Accordion Shutter Hinge Assembly

摘要

A hinge assembly connecting adjacent panels of an accordion shutter includes a hinge member having a pair of curved arms and a pair of panel connection members each having a pivot shaft. The pivot shafts are received within the corresponding curved arms and retained for rotation therein with the tips of the curved arms received in arm receiving channels of the panel connection members. The adjacent panels may be oriented at an angle of less than 180° with respect to each other when both panel connection members are rotated to positions wherein the tips of curved arms are engaged by the closed ends of the arm receiving channels. The base of the hinge member also has a pair of shoulders, and the adjacent panels are oriented approximately parallel when the panel connection members are rotated to positions wherein the panel connection members are engaged by the shoulders.

主权项

1. A hinge assembly for connecting adjacent panels of a foldable closure along lateral edges of the adjacent panels, the hinge assembly comprising:
a hinge member having a pair of curved arms each having a tip and a substantially constant radius of curvature to sweep semi-circular arcs about a corresponding longitudinal axis of the curved arm; and a pair of panel connection members each having a pivot shaft, a panel connection portion configured to engage and retain a lateral edge of one of the adjacent panels, and a curved connection portion connecting the panel connection portion to the pivot shaft, wherein an inner surface of the curved connection portion and a portion of an outer surface of the pivot shaft of each panel connection member define an arm receiving channel having a closed end, wherein the pivot shaft of each of the pair of panel connection members is disposed within a corresponding one of the pair of curved arms of the hinge member and retained for rotation therein and with the tip of the curved arm received in the arm receiving channel of the panel connection member, and wherein the adjacent panels connected by the hinge assembly are oriented at an angle of less than 180° with respect to each other when both panel connection members are rotated to positions wherein the tips of the pair of curved arms are engaged by the closed ends of the arm receiving channels of the panel connection members.