FR2650334A1 - Device for closure of an opening - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for closure of an opening, of the type comprising at least two panels 5, 6 or the like which are capable of pivoting about respective articulations 7 connecting one 5A, 6A of their side edges to the frame 4 delimiting the said opening 2, and means 8 for locking the said panels in the closed position. The device is distinguished by the fact that the said locking means comprise at least two locks 8A, 8B arranged respectively in proximity to the upper and lower edges of the said panels, and by the fact that means 9 are provided for immobilising the said closed panels by wedging them to the said frame via their outer side edges, in such a way as to prevent the removal of the said panels from the frame.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for closing an opening, of the type comprising at least two panels or the like, capable of pivoting around respective articulations connecting one of their lateral edges to the frame delimiting said opening, and, means for locking said panels in the closed position.

In a preferred, although not exclusive, application, the device according to the invention is more particularly intended to close, generally temporarily, an opening made in a wall of a dwelling by means of shutters, which, in the closed position, must be effectively locked .

Generally, the shutter locking means comprise a vertical bar mounted on the lateral edge of one of the shutters and capable of pivoting around hinges, the shutter locking being ensured by a handle rotatably mounted on said bar and cooperating with a tab. on the other side. It goes without saying that such locking means have poor efficiency, so that, very often, removable transverse bars are added by bearing at their ends on tabs integral with the flaps.

Although they improve the locking efficiency of said closed shutters, these cross bars prove, in use, impractical. Indeed, they require various manipulations for their establishment and adjustment in the support legs, and, moreover, when said flaps are open, they must be stored in a place. These manipulations are, in addition, to be multiplied by as many shutters to close or open.

Furthermore, it is also possible to associate these mechanical locking means with electronic systems which, when the shutters of a window are forced, cause the triggering of sound and / or light signals. However, these electronic systems are expensive, do not have maximum reliability, and are only intended to be installed in addition to traditional locking means of the mechanical type.

The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks and relates to a device for closing an opening by means of articulated panels, such as shutters, and locking means whose design is such that it guarantees protection. effective when said panels are closed.

To this end, the device for closing an opening, of the type comprising at least two panels or the like, capable of pivoting around respective articulations connecting one of their lateral edges to the side delimiting said opening, and means for locking said panels in the closed position is remarkable, according to the invention, in that said locking means comprise at least two latches disposed respectively in the vicinity of the upper and lower edges of said panels and in that means are provided for immobilizing by jamming said panels closed to said frame by their external lateral edges, so as to prevent the extraction of said panels from the frame.

Thus, the device according to the invention allows, on the one hand, effective locking of said panels at two distant points thanks to the two locks - and, on the other hand, blocking of the closed panels thanks to the immobilization means by wedging, even if the joints are broken.

Preferably, the two locks can be connected to each other by a connecting member by which said locks can be actuated simultaneously. Furthermore, the latches are advantageously # t associated with stiffening crosspieces fixed in the vicinity of the upper and lower edges of each panel, as most of the flaps include.

In a preferred embodiment, each lock comprises a rod capable of sliding, between two extreme positions crimped or retracted, in a cylinder fixed to one of the panels, and engaging, in the extended position, in a receiving sheath provided in correspondence and fixed to the other panel, by locking said panels in the closed position. In this case, the two rods of said latches are connected to each other at the ends of said connecting member, and, said ends of the latter advantageously abut against the sleeves when the rods are in the extended position, a hook , articulated to the panel carrying the sleeves, then cooperating with a lug or the like provided on said member while holding it in position. Thus, it is noted that the forces exerted by the ends of the connecting member on the sleeves tend to spread said panels from each other to press them against their respective joints, thereby putting them under tension.

In an alternative embodiment, each lock may include a rocking lever linked to one of the panels and capable of engaging, when actuated, in a receiving tab fixed to the other panel. To ensure simultaneous operation of the tilting levers, the connecting member is connected at its ends to the levers.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said means for immobilizing said closed panels are defined by at least one V-shaped profile formed on each external lateral edge of said panels and capable of cooperating with a corresponding profile provided on a corner piece, fixed audit supervision.

Preferably, the V-profile of said lateral edge of each panel is concave, while the corresponding profile in
V of said corner is convex.

Advantageously, two V-shaped profiles are formed on the external lateral edge of each panel, respectively in the vicinity of the upper and lower edges of each of them, two corners then being associated with the framing corresponding to the two V-shaped profiles of each panel. .

Thus, when each panel is provided with lower and upper stiffening crosspieces; one of the wings of
V is defined by the corresponding end face of each cross member, while the other wing of said V is defined by the end face of an insert and integral with each cross member.

The figures of the appended drawing will make it clear how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical references designate similar elements.

Figure 1 shows, in cross section, an embodiment of the device according to the invention comprising two panels, such as shutters, held in the closed position by said locking means and said immobilization means.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of said shutters closed according to arrow F in FIG. 1.

Figure 3 shows, in cross section, the flaps of the device in the open position.

Figure 4 shows a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the locking means of said device.

The device 1 shown in these figures is intended to close the opening 2 formed in a residential wall 3 and delimited by its frame 4.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the device 1 comprises two flaps 5 and 6 pivotally mounted around articulations 7 connecting their lateral edges SA and 6A respectively to the wall 3. The flaps 5 and 6 are in the closed position in s adapting in the frame 4 of the opening 2.

In this exemplary embodiment and in a known manner, the flaps 1 and 2 each have at least two stiffening cross members respectively 5B and 6B, which are preferably arranged in the vicinity of the upper edges 5C and 6C and lower 5D and 6D of said flaps . These horizontal crosspieces are preferably aligned with the respective joints 7.

The shutter device 1 further comprises locking means 8 for securing said flaps 5 and 6 to one another in the closed position, and, immobilization means 9, by wedging, of said flaps closed relative to framing 4.

The locking means 8 advantageously comprise two identical locks 8A, 8B and disposed respectively in the vicinity of the upper edges 5C and 6C and the lower edges 5D and # 6D of the flaps 5 and 6.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the latches 8A, 8B comprise two cylinders 10 fixed respectively to the crosspieces 6B of the flap 6. In each cylinder 10, a rod 11 is able to slide between two extreme positions out-or Our entrance. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the two rods 11 are in the extended position by being inserted at their ends 11A into receiving sleeves 12 which are, in turn, fixed respectively to the crosspieces 5B of the flap 5. Advantageously, the rods 11 said latches move simultaneously thanks to a connecting member 14, such as a vertical bar, the ends 14A of which are respectively associated with the rods 11.

The sliding of the rods 11 in the cylinders 10 can be carried out by means of raceways not shown, guaranteeing proper operation.

 The connecting member 14 is provided, at its middle part, with a lug or the like 15 with which a locking hook 16 cooperates, pivotally connected to the flap 5, as shown in FIG. 2.

Furthermore, it can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the ends 14A of the vertical bar or connecting member 14 come into abutment against the end faces 12A of the sleeves 12.

Thus, under the force exerted by the ends 14A of the bar 14 linked to the flap 6 on the sleeves 12 linked to the flap 5, said flaps 5 and 6, in the closed position, tend to move away from one another to press against their respective joints by eliminating the functional clearances, and, to be advantageously kept under tension in their plane against their joints.

Furthermore, the immobilization means 9, by wedging, flaps 5 and 6 in the closed position are defined, in the illustrated embodiment, by two concave profiles 18 in V, formed on each lateral edge 5A and 6A of said flaps and which are capable of cooperating, by wedging, with corresponding convex profiles 19 provided on parts forming a corner 20, which are fixed to the lateral faces 4A and 4B of said frame 4. The profiles 18 are advantageously provided at the crossbeams 5B and 6B said components.

Thus, with particular reference to Figures 1 and 3, the end face 5B1 and 6B1 of the crossbeams 5B and 6B, close to the respective lateral edge SA and 6A thereof, is bevelled by defining one of the wings of each concave profile 18 in V, while the other wing of each profile is defined by the bevelled end face 21A of a part 21 attached to each cross member by being fixed thereto. As for the corners 20, each of them has a convex V profile 19 defined by two bevelled sides 20A and 20B. On the crossbeams 5B of the shutter 5, it can be seen that the parts ~ 21 are aligned with the sleeves 12, just as on the crossbars 6B of the shutter 6, the parts 21 are aligned with the cylinders 10.

It is therefore understood that, when the concave profiles 18 of the flaps automatically fit into the concave profiles 19 of the corners, said flaps 5 and 6, in the closed position, cannot be extracted inwards or outwards from the frame 4 delimiting the opening 2, even in the case where the joints 7 are torn off.

A particularly effective shutter device 1 is therefore produced, of a mechanically simple design and of remarkable reliability.

After removing the hook 16 from the lug 15, the use acts on the bar 14 so that the rods 11 of the locking means 8 are in the retracted position in the cylinders 10.

The flaps 5 and 6 can be opened to occupy a position such as that shown in FIG. 3.

 An alternative embodiment of the locking means 8 is illustrated in FIG. 4. For this, the two locks 8A and 8B of the locking means comprise two levers 23 close to the lower and upper edges of said flaps. Each lever 23 is pivotally mounted by a 23A of their ends around. A fixed axis 24 integral with the respective cross member 6B of the flap 6. The two levers 23 are connected to each other by a connecting member 25, similar to the previous one and allowing, by a handle 26, simultaneous control of said levers. In the closed position of said flaps, the other end 23B of each lever engages in a retaining lug 27 fixed to the corresponding crosspiece 5B of the flap 5. Here again, said flaps 5 and 6 are locked at two separate points .

Claims (10)

1 - Device for closing an opening, of the type comprising at least two panels (5,6) or the like, capable of pivoting around respective articulations (7) connecting one (5A, 6A) of their lateral edges to the frame (4> delimiting said opening (2 '), and, locking means (8) of said panels in the closed position, characterized in that said locking means comprise at least two latches (8A, 8B) disposed respectively in the vicinity of the upper and lower edges of said panels and in that means are provided (9) for immobilizing by wedging said panels closed to said frame by their external lateral edges, so as to prevent the extraction of said panels from the framing. 2 - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the two locks (8A, '8B)' are connected to each other by a connecting member (14,25) by which said locks can be actuated simultaneously. 3 - Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said latches are associated with stiffening crosspieces (5B, 6B) fixed in the vicinity of the upper and lower edges of each panel. 4 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each lock comprises a rod (11) capable of sliding, between two extreme positions extended or retracted, in a cylinder (10) fixed to one ( 6) of the panels, and engaging, in the extended position, in a receiving sheath (12) provided in correspondence and fixed to the other panel (5), by locking said panels in the closed position. 5 - Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the two rods (11) of said latches are connected to each other at the ends (14A) of said connecting member (14), and, en'ce, said ends (14A) of said member abut against the sleeves (12) when the rods are in the extended position, a hook (16), articulated to the panel carrying the sleeves, then cooperating with a lug (15) #or the like provided on said member (14) by holding it in position. 6 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each lock comprises a rocking lever (23) linked to one (6) of the panels and capable of engaging, when it is actuated, in a receiving tab (27) fixed to the other panel (5). 7 - Device according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said means (8) for immobilizing said closed panels are defined by at least one V-shaped profile (18) formed on each external lateral edge (5A , 6A) of said panels and capable of cooperating with a profile (19) corresponding provided on a part forming a corner (20), fixed to said frame (4). 8 - Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the profile (18) in V of said outer edge of each panel is concave, while the corresponding profile (19) in V of said corner is convex.  9 - Device according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that two profiles (18) in V are formed on the outer lateral edge of each panel, respectively in the vicinity of the upper and lower edges of each of them, two corners (20) then being associated with the frame in correspondence of the two V-shaped profiles of each panel. 10 - Device according to claims 3 and 9, characterized in that one of the wings of each profile (18) in V is defined by ## one of the end faces (5B1,6B1) of each cross member, while the another wing of the V is defined by the end face (21A) of a piece (21) attached and secured to each crosspiece.