EP2757226A1

EP2757226A1 - Insect roller screen for a door

Info

Publication number: EP2757226A1
Application number: EP20140151760
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francesco Donatelli; Samuele Donatelli; Michele Motolese
Original assignee: EFFE Srl
Current assignee: EFFE TRADE S.R.L.
Priority date: 2013-01-22
Filing date: 2014-01-20
Publication date: 2014-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 2034-01-20
Also published as: EP2757226B1; ITMI20130082A1; EP2757226B8

Abstract

Automatic opening screen device (10) of the type comprising a first upright (11) and a second upright (12) parallel to each other and a screen (19) having opposite ends associated with said uprights (11, 12), at least one of said uprights (11, 12) being mobile with respect to the other starting from a first position of mutual contact, in which said screen (19) is closed, to a second position of maximum distance, in which said screen (19) is open; in which a weight (16) is housed in one of said uprights (11, 12), said weight (16) being mobile between a first raised position, when said screen (19) is closed and said uprights (11, 12) are in mutual contact, and a lowered position, when said screen (19) is open and said uprights (11, 12) are spaced, so that during its spontaneous fall it imparts a translatory displacement to said mobile upright (11, 12), automatically opening the screen device (10).

Description

The present invention refers to an automatic opening screen device.
In particular the present invention refers to a screen device comprising at least one mobile upright for the opening and closing of the screen.
It is currently known to provide in such screen devices mobile weights housed in fixed compartments outwardly arranged laterally with respect to the uprights.
In particular these weights are configured for affecting the motion of the mobile upright.
Some known embodiments utilise the weights for opening the screen whereas others for maintaining the mosquito screen open and overcome the elastic return force operating on the screen.
These known screens have some drawbacks including the difficult installation and maintenance.
In fact, in order to desassemble the device for maintenance it is not enough to unhook the uprights from the external lateral profiles, but it is also necessary to unhook the weights from the rest of the structure.
Furthermore, providing the external lateral compartments for the housing of the weights, the total overall dimensions in terms of width of the framework is considerable.
Furthermore, and disadvantageously, the prior art that uses mobile weights still comprises wire tensioning elements which run along the lower side of the screen. Such wire elements, though often concealed in fixed guides associated with the stepping plane, complicate the installation and the disassembly of the device and, in any case, they are an obstacle for the transit of a user.
Lastly, it is not possible to provide the use of modular screens with several doors.
An aim of the present invention is to make an alternative automatic opening screen device with respect to the ones available today.
In addition, an aim of the present invention is to make an automatic opening screen device with low overall dimensions with respect to the analogous screens currently available in the market, that is easy to maintain and capable of offering the possibility of making modular assemblies with several doors.
Generally, the solution offered by the present invention provides for arranging the mobile weight directly inside an upright in a position such that when the screen is closed and the uprights are in mutual contact, the weight is in a raised position, and when the screen is open and the uprights are spaced it is in a lowered position.
There are provided means for converting the spontaneous fall of the weight in a translatory displacement of the mobile upright thus opening the screen device automatically.
The term "open screen device" means that the uprights are separated and the screen is laid therebetween.
A further peculiar aspect of the invention, common both for the embodiment in which the weight is housed in the upright with the guides and for the embodiment in which the weight is housed in the upright with the screen winding roller, is the absence of the wire elements along the stepping plane.
Actually according to the present invention all the wire elements run in the uprights and along the upper ends always leaving the passage free.
These aims according to the present invention are attained by providing a screen device as defined in claim 1. Further characteristics of a screen device according to the invention are outlined by the dependent claims.
The characteristics and advantages of a screen device according to the present invention shall be more apparent from the following exemplifying and nonlimiting description with reference to the attached schematic drawings, wherein:

figures 1-4 are exploded views of a first embodiment of a screen device of the present invention in a closing position, figures 1 and 2, and opening positions, figures 3 and 4;
figure 5 is a cutaway view of a second embodiment of a screen device according to the present invention. With reference to the example illustrated in the figures, such screen device 10 is of the type comprising a first upright 11 and a second upright 12 parallel to each other and a screen 19 having opposite ends associated with the uprights 11, 12.

As shown, the uprights are substantially vertical and made in form of metal profiles while the screen 19 may preferably, but not exclusively, be an anti-mosquito net.
At least one upright, is mobile starting from a first position of mutual contact, in which the screen 19 is closed, to a second position of maximum distance, in which the screen 19 is open.
The other upright may be fixed or, alternatively, only fixing means could be provided that are of the stable type but releasable when required without particular effort.
Thus, both uprights would be mobile in this case.
In order to better understand the term fixed or mobile with reference to the uprights, reference shall be made to the external framework, per se known, in which the screen device 10 is installed.
This external framework comprises some lateral counter-frameworks 30 30', upper caps 31, 31' and at least one upper cover 32.
The uprights are defined "mobile" with respect to the aforementioned lateral counter-frameworks 30 30' if, when required, they can be unconstrained therefrom by simply acting on the handle of the upright to reach the required positions.
For such mobile uprights the presence of selective constraint means, such as magnets, hooks, bayonets and other means does not affect the potential movement of the relative upright.
Preferably associated with at least one free side of the screen there are provided guiding means 15 for guiding the opening and closing of the screen 19.
As shown, the guiding means 15 are configured so that when the screen 19 is closed they are substantially internally housed in an upright and that when the screen 19 is open they are at least partially outside the same.
A first aspect of the invention consists in providing a mobile weight inside an upright that is capable of automatically imparting motion to a mobile upright of the device.
In particular the weight may provide for moving the upright that houses the same, see the first example shown in figures 1-4, or alternatively the other upright, see figure 5, without excluding the fact that both uprights may be considered mobile.
In figures 1-4 the first upright 11 houses the roller 14 for winding the screen 19 while the mobile upright 12 houses the weight 16 and the guide 15.
In such example the second upright 12 is certainly mobile while the first may be fixed or manually mobile at will.
In such example, the fall of the weight 16 generates the motion of the upright 11 which houses the same thus automatically opening the device. Once again, it should be observed that the term "open device" means the position with the screen unrolled and the uprights spaced.
In summary, in such first example the spontaneous fall of the weight 16 generates the displacement of the second upright 12 and thus the automatic opening of the mosquito screen.
As previously indicated the positioning of the weight may be inverted and housed in the roller holder upright.
Figure 5 actually shows an embodiment wherein the first upright 11 houses both the roller 14 and the weight 16. In such last embodiment, which requires just a small overall dimensions greater than the first upright 11, the fall of the weight 16 provides for moving the second upright 12 housing only the guides 15.
Even in such case, the first upright 11 may be fixed or manually mobile.
Obviously the screen may be pleated in the absence of winding rollers 14.
Just by way of example the shown guiding means are a chain of hinged rigid elements 15 but alternatively they may be any other type of guide such as for example an elastic strip or any other element.
The guide 15 is only required to be able to pass from the horizontal extracted configuration to the vertical containment configuration inside the upright 12. Advantageously but not limitedly, it may also be provided that the mobile weight 16 and the guiding means 15 are configured so as to be able to slide inside each other or vice versa.
Obviously, sliding does not imply an actual contact and the penetration required is at least a partial penetration.
Thus, the overall dimensions of the embodiment of figures 1-4 in terms of width of the upright is quite small.
As observable in figure 1, when the screen 19 is closed the weight 16 housed in the second mobile upright 12 is in a raised position so that, during its spontaneous descent it automatically opens the screen 19 moving it away from the first upright 11. This open configuration is shown in figure 3.
As per se known, the screen device may comprise means 13 for returning the screen 19 in a closed position wound on the roller 14 of the spring type acting on the roller 14.
The invention is completed by the means for tensioning the guiding means 15 and the means for converting the spontaneous vertical motion of the weight 16 into a translatory motion of the mobile upright inside which it is installed.
According to a further aspect of the invention both the means for tensioning the guiding means 15 and the means for converting the spontaneous vertical motion of the weight 16 comprise wire-like elements which slide inside the uprights and, between an upright and the other, at the free upper side of the screen 19.
Such means for tensioning the guiding means 15 comprise at least one wire-like element 18 guided on rollers 20, 20' having a first end associated above with an upright, an intermediate portion guided on top of the other upright and a second end associated with the free end of the guiding means 15 housed in such other upright.
As shown in figure 1 in such particular embodiment the first roller 20 is arranged at the top of the second upright 12 and the second roller 20' is in a position substantially opposite the upright 12.
The means for converting the motion of the weight 16 comprise at least one wire-like element 17 guided on rollers 21, 21', 21'' where one of such rollers 21 is associated at the top with the weight 16.
In the embodiment of figures 1-4 there are provided two other rollers 21', 21" housed on the top of the second upright 12 to guarantee the correct return of the wire 17, the wire whose ends are associated with a fixed abutment 22 arranged in a raised position substantially at the same height of the uprights.
In the embodiment of figure 5, besides the roller 21, there are provided a roller 21' housed on the top of the second upright 12 and a roller 21" associated with a fixed abutment 22 arranged in a raised position substantially at the same height of the uprights.
Advantageously, as observable in all of the attached figures, the wires 17 and 18 provided for the tensioning and transmission of the motion of the weight 16 are arranged along the upper side of the device, making it easy to install. In addition according to the present invention there is no obstacle along the stepping plane.
It has thus been observed that a screen device according to the present invention attains the previously mentioned aims.
In fact, such screen device offers all the known advantages of an automatic screen with mobile weights and at the same time a smaller overall dimensions in terms of width of the framework given that the weight is housed directly in one of the uprights.
The device can be easily disassembled given that the weight is housed in an upright and given that there are no wire-like elements along the stepping plane.
The screen device of the present invention thus conceived can be subjected to a number of modifications and variants, all falling within the same inventive concept; in addition, all details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the used materials, as well as their dimensions, may vary according to the technical requirements.

Claims

Automatic opening screen device (10) of the type comprising a first upright (11) and a second upright (12) parallel to each other and a screen (19) having opposite ends associated with said uprights (11, 12), at least one of said uprights (11, 12) being mobile with respect to the other starting from a first position of mutual contact, wherein said screen (19) is closed, to a second position of maximum distance, wherein said screen (19) is open; characterized in that it comprises a weight (16) housed in one of said uprights (11, 12), said weight (16) being mobile between a first raised position, when said screen (19) is closed and said uprights (11, 12) are in mutual contact, and a lowered position, when said screen (19) is open and said uprights (11, 12) are spaced, so that during its spontaneous fall it imparts a translatory displacement to said mobile upright (11, 12) opening the screen device (10) automatically.
Screen device (10) according to claim 1 characterized in that said weight (12) and said guiding means (15) of said screen (19), at least when it is closed, are housed in the same upright (11, 12).
Screen device (10) according to claim 1 characterized in that said screen is of the roll type (14), said roll (14) and said weight (12) being housed in the same upright (11, 12).
Screen device (10) according to claim 3 characterized in that it comprises return means (13) of said screen (19) in the closed position wound on said roll (14).
Screen device (10) according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that it comprises tensioning means of said guiding means (15).
Screen device (10) according to claim 5 characterized in that said tensioning means of said guiding means (15) comprise at least one threadlike element (18) guided on rolls (20, 20') having a first end associated above with an upright (11), an intermediate portion guided on top of the other upright (12) and a second end associated with the free end of said guiding means (15) housed in said other upright (12).
Screen device (10) according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that it comprises converting means of the falling motion of said weight (16) in the opening motion of said mobile upright (12).
Screen device (10) according to claim 7 characterized in that said converting means of the falling motion of said weight (16) in the opening motion of said mobile upright (12) comprise at least one threadlike element (17) guided on rolls (21, 21', 21") at the top of said uprights, at least one of said rolls (21) supporting above said weight (16).
Screen device (10) according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said at least one mobile upright houses said weight.
Screen device (10) according to claim 9 characterized in that both uprights are mobile.