GB2260564A

GB2260564A - A restricting device

Info

Publication number: GB2260564A
Application number: GB9122107A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ben John Emerson; John Mayes; Andrew Colin Deane
Original assignee: Securistyle Ltd
Current assignee: Securistyle Ltd
Priority date: 1991-10-17
Filing date: 1991-10-17
Publication date: 1993-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-17
Also published as: GB2279104A; GB2260564B; GB2279104B; GB9122107D0; GB9417207D0

Abstract

A restricting device for a closure including a vent 1 hingedly connected to a frame 3, the restricting device comprising a retractable latch 5 of predetermined length for mounting on one of the vent 1 and the frame 3 and a releasable receiving means 9 for mounting on the other of the vent 1 and the frame 3, the releasable receiving means 9 being adapted to accept and hold an end 13 of the retractable latch 5, wherein the closure is closed, the releasable receiving means 9 automatically accepts and hold the end 13 of the retractable latch 5, such that the closure can only be opened a predetermined distance, and wherein when the retractable latch 5 is released from the releasable receiving means 9, the latch 5 is retracted into a stored position and the closure is free to open fully. Such a device is particularly neat and compact when in its stored position, but provides an effective restricting facility and is automatically re-setting. <IMAGE>

Description

A RESTRICTING DEVICE This invention relates to restricting devices, and in particular to a restricting device for a closure including a vent hingedly connected to a frame.

Closures, such as doors and windows, often include a vent hingedly connected to a frame. In certain applications, it is desirable to restrict the opening of the vent, possibly for safety reasons. If the opening of a closure is restricted, however, it is also usually necessary to be able to overcome the restriction, thereby allowing the closure to be opened fully. Restricting devices which meet this requirement are known.

Prior art restricting devices tend to include struts or chains of predetermined length fixed to the frame of a closure and adapted to engage the vent of the closure. To overcome the restriction provided by the device, it is necessary to disengage the strut or chain from the vent.

When this is done, however, the strut or chain cannot be readily hidden and remains obtrusive and unsightly. This is clearly not desirable and, accordingly, the present invention aims to overcome this problem.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides a restricting device for a closure including a vent hingedly connected to a frame, the restricting device comprising a retractable latch of predetermined length for mounting on one of the vent and the frame and a releasable receiving means for mounting on the other of the vent and the frame, the releasable receiving means being adapted to accept and hold an end of the retractable latch, wherein when the closure is closed, the releasable receiving means automatically accepts and holds the end of the retractable latch, such that the closure can only be opened a predetermined distance, and wherein when the retractable latch is released from the releasable receiving means, the latch is retracted into a stored position and the closure is free to open fully.By including a retractable latch, the overall appearance of the closure (when not being restricted) is not at all unsightly and is, therefore, a marked improvement over known prior art devices.

Preferably the restricting device includes a longitudinal housing for accommodating the retractable latch in its stored position. Alternatively, a cylindrical housing may be used to store the retractable latch in spiral form. In either event, the housing is preferably adapted to be accommodated within a hollow extrusion of the vent or frame.

If a housing is included, the housing preferably includes guide means for controlling engagement of the retractable latch with the releasable receiving means to align the vent in the frame, thereby making the inclusion of riser blocks unnecessary. Opposing tapered bearing surfaces on the housing and releasable receiving means respectively may be suitable as the guide means; any other appropriate form of guide means could equally well be used.

The retractable latch is preferably biased into its stored position by means of a spring. More preferably, a damper is included to control retraction of the retractable latch.

The retractable latch is preferably flexible. The latch may be a cable or a cord and may be manufactured from a number of different materials, such as woven nylon, spring steel or any other suitable material. The retractable latch is, however, preferably provided with a surface that can be readily cleaned.

The retractable latch preferably includes a conical end piece for engagement with the releasable receiving means.

Other shapes of end piece could equally well be used, depending upon the nature of the releasable receiving means and its facility for receiving and holding the end piece.

The releasable receiving means is preferably continuously biased into a holding position for holding the retractable latch. More preferably, the releasable receiving means includes finger pads which, when squeezed together, open jaws of the releasable receiving means to release the retractable latch. A push-button release system, a key-release system or a slide-release system, could also be used.

Preferably the releasable receiving means includes a child-proof facility. More preferably, the releasable receiving means includes a lock to prevent unwanted release of the retractable latch. By including a lock, the closure can be left partially open (in its restricted position) and an intruder cannot force the closure further open. With this in mind, the retractable latch will of necessity be made of a very tough material. Furthermore, for additional strength, two or more restricting devices according to the present invention could be used with a single closure.

The releasable receiving means may include screw holes to facilitate mounting of the receiving means on a frame or vent of a closure. More preferably the releasable receiving means includes a height adjuster to facilitate mounting of the receiving means. The height adjuster may comprise a pair of opposed wedges which can be moved together or apart to adjust the height of the releasable receiving means.

The retractable latch may have a length which enables the closure to be opened approximately 10 centimetres when restricted. Clearly, the opening of the closure can be restricted to any desired distance, simply by using a retractable latch having an appropriate length. In this regard, the housing may be formed in two parts to allow the effective length of the retractable latch to be varied, simply by adjusting the relative positions of the two parts.

If this is the case, a single restricting device according to the present invention can be used to restrict a vent to a desired opening angle simply by choosing the appropriate mounting positions of its component parts.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, a restricting device according to the present invention can be used with many different types of closure, such as windows or doors. If the restricting device is used with a door, the retractable latch can be strongly biased into its storage position, thereby urging the door towards its closed position when the latch is engaged in the releasable receiving means. Alternatively, if the retractable latch is not biased so strongly into its stored position, the opening of the door will simply be restricted and the door will not be urged shut at all times.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a height adjuster for a keep or the like, comprising a pair of opposed wedges for supporting a keep, each wedge having an enlarged aperture therethrough for accommodating a fixing device acting between the keep and a support, wherein, in use, the wedges are movable towards and away from each other to adjust the height of the keep before being held in a desired position when the fixing devices are tightened down. As will be appreciated, a height adjuster of this kind is suitable for use with many different devices, including the restricting device described herein, to facilitate mounting and positioning of the device on a vent, frame or the like.

A specific embodiment of the present invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a closure including a restricting device according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a retractable latch and associated housing of the restricting device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a releasable receiving means as shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view in the direction A-A of the releasable receiving means of Figure 3.

With reference to the drawings, a closure, such as a door or window, comprises a vent 1 hingedly connected to a fixed frame 3 at a join (not shown) between the vent 1 and the frame 3. A restricting device according to the present invention comprises a retractable latch 5 and a housing 15 therefor, mounted on the vent 1, and a releasable receiving means 9 mounted on the fixed frame 3.

The retractable latch 5, shown in this particular embodiment, comprises a flexible woven nylon cord 11 and a locating pin 13.

In its stored position, the retractable latch 5 is urged into the housing 15 by means of a constant force spring 17. The speed at which the retractable latch 5 is retracted into the housing 15 is dictated by a friction device/stop 19, mounted on the retractable latch 5, which interacts with the housing 15. The stopping action of the friction device/stop 19 occurs when the device 19 abuts an end 16 of a first part 15a of the housing 15. When the device 19 is in this position, the retractable latch 5 is in its maximum extended position and the tension in the cord 11 is transferred by the device 19 to the end 16, rather than to the spring 17.

The housing 15 is formed in two parts 15a, 15b, shown abutting in Figure 2. If the effective length of the retractable latch 5 needs to be shortened, this can be achieved simply by fixing the parts 15a, 15b in spaced relation on the vent 1. The result of this is that the friction device/stop 19 abuts the end 16 of the housing part 15a more quickly, thereby allowing less of the cord 11 to exit from housing part 15b.

Although a longitudinal housing part 15a is shown in figure 2 of the drawings, any other suitable housing part could equally well be used. For example, the housing part could be cylindrical, such that the retractable latch 5 is stored spirally in the housing part 15a (as in a tape measure or the like). Furthermore, the complete housing 15, although shown exposed on the end of the vent 1 in figure 1, could be accommodated within a hollow channel within the frame of the vent 1.

The releasable receiving means 9, as shown in figures 3 and 4, comprises a body 20, which can be attached to the fixed frame 3 by means of screws (not shown) through screw holes 22. A pair of wedges 21, situated beneath the body 20 and including enlarged screw holes 23 for receiving the screws (not shown) which attach the body 20 to the fixed frame 3, are movable towards and away from each other during fitting of the receiving means 9 to adjust the height of the receiving means 9. When the screws are tightened down, the wedges 21 are held firmly in posiiton and the body 20 is situated at the desired height for interaction with the retractable latch 5 mounted on the vent 1. The receiving means 9 further comprises a pair of push-buttons 24 on opposite sides of the body 20 which, when squeezed together, open jaws 25 to release the locating pin 13 of the retractable latch 5.The jaws 25 are, however, continuously biased into their closed, gripping positions by virtue of springs 26 acting between the body 20 and the push-buttons 24.

Although push-buttons 24 are shown in figures 3 and 4, other forms of release mechanism could also be used. For example, a single button, or a slide release, may also be suitable. In any event, the releasable receiving means ideally includes a child-proof feature to prevent the restricting device being released accidentally. Of course, to avoid this problem altogether, the releasable receiving means 9 includes a lock (not shown) which requires a key to unlock. The inclusion of a lock obviously increases the security of the closure against intruders.

As can be seen from the drawings, the housing 15 includes a pair of angled surfaces 27 which, as the vent 1 is closed towards the fixed frame 3, engage corresponding opposed surfaces 29 on the releasable receiving means 9.

The cooperation between these surfaces 27, 29 helps to centralise the vent 1 within the fixed frame 3 as the vent 1 closes, thereby making the inclusion of the riser blocks (which are often used, especially with large vents) obsolete.

When the vent 1 is fully closed, the locating pin 13 of the retractable latch 5 is situated between the jaws 25 of the receiving means 9. More particularly, as the vent 1 closes, a conical end 31 of the locating pin 13 forces the jaws 25 open, which then shut again behind a shoulder 33 of the locating pin 13. The locating pin 13 is then gripped by the jaws 25.

When the vent 1 is opened from its closed position, the cord 11 is withdrawn from the housing 15 due to the locating pin 13 being gripped by the receiving means 9. When the full effective length of the cord 11 (which is predetermined by the length of the cord 11 itself and the mounting of the housing parts 15a, 15b (as mentioned above) to dictate the restricted opening angle of the vent 1) is withdrawn from the housing 15, the vent 1 cannot be opened any further unless the push-buttons 24 are squeezed together to open the jaws 25 of the receiving means 9. If this action is taken, the locating pin 13 is released and the cord 11 is retracted into the housing 15 by virtue of the constant force spring 17. The speed at which the cord 11 is retracted is dictated by the friction between the damper 19 and an inside surface of the housing 15.Hence, when the restricting device is no longer active, the cord 11 and locating pin 13 are neatly stored in the housing 15, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance of the restricting device as a whole. Indeed, if the housing 15 is positioned within a hollow part of the vent 1, the only readily visible part of the device is the receiving means 9 mounted on the fixed frame 3.

When the restricting device has been released, the vent 1 is free to open fully. However, as soon as the vent 1 is again closed against the fixed frame 3, the locating pin 13 is gripped by the jaws 25 of the receiving means 9.

Thus, an automatic re-setting of the restricting device is effected.

Of course, it will be appreciated that the locating pin 13 can be manually entered into the jaws 25 of the receiving means 9. By following this course of action, it is not necessary to close the vent 1 in order to activate the restricting facility.

If the restricting device is applied to a door or the like, a strong constant force spring 17 could be included which would result in the door being continuously urged closed. The restricting device would then only be released when it is desired that the door be allowed to remain open.

Other applications of a restricting device according to the present invention can, of course, also be envisaged.

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and that modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A restricting device for a closure including a vent hingedly connected to a frame, the restricting device comprising a retractable latch of predetermined length for mounting on one of the vent and the frame and a releasable receiving means for mounting on the other of the vent and the frame, the releasable receiving means being adapted to accept and hold an end of the retractable latch, wherein when the closure is closed, the releasable receiving means automatically accepts and holds the end of the retractable latch, such that the closure can only be opened a predetermined distance, and wherein when the retractable latch is released from the releasable receiving means, the latch is retracted into a stored position and the closure is free to open fully.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a longitudinal housing for accommodating the retractable latch in its stored position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical housing for accommodating the retractable latch in spiral form in its stored position.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the housing is adapted to be accommodated within a hollow extrusion of a vent.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the housing includes guide means for controlling engagement of the retractable latch with the releasable receiving means.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the housing is formed as two parts such that the effective length of the retractable latch is determined by appropriate positioning of the two parts.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the retractable latch is biased into its stored position by means of a spring.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a damper is included to control retraction of the retractable latch.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the retractable latch comprises a flexible cable.

10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the retractable latch includes a conical end piece for engagement with the releasable receiving means.

11. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the releasable receiving means is continuously biased into a holding position for holding the retractable latch.

12. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the releasable receiving means includes finger pads which, when squeezed together, open jaws of the releasable receiving means to release the retractable latch.

13. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the releasable receiving means includes screw holes to facilitate mounting of the receiving means on a frame of a closure.

14. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the releasable receiving means includes a height adjuster to facilitate mounting of the receiving means.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the height adjuster comprises a pair of opposed wedges.

16. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the retractable latch has a length which enables the closure to be opened approximately 10 centimetres when restricted.

17. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the releasable receiving means includes a child-proof facility.

18. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the releasable receiving means includes a lock to prevent unwanted release of the retractable latch.

19. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, which is adapted for use with a window, a door or the like.

20. A restricting device for a closure including a vent hingedly connected to a frame, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

21. A height adjuster for a keep or the like, comprising a pair of opposed wedges for supporting a keep, each wedge having an enlarged aperture therethrough for accommodating a fixing device acting between the keep and a support, wherein, in use, the wedges are movable towards and away from each other to adjust the height of the keep before being held in a desired position when the fixing devices are tightened down.

22. A height adjuster substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.