GB2214230A

GB2214230A - Window stays

Info

Publication number: GB2214230A
Application number: GB8730177A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Melvin Hutton
Original assignee: Cego Ltd
Current assignee: Cego Ltd
Priority date: 1987-12-24
Filing date: 1987-12-24
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Also published as: GB8730177D0; GB2214230B

Abstract

A window stay has a track (2), defining a channel (4) and an offset part (6), a slider (18) received in the channel and having a projecting portion (22) to which links (24, 26) are pivotally mounted, a bar (32) mounted to the window and a strut (34), the bar, links and strut being pivotally interconnected. A riser pad (54) is fitted on the upper surface of the track defining the channel and, in the stay mounted to the cill of the window, serves to lift the cill so that the bar seats in its correct position. A stop member (16) projects over the offset part of the track in the same plane as the projecting portion of the slider to limit the motion of the slider. The projecting stop member also supports the strut as it closes and carries part of the weight of the window in the stay mounted to the head of the window. <IMAGE>

Description

WINDOW STAYS The present invention relates to window stays and, more particularly, to friction window stays of the four bar linkage type.

A four bar friction linkage window stay is described in U.S.-A-2 784 459 (Anderberg). This type of stay comprises a slider which is moveable along a channel of an elongate track which is fixed to the window frame.

Two links each have one end pivotally mounted to the slider. The other end of one link is pivotally connected to a bar which is fixed to the frame of the openable window vent. A strut is pivotally mounted to the track and is also pivotally connected to the other end of the other link and to an intermediate point on the bar. In the closed position of the window the bar overlies the track channel with the links and strut inbetween the track and the bar. The end of the track is normally provided with a cap member into which the end of the bar seats in the closed position of the stay.

A modification of this type of window stay is described in GB-A-2 182 387. Such a stay is in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. In this stay, the bar lies parallel to and to one side of the track channel in the closed position. The strut is pivotally mounted to the track to one side of the channel at one end, and the cap member to receive one end of the bar is also mounted laterally offset from the channel. This arrangement allows for a more rigid construction so that the stay can support windows of a greater weight, since the thickness of the strut and link members may be increased without increasing the overall depth of the stay.

A pair of stays in accordance with the construction described in GB-A-2 182 387 are mounted along the upper and lower edges of the window in order to allow the window to pivot about a vertical axis. Using a conventional four bar linkage stay, most of the weight of the window is carried by the lower stay and the upper stay acts mainly as a guide. Problems may also be encountered in ensuring that the end of the bar of the upper stay seats correctly in its cap member as the window is closed, since the weight of the window represents a considerable downward force on the bar.

In order to overcome these technical problems, the present invention provides two solutions which may be used separately or in combination.

In one aspect the stay is characterised in that an elongate riser pad is fixed to the outer surface of the track channel, said pad having a surface inclined upwardly away from the offset part transversely to the elongate direction of the track.

When the window vent is being closed, a forward portion of the under surface of the window can engage with the riser pad of the lower stay to tend to lift the window vent as it moves across the inclined surface ensuring that the bars of both stays correctly seat alongside the track channel. Such a riser pad is effective when provided on the stay mounted at the cill of a side-pivoting window. However, in order to allow an identical pair of stays to be used when the window is to be pivoted about its right or left side, both stays are preferably provided with the riser pad. However, the riser pad on the stay which is mounted at the head of the window can be rendered ineffective if the edge of the window is recessed at the portion which would engage with the surface of the riser pad.In practice the whole edge of the window may be recessed and a bridge member provided only on the lower edge of the window to engage with the riser pad and effect lifting of the window as it closes into the frame.

In a second aspect of the invention, a stop member is provided projecting from the channel and overlying the offset part of the track so as to define a recess in which the strut is received in the closed position of the stay, the stop member being in the same plane as the projecting portion of the slider so that the stop limits the motion of the slider in a direction towards the end of the stay to which the strut is pivotally mounted.

As well as providing the function of a stop, such a stop member also serves to guide and support the strut during its opening and closing motion. In the stay mounted at the head of a side pivoting window, the engagement of the strut with the edge of the stop member tends to lift the weight of the window ensuring that the parts reach a correct relative orientation in the closed position.

Preferably the stop member is an elongate common member which extends from the required limit position of the slider to the end of the track to serve also as a mounting member for the end of the strut which is pivotally mounted between the offset part of the track and the common member. Such a common member provides greater support for the weight of the window as it is being opened or closed and further ensures proper guidance of the parts of the linkage into their correct relative orientations as the stay is closed.

The cap member for the stay may be any of those described in GB-A-2 182 387. Alternatively, the cap member may incorporate a recess defined on the inner side by an upstanding edge and on the outer side by means of a pivotally mounted pawl which, during entry of the end of the bar into the cap member pivots such that in the final closed position the outer edge of the pawl presses against an inclined edge of the end of the bar, the pawl being held in this engaged position by interaction between the tip end of the bar and the inner edge of the pawl. Such a cap member is described and claimed in more detail in our co-pending application No.

873011G , (ref P30540GB) A window stay embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the stay; Figure 2 is a section on the line A-A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line B-B of Figure 1 showing the riser pad; Figure 4 is a section on the line C-C of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section on the line D-D of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through a closed, side-pivoting window showing a pair of stays in section.

Figure 1 illustrates one of a pair of stays which are required for mounting a window vent in a window frame.

The other stay of the pair is an exact mirror image of the stay illustrated. Therefore, only one stay of the pair will be described. These stays are primarily intended for mounting relatively large and therefore heavy side-pivoting windows. For this purpose they are mounted between the window frame and the openable vent at the head and cill of the window. The stays can, of course, also be used for horizontally pivoting windows.

The stay comprises a track 2 which defines a channel 4 and a projecting portion 6 offset from this channel.

The track is formed as a stainless steel rolling with a constant cross-sectional profile throughout its length as can be seen from Figures 2 to 5. The channel is a laterally open T-shaped channel. The offset part 6 is provided with two longitudinally extending ridges 8, 10 which increase the strength of this part and its resistance to bending. Upper and lower surfaces of the T-shaped channel may be held together by means of fixing screws or rivets which are used to secure various parts such as a cap member 12 to one end of the stay, a mounting member 14 at the other end of the stay and a stop member 16 at an intermediate position nearer the other end. Where screws are used, these may pass through the lower surface of the channel and further serve to fix the channel into the head or cill of the window frame.The part 6 of the track which is offset from the channel is also offset from the lower surface of the channel in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the track so that it lies substantially in the same plane as the part of the channel profile which defines the lower edge of the head of the T-shape.

A slider 18 has a guide portion 20 and a projecting portion 22. The guide portion 20 has a T-shape corresponding to the section of the channel 4 in the track. The head of the T securely prevents the slider being pulled laterally out of the track and allows the slider to move easily in the longitudinal direction of the track. The projecting portion 22 overlies the offset part 6 of the track and is offset in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis so that a recess is defined between the lower surface of the projecting portion and the upper surface of the offset part of the track. Two links 24, 26 are pivotally mounted by means of rivets 30, as shown in Figure 3. A washer 28 is placed intermediate the adjacent surfaces of the projecting portion 22 and the end of the link to facilitate a smooth pivoting action.

As in a conventional four-bar friction linkage, the upper link 24 is pivotally connected to one end of a bar 32 which is fixed to an edge of an openable window vent by means of screws passing through fixing holes 33. The bar has a tapered end 40. The other link 26 has its other end pivotally connected to an intermediate point on a strut 34. One end of the strut 34 is connected to the track by means of the mounting member 14, and the other end of the strut is pivotally connected to an intermediate point on the bar 32. The bar 32 is stepped at a position adjacent the end to which the link 24 is connected. The strut 34 is also stepped at an intermediate position below the intermediate point at which the link 26 is connected.These stepped portions allow the four-bar friction linkage stay to be closed up into a position in which the links 24, 26 lie adjacent the offset part 6 of the track with the strut 34 having its lower portion lying against the offset part of the track and its upper portion beyond the stepped position 38 lying above the link 26. The bar 32 overlies the offset part above the links and strut in this closed position with its end 40 received in a recess 42 in the cap member 12.

The mounting member 14 can conveniently have the same profile as the slider 18. This facilitates the manufacturing process as the slider and mounting member may be cut from the same metal extrusion. The stop member 16, to be described in more detail later is also preferably of the same profile. As shown in Figure 5, the mounting member 14 is fixed in the channel of the track by means of a fixing screw (not shown) received in hole 44. The end of the strut 34 is received in the recess between the projecting portion of the mounting member and the offset part of the track and is secured in position by means of a screw 46. A washer 48 is positioned intermediate the facing surfaces of the strut and mounting portion to facilitate a smooth pivoting motion of the strut.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the stop member 16 is separate from the mounting member 14. However, these two members may be combined into a single common member which extends from the desired stop position to the end of the track. The stop member or the combined stop and mounting member is of the same profile as the slider with a portion which engages in the T-shape channel and a projecting portion which lies in the same plane as the projecting portion of the slider so that when the slider has reached the limit of its motion, the edge of the projecting portion of the slider abuts against the edge of the projecting portion of the stop member. The position of the stop member determines the amount by which the window can open and may be set at a variable position depending upon the application of the stay.As shown in Figure 4, the stop member 16 is secured to the track by means of a fixing screw (not shown) which passes through hole 50.

As shown in Figure 2 the cap member 12 is secured to the track at one end by means of a fixing screw (not shown) received in hole 51 defined through the track and in a projecting tongue which is received in the channel and is of a corresponding T-shaped profile. The cap member defines the recess 42 in which the end 40 of the bar seats in the closed position of the stay. One cam surface of this recess is preferably defined by the inner surface of a pivotally mounted pawl 52. Such a cap member and its method of operation is described in detail in our co-pending application No. 8790ss.7.a....

(ref: P30450GB). Therefore this cap member will not be described further here.

A riser pad 54 is fitted to the upper surface of the portion of the track which defines the track channel.

As illustrated in Figure 1, this riser pad extends from adjacent the cap member 12 to just beyond the stop member 16. In one embodiment the edge 56 (Figure 6) of this upper surface is upturned in order to define a channel in which the base of the riser pad can seat inbetween this upturned edge and the edge of the upper surface which is bent upwardly in order to define the head of the T-shaped channel. The riser pad 54 may extend the entire length of the track or one over a portion of that length adjacent the cap member. The riser pad is made of a smooth plastics material such as nylon and defines a surface which is inclined transverse to the elongate direction of the stay with its greatest height adjacent the head of the T-shaped member. The inclined surface preferably has a convex shape as shown.

The function of the riser pad is to engage with a bridge member 60 (Figure 6) which is provided at a forward portion of the undersurface of the cill of the window vent inwardly of the position at which the bar 32 is fixed to the window vent. The section shown in Figure 6 is along a line of the slider corresponding to B-B in Figure 1 and shows the stay in the closed position. The engagement of the forward edge of the window followed by the bridge member with the riser pad ensures that the window vent is lifted together with the bar so that the bar passes smoothly over the projecting portion 22 of the slider and the end 40 of the bar seats correctly in the cap member.This lifting motion prevents the weight of the window causing the bar to impinge on the projecting portion of the slider during the closing motion thereby preventing easy closure and requiring the person closing the window to exert a lifting force himself. In the stay intended to be mounted at the head of the window, the riser pad may be removed or the bridge member in the edge of the window can simply not be provided so that the riser pad on the upper stay does not tend to push the window downwardly during closure.

At the head of the window, the provision of the projecting portion of the stop member provides support and guidance for the strut as the window is closed. The rounded edge of the projecting portion ensures that the strut is raised over the projecting portion into its correct position in the recess between this projecting portion and the offset part of the track. This function of the stop member is facilitated if it is combined with the mounting member and therefore extends over a greater length of the track. In this way the member provides support for the strut 34 for a longer time during opening and closing of the window vent.

Claims

1. A window stay comprising an elongate track defining a channel and an offset part, a slider having a guide portion disposed in and movable along the track channel, and a projecting portion overlying the offset part of the track, first and second links each having one end pivotably mounted to said projecting portion of the slider, a bar for mounting to the frame of an openable window vent, the other end of the first link being pivotally mounted adjacent one end of said bar, a retaining cap member mounted to one end of the track, said one end of the bar being shaped to be retained by said cap member, and a strut having one end pivotally mounted to the other end of said track, the other end of said strut being pivotally mounted to an intermediate point on the bar, and the other end of said second link being pivotally mounted to an intermediate point on said strut, characterised in that an enlongate riser pad is fixed to the outer surface of the track channel, said pad having. a surface inclined upwardly away from the offset part transversely to the elongate direction of the track.

2. A stay according to claim 1, characterised in that the riser pad extends only over a portion of the length of the track adjacent the end to which the cap member is mounted.

3. A window stay comprising an elongate track defining a channel and an offset part, a slider having a guide portion disposed in and movable along the track channel, and a projecting portion overlying the offset part of the track, first and second links each having one end pivotably mounted to said projecting portion of the slider, a bar for mounting to the frame of an openable window vent, the other end of the first link being pivotally mounted adjacent one end of said bar, a retaining cap member mounted to one end of the track, said one end of the bar being shaped to be retained by said cap member, and a strut having one end pivotally mounted to the other end of said track, the other end of said strut being pivotally mounted to an intermediate point on the bar, and the other end of said second link being pivotally mounted to an intermediate point on said strut, characterised in that a stop member is provided projecting from the channel and overlying the offset part of the track so as to define a recess in which the strut is received in the closed position of the stay, the stop member being in the same plane as the projecting portion of the slider.

4. A stay according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a stop member is provided projecting from the channel and overlying the offset part of the track in the same plane as the projecting portion of the slider.

5. A stay according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the profile of the stop member and of the slider is substantially identical.

6. A stay as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the strut is mounted to the track by means of a mounting member, which has the same profile as the slider and/or stop member, the strut being mounted between a projecting portion of the mounting member and the offset part of the track.

7. A stay according to claim 6, wherein the stop member and the mounting member are a common member extending from the other end of the stay to the required stop position.

8. A window stay substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.