Base slat pry stopper

A method for covering an opening of a structure to prevent ingress into the structure through the opening, wherein a rolling shutter assembly is mounted at the opening, the rolling shutter assembly having a shutter support member mounted at an opening top wall, a shutter curtain coupled to the shutter support member and having a plurality of individual slats and a plurality of hinges interconnecting the plurality of individual slats, with a bottommost slat being a base slat having a base slat bottommost edge extending across substantially an entire major length of the base slat, and a pair of side tracks each having a U-shaped channel, each of the pair of side tracks mounted to a corresponding one of opening side walls such that ends of the plurality of individual slats are received within the U-shaped channels when the shutter curtain is unrolled from the shutter support member to cover the opening, and wherein the base slat is disposed proximate an opening bottom wall when the shutter curtain is unrolled, the method for covering comprising:

• mounting a base slat locking bracket to the opening bottom wall on an interior side of the structure and the shutter curtain, between the pair of side tracks and at a position to engage the base slat inward from each of the side tracks, wherein the base slat locking bracket is positioned when mounted so that the base slat can move upward and downward past the base slat locking bracket when the shutter curtain is rolled onto and unrolled from the shutter support member when no force is applied from an exterior side of the shutter curtain to cause the base slat to deflect toward the interior side of the structure and the shutter curtain:
• and engaging the base slat by the base slat locking bracket to prevent the base slat from deflecting upward away from the opening bottom wall and inward toward the interior side of the structure when the shutter curtain is unrolled and a force applied from the exterior side of the shutter curtain causes the base slat to deflect toward the interior side of the structure and the shutter curtain and into engagement with the base slat locking bracket, wherein a portion of the base slat engaged by the base slat locking bracket does not move vertically relative to the rest of the base slat, and wherein the base slat is engaged by the base slat locking bracket above the base slat bottommost edge.

A base slat locking bracket for locking a rolling shutter assembly installed to cover an opening of a structure having an opening top wall, an opening bottom wall and oppositely disposed opening side walls, the rolling shutter assembly including a shutter support member mounted at the opening top wall, a shutter curtain coupled to the shutter support member, the shutter curtain comprising a plurality of individual slats and a plurality of hinges interconnecting the plurality of individual slats, with a bottommost slat being a base slat extending inward toward an interior of the structure and the shutter curtain and having a base slat bottommost edge extending across substantially an entire major length of the base slat and, and a pair of side tracks each having a U-shaped channel, each of the pair of side tracks mounted to a corresponding one of the opening side walls such that ends of the plurality of individual slats are received within the U-shaped channels when the shutter curtain is unrolled from the shutter support member to cover the opening, and wherein the base slat is disposed proximate the opening bottom wall when the shutter curtain is unrolled, the base slat locking bracket comprising:

• a bracket base plate mounted to the opening bottom wall on an interior side of the structure and the shutter curtain;
• and a base slat engagement portion extending upward from the bracket base plate and above a top surface of the opening bottom wall, wherein the bracket base plate engages the base slat engagement portion to constrain the base slat engagement portion from movement upward away from the opening bottom wall and from movement toward the interior side of the structure, wherein the base slat engagement portion is positioned between the pair of side tracks and at a position when mounted to engage the base slat inward from each of the side tracks so that the base slat can move upward and downward past the base slat locking bracket when the shutter curtain is rolled onto and unrolled from the shutter support member when no force is applied from an exterior side of the shutter curtain to cause the base slat to deflect toward the interior side of the structure and the shutter curtain, and wherein the base slat engagement portion engages the base slat to prevent the base slat from deflecting upward away from the opening bottom wall and inward toward the interior side of the structure when a force applied from the exterior side of the shutter curtain causes the base slat to deflect toward the interior side of the structure and the shutter curtain and into engagement with the base slat engagement portion, wherein a portion of the base slat engaged by the base slat locking bracket does not move vertically relative to the rest of the base slat, and wherein the base slat is engaged by the base slat locking bracket above the base slat bottommost edge.