Apparatus and method for windlocking a building opening

A curtain system covering an opening in a building comprising:

• a frame affixed to said opening in said building;
• a sheet-like flexible curtain having apertures therein;
• a gear;
• said gear having teeth which interengage said apertures in said sheet-like flexible curtain for driving said sheet-like curtain so as to alternately cover and uncover said opening in said building.

A sheet-like flexible curtain for use in a windlocking shutter comprising:

• a three-ply sheet-like flexible curtain,
• said sheet-like flexible curtain includes side edges and said side edges of said sheet-like flexible curtain are folded upon themselves and affixed to said sheet-like flexible curtain;
• each of said folded side edges of said sheet-like flexible curtain includes a plurality of apertures therein and therethrough;
• said windlocking shutter further comprises a gear having cogs thereon which interfit with said apertures of said folded side edges of said sheet-like flexible curtain and drive, said sheet-like flexible curtain;
• said windlocking shutter further comprises a first track and a second track;
• and, said folded edges of said sheet-like curtain sealingly interengage said tracks.

A windlocking shutter comprising:

• a flexible corrugated curtain;
• a plurality of tension rods residing in and through said corrugations of said flexible corrugated curtain;
• and,
• an adaptor rack for driving said flexible curtain by engagement of said rack with said tension rods.

A windlocking shutter comprising:

• a flexible corrugated curtain having apertures therein;
• a plurality of tension rods residing in and through said corrugations of said flexible corrugated curtain;
• a gear and an adaptor rack for driving said flexible curtain;
• and,
• said gear engaging said apertures in said flexible curtain and said adaptor rack engaging said tension rods.

A process for preventing unwanted intrusion of air, fluid and objects from entering an opening in a building employing a flexible curtain having edges folded upon themselves and secured together with a portion of said edges being unsecured loose flaps, a first track affixed to said building and a second track affixed to said building, said flexible curtain being driven by a gear between a first, open position and a second, closed position, a storage roll for storing and tensioning said flexible curtain between said storage roll and said gear, and a bottom bar for interengaging a sill, comprising the steps of:

• driving said flexible curtain from said first open position until said flexible curtain is in its second, closed position;
• interengaging said bottom bar with said sill thus restraining said flexible curtain at its bottom;
• restraining said flexible curtain with said gear thus restraining said flexible curtain from its top;
• interengaging said loose flaps and said first and second tracks;
• deforming said loose flaps when force is applied to said curtain;
• and,
• restraining said flexible curtain from deflecting inwardly when said loose flaps engage said tracks.

A process for preventing unwanted intrusion of air, fluid and objects from entering an opening in a building employing a flexible curtain comprised of a first polymeric ply, a second polymeric ply and a woven ply laminated together, said flexible curtain having a folded flap on each side thereof, said folded flaps being partially secured to said flexible curtain with a portion thereof unsecured;

• a first track affixed to said building and a second track affixed to said building, said flexible curtain includes apertures, a gear driving said flexible curtain by interengaging said apertures between a first, open position and a second, closed position, comprising the steps of:
• driving said flexible curtain downward to its second, closed position from its first, open position;
• tensioning said curtain in a direction toward said opening in said building;
• and,
• engaging said unsecured portions of said folded flaps into engagement with said first and second tracks upon said tensioning of said curtain.

A windlocking curtain residing substantially within a plane comprising:

• a flexible polymeric material;
• said flexible polymeric material having a left side edge and a right side edge;
• said flexible polymeric material having drive apertures therein;
• a driving cog interengaging said drive apertures for driving said flexible material from a first, open position to a second closed position;
• a bottom bar affixed to said flexible polymeric material;
• a left side track and a right side track;
• a retaining slot for receiving said bottom bar affixed to said flexible polymeric material as said flexible material is driven toward its second, closed position;
• and,
• said bottom bar being vertically bowed within said plane of the curtain.

A windlocking system comprising:

• a first polymeric sheet;
• a second polymeric sheet;
• and reinforcing fibers residing between said first and second polymeric sheets;
• said first sheet being laminated to said second sheet securing said reinforcing fibers forming a flexible curtain having a length;
• said first polymeric sheet further includes a first slit and a second slit, said first slit forming a first flap and said second slit forming a second flap;
• and,
• a first track for interengaging said first flap and a second track for interengaging said second flap;
• and, said first and second slits being continuous and running said length of said flexible curtain.

A flexible curtain for use in a windlocking shutter comprising:

• a first and second nonreleasable track each being one-piece;
• a nonreleasable flexible curtain;
• said flexible curtain defining a substantially planar surface when in a closed position;
• said flexible curtain includes side edges;
• a first and a second substantially planar semi-rigid strip affixed to said side edges of said flexible curtain;
• and,
• said first and second substantially planar semi-rigid strips being sealingly and nonreleasably engageable with said first and second tracks, respectively, such that said flexible curtain is nonreleasable from said first and second nonreleasable tracks when a force is applied toward said planar surface.

A curtain system covering an opening in a building comprising:

• a nonreleasable first track and a nonreleasable second track affixed to said building adjacent said opening;
• a nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain having edges;
• said flexible curtain defining a substantially planar surface when in a closed position;
• substantially planar semi-rigid strips affixed to said edges of said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain;
• said substantially planar semi-rigid strips and said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain having apertures therein;
• and,
• said substantially planar semi-rigid strips sealingly and nonreleasably interengage said nonreleasable first and second tracks upon the application of an external force toward said planar surface such that said nonreleasable flexible curtain is not extracted from said tracks.

A process for preventing unwanted intrusion of air, fluid and objects from entering an opening in a building employing a nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain, said sheet-like flexible curtain having edges and residing substantially in a plane, substantially planar semi-rigid strips affixed to said edges of said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain;

• a nonreleasable first track and a nonreleasable second track affixed to said building, said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain and said substantially planar strips having apertures therein, a gear driving said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain by interengaging said apertures between a first, open position and a second, closed position, comprising the steps of:
• driving said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain downward to its second, closed position from its first, open position;
• tensioning said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain in the plane of said curtain under the urging of an external force in a positive direction toward said opening in said building;
• and,
• interengaging said substantially planar semi-rigid strips and said first and second nonreleasable tracks upon said tensioning of said nonreleasable sheet-like flexible curtain.

A curtain system covering an opening in a building comprising:

• a frame affixed to said opening in said building;
• said frame includes a first track and a second track, said first and second tracks being at an acute angle with respect to each other;
• said acute angle being in the range of one to ten degrees;
• a flexible curtain;
• a bar extending through said flexible curtain;
• said bar having a first end portion and a second end portion extending exteriorly of said flexible curtain;
• said first and second end portions each include a deformed portion;
• said deformed portions of said bar each include surfaces which are at an acute angle of one to ten degrees;
• said flexible curtain covering said opening in said building and being deflected inwardly under external force;
• and, said deflection of said flexible curtain urges said deformed portions of said bar into engagement with said frame.