Arch Shutter Louver Segmentation for Complete Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing arch-shaped shutters fail to achieve complete closure in both room-side up and room-side down configurations due to the design of pivotable and non-pivotable louver portions, resulting in incomplete coverage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates pivotable and non-pivotable frame portions with 'V' shaped indentations and projections that allow louvers to pivot fully in both configurations, ensuring complete overlap and closure by using male-to-female and female-to-female frame blocks with recessed light stops, enabling the shutter to close effectively in both orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the Marocco shutter design is used with pivotable and non-pivotable louver portions, then the shutter can be configured for arch-shaped openings, but the closure is incomplete when fully closed in the room-side up configuration
Solution Approach 1:
Each louver is divided into three separate portions: a first non-pivotable portion, a second pivotable portion, and a third non-pivotable portion. This segmentation allows the pivotable portion to rotate independently to achieve complete closure in both room-side up and room-side down configurations, resolving the incomplete closure problem while maintaining the overall louver structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional louver design by making the central portion pivotable rather than the outer portions. This inversion allows the louver to achieve complete closure in both orientations by having the middle section rotate to bridge the gap between the fixed outer portions, solving the closure completeness issue
2Reliability
If the top edge of each pivotable louver portion abuts the bottom edges of the two non-pivotable portions, then the pivoting motion is stopped, but complete closure cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The second pivotable louver portion acts as an intermediary element between the first and third non-pivotable portions. This middle section can rotate independently to fill the gap that would otherwise exist at the center of the arch, enabling complete closure by mediating the connection between the fixed outer portions
Solution Approach 2:
The louver design incorporates dynamic elements by making the central portion pivotable while keeping the outer portions fixed. This dynamic configuration allows the louver to adapt its shape during operation, rotating the middle section to achieve complete closure in both room-side up and room-side down positions
Data Source
AI summary
A shutter for covering for architectural openings having non-conventional geometries. The shutter may be used for covering a wide variety of shapes of openings, including arched, curved, circular, oval, triangular, hexagonal, square and rectangular geometries, as well as any combination of these geometries. A plurality of frame blocks form a frame of the shutter, each frame block having front and rear faces; a top surface; an outer surface; a vertical inner surface, and a horizontal bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface of a first block of the plurality of frame blocks rests on the top surface of a next lower second block of the plurality of frame blocks and extends inwardly beyond the vertical inner surface of the second block to define a cantilevered portion.