EP1687502A1

EP1687502A1 - Window or door structure with a locking tap

Info

Publication number: EP1687502A1
Application number: EP04762866A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Torben Hundevad; Ulla Toft Oestergaard; Eirik Bjorn; Carl Johannes Hammer
Original assignee: VKR Holding AS
Current assignee: VKR Holding AS
Priority date: 2003-09-23
Filing date: 2004-09-23
Publication date: 2006-08-09
Also published as: DK200301381A; DK175999B1; WO2005028793A1

Abstract

An outwardly openable window or door structure (1) comprising a frame (3) and a sash (2) provided with a plate-shaped element, such as a glass pane (4). The frame (3) and sash (2) are hingedly interconnected and are provided with a locking mechanism comprising a locking tap (7) and a striking plate (8) provided on either of the sash (2) and frame (3). The locking tap (7) and the striking plate (8) are arranged between an inwardly facing side (13) of the sash (2) and an outwardly facing side (14) of the frame (3).

Description

Window or door structure with a locking tap

The invention relates to an outwardly openable window or door structure comprising a frame and a sash provided with a plate-shaped element, such as a glass pane, which frame and sash are hingedly interconnected and are provided with a locking mechanism comprising a locking tap and a striking plate provided on either of the sash and frame.

Window and door structures must fulfil various criteria, especially in relation to insulating, such that the temperature and humidity within the building in which the window or door structure is mounted can be kept at substantially constant levels independently of the outside weather. Furthermore, it is important that the window or door structure provides resistance against burglary by forcing the window or door structure open. Also, in recent years the de- mand for window or door structures that appear visually attractive and fit quiet into the building has increased.

An outwardly openable window or door structure of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph is known from e.g. EP-A1-0 627 539. The sash of the structure shown in this document comprises a T-shaped profile section having a vertical external profile wall, which forms the foremost portion of the sash, and an inwardly projecting flange part. The flange part projects from the external wall approximately from a centre line thereof which means that the vertical external profile wall extends beyond the location of the flange. The purpose of the vertical external profile wall is to provide a pleasant outer appearance of the window and to cover all the elements that are located behind the sash, i.e. the frame, fittings, locking mechanisms, glazing beads, etc., such that these elements are not visible from the outside and are not exposed to e.g. rain. In modern window and door structures the sash tends to become slimmer and slimmer which means that the external wall of the known window structure described above will be changed in such manner that the outermost cover flange will disappear. This means that there will be easier access to the elements of the locking mechanism which from a safety point of view is highly undesirable, since a potential thief may then provide himself an opportunity to force entry to the locking mechanism and further on to the interior of the building in which the window or door structure is mounted.

Another problem associated with a slimmer design of the window or door structure becomes apparent when the frame becomes so slim that the outermost peripheral edges of the frame and the sash are aligned. In this case it is not possible to use the conventional arrangement of the locking mechanism disclosed in EP-A1-0 627 539 which requires that the frame is provided with an outer flange that extends peripherally beyond at least a part of the sash.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a window or door structure of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph in which it is difficult from the outside to get access to the elements of the locking mechanism between the frame and the sash, even if the sash is of a very slim design.

This is achieved by arranging the locking tap and the striking plate between an inwardly facing side of the sash and an outwardly facing side of the frame.

Thereby is obtained that it is difficult to get access to the elements of the locking mechanism between the sash and the frame, especially when the window or door structure is of the conventional kind in which the frame is provided with an outer flange that at least partially extends beyond the pe- ripheral edge of the sash. The arrangement of the locking tap and the striking plate is also applicable to window or door structures in which there is no overlapping parts, since the locking tap simply is arranged between the surfaces of the frame and sash that face each other. When this kind of structure is mounted in a building, access to the locking mechanism is difficult since parts of the wall typically cover the peripheral interface between the frame and the sash.

In a preferred embodiment the locking tap is fixedly arranged on the frame, and the striking plate is displaceably arranged on the sash. By providing the locking tap - which spans the interface between the sash and the frame - as the fixed element is achieved that it is very difficult to force the locking mechanism to open.

In a first embodiment the locking tap is at a distant end provided with an annular groove, while the striking plate is provided with a slot for receiving the annular groove in the locking tap. Despite the simplicity of this kind of engagement between the locking tap and the striking plate it is possible to make a high-strength engagement.

Similarly, in a second embodiment the locking tap comprises a stem with a general rectangular cross-section and a laterally protruding locking flange at a distant end of the stem, while the striking plate is provided with a slot for receiving the stem and engaging the locking flange of the locking tap. By arranging the locking tap with a general rectangular cross-section it is possible to obtain a larger engagement face between the locking tap and the striking plate than if the locking tap has a circular cross-section.

The striking plate is preferably connected to a pasquil system and is concealed within a hollow glass bead provided on the sash at an interior side of the plate-shaped element. In this manner the glazing bead serves two func- tions: supporting the plate-shaped element on the interior side and concealing the pasquil system. In order to provide a strong locking mechanism a supporting bracket that is fixedly connected to the sash may be arranged to support the striking plate when it is engaged with the locking tap.

In an alternative embodiment the locking tap is arranged rotatably about an axis parallel with the plate-shaped element on the sash and is engageable with a fixed striking plate provided on the frame. This kind of locking mechanism is well-known in the art of outwardly openable windows and has proven to be strong and reliable.

In this embodiment the locking tap is preferably connected to a pasquil system provided within a hollow glazing bead provided on the sash at an interior side of the plate-shaped element. Again, the glazing bead serves two func- tions: supporting the plate-shaped element on the interior side and concealing the pasquil system.

In a preferred embodiment of the window or door structure the frame is at an inner side provided with a forwardly protruding flange that conceals the ele- ments of the locking mechanism. This feature calls for a clean-cut design of the structure when it is in its closed position, since only the frame is visible from the interior. Additionally, the flange hides the parts of the locking mechanism that is secured to the frame when the structure is opened, since these are located outside the flange.

The outer surface of the sash and the outer surface of the frame are preferably substantially aligned, such that a slim design of the structure is provided.

By furthermore providing the peripheral sash part in such manner that it ex- tends into close vicinity of the frame, and arranging a weather stripping between the peripheral sash part and the frame, the elements of the locking mechanism is protected against wind and water from the outside and the resistance against burglary is further increased.

It should be stressed that the invention is related to outwardly openable win- dow or door structures only. Therefore, the term "outwardly", when used in this specification, is specifically meant to mean the direction that points out of the building in which the window or door structure is to be mounted. Likewise, the term "inwardly", when used in this specification, is specifically meant to mean the direction that points into the building in which the window or door structure is to be mounted.

The invention will be described in detail in the following with reference to the drawings in which

Fig. 1 shows schematically a window structure according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section through a lower part of a first embodiment of the structure shown in Fig.1 ;

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section through a lower part of a second embodiment of the structure shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 shows in perspective view parts of the locking mechanism in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 shows in perspective view parts of the locking mechanism in an alternative configuration.

Fig. 1 shows schematically a structure 1 according to the invention. The structure 1 is an outwardly openable window comprising a sash 2 and a frame 3 that are interconnected by hinges at the upper edge. However, the invention is not limited to this kind of structure, but is applicable in other outwardly openable window or door structures in which the sash 2 is connected to the frame 3 by hinges located at a side edge of the structure. By way of example only, the invention will be described with reference to the structure 1 shown in Fig. 1.

The sash 2 is provided with a plate-shaped element that may be a glass pane 4 if the structure 1 is a window or a glazed door. Alternatively, the plate- shaped element may be a non-transparent panel if the structure 1 is a blind window or a blind door.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of a cross-section of a lower part of the structure 1 in a first embodiment of the invention. The sash 2 comprises an L- shaped, profiled metal element having a front part 2a and a peripheral part 2b that extends externally around the periphery of the glass pane 4. The profiled metal element has no extension on the inner surface of the glass pane 4, which is important in relation to good insulating properties. The glass pane 4 comprises two window glasses 4a, 4b which form a double-glazing unit that is mounted in the sash 2 and supported by means of a glazing bead 5 that is provided on the interior side of the sash 2. The glazing bead 5 is preferably made of plastics, but it might as well be made of metal or a composite material. A sealing member 5a is provided on the glazing bead 5 for sealing against the frame 3 when the structure 1 is in its closed position.

The frame 3, which may be made of wood, metal, plastics or a composite material, has a generally rectangular cross-section, and preferably the outer surfaces 20,21 of the sash 2 and frame 3, respectively are aligned as shown. Alternatively, the outer edge of the frame may be provided with a forwardly protruding flange that extends peripherally beyond the outer surface 20 of the sash 2 (not shown). The structure 1 is provided with a locking mechanism between the sash 2 and the frame 3. The locking mechanism comprises a locking tap 7 provided on the sash 2, which locking tap 7 is adapted to engage a striking plate 8 provided on the frame 3 when the structure 1 is in its closed position. The locking mechanism may be of any known kind, but it preferably comprises a pasquil system as it is commonly known in the art of window and door structures.

Fig. 2 shows parts of such a pasquil system: a handle 9, a displacement rod 10 and a locking tap 7. The handle 9 is pivotally mounted about an axis A between the shown locking position and an unlocking position in which the handle 9 is swung upwards in direction of the arrow B. The handle 9 is connected to the displacement rod 10 in any known manner such that when the handle 9 is rotated between its locking and unlocking positions the displace- ment rod 10 is shifted in a direction perpendicular to the paper. The locking tap 7 is pivotally connected to the displacement rod 10 such that when the displacement rod 10 is shifted the locking tap rotates about an axis C parallel with the glass pane 4.

The locking tap 7 is provided with a hook 11 at its outer end, which hook 11 is adapted to engage an eye 12 provided in the striking plate 8 when the structure 1 is in its closed position and the locking mechanism is in its locking position.

In accordance with the invention the locking tap 7 is arranged between an inwardly facing side 13 of the sash 2 and an outwardly facing side 14 of the frame 3, and it is clearly seen that access from the outside to the locking tap 7 (or any other part of the locking mechanism) is made difficult.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of a cross-section through of a lower part of the structure 1 in a second embodiment of the invention. Since numerous elements of the structure shown in Fig. 2 can also be found in Fig. 3 the same reference numerals are used for same parts, even if they differ in details.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the sash 2 and the frame 3 are again provided with outer peripheral edges or surfaces 20,21 that are aligned, i.e. the sash 2 and the frame 3 have the same peripheral extent. The sash 2 comprises again an L-shaped, profiled metal element having a front part 2a and a peripheral part 2b that extends externally around the periphery of the glass pane 4. The profiled metal element has no extension on the inner surface of the glass pane 4, which is important in relation to good insulating properties. The glass pane 4 comprises two window glasses 4a,4b which form a double- glazing unit that is mounted in the sash 2 and supported by means of a glazing bead 5 that is provided on the interior side of the sash 2. The glazing bead 5 is preferably made of plastics, but it might as well be made of metal or a composite material. The glazing bead 5 is in this embodiment provided with a sealing member 5a that seals the sash 2 towards the frame 3 at the interior side of the structure 1 and a weather stripping 5b that seals the sash 2 towards the frame 3 at the exterior side of the structure 1.

The frame 3, which may be made of wood, metal, plastics or a composite material, is at its upper part provided with a forwardly protruding flange 6 that abuts on the sealing member 5a when the structure is in its closed position as shown. The flange 6 conceals the glazing bead 5 and provides a clean-cut design to the window structure 1 , when it is in its shown closed position. Furthermore, the presence of the flange 6 provides further distance from the interior of the window structure 1 to the profiled metal element of the sash 2, whereby the risk of formation of condensing water on the inner surface of the glass pane 4 is reduced. The structure 1 is provided with a locking mechanism between the sash 2 and the frame 3. Again, the locking mechanism comprises a locking tap 7, which in this embodiment is fixedly arranged on the frame 3, e.g. by means of being screwed into the frame 3 as shown or by any other suitable means. The locking tap 7 is at its distant end provided with an annular groove 15 that is adapted to be received in a slot 22 (see fig. 4) in a striking plate 8 which is displaceably arranged in the glazing bead 5. The displaceable striking plate 8 is supported by a supporting bracket 30 that has an extension 30a that is safely secured to the peripheral part 2b of the sash 2. The proximate end of the supporting bracket 30 is bend upwards and supports the face of the striking plate 8 that faces towards the frame 3. The extension 30a of the supporting bracket 30 is secured to the peripheral part 2b of the sash 2 by engagement between a locking hook 32 provided on the extension 30a and a locking bead 33 provided inside the cavity of the peripheral part 2b of the sash 2. By supporting the striking plate 8 in this manner a strong and reliable locking between the sash 2 and the frame 3 is made possible without the need for a very strong striking plate 8.

Fig. 4 shows the locking tap 7, the striking plate 8 and the supporting bracket 30 in perspective view. The striking plate 8 is provided with an enlarged opening and a narrow slot 22. The upwardly bend portion of the supporting bracket 30 is also provided with an enlarged opening 34. In operation the foremost part of the locking tap 7 is inserted through the enlarged openings in the supporting bracket 30 and the striking plate 8. The striking plate 8 is then displaced to the right in Fig. 4 whereby the annular groove 15 of the locking tap 7 engages the slot 22 in the striking plate 8. A wedged portion 23 is arranged on the striking plate 8 for ensuring a correct compression of the sealing member 5a and the weather stripping 5b, when the sash 2 is closed in relation to the frame 3. The supporting bracket 30, which is fixed in relation to the sash 2 and therefore does not move when the striking plate 8 is displaced, now provides a strong supporting face for the striking plate 8, such that it can not be easily deformed if a person attempts to force the sash 2 and the frame 3 away from each other.

The striking plate 8 is a part of a pasquil system provided with a pivotable handle 9. The handle 9 is pivotally mounted about an axis A between the shown locking position and an unlocking position in which the handle 9 is swung upwards in direction of the arrow B. The handle 9 is connected to the striking plate 8 in a suitable manner (not shown) such that when the handle 9 is rotated between its locking and unlocking positions the striking plate 8 shown in Fig. 4 is shifted in a direction perpendicular to the paper. An indentation (not shown) is provided in the flange 6 of the frame 3 for giving room for the part of the locking mechanism that connects the handle 9 with the striking plate 8 via a displacement rod (not shown) in the glazing bead 5.

The operation of the pasquil system and of the engagement between the locking tap 7 and the striking plate 8 will not be described in further detail. It should be noted, however, that in accordance with the invention the locking tap 7 and the striking plate 8 are arranged between an inwardly facing side 13 of the sash 2 and an outwardly facing side 14 of the frame 3.

Fig. 3 also shows a part of a wall 15 of a building in which the structure 1 is mounted with an elastic closing seal 16 provided between the wall 15 and the frame 3. Since the wall 15 extends beyond the frame 3 and thereby overlaps a part of the sash 2, access from the outside to the locking tap 7 (or any other part of the locking mechanism) is made difficult. Furthermore, the weather stripping 5b also contributes to make the access to the locking mechanism difficult and protects the locking mechanism against water from the outside.

Finally, Fig. 5 shows an alternative configuration of a locking tap 7 and a striking plate 8. Again, the same reference numerals as those used in relation to the embodiments shown in Figs 2-4 are used for the same structural parts despite the fact that they differ in detail.

In this embodiment the locking tap 7 is provided with a stem 7a with a gen- eral rectangular cross-section and a laterally protruding locking flange 7b at the distant end of the stem 7a. The striking plate 8 is very similar to the striking plate 8 shown in Fig. 4, except that in the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 it is provided with a rectangular opening for receiving the rectangular locking tap 7. A supporting bracket as shown in the embodiment shown in Figs 3 and 4 could of course also be employed in relation to the striking plate 8 shown in Fig. 5.

An advantage of having a locking tap 7 with a general rectangular cross- section is that it is possible to obtain a sufficiently large engagement face between the locking flange 7b and the striking plate 8 even if the locking tap 7 is made relatively narrow. This is due to the fact that with a rectangular locking tap 7 it is possible to make a relatively long engagement face on the locking flange 7b, while a narrow circular locking tap (as shown in Fig. 4) can provide a short engagement face only.

The invention has been described with reference to embodiments in which the moveable part of the locking mechanism is positioned on the sash. However, nothing prevents the invention to be applied in a window or door structure in which the moveable part of the locking mechanism is positioned on the frame while the sash is provided with suitable passive means.

Claims

1. An outwardly openable window or door structure (1) comprising a frame (3) and a sash (2) provided with a plate-shaped element, such as a glass pane (4), which frame (3) and sash (2) are hingedly interconnected and are provided with a locking mechanism comprising a locking tap (7) and a striking plate (8) provided on either of the sash (2) and frame (3), characterised in that the locking tap (7) and the striking plate (8) are arranged between an inwardly facing side (13) of the sash (2) and an outwardly facing side (14) of the frame (3).

2. A structure according to claim 1 , characterised in that the locking tap (7) is fixedly arranged on the frame (3), and that the striking plate (8) is displace- ably arranged on the sash (2).

3. A structure according to claim 2, characterised in that the locking tap (7) at a distant end is provided with an annular groove (15), and that the striking plate (8) is provided with a slot for receiving the annular groove (15) in the locking tap (7).

4. A structure according to claim 2, characterised in that the locking tap (7) comprises a stem (7a) with a general rectangular cross-section and a laterally protruding locking flange (7b) at a distant end of the stem (7a), and that the striking plate (8) is provided with a slot (22) for receiving the stem (7a) and engaging the locking flange (7b) of the locking tap (7).

5. A structure according to any one of claims 2-4, characterised in that the striking plate (8) is connected to a pasquil system and is concealed within a hollow glazing bead (5) provided on the sash (2) at an interior side of the plate-shaped element.

6. A structure according to any one of claims 2-5, characterised in that a supporting bracket (30) is fixedly connected to the sash (2), which supporting bracket (30) supports the striking plate (8) when it is engaged with the locking tap (7).

7. A structure according to claim 1 , characterised in that the locking tap (7) is arranged rotatably about an axis (C) parallel with the plate-shaped element on the sash (2) and is engageable with a fixed striking plate (8) provided on the frame (3).

8. A structure according to claim 7, characterised in that the locking tap (7) is connected to a pasquil system provided within a hollow glazing bead (5) provided on the sash (2) at an interior side of the plate-shaped element.

9. A structure according to any one of claims 1-8, characterised in that the frame (3) at an inner side is provided with a forwardly protruding flange (6) that conceals the elements of the locking mechanism.

10. A structure according to any one of claims 1-9, characterised in that an outer surface (20) of the sash (2) and an outer surface (21) of the frame (3) are substantially aligned.

11. A structure according to claim 10, characterised in that the peripheral sash part (2b) extends into close vicinity of the frame (2), and that a weather stripping (5b) is arranged between the peripheral sash part (2b) and the frame (3).