GB2145151A

GB2145151A - Window stay

Info

Publication number: GB2145151A
Application number: GB08416876A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Philip Shenton
Original assignee: Hardware and Systems Patents Ltd
Current assignee: Hardware and Systems Patents Ltd
Priority date: 1983-08-19
Filing date: 1984-07-03
Publication date: 1985-03-20
Also published as: GB2145151B; DK384784D0; DK162358B; MY8700062A; NO843301L; SE8404114D0; NO161695B; SG69386G; SE8404114L; DK384784A; GB8322400D0; NO161695C; HK93486A; GB8416876D0

Abstract

A window stay comprises a guide track 10 on which a shoe 15 is slidably mounted for controlling opening/ closing movement of a window 1 relative to a frame 2 and a separate locking device 23 mounted on the track 10 to restrict sliding movement of the shoe 15 and prevent accidental or unauthorised opening movement of the window 1 beyond a limit position e.g. a ventilation position. The device 23 is detachable from the guide track 10 to allow opening movement of the window 1 beyond the limit position when required. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Window stay This invention relates to window stays and in particular to window stays of the type in which opening and closing movement of a window sash is controlled by link means pivotally connected to one of the window sash and window frame and pivotally and slidably connected to a mounting plate secured to the other of the window sash and window frame.

The sliding connection is usually provided by a shoe located on the mounting plate, for example in a guide track, and most stays have a stop engageable with the shoe to restrict opening movement of the sash to a ventilation position intermediate the closed and fully opened positions.

The known stops comprise a resilient detent which can be released manually to enable further opening movement of the sash from the ventilation position.

A disadvantage of these stops is that they are capable of accidental or unauthorised operation which is undesirable from both safety and security aspects.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stay which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantage.

According to the present invention a window stay comprises an elongate mounting plate adapted to be secured to one of a window frame and a window sash, link means pivotally and slidably connected to the mounting plate and adapted to be pivotally connected to the other of the window frame and window sash, and a locking device detachably mounted in the mounting plate to restrict sliding movement of the link means, the device comprising a body having lock means movable between a first position in which the lock means engages the mounting plate to prevent removal of the device from the mounting plate and a second position in which the lock means is released to permit removal of the device from the mounting plate.

By the present invention sliding movement of the link means is restricted by the locking device mounted on and locked to the mounting plate. As a result, in use, the sash can be opened to a limit position determined by the location of the locking device on the mounting plate and, to permit further sliding movement of the link means to open the sash beyond the limit position, the device has to be unlocked and removed from the mounting plate.

Consequently accidental or unauthorised release of the device such as may occur with the known stays incorporating a stop comprising a resilient detent is prevented.

Preferably the mounting plate and locking device are provided with formations to locate the locking device longitudinally relative to the mounting plate.

The formations conveniently comprise a lug on the locking device body engageable in a recess in the mounting plate.

Advantageously, the mounting plate has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart recesses whereby the locking device may be located at any one of several positions along the length of the mounting plate. In this way a range of limit positions for restricting opening movement of the sash between closed and fully open may be provided.

Preferably the mounting plate has a channelsection guide track in which the device body is received and the or each recess is formed in an inwardly directed lip of the guide track. This arrangement enables the device to be inserted into the guide track at the required position but prevents sliding movement of the device along the guide track.

The lock means preferably comprises a rotor rotatably mounted in the device body and having abutment means which, in the first position of the lock means, locates behind the inwardly directed lip of the guide track to retain the device in the guide track.

Preferably the rotor is mounted in a transverse slot in the device body and the abutment means projects from the device body in the first position of the lock means and is within the device body in the second position of the lock means. Consequently the device body can be freely inserted into the guide track with the lock means in its second position and retained in the guide track by rotating the lock means to its first position. The first and second positions of the lock means correspond to rotation of the rotor through an angle of 90".

Conveniently rotation of the rotor is effected by a key and means, such as a spring washer, is preferably provided to retain the rotor in each of the first and second positions. The rotor and device body are each provided with a respective key-hole opening to allow insertion/removal of the key and, the key-hole openings are aligned with one another in the first position of the lock means and are misaligned in the second position. As a result, when the device is mounted in the guide track, the key can only be removed when the lock means is in the first position, i.e. when the device is locked to the guide track. In this way the device cannot be fitted and the key removed with the device in an unlocked condition. Additionally, since the lock means cannot be released without the key, accidental or unauthorised removal of the fitted device is precluded.

The sliding connection between the link means and the mounting plate is provided by a shoe located on the guide track which retains and guides the shoe for longitudinal sliding movement.

Conveniently the link means has an arm pivotally connected at one end to the shoe and adapted to be pivotally connected at the other end to the window frame or window sash. The link means may include one or more further arms extending between and pivotally connected to the mounting plate, sash or an intermediate part of the shoe arm.

The locking device may provide the sole means for restricting sliding movement of the link means and may be fitted or removed as desired.

Alternatively the stay may include one or more stops each comprising a resilient detent for restricting sliding movement of the link means in known manner and the locking device may be fitted as required to prevent further sliding movement of the link means following accidental or unauthorised operation of the stop.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a window stay according to the present invention; FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view, to an enlarged scale, of the locking device of the window stay shown in Figure 1; and FIGURES 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the installation of the locking device.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a sliding shoe stay for adjustable mounting of a window sash 1 on a window frame 2. The stay includes an elongate mounting plate 3 provided with countersunk holes (not shown) by means of which it may be secured to a stile 4 of the window frame 2 by screws and, link means 5 pivotally and slidably connected to the mounting plate 3 and adapted to be pivotally connected to the window sash 1 to control opening and closing movement of the latter.

The mounting plate 3 has a base 6 with two edge flanges 7,8 and an intermediate flange 9. Edge flange 8 and intermediate flange 9 define a longitudinally extending channel-section guide track 10 and have inwardly turned lips 11, 12 which are parallel to the base 6.

The link mean 5 has first and second arms 13 and 14 respctively. The first arm 13 is pivotally conneacted at one end to a shoe 15 slidably received within the guide track 10 and at the other end to a bracket 16 provided with holes by means of which it may be secured to the window sash 1. The second arm 14 is pivotally connected at one end to a block 17 received within the upper end of the guide track 10 and secured to the mounting plate 3 by one or more screws (not shown) and at the other end to an intermediate part of the first arm.

Usually two stays are provided, one at each side of the window, and opening and closing movement of the sash is controlled in known manner by the sliding action of the shoe in the guide track.

The stay further includes a stop 18 integral with the upper end of the shoe 15 to restrict opening movement of the sash 1 to a limit position e.g. a ventilation position, intermediate the closed and fully opened positions. The stop 18 has a pair of opposed laterally projecting ears 19 respective one ends of which engage the upper ends of a first pair of opposed recesses 20 formed in the lips 11, 12 to lock the shoe 15 longitudinally relative to the mounting plate 3 and prevent opening movement of the sash 1 beyond the limit position. The other ends of the ears are tapered as indicated by reference numeral 21 and engage the lower ends of the recesses 20 to lower the stop 18 enabling the sash 1 to be closed.To open the sash 1 beyond the limit position the stop 18 is manually released by depressing an actuator 22 connected to the stop 18 to lower the stop 18 and disengage the ends of the ears 19 from the recesses 20.

In accordance with the present invention, the stay is provided with a locking device 23 which may be mounted on the mounting plate 3 to prevent opening movement of the sash 1 beyond the limit position when the stop 18 is manually released.

The locking device 23, shown in more detail in Figure 2, comprises a rectangular body 24 having a pair of opposed laterally projecting lugs 25 and a transverse slot 26 in which a rotor 27 is mounted.

The rotor 27 has a generally rectangular head 28 and an annular boss 29 rotatably received within a central opening 30 in a closure plate 31 releasably secured to the rear face of the body 24. The rotor head 28 has a key-hole opening 32 formed therein which aligns with a corresponding key-hole opening 33 in the front face of the body 24 to permit insertion/removal of a key 34 when the rotor 27 is in a first position in which the ends of the rotor head 28 project to either side of the slot 26. The rotor 27 may be turned through 902 to a second position in which the rotor head 28 is entirely within the slot 26 by means of the key 34. In the second position the keyhole openings 32, 33 are misaligned and the key 34 cannot be removed.A spring washer 35 mounted on the boss 29 between the closure plate 31 and the rear face of the rotor head retains the rotor 27 in each of the first and second positions.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, installation of the locking device 23 is achieved by inserting the key 34 with the rotor head 28 in its first position and turning the key 34 to move the rotor head 28 to its second position (Figure 3). The device 23 is then inserted into the guide track 10 directly above the stop actuator 22 with the lugs 25 locating in a second pair of opposed recesses 36 formed in the lips 11, 12to lock the device 23 longitudinally relative to the mounting plate 3. The key 34 is then turned to move the rotor head 28 to its first position in which the ends of the rotor head project to either side of the slot 26 and define abutments 37 which locate behind the lips 11, 12 of the guide track 10 to prevent the device 23 being removed from the guide track 10 (Figure 4).The key-hole openings 32,33 are then aligned and the key 34 may be removed leaving the device 23 positively located and retained in the guide track 10. As a result, even if the stop actuator 22 is depressed to release the stop 18, the shoe 15 is prevented from sliding along the guide track 10 by the locking device 23 and the sash 1 may only be further opened beyond the limit position by removing the locking device 23 by a reverse of the above described installation procedure. Since this requires the key 34, accidental or unauthorised opening of the sash 1 beyond the limit position is prevented.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the embodiment above-described, for example the mounting plate and shoe may be of any construction in which opening and closing movement of the sash is controlled by relative sliding movementtherebetween and the link means may comprise any number of arms, the articulation of which may be varied to provide any desired opening action and to suit any particular application.

The mounting plate may be provided with a plurality of positions at which the stop and locking device may be located between the closed and fully opened positions of the sash.

The stop may be of any suitable construction, for example the stop may be integral with the shoe as above-described or, alternatively, the stop may be fixed to the mounting plate and one or more fixed stops may be provided along the length of the mounting plate. The stop may be omitted in which case the locking device itself would act to prevent opening movement of the sash beyond the or each limit position when installed in the guide track. The construction of the locking device may be varied to suit any construction of mounting plate.

Finally although in the above-described embodiment the stay is secured to vertically extending parts of the window frame and sash it will be understood that the stay could be secured to horizontally extending parts of the window frame and sash. Also the mounting plate could be secured to the sash and the link means adapted to be pivotally connected to the window frame.

Claims

1. A window stay comprising an elongate mounting plate adapted to be secured to one of a window frame and a window sash, link means pivotally and slidably connected to the mounting plate and adapted to be pivotally connected to the other of the window frame and window sash, and a locking device detachably mounted on the mounting plate to restrict sliding movement of the link means, the device comprising a body having lock means movable between a first position in which the lock means engages the mounting plate to prevent removal of the device from the mounting plate and a second position in which the lock means is released to permit removal of the device from the mounting plate.

2. A window stay according to claim 1 wherein the mounting plate and locking device are provided with formations to locate the locking device longitudinally relative to the mounting plate.

3. A window stay according to claim 2 wherein the locating formations comprises a lug on the device body engageable in a recess in the mounting plate.

4. A window stay according to claim 3 wherein the mounting plate is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart recesses.

5. A window stay according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the mounting plate has a channel-section guide track in which the device body is received and the or each recess is formed in an inwardly directed lip of the guide track.

6. A window stay according to claim 5 wherein the guide track has a pair of opposed inwardly directed lips each having one or more recesses formed therein and the device body has a pair of opposed lugs engageable in a respective recess in the adjacent lip.

7. A window stay according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the lock means comprises a rotor rotatably mounted in the device body and having abutment means which, in the first position of the lock means, locates behind the lip(s) to retain the device in the channel-section guide track.

8. A window stay according to claim 7 wherein the first and second positions of the lock means correspond to rotation of the rotor through 90 .

9. A window stay according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the rotor is mounted in a transverse slot in the device body and the abutment means projects from the slot in the first position of the lock means and is within the slot in the second position of the lock means.

10. A window stay according to any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the rotor and device body are each formed with a respective key-hole opening to allow insertion/removal of a key to operate the rotor.

11. A window stay according to claim 10 wherein the key-hole openings are aligned in the first position of the lock means and are misaligned in the second position of the lock means.

12. A window stay according to any one of claims 5 to 11 wherein the link means includes a shoe slidably mounted in the channel-section guide track and an arm pivotally connected to the shoe.

13. A window stay according to claim 12 including a stop comprising a resilient detent for restricting sliding movement of the shoe.

14. A window stay according to claim 13 wherein the stop is associated with the shoe and is engageable with the guide track to locate the shoe longitudinally relative to the guide track.

15. A window stay according to claim 14 wherein the stop is tapered to disengage the guide track automatically on closing the window.

16. A window stay substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.