AU3780400A

AU3780400A - Lockable window opener

Info

Publication number: AU3780400A
Application number: AU37804/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Graeme Byrne
Original assignee: PACIFIC ENTPR AUST Pty Ltd
Current assignee: PACIFIC ENTERPRISES (AUST) Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2000-05-30
Filing date: 2000-05-30
Publication date: 2001-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-30
Also published as: AU773775B2

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPEC IFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Applicant(s):. PACIFIC ENTERPRISES (AUST) PTY LTD, ACN 063 654 071 :**too 1.

000.* 00* 0.0 Q Actual Inventor(s): Graene Byne Address for Service: 'PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICE -26 Ellinigwaforh Paad BoxA Hjill Vietaia 312.8- Vt- 3a00Lt Australia Title: LOCKABLE WINDOW OPENER 4 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- LOCKABLE WINDOW OPENER This invention relates to a lockable window opener that uses a chain connected to a hinged window such that varying the length of the chain varies the degree of openness of the window.

Generally such mechanisms are used on windows which are pivotally hinged at a top portion with the lockable window opener being attached to the windowsill and a chain extending from and attached to a bottom portion of the window so that it is able to pivot outwards around the top hinge.

A particular problem associated with window openers of this kind, is the difficulty in 10 securing such a window. An undue pulling force applied directly to the bottom part of a window causes excessive tensile forces in the opener mechanism, resulting in a skipping of the chain relative to the mechanism. The drive mechanism may even break. Also a steady application of force directly on the window may merely operate the gearing associated with the chain in reverse to the intended activating direction. In this way, providing an outward force on the window will pull out the chain and open the window due to a free wheeling of the rotatable drive mechanism.

A proposed solution to this problem is to use a worm drive which is a high ratio gearing. However, this has the substantial disadvantage of requiring an excessive number of turns of the operating handle to achieve significant movement of the window.

An object of the invention is to provide a substantially improved window opener that provides lockable characteristics and overcomes at least some of the problems of the prior art and provides a cost effective and readily useable apparatus.

According to the invention there is provided a lockable window opener including a housing for securing to a window ledge; a chain extending out of the housing and attachable to the openable window; a drive means for varying the length of the chain extending out of the housing in order to vary the degree of the opening of the window; a locking means including a detent means for directly engaging the chain and preventing the chain from being further extended from the housing.

The window opener can have the locking means with a key lock for effecting movement of the detent means between a lockable and unlockable position.

The detent means preferably includes a wedge for wedging into the links of a chain to prevent the chain from being further extended from the housing. In another form the detent ::means can include a clamp for clamping onto the chain preventing the chain from being further extended from the housing.

0 0.

The detent means can include an activation means which activates or positions the detent means. The activation means could include a slide bar slidable at an angle to the oeoo operation of the detent means and having complementary cam surfaces.

Preferably the chain extends in at least part of a loop in a chain channel within the o 15 housing and the activation means is mounted within the loop of the chain and the detent means extends outwards to engage an inner surface of the chain.

The invention also provides a lockable window opener having an elongated housing and a chain extending in an elongated channel within the housing and out of an opening and connectable to a window the window opener including a detent means having a detent member able to engage the chain at a predetermined position in the housing to prevent movement of the chain; and further including locking means able to be selectively operated between first and second states, wherein the first state the detent means is effected to move the detent member into engagement with the chain at the predetermined position and wherein the second state the detent means is effected to move the detent member out of engagement with the chain and allow movement of the chain.

The detent member can be mounted in the housing and the detent means include a resilient member which urges the detent member into a position corresponding with one of the first or second states of the locking means with the locking means requiring an active force to move the detent member into a position corresponding with the other of the first or second states. The detent means can includes a cam surface which coacts with a device bar having a drive surface engaging the cam surface so that movement of the drive bar in one direction moves the detent member in another direction between a chain engaging and 10 disengaging positions.

The locking means can include a key lock having a rotating pin that engages the drive bar such that rotation of the key lock causes reciprocal motion of the drive bar to move the detent member into chain engaging and disengaging positions. The detent member preferably engages the chain in a predetermined position spaced from the drive means driving the movement of the chain.

To more fully describe the invention, an embodiment will now be described with reference to the following drawings. The drawings, however, are merely illustrative of how the invention might be put into effect and the specific form and arrangement of features shown is not to be understood as limiting on the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a housing for a lockable window opener according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the internal mechanisms of the lockable window opening of Figure 1 with the top of the housing removed.

Figure 3 is an overhead plan view of the internal mechanisms of the lockable window opening of Figure 1 with the top of the housing removed.

Figure 4 is a partial overhead plan view of the internal mechanisms of the lockable window opening of Figure 1 in an unlocked position.

Figure 5 is a partial overhead plan view of the internal mechanisms of the lockable window opening of Figure 1 in a locked position.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a window opener 12 according to the invention comprising a housing 14 which is substantially box-like having a width narrow enough to be mounted readily on a windowsill. Within the housing 14 is a coiled chain 26 able to extend out an opening 41 at one side end of the housing 14 and by means of fastening plate 51 at the end of the chain is attached to the window. In this way, varying lengths of chain 16 extending out of the opening 41 alter the degree of openness of the attached window.

The window opener 12 further includes a drive means 21 including a winder handle 18 ooo* connected to gearing which is able to move the chain 26 within the coiled path within the housing 14. A loose end of the coiled chain 26 therefore protrudes out of the opening 41 to provide the workable function while the other end slides within a chain channel 50 defined within the housing 14 by an internal channel wall 49 and the internal side of the housing 14.

The internal channel wall 49 extends parallel to the internal side of the housing 14 for a substantial portion of the housing with at one end a curved portion leading from the opening 41 and at the other end of the housing a U shape to allow the chain channel 50 to continue down the other wide of the housing and form a coiled chain 16.

To control the degree that the window is open, a locking means is incorporated including a key lock 19 and a detent means 31, which directly engages the coil chain 26 within the housing 14 to prevent the chain from being extended further from the housing 14.

The key lock 19 is accessible from outside of housing in a raised portion 16 of the housing 14 to accommodate the locking means and on the same side as the drive handle 18. The key lock 19 interacts with the detent means 31.

The detent means 31 comprises a detent member 32 in the form of a wedge 34, and a slide bar 33. The slide bar 33 is mounted in a central cavity 52 formed by the chain channel wall 49. The wedge 34 extends laterally across the housing 14 with one end able to engage directly the chain links 26 to prevent the chain being able to proceed past the wedge 39. The other end of the wedge 34 engages a spring 35 so as to provide a bias into the engaging 10 position.

ooo# The slide bar 33 includes engagement recesses, which are able to engage a protrusion on the key lock 19 such that rotation of the key lock 19 and the protrusion will provide S. movement of the slide bar 33 in a longitudinal direction relative to the length of the housing 14 within the central cavity 52.

The wedge 34 includes an upper cam surface 38 spaced from the wedging point. A complementary leading cam surface 39 is provided adjacent a leading tongue 40 on the slide bar 33. The leading cam surface 39 is angled and contacts the upper cam surface 38 of the detent member 32. The raised cam surface 38 of the detent member 32 is able to engage the cam surface 39 of the slide bar 33 such that the key lock 19 in an unlocked position will slide the slide bar 33 longitudinally towards the wedge 34 so that the slide bar cam surface 39 engages with the cam surface 38 of the detent member 32 to move the detent member 32 and its wedging point 34 out of engagement with the chain 26 against the action of the spring as shown in Figure 4. This allows movement of the chain 26 within and out of the housing 14 when the drive means 31 is activated by the drive handle 18.

When the key lock 19 is changed to a locked position as shown in Figure 5, the slide bar 33 slides longitudinally away from the detent member 32, disengaging the cam surface 39 of the slide bar 33 from the cam surface 38 of the detent member 32 and allowing the spring means 35 to bias the detent member 32 being the wedge 34 into engagement with the chain links 26 to prevent movement of the chain 26.

It will be appreciated that a person skilled in the art will understand that variations of the above can be readily envisaged without departing from the scope and the invention and such are included within the scope of the following claims.

*eo

Claims

1. A lockable window opener including: a housing for securing to a window ledge; a chain extending out of the housing and attachable to an openable window; a drive means for varying the length of the chain extending out of the housing in order to vary the degree of opening of the window; and a locking means including a detent means for directly engaging the chain and preventing the chain from being further extended from the housing.

2. A window opener in accordance with claim 1 wherein the locking means includes a key lock for effecting movement of the detent means between a lockable and unlockable position.

3. A window opener in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein the detent means includes a wedge for wedging into the links of a chain to prevent the chain from being further extended S"from the housing.

4. A window opener in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein the detent means includes a clamp for clamping onto the chain preventing the chain from being further extended from the .*.housing.

A window opener in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking means includes an activation means which activates the detent means, the activation means including a sliding member slidable at an angle to the operation of the detent means.

6. A window opener in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein the chain extends in at least part of a loop within the housing and the locking means is mounted within the loop of the detent means extends outwards to engage an inner surface of the chain.

7. A lockable window opener having: an elongated housing and a chain extending in an elongated channel within the housing and out of an opening and connectable to a window the window opener including a detent means having a detent member able to engage the chain at a predetermined position in the housing to prevent movement of the chain; and further including locking means able to be selectively operated between first and second states, wherein in the first state the detent means is effected to move the detent member into engagement with the chain at the predetermined position and wherein in the second state the detent means is effected to move the detent member out of engagement with the chain and allow movement of the chain.

S8. A lockable window opener in accordance with claim 7 wherein the detent member is 10 mounted in the housing and the detent means includes a resilient member which urges the detent member into a position corresponding with one of the first or second states of the locking means with the locking means requiring an active force to move the detent member into a position corresponding with the other of the first or second states.

9. A lockable window opener in accordance with claim 7 or 8 wherein the detent means includes a cam surface which coacts with a drive bar having a drive surface engaging the cam surface so that movement of the drive bar in one direction moves the detent member in another direction between a chain engaging and disengaging positions.

A lockable window opening in accordance with claim 9 wherein the locking means includes a key lock having a rotating pin that engages the drive bar such that rotation of the key lock in opposite directions causes reciprocal motion of the drive bar to move the detent member into chain engaging and disengaging positions.

11. A lockable window opener in accordance with claim 10 wherein the chain moves within elongate channels within the housing and the drive bar moves in a channel extending alongside at least a portion of the elongated channels for the chain.

12. A lockable window opener in accordance with any one of the preceding claims wherein the detent member engages the chain in a predetermined position spaced from the drive means driving the movement of the chain.

13. A lockable window opener substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. Dated this 30th day of May 2000 PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES Attorneys for PACIFIC ENTERPRISES (AUST) PTY LTD *o *°o*O