BLADES OF FIXED SUNSHADE DEVICES, AND METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

Abstract

The invention relates to a blade of a brise-soleil device, said blade being noteworthy in that it is produced in one piece comprising: substantially planar elongate, separate and parallel solid lamellae, discontinuous cutouts separating the solid lamellae, connecting spacers providing connection and spacing between solid lamellae, said cutouts being enclosed by the edges of the lamellae and the edges of the connecting spacers. The invention also relates to a method and a device for manufacturing such a blade.

Claims

1-9. (canceled)

10. A blade of a fixed sunshade device, the blade being made as a single piece comprising: solid slats that are substantially planar, elongated, disjointed and parallel, discontinuous recesses separating the solid slats, connecting braces ensuring connection and bracing between solid slats, said recesses being framed by the edges of the slats and the edges of the connecting braces.

11. The blade of a fixed sunshade device according to claim 10, wherein the longitudinal edges of the slats form continuous ridges, the discontinuous recesses are aligned between the slats and the connecting braces connect the adjacent edges of said slats.

12. The blade of a fixed sunshade device according to claim 10, wherein the braces separating the same two slats are coplanar, the plane in which the braces separating and connecting the same two slats are positioned being different from that of the slats, the planes in which the slats are positioned being parallel to each other and those in which the braces are positioned being parallel to each other.

13. The blade of a fixed sunshade device according to claim 10, wherein the braces, and therefore the recesses which they frame, are aligned from one pair of slats to another.

14. The blade of a fixed sunshade device according to claim 10, wherein the braces, and therefore the recesses that they frame, are offset from one pair of slats to another.

15. The blade of a fixed sunshade device according to claim 10, wherein the slats each consist, in a projection, of a succession of elongated, coplanar parallelograms, said parallelograms being connected to each other by a portion of their long length and offset from one another in the direction of their long length.

16. The blade of a fixed sunshade device according to claim 15, wherein the slats are parallel to each other and offset, the brace projecting from one short side of a parallelogram of a first slat connecting to the opposite short side of another parallelogram of an adjacent slat.

17. A method for manufacturing the blade of a fixed sunshade device according to claim 15, wherein the blade is manufactured from a planar ribbon forming a flat profile on which parallel series of aligned elongated longitudinal slots separated by portions of material are made iteratively and at a determined pitch to separate parallel longitudinal planar portions, the slots of one series with respect to the other being offset lengthwise, said longitudinal planar portions then being deformed, the deformation creating a brace and at the slots, an opening forming a recess between the longitudinal planar portions belonging to different alignments and forming the slats.

18. The device for implementing the method of claim 17, comprising at least one set of rotatable jaws synchronously rotating, between which a portion of the flat profile is disposed widthwise, whether or not previously incised, said jaws being disposed in pairs at different positions to come into contact on different portions of the width of the blade, the pairs of jaws being offset from each other so as to reproduce the gap of the slats, said jaws adopting a profile with at least one spiral, the difference in radius between the beginning and the end of the spiral forming a planar step ensuring deformation of the planar portions of the slats to form the braces.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a perspective view of a first embodiment of a blade in accordance with the invention;

[0063] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of a blade in accordance with the invention;

[0064] FIG. 3 and

[0065] FIG. 4 are schematic perspective drawings of different positions of a device for manufacturing a blade also having the configuration shown in FIG. 2;

[0066] FIG. 5 and

[0067] FIG. 6 are top view schematic drawings of a blade being manufactured and finalized by the device of FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] As illustrated in the drawing of FIG. 1, the blade 100 of the sunshade device (not illustrated) adopts the shape of an accordion folding and is made from a flat profile preformed by several operations so as to have opaque sunshade parts and, between these parts, openwork parts allowing light to pass therethrough.

[0069] The embodiment of the blade 100 comprises, before folding, a material removal operation for the purpose of making several series of longitudinal aligned elongated recesses or ports 110 in the flat profile for the purpose of separating substantially planar longitudinal portions of material or slats 120. Said ports 110 of a same alignment are separated on a same series by portions of material or braces 130 which adopt the width of the ports 110. These braces 130 ensure the transverse connection and gap between the planar longitudinal portions of material 120.

[0070] The accordion folding is made by using the longitudinal edges of the longitudinal portions 120 of material as a folding line. This folding causes a change of planes of said separate planar longitudinal portions 120, which remain connected by said portions of material 130.

[0071] The longitudinal portions 120 of material remain substantially planar after folding and are parallel to each other. Similarly, the transverse connecting portions 130 also remain planar and are parallel to each other or coplanar (if located in the same alignment of openings 110).

[0072] The angle of the folding and the angle of positioning of the blade 100 make it possible to meet criteria defined to make up the desired sunshade, namely solid parts for opacity and recessed parts to allow vision through the blade.

[0073] The drawing of FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a blade 100′ for a sunshade device (not illustrated) which has the advantage of not requiring a material removal while providing, from a flat profile, opaque sunshade parts and, between the latter, openwork parts allowing light to pass therethrough, as in the previous embodiment.

[0074] The blade 100′ is made from a planar ribbon forming the flat profile, parallel series of aligned elongated slots separated by connecting portions of material or braces 130′ are made to separate aligned longitudinal planar portions or slats 120′. The slots in one series with respect to the other are offset lengthwise so that the braces 130′ are also offset both longitudinally in a same alignment and transversely.

[0075] Indeed, said longitudinal planar portions 120′ are deformed at the connecting braces 130′ so as to create an opening 110′ between the longitudinal planar portions 120′ belonging to different alignments. This deformation by folding consists in offsetting said longitudinal planar portions 120′ by folding said connecting portions of material 130′.

[0076] The edges of the slats 120′ form discontinuous ridges by each consisting, in projection, of four coplanar rectangular portions 121′, 122′, 123′, 124′ by being connected to each other but by being offset from one rectangular portion to the other, at the end by their long side, the short sides receiving the connecting braces 130′ to make the connection with an adjacent slat 120′. Indeed, for example, the brace 131′ projects from one short side of the rectangular portion 122′ of a first slat 120′ and connects to the opposite short side of another rectangular portion 122′ of an adjacent slat 120′.

[0077] As illustrated, said braces 130′ separating the same two slats 120′ are parallel and non-coplanar.

[0078] A manufacturing device D′ has been designed and is illustrated by the drawings in FIGS. 4 and 5. Work is made in iso-planes. Surfaces that are strictly in the same plane are offset by one pattern lengthwise. Next, moving jaws are replaced by a series of jaws profiled in the unwinding direction that rotate together and are offset both lengthwise and widthwise.

[0079] In this device D′, a metal strip B passes through a series of rotatable jaws. These rotatable jaws are disposed in pairs, each pair being positioned at a different height. The height of the jaw corresponds to the thickness of the elongated planar portions or slats 120′ of the blade 100′.

[0080] The drawing in FIG. 5 illustrates the pattern produced by rotating the rotatable jaws. The longitudinal lines are slots and the transverse lines correspond to folds. When the rotation is continued, the pattern is repeated as illustrated in the drawings of FIG. 6, in which the slats 120′ composed of the rectangular parallelograms 121′, 122′123′, 124′ which are adjacent to each other can be distinguished since it is a top view.

[0081] The four pairs of jaws make it possible to make the blade 100′ which has four solid slats 120′ and 3 series of ports or recesses 110′ (see FIG. 2).

[0082] As illustrated, the jaws are not circular-curve cylinders. Their external surface adopts a symmetrical double spiral curve that bears against the material of the strip B. A first spiral curve starts at the bottom of the end of the second spiral, creating a planar step that, coming into correspondence by rotation with the symmetrical step of the rotatable jaw of the same pair, ensures deformation of the strip by forming the fold corresponding to the brace 130′.

[0083] The incision may have been made during or prior to the rotation of said jaws.

[0084] It is understood that the method, device and blades, have just been described and represented above, for the sake of disclosure rather than limitation. Of course, various adjustments, modifications and improvements may be made to the above examples without departing from the scope of the invention.