GB2045846A - Window barrier - Google Patents

Abstract

A barrier for use in conjunction with an opening window, to restrain the accidental passage of an infant through the window, when open. A hinge plate 14 is mounted on the window frame on one side of the window and has a pair of bosses 16 in which are received hinge pins 20 of a rectangular barrier frame 18. This frame 18 is made from tubing of hollow square section and has bars 19 extending thereacross. A lock plate 30 is attached to the other side of the window frame and may receive a pin threaded into the frame 18, when obstructing the window. The head of the pin can be received wholly within the tubing, to restrict access thereto. Pairs of hinge plates and lock plates may be fastened to several window frames, and a single barrier used to obstruct any one. When the barrier has been fitted to a hinge plate and locked closed, the threaded pin resists lifting of the frame 18 off the hinge plate. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Window barrier This invention relates to a barrier suitable for use in conjunction with an opening window, to restrain the accidental passage of an infant through the window, when open.

Occasionally, accidents happen through an infant (or "toddler") climbing on furniture and then opening a window, whereafter the infant may fall through the opened window, perhaps with serious consequences. It has often been suggested that this danger should be avoided by appropriately securing the window against opening, for example by fastening with screws the opening part of the window to a fixed frame part. Another possibility is to secure the catch mechanism of the window against opening by a special locking device requiring a key to operate it.

The disadvantage, however, of both of these proposals is that no longer is it easy to open the window for ventilation purposes. Moreover, there is still the possibility that the infant may climb up to the window and then lean on the pane of glass, sometimes the glass itself may break which can lead to extensive laceration of the infant and moreover he may still fall through the broken window.

It is a principal aim of this invention to provide a barrier for a window at least reduces the disadvantages mentioned above over known methods of preventing infants from falling through windows.

According to this invention, there is provided a barrier for a window, comprising a hinge plate for attachment to one side of a window, a lock plate for attachment to the other side of the window, and a gate including a frame having one edge thereof adapted for hinged connection to the hinge plate and the opposed edge thereof carrying a lock mechanism for interengagement with the lock plate, the lock mechanism comprising an externally-threaded pin memberthreadingly engaged with the internallythreaded nut element formed in or mounted on the frame, the pin member having a head adapted for rotation by a correspondingly-formed tool and receivable in a recess formed in the frame or nut element when the pin member is threaded to that position in which the pin member projects furthest from the gate, whereby when the gate is hingedly connected to the hinge plate and swung to a position in which the window is obstructed thereby, the pin member may be threaded to project furthest from the gate with a part thereof engaged with the lock plate and the head thereof positioned within the recess.

The gate preferably is in the form of a generally rectangular frame fitted with one or more bars extending thereacross, so as to define relatively small apertures, through which infants may not pass. For example, the frame may be formed from metallic tubing of rectangular section, with solid round bars extending generally parallel to each other between two opposed edges of the frame, the ends of the members being suitably fastened (for instance by welding) to the two edges respectively of the frame. Clearly, the bars should be as thin as possible consistent with sufficient strength to restrain an infant, in order not to obstruct light passing through the window too greatly.

The hinge plate preferably is in the form of a generally flat plate provided with apertures through which screws may be passed to affix the plate either to the window frame or a part of the wall immediately to one side of the window which is to be protected by the barrier of this invention. The generally flat plate may have a pair of bosses suitably attached thereto, for instance by welding, in which bosses hinge pins mounted on the frame may be received.

Conveniently, two such bosses are provided and the frame carries a pair of hinge pins each in the form of a generally L-shaped element welded or otherwise fastened to the frame at spaced positions on one side thereof, the spacing of the pins corresponding to the spacing of the bosses on the hinge plate. In this way, the frame may be fitted to the hinge plate merely by inserting both hinge pins simultaneously into both bosses from the upper openings thereof.

The lock plate may simply be a flat plate provided with an aperture to receive the pin member, and at least one further aperture to receive a screw so that the lock plate may be affixed to the window frame or a part of the wall on the side of the window opposed to that to which the hinge plate is attached. The preferred form of lock plate however is in the form of a length of square section tubing, provided with mounting apertures and also provided with two pin-receiving apertures the axes of which extend at right angles to one another, to simplify attachment of the lock plate to a frame or wall part in such a way as to be able to receive the pin member when the gate is swung to the protecting position.

It will be appreciated that because the preferred arrangement of gate can be easily fitted and removed from the hinge plate, it is possible to affix at various windows in a house a hinge plate on one side of the window and a lock plate on the other side of the window, and provided that the spacing therebetween is substantially the same, a single gate can be mounted in front of any particular window having such a pair of hinge and lock plates.

It is of course important that the lock mechanism can not with ease be undone, especially by infants.

By arranging for the pin member to have a head which is received fully within a recess when the pin member is threaded home to engage the lock plate, the head no longer can be gripped to effect rotation thereof, either manually or with an implement such as a pair of pliers. Moreover, by providing a head of circular external shape but having a non-circular socket therein, rotation of the head other than by a special key fitting the socket in the head becomes extremely difficult. The preferred form of pin member has a head of substantially cylindrical shape but with a hexagonal socket formed axially therein, which socket may receive a hexagonal bar to effect rotation of the pin member.For the preferred form of frame, constructed of tubing of square cross-section, the internally-threaded nut element is conveniently separately formed and then attached for example by welding to the outermost face of the tubing, the inner face of the tubing having a relatively large diameter aperture aligned with the nut element, whereby the head of the pin member may be received wholly within the confines of the tubing when the pin member is threaded fully into engagemenu with the nut member, to be received in the lock plate.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of this invention will now be described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a barrier of this invention, affixed to a window frame and in the closed position; and Figure 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view through the lock mechanism and lock plate of the barrier of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a window frame 10 supporting an openable window 11 having a pane of glass 12.

Attached to the left hand upright frame part 13 is a hinge plate 14, comprising a strip of steel provided with apertures adjacent each end thereof and through which screws 15 are passed to secure the hinge plate 14 to the frame part 13. The hinge plate has welded thereto a pair of spaced bosses 16, the axes of which are aligned and vertical. A gate 17 of a width suitable to protect the window 11 is mounted on the hinge plate 14 in such a way that the gate 17 may be swung from that position shown in Figure 1 to another position in which access may easily be gained to the window. The gate 17 comprises a generally rectangular frame 18 formed of squaresection tubing (as shown in Figure 2) with a plurality of solid round bars 19 extending between the upper and lower edges of the frame.The bars 19 are attached to the frame by welding or brazing at the extremities thereof. Attached to the left hand side (in Figure 1) of the frame 18 are a pair of spaced hinge pins 20, each in the form of an L-shaped rod and disposed with one limb 21 thereof adjacent to the frame extending normal to the adjacent side of the frame and the other limb thereof projecting downwardly. The spacing of the two hinge pins 20 corresponds to the spacing of the bosses 16, whereby the gate may be connected to the hinge plate, by interfitting the downwardly projecting limbs of the pins 20 and the bosses 16.

On the vertical side of the frame opposed to that supporting the hinge pins 20, there is provided a lock mechanism 22, comprising an internally-threaded nut 23 fastened into an aperture in the outer wall 24 of that side of the frame and into which is threaded a hardened steel pin 25 having an enlarged cylindrical head 26. The external cross-sectional shape of the head is circular, but the head has a hexagonal socket 27 formed axially therein. The inner wall 28 of the side of the frame is provided with a circular aperture 29 aligned with the threaded bore of the nut 23, so that the head 26 may be received fully within the confines of the side of the frame, as shown on Figure 2, when the pin has been threaded fully into the nut.

Attached to the side of the window frame 10 opposed to that to which hinge plate 14 is attached, is a lock plate 30 in the form of a length of tubing of square cross-sectional shape and provided with a pair of mounting apertures 31 through which screws pass to fasten the plate to the frame. The lock plate 30 is suitably positioned so that when the gate is mounted as described above, the pin 25 may extend into a central bore 32 provided in the lock plate. To allow the lock plate to be mounted in the most convenient manner on any given window, the lock plate has a further bore 33 the axis which extends at right angles to the axis of the bore 32, the further bore 33 also being capable of receiving the pin in an appropriate installation.

It will be appreciated that in use, the arrangement described above may securely protect the window 11, because the pin 25 once fully engaged with the lock plate may only be released by means of a key having an appropriate hexagonal form to engage the socket 27 in the head 26 of the pin, by inserting the key through the aperture 29 formed in the inner wall 28 of the frame. The external surface of the head is notgrippable by means of fingers, nor accessible by means of pliers or similar tools and thus it is extremely difficult for someone to release the pin from the lock plate without an appropriate hexagonal key. Moreover, the interengagement of the pin and lock plate prevents the gate as a whole being lifted upwardly, to release the hinge pins 20 from the bosses 16 mounted on the hinge plate 14. However, once the lock mechanism has been released by using an appropriate key, the gate may be swung away from the window to allow access thereto and moreover the gate may easily be lifted off the hinge plate 14. By providing a pair of hinge and lock plates at appropriate spacings on different windows, a single gate may then be carried to any required window and used to protect that window in the manner just described.

Claims (11)

1. A barrier for a window, comprising a hinge plate for attachment to one side of a window, a lock plate for attachmentto the other side of the window, and a gate including a frame having one edge thereof adapted for hinged connection to the hinge plate and the opposed edge thereof carrying a lock mechanism for interengagement with the lock plate, the lock mechanism comprising an externallythreaded pin member threadingly engaged with an internally-threaded nut element formed in or mounted on the frame, the pin member having a head adapted for rotation by a correspondinglyformed tool and receivable in a recess formed in the frame or nut element when the pin member is threaded to that position in which the pin member projects furthest from the gate, whereby when the gate is hingedly connected to the hinge plate and swung to a position in which the window is obstructed thereby, the pin member may be threaded to project furthest from the gate with a part thereof engaged with the lock plate and the head thereof positioned within the recess.

2. A barrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gate is in the form of a generally rectangular frame fitted with one or more bars extending thereacross, so as to define relatively small apertures through which infants may not pass.

3. A barrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the frame is formed from metallic tubing of rectangular section, with solid round bars extending generally parallel to each other between two opposed edges of the frame.

4. A barrier as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the hinge plate is in the form of a generally flat plate provided with apertures through which screws may be passed to affix the plate either to a window or frame or a part of the wall immediately to one side of the window which is to be protected by the barrier.

5. A barrier as claimed in claim 4, wherein the generally flat plate may have a pair of bosses attached thereto and in which hinge pins mounted on the frame may be received.

6. A barrier as claimed in claim 5, wherein two bosses are provided on the flat plate and the frame carries a pair of hinge pins each in the form of a generally L-shaped element attached to the frame at spaced positions on one side thereof, the spacing of the hinge pins corresponding to the spacing of the bosses on the hinge plate.

7. A barrier as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the lock plate is in the form of a length of square section tubing, provided with mounting apertures and also provided with two pin-receiving apertures the axes of which extend at right angles to one another.

8. A barrier as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the head of the pin member has a circular external cross-sectional shape and has a non-circular socket therein.

9. A barrier as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pin member has a head of substantially cylindrical shape and a hexagonal socket formed axially therein, which socket may receive a hexagonal bar to effect rotation of the pin member.

10. A barrier as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the frame is constructed from tubing of hollow rectangular cross-sectional shape, the internally-threaded nut element is separately formed and then attached to the outermost face of the frame, and the inner face of the frame opposed to the nut element has a relatively large diameter aperture, whereby the head of the pin member may be received wholly within the confines of the tubing when the pin member is threaded fully into engagemenu with the nut member.

11. A barrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.