264results about "Hurricane shutters" patented technology

An assembly for covering a building opening that provides a shaft positioned at one end of the building opening, a curtain carried by the shaft, and a locking mechanism at the opposed end of the building opening from the shaft that selectively holds the curtain in a locked position to cover the building opening. The assembly also includes an input for selectively rotating the shaft, and a linking assembly adapted to transfer the input to the shaft to selectively rotate the shaft, wherein the linking assembly includes a failsafe portion designed to fail upon a predetermined impact force on the curtain. An operator is also provided to allow controllable movement of the curtain between the various positions.

A panel (10) for protecting a portion of a structure such as a window (11) includes a frame member (13) made up of four channel members (16-19) interconnected by corner members (20). One end of each channel member (16-19) includes an opening to receive an edge of a sheet (33) of flexible material. The sheet (33) is provided with a thickened area (34) near each edge thereof. A fabric locking and stretching member (15) closes the opening in each channel member (16-19) and engages the thickened area (34) of the fabric sheet (33) to stretch the sheet (33) within the frame member (13).

The panel attachment system includes opposite upper and lower tracks attached to the edges of an opening in a building structure, and one or more panels that secure removably to the tracks to protect the opening from extreme weather, such as hurricane force winds. The upper track has a generally “h” shaped cross section and secures the upper edge of the panel therein. The lower track has a generally “F” shaped cross section, and holds the heads of a series of threaded fasteners in the channel of the track. The threaded shanks of the fasteners protrude outwardly normal to the building structure, pass through holes formed in the lower edge of the panel, and are secured by corresponding nuts. Two or more panels may be joined to cover a wider opening. The panels may be formed of corrugated plastic material.

A storm curtain assembly (10) includes a fabric curtain (11) which may be wound onto a roll (17) and stored within a canister housing (16) when not in use, and substantially unwound from the roll (17) to cover an opening in a building. When unwound, a lock bar (18) is engaged by the hooks (27) of the lock blocks (21) carried by the housing (16) and by lock tabs (22) carried by the housing (16). The lock tabs (22) extend through slots (28) formed in curtain (11) so as to be able to engage the lock bar (18). As such, the roll (17) and other drive or counterbalance components (15) carried in the housing (16) are protected from any forces on the curtain (11), such forces being absorbed by the housing (16).

A brace assembly is provided to hold a panel against a windowed building component to prevent property damage during a severe storm. The brace assembly includes a bar having a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion includes a plate having a threaded hole therein. The brace assembly further includes a threaded rod that is fastened to the threaded hole at one end and includes a foot plate at a second end. A turn handle extends through the threaded rod for facilitating rotation of the threaded rod. When the brace assembly is placed against a panel extending across a windowed building component, rotation of the threaded rod forces the foot plate and bar against opposing frame walls, thereby holding the panel in place.

A storm panel of high strength fabric is constructed, reinforced, and installed in such a way as to comply with the building codes as a large missile impact system. The panel includes a zippered opening for access through the panel when in use. When not in use, the fabric can be rolled and stored and placed in an attractive cover without disassembly.

A pressure-vent hurricane shutter having predetermined requisite strength of shutter framework (1) encompassing slatted-louver apertures (31) with slat-support guides (6) and (7) for protection against storm-borne objects, wind and rain and venting harmful buildups and bursts of pressure from vacuums created on building from hurricane forces. The shutter framework includes structural beams to which ends of slanted slats (5) are attached rigidly. Ends of slat-support guides (6) and (7) are affixed intermediate the ends of both the inward edges of the slanted slats (20) and the outward edges of the slanted slats (25). The shutter framework (1) have hold down tabs (12) to keep the shutter framework (1) from being blown open during a storm. The shutter framework (1) has ribbed hinges (17) to at least one side of a building aperture in accordance with desired shutter style and structure which include top-hinged Bahama Shutters (29) and sides-hinged Colonial Shutters (30).

An apparatus for securing a protective panel over a window includes at least one telescoping retainer bar that is tightly fixed within a window frame, adjacent the panel. Spring-biased locking buttons removably seat within one or more longitudinally-disposed apertures to fix the retainer bar at a desired length. At each end of the bar is a resilient pad that firmly engages one of two opposing sides of a window or door frame. One of the pads is movable relative to the bar to further tighten the bar within the frame once the telescoping bar has been extended as far as possible. The pad at the opposing end includes a biasing means for further anchoring the bar within the frame.

A weather barrier is provided for a frangible element such as a window having an outer perimeter, the frame including a plurality of struts defining a converging end and a diverging end of the frame, the diverging end having a given periphery, a plurality of brackets disposed about the outer perimeter of the frangible element, the diverging end of the frame engageable with the brackets to space the converging end spaced from the window, the given periphery of the diverging end corresponding to the outer perimeter of the window, and a flexible material encapsulating the frame to define an enclosed volume.