EP2423406A1

EP2423406A1 - Opening skylight with improved cover constraining means

Info

Publication number: EP2423406A1
Application number: EP11179449A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paolo Caoduro; Carlo Caoduro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-31
Filing date: 2011-08-31
Publication date: 2012-02-29
Also published as: ITVI20100239A1; IT1401773B1

Abstract

The invention is a skylight (1) comprising: a fixed frame (2) applied to the perimeter of an opening (A) made in a building and communicating with the inside of one or more rooms; a cover (3) provided with a movable frame (5) associated with the fixed frame (2) through hinge means (6) that define a rotation axis (X) for opening and closing the cover (3); moving means (7) for opening and closing the cover (3); means for constraining the cover (3) to the fixed frame (2). The constraining means comprise tie elements (10) each one of which is arranged at the sides of the skylight (1) with one end (10a) connected to one side of the movable frame (5) and the opposite end (10b) connected to the opposing side of the fixed frame (2) and having a length (L) that is such as to allow the cover (3) to be rigidly connected to the fixed frame (2) in the open position, with the side of the movable frame (5) forming an acute angle (α) with the opposing side of the fixed frame (2), when the moving means (7) maintain the cover (3) in the open position and tension the tie elements (10) through traction.

Description

The invention concerns an opening skylight with improvements to the cover constraining means.
It is known that skylights are often installed on the roofs of buildings in order to ensure the passage of sunlight and, if they are of the opening type, also the natural circulation of air in the rooms underneath.
All the skylights of the opening type available on the market, though coming in different sizes and embodiments, substantially comprise a fixed frame or a base that is placed on the roof of the building and a cover that is connected to the fixed frame or the base through hinges.
In particular, the fixed frame delimits an opening made in the roof of the building which communicates with one or more rooms located underneath, and the cover comprises a movable frame connected to the fixed frame or to the base through hinges and arranged on the perimeter of a covering element made of a transparent or translucent material.
Furthermore, the cover is connected to manual or automatic actuator means that are suited to open or close it from a remote position.
A recognized drawback of skylights lies in that it is difficult to guarantee the stability of the cover both when it is open and when it is closed.
In fact, when the cover is closed and the wind is blowing at high speed, a pressure drop may be generated outside the cover, producing a force that tends to lift it and may also be increased by a further lifting force that acts on it from the inside and is generated by the air passing between the cover and the frame or base.
When, instead, the cover is open, it may be torn by the force of the wind blowing through the opening defined between the cover and the frame or base. In fact, as is known, when the skylights are opened the cover is lifted from the fixed frame in such a way as to form an acute angle whose amplitude is considerably below 90°.
In these conditions, the air entering through the opening defined in this way bears against the underside of the cover, thus generating an upward thrust component that tends to lift it and in some cases even to unhinge it.
In order to overcome all the drawbacks described above, the manufacturers usually install in the skylights a number of actuators exceeding the number that is necessary to lift the cover to be moved, and this only in order to have adequate constraining means suited to ensure the stability of the cover both when it is open and when it is closed.
Therefore, for example, if the skylight is small and the weight of the cover is such that it can be easily moved with one actuator only, arranged at the centre of the frame, in order to guarantee the stability of the cover both in the open and in the closed position the manufacturer installs several actuators, so that laterally there is one actuator in proximity to each angle.
Similarly, if the cover of the skylight is large, the manufacturers install several actuators which are distributed uniformly in order to provide several constraint points.
Substantially, therefore, according to the known technique, the stability of the cover in the open and in the closed position is guaranteed by the same actuators that provide for opening and closing it.
It can be easily understood that this way of proceeding can be criticised from the technical point of view and is also expensive.
First of all, the function of the actuators is to open and close the cover and using them also as constraining means in order to ensure the stability of the opening and closing operation is certainly inadequate from the technical point of view.
Furthermore, the use of an excessive number of actuators only to ensure the stability of the cover when it is open and when it is closed involves the drawback of a useless increase in the skylight construction and operating costs.
In fact, if the actuators are of the compressed air-operated type with automatic opening, there is the inconvenience that the costs increase due to the need to implement and service the air supply system.
If, on the other hand, the actuators are of the electric type, there is the inconvenience that the costs increase due to electric energy consumption and to the installation of the necessary electric power.
Another, yet neither a minor nor a negligible drawback is represented by the reduced reliability of the skylight related to the increased number of actuators.
Documents WO 97/33062 and WO 2007/084017 are known which describe smoke evacuators provided with moving means for the rotation of the cover, coupling means suited to constrain the cover in the closed position and locking means suited to constrain the cover when it is opened to the maximum extent. In case of fire, as is known, evacuators have the function to facilitate the evacuation of smoke and heat in the shortest possible time, and therefore their covers are opened only with opening angles always exceeding 90° and as close to 180° as possible.
Furthermore, when the covers are open, it is indispensable to prevent them from closing accidentally, for example due to the action of the wind, and it is for this reason that smoke evacuators are also provided with locking means that constrain the cover in the maximum opening position.
The documents mentioned above therefore show how the covers of evacuators can be opened with angles exceeding 90° and how they can be constrained to the maximum opening position in order to prevent them from closing accidentally, using locking means that according to document WO 97/33062 are interposed between the cover and the fixed frame, while according to document WO 2007/084017 they are interposed between the moving means and the fixed frame.
Document WO 2007/084017 also describes locking ropes located at the sides of the evacuator, between the cover and the fixed frame, whose presence is required by the laws in force and which serve as devices intended to prevent the cover from falling if it should accidentally open by an angle exceeding the value imposed by the moving means.
Thus said ropes have a substantially passive function and do not interact with the moving means.
The documents mentioned above thus give useful suggestions for solving specific problems of smoke and heat evacuators but not of skylights whose function is different from that of evacuators and is to allow light and air into the rooms.
Therefore, none of the documents mentioned above provides instructions intended to solve, in skylights, the problem of how to constrain the cover when it is arranged in the open position, lifted from the fixed frame so as to form an acute angle, in order to prevent it from being lifted or unhinged due to the action of the wind.
The present invention intends to overcome the drawbacks listed above.
In particular, it is a first object of the invention to provide a skylight that is equipped with first constraining means in order to improve the stability of the cover when it is open, said means being different from the actuator means used to open and close the cover itself.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a skylight that is equipped also with second constraining means in order to improve the stability of the cover when it is in closed position, said means being different from the actuator means used to open and close the cover itself.
According to the embodiment described here below, the first constraining means are arranged at the sides of the skylight and connect each side edge of the cover to the corresponding side edge of the frame or base.
As far as the second constraining means are concerned, they are constituted by coupling means which are operatively connected to the cover opening and closing means.
Advantageously, the skylight that is the subject of the invention is safer and more reliable than equivalent skylights of the known type.
Still advantageously, the skylight of the invention has lower construction and installation costs than equivalent skylights of the known type.
To further advantage, the skylight of the invention, if provided with electrically operated actuators, has lower consumption and operating costs than equivalent skylights of the known type also provided with electric actuators. The objects and advantages described above will be highlighted in greater detail in the description of a preferred embodiment of the skylight that is the subject of the invention, which is supplied as an indicative, non-limiting example with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows an axonometric view of the skylight that is the subject of the invention, in closed position;
Figures 2, 3 and 4 show some details of Figure 1;
Figure 5 shows an axonometric view of the skylight shown in Figure 1, in open position;
Figures 6, 7 and 8 show some details of Figure 5;
Figure 9 shows a cross section of the detail of Figure 2 carried out along plane IX-IX;
Figure 10 shows a detail of Figure 9;
Figure 11 shows a cross section of the detail of Figure 3 carried out along plane XI-XI;
Figure 12 shows a cross section of the detail of Figure 4 carried out along plane XII-XII;
Figure 13 shows the detail of Figure 3 at the beginning of the cover opening step and during the release of the cover;
Figure 14 shows a cross section of the detail of Figure 13 carried out along plane XIV-XIV;
Figure 15 shows a detail of Figure 14;
Figure 16 shows a cross section of the detail of Figure 4 during the release of the cover;
Figure 17 shows the detail of Figure 13 before the cover opening step and once the cover has been released;
Figure 18 shows a cross section of the detail of Figure 17 carried out along plane XVIII-XVIII;
Figure 19 shows a detail of Figure 18;
Figure 20 shows the cross section of Figure 11 once the cover has been released;
Figure 21 shows the detail of Figure 17 once the cover has been opened;
Figure 22 shows a cross section of the detail of Figure 21 carried out along plane XXII-XXII;
Figure 23 shows a detail of Figure 22;
Figure 24 shows the cross section of Figure 20 with the cover open;
Figure 25 shows the detail of Figure 12 with the cover open.

The skylight that is the subject of the invention is shown in axonometric view and in the closed and open position in Figures 1 and 5, respectively, where it is indicated as a whole by 1.
It can be observed, also with reference to the details shown in figures from 2 to 4 and from 6 to 8, that it comprises a fixed frame 2 applied to the perimeter of an opening A made in a building and communicating with the inside of one or more rooms, and a cover 3 provided with a transparent or translucent covering element 4 whose perimeter is delimited by a movable frame 5 associated with the fixed frame 2 through hinge means 6.
As can be observed in Figures 1 and 5, in the embodiment described here below the fixed frame 2 is applied to a base indicated by B that delimits the opening A made in the building.
In another embodiment the fixed frame 2 may be absent and the cover 3 may be directly hinged to the base B.
We therefore assume that the term fixed frame indicated by 2 means any fixed structure used to delimit the opening A made in the building, to which the cover 3 is hinged and which therefore may be:

the actual fixed frame indicated by 2 when this is provided and is applied to the base;
the same base if the fixed frame is absent and the cover 3 is hinged directly to the base.

The hinge means 6 define a rotation axis X for the opening and closing of the cover 3 through the operation of the moving means indicated as a whole by 7 that are associated with the cover 3.
According to the invention, the skylight comprises constraining means cooperating with the moving means 7 and interposed between the cover 3 and the fixed frame 2 in order to ensure the stability of the cover when it is in the open position.
Regarding the constraining means, they are visible in Figures 1 and 5 and in the detail Figures 4 and 8, where they are represented in the positions they assume when the cover 3 is closed or open, respectively.
They comprise a tie element 10 arranged in each side of the skylight 1, ensuring the stability of the cover 3 when this is arranged in the open position. In particular, with reference to Figures 1 and 4, each tie element 10 is constituted by a flexible metal cable, preferably a metal rope, and has one end 10a connected to one side of the movable frame 5 and the opposite end 10b connected to the opposing side of the fixed frame 2.
The length L of each tie element 10 is such as to allow the cover 3 to be rigidly constrained to the fixed frame 2 in the open position, with the side of the movable frame 5 forming an acute angle α with the opposing side of the fixed frame 2, when the moving means 7 maintain the cover 3 in the open position and tension the tie elements 10 through traction.
In the embodiment described herein, the length L of each tie element 10 is substantially equal to and in any case does not exceed the opening stroke of the cover 3 as determined by the moving means 7, so that it is tensioned when the cover 3 is open as shown in Figures 5 and 8.
The cover 3 and the tie elements 10 thus create a tensioned and therefore rigid structure which is more resistant to the force of the wind blowing into the skylight.
Other embodiments are however possible, in which the tie elements 10 feature different lengths compared to the opening stroke of the cover 3 as imposed by the moving means 7.
The constraining means also comprise means 11 for coupling the cover 3 when it is arranged in the closed position, in which the moving means 7 hold the movable frame 5 so that it is adherent to and bears against the fixed frame 2, as shown in Figure 1.
Regarding the coupling means 11, it can be observed in particular in Figures 3 and 7 that each of them comprises a hook 12 belonging to the movable frame 5 and a corresponding matching element 13 belonging to the fixed frame 2, which are suited to be coupled with each other when the cover 3 is in the closed position.
In the embodiment described herein, the coupling means 11 are two and are positioned at the level of the side areas of the fixed frame 2 and the corresponding hooks 12, as can be observed in the already mentioned figures, are supported by a rod 16 operatively connected to a manoeuvring unit indicated as a whole by 15.
This is connected to the moving means 7 and has the function to constrain/ release each hook 12 to/from the corresponding matching element 13, as will be described below.
In the embodiment described herein which is provided with two coupling means 11 and therefore with two hooks 12 and two matching elements 13 placed at the sides of the fixed frame 2, the manoeuvring unit 15 is one and is arranged in a substantially central position in the fixed frame 2, included between the two coupling means 11.
It is evident that different embodiments are possible which may comprise any number of coupling means 11 and any number of manoeuvring means 15, arranged in any way.
As can be observed, the rod 16 is supported by brackets 20 fixed to the movable frame 5 and comprising a first bracket 21 arranged at the level of each one of the hooks 12 and a second bracket 22 that supports the manoeuvring unit 15.
Opposing the brackets 20 there are counter-brackets 30 fixed to the fixed frame 2 and comprising a first counter-bracket 31 supporting a corresponding matching element 13 and arranged at the level of each overlying first bracket 21 and a second counter-bracket 32 supporting the moving means 7 and arranged at the level of the overlying second bracket 22.
Each bracket 20 and each counter-bracket 30 have substantially U-shaped profiles and are provided with a holed plate, respectively 21 a, 22a and 31a, 32a for fixing to the frame, respectively to the movable frame 5 and the fixed frame 2, by means of screws.
The brackets 20, 30 can in any case have also different configurations, provided that they are suited to support the rod 16, the manoeuvring unit 15, the moving means 7 and the coupling means 11 with the corresponding hooks 12 and matching elements 13.
Each one of the latter, in particular, is constituted by a pin 13a whose external shape can be matched to the profile of the hook 12 and whose ends are constrained to the corresponding counter-bracket 31.
Regarding the manoeuvring unit 15, it can be observed that it comprises lever means that mutually cooperate to operatively connect the rod 16 to the moving means 7, in order to operate the coupling means 11, as will be described in greater detail below.
With particular reference to Figures 6, 9 and 10, the above mentioned lever means comprise a first lever 40 hinged to the rod 16 and a second lever 50 hinged to the second bracket 22, wherein one end 40a of the first lever 40 is in contact with one end 50a of the second lever 50.
More precisely, regarding the second lever 50, it can be observed that it has a first pin 51 inserted in a pair of circular holes 22c made in the second bracket 22 and a second pin 52 inserted in a pair of slots 22b which are also made in the second bracket 22, wherein the second pin 52 is arranged between the first pin 51 and the end 50a of the second lever 50 that comes into contact with the first lever 40.
It can finally be observed that the moving means 7 comprise an air-operated actuator 60 hinged to the second counter-bracket 32 and having the end 61 of the rod 62 that cooperates with the second pin 52 of the second lever 50.
It is understood that the actuator 60, instead of being operated by air, can be of any other type, for example electric or operated by another fluid or even mechanic, i.e. hand-operated.
Furthermore, elastic means that are preferably but not necessarily constituted by one or more torsion springs 70 coupled externally to the rod 16 and having one end 71 in contact with the corresponding first bracket 21 ensure that each hook 12 is arranged in a position normally coupled with the corresponding matching element 13 when the cover 3 is closed.
In practice, when the skylight 1 is arranged in the closed position as shown in Figure 1, each hook 12 is constrained to the corresponding matching element 13 and the movable frame 5 of the cover 3 is arranged against the fixed frame 2.
In this closed position the cover 3 is stable and safe thanks to the presence of the constraints constituted by the hooks 12 coupled with the matching elements 13 which in case of strong wind prevent it from opening due to the infiltration of air between the frames or to a pressure drop generated over it.
In order to open the cover 3 it is necessary to operate the moving means 7 and in particular to supply compressed air to the actuator 60 so that the progressive outward movement of the rod 62 causes the progressive lifting of the second lever 50, starting from the rest position shown in Figure 1 and in detail in Figure 2.
In fact, the rod 62, during its outward movement, lifts the second lever 50 which, starting from the rest position illustrated also in Figures 9 and 10, starts rotating clockwise around the first pin 51 as indicated by the arrow O and is lifted as shown in Figures 13, 14 and 15, forcing the corresponding first lever 40, with which it is in contact, to correspondingly rotate anticlockwise in the direction indicated by the arrow A.
In this way the rod 16 is set rotating anticlockwise as indicated by the arrow A and causes the anticlockwise rotation of the hook 12 associated with it which, as shown in Figure 16, starts being released from the matching element 13.
It can be observed that during the movement of the second lever 50, its second pin 52 slides along the slots 22b made in the second bracket 22 and thus the cover 3 remains in a stable position, adherent to the fixed frame 2.
When the second pin 52 comes into contact with the upper part of the slots 22b, as shown in Figures 17, 18 and 19, each hook 12 is released from the matching element 13, as shown in Figure 20 .
In this situation the thrusting action generated by the rod 62 is transmitted onto the second bracket 22 and the cover 3 starts being lifted.
When the cover is completely open, as shown in Figures 21, 22 and 23, the tie elements 10 extend and assume the position shown in Figures 5, 22, 24 and 25.
With the cover 3 opened to the maximum extent, a position that corresponds to an acute angle α formed between the side of the movable frame 5 of the cover 3 and the corresponding side of the fixed frame 2, the tie elements 10 are tensioned due to the thrusting action generated by the actuator rod.
In particular, the stroke of the rod 62 and the length L of the tie elements 10 are calculated in such a way that when the cover 3 is open and the rod 62 has reached the maximum extension, the tie elements 10 are tensioned.
In this way the cover 3, the tie elements 10 and the actuator 60 with its rod 62 interact synergistically and make up a single, tensioned and therefore rigid structure that is resistant to the force of the wind and ensures the stability of the cover 3 when it is arranged in the open position.
On the basis of the above, it is clear that the skylight that is the subject of the invention achieves all the set objects.
In particular, thanks to the tensioning of the tie elements 10 arranged in each side of the skylight, the invention achieves the object to ensure the stability of the cover 3 when it is in the open position.
Furthermore, the invention also achieves the object to guarantee the stability of the cover 3 when it is in the closed position, thanks to the presence of the coupling means 11.
Also further advantages are achieved which consist in lower construction costs, in fact it is sufficient to install a reduced number of actuators compared to the known art.
Furthermore, the invention also achieves the advantage of reducing the number of components and this ensures that the skylight is more reliable.
In the construction stage the skylight can be subjected to modifications that are neither illustrated in the drawings nor described herein.
It is understood, however, that said construction variants must all be considered protected by the present patent, provided that they fall within the scope of the claims expressed below.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the protection of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

Skylight (1) comprising:
- a fixed frame (2) applied to the perimeter of an opening (A) made in a building and communicating with the inside of one or more rooms;

- a cover (3) provided with a movable frame (5) associated with said fixed frame (2) via hinge means (6) that define a rotation axis (X) for opening and closing the cover (3);

- moving means (7) for opening and closing the cover (3);

- means for constraining said cover (3) to said fixed frame (2), characterized in that said constraining means comprise tie elements (10), each one of which is arranged at the sides of said skylight (1) with one end (10a) connected to one side of said movable frame (5) and the opposite end (10b) connected to the opposing side of said fixed frame (2), the length L of each tie element (10) being such as to allow said cover (3) to be rigidly connected to said fixed frame (2) when said moving means (7) maintain said cover (3) in the open position, with the side of the movable frame (5) forming an acute angle (α) with the opposing side of the fixed frame (2), and tension said tie elements (10) through traction.
Skylight (1) according to claim 1), characterized in that said constraining means comprise also means (11) for coupling said cover (3) when it is arranged in the closed position, that is, when the movable frame (5) of said cover (3) is placed against said fixed frame (2).
Skylight (1) according to claim 1), characterized in that each one of said tie elements (10) is a flexible metal cable.
Skylight (1) according to claim 2), characterized in that said coupling means (11) comprise one or more hooks (12) belonging to said movable frame (5) and one or more corresponding matching elements (13) belonging to said fixed frame (2), said hooks (12) being supported by a rod (16) operatively connected to a manoeuvring unit (15) connected to said moving means (7) and suited to constrain/release each one of said hooks (12) to/from the corresponding matching element (13).
Skylight (1) according to claim 4), characterized in that said rod (16) is supported by brackets (20) fixed to said movable frame (5) and comprising a first bracket (21) arranged at the level of each one of said hooks (12) and a second bracket (22) arranged at the level of said manoeuvring unit (15).
Skylight (1) according to claim 4) or 5), characterized in that each one of said matching elements (13) is supported by a first counter-bracket (31) attached to said fixed frame (2) at the level of a corresponding first bracket (21).
Skylight (1) according to claims from 4) to 6), characterized in that said moving means (7) are supported by a second counter-bracket (32) attached to said fixed frame (2) at the level of the corresponding second bracket (22).
Skylight (1) according to any of the claims from 4) to 7), characterized in that said manoeuvring unit (15) comprises lever means that operatively connect said rod (16) to said moving means (7).
Skylight (1) according to any of the claims from 4) to 8), characterized in that said manoeuvring unit (15) comprises a first lever (40) hinged to said rod (16) and a second lever (50) hinged to said second bracket (22), one end (40a) of said first lever (40) being in contact with one end of said second lever (50).
Skylight (1) according to claim 9), characterized in that said second lever (50) is provided with a first pin (51) inserted in at least one circular hole (22c) made in said second bracket (22) and a second pin (52) inserted in at least one slot (22b) also made in said second bracket (22), said second pin (52) being arranged between said first pin (51) and said end (50a) of said second lever (50) in contact with said end (40a) of said first lever (40).
Skylight (1) according to any of the claims from 5) to 10), characterized in that said moving means (7) comprise at least one air-operated actuator (60) hinged to said second counter-bracket (32).
Skylight (1) according to any of the claims from 5) to 10), characterized in that said moving means comprise at least one electric actuator hinged to said second counter-bracket (32).
Skylight (1) according to any of the claims from 4) to 12), characterized in that it comprises elastic means (70) coupled with said rod (16) at the level of at least one of said hooks (12) and having at least one end in contact with a corresponding bracket.