JP7530773B2 - Method for incorporating a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of a method for incorporating a reinforcing device for reinforcing a shutter curtain into an existing architectural shutter device installed to open and close openings such as entrances and exits of buildings and other structures.

Nowadays, architectural shutter devices are sometimes installed at openings such as entrances and exits inside and outside buildings and other structures, which open and close the openings by guiding a shutter curtain up and down on guide rails arranged on the left and right. The shutter curtains installed in such architectural shutter devices are directly affected by weather fluctuations on the outdoor side, and such weather fluctuations include strong winds that occur during bad weather such as typhoons and torrential rain, and the shutter curtains are required to be able to withstand such strong winds.
However, when a shutter curtain is hit by a strong wind, the central part of the shutter curtain bends (depresses) toward the indoor or outdoor side, causing the left and right edges to come out of the guide rail. To address this problem, wind-resistant hooks are provided on both the left and right ends of the shutter curtain, and when the shutter curtain is bent by a strong wind, these wind-resistant hooks are engaged with engaging portions provided within the guide rail to prevent the shutter curtain from bending, thereby preventing the shutter curtain from coming out of the guide rail and improving the wind resistance.
Some of the shutters equipped with wind-resistant hooks in this way have sufficient wind resistance, but there are some that do not have wind-resistant hooks, or those that are installed at large openings where the existing wind-resistant hooks alone do not have the wind resistance to withstand the onset of a large typhoon, etc. In such cases, if you try to retrofit a shutter curtain with wind-resistant hooks that have the necessary wind resistance, not only will you have to change the shutter curtain to one with wind-resistant hooks, but you will also have to change the guide rail, for example, to one that is compatible with the wind-resistant hooks, which will require almost the same amount of work as if you were installing a new shutter curtain, or even more work than if you were installing a new shutter curtain.
It has therefore been proposed to provide reinforcing posts on at least one of the inside and outside of a shutter curtain in a closed position so as to abut against the shutter curtain when it is bent by strong winds, thereby preventing it from bending (see Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 4697644

However, in the above-mentioned conventional devices, the reinforcing posts are configured to be freely movable left and right in a vertical position using a hanger-type upper rail system or an upper rail and a lower rail installed on the floor surface, and are moved from a stored position to a reinforcing position, and the reinforcing posts are positioned and fixed in place once moved to the reinforcing position. However, there is no suggestion anywhere about the process for assembling such a shutter curtain reinforcing device, and still less about assembling a shutter curtain reinforcing device to an existing shutter device. In light of this reality, the problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a suitable method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcing device to an existing shutter device.

The present invention has been created in view of the above-mentioned circumstances and with the objective of solving these problems. The invention of claim 1 relates to a shutter curtain reinforcement device for an architectural shutter device configured to reinforce a shutter curtain that is guided by left and right guide rails installed at an opening such as an entrance to a building to open and close the opening by using a reinforcing post that moves in a vertical position from a storage position close to the guide rails to a reinforcement position in the left and right middle of the opening and is positioned and supported at said reinforcement position, the shutter curtain reinforcement device comprising a reinforcing post with an upper roller installed at its upper end, an upper rail that is installed above the opening and guides the reinforcing post between the storage position and the reinforcement position as the upper roller travels, and a lower support member that supports the lower end of the reinforcing post positioned at the reinforcement position against the floor. The method for retrofitting the reinforcement device into an existing architectural shutter device comprises a rail mounting process for mounting an upper rail to the top of the opening, a support column assembly process for assembly a reinforcing column into the attached upper rail, and a recessed portion forming process for forming a recess in the floor portion to support a lower support member , wherein the upper rail attached in the rail mounting process is short to the reinforcement position relative to the left-right width of the opening, and the end on the reinforcement position side is an open end that can be opened and closed freely via a blocking plate, and the support column assembly process is a process for inserting an upper roller from the open opening end to assembly the reinforcing column into the upper rail .
The invention of claim 2 is a method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device described in claim 1, characterized in that the post assembly process includes a process of assembling the reinforcing post into the upper rail from the opening end and then sealing the opening end with a sealing plate.
The invention of claim 3 is a method for incorporating a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper rail and the reinforcing post are each provided with a hanging fitting that can be attached and detached, and the post assembly process includes the steps of supporting a lifting machine on the hanging fitting provided on the upper rail, connecting the engaging portion of the supported lifting machine to the hanging fitting provided on the reinforcing post, and assembling the reinforcing post lifted by the lifting machine into the upper rail.
The invention of claim 4 provides a shutter curtain reinforcement device for an architectural shutter device configured to move, in a vertical position, a shutter curtain that opens and closes the opening by being guided by left and right guide rails provided at an opening such as an entrance to a building from a stored position close to the guide rails to a reinforcement position in the left and right middle of the opening and to be positioned and supported at said reinforcement position, the shutter curtain reinforcement device being configured to include a reinforcement post having an upper roller provided at its upper end, an upper rail provided above the opening and guiding the reinforcing post between the stored position and the reinforcement position as the upper roller travels, and a lower support member that supports the lower end of the reinforcing post positioned at the reinforcement position against the floor, and the reinforcement device can be retrofitted to an existing architectural shutter device. The method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device comprises a rail attachment process for attaching an upper rail to the top of an opening, a support column assembly process for assembling a reinforcing column into the attached upper rail, and a recess forming process for forming a recess in the floor section for supporting a lower support member, wherein the upper rail and the reinforcing column are each provided with a hanging fitting that can be attached or detached, and the support column assembly process comprises a step of supporting a lifting machine on the hanging fitting provided on the upper rail, a step of connecting an engagement portion of the supported lifting machine to the hanging fitting provided on the reinforcing column, and a step of assembling the reinforcing column lifted by the lifting machine into the upper rail.
The invention of claim 5 is a method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device described in any one of claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the recess forming process is performed after the support mounting process.
The invention of claim 6 is a method for incorporating a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device described in claim 5, characterized in that the position for forming the recessed portion is determined by moving the reinforcing support pillar assembled in the support pillar assembly process to a reinforcement position.

By adopting the invention of claim 1, when a reinforcing device that uses a vertically oriented reinforcing post to reinforce a shutter curtain is incorporated into an existing architectural shutter device, the reinforcing device is configured to include the reinforcing post, an upper rail along which an upper roller provided on the reinforcing post runs, and a lower support member that supports the lower end of the reinforcing post located at the reinforcement position, and when incorporating these, there are the steps of attaching the upper rail, incorporating the reinforcing post, and forming a recess that supports the lower support member, so that a reinforcing device with a vertically oriented reinforcing post can be easily attached to an existing architectural shutter device.
Furthermore, when assembling the reinforcing post into the upper rail in the post assembly process, the blocking plate can be removed from the end of the upper rail on the reinforcing position side to create an open end, and the upper roller can be inserted from here to install the reinforcing post into the upper rail, making it easier to install the reinforcing post into the upper rail.
By using the invention as defined in claim 2, the opening end can be easily sealed with a sealing plate after the reinforcing post is assembled into the upper rail, thereby preventing the reinforcing post from falling off from the upper rail.
By using the inventions of claims 3 and 4, when assembling the reinforcing support into the upper rail, the reinforcing support can be lifted using a lifting machine supported by a lifting fitting provided on the upper rail, and the lifted reinforcing support can then be assembled into the upper rail, thereby improving workability.
By adopting the invention of claim 5 , the rail installation process and pillar installation process, which are work carried out above the opening, are carried out, and then the recess formation process is carried out on the floor side, making it possible to carry out concentrated work according to the working height, thereby improving workability.
By adopting the invention of claim 6 , when forming the recessed portion, the formation position of the recessed portion can be determined by moving the reinforcing pillar assembled in the pillar assembly process to the reinforcing position, eliminating the need to measure dimensions each time and determining the position, thereby improving workability.

1 is a front view of an architectural shutter device with the reinforcing column positioned in the storage position. FIG. 1 is a front view of an architectural shutter device with a reinforcing post positioned in a reinforcing position. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view of an architectural shutter device. A side view of the upper end portion of the architectural shutter device. A side view of the lower end portion of the architectural shutter device. FIG. 13 is a side view of an upper end portion at a reinforcement position of the reinforcement device. FIG. 4 is a front view of the upper end portion of the reinforcement device. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views taken along lines II and II-II in FIG. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views taken along lines III-III and IV-IV in FIG. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views taken along lines VV and VI-VI in FIG. 13 is a front view of the upper end portion of the reinforcement device with the reinforcement pillar positioned in the storage position. FIG. 1 is a front view of an upper end portion of a reinforcement device with a reinforcement strut positioned at a reinforcement position. FIG. 13A and 13B are a plan view and a side view of the upper end portion of the reinforcement device when the reinforcement pillar is positioned at the reinforcement position. A plan cross-sectional view showing the state in which the reinforcing column located in the storage position is engaged with the main body. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D are a plan view, a front view, a side view, and a sectional front view showing the recess with the lid open. 13A and 13B are schematic explanatory views showing the assembly procedure for the first half of the reinforcement device. 13A and 13B are schematic explanatory views showing the latter half of the assembly procedure of the reinforcement device.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, 1 is an architectural shutter device that is installed in an opening E such as an entrance or exit of a building or other structure. The shutter device 1 is constructed using various components and devices, such as guide rails 2 provided on the left and right sides of the opening E, a shutter curtain 3 that is guided up and down by the guide rails 2 to open and close the opening E, a take-up body (winding wheel) 4 provided in the ceiling space H of the opening E and on which the shutter curtain 3 is wound, an opening/closing machine 5 that is electrically driven to rotate the take-up body 4 forward and backward to wind the shutter curtain 3, and a shutter case 6 provided in the upper space H on the indoor side of the opening E to house the take-up body 4, all of which are conventional.

Furthermore, the shutter case 6 is provided with left and right brackets 6a whose outdoor end is supported and fixed to the hanging wall W arranged outside of the guide rail 2 and above the opening E, and the left and right end edges of the winding body 4 are supported by the left and right brackets 6a, but the shutter case 6 is further reinforced by various reinforcing members such as a U-shaped reinforcing frame 6b whose upper outdoor end is supported by the ceiling wall W, a reinforcing cross bar 6c supported between the left and right brackets 6a, and a stud frame 6d provided at the stud where the shutter curtain 3 is unrolled from the shutter case 6. The shutter case 6 is also box-shaped due to the presence of an upper panel, side panels, and lower panel 6e, and the case lower panel 6e is fixed to the lower side of the reinforcing frame 6b and the stud frame 6d.
On the other hand, a U-shaped frame (three-sided frame) is provided on the underside of the hanging wall W, including both the left and right side portions of the opening E, and the upper frame 7 of the frame is provided in a state where it is flush with the case lower plate 6e. In this embodiment, a pair of reinforcing devices 8 for reinforcing the shutter curtain 3 is provided symmetrically on the inside and outside of the shutter curtain 3, with the shutter core X along which the shutter curtain 3 opens and closes as the symmetric core.

In this manner, in this embodiment, a pair of inner and outer reinforcing devices 8 are provided. However, since the pair of reinforcing devices 8 are symmetrical indoors and outdoors (front and back) with the shutter core X as the symmetrical center, the following describes in detail the indoor reinforcing device 8, and an explanation of the outdoor reinforcing device 8 will be omitted unless specifically required.
By installing the reinforcing device 8 both indoors and outdoors in this manner, the reinforcing effect can be made even greater; however, it goes without saying that in implementing the present invention, the reinforcing device 8 may be installed either indoors or outdoors, and whether the reinforcing device 8 is installed on both the indoors and outdoors or on only one of them can be selected as appropriate according to need.

Furthermore, two sets of reinforcing devices 8 may be provided on both the left and right sides of the opening E, and two locations in the middle of the left and right direction of the shutter curtain 3 may be reinforced with reinforcing posts 11 (it is not necessary to reinforce the shutter curtain 3 at equal intervals of 1/3 on the left and right). The present invention can also be implemented by providing a plurality of reinforcing posts 11 (e.g., two) on one set of reinforcing devices 8 to reinforce the shutter curtain 3 at appropriate intervals in the left and right direction. In this case, the upper rail 9 (described later) can be made to have a maximum width that spans the entire left and right width of the opening E, and in this case, the reinforcing posts 11 can be configured to be stored in a state where they are separated on the left and right.

The reinforcing device 8 is configured with an upper rail 9 provided on the case bottom plate 6e, which is C-shaped and includes an upper piece 9a that serves as a straddling portion, side pieces 9b that are bent downward to hang down from both front and rear ends of the upper piece 9a, and a pair of front and rear lower pieces 9c that are bent in the front-rear direction from the lower ends of the side pieces 9b to face each other. The upper piece 9a of the upper rail 9 is fixed to the case bottom plate 6e via a fixing member such as a screw (not shown). The fixing position is preferably the position of a reinforcing member such as the left and right brackets 6a or reinforcing frame 6b of the shutter case 6, but it may of course be fixed directly to the case bottom plate 6e if the case bottom plate 6e has the necessary strength.

The upper rail 9 has a pair of lower pieces 9c which serve as the running surface 9c of the upper roller 15 described later, and the gap Y formed between the opposing running surface pieces 9c in the fore-and-aft direction constitutes a guide portion (penetrating portion) Y for guiding the support main body portion 14 described later in a penetrating state from side to side.
The upper rail 9 is further reinforced by the incorporation of an L-shaped auxiliary member 10, the vertical piece 10a of which is arranged in an overlapping (laminated) state in which it abuts against the side piece 9b.
When the upper rail 9 is attached in this manner, a running space is formed between the running surface 9c and the lower piece 10b of the auxiliary member 10 in which the upper roller 15 runs; however, this running space allows the upper roller 15 to move upward slightly; in other words, there is a slight gap between the upper roller 15 running on the running surface 9c and the lower piece 10b of the auxiliary member, and is set so that the upper roller 15 is prevented from rising up more than necessary from the running surface 9c, thereby preventing (preventing) the reinforcing support 11, which moves left and right, from tilting in the left and right direction.

The upper rail 9 configured in this manner has one end which serves as a storage position for the reinforcing post 11 adjacent to either the left or right guide rail 2, and the other end which serves as a reinforcing position for the shutter curtain 3 by the reinforcing post 11 at the middle position in the left-right direction of the opening (for example, the central part in the left-right direction).
The other edge of the upper rail 9 is an open opening edge 9e, and an inverted L-shaped mounting bracket 9f is provided on the upper piece 9a at the opening edge 9e. With a blocking plate 9g placed against the opening edge 9e, a screw 9h can be screwed from the blocking plate 9g into the mounting bracket 9f, allowing the opening edge 9e to be blocked in a freely detachable manner.

On the other hand, the reinforcing column 11 is configured as a continuous column in the vertical direction using an upper column portion 12 and a lower column portion 13 .
The upper support 12 is constructed using a support body 14 having a square tube shape, the lower edge of which is short to the upper part of the reinforcing support 11, and the front and rear surface parts 14a of the support body 14 pass through the guide part Y of the upper rail 9 in a loosely fitted state. A bracket 14b is provided at the upper end of the front and rear surface parts 14a of the penetrated support body 14, which is set longer in the left and right direction than the support body 14 (so as to protrude in the left and right direction from the support body 14) and is located above the running surface part 9c, and the upper rollers 15 that run on the running surface part 9c as described above are provided at both the left and right ends of the bracket 14b. With this configuration, the left and right upper rollers 15 are provided in a wide state protruding in the left and right direction from the reinforcing support 11, preventing the reinforcing support 11 from tilting in the left and right direction.
Furthermore, on both the front and rear surface portions 14a of the pillar main body portion 14, a guide surface portion 16 is provided adjacent to the underside of the bracket 14b and set longer in the left-right direction than the pillar main body portion 14, in a state where it is close to the inner end edges of the running surface portion 9c that face each other in the front-to-rear direction (loosely fitted into guide portion Y).Thus, the reinforcing pillar 11 is set so that it can be moved and guided in the left-right direction while the guide surface portion 16 that is long in the left-right direction and provided on the pillar main body portion 14 is guided in a state where it is close to and faces the tip edge portion of the running surface portion 9c.

Furthermore, the guide surface portion 16 is secured to the pillar main body portion 14 by a fixing means such as welding at both left and right piece portions 17b of a reinforcing member (first reinforcing member) 17, the straddling portion 17a of which is fixed to the left and right surface portions 14c of the pillar main body portion 14, thereby reinforcing the guide surface portion 16 against the pillar main body portion 14.
In addition, in this embodiment, the bracket 14b has its upper and lower edge portions welded to the front and rear surface portions 14a of the pillar main body portion 14, and for this reason, the guide surface portion 16 has a cutout portion 16a formed in the portion corresponding to the pillar main body portion 14, so that the lower edge portion of the bracket 14b can be welded even after the guide surface portion 16 is attached to the pillar main body portion 14.

Furthermore, a wide outer casing 18 is provided on the pillar main body 14 and is positioned below the guide surface 16, but the lower edge of the outer casing 18 is shorter than the pillar main body 14.As a result, although the pillar main body 14 is short and reaches the upper part of the reinforcing pillar 11 as described above, its lower end extends (protrudes) downwardly beyond the outer casing 18.
The outer casing 18 has a rectangular cylindrical shape that fits loosely around the pillar main body 14, with the areas corresponding to the front and rear face sections 14a and the left and right face sections 14b of the pillar main body 14 forming groove sections 18a, the bottom of which abuts against the front and rear face sections 14a and the left and right face sections 14b and is integrated by a fixing means such as welding. By configuring it in this manner, the corner sections 18b of the outer casing 18 are wide sections spaced apart from the pillar main body 14.
In this embodiment, the outer shell 18 has a structure in which a hat-shaped cross-sectional plate material 18c in which the groove portion 18a is formed and an L-shaped plate material 18d are integrated together by a fixing means such as welding.

On the other hand, the lower support portion 13 has a rectangular cylindrical shape and is wider than the outer casing portion 18, and the support main body portion 14 and outer casing portion 18 of the upper support portion 13 are loosely fitted into the upper end portion of the lower support portion 13 so as to be freely expandable and contractable in the vertical direction (freely insertable and removable, freely moving in and out, and freely appearing and disappearing).
Of the left and right surface portions 14c of the pillar main body portion 14, an extension portion 14d that extends downward below the lower edge of the outer shell portion 18 has a sphere 14e arranged in close proximity to (or in contact with) the inner surface of the left and right surface portions 13a of the lower pillar portion 13, and the sphere 14e is supported so as to be freely rotatable in all directions via brackets 14f provided on the left and right surface portions 14c of the pillar main body portion.
Furthermore, when the lower support 13 is tilted relatively in the left-right direction with respect to the upper support portion 12, the sphere 14e constitutes abutment member that is abutted against the inner surface of the left and right surface portions 13a of the lower support portion 13 to regulate the left-right tilt between the upper support portion 12 and the lower support portion 13. However, as long as it regulates the tilt, a fixed protrusion or a roller body (rotating body) instead of a sphere may of course be used.
In this embodiment, such abutment members are provided on both the left and right surfaces 14b of the support body 14, but they may also be provided on both the front and rear surfaces 14a if necessary.

Furthermore, the upper support portion 12 is provided with a cover portion 19 for covering the upper end portion of the lower support portion 13. This cover portion 19 has a top surface portion 19a that is wider in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions than the lower support portion 13 so as to cover the upper part of the upper end of the lower support portion 13, and side surfaces 19b that hang down from the peripheral portion of the top surface portion 19a and loosely cover the outer periphery of the front-to-back and left-to-right surface portions 13a, 13b of the lower support portion 13, and are configured to prevent rainwater, etc. from entering through the upper end of the lower support portion 13.
Incidentally, in this embodiment, the cover portion 19a has a protrusion 19c formed at the edge portion facing the front and rear surface portions 14a of the pillar main body portion 14 of the top surface portion 19a, which protrudes upward from the top surface portion 19a for welding the cover portion 19 to the pillar main body portion 14.

A lower roller 20 that runs on the floor (floor surface) F is disposed on the lower surface 13c provided at the lower end of the lower support 13, and the lower roller 20 is provided on a bracket 20a attached to the lower surface 13c in a state in which it is impossible to change direction around the vertical axis, and is movable in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the lower rollers 20 are provided on the lower surface 13c as a pair, misaligned in the front-rear and left-right directions. Reference numeral 20b denotes an operating lever for locking the running (rolling) of the lower rollers 20, and although the operating lever 20b is provided on only one of the lower rollers 20 in this embodiment, it is also possible to provide it on both if necessary.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, a reinforcing vertical member 13d is provided on the front and rear surface portions 13b of the lower support portion 13 facing the shutter curtain 3 so as to closely face the shutter curtain 3, thereby reinforcing the reinforcing support portion 11 and also directly abutting against and supporting the shutter curtain 3 when it is bent by strong winds.
The reinforcing pillar 11, which connects the upper support portion 12 and the lower support portion 13 in this manner so that it can freely expand and contract in the vertical direction, is configured to be able to move left and right between a storage position adjacent to the guide rail 2 on one end of the opening and a reinforcement position midway in the horizontal direction, by the upper rollers 15 provided on the upper support portion 12 running and guided in the horizontal direction on the upper rail 9, and the lower rollers 20 provided on the lower support portion 13 running in a straight line in the horizontal direction on the surface (floor surface) of the floor portion F.

Furthermore, the upper rail 9 is provided with a reinforcing member (second reinforcing member) 21 at a position corresponding to the reinforcing position of the reinforcing column 11. The reinforcing member 21 is provided on one side piece 9b of the upper rail 9 in the front-rear direction (opposite the side where the shutter curtain 3 is arranged (the shutter core X side)), but it can also be provided on the other side piece 9b (the shutter curtain 3 side) or on both side pieces 9b. The reinforcing member 21 is an inverted L-shaped plate material with a vertical piece 21a welded to the side piece 9b of the upper rail 9 and an upper piece 21b fixed to the case bottom plate 6e with a screw (not shown), and the reinforcing member 21 further has reinforcing pieces 21c welded to the vertical piece 21a and the upper piece 21b at intervals in the left-right direction.
In this device, an L-shaped bracket 22a is fixed to the vertical piece 21a, and a hanging fitting 22 having an arc-shaped (can be made into a hook-like or other appropriate shape) engaging portion is provided on the bracket 22a so as to be freely attached and detached.

Furthermore, the reinforcing pillar 11 is provided with support members 23, 24 on both the upper and lower sides to position and support both the upper and lower ends when in the reinforcing position, and both of these support members 23, 24 are provided on the lower pillar portion 13.
In this embodiment, the upper support member 23 is provided on the surface (indoor side surface) of the front and rear surface parts 13b of the lower support part 13 opposite to the surface facing the shutter curtain 3, but can be provided on any surface selected from the left and right and front and rear surface parts 13a, 13b of the lower support part 13. A plurality of cylindrical support fittings 23a constituting the upper support member 23 are attached to one of the left and right surface parts 13a on the indoor side of the lower support part 13 (the guide rail 3 side in this embodiment) via brackets 23b, and a linear rod-shaped body 23c passes through the support fitting 23a so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Below the lowest support fitting 23a among the support fittings 23a, a pair of upper and lower holding fittings 23d, 23e are attached to the front and rear surface parts 13b to hold the rod-shaped body 23c in the vertical position.
The lower retaining bracket 23e is flat to receive and support the lower edge portion of the rod-shaped body 23c, but in this embodiment it is magnetized (the lower retaining bracket 23e may be directly magnetized, or may be magnetized by attaching a magnet, etc.) and is configured to magnetically hold the lower edge portion of the rod-shaped body 23c.

A flange portion 23f extending in the horizontal direction is provided at the lower end edge of the rod-shaped body 23c, while a through groove 23g is formed in the upper holding fitting 23d so that when the flange portion 23f is rotated in the front-rear direction while the rod-shaped body 23c is in a penetrated state in which it is free to move up and down, the flange portion 23f can be penetrated in the up-down direction, but when the flange portion 23f is rotated in the left-right direction, the flange portion 23f is locked and cannot be penetrated. Incidentally, the upper holding fitting 23d can also be magnetized, so that care can be taken to prevent the flange portion 23f from accidentally falling off the upper holding fitting 23d.
When the reinforcing post 11 is positioned in the reinforcement position and the flange portion 23f is held by the lower retaining bracket 23e, the rod-shaped body 23c is in a non-positioning position in which the upper edge portion 23h is located below the upper rail 9. However, by holding the flange portion 23f by the upper retaining bracket 23e, the rod-shaped body 23c is in a positioned position in which the upper edge portion 23h is closely opposed to the stopper piece 9i provided on the upper rail 9, and when in this positioned position, the upper edge portion of the reinforcing post 11, which is positioned in the reinforcement position, is prevented from moving toward the storage position.
In this embodiment, a second stopper piece 9j is provided on the upper rail 9 to restrict the reinforcing column 11 from moving toward the reinforcing position when the column 11 is in the stored position.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the lower support member 24 is provided on the surface opposite the shutter curtain 3 (shutter core X) (the surface on the outer side in the left-right direction) of the front and rear surface portions 13b of the lower support portion 13, but, as in the case of the upper support member 23, it can be provided on any surface selected from the left-right front and rear surface portions 13a, 13b of the lower support portion 13.
The lower support member 24 is constituted by a support bracket 24a having a square cylindrical shape with a top, which is attached to one of the faces 13b in the front-to-rear direction of the lower support portion 13. A rod-shaped body (actuating body) 24b having a square cylindrical shape with a top is fitted into the support bracket 24a so as to be able to move freely in the vertical direction.

A long hole 24d is formed in one side surface 24c in the left-right direction of the support bracket 24a, and an operating body 24e is provided on the rod-shaped body 24b in a state of penetrating the long hole 24d, and an operating screw 24g is further provided on the indoor side surface 24f of the support bracket 24a. When the operating screw 24g is tightened in a state in which the rod-shaped body 24b has been moved up above the floor part F, the tip of the operating screw 24g comes into contact with the rod-shaped body 24b in a pressing manner, thereby restricting the rod-shaped body 24b from moving up and down, and when the operating screw 24g is loosened, the rod-shaped body 24b is allowed to move up and down, including by its own weight, and the rod-shaped body 24b that has been lowered by its own weight can be lifted up by grasping the operating body 24e along the long hole 24d.
When the rod-shaped body 24b is lowered under its own weight with the reinforcing column 11 in the reinforcing position, the rod-shaped body 24b fits into the drop-in portion 25 described below, assuming a positioning posture that supports and positions the lower end of the reinforcing column 11, thereby restricting its movement toward the storage position. However, the upper edge of the rod-shaped body 24b in the lowered state under its own weight is set to be positioned below the operating screw 24g. Therefore, when the rod-shaped body 24b is in the positioning posture in which it has been lowered under its own weight, the operating screw 24g is screwed deep into the support bracket 24a to overlap (position) the tip of the screw above the rod-shaped body 24b, thereby restricting the rod-shaped body 24b from moving upward out of the drop-in portion 25, thereby preventing the rod-shaped body 24b from coming out of the drop-in portion 25 and being released from its position.

On the other hand, the recess 25 is formed so as to be embedded in a mounting hole Z drilled in a portion of the floor F corresponding to the reinforcement position, and the recess 25 is composed of a main body 25a, a lid 25b, and a flange 25c. The main body 25a has a bottomed rectangular cylindrical shape, and protruding surface portions 25e are further formed on the left and right outer sides of both the left and right side portions 25d.
On the other hand, the flange portion 25c is assembled to the upper edge of the main body portion 25a, and an opening 25f is formed so that the cover portion 25b can be attached and detached freely. One edge portion 25g of the opening 25f in the left-right direction extends to the protruding surface portion 25e, while the other edge portion 25h extends to the other side surface portion 25d.
The lid 25b is fitted into the opening 25f and is set to close (cover) the opening 25f while being flush with the flange 25c, and an auxiliary plate 25i is provided adjacent to the lower side of the lid 25b. The auxiliary plate 25i is configured to support the lid 25b against the main body 25a, with both left and right edge portions placed on the notches 25j formed in the left and right side portions 25d of the main body when the opening 25f is closed by the lid 25b.

Furthermore, the cover 25b has an operating portion 25k on the top surface, which has a recessed groove formed therein that can be rotated by inserting a screwdriver or the periphery of a coin (e.g., a 10-yen coin), and a locking piece 25l is provided at the bottom end of the operating portion 25k. By rotating the operating portion 25k, the locking piece 25l fits into a locking hole 25m formed in one of the main body side surfaces 25d, and can be operated from a locked position where it is locked so as not to come out of the locking hole 25m to an unlocked position where the cover 25b can be removed.
In this embodiment, when the lid portion 25b is removed while being unlocked by operating the operating portion 25k, it is configured so that the tip portions of the lid portion 25b and the auxiliary plate 25i can be temporarily held in place by inserting them between one of the main body side portions 25d and the protruding surface portion 25e.

The reinforcement device 8 for the shutter curtain 3, including the reinforcing pillar 11 embodying the present invention, can be installed at the same time as a newly installed shutter device 1 is set up in the opening E, but it can also be easily installed as an add-on to an existing shutter device 1, and the assembly procedure (method) is described below.
When assembling to an existing shutter device 1, the parts that need to be transported to site and prepared are the respective components of the reinforcing post 11, upper rail 9, and drop-in portion 25, and of these parts transported to site, the first step is to carry out the rail installation process, in which the upper rail 9 is attached to the top of the opening E.
Next, a post assembly process is carried out to assemble the reinforcing post 11 into the upper rail 9, but if the upper rail 9 attached in the rail attachment process was transported to the site with its opening edge 9e on the reinforcing position side blocked by a blocking plate 9g, the blocking plate 9g is removed to open the opening edge 9e, and the upper roller 15 provided at the upper end of the reinforcing post 11 is inserted and assembled through this opening edge 9e, thereby carrying out the post attachment process of the reinforcing post 11 to the upper rail 9. The execution of the post attachment process of the reinforcing post 11 to the upper rail 9 also includes a process of opening and closing the opening edge 9e via the blocking plate 9g.

Furthermore, this requires a recess formation process for forming the recess 25 in the floor section F. If the position at which to form the recess 25 can be accurately determined on the floor section F at the site based on the design dimensions, then the recess formation process can be carried out regardless of whether the rail attachment process or the pillar assembly process is carried out first or after. In this case, however, accurate measurement work is required to determine the recess position.
On the other hand, if the support installation process has already been performed, the reinforcing support 11 incorporated in the upper rail 6 can be moved to the reinforcing position, and the rod-shaped body 24b provided on the lower support member 24 can be lowered under its own weight as described above, thereby identifying the descent location of the rod-shaped body 24b. By drilling the floor portion F at this identified descent location to provide a drop-in portion 25, the simple work of forming the drop-in portion 25 can be performed accurately without the need for troublesome measuring work.

In this way, the reinforcing device 8 for reinforcing the shutter curtain 3 can be installed, and furthermore, the reinforcing post 11 can be installed in the upper rail 6 by utilizing the upper rail 6.
As described above, the upper rail 6 attached to the upper part of the opening is provided with a reinforcing member 21 at a position corresponding to the reinforcing position, and a hoisting fixture 22 is removably attached to the reinforcing member 21. A simple lifting machine such as an electric hoist 26 (or a manual hoist is of course acceptable) is hooked to the hoisting fixture 22. A hook 26b attached to an operating chain 26a suspended from the hoist 26 is hooked to a hoisting fixture 27 detachably attached via a bracket 27a to the upper part of the lower support part 13 of the reinforcing support 11.
By driving the hoist 26 in this locked state and lifting the locking hook 26b, the upper end of the reinforcing column 11 is lifted at the portion corresponding to the reinforcement position, thereby making it easy to install the reinforcing column 11 into the upper rail 6 at the reinforcement position.

The reinforcing column 11 in which the present invention is implemented is positioned and held at both upper and lower end edges by the upper and lower support members 23, 24 in the reinforcing position, while the reinforcing column 11 can be positioned and held in the storage position in a similar configuration. As a simple means for holding the reinforcing column 11 in the storage position, the present embodiment uses a chain 28, wire, or other connector to detachably connect the bracket 28a fixed to the lower holding portion 23e provided on the lower column portion 13 and the locking portion 28b provided on the frame member such as the guide rail 2, thereby allowing the column to be positioned and held in the storage position. Of course, a magnetic attachment or a tightening of a string may be used as a means for holding the reinforcing column 11 in the storage position.

In the present embodiment configured as described above, the shutter curtain 3 that opens and closes the opening E is reinforced by the reinforcing post 11 that faces closely to the guide rail 3 in a vertical position. When a reinforcing device 8 for the shutter curtain 3 provided with such a vertical reinforcing post 11 is retrofitted to an existing architectural shutter device 1, the reinforcing device 8 is configured to include three members: the reinforcing post 11 with an upper roller 15 provided at its upper end, an upper rail 9 that is a hanger type provided above the opening E and guides the reinforcing post 11 between the storage position and the reinforcing position as the upper roller 15 runs, and a lower support member 24 that positions and supports the lower end of the reinforcing post 11 located at the reinforcing position on the floor F. The assembly method for retrofitting the reinforcing device 8 to an existing architectural shutter device is as follows for the three members:
A rail mounting step of mounting the upper rail 9 to the top of the opening E;
a post assembly step of assembling the reinforcing posts 11 into the attached upper rail 9;
- It can be incorporated by executing each step of the recess formation process to form the recess 25 for supporting the lower support member 24 on the floor portion F, and the reinforcing device 8 having the reinforcing post 11 for reinforcing in a vertical position can be easily attached to an existing architectural shutter device 1.

Furthermore, in this case, by carrying out the recess formation process after the pillar assembly process, the rail attachment process, which is assembly work on the upper side of the opening E, and the pillar assembly process can be concentrated, and the recess formation process, which is work on the floor F side, can be carried out in a separate state, improving workability.
In this case, for the recess formation process, the recess formation position can be identified by moving the reinforcing pillar installed in the pillar installation process to the reinforcing position. As a result, there is no need to measure the dimensions each time to identify the recess formation position, improving workability.

In addition, the upper rail 9 that is attached in the rail installation process is made short to the reinforcement position relative to the left-right width of the opening E, and the end on the reinforcement position side is an open end 9e that can be opened and closed freely via a blocking plate 9g.As a result, in the post installation process, the reinforcing post 11 can be installed into the upper rail 9 by inserting the upper roller 15 through the opening end 9e that is opened after the blocking plate 9g is removed, making it easy to install the reinforcing post 11 into the upper rail 9 even if it is installed later.
The pillar assembly process includes a process of assembling the upper roller 15 attached to the reinforcing pillar 11 into the upper rail 9 from the opening end 9e, and then sealing the opening end 9e with a sealing plate 9g.As a result, after the reinforcing pillar 11 is assembled into the upper rail 9, the opening end 9e is sealed with the sealing plate 9g, so that the reinforcing pillar 11 will not fall off from the upper rail 9.

Furthermore, in this device, the upper rail 9 and the reinforcing column 11 are respectively provided with detachable hanging fittings 22, 27, and in the column installation process, a hoist 26 is attached to the hanging fitting 22 on the upper rail 9, and then the locking hook 26b of the hoist 26 is connected to the hanging fitting 27 on the lower column portion 13. The hoist 26 is then driven to install the upper roller 15 on the upper column portion 12 of the lifted reinforcing column 11 into the upper rail 9, which simplifies the installation process of the reinforcing column 11 into the upper rail 9 and improves workability.

The present invention can be used as a method for incorporating a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device that is installed to open and close openings such as entrances and exits of buildings and other structures.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 shutter device 2 guide rail 3 shutter curtain 8 reinforcement device 9 upper rail 9e opening edge portion 9g closing plate 11 reinforcement support 12 upper support portion 13 lower support portion 14 support body portion 14a front and rear surface portion 14b bracket 14c left and right surface portion 14d extension portion 14e sphere 15 upper roller 16 guide surface portion 18 outer shell portion 20 lower roller 21 reinforcement member 22 hanging fitting 23 upper support member 23c rod-shaped body 24 lower support member 24b rod-shaped body 25 drop-in portion 26 hoist 27 hanging fitting F floor surface X shutter core Y guide portion Z mounting hole

Claims (6)

A shutter curtain for an architectural shutter device configured to be guided by left and right guide rails provided at an opening such as an entrance to a building to open and close the opening, is moved in a vertical position from a storage position close to the guide rails to a reinforcement position in the left and right middle of the opening, and is reinforced by a reinforcing post that is positioned and supported at the reinforcement position. The reinforcing device for the shutter curtain is configured to include a reinforcing post with an upper roller provided at its upper end, an upper rail provided above the opening and for guiding the reinforcing post between the storage position and the reinforcement position as the upper roller travels, and a lower support member that supports the lower end of the reinforcing post located at the reinforcement position to the floor, and a method for retrofitting the reinforcing device to an existing architectural shutter device is as follows:
- A rail installation process for installing the upper rail at the top of the opening;
a post assembly step of assembling a reinforcing post into the attached upper rail;
A recessed portion forming step of forming a recessed portion in the floor portion for supporting the lower support member;
With
The upper rail attached in the rail attachment step is short to the reinforcement position relative to the left-right width of the opening, and the end of the upper rail on the reinforcement position side is an open end that can be opened and closed via a closing plate,
A method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device , characterized in that the post assembly process involves assembling the reinforcing post into the upper rail by inserting an upper roller through the open end . A method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the post installation process includes a process of installing a reinforcing post into the upper rail from the opening end and then sealing the opening end with a sealing plate. A method for incorporating a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper rail and the reinforcing post are each provided with a hanging fitting that can be attached and detached, and the post assembly process includes the steps of supporting a lifting machine on the hanging fitting provided on the upper rail, connecting the engaging portion of the supported lifting machine to the hanging fitting provided on the reinforcing post, and assembling the reinforcing post lifted by the lifting machine into the upper rail. A shutter curtain for an architectural shutter device configured to be guided by left and right guide rails provided at an opening such as an entrance to a building to open and close the opening, is moved in a vertical position from a storage position close to the guide rails to a reinforcement position in the left and right middle of the opening, and is reinforced by a reinforcing post that is positioned and supported at the reinforcement position. The reinforcing device for the shutter curtain is configured to include a reinforcing post with an upper roller provided at its upper end, an upper rail provided above the opening and for guiding the reinforcing post between the storage position and the reinforcement position as the upper roller travels, and a lower support member that supports the lower end of the reinforcing post located at the reinforcement position to the floor, and a method for retrofitting the reinforcing device to an existing architectural shutter device is as follows:
- A rail installation process for installing the upper rail at the top of the opening;
a post assembly step of assembling a reinforcing post into the attached upper rail;
A recessed portion forming step of forming a recessed portion in the floor portion for supporting the lower support member;
With
The upper rail and the reinforcing column are each provided with a detachable hanging bracket.
The method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device is characterized in that the post assembly process includes the steps of supporting a lifting machine on a hanging fitting provided on the upper rail, connecting the engaging portion of the supported lifting machine to a hanging fitting provided on the reinforcing post, and assembling the reinforcing post lifted by the lifting machine into the upper rail . 5. The method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device according to claim 1, wherein the recess forming step is performed after the post assembling step. A method for assembling a shutter curtain reinforcement device in an architectural shutter device according to claim 5 , characterized in that the position for forming the recessed portion is determined by moving the reinforcing post assembled in the post assembly process to a reinforcement position.

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