Retention system for pivotally connected shutter slats
A plurality of elongated shutter slats of extruded rigid plastics material have co-extruded cores of rigid plastics foam material, and injection molded plastic end caps are attached to opposite ends of each slat. The end caps have elongated flat base portions and retention lugs with head portions integrally connected to the base portion by reduced neck portions. The lugs of the end caps are retained within undercut channels in extruded metal side rails. In one embodiment, each end cap is secured to a slat by screws extending through two retention lugs and into the foam core. In another embodiment, the end caps are secured to hollow slats by integrally molded bosses which project into cavities within hollow slats and are cemented to the walls of the slat.
1. A shutter and retention system comprising a plurality of elongated one-piece shutter slats, each of said shutter slats comprising a one-piece extrusion of rigid plastics material, each of said slats having opposite end portions and including inner and outer opposite side walls integrally connected by longitudinally extending transverse walls to define a longitudinally extending internal cavity, a rigid core within said internal cavity of each said slat, said core comprising a co-extrusion of rigid plastics foam material, a longitudinally extending hook member and a longitudinally extending recess along opposite edges of each said slat for pivotally connecting each said slat to an adjacent said slat, a set of generally vertical elongated side rails extending adjacent said opposite end portions of said slats, a set of end caps of molded rigid plastics material for said opposite end portions of each said slat, each said end cap comprising a one-piece said end cap including a base portion overlying an end surface of said slat and a plurality of spaced retention lugs each having a head portion integrally connected to said base portion by a reduced neck portion to form said one-piece with said head portion larger than said neck portion, a plurality of screws extending through said retention lugs and the integrally connected said base portion of each said end cap, each said screw threaded into said rigid core of rigid plastics foam material to secure the corresponding said end cap to said slat, and each of said side rails having a longitudinally extending undercut vertical chamber receiving said head portions of said plurality of retention lugs of each said end cap.
2. A shutter and retention system as defined in claim 1 wherein said reduced neck portion of each said retention lug has a marquis-shaped cross-sectional configuration to assist guiding said retention lug within said chamber of said side rail.