GB2040343A - A sealing arrangement including a latch for pivoting windows - Google Patents

Abstract

A sealing arrangement for a pivoting window comprises a latch consisting of a prismatic body (7), supported against a spring in, usually, the lower face (4) of the window opening. End face (12) of body (7) presses on sash (3) and holds it in the closed position against a resilient sealing strip (5) with a metal backing 6 which projects from face (4). Depression of body (7) against its spring enables the sash (3) to be swung open. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like The present invention relates to a device for locking and unlocking sashes of casement windows and the like, i.e. to a device which permits one to lock the sash of a window in a closed position with respect to the sides of the opening of said window and which permits one moreover to unlock said sash in orderto allow it to swing around its hinged side so as to obtain the opening of the window.

Different types of devices for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like are already known.

One of the essential problems that a device for locking and unlocking window sashes must solve is that of guaranteeing when the window is closed, a permanent improved air-tightness between the edges of the sash and the faces of the window opening where said sash swings and where it is inserted.

The importance of solving always and in any climatic condition the above explained problem has led the technicians to realize, in all the known window types and provided with any known type of device for locking window sashes, around the swinging element or window sash, a solid frame and to cover with an equally solid frame the sides of the window opening where said sash is inserted.

With the presence of the foregoing solid frames it is possible to realize, in the contacting zones between said frame, tight connecting surfaces perfectly worked and to insert into said frames the mechanical means through which the locking of the sash when the window is closed and the unlocking of the same for opening the window are made.

The presence of frames around the component elements of a window and around the swinging element or sash and the sides of the opening in which said sash swings makes the realization of the windows very expensive due to the necessity of providing perfectly worked surfaces in order to guarantee as perfect as possible air-tightness when the window is in a closed position.

Moreover, in spite of the precision in the manufacture of the contacting zones between the frames, in the long run play between said frames arises and increases owing to the wear and the deformations unavoidably arising in the device for locking and unlocking the sash.

Said wear and said deformations cannot be eliminated since they are necessarily caused by the actuation of said locking devices which are mechanical elements and therefore subjected to wearing during working.

Another drawback of the known locking devices for window sashes is that in order to move said devices for closing said windows, i.e. for locking the sash so that it occludes completely the opening where it is inserted, it is necessary to exert a certain pressure directly on the sash to guarantee a perfect contact between the frame surrounding said sash and the frame surrounding the opening in which the sash is inserted.

In present invention aims at providing a device for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like which is devoid of the foregoing disadvantages of the known locking devices and i.e. a device for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like which enables a greatly improved and more constant tightness to be achieved between the sash and the sides of the opening where it is inserted, in any atmospheric condition; which eliminates the necessity of having perfectly worked surfaces in the contact between the edges of the sash and the sides of the opening where said sash is inserted and which does not require pressure to be exerted between the sash and the faces of the opening where it is inserted in order to make the actuation of the locking device when it is desired to close the window.

Accordingly the present invention provides a device for locking and unlocking casement window sashes and the like, which comprises a prismatic body, supported adjacent one of the faces of the window and placed in front of part of the hinged sash away from the hinge around which the sash swings, an elastic strip secured to project from said face of the opening on the opposite side of the sash to said prismatic body and positioned to contact the sash in its closed position, said prismatic body being supported, preferably pivotally, against a spring inside an opening in said face of the window opening.

The present invention is more fully described in the following detailed description, made by way of non-limiting example with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows in a perspective view a part of a window provided with a device for locking and unlocking the sash of the window itself according to the invention; Figure 2 shows in enlarged scale a section of view along line ll-ll of Figure 1.

In the most general idea of realization of a device for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like according to the present invention, the device comprises a prismatic body, secured in such a way as to project from a mobile pivot in opposition to a spring inside an opening in the one face of the window opening, the body having a surface adapted to contact the sash, said surface being shaped according to an inclined plane. The device for locking and unlocking window sashes in the most general idea of realization according to the present invention, beside the prismatic body, comprises an elastically deformable strip secured in such a way as to project from the same surface as to which the prismatic body is attached.

Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a device for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like according to the present invention which is included in the above explained idea.

As seen from Figure 1, which represents a portion of a window, on the surface 1, which is one of the two vertical faces of the perimeter of the window opening, a strip 2 of elastomeric material is firmly secured and to which, in turn, a sheet 3 of material transparent to light, for example glass, constituting a sash of the window, is firmly secured.

On the face 4, which is the lower horizontal face of the perimeter of the window opening, a member 5 of elastomeric material is secured in such a way as to project and said member 5 has in the central portion of its length, i.e. extending across its centre-line, a rigid backing 6 constituted by a thin layer of metal.

In front of member 5, and directly opposed to the thin layer of metal mentioned above, there is a prismatic body 7, described in detail later on, which diverges from a mobile pivot 8 which, in the direction of its own axis, enters an opening 9 on the face 4.

The prismatic body 7 forms a single body with the pivot 8 and a spring, not shown, is associated with this latter. By means of said spring the prismatic body 7 is kept away from the surface of the face 4.

The surface 12 of the prismatic body 7 facing the member 5 is shaped according to an inclined plane and this surface 12, when the sash 3 is in such a position as to realize the closing of the window, presses said sash 3 against the member 5.

More particularly, the surface 12 lies on a plane crossing the plane containing the face 4 of the window opening along a line which is, with respect to sash 3 in its closed position, on the same side as member 5, i.e. on the opposite side of sash 3 to the prismatic body 7.

Moreover, as previously said, the prismatic body 7, which is integral with the pivot 8 is mobile together with this latter in opposition to a spring, not shown, which in a rest position, keeps the prismatic body 7 away as much as possible from the face 4 of the perimeter of the window.

The connection between prismatic body 7 and pivot 8 is an unreleasable connection.

Moreover, the surface 14 of the prismatic body 7 farther away from the face 4 of the perimeter of the window lies on a plane inclined with respect to the surface of the face 4, whilst the surface 15 of said prismatic body 7 lies on a plane parallel to the face 4 of said perimeter of the window and these two ideal planes intersect along a line which is, with respect to sash 3 in its closed position, on the same side as prismatic body 7, i.e. on the opposite side of sash 3 to member 5.

The working of the device for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like according to the present invention is as follows: Starting from the situation shown in Figures 1 and 2 which represent the window in a closed position, in order to open the same it is necessary to act manua!:y on the prismatic body 7 by exerting on it such a pressure to move this latter nearer to the face 4 of the window perimeter.

By approaching the prismatic body 7 to the face 4, the pivct 8 moves into the opening 9 in the face 4 overcoming the resistance of a spring not shown.

In this way, the sash 3 does not meet with any obstacle to moving away from the member 5 and therefore sash 3 can be swung around its own end connected to the strip 2 which acts as a hinge. When the rotation of the sash 3 has been effected for such an angle to permit to the lower edge of the sash, i.e.

to the sash edge nearer the face 4 of the window perimeter, to overcome that prismatic body 7 portion corresponding to its surface 12, the manual action of exerting a pressure on the prismatic body may be interrupted since there is no more obstacle to the swinging of the sash 3 around the hinge 2.

As soon as the sash 3, during its swinging, overcomes the prismatic body 7, this latter goes away again from the surface 4 under the action of the spring which acts on the pivot 8 connected to said prismatic body 7.

In order to close the window, it is sufficient to swing the sash 3 around the hinge 2. As the sash 3, during this swinging arrives in contact with the prismatic body causes the lowering of this latter going into contact with the upper surface 14.

As soon as the sash 3 has come with its lower corner farther away from the member 5 into contact with the corner of the prismatic body 7 defined by the intersection between the surface 12 and the surface 14, the spring associated with the pivot8 gives rise to the removal of the prismatic body 7 from the surface 4 and the prismatic body 7 in its movement slides in correspondence of the surface 12 against the corner of the sash 3 pressing said sash 3 against the member 5 realizing in such a way excellent airtightness between the sash itself and the perimeter of the window sides.

Obviously, in order to guarantee the air-tightness between the sash and the perimeter of the space where said sash is encased, it is necessary that also in correspondence of the upper horizontal face of said opening there is a member analogous to member 5 previously illustrated and described.

According to an alternative embodiment not shown, also the presence of a prismatic body equal to that marked with reference numeral 7 can be foreseen besides the previously described elements, but said prismatic body must be arranged in correspondence of the upper horizontal face of the opening encasing the sash. Owing to the presence of this further prismatic body, a device known to the average skilled technician of the field must be provided associating it with the pivot connecting said prismatic body not shown with the upper face of the window opening able to approach the prismatic body to the adjacent side under the action of the compression exerted on the prismatic body 7 to approach the same to the face 4.

In particular, the device associated with the pivot connecting the prismatic body not shown and placed on the upper horizontal face of the window is an electro-magnetic device of a type known per se whose drive is placed in correspondence with the prismatic body arranged on the lower horizontal face of the window; in this way the prismatic body 7 makes also the function of a driving mechanism of the prismatic body placed on the upper horizontal face of the window.

A device for locking and unlocking window sashes and the like according to the invention permits, as previously said, to guarantee an excellent and constant tightness between the sash and the sides of the opening where it is inserted, to avoid the necessity of having surfaces perfectly worked in the contact between the sash and the faces of the opening where it is inserted and not to require to exert a direct pressure on the sash to permit the window closing.

The way in which the above reported advantages are achieved by means of the device according to the present invention clearly appears from the following considerations.

Thanks to the presence of the surface 12 of the prismatic body which presses on the sash 3 and pushes it against the member 5, even when the surface 12is worn, since said surface 12 hasthe shape of an inclined plane an eventual wear of the same does not change practically the pressure exerted by the prismatic body 7 against the sash 3 and therefore against the member 5 and said wear means simply to move farther away the prismatic body 7 from the surface 4.

The above reported consideration clearly confirms that in the long run and owing to wearing, play between the sash and the sides of the opening cannot arise when the window is closed and therefore this means that in time the device for locking and unlocking window sashes according to the invention cannot lose the desired tightness.

Moreover, the means for closing the window, i.e.

the prismatic body 7 and the member 5, thanks to the deformabilityofthe member under the thrust action exerted by the prismatic body render unnecessary the accurate workings of the surfaces of said member 5 and said sash 3 in contact to each other, since eventual irregularities of the surfaces in the contacting zone between said elements are annulled by the deformability of the member 5 itself.

At least, thanks to the particular shape of the prismatic body 7 and more specifically in consequence of the particular shape of said prismatic body 7 with the presence of the inclined surface 12, it is not necessary to exert a direct pressure on the sash 3 since the pressure is exerted by the prismatic body itself 7 and the only action which the user must effect is simply to close the sash 3, making it swing around the hinge constituted by the strip 2 to make said sash 3 overcome the surface 14 of the prismatic body 7 and thereby to put sash 3 into contact with the surface 12 of the prismatic body 7.

Although some particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is understood that the invention includes in its scope any other alternative embodiment accessible to a technician of this field.

Claims (6)

1. Device for locking and unlocking casement window sashes and the like, which comprises a prismatic body supported adjacent one of the faces of the window opening and placed in front of part of the hinged sash which is away from the hinge around which the sash swings, an elastic strip secured to project from said face of the window opening on the opposite side of the sash to said prismatic body and positioned to contact the sash in its closed position, said prismatic body being supported against a spring inside an opening in said face of the window opening.

2. Device according to Claim 1, in which the prismatic body is pivotally supported against the spring.

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the surface of the prismatic body facing the window sash is shaped according to an inclined plane.

4. Device according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the surface of the prismatic body on the opposite side to the face of the window opening lies on a plane inclined with respect to the plane of face of the window opening.

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which in correspondence with the centreline of said elastic strip is provided a rigid backing.

6. A device for locking and unlocking a casement window sash substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.