Information about an earlier invention is on the page New Vineyard/Orchard/Polytunnel Growing System awarded United States Patent Pending The invention has now been submitted for a Non-provisional patent.
The invention discussed on this page has the working invention title: New
wall, window and door system. This invention has a very wide range of
applications, from small-scale domestic applications to farming and
industrial applications, to very small buildings and very large buildings.
Like the earlier invention, it has many possible configurations. Like the earlier invention, it has the potential
for substantial, multiple environmental benefits. This invention is now the
subject of a Provisional Patent application. It's my intention to proceed
with a Non-Provisional application if all goes well. My earlier Patent
application, in connection with the New Vineyard/Orchard/Polytunnel System,
has already reached this stage.
If windows glazed with panes of glass in a single
layer are regarded as the basic, most common window type, then double
glazing can be regarded as an accessory for the basic window. Shutters and
blinds can
be regarded as an accessory for the basic window. Often, shutters are
decorative, non-functional, but shutters can provide advantages in some
circumstances. For example, like double glazing, they can improve insulation
for the building, or part of the building but the advantages are marginal. External shutters have the
disadvantage that they are subject to weathering and must be maintained at
intervals and sometimes replaced. The components used in this invention are
internal, not nearly as vulnerable to weathering and needing practically no
maintenance.
Blinds, like shutters, usually look good. More
often than not, they enhance the appearance of a building but again, blinds
are limited in their functionality. They do limit or block views into the
room and this is genuinely useful, very often, but they are not so
successful in shutting light from the room when this would be useful - as
when it's important to shut out most of the light from a bedroom on early
mornings of summer days, to avoid being woken up by bright light.
Existing window accessories are not only restricted in scope but inflexible
to a large extent, offering limited opportunity, or no opportunity at all,
to react to environmental changes - diurnal changes, seasonal changes,
annual changes, the longer term changes which constitute the challenges of
climate change.
Double glazed windows can be called a 'window
accessory' but here, the benefits are more substantial. Double glazing
offers substantial improvements in the reduction of heat loss from the room
but the improvements are restricted in scope as a result of the
inflexibility of double glazing. The benefits in mid-winter are
disadvantages at the height of summer, when the need is very often for
cooling, for air circulation.
The New Window Accessory System offers far
reaching improvements in flexibility and offers the possibility of very
substantial improvements in reacting to environmental changes, such as the
very great differences between summer and winter conditions in large areas
of the United States, as in many other countries.
Already, I have constructed working prototypes of
the invention. In this column, I describe the 'basic prototype,' shown in
the images to the right, which is already demonstrating its advantages.
This basic prototype makes use of an accessory unit, the components of which are listed
and described below. If the base of the window is at floor level, the unit
rests upon the floor. Otherwise, the unit rests on a support. Suitable
supports are often readily available. In the prototype version described
here, an existing support was available, a storage unit which I constructed
next to a window and below the window.
Summary of the invention: The Basic
Prototype
Two versions of the invention are available in the
Basic Prototype form, the
track version and the hinged version. The track version has substantial
advantages over the hinged version and is the form described in detail here.
In the hinged version, the components move in the
manner of hinged shutters on the outside of a window, except that the hinged
components are inside the room.
In the track version, a carrier in the resting
position is outside the window zone but can be moved within the window zone,
in which position it can be used to give the advantageous changes
described below. The carrier runs on a simple track and carries one or more
(typically more) boards or other components, collectively referred to as the
accessory-layers or simply layers. It is the accessory- layers which
provide the basic functionality of the invention and provide so many
opportunities for changes to the system which offer wide-ranging advantages.
Here, I describe a single carrier-layer system,
which in the resting position occupies one place, to the left or right of
the window. Another possibility is the split carrier-layer system, which in
the resting position occupies two places, to the left and right of the
system. When the two halves of the split carrier-layer system are moved
together, the result is to produce a unit which is very similar to the
single carrier-layer system. The appearance is almost identical and the
advantages are the same.
If the carrier is viewed as a kind of movable
transporting system (a kind of miniature railway / railroad), the track is
the component on which the carrier rests and along which it can move. In the
description here, the track is a simple wooden U-channel. There are
two castors towards the ends of the carrier and these castors run within the
broad groove in the U-channel.
Proposed invention title: New
Window and Door Extension System (NWDES)
Introduction
If windows glazed with panes of glass in a single layer are regarded
as the basic, most common window type, then double glazing can be regarded
as an accessory for the basic window. Shutters can be regarded as an
accessory for the basic window. Often, shutters are decorative,
non-functional, but shutters can provide advantages in some circumstances.
For example, like double glazing, they can improve insulation for the
building, or part of the building. External shutters have the disadvantage
that they are subject to weathering and must be maintained at intervals and
sometimes replaced. The components used in this invention are internal, not
nearly as vulnerable to weathering and needing practically no maintenance.
However, the benefits of these and other accessories, which include
'storm windows,' are limited to a marked extent. Double glazed windows offer
substantial improvements in the reduction of heat loss from the room but the
improvements are restricted in scope. Existing window accessories are not
only restricted in scope but inflexible to a large extent, offering limited
opportunity, or no opportunity at all, to react to environmental changes -
diurnal changes, seasonal changes, annual changes, the longer term changes
which constitute the challenges of climate change.
The New Window Accessory System offers far reaching improvements in
flexibility and offers the possibility of very substantial improvements in
reacting to environmental changes, such as the very great differences
between summer and winter conditions in large areas of the United States, as
in many other countries.
Already, I have constructed a working prototype of the invention,
which is already demonstrating its advantages.
The form of the invention described here in some detail makes use of
an accessory unit, the components of which are listed and described below.
If the base of the window is at floor level, the unit rests upon the floor.
Otherwise, the unit rests on a support. Suitable supports are often readily
available. In the prototype version described here, an existing support was
available, a storage unit which I constructed next to a window and below the
window.
Summary of the invention
Two versions of the basic invention are available, the track version and the
hinged version. The track version has substantial advantages over the hinged
version and is the form described in detail here.
In the hinged version, the components move in the manner of hinged
shutters on the outside of a window, except that the hinged components are
inside the room.
In the track version, a carrier in the resting position is outside the
window zone but can be moved within the window zone, in which position it
can be used to give the advantageous changes described below. The
carrier runs on a simple track and carries one or more (typically more)
boards or other components, collectively referred to as the accessory-layers
or simply layers. It is the accessory- layers which provide the basic
functionality of the invention and provide so many opportunities for changes
to the system which offer wide-ranging advantages.
Here, I describe a single carrier-layer system, which in the resting
position occupies one place, to the left or right of the window. Another
possibility is the split carrier-layer system, which in the resting position
occupies two places, to the left and right of the system. When the two
halves of the split carrier-layer system are moved together, the result is
to produce a unit which is very similar to the single carrier-layer system.
The appearance is almost identical and the advantages are the same.
If the carrier is viewed as a kind of movable transporting system (a
kind of miniature railway / railroad), the track is the component on which
the carrier rests and along which it can move. In the description here, the
track is a simple wooden U-channel. There are two castors towards the
ends of the carrier and these castors run within the broad groove in the
U-channel.
Where support for the track and the other equipment is needed, I
can make use of various techniques to ensure the necessary strength, such as
wooden components used with steel bars, which may be perforated for relative
lightness, and sthe use of substantial wood sections, in particular,
sections of wooden 'sleepers' of hardwood or lighter softwood.
The bases of the accessory-layers fit in the groove of the U-channel,
making a kind of vertical 'sandwich' (if there are more than one or two
layers.) The diameter of this particular U-channel is fixed but not all the
space may be occupied. U-chanels with adjustable diameters can be made.
Wedges or simple gripping mechanisms can be used to allow for unoccupied
space in the U-channel.
In the version described in some detail here, with accompanying images
there is a layer which has central importance in this invention, made up of
two sub-layers. Wood offers many benefits for the construction of this layer
but other materials may be chosen instead. In this case, one sub-layer is
made up of oak panels, each of them very near to 20cm wide and 90cm long,
with tongue and groove edges, so that they fit together closely in a
vertical position. This layer is on the inner position.
The panels have aesthetic strength (although the panels used here are
not varnished and were previously used in outdoors conditions). A
material with no aesthetic benefits is used for the position nearer to the
window glass, OSB (Oriented Strand Board.) This is a basic configuration,
which does allow for additions which add significant functionality (and
enhanced aesthetic benefits.)
Implementations of the basic system may take very different forms. These may be predominantly 'traditional,' making use of oak panelling, although it has ] more contemporary additions, the metal strips an the side of the panelling which are used for support of shelving. The system can accommodate a very wide range of tastes and preferences with a very great degree of flexibility. Layers could be used for the position nearest the viewer or viewers inside the room which include, to give just a few examples, painted or plastered panels. These could match or contrast with the decor of the room, in a very wide range of colours and textures. It would be possible to make or obtain plain surfaces which users could treat themselves with paint, plaster or other materials, if they wished.
In the next section, I provide further information on these
benefits and the many benefits to be obtained by adding further layers.
Detailed description
A rigid layer is a necessary component of whatever layers are
transported in the carrier. In the prototype, the rigid layer is made up of
the two sub-layers constructed with oak and OSB board. This is a list of
additional, 'optional' layers which extend the functionality of the
invention to such a significant extent - as I would claim. The choice of
these additional layers is governed by such factors as changes in external
conditions, personal preferences and by the compatibility of components.
The two different materials in the sub-layers, oak and OSB, have
advantages as insulating materials but there is a wide choice of other
materials which will significantly enhance the insulating value of the
accessory. Most, but not all, are available in board form. Materials not
available in board form can be enclosed in containers suitable for
insertion. The insulation layers include ones constituted of polyurethane
and other synthetic insulating materials, sheep's wool and insulating
materials derived from plant sources.
Double glazing relies upon panes of glass enclosing trapped air (or an
inert gas such as argon.) Double glazing has obvious insulation value but
other forms of insulation can be more efficient, a factor important for
buildings with severe or extreme environmental conditions in winter.
When the weather is warmer, perhaps much warmer, then the higher
degree of insulation is not needed. This system allows for the insulation to
be removed, or to be replaced if conditions become much colder. It is easy
to replace it, if wished, simply to retain heat within the room / the
building when night falls and the temperature falls.
In cold weather conditions, absorption of any solar radiation which
would be beneficial is an obvious advantage. This absorption can be
increased by placing a dark panel in front of the layer or layers making up
the basic layer.
In hot conditions, reflection of incident radiation becomes the
priority. Inclusion of a white, reflecting panel in the layer collection is
very easy to achieve. As with the dark heat-absorbing layer, the layer can
be left in place for a long or short period of time.
The windows of a boarded-up building are sometimes a sign that the
building is a neglected one. Boards can have high aesthetic value and the
boards which can be used in this system, visible from the outside, can have
this value, for example, planed, varnished boards.
However, there are many other possibilities. In this prototype, there
is contrast between the light OSB boards, which do not cover all the visible
window space, and the darker oak boards. The contrast can be viewed from
outside the building. Interesting patterns can be formed, taking advantage
of contrasts of colour, texture and so on.
Boards can also be incorporated which are useful and informative, at
least to the owner, such as the signs 'House to let,' 'House to rent,'
'Apartment for sale.'
Security is a matter which is very important, obviously in some areas
rather than others or at some times rather than others. Windows at ground
level are obviously particularly vulnerable to burglary and other risks.
Many local and national politicians report that the security of their homes
and offices is a matter which concerns them greatly, although this is a
problem which has more general significance for democratic societies.
Video recording cameras, and not only very slim
cameras, could be incorporated into the system. These cameras could be
protected from damage far more easily than many of the cameras often
used for security purposes and other purposes. I have no such cameras of
my own, have never made use of them and have no intention of using them
but I would want to further beneficial use of these video recording
cameras, for such users as those who live with the threat of terrorist
action or in dangerous neighbourhoods.
Beneficial applications may be used in non-beneficial ways. It is
conceivable that in some repressive countries, cameras could be used for
repressive surveillance, not the kind of surveillance which is sometimes
needed in democracies, to give information about
terrorists and others. This might add to difficulties as well as lessen
difficulties, but the situation as it already exists is this kind of
situation, and video recording cameras aren't in the least a novelty. It
would be impossible to do even partial justice to these complex issues
here
There are external risks and internal risks. The risk of fire can
arise from external or internal origins. Specialist fire resistant panels
can be inserted into the system, as an outermost layer. Escape from fires
which arise from inside the building would sometimes be easier if escape
from a window were possible. Smashing window glass may be needed for escape
to be possible.
A radical version of this system, which would offer other advantages
besides fire safety: the existing window to have glass removed and a glass
pane, or glass panes, forming the outer layer. In this case, the unit would
be located all the time or most of the time in the window space, not outside
it and moved into the window area as needed. An advantage - the ready
opening up of the window space in hot weather so that there is the least
possible barrier to airflow. When glazed panels are used in this system,
they can be readily removed and readily replaced.
This would not be beneficial in hot climate conditions when the
outside air is at a higher temperature than the air inside the room.
However, at night, when the outside temperature is lower, then it would be
beneficial, at least in rooms which are above ground level. Security
considerations would make open entry points inadvisable at ground
level, unless the security of the surroundings could be guaranteed. Wire
mesh panels - where the wire is strong - can readily be inserted into the
system. When the window remains glazed, wire mesh panels can be beneficial
to prevent theft, for example, the windows of ground-floor workshops. The
tools and equipment can be seen form outside (unless privacy glass is used,
with the right environmental conditions for it to work) but the wire mesh
can act as a deterrent.
In this system, the basic layer, in this case of wood, offers a high
degree of protection but a strong security layer can be inserted, obviously,
nearest to the window glass, which reduces the risks further.
A layer of one-way privacy glass can easily be inserted, so that
occupants of a room can see the exterior but the interior space is not
visible from the outside. This form of glass only works if light intensity
is greater outside than inside, but this system allows light intensities to
be controlled much more easily so that the privacy glass is effective to a
much greater extent.
In a house with windows overlooking a garden - or in houses with no
garden at all - then wooden 'diamond lattice' can be an attractive material
to use. Lattice of this kind is often used in gardens and a lattice window
would enhance appearances in many cases. A diamond lattice also gives a
means of securing greater privacy for the occupants of rooms.
Solar panels can form yet another layer. Obviously, a solar panel will
form the outermost layer, whatever other layers are used. There are
significant advantages as well as disadvantages in the case of this
application. The disadvantages include ones which involve the
directionality of sunlight. Window solar panels are very restricted in
comparison with panels on roofs. Use in bay windows is more advantageous
than use in other forms of windows. Light from various directions can be
intercepted. One advantage, to do with cost, is that the panels are
sheltered. It would be possible to produce solar panels which are cheaper
for this indoor use. Weatherproofing the panels would be unnecessary.
The rigid, opaque boards which form the basic layer can be used with
different dimensions and with different distances between board and interior
wall, the wall adjacent to the window.
A board appreciably longer and wider than the window space and with
practically no gap between the unit and the wall surrounding the window will
effectively exclude all light. This will benefit the sleep patterns of many
people, those who live in latitudes where in summer, night falls later and
daylight comes earlier than in lower latitudes. This system can ensure dark
conditions more effectively than the use of curtains or blinds. The system
can easily be used with blinds, blinds can certainly remain in place, but is
incompatible with the use of curtains.
However, a degree of light penetration could be welcome. If an opaque
layer is used in the system which is not as wide or as long and there is a
small gap between layer and wall, the glow of light visible at the outer
edges of the board is very attractive.
The layer facing the outside world can be made attractive and
sometimes useful. This is also the case with the layer facing the space
inside the building.
A few examples, from the prototype. Here, the oak boards are the
visible component from inside the room. Framed art works, photographs,
posters can be mounted on the boards.
There are strips at the left and right edges of the board layer which
allow supports for shelving to be inserted very quickly and easily.
Obviously, the shelves can be used for storage of a very wide range of
articles. They may be bookshelves, shelves for storage of domestic
essentials, fruit and vegetable produce ...
Seals, which reduce heat loss, may have a large gap inside the
peripheral sections. Seals can also be used which have material
throughout. Seals can be incorporated into the 'repertoire' of layers
which are inserted into the carrier. So too can glazed units, a form of
moveable window glass.
By using a glazed unit in the carrier, moved into the window space, a
single glazed window can very easily become a double glazed window and a
double glazed window can become a triple glazed window. A window space
can be entirely unglazed. This can have benefits in certain
circumstances.
For example, during long, intense heat waves, a window with no glass can
give the maximum airflow into a room and other parts of a building - but
not during the day, when air from outside is likely to be hotter than
air inside the room. The changes can be made easily - a window with
glass in the heat of the day, a window without glass at night, for
relief from the heat. Openings in windows are more often than not
of insufficient size to cope with the demands of hot climates or hot
conditions in temporate climates.
At times when maximum air flow would be beneficial, a window which
allows and promotes maximum air flow is beneficial - best of all is a
window which (temporarily) has no glass at all.
Environmental benefits can be difficult to achieve, and sometimes
environmental benefits are accompanied by unexpected disadvantages, as I
see it, but I think that this invention has genuine environmental
benefits without any disadvantages that I can detect. A reduction in the
energy demands of air conditioning units would be very beneficial and I
think that this invention would have beneficial results in this respect,
and not only in this respect. The benefits as regards insulation and the
associated reductions in energy use are another example.
Doors raise many of the same issues as windows. Present door design,
like present window design, often concentrates attention on the door as
multi-functional component, one which achieves a degree of success in
meeting the demands of functionality but which could achieve more.
Doors often have glass panels, but a door which admitted much more
light would often be very advantageous, for the comfort of the people living
or working there and for their sense of well-being - a door which enhanced
the effect of the windows, if the window design is a good one.
The insulation value of doors is well understood now but insulation of
doors is probably not, in general, treated with the same level of care as
the insulation of windows. A system similar to the window system
proposed here, hinged or sliding, would offer many advantages and be much
more flexible and much more versatile, including the enhancement of
the insulation provided by doors.
Doors offer particular opportunities for external fittings, so that
changes can be made from outside, but many of the fittings can be internal,
as in the case of windows. The necessary detail is not provided in this
particular document. Sliding doors are much more convenient than hinged
doors for adding suitable extensions. When a sliding door is moved from the
door-space to the adjoining wall, the opening can be used for a variety of
useful purposes, such as air-drying - air-drying of clothing or other
fabrics after washing, hung on a suitable rack, air drying of fruit and
vegetables, on suitable surfaces, and even air-drying of 'green' wood (with
a high moisture content.) These applications eliminate or reduce the need
for air warmed by the use of electrical energy, with obvious environmental
benefits.
The first two of these applications, drying washing and drying fruit
and vegetables, are easy to apply. In the case of timber, there are
practical difficulties. In many or most cases, kiln drying will be
necessary. The timber is bulky, of course. Only large doors (and windows) of
farm and factory buildings or in some cases workshops will be suitable. The
timber has to be left in place for a long time, a year or more in most
cases. The moisture content of the timber will not be less than the
environmental moisture content - in general, the timber will not be suitable
for indoor use but will be very suitable for external use.
These considerations apply to the use of windows as well as doors.
Windows are suitable for installing extensions for the air-drying of
clothing and other fabrics after washing and the air-drying of smaller
quantities of fruit and vegetables but not at all for the air-drying of
timber.
If the carrier, castors (or wheels) and track, with the components which are stored and moved when necessary constitute the basic window (or door) extension, then a racks, drying surface, timber support structure can be regarded as constituting an 'extension to an extension.' For the purposes of this account, I name the basic extension 'extension 1' and the extension to the extension 'extension 2.'
Extension 2 may be physically connected to extension 1 or not connected but in close proximity. For example, it would be possible for extension 1 to be stored - that is, in the 'resting position' to the left of a door or window and extension 2 to be stored to the right of a window, or vice-versa.
Alternatively the two kinds of extension can be used independently. Extension 2 may be mounted on a carrier, which runs on a track but in most cases the width of the extension will necessitate a twin-carrier, twin-track system. A folding clothes rack can be supported by a single carrier but in the open position, two carriers would be needed. Alternatively, provision can be made on a surface, of suitable height in the case of a window with a base above floor level, for safe and suitable support.
As with all applications which are near to windows, it is essential to install safety barriers for temporary or long-term use. A strong wire mesh panel fixed fixed so as to cover the window space is one method. Another is to install a sheet of strong non-vitreous, shatterproof material to cover the window space.
Commercial applications are many and varied. The architectural applications are intended to promote flexible working. The possible configurations of the system can be many and varied, giving very substantial advantages in a wide range of working environments, including offices, workshops, factories, farm buildings. A brief summary of some uses:
The system gives versatile storage space, on open shelving and in units
with doors. The storage areas can be small or tall, from floor to ceiling.
The storage space is readily moveable, since the carriers can move. Long track items on shelves / in cupboards of units can be moved from
desk to desk or from workbench to workbench. The units can be used in
a workflow assembly line.
Shelving and other units can be positioned in relation to desks /workbenches for optimum
use. If the desks or workbenches are moved or reconfigured, the units can
easily be moved.
small workstation with eg desk / small workbench and chair can be moved
itself from place to place, positioned and repositioned.
blackboard / whiteboard
The units which can be readily moved can comprise Dexion shelving, filing cabinets,
blackboards and whiteboards, printed notices / information - information in
a form which often has advantages over online information. For example,
important safety information can be visible at all times.
Moving objects will often have advantages over alternative methods, such as the use of trolleys. Carriers can occupy space otherwise unused.
3
The prototype has been moved from the resting position to the window
space. Some parts of the prototype are hidden
but part of the carrier is visible, the ribbed wood which makes up the
rectangular structure, although the castors and the track on which the unit can
move are not shown in this photograph or any of the other photographs.
Visible here, on the right, are the oak boards which constitute the
inner layer of the unit, the boards arranged vertically, and also two
shelves which are held by supports inserted into strips at the edges of
the boards. Photograph 8.jpg shows the shelving more clearly.
4
This shows the unit in the same position, in the window space. Moving the unit takes hardly any effort. Visible in this photograph and the others which show the unit is, high up, the cylindrical safety barrier which prevents the unit from toppling forward. The safety device has a suitable safety rating and runs the entire width of the wall. It is screwed to the wall at the ends. The panelling of the walls of the room has been placed horizontally and it will be seen that the boards of the unit are vertical. I used boards for the unit which I happened to have available. They had been used for years outdoors and were not cleaned up or varnished before their use here. At the left and right side of the unit are vertical strips, with a series of slits. There are projections on the supports which fit into these spaces. Boards sawn to length are placed on these supports as shelving and of course, the system offers a high degree of flexibility - more shelves can be installed and the shelves can be placed in a wide range of positions. It goes without saying that the shelving can be used for a very large number of purposes - storage of fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs, light kitchen equipment or other equipment, as bookshelves, to name a few. The long wooden structure of darker hue which can be seen along the lower part of this photograph and in other photographs has no relevance to the invention. It has been in this position for quite some time and I decided to retain it.
5
There are other ways of modifying the plain boards besides adding shelving. The boards can be used to display framed (or unframed) photographs or art-work. Here, I've put against the boards some framed images I have, with no attempt to display them as they would be displayed if they were to be there for some time.
6
Not a photograph but an image which shows a use for the system with far reaching benefits for for the use of space in a very wide range of settings, including small and large offices and the homes of individual computer users - mounting a computer monitor on the board. The board may be static or part of the movable system described here. In the image, the computer is fixed directly to the board. Much greater flexibility can be achieved by mounting the screen on a simple support system which is fixed to the board. The support system will have a sliding support which allows the height of the monitor to be adjusted to allow for personal preference and the needs of different users.
This degree of flexibility is usually not possible in established systems where the monitor is placed on a computer desk. There are further advantages to do with security. A computer monitor on a desk may be more vulnerable than a monitor which is wall-mounted. The desk computer may even be moved accidentally to the side of the desk and fall. Another aspect of security - this wall-mounted position allows computer monitors to be protected from theft by strong but simple protection devices, such as lockable boxes or bars.
The shelving system described above can be used to provide desk space below the computer monitor. In this case, only one shelf may project from the board and it is large enough to give usable shelf space. The area available is modifiable. A shelf with a larger or smaller area can be chosen, depending upon needs and preferences. The computer and computer monitor can be placed on the shelf, with room at the front of the shelf for a keyboard. Alternatively, two or more shelves could be used. For example, the top shelf could be used for the monitor, the shelf below that for the keyboard and for general work space and the lowest shelf for the computer itself.
In the system described, the computer users will have their backs to the wider office (or other) space, but other arrangements are possible. The support for the monitor can be hinged. When it is swung out, the monitor is now at right angles to the plane of the board. The computer user will then be able to use the computer, or carry out work on the materials on the desk, without facing towards the wall / window area.
In offices or other work places with glazing which could be regarded as superfluous, then window space can be 'taken out of commission,' much of the window space becoming opaque wall space and used for the purposes described here.
Above: Layers panels can incorporate solar panels. A small panel in a small window space will only make a small contribution. Much larger panels in much larger window space can make much larger contributions. Buildings with a very large number of windows, larger or smaller, such as modern buildings which are 'more glass than wall,' much more glass than wall, can make a very much larger contribution to the supply of electrical energy.
Hardwick Hall, completed in 1599, used glass on a large scale, giving rise to the local saying, 'Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall.' I don't of course, imagine for one moment that this New Window-Door-Extension-System will ever be applied to Hardwick Hall and that solar panels will ever be fitted to the windows.
This isn't a history of window shutters - all I do is give a few, a very few examples of traditional window shutters, simply to make the point that existing window shutters are part of a long and wide-ranging history, both traditional shutters and contemporary shutters, in many different countries.
In the case of violins, violas and cellos, it's difficult or impossible to improve upon the past. Not so in the very different world of window blinds, I think. Usefulness and practicality are very different from beauty and attractiveness. I think that in general, in established designs, the shutters are often very attractive, attractive or quite attractive, sometimes useful, more often quite useful.
Some images of traditional shutters
Above, buildings in Dinkelsbühl, now part of Bavaria, Germany. A high proportion of the buildings have shutters.
Above, view of Dinkelsbühl
Above, shutters in Romania. Traditional shutter styles are very, very varied, of course, in colour and design. The shutters I advocate on this page, which are mainly internal shutters, not the external shutters shown above, can be just as varied.
Above, shutters in Switzerland. The condition of the shutters varies widely, from good to poor - a very different set of values not dependent upon the moral character of the owners or renters. The facade as a whole is obviously in a poor state and needs repair and renovation. The exterior is not in accordance with stereotypes of Swiss neatness.
The interiors of buildings are subject to the same laws as the exteriors, but in different ways and not to the same extent. Exteriors will show the effects of weather and weathering. Otherwise, they begin to show the effects which are shown above. The focus of my attention on this page is the world of interior shutters, and shutters which are solid, not made of horizontal panels - shutters which are much easier to construct and easier to maintain.
Above, houses in Zurich, Switzerland with an air of informality, showing the effects of weathering but not severely.
If a unit is placed in front of an unglazed window-space, with no gap between unit and wall, or the gap bridged with a seal, there's the opportunity to select from a variety of glazing materials as well as a variety of other materials, such as insuling layers and solar panels.
Glazing materials include the application of single-glazing, double glazing, triple glazing, laminated glass, toughened glass. The glass may allow views into the property or not, as in the case of glass bricks: