EP4141188A1

EP4141188A1 - Skylight

Info

Publication number: EP4141188A1
Application number: EP22192070.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Salvatore Virgilio VISONE
Original assignee: Energy Saving Lucernari Srl
Current assignee: Energy Saving Lucernari Srl
Priority date: 2021-08-31
Filing date: 2022-08-25
Publication date: 2023-03-01
Also published as: IT202100022571A1

Abstract

It is provided a skylight (1) comprising a support frame (2) integral with, or part of, a roof of a building and defining a support plane (2a), a cover (3) comprising a frame (30) counter-shaped to the frame (2), extending over a covering plane (3a) and constrained in a compliant way to the frame (2) by means of constraint means (4) defining a rotation axis (4a) lying on the support plane (2a) around which the frame (30) can be rotated to be closed or opened like a book with respect to the frame (2) respectively resting on or moving away from the frame (2) so as to define a closing configuration and an opening configuration, a control rod (5) defining an expansion trajectory (5a) and connected to the cover (3) in a zone distanced from the constraint means (4) in such a way that said expansion trajectory (5a) is transverse to said covering plane (3a), a control device (6) integral to the hinge (2) and comprising a motor (60) operatively connected to the control rod (5) and configured to move the control rod (5) along the expansion trajectory (5a) with respect to the frame (2) to realise the opening and closing configurations and a casing (7) defining inner walls (70) and including at least the motor (60) and at least one insulation layer (71) positioned on the inner walls (70) and including thermal insulating material surrounding the motor (60).

Description

The present invention relates to a skylight of the type specified in the preamble to the first claim.
In particular, the present invention relates to a skylight having a wide opening frame, for example made with a double wing frame.
As known, skylights are basically openings made in the roof of a building to illuminate the attic or, more generally, the rooms beneath.
Given their exposed position, the openings of this type are often protected by specific window frames. Moreover, as skylights are often difficult to reach manually, they are equipped with automated control devices that allow them to be opened or closed remotely.
The automated devices essentially comprise an actuating motor arranged in the vicinity of the skylight and equipped with at least one gear configured to transmit the motion of the drive shaft to a transmission element, typically a toothed rod, or rack, configured to drive the skylight cover in opening or closing.
In addition, the roof cover is generally hinged to a portion of the roof on its side opposite to the side on which the gear rod is constrained.
Devices of this type are, for example, described in patent applications
EP-A-1281314 , FR-A-2846487 , JP-A-2003009677 and US-A-6089973 .
The known technique described includes some important drawbacks.
In particular, all skylights equipped with automated control devices may be subject to safety issues, especially in relation to the possibility of ignition of structures, which may also be wooden, arranged in proximity to the motor. Therefore, generally, the skylights of the known technique usually have to be fitted with fire-fighting systems capable of preventing or signalling the risk of ignition.
In addition, the skylights of the known technique are equipped with control devices that can guide the opening covers at small angles, usually between 10° and 15°, or similar, with the consequence that skylights of the known technique provide a reduced skylight opening and, consequently, a low ventilation capacity for the rooms below.
In addition, the skylights of the known technique cannot function at high temperatures. In this situation, the technical task underlying the present invention is to devise a skylight capable of substantially obviating at least part of the aforementioned drawbacks.
In the context of said technical task, it is an important scope of the invention to obtain a skylight capable of reducing, if not completely eliminating, the possibility of fires relating to structures arranged in the vicinity of the control devices.
Another important scope of the invention is to achieve, therefore, a skylight that does not require special safety equipment, in particular fire safety equipment, for its proper functioning.
Another task of the invention is to realise a skylight which is also functional at high tem peratures.
In conclusion, a further task of the invention is to realise a skylight whose cover can be opened widely, so as to provide a greater access opening of the skylight and significantly increase the ventilation capacity of the room beneath.
The specified technical task and purposes are achieved by a skylight as claimed in the appended claim 1.
Preferred technical solutions are highlighted in the dependent claims.
The features and advantages of the invention are hereinafter clarified by the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

the Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of a skylight according to the invention in an opening configuration in an embodiment wherein the insulating layer is a coating of the inner walls of the casing; and
the Fig. 2 illustrates a side view in detail, of the control device of a skylight according to the invention in an embodiment form in which the insulation layer is a casing filler.

In the present document, the measurements, values, shapes and geometric references (such as perpendicularity and parallelism), when associated with words like "about" or other similar terms such as "approximately" or "substantially", are to be considered as except for measurement errors or inaccuracies due to production and/or manufacturing errors, and, above all, except for a slight divergence from the value, measurements, shape, or geometric reference with which it is associated. For instance, these terms, if associated with a value, preferably indicate a divergence of not more than 10% of the value.
Moreover, when used, terms such as "first", "second", "higher", "lower", "main" and "secondary" do not necessarily identify an order, a priority of relationship or a relative position, but can simply be used to clearly distinguish between their different components.
Unless otherwise specified, as results in the following discussions, terms such as "treatment", "computing", "determination", "calculation", or similar, refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or similar electronic calculation device that manipulates and/or transforms data represented as physical, such as electronic quantities of registers of a computer system and/or memories in, other data similarly represented as physical quantities within computer systems, registers or other storage, transmission or information displaying devices.
The measurements and data reported in this text are to be considered, unless otherwise indicated, as performed in the International Standard Atmosphere ICAO (ISO 2533:1975).
With reference to the Figures, the skylight according to the invention is globally indicated with the number 1.
The skylight 1 is suitable to be placed or obtained on a roof of a building.
The building may be of any nature, for example industrial, residential or other.
The roof may also be of various types, for example flat, or pitched, possibly also curved. The skylight 1 comprises, in brief, at least one supporting frame 2 and a roof cover 3.
The frame 2 is preferably integral with a roof of a building. Alternatively, the frame 2 may also be part of the roof. In other words, frame 2 may be an element separate from the roof and solidly firmly constrained to it, or it may be defined by the edges of the hole cut in the roof itself.
In general, the frame 2 delimits an opening corresponding to the opening of the skylight 1.
In any case, frame 2 defines a support plane 2a.
The support plane 2a is essentially the plane on which the frame 2 expands. The support plane 2a may be perfectly flat or even slightly curved, for example to follow the contour of the roof.
The frame 2 can take various shapes. For example, it may be rounded or, more appropriately, squared and almost rectangular or square.
The cover 3 is the portion of skylight 1 that interacts with frame 2 to make the room below the roof accessible or inaccessible.
The cover 3 comprises, therefore, at least one frame 30.
The frame 30 is preferably counter-shaped to the frame 2. In fact, the frame 30 is suitable for resting on the frame 2 in at least one use configuration.
The frame 30 also defines a covering plane 3a.
The covering plane 3a is the plane on which the frame 30 lies. Furthermore, the covering plane 3a is the plane intended to be aligned with the support plane 2a when the frame 30 is lying on the frame 2.
The covering plane 3a may also be perfectly flat, or slightly curved. If curved, preferably the covering plane 3a is curved like the support plane 2a.
Furthermore, to improve the support between the frame 30 and the frame 2, the frame 30 may comprise a gasket 31.
If present, the gasket 31 is configured to adhere, in the closed configuration, with the frame 2. In this way, the gasket 31 allows the skylight 1 to be hermetically closed. The gasket 31, therefore, may extend along all or part of the frame 30 at the contact area between the frame 30 and the frame 2.
The frame 30 is constrained in a compliant way to the frame 2. In particular, the frame 30 is constrained to the frame 2 by means of constraint means 4.
The constraint means 4 preferably define a rotation axis 4a. The rotation axis 4a lies on the support plane 2a. In addition, the rotation axis 4a is the axis around which the frame 30 is rotatable with respect to the support plane 2a. Therefore, the rotation axis 4a is defined by the line of intersection between the support plane 2a and the covering plane 3a at least when the frame 30 is not resting on the support plane 2a.
In particular, the frame 30 is rotatable to be closed or folded open with respect to the frame 2. The closing is obtained, of course, when the frame 30 rests on the frame 2, the opening is obtained by moving the frame 30 away from the frame 2.
In this way, at least one closing configuration and one opening configuration are defined, respectively.
When in an opening configuration, of course, the covering plane 3a defines its own inclination with respect to the support plane 2a.
Thus, the covering plane 3a can define an inclination angle α.
The inclination angle α is essentially the angle defining the opening of cover 3 with respect to frame 2 and thus to the roof.
From a structural point of view, the constraint means 4 may include a mechanical hinge extending along part of the frame 2 and the frame 30.
For example, if frame 2 and frame 30 define rectangular shapes, the hinge may be positioned along a corresponding long side or even a corresponding short side.
In addition, the gasket 31 preferably extends along the part of the frame 30 that is not connected to the frame 2 via the constraint means 4.
The skylight 1 further comprises a control rod 5.
The control rod 5 is an elongated, substantially beam-like element in which one dimension preponderates over the other two.
The control rod 5 defines, therefore, an expansion trajectory 5a. The expansion trajectory 5a is the trajectory along which the preponderant dimension is developed. Furthermore, the expansion trajectory 5a may be straight or curvilinear.
Preferably, the expansion trajectory 5a is curvilinear. In detail, overall, the control rod 5 defines an arc of a circle having a corresponding centre at a point of the rotation axis 4a.
The control rod 5 may further be a simple rod or bar movable by rollers. Or, preferably, the control rod 5 may be a rack. As is well known, a rack is an element provided with holes or teeth configured to interact with a crown wheel or gear to be moved.
In any case, the control rod 5 is connected to the cover 3, in particular to the frame 30, in an area distanced from the constraint means 4. Preferably, the control rod 5 is constrained to the cover 3, preferably to the frame 30, such that the expansion trajectory 5a is transverse to the covering plane 3a.
The control rod 5 could be connected to a free end of the frame 30 opposite to the end connected to the frame 2 via the constraint means 4.
Furthermore, the control rod 5, at the same time, could be connected in a compliant way to the frame 30, for example via a hinge defining an rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis 4a.
The skylight 1 additionally comprises a control device 6.
The control device 6 is preferably integral with the hinge 2. Thus, the control device 6 does not move together with the frame 30 and the latter moves with respect to the same control device 6. More in detail, the control device 6 is configured to move the frame 30 itself.
In particular, the control device 6 comprises a motor 60.
The motor 60 is operatively connected to the control rod 5. Therefore, the motor 60 may include both power means and movement means, for example gears, capable of interacting with the control rod 5 to move it. Indeed, in general, the motor 60 is configured to move the control rod 5 along the expansion trajectory 5a relative to the frame 2. In this way, the control rod 5 pushes or pulls the frame 30 away from or towards the frame 2 to realise the opening and closing configurations.
The features just described are common to most automated skylights of the known technology.
However, advantageously, the skylight 1 also includes a casing 7.
The casing 7 is essentially a closed, or partially closed, element configured to contain one or more components of the skylight 1.
Preferably, the enclosure 7 defines inner walls 70.
The inner walls 70 are intended to enclose the components. In particular, the inner walls 70 extend at least around the motor 60. Thus, the enclosure 7 comprises at least the motor 60. The latter may be permanently bound to one or more inner walls 70 or be supported on one or more inner walls 70.
Advantageously, the enclosure 7 also comprises at least one insulation layer 71.
The insulation layer 71 is positioned on the inner walls 70. Thus, it is substantially at least one cladding of the interior walls 70.
Furthermore, the insulation layer 71 includes thermal insulation material surrounding the motor 60.
Advantageously, the thermal insulating material may comprise rock wool or similar (ceramic fibre, calcium silicate, etc.).
Advantageously, in addition, the control device 6 may comprise a reducer 61. The reducer 61 is operatively connected between the motor 60 and the control rod 5.
The reducer 61 is, therefore, configured to transmit a power developed by the motor 60 to the control rod 5 with a predetermined reduction ratio.
As a whole, therefore, the motor 60 and the reducer 61 define a geared motor.
In particular, considering that the cover 3 defines an own weight and an angular momentum, determined by the weight, with respect to the rotation axis 4a tending to bring the cover 3 in a closed configuration, the reducer 61 is preferably configured in such a way that the predetermined reduction ratio determines a resultant torque sufficient to overcome the angular momentum to define a maximum inclination angle α at least equal to 45° or even higher.
Furthermore, since the reducer 61 is the component capable of transmitting the motion to the control rod 5, preferably it is operatively connected to the control rod 5 by means of a gear. The control rod 5, which comprises a rack in the preferred embodiment, can be moved by the rotation of the gear determined by the predetermined reduction ratio with respect to the rotation of the motor shaft 60.
If the control device 6 is provided with a reducer 61, the casing 7 may also comprise the reducer 61. Thus, the casing 7 also includes part of the control rod 5. In this case, the casing 7 also includes holes or openings through which the control rod 5 can be moved relative to the casing 7 via the reducer 61.
In this embodiment, therefore, the insulation layer 71 entirely surrounds both the control device 6 in its entirety and part of the control rod 5.
Additionally, in any configuration, i.e. both in the configuration in which the enclosure includes only the motor 60, and if the enclosure includes the entire control device 6 and part of the control rod 5, the insulating layer 71 may be a filler. Therefore, it can be configured to completely fill the empty interior spaces of the casing 7, as shown in Fig. 2.
In conclusion, the skylight 1 may comprise a further arrangement.
For example, it may include safety means 8. The safety means 8 are components intended to protect the environment below the skylight 1 from falling objects from the skylight 1. Therefore, they are preferably arranged near or on the frame 2 and are slender so as not to burden the overall structure.
Preferably, the safety means 8 include an anti-fall net. The net is integral with the frame 2. Furthermore, it is positioned on a side of the frame 2 opposite to the cover 3. In other words, the safety means 8 are preferably positioned between the opening of the skylight 1 and the ground.
The operation of the skylight 1 described above in structural terms is substantially similar to the operation of any automated skylight.
The control device 6 essentially moves the control rod 5 along the expansion trajectory 5a in such a way as to push the cover 3 in opening or closing on the frame 2.
The skylight 1 according to the invention achieves important advantages.
In fact, the skylight 1 makes it possible to reduce, if not completely eliminate, the possibility of fires relating to the structures arranged in the vicinity of the control device since the latter is well insulated, by means of the insulating layer 71, within the enclosure 7.
In other words, the structure of skylight 1 is substantially fireproof and enables it to meet the B300 heat resistance tests as provided for in standard 12101/2.
Furthermore, skylight 1 does not require any special safety equipment, in particular fire protection, for its proper functioning and can cooperate and be controlled by it.
In conclusion, the skylight 1 comprises a control device 6 which allows the cover 3 to be opened widely, so as to provide a greater access opening of the skylight and significantly increase the ventilation capacity of the room beneath.
The invention is susceptible to variations within the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the claims.
Within this scope, all details are substitutable by equivalent elements and the materials, shapes and dimensions can be any.

Claims

Skylight (1) comprising:
- a support frame (2) integral with, or part of, a roof of a building and defining a support plane (2a);

- a cover (3) comprising a frame (30) counter-shaped to said frame (2), extending on a covering plane (3a) and constrained in a compliant way to said frame (2) by means of constraint means (4) defining a rotation axis (4a) lying on said support plane (2a) around which said frame (30) can be rotated to be closed or opened like a book with respect to said frame (2) respectively resting or moving away from said frame (2) thus to define a closing configuration and an opening configuration,

- a control rod (5) defining an expansion trajectory (5a) and connected to said cover (3) in an area spaced from said constraint means (4) so that said expansion trajectory (5a) is transversal to said covering plane (3a),

- a control device (6) integral with said hinge (2) and comprising a motor (60) operatively connected to said control rod (5) and configured to move said control rod (5) along said expansion trajectory (5a) with respect to said frame (2) to achieve said opening and closing configurations,
and characterized by comprising
- a casing (7) defining the inner walls (70) and comprising at least said motor (60) and at least one insulating layer (71) positioned on said inner walls (70) and including thermal insulating material surrounding said motor (60).
Skylight (1) according to claim 1, wherein said thermal insulating material is selected from rock wool, ceramic fibre, calcium silicate.
Skylight (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said control device (6) comprises a reducer (61) operatively connected between said motor (60) and said control rod (5) and configured to transmit a power developed from said motor (60) to said control rod (5) with a predetermined reduction ratio.
Skylight (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said casing (7) also comprises said reducer (61) and part of said control rod (5) and said insulating layer (71) entirely surrounds said control device (6) and part of said control rod (5).
Skylight (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said insulating layer (71) is a filler configured to entirely fill empty spaces of said casing (7).
Skylight (1) according to any one of claims 4-6, wherein said covering plane (3a) defines, in said opening configuration, an inclination angle (α) with respect to said support plane (2a), said cover (3) defines a proper weight and an angular moment, determined by said weight, with respect to said rotation axis (4a) tending to bring said cover (3) into said closing configuration and said reducer (61) is configured so such that said predetermined reduction ratio determines a resultant torque sufficient to overcome said angular momentum to define a maximum inclination angle (α) equal to 45° or greater.
Skylight (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein said reducer (61) is operatively connected to said control rod (5) by means of a gear and said control rod (5) is constituted by a rack.
Skylight (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein said expansion trajectory (5a) is curvilinear and said control rod (5) defines an arc of a circle having a corresponding centre in a point of said rotation axis (4a).
Skylight (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein said frame (30) comprises a seal (31) configured to adhere, in said closed configuration, with said frame (2) so as to hermetically seal said skylight (1).
Skylight (1) according to any preceding claim, comprising safety means (8) including an anti-fall net integral with said frame (2) and positioned on one side of said frame (2) opposite to said cover (3).