GB2209051A

GB2209051A - Friction stay hinge

Info

Publication number: GB2209051A
Application number: GB8819273A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Edward Buckley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-08-26
Filing date: 1988-08-12
Publication date: 1989-04-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-12
Also published as: GB8720072D0; GB8819273D0; GB2209051B

Abstract

In a friction stay hinge for a window which comprises a track 10 for fitting to the fixed window frame and a vent arm 17 for fitting to the movable window vent, an upper link 12 pivotally connecting the vent arm 17 to a slider 11 movable along the track 10 and a control arm 19 pivotally connecting the vent arm 17 to a bracket 21, the pivotal connection 20 between the control arm 19 and the bracket 21 is offset laterally with respect to the line of movement along the track 10 of the connection 13 between the link 12 and the slider 11. The bracket 21 may be separate from the track 10 or integrally formed therewith. The hinge may include a further link. The slider 11 may be formed so that it cannot slide along the track until the link 12 has pivoted through a certain angle from the closed position. An adjustable stop 14 is provided for the slider. The pivot 20 may be carried by an adjustable plate. <IMAGE>

Description

"Friction Stay Hinge" There are two major types of friction stay hinges used currently on windows.

The first type is characterised by a vent arm and a frame plate connected together by two spaced pivoted links, the frame plate being mounted on the fixed window frame and the vent arm being mounted on the movable window vent. Arthur Shaw Friction Stay Hinges V.G. 210T and V.G.

305S are illustrations of such hinges.

The second type is characterised by a vent arm for mounting on the movable window vent, a track which fixes to the window frame, a slider which is slideable along the track, and at least three other pivoted links connecting the track, the vent arm and the slider. These hinges all have an end cap and a shaped vent arm to guide the window vent to the closed position. The "Defender" range of hinges manufactured by Securistyle are good examples of the second type of hinge.

The first type of hinge suffers from the fact that there is insufficient room when the window is open to allow a person to clean the external glass whilst standing within the house. This is because, due to the absence of a slider, the only clearance is provided by the pivoting movement of the top link. Further, because there is no slider the necessary frictional restraint to operation of the hinge is built into the pivot points, which do not allow adjustment of the frictional restraint. The hinge is therefore supplied with friction at its maximum which does not allow for easy opening of the hinge. Provision of friction at the pivots does mean, however, that there is resistance to movement at all angles of window opening.

This is especially important at the very small angles of opening used for ventilation purposes.

These hinges use two methods of maintaining the window vent firmly against the weatherseal of the fixed frame when closed. The first is to use spring pressure which is built into the hinge by making the lower link longer than the correct theoretical length, so that the window is forced back on the seal when closed. The other technique is to set the top link to frame plate pivot behind the lower link to frame plate pivot which creates a geometric lock in the closed position; this method is used on the hinges manufactured by Grurod.

Wear in these various types of hinges reduces the weathersealing and the inbuilt friction.

The second type of hinge mentioned above suffers from poor resistance to motion at small angles because the links are free to swing but, in the initial stages of opening, slider movement is minimal thereby producing minimal friction. These hinges do, however, have the advantage that any loss of friction due to wear can be adjusted using an adjustment screw in the slider.

Weathersealing is reduced by wear. Another limitation of these hinges is that because of the number of links required and the height available in most window systems, the link thicknesses are restricted which in turn restricts the space available for the pivots. This imposes size and weight constraints on the windows into which the hinges are fitted.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge which overcomes the limitations of both types of hinges described above.

According to the invention there is provided a hinge comprising a track adapted to be fitted to a window frame, and a vent arm adapted to be fitted to the window vent, the track being connected to the vent arm by a link pivoted at one end to the vent arm, the other end of the link being connected to a slider which is slideable along the track, and the vent arm being connected to a bracket, also adapted to be fitted to the window frame, by a control arm pivoted at one end to the vent arm, the other end of the control arm being connected to the bracket by a pivotal connection which is offset laterally with respect to the line of movement, along the track, of the connection between the link and the slider.

The bracket may be formed separately from the track and may be adapted to be fitted to the window frame separately from the track. Alternatively, the bracket may be integral with the track so as to form therewith a single unit for fitting to the window frame.

A further link may be pivotally connected at one end to the slider, and at the opposite end to the control arm at a location intermediate its connections to the vent arm and bracket. Alternatively a further link may be pivotally connected at one end to the bracket, and at the opposite end to the first said link at a location intermediate its connections to the vent arm and slider.

Means may be provided for adjusting, relatively to the track, the location of the pivotal connection between the control arm and the bracket.

Preferably a stop is provided to limit the movement of the slider along the track, means being provided to permit adjustment of the position of the stop longitudinally of the track.

In one particular embodiment according to the invention locking means are provided to restrain longitudinal movement of the slider along the track from a limiting position thereon until the first said link has reached a predetermined angular displacement relatively to the track, whereafter the slider is free to move along the track. For example, there may be rotatable with the first said link a part having a major cross-dimension and a minor cross-dimension, the track having a guideway of a width between said major and minor cross-dimensions whereby said part is restrained from moving along the guideway until rotation of the link brings the minor cross-dimension of the part into register with the guideway. In such arrangement said part is preferably fixedly attached to the first said link, and rotates bodily relatively to the track, said part being a part of the slider.

In an alternative form of locking means there may be mounted on the slider a displaceable element which is engageable with abutment means on the track when the slider is in said limiting position thereon, so as to prevent movement of the slider along the track, angular movement of the first said link relatively to the slider, to a predetermined extent, being arranged to allow displacement of said element from engagement with the abutment means, thereby to permit movement of the slider along the track.

The following is a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of a friction stay hinge embodying the present invention, showing the position it would normally be in when the window is closed, Figure 2 shows the position adopted by the hinge during the initial opening of a window, Figure 3 shows a further position of the hinge with the window more fully open, Figure 4 shows the position of the hinge when the window is fully open, Figure 5 shows the same hinge but illustrates how it is connected to the window frame and the window vent, Figures 6, 7 and 8 are similar to Figures 2, 3 and 4 and show the use of the hinge in practice with the various window opening positions, Figures 9 and 10 are details of an adjustable stop mechanism, Figures 11 and 12 show details of the slider and track mechanism, Figures 13, 14 and 15 show different positions of parts of the slider mechanism during the opening of the window, Figures 16 and 17 show an alternative form of slider used to achieve the same effect as the slider described previously, Figure 18 shows a modified hinge in which the slider is of the conventional type, Figure 19 shows a modified hinge in which the slider is of the conventional type with an extra link added to control the geometry, and Figures 20 and 21, 22, 23, and 24 and 25 illustrate further forms of friction stay hinge in accordance with the invention.

In Figure 1 the hinge consists of a track 10 carrying a circular slider 11 which is slideable longitudinally of the track 10 and is also free to rotate in the track. One end of a top link 12 is rigidly connected to the slider 11 at 13, so that swinging movement of the link 12 is accompanied by rotation of the slider in the track. An adjustable stop 14 is provided on the track 10 and a fixed further stop 15 is provided at the lower end of the track. The construction and operation of the slider will be described in greater detail below.

Pivoted to the top link 12 at 16 is one end of a vent arm 17, which is adapted to be secured to the window vent. The other end of the vent arm 17 is pivotally connected, at 18, to a control arm 19, the opposite end of which is in turn pivotally connected at 20 to a fixed bracket 21.

In use the bracket 21 will be fixed to the window frame, as will the track 10, but it will be seen that the bracket 21, and hence the pivotal connection 20, is offset laterally with respect to the line of movement, downwardly along the track 10, of the connection 13 between the link 12 and the slider 11.

Also, the pivotal connection 16, between the link 12 and the vent arm 17, is offset laterally with respect to the line of movement of the connection 13, and this too improves the operation of the hinge since a given displacement of the vent arm, in the initial stages of opening, will then be accompanied by a greater angular rotation of the link 12. In the arrangement shown, the offsetting of the pivot 16 is equal to the offsetting of the pivot 20, so that all three pivots 16, 18 and 20 are in line, and parallel to the track 10. However, the advantage of offsetting the pivot 16 gives some improvement independently of the offsetting of the pivot 20. Accordingly, the offsetting of the pivot 16 may be greater or less than the offsetting of the pivot 20, and may also give advantage in hinges where the pivot 20 is not offset at all from the line of movement of the slider pivot 13.

An adjustment screw, to be described, is incorporated in the connection 13 to permit adjustment of the frictional restraint to both slider rotation and longitudinal movement relatively to the track.

The link 12 may be made from aluminium or stainless steel or other material, the thickness being from say, 2mm to 5mm depending on the weight of the window. The top link thickness may be increased at the expense of the track and slider thickness, or, if the window system allows, hinges greater than 13mm in overall thickness may be used. A thicker top link enables greater window weights and sizes to be carried, especially in the side-hung mode, than are conventionally able to be carried on the usual hinges with sliders.

The vent arm 17 is not subjected to great strain and therefore need only be 2mm or 2.5mm in thickness. The control arm 19 may range in thickness from 2-5mm depending on the weight of the window vent.

Because the pivotal connection 20 is offset with respect to the line of movement of the connection 13 along the track (i.e. is in front of said line of movement with respect to the general plane of the window) in the closed position of the window, the slider pivot axis lies behind the other pivots, and this reduces the amount of play in the hinge. All play can be eliminated by allowing the slider to come up against the stop 14, which can be adjusted. This then ensures that the window is held firmly against the weather sealing and allows for readjustment if wear occurs.

The construction of the slider is such that the initial movement of the top link 12, as the window is opened, is simply an angular rotational movement, the slider being prevented from sliding downwardly in the track 10. This is illustrated in Figure 2 where it is seen that the link 12 has begun to swing about the connection 13 and to push the window outwardly without the link moving downwardly because the slider cannot move along the track. The link 12 can move through 900 to the position shown in Figure 3 before any downward movement along the track occurs. When such downward movement occurs the slider, carrying the link 12, will move down to the position shown in Figure 4. In this position it will be seen that there is a very full opening of the window vent.

The limit of downward movement of the slider is set by the position of the fixed stop 15.

In Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 the friction hinge is shown connected between the fixed frame 22 of a window and the window vent or window light 23.

In Figure 5 the window is shown in its closed position with the vent arm 17 and control arm 19 in vertical alignment, and the top link 12 in a position in which the slider is not free to move along the track.

Figure 6 shows the initial opening and movement of the top link 12 and it is seen that the slider has not moved downwardly but has simply rotated with the link, and the vent 23 has begun to open outwardly. Figure 7 shows the 900 rotational movement of top link 12 and the position of the window vent 23 with the link 12 horizontal, and Figure 8 shows the position of the window vent 23 after the slider 11 has moved downwardly along the track 10 to its lowermost position in which it engages the stop 15.

Details of the adjustable stop 14 are shown in Figures 9 and 10. The stop 14 consists of a plate which is slideable from the position shown in firm line in Figure 9 to the position shown in dotted line in Figure 9.

As illustrated in Figure 10 the movement of this sliding stop is effected by an eccentric pivot 15 which may be rotated so as to move the stop from one position to the other or to any intermediate position.

As seen in Figures 11 to 15, the slider 11 is formed, between the inwardly turned flanges 31, 32 of the track, with a part 24 having flattened sides 25 and 26 and rounded ends 27 and 28. The rounded ends are adapted to engage in curved recesses 29, 30 in the flanges 31, 32 of the track. If there were no end adjustment in the closed position the recesses 29, 30 would be true arcs of a circle: in order to allow for this adjustment these arcs are elongated to the form shown.

The link 12 is rigidly attached to the slider 11 by a rivet 36 (Figure 11) and is located between raised portions 34, 35 on the slider, thereby ensuring that the slider rotates with the link 12 and maintaining the correct angular relationship between the link 12 and the shaped part 24 of the slider at all times. The portion of the slider within the track is formed with a triangular projection 33, the purpose of which will be described below.

The rivet 36 by which the top link 12 is attached to the slider is internally threaded and carries a screw 44 which bears down on the track 10 via a plastic pad. Adjustment of the screw serves to adjust the frictional restraint to both slider rotation and longitudinal movement relatively to the track.

As can be seen in Figures 13, 14 and 15 the slider 11 is prevented from sliding along the track during the initial angular movement of the link because the rounded portions 27, 28 of the part 24 engage in the corresponding recesses 29,30 in the flanges of the track.

Until the slider has been rotated to the position shown in Figure 15, the cross-dimension of the shaped part 24 of the slider is too large to enter the gap between the flanges 31, 32. When this position is reached the projecting triangular abutment 33 on the slider engages with a side wall of the track to prevent further rotation, and the flattened sides 25, 26 of the shaped part 24 of the slider are aligned with the gap between the flanges of the track, so that the slider is free to move along the track carrying the link 12 with it, as shown dotted at 11' in Figure 15.

Instead of the slider mechanism described above, a detent mechanism of the kind shown in Figures 16 and 17 may be used. A shuttle 38 is slideably received in a bore in the slider 11B, which, in this embodiment, is not rotatable in the track. The shuttle is longer than the height of the slider by an amount, in this example, equal to the thickness of the material used for the track. In the position where the window is closed, the shuttle seats in a hole 39 in the track 10B, and is held there by engagement of its opposite end by the link 12A, as seen in Figure 17. The shuttle therefore prevents the slider from moving along the track. The link 12A is, however, free to rotate until it reaches a stop on the slider (not shown).

During this initial rotation of the link, the shuttle is still prevented from lifting out of its seat by the link.

When the link reaches the limit of its rotation, by engaging the stop on the slider, a recess 37 in the link comes into register with the shuttle and allows the shuttle to rise out of engagement with the hole 39 in the track. As the window is further opened, therefore, the slider is moved along the track, since the rounded end of the shuttle causes it to be lifted out of the hole 39. No further rotation of the link is permitted until the window is closed and the slider is back in its original position and the link can then push the shuttle back into hole 39 and rotate back to fully close the window.

The friction inbuilt in the pivots can be reduced compared with existing two-link hinges because rotation alone occurs only at small angles. At the larger angles sliding friction is also in operation.

The technique of top link rotation followed by slider movement can be applied to many types of hinges other than that illustrated.

Although the invention, involving offsetting of the control arm pivot with respect to the line of movement of the slider pivot along the track, has been described in connection with a hinge having a special slider, hinges incorporating the invention do not necessarily have to have a slider which slides only after a predetermined angular rotation of the upper link. A conventional slider will suffice, although in this instance the geometry of the hinge cannot be so tightly controlled. Such a hinge is shown in Figure 18, where the slider 11A is of conventional form.

Figure 19 shows a hinge where the geometry can be strictly controlled using a conventional slider 11C.

To this end a further link 40 is pivoted to the slider 11C below the pivot of link 12, and the other end is pivoted to the control arm 19A intermediate its ends. The further link 40 is not a load bearing member and therefore its thickness may be of the order of lmm to 2mm. In the example shown the link 40 is cranked at 41 to accommodate the height difference between the top of the slider 11C and the underside of the control arm l9A. As the control arm rotates as the window is opened so link 40 pulls the slider downwards.

The embodiment shown in Figures 20 and 21 is generally similar in principle to the hinge shown in Figure 19, and like parts therefore bear like reference numerals. However, the arrangement differs from that last described in that the fixed bracket 21 includes means for adjusting the position of the pivotal connection 20. To this end, as best seen in Figure 21, the bracket 21 comprises a base plate 45 which is screwed to the fixed window frame, and a movable plate 46 is adjustably mounted on the fixed plate 45 and carries the pivotal connection 20 by which the control link 19A is connected to the bracket 21.

The movable plate 46 is capable of limited vertical movement relatively to the fixed plate 45 and is connected to it by a cam 48, shown in Figure 20. The cam 48 has a shank portion which passes through and is rotatable in the movable plate 46 and an eccentric shank portion which engages the fixed plate 45. Accordingly, rotation of the cam 48 effects vertical displacement of the plate 46 and thus vertical adjustment of the position of the pivotal connection 20. The ability to adjust the position of the pivotal connection 20 enables the hinge to be adjusted to provide for optimum sealing of the vent, this being particularly important in the case of a sidehung window.

Figure 22 shows an arrangement generally similar to that shown in Figure 18, but in this case the slider 11D is provided with an integral projecting block 49, the upper surface of which provides two inclined portions 50 which are so orientated as to retain the link at an upwardly inclined angle when the slider 11D is in the lowermost, fully open position of the vent. It will be seen that in this position the vent arm 17, and hence the vent itself extends substantially at right angles to the track 10 and hence to the fixed window frame.

In the arrangement of Figure 23 the positions of the bracket 21 and track 10 of the hinge of Figure 24 have, in effect, been interchanged. Thus, in the hinge of Figure 23 the upper link 12 and further link 40 are pivotally connected to the fixed bracket 21 whereas the lower end of the link 19A is pivotally connected to the slider 11C in the track 10. Thus, in this arrangement the upper link 12 becomes the aforementioned "control arm" which is connected to the bracket, and the link l9A becomes the "link" which is connected to the slider.

It will be appreciated that, as the vent is opened, the relative movement between the bracket 21 and the slider 11C is essentially the same as in the hinge of Figure 19, so that the geometry of the links passes through the same conditions at the same rate as the window is opened. However, since the pivotal connections at the ends of the links 12 and 40 do not move downwardly with respect of the fixed window frame as the vent is opened, the overall downward movement of the vent relatively to the fixed window frame is less.

In all of the arrangements described above the bracket to which the control arm pivot is connected is separately formed from the track and is separately mounted on the fixed window frame. This allows adjustment of the relative positions of the track and bracket both longitudinally and laterally, and this may be of advantage in achieving optimum operation of the window. However, it also leaves open the possibility, due to unskilled installation, of the bracket and track being incorrectly located with respect to one another. In cases where the relative positions of the track and the pivotal connection to the bracket can be predetermined, therefore, it may be advantageous to form the bracket and track as parts of a single unit which may be mounted on the fixed window frame in one piece. Such an arrangement is shown in Figures 24 and 25.

Referring to Figures 24 and 25, it will be seen that the bracket 21, to which the link 19 is pivotally connected at 20, is connected to the lower end of the track 10 so as to form a single unit therewith. In the arrangement shown the bracket 21 is separately formed from the track 10 and is secured thereto by a rivet 49.

However, it will be appreciated that the bracket 21 could be integrally formed with the track 10, both items being shaped from the same piece of metal, or could be welded or staked to the track.

As may be seen from Figure 25, which illustrates the hinge in the closed position, the pivotal connection 20 between the link 19 and the bracket 21 is offset with respect to the downward line of movement 50 of the pivotal connection 13 between the upper link 12 and the slider 11.

In the arrangement shown, as in all the previously described arrangements according to the invention, the pivotal connections 20, 18 and 16 are all in line, and offset from the path of movement 50 of the pivotal connection 13, in the closed position of the hinge.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 24 and 25, in order to achieve a compact design, the offsetting of the pivotal connections 20, 18 and 16 with respect to the line of movement 50 is less than is the case in the previously described arrangements where the bracket 21 is separately formed from the track 10. As a result, the geometry is less effective in bringing the hinge positively into the closed position, and retaining it in that position, although it is still an improvement on the known, non-offset arrangements. To assist in bringing the elements of the hinge positively to the closed position the track may be provided with a conventional end cap 51 which co-operates with a pointed end portion 52 on the upper end of the bar 17. The functioning of such end cap and end portion is well known in the art and will not therefore be described in detail.

Claims

1. A hinge comprising a track adapted to be fitted to a window frame, and a vent arm adapted to be fitted to the window vent, the track being connected to the vent arm by a link pivoted at one end to the vent arm, the other end of the link being connected to a slider which is slideable along the track, and the vent arm being connected to a bracket, also adapted to be fitted to the window frame, by a control arm pivoted at one end to the vent arm, the other end of the control arm being connected to the bracket by a pivotal connection which is offset laterally with respect to the line of movement, along the track, of the connection between the link and the slider.

2. A hinge according to Claim 1, wherein the bracket formed separately from the track and is adapted to be fitted to the window frame separately from the track.

3. A hinge according to Claim 1, where the bracket is integral with the track so as to form therewith a single unit for fitting to the window frame.

4. A hinge according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein a further link is pivotally connected at one end to the slider, and at the opposite end to the control arm at a location intermediate its connections to the vent arm and bracket.

5. A hinge according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein a further link is pivotally connected at one end to the bracket, and at the opposite end to the first said link at a location intermediate its connections to the vent arm and slider.

6. A hinge according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein means are provided for adjusting, relatively to the track, the location of the pivotal connection between the control arm and the bracket.

7. A hinge according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein a stop is provided to limit the movement of the slider along the track towards the closed position.

8. A hinge according to Claim 7, wherein means are provided to permit adjustment of the position of the stop longitudinally of the track.

9. A hinge according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein locking means are provided to restrain longitudinal movement of the slider along the track from a limiting position thereon until the first said link has reached a predetermined angular displacement relatively to the track, whereafter the slider is free to move along the track.

10. A hinge according to Claim 9, wherein there is rotatable with the first said link a part having a major cross-dimension and a minor cross-dimension, the track having a guideway of a width between said major and minor cross-dimensions whereby said part is restrained from moving along the guideway until rotation of the link brings the minor cross-dimension of the part into register with the guideway.

11. A hinge according to Claim 10, wherein the slider is fixedly attached to the first said link, and rotates bodily relatively to the track, said part being a part of the slider.

12. ' A hinge according to Claim 9, wherein there is mounted on the slider a displaceable element which is engageable with abutment means on the track when the slider is in said limiting position thereon, so as to prevent movement of the slider along the track, angular movement of the first said link relatively to the slider, to a predetermined extent, being arranged to allow displacement of said element from engagement with the abutment means, thereby to permit movement of the slider along the track.

13. A hinge according to any of the preceeding claims wherein, in the closed position of the hinge, the pivotal connection between said other end of the control arm and the bracket is in line with the pivotal connections between the vent arm and the first said link and control arm respectively, the line connecting said pivotal connections being offset from the aforesaid line of movement, along the track, of the connection between the first said link and the slider.

14. A hinge comprising a track adapted to be fitted to a fixed window frame, a vent arm adapted to be fitted to the movable window vent, a slider slideable along the track, a link pivotally connected at one end to the slider and at its other end to the vent arm, and a control arm pivotally connected at one end to the track, or a part adapted to be fixed in relation thereto, and at its other end to the vent arm, the arrangement being such that the vent arm is movable between a closed position where it extends substantially parallel to the track and an open position where it extends at an angle to the track, such movement being accompanied by movement of the slider along the track, the pivotal connections being so located that, in the closed position of the hinge, the pivotal connection between the link and the vent arm is offset laterally with respect to the line of movement, along the track, of the pivotal connection between the link and the slider.