller 6, and intermediate element 7, so the materials of these elements can be selected without considering contact with the slats.

[0029] In the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment, the portion of the endless belt 8 facing the body side (shutter core C) forms a guide surface for the slat 40, and this guide surface has a dimension substantially the same as the height dimension of the slat 40 in a side view. In this embodiment, the diameter of the upper roller 5 and the diameter of the lower roller 6 are sufficiently small relative to the height direction of the slat 40, and by using upper guide rollers and lower guide rollers with smaller diameters, the shutter case can be smaller in size than when guide rollers with larger diameters are used. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 have the same size and shape (same diameter and length), but they may have different diameters and lengths.

[0030] As shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the bracket 9 has a pair of opposing side portions 90 and a pair of sight pieces 91, and the shaft portion 52 of the upper roller 5 and the shaft portion 62 of the lower roller 6 are attached between the pair of side portions 90. The upper roller 5 is rotatably supported by the shaft portion 52 via a bearing, and the lower roller 6 is rotatably supported by the shaft portion 62 via a bearing. The sight piece 91 is a vertical piece extending from a lower half of the side portion 90 away from the body W to the opposite side to the shaft portions 52 and 62, and an upper half of the side portion 90 away from the body W is integrally formed with an upper extension portion 900 extending toward the side away from the body W beyond the sight piece 91, and a horizontal abutment portion 901 is formed at the lower end of the upper extension portion 900.

[0031] 7 and 8, the left and right sight pieces 91 of the bracket 9 are formed with insertion portions for screws S1 and S2 for connecting the bracket 9 to the mounting base 10C. The smoother assembly Sm is fixed to the mounting base 10C by fixing the left and right sight pieces 91 to the mounting surface portion 109 with the screws S1 and S2 while the left and right sight pieces 91 of the bracket 9 are abutted against the mounting surface portion 109 of the mounting base 10C and the abutment portion 901 at the lower end of the upper extension portion 900 of the side portion 90 is abutted against the upper surface portion 110 of the mounting base 10C.

[0032] In this embodiment, horizontal grooves 92 are formed in the left and right sight pieces 91 by cutting horizontally from a predetermined position of each sight piece 91 to the outer edge, and the horizontal grooves 92 serve as the insertion portions of the screws S1 and S2. By making the insertion portions of the screws S1 and S2 the horizontal grooves 92 cut from the outer edge, it is possible to remove the smoother assembly Sm (bracket 9) by moving it horizontally so that the other screw comes out of the horizontal groove 92 by removing one screw (for example, screw S2) and loosening the other screw (for example, screw S1) (connected to the screw hole 112 of the sight surface portion 109 of the mounting base 10C) (see Figs. 14 to 19).

[0033] As shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the intermediate element 7 has a receiving surface formed of a central receiving surface 70 as a main surface, an upper receiving surface 71, and a lower receiving surface 72, and connecting pieces 73 are bent and formed in opposing relation at both ends in the width direction of the central receiving surface 70. The intermediate element 7 is provided between the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 by positioning the receiving surfaces (the central receiving surface 70, the upper receiving surface 71, and the lower receiving surface 72) between the frame-side portion of the circumferential surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the frame-side portion of the circumferential surface 60 of the lower roller 6, and connecting the connecting pieces 73 to the respective side surface portions 90 with screws S3. The intermediate element 7 according to this embodiment is made of a bent metal member, but the material of the intermediate element 7 is not limited.

[0034] In the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment, the part of the endless belt 8 facing the body side (shutter core C) is in sliding contact with or close to the receiving surfaces (central receiving surface 70, upper receiving surface 71, lower receiving surface 72) of the intermediate element 7. The receiving surfaces of the intermediate element 7 are made of a material with good slipperiness, and when the slat 40 comes into contact with the receiving surfaces when the shutter curtain 4 is raised or lowered, the endless belt 8 rotates integrally with the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6. When the endless belt 8 rotates, the receiving surfaces of the endless belt 8 and the intermediate element 7 may be in contact with each other or close to each other (separated). The central receiving surface 70 of the receiving surfaces of the intermediate element 7 approximately coincides with an imaginary plane passing through the circumferential surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the circumferential surface 60 of the lower roller 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the receiving surfaces are formed of the central receiving surface 70, the upper receiving surface 71, and the lower receiving surface 72, but the configuration of the receiving surfaces is not limited thereto, and the receiving surfaces may be formed of, for example, a gently curved surface.

[0035] The endless belt 8 according to this embodiment is narrower than the width dimensions of the peripheral surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the peripheral surface 60 of the lower roller 6, and grooves 51, 61 are formed in the peripheral surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the peripheral surface 60 of the lower roller 6 in the circumferential direction, and the endless belt 8 is attached by being looped around so as to fit into the grooves 51, 61. In the illustrated embodiment, two endless belts 8 are provided in two grooves, but the number of endless belts 8 is not limited.

[0036] In this embodiment, the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 are different in distance from the shutter core C. Specifically, the lower roller 6 is located closer to the shutter core C, and the upper roller 5 is located farther from the shutter core C. That is, the peripheral surface 50 of the upper roller 5 is farther from the shutter core C than the peripheral surface 60 of the lower roller 6, and the tangential plane (common circumscribing plane) connecting the peripheral surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the peripheral surface 60 of the lower roller 6 in the tangential direction (side view) is an inclined surface that moves away from the shutter core C from the lower end to the upper end. Therefore, the portion (guide surface) of the endless belt 8 that is wound between the upper roller 5 and the lower roller 6 and faces the body side (shutter core C) is in an inclined posture that moves away from the shutter core C from the lower end to the upper end.

[0037] Slat guide mechanisms with guide surfaces consisting of inclined surfaces have existed in the past. The left diagram of Fig. 12 illustrates a conventional slat guide mechanism G' (Patent Document 1), in which the upper guide roller is disposed farther away from the shutter core than the lower guide roller, and the guide surface of the guide plate is an inclined surface that moves away from the shutter core from the lower end to the upper end. An upward extension of this inclined surface passes through a position spaced away from the outer circumferential surface of the winding shaft 3 toward the shutter core. In the embodiment shown in the left diagram of Fig. 12, a tangent line P passing through the guide surface of the slat guide mechanism G' 0 However, the slats are positioned so that they stand up toward the body (shutter core side) of the winding shaft 3 relative to the outer periphery, so that when the shutter curtain is first rolled up from the fully closed state, the slats may flap about and hit the smoother hard, generating unpleasant noise or causing the paint on the slats to peel off.

[0038] The right diagram of Fig. 12 shows the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment, in which the tangential plane (common circumscribing plane) connecting the peripheral surface 50 of the upper roller 5 and the peripheral surface 60 of the lower roller 6 in the tangential direction (side view) is extended upward to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the winding shaft 3. That is, when the opening is fully closed, the inclination formed by the multiple slats 40 forming the upper end portion of the shutter curtain 4, more specifically, the multiple slats 40 located between the outer circumferential surface of the winding shaft 3 and the height position of the upper guide 1A, is a virtual inclined plane P passing through the tangential plane (common circumscribing plane). 1 Therefore, the slats 40 can be smoothly wound up and unwound at the initial movement of rolling up the shutter curtain 4 from the fully closed state of the opening, and flapping of the slats 40 can be prevented as much as possible, ensuring quiet operation.

[0039] 10 shows the fully closed state of the shutter device, in which the upper interlock connecting portion 401 and the lower interlock connecting portion 401 of the slat 40 located at the height position of the slat guide mechanism G are in contact with the upper portion (supported by the peripheral surface 50 of the upper roller 5) and the lower portion (supported by the peripheral surface 60 of the lower roller 6) of the endless belt 8 of the slat guide mechanism G that faces the shutter lifting path. When the shutter curtain 4 is wound up on the winding shaft 3 from this state, the friction between the interlock connecting portion 401 and the endless belt 8 causes the endless belt 8 to rotate, and the slat 40 is guided upward.

[0040] At the initial winding movement, the slat 40 rises slightly (by about 0.5 slats), causing the lower interlock connection part 401 of the slat 40 to move to the intermediate part of the part of the endless belt 8 facing the shutter lifting path (located between the upper roller 5 and the lower guide roller 6, and not supported by the upper roller 5 and the lower guide roller 6) (see Figure 11). However, when the lower interlock connection part 401 of the slat 40 abuts against the intermediate part of the endless belt 8, the intermediate part of the endless belt 8 is supported by the receiving surfaces of the intermediate element 7 (central receiving surface 70, upper receiving surface 71, lower receiving surface 72). Therefore, the slat 40 is guided upward (while rotating the endless belt 8) without falling between the upper roller 5 and the lower guide roller 6, thereby suppressing vibration of the slat 40 and preventing the generation of unpleasant noise and peeling of the paint on the slat 40.

[0041] In the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment, when the shutter curtain 4 is opened or closed, the slats 40 repeatedly come into contact with the endless belt 8, so that the endless belt 8 is easily worn out. However, in order to replace the endless belt 8, it is necessary to remove the slat guide mechanism G. Since conventional slat guide mechanisms are fixed (welded) to the lintel member (for example, in the left diagram of FIG. 12, the slat guide mechanism G' is welded to the lintel member 10'), when maintenance such as part replacement occurs, it is necessary to remove the entire case and replace the entire lintel member. Furthermore, if the case is fitted inside the ceiling, it is possible that parts cannot be replaced without destroying the ceiling.

[0042] The slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment is composed of a smoother assembly Sm and a mounting base 10C that is fixed to the first lintel 10 and to which the bracket 9 of the smoother assembly Sm is detachably attached by screws S1 and S2, the heads of the screws S1 and S2 are accessible from the gap between the first lintel 10 and the shutter curtain 4, and the smoother assembly Sm has a dimension that allows it to be removed from the gap between the first lintel 10 and the shutter curtain 4. In the slat guide mechanism G according to this embodiment, by making the smoother assembly Sm detachable from the mounting base 10C (fixed to the first lintel 10), it is possible to remove only the smoother assembly Sm without removing the first lintel 10.

[0043] The removal process of the smoother assembly Sm according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 20. Figure 13 shows the previous stage. To remove the smoother assembly Sm, first, the shutter curtain 4 is lowered slightly (for example, about 150 mm) (when fully open, the seat plate 41 gets in the way of the work), forming a gap between the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10 and the shutter curtain 4 that is accessible from the opening.

[0044] Fig. 14 shows the process of removing one of the screws S2 using a tool J. In this embodiment, a swivel ratchet wrench is used as the tool J. The swivel ratchet wrench is inserted through the gap between the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10 and the shutter curtain 4 to access the heads of the screws S1 and S2, loosen the screw S1, and remove the screw S2. Fig. 15 shows the state in which the one of the screws S2 has been removed.

[0045] Fig. 16 shows a process of sliding the smoother assembly Sm horizontally (to the right in the drawing) from the position shown in Fig. 15 to move the horizontal groove 92 of the left-side sight piece 91 of the bracket 9 away from the other screw S1. In the position shown in Fig. 16, the smoother assembly Sm can move in a direction in which the left and right sight pieces 91 of the bracket 9 move away from the sight surface 109 of the mounting base 10C toward the body W.

[0046] Fig. 17 shows the process of removing the smoother assembly Sm from the mounting base 10C, and Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 show the process of removing the smoother assembly Sm from between the shutter curtain 4 and the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10. As shown in Fig. 17, while pushing the shutter curtain 4 toward the body (the second lintel 11 side), the gap between the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10 and the shutter curtain 4 is widened, and the smoother assembly Sm is moved horizontally toward the body. At this time, the left and right facing pieces 91 of the bracket 9 are separated from the facing surface portion 109 of the mounting base 10C, but the abutment portion 901 at the lower end of the upper extension portion 900 of the side portion 90 of the bracket 9 is abutting the upper surface portion 110 of the mounting base 10C.

[0047] By moving the smoother assembly Sm downwards while rotating it from the position shown in Fig. 17, the abutment state between the abutment portion 901 at the lower end of the upper extension portion 900 of the side portion 90 of the bracket 9 and the upper surface portion 110 of the mounting base 10C is released, and the smoother assembly Sm is taken out downwards from between the shutter curtain 4 and the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10 (Figs. 18 and 19). Fig. 20 shows the movement trajectory of the smoother assembly Sm in the process of removing it, and the smoother assembly Sm is moved downwards while rotating.

[0048] A replacement smoother assembly Sm is prepared to replace the removed smoother assembly Sm. The replacement smoother assembly Sm can be attached in the reverse order of the removal steps (in the order of Fig. 18 → Fig. 17 → Fig. 16 → Fig. 15 → Fig. 14 → Fig. 13).

[0049] While pushing the shutter curtain 4 toward the main body (the second lintel 11 side), the gap between the first rising edge 105 of the second horizontal member 10B of the first lintel 10 and the shutter curtain 4 is widened, and the replacement smoother assembly Sm is inserted from below and moved to the specified position. At this time, the screw S1 is attached to the mounting surface 109 of the mounting base 10C, so the smoother assembly Sm can be easily positioned by moving the smoother assembly Sm horizontally so that the shaft of the screw S1 is inserted into the horizontal groove 92 of the left mounting piece 91 of the bracket 9. The posture shown in FIG. 15 is obtained, and the insertion part of the screw S2 (horizontal groove 92) and the screw hole 112 are aligned.

[0050] A screw S2 and a tool (a swivel ratchet wrench) are inserted through the gap between the first rising edge 105 of the second cross member 10B of the first lintel 10 and the shutter curtain 4, and the screw S2 is tightened into the screw hole 112. By tightening the screw S1, the replacement smoother assembly Sm is attached to the mounting base 10C and the slat guide mechanism G is formed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 5 Upper roller 50 circumferential surface 51 Groove 6 Lower roller 60 Circumferential surface 61 Groove 7 Intermediate Elements 70 Central receiving surface 71 Upper receiving surface 72 Lower support surface 8 Endless Belt 9 Bracket G Slat guide mechanism Sm Smoother Assembly

Claims

1. The slat guide mechanism, located above the building opening and below the winding shaft, A guide surface extending along a moving path of the slat in a side view, When viewed from the side, a virtual inclined surface defined by the guide surface is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the winding shaft. Slat guide mechanism in a shutter device.

2. The slat guide mechanism includes an upper roller and a lower roller, and the imaginary inclined surface is a common circumscribing surface of the peripheral surface of the upper roller and the peripheral surface of the lower roller. The slat guide mechanism of claim 1 .

3. The slat guide mechanism includes an upper roller, a lower roller, and an endless belt wound around a circumferential surface of the upper roller and a circumferential surface of the lower roller, the endless belt is rotatable integrally with the upper roller and the lower roller when the slat comes into contact with the endless belt, The endless belt forms the guide surface. The slat guide mechanism according to claim 1 or 2.

Images