EP0384142B1 - Actuating rod having configurated coupling means - Google Patents

Abstract

In an espagnolette (2) with a formed-on coupling half (13) having two toothings (6 and 7) located opposite one another, an especially advantageous manufacture is achieved if a perforation (3) is provided instead of a connecting bottom of the coupling half (13). This is preferably a punched slot which, after the embossing of the two toothings and the formation of the coupling walls (15 and 16), can experience a widening. An even more pronounced widening is obtained if the two toothings are brought to a relatively large lateral distance from one another by pressing the toothed rods (27 and 28) laterally away. This then makes it possible to use a coupling counterhalf (14) of known dimensions and stability. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a connecting rod for a window, a door or the like. With an integrally formed coupling half for connection to another coupling half on a further connecting rod, the coupling half being two approximately parallel coupling walls running in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod and each formed by bent connecting rod material has, of which at least one toothing on, extending transversely to the drive rod displacement direction, formed by embossing presses, against the other clutch wall has teeth. The two coupling walls are preferably approximately perpendicular to the connecting rod plane, and the coupling counter-half is suspended transversely to the connecting rod plane in the coupling half, wherein it is also provided with at least one toothing which forms a complementary toothing to that of the coupling half. In particular, it concerns fine gears. In addition, training with two teeth on each coupling half is preferred. Furthermore, the other coupling half is preferably also molded onto the further drive rod, the teeth being located on the narrow edges in the case of a flat drive rod. These two connecting rods and their coupling halves thus form a length-adjustable link coupling for a window or door fitting.

DE-AS-1 093 698 has already made known a length-adjustable linkage coupling. This construction differs from the generic drive rod with coupling half in that the coupling half is manufactured separately, ie it is not molded onto the drive rod. It is a cross-sectionally U-shaped slide which has teeth pointing inwards on the two U-legs. As a result, the toothed slide and the drive rod must be firmly connected to one another, which is done there with the aid of rivets. But riveting is a relatively expensive operation, which is why this two-part production has been abandoned.

DE-OS-26 35 708 also proposes the use of a separately manufactured toothed slide. There separate rivets are saved because the toothed slide is provided with two molded rivets. However, there still remains the need to insert the rivet holes and in particular the riveting process itself.

DE-OS-24 36 266 proposes the use of a coupling half made in one piece with the drive rod. It is created by punching out a center piece in the end area of the drive rod. The further drive rod is designed in a known manner, ie provided with a tongue-like coupling counter-half located in its plane. However, this can only be hooked into the coupling half if the latter, viewed in the longitudinal direction, is open at its outer end. But if you want to punch up to this free end, the coupling half would consist of fork-like extensions of the drive rod that would spread apart when the tensile or compressive load occurred, which would then release the coupling. It is therefore proposed in this construction that the free forked ends are connected to one another via a cross-sectionally U-shaped end piece. The latter holds the free fork tine ends together, thereby ensuring the necessary rigidity. Thus, a further drive rod can be used, with a coupling counter-half located in its plane Is provided. Another disadvantage is the small residual cross section in the tooth area and the resulting low resilience.

The shaping of the U-shaped end piece is a relatively complex operation. In addition, compliance with the intended shape in the outer end region of the toothed racks is at least difficult, if not impossible.

DE-GM 83 24 586 also suggests punching the teeth out of the material of the drive rod. The material between the teeth is not removed, however, because, as DE-OS-24 36 266 indicates, this requires disadvantageous and costly training at the free end of the coupling piece. Instead, the longitudinal edges provided with teeth pointing inwards are bent up transversely to the plane of the drive rod, whereby they still remain connected at both ends to the drive rod. The coupling counter-half and the other drive rod can be kept in their known form.

Length-adjustable linkage couplings establish the connection between the operating element, for example a gearbox, handle or the like, with any other fitting parts, for example latches, opening devices for turn-tilt sashes and the like. They are embedded in corresponding grooves in the wing material. These grooves have to be milled, for example, with wooden frames. The profiles are designed accordingly for plastic or metal frames. In any case, nowadays, at least largely, only grooves of the same dimensions are used.

The cross section for the drive rod material and, if applicable, a faceplate or the like is thus also fixed. Starting from such a standardized material, which usually has dimensions of approx. 10 by 2.8 mm for connecting rods, it is easy to see that with a reasonably sufficient stability of the teeth on the coupling half of DE-GM 83 24 586 only one coupling -Use half in the form of an extremely narrow, toothed tongue. This coupling connection is not stable enough to transmit the often very high forces that occur.

The professional world has of course recognized this and consequently punching is dispensed with in another construction (DE-OS-36 40 500). Embossing takes its place. The flat material of the drive rod is first flattened in the end area to be equipped with the coupling half in order to achieve a widening and at the same time to form the teeth. Then the material parts pushed sideways are bent upwards by 90 ° to form the two toothed coupling walls.

Apart from the great effort that is necessary to deform this connecting rod end, the thickness of the connecting rod material in the region of the coupling half to be formed must be reduced considerably, because otherwise sufficiently high coupling walls cannot be formed. With the intended slide width, contrary to what is shown in this document, to relatively thin coupling walls that are not suitable for transmitting high forces.

In the case of a drive rod with a molded coupling half of the type described at the beginning (DE-PS 26 35 446), in which a further drive rod with a coupling counter-half lying in its plane is also provided, the two coupling walls are formed by embossing presses and as in the construction explained above Raise the thickness of the drive rod edges. Since the bottom of the U-shaped coupling shoe is not reduced in thickness and the teeth do not reach the bottom of the coupling shoe for bending reasons, the starting material in the area of the coupling shoe must be wider than in the connecting rod area. This is expressly pointed out, for example, in DE-OS 3640 500. If rods or strips are used as the starting material, their width must be greater than the standard width of the usual drive rods. The drive rod must be brought to the standard width there by costly punching away the lateral edges. In addition, embossing on two opposite sides is a complex operation. Another disadvantage is the weakening of the cross section at the transition from the coupling half into the drive rod by means of two notches, which is necessary there for reasons of bending technology.

The object of the invention is now seen in a drive rod with a molded coupling half of the type described above to further develop so that when using the usual material cross-section for the drive rod, the molded coupling half is particularly stable and thus highly resilient and can be produced with little manufacturing effort.

To solve this problem, the invention proposes that the drive rod is formed with a molded coupling half according to the preamble of claim 1 in accordance with the characterizing part of this claim. In contrast to the last-mentioned constructions, this coupling half does not have a toothed slide which is U-shaped in cross section, rather the base connecting the two coupling walls is missing there. Instead, a breakthrough between the two coupling walls is provided. If you first make this breakthrough on the rod material, in particular punched out, there is sufficient space in the center of the connecting rod for the material flowing inwards when the teeth are embossed, and in the case of two "racks" for each half the slot width of the extending in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod , central breakthrough is available. However, the entire length of the opening is expediently not used, rather, material edges remain undeformed on both opening ends. This then makes it easier to bend up or raise the gears formed in this way. Each is raised by about 90 ° in a known manner. It does not have to be pointed out that the superscript is of course done in such a way that afterwards the teeth of the two teeth point towards each other. Therefore, the embossing presses take place, so to speak, on the "rear" of the drive rod.

When the previously embossed gears are bent up, the material parts located between their ends and the associated opening end are interlaced. This results in a good stiffening of both end areas of the molded coupling half. This applies in particular because the material cross section is not pressed there and is therefore retained in its full strength.

In DE-PS-26 35 446 and DE-OS-36 40 500, the material must first be pressed laterally by embossing to the extent that you then get sufficiently high coupling walls when bending in, in both cases the outer width of the cross section U-shaped coupling half should be identical to the drive rod width. This shows the great advantage of the design according to the invention, in which the bending process takes place in reverse, namely from the inside out. This eliminates the formation of very wide outer lobes with a corresponding sharp reduction in the material thickness. The reduction in thickness of the material necessary to form the toothing does not have to be carried out so strongly in the inventive design of the drive rod and the molded coupling half, and nevertheless one obtains sufficiently high coupling walls which enable an optimal coupling of the counter coupling half.

The breakthrough is preferably a central longitudinal slot which is arranged symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the drive rod and is advantageously rounded off at both ends to avoid notch stresses. However, deviations from this can be made within certain limits if this is advantageous for forming the toothed racks. In addition, you choose the width of the opening, measured transversely to the longitudinal axis of the drive rod, so large that unnecessary weakening is avoided, but on the other hand there is sufficient material to form the two “racks”, but there is also sufficient space inside when the teeth are pressed.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention results from claim 2. The toothing extends, as can be seen from the exemplary embodiment, of course over the majority of the opening. The toothless end parts of the two coupling walls form the transition area between the two mutually perpendicular planes of the rack and drive rod. It is easy to understand from the manufacturing process that the free upper edges continuously drop down to the level of the drive rod. In addition, these are the entangled material parts mentioned.

A further development of the invention provides that the opening narrows at its two ends and the outer surface of the part of the coupling wall which has the toothing runs approximately flush with the associated longitudinal edge of the drive rod. If If the slot is chosen to be comparatively narrow, ie if the usual cross-sections for the drive rods select a slot width of the order of magnitude of 2 mm, then the two toothings are relatively close to one another after embossing and bending. This makes it necessary to use a counter-coupling half of appropriate width. The required cross-section can be obtained by measuring the height of the counter-coupling half, measured perpendicular to the plane of the drive rod.

In order for the coupling counter-half and the further drive rod to be able to maintain the tried-and-tested training, for example according to the generic document, it is expedient if the two toothings or toothed racks are pushed apart after being produced and raised. This is done by applying a corresponding force to each of the two toothings perpendicular to the plane of the drive rod. As a result, the two toothless, interleaved ends of the coupling walls are bent outwards, while the toothed parts remain flat and perpendicular to the drive rod plane. The breakthrough consequently increases in the area of the gears. On the other hand, it is clear from this that the drive rod designed in this way with a molded coupling half does not require a wide opening, measured in the direction of the side distance, despite the large side spacing of the toothings.

So that the coupling counter-half can be inserted into the coupling half from above, i.e. perpendicular to the plane of the drive rod, the gears, in particular fine gears, then intermeshing, which is possible due to their design as complementary gears, the teeth of the coupling half must be up to the upper longitudinal edge of its coupling wall, which is distant from the connecting rod plane. In such a coupling half formed on a drive rod, a further embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the lower tooth ends are at a short distance from the lower longitudinal edge, the non-toothed lower wall part forming a longitudinal boundary web of the opening on the relevant main area of the opening . The thickness of the material is therefore not reduced there, and thus a stiff construction is advantageously obtained in this area. The height of the longitudinal boundary web, measured perpendicular to the drive rod plane, suitably corresponds to approximately half the drive rod thickness. On the one hand, good stiffening is achieved and, on the other hand, sufficiently long teeth with a comparatively narrow width or opening width of the opening.

Another variant of the invention is set out in claim 6. On the one hand, the teeth are sufficiently long - perpendicular to the drive rod plane - to fully mesh with the complementary counter-toothing, and on the other hand, an additional drive rod can be used advantageously, whose coupling counter-half is located in their plane.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention results from claim 7. By shortening the outer teeth, so to speak at their lower end in use, there is a relatively high, not reduced in cross-section of each coupling wall there on both sides. This means further strengthening in the area mentioned. On the other hand, however, the teeth in the rear and front end areas of each rack are still high enough to ensure proper coupling to the counter teeth.

In a further development of the invention, the height of the coupling walls is reduced in steps at the two rack ends or ends of the toothings. With regard to the manufacturing process, this means that the embossing of the teeth and thus the lateral flowing away of the material takes place only over a partial area or the central main area of the two longitudinal edges of the punched opening.

As has already been explained above, standardized grooves are used for the drive rods and, if applicable, forend rails arranged above them in modern windows and doors. The width of the grooves is about two millimeters larger than that of the drive rod, so that when you move the drive rods on the side edges with no increase the operator unnecessarily Friction has to be expected. However, it is easily possible to use approximately the full groove width in the coupling area, because it is so short in relation to the total length of the drive rods that even if the coupling half should graze the groove walls laterally, there is no noteworthy increase in operating force. Under this aspect, it is particularly advantageous that the width of the coupling half slightly exceeds that of the drive rod - measured in the same direction. In this way, an even greater lateral distance between the two toothings is obtained, and this enables an even wider coupling counter-half to be used. The width of the coupling half should be in the order of the groove width, whereby there should still be a lateral play in the sense of a smooth sliding fit.

If the usual groove width is taken as a basis, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the width of the coupling half is approximately 11.5 mm and that of the drive rod is approximately 10 mm, with a drive rod thickness of approximately 2.5 to 3.0 mm. but preferably 2.8 mm.

The invention is explained below with reference to the drawing.

Fig. 1 bis 4

eine Draufsicht auf das Ausgangsmaterial für die Treibstangen und die angeformte Kupplungshälfte in vier aufeinander folgenden Verfahrensschritten, wobei Fig. 4 den Endzustand darstellt,

Fig. 5 bis 8

jeweils einen Längsschnitt durch die in der Zeichnung darüber befindliche Figur,

Fig. 9

eine Seitenansicht der Fig. 4 mit zusätzlich eingezeichneter noch nicht eingehängter weiterer Treibstange sowie einer Stulpschiene für die erfindungsgemäße Treibstange,

Fig. 10

eine Draufsicht auf Fig. 9, wobei die zusätzliche Treibstange der Deutlichkeit wegen seitlich versetzt gezeichnet wurde.

The drawing shows an embodiment of the invention. Here represent:

1 to 4

4 shows a plan view of the starting material for the drive rods and the molded coupling half in four successive method steps, FIG. 4 showing the final state,

5 to 8

each a longitudinal section through the figure above it in the drawing,

Fig. 9

4 with an additional not yet attached driving rod and a faceplate for the driving rod according to the invention,

Fig. 10

a plan view of Fig. 9, wherein the additional drive rod has been drawn laterally offset for clarity.

The espagnolette material is, as is particularly the case with FIGS. 1 and 5, a flat material, preferably with a known cross-sectional dimension. A breakthrough 3 is punched in the area of the end 1 of the drive rod 2 in a first operation, which is a longitudinal slot with rounded ends symmetrically arranged with respect to the longitudinal central axis 4. Its right end in FIG. 1 is at a distance corresponding to the load from the front end edge 5. The edge region of this longitudinal slot is permanently deformed with the aid of a suitable tool, toothing 6 and 7 being formed in an embossing press operation. It is preferably a fine toothing, in particular with a triangular or similar known cross section. A complementary toothing 8 and 9 is formed at the free end 10 of a further drive rod 11, which can be used in connection with the drive rod 2 in a length-adjustable linkage coupling.

From Fig. 2 it can be seen that the embossing of the teeth and thus the permanent deformation is carried out only on the central region of the two longitudinal edges of the opening. Due to the embossing pressure, the material deviates inwards, and in the case of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2, the embossed material edges finally abut one another or at least have a very small distance from one another. While punching the opening represents the first step or step and stamping the teeth the second step, in a third step each toothing is bent by approximately 90 ° so that the toothing is now at least approximately parallel to one another. 3 corresponds approximately to the width 12 of the opening 3. It can also be somewhat larger. On in this way, a coupling half 13 formed on the drive rod 2 is formed. The free end 10 of the further drive rod 11 with the complementary toothings 8 and 9 forms a coupling counter-half 14 which is produced in one piece with the further drive rod 11. The toothings 6 and 7 are located in the finished coupling half on two mutually parallel coupling walls and their longitudinal direction is in the embodiment perpendicular to the plane of the drive rod 2, which is why you can hang the coupling counter-half 14 in the direction of arrow 17 and unhook in the opposite direction. The lower side of the further drive rod 11 and the upper side of the drive rod 2 then lie flat against one another, insofar as they overlap.

When embossing the teeth, the material only flows inwards because a narrow outer edge zone 18, 19 remains undeformed. After the coupling walls 15 and 16 have been raised, this edge zone forms a longitudinal limiting web 20 or 21 in the central region of the opening 3. From FIGS. 7 and 8 it can clearly be seen that the teeth extend up to the upper longitudinal edge 22 or 23 of the coupling walls 15 or 16, but the lower tooth ends end at the longitudinal limiting web 21 or 22.

2 that the embossing surface is approximately trapezoidal on each side, so that the left and right outer teeth of each toothing 6 and 7 are shorter than the other teeth. Because, for example, all teeth Fig. 7 protrude equally far up, so that a straight upper boundary edge 24 (Fig. 7) is formed, the shortening of the teeth refers to the lower end. This causes a widening of the non-embossed material parts to the side of the narrow edge zones 18 and 19. In addition, it should be noted at this point that, in the exemplary embodiment, opposing toothings 6 and 7 are provided, but neither the coupling half nor the coupling counter-half have two toothings got to. However, it is more expedient to have two gears. In the case of only one toothing, of course, the opposite area of the longitudinal breakthrough edge is nevertheless raised to form the necessary second coupling wall.

From the above it follows that the coupling walls 15 and 16, which are separated from each other by the opening 3, from a flat, perpendicular to the plane of the drive rod, the toothing area, which can be viewed as a rack 27 and 28 and one there is transition area 25 and 26 located on both sides of the latter. At the location of the transition areas, the material is folded when the racks 27 and 28 are raised.

Because the longitudinal edges of the opening 3 are not subjected to the embossing pressure over their entire length, the height of the coupling walls 15 and 16 on both sides of the toothed racks 27 and 28 decreases step-by-step, these paragraphs being designated 29 and 30 in FIG. 8 are. The transition area then begins from this paragraph. The free edge of these areas 25 and 26 runs obliquely downward or downward inward from the respective paragraph (FIG. 4) to the level of the drive rod 2.

According to FIG. 3, the outer surface 29 and 30 of the toothed racks 27 and 28 are offset inwards relative to the longitudinal edges 31 and 32, which is why the toothings 6 and 7 do not have an excessively large lateral spacing. If, however, the two toothed racks 27 and 28 are pressed outwards, an embodiment according to FIG. 4 is obtained. The outer surfaces 29 and 30 mentioned can then run, for example, flush with the associated longitudinal edges 31 or 32, or else according to FIG. 4 protrude slightly beyond the longitudinal edges, so that a coupling half 13 is formed, the width of which slightly exceeds the width 33 of the drive rod 2. Due to the now larger side spacing of the two teeth 6 and 7, the coupling counter-half 14 can be made wider. 4 of the drawing that the opening 3 narrows at its two ends 34 and 35 in this embodiment.

In the preferred embodiment according to FIG. 8, the height 36 of the longitudinal limiting webs 20 and 21 corresponds approximately to half the connecting rod thickness 37. The length 38 of the teeth — measured perpendicular to the connecting rod plane — corresponds approximately to one and a half times the connecting rod thickness 37. Due to the specified height 36 of the longitudinal limiting webs 20 and 21, this means that the teeth protrude by approximately driving rod thickness 37 over the driving rod surface 40 (FIG. 8) pointing against a faceplate 39 (FIG. 9). Because the teeth of the complementary gears 8 and 9 are the same length as the drive rod thickness 37 for the same drive rod material for both drive rods 2 and 11, a tooth engagement over the entire tooth length of the complementary teeth 8 and 9 is achieved in this way.

It remains to be noted that, due to the course of the free upper edges in the transition regions 25 and 26, this tooth engagement is also fully guaranteed over the full tooth length of the toothings 8 and 9.

FIGS. 9 and 10 indicate that the drive rod 2 can be combined with the faceplate 39 to form a unit. A plate 41, which can be moved and locked in the longitudinal direction on the faceplate 39, serves to secure the end of the faceplate of a further faceplate, not shown, which overlaps the coupling.

Claims (10)

1. Connecting rod (2) for a window, a door or the like with an integrally shaped coupling half (13) for connecting a counter-coupling half (14) to a further connecting rod (11), wherein the coupling half (13) has two approximately parallel coupling walls (15, 16) which are each formed from bent connecting rod material, extend in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod, and of which at least one has toothing (6, 7) with teeth formed by stamping or the like, which extend transversely to the direction of displacement of the connecting rods and face the other coupling wall (15, 16), characterised in that the two coupling walls (15, 16) are separated by an aperture (3) provided between them in the plane of the connecting rod.
2. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to Claim 1, characterised in that the toothing (6, 7) of each coupling wall (15, 16) extends over an area which is shorter than the length of the aperture (3) consisting of a longitudinal slot in the longitudinal direction (4) of the connecting rod (2), wherein an area of transition (25, 26) of the coupling wall (15, 16) adjoins each end of the rack (27, 28) formed by the teeth, which area connects the flat area which is approximately perpendicular to the connecting rod plane to the driving rod (2).
3. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to Claim 2, characterised in that the aperture (3) narrows at both ends (34, 35) and the outer surface (29, 30) of the toothed part (27, 28) of the coupling wall (15, 16) is approximately flush with the associated longitudinal edge (31, 32) of the connecting rod (2).
4. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to any one of the preceding Claims, with upper teeth ends which extend as far as the upper longitudinal edge (22, 23) of their coupling wall (15, 16) distant from the connecting rod plane, characterised in that the lower teeth ends are at a slight distance from the lower longitudinal edge of their coupling wall (15, 16), wherein the non-toothed lower wall part forms a longitudinal limiting bar (20, 21) of the aperture (3).
5. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to Claim 4, characterised in that the height (36) of the longitudinal limiting bar (20, 21) corresponds to approximately half the thickness (37) of the connecting rod, measured perpendicular to the connecting rod plane.
6. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to Claim 5, characterised in that the length (38) of the teeth measured perpendicular to the connecting rod plane, corresponds to approximately one and a half times the thickness (37) of the connecting rod, such that the teeth project by approximately the thickness (37) of the connecting rod above the connecting rod surface which in use faces an inverted rail (39).
7. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to any one of Claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the upper teeth ends (22, 23) extend in a plane approximately parallel to the connecting rod plane, and the length of the teeth decreases gradually at both ends of the rack or of each rack (27, 28), wherein the first and last tooth of the rack or of each rack (27, 28) has a length corresponding to approximately the thickness (37) of the connecting rod.
8. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to Claim 7, characterised in that the height of the coupling walls (15, 16) is reduced in step form (29, 30) at the two rack ends.
9. Connecting rod with a coupling half according to any one of Claims 2 to 8, characterised in that the width of the coupling half (13) exceeds somewhat that (33) of the connecting rod (2).
10. Connecting rod with coupling halves according to Claim 9, characterised in that the width of the coupling half (13) is approximately 11.5 mm, and that of the connecting rod (2) is approximately 10 mm, for a connecting rod thickness (37) of approximately 2.5 to 3.0 and preferably 2.8 mm.

Images