Ventilation shutter

Abstract

A ventilation shutter has a frame providing an opening between the exterior and interior of a building. The shutter has a plurality of louvers positioned in the frame. The outer end of each of the louvers has an opening near its upper edge. The shutter has pivot strips attached to an inside edge of each frame side member, the pivot strips configured to interface with outer ends of the plurality of louvers. Each pivot strip has a plurality of pivot pins, with each pivot pin configured to be received in one of the openings in the outer end of one of the plurality of louvers to pivotally mount each of the plurality of louvers in the frame such that each louver is moveable between an open position and a closed position where the bottom edge of one louver engages the top edge of the next lower louver.

1 . A ventilation shutter for use in a building having an exhaust fan that provides air flow from an interior of the building to an exterior of the building, said shutter comprising:
 a frame providing an opening between the exterior and the interior of the building, the frame comprising a top member, a bottom member and side members extending between the top member and the bottom member;   a plurality of louvers positioned in the frame, each of the plurality of louvers having a top edge, a bottom edge and outer ends, each louver having a curved shape, wherein each of the outer ends of each of the plurality of louvers has an opening near the upper edge; and   at least one pivot strip attached to an inside edge of each side member, the at least one pivot strip configured to interface with outer ends of the plurality of louvers, wherein the pivot strip comprises a plurality of pivot pins, each one of the plurality of pivot pins received in one of the openings in the outer end of one of the plurality of louvers to pivotally mount each of the plurality of louvers in the frame such that each louver is moveable between an open position and a closed position where the bottom edge of one louver engages the top edge of the next lower louver.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilation shutter of  claim 1  wherein the at least one pivot strip is a separately molded component attached to the frame. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilation shutter of  claim 2  wherein an inward-facing slot in the side member receives the pivot strip and the pivot strip clamps in the slot with a pair of opposed detents.