GB2303664A - Security closure for doors and windows - Google Patents

Abstract

A security closure comprising a panel member 1 of perforated sheet metal and foldable to provide peripheral side elements 7, 9 having one or more support members 11, 13, 59 extending laterally to the rear of the panel member and receiving slidably one or more anchor elements 29, 73. Mutually cooperable abutment means 25, 67, 69 are provided between the anchor element and the support member and operable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel. The support members may be fixed or releasably securable with respect to the panel member. Preferably the support member and anchor element are C-shaped channel sections formed from sheet material. Retention means engage the anchor elements to secure the security closure in position.

Description

TITLE: Security closure for windows and the like DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a security closure, especially for a window but not exclusively so.

Several security closures have been proposed for securing window and/or door openings of void properties to prevent unauthorised access. An early basic proposal was to cut sheets of plywood to fit within the reveals and simply nail them to the window framework. A more sophisticated proposal is to use bolts which are accessed internally when the panels have to be removed.

Timber can be penetrated or otherwise damaged and therefore attention has been directed to more robust materials and various steel frameworks have been proposed and suitable panels, be they steel, perforated or otherwise, or other panel members which are more resistant to attack. In order to simplify manufacture proposals have tended to concentrate on a standardised design which fits to the outside of the building completely covering the window opening so that the framework does not have to be purpose-designed to fit within the reveals. However, because the edges of such a closure are open to attack the barriers have to be made of a robust construction to resist bending around the edges thereby gaining access to any concealed fixing system.This has resulted in the constructions becoming very heavy and this, in turn, presents problems with fitting the barriers as more than one person may be required to lift the barrier into position. This is a particular problem with window openings above ground floor level.

Accordingly, the present invention is aimed at providing a lighter weight security closure which aims to solve the above problems. Another aim of the invention is to provide an alternative fixing system for a security closure.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides a security closure for a window, door or other access opening, said closure comprising a panel member having a front face and a rear face, one or more support members extending laterally with respect to the security closure and disposed to the rear of the panel member, at least one anchor block cooperable slidably with a support member for lateral movement, the support member and anchor block being provided with mutually cooperable abutment means operable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said panel.

Preferably, the support member is an elongate member which extends laterally across substantially the entire width of the panel member. Alternatively there may be a plurality of discrete support members.

Preferably the or each support member is secured to the panel member, either at intervals (say be spot welding), or continuously.

In one embodiment, side elements of the screen provide support surfaces for the support member. More preferably, the support members carry securing means for locating them with respect to the screen. A particulary convenient securing means comprises a respective threaded element providing cooperating engagement between a side element of the screen and a part of the support member. Conveniently the securing means is captively engaged with the support member and receivable in a reception location of the screen for loading the support member with respect thereto.

In one embodiment, the support member comprises a generally C-shaped channel section member open to the rear and the anchor block is slidably received within the channel section. The support member and/or the anchor block may be formed from sheet metal folded into a C-section. Side elements of the screen are conveniently provided with respective flange portions providing a support surface for the support members. In another embodiment the support member comprises a pair of divergent sides which may be formed as a channel member, box section or as separate limbs. The sides diverge towards the ends furthest from the rear face of the panel member. More preferably, the divergent sides have respective abutments and preferably a plurality of abutments extending along the length of each side and at spaced intervals.The abutments face towards the rear face of the panel member and are conveniently formed by carrying out a pressing operation on the material of the sides which cut through the material to form a slot.

The respective slots will receive hook-like ends of the anchor member. The anchor member is conveniently formed from sheet steel bent into a general U-shape (having two interconnected limbs) and with inwardly and rearwardly directed hooks formed at the free end of each limb.

Cooperation of the hook-like ends with the abutments provides a positive anchor between the support member and the anchor member, for example when subject to a clamping force directed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the screen. When the anchor member is slid beyond the abutment means it can be released from the support member by movement in the perpendicular direction.

All the components are preferably made from sheet material folded into shape.

The screen may be purpose-made to fit into a window opening in close proximity with the reveals, or to fit over the reveal.

Preferably the screen comprises a perforated panel member formed of sheet material and having its edges folded back at right angles to the plane of the screen and then folded inwards to define a reinforced edge region. This results in a lighter construction than the heavy frames of prior art security closures.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a security closure for closing a window or door opening or other access opening comprising a closure member and one or more elongate members secured with respect to the closure member and extending laterally across the closure member, and one or more anchor elements which are slidable with respect to the elongate member, the anchor member comprising a pair of interconnected limbs whose ends have a hook-like formation which are engageable with a respective abutment of the elongate member.

There may be a plurality of discrete elongate members each having one or more pairs of abutments and disposed over the rear surface of the panel member.

Preferably the elongate member extends substantially the entire width of the panel. Preferably, there are two or more abutments disposed at spaced intervals along the length of the elongate member. Preferably the anchor elements are releasably engageable but with the elongate member.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings; in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a screen according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing further details of the embodiment of FIgure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of screen according to another embodiment of the invention, Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing further details of the embodiment of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a cross-section diagram of a security closure according to another embodiment of the invention, Figure 6 is a perspective diagram of a support member as used in the embodiment of Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a perspective diagram of an anchor block as used in the embodiment of Figure 5.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, a security closure according to the present invention comprises a screen 1 serving as said member and formed from a sheet of steel having a plurality of perforations 2. The developed shape has peripheral tab portions which are subsequently bent along first and second fold lines inset from the peripheral edges to form a substantially U-shaped rim to each edge of the panel. The edges 3, 5, 7, 9 are secured together at adjacent corners by welding to form a lightweight but strong square or rectangular panel, as the case may be, and usually with an the appropriate dimension to fit either over or into the reveals of the opening to be secured.According to the first embodiment two elongate support members 11, 13 each comprising a channel which is folded from sheet steel material are secured to the panel member (conveniently by welding) on the inside thereof to extend laterally across the screen.

The sides 15, 17 are slotted by punching in such a way as to provide downwardly depending abutments 25.

The abutments are formed in complimentary pairs, ie.

one to each side 15, 17 of the support member and in the illustrated embodiment there are two pairs of abutments disposed spaced apart along the support member. There may be a plurality of pairs of abutments, with the number being determined by the size of the screen.

Usually each pair of abutments will have associated with it a respective anchor member 29 which is formed from a strip of steel and has a base 31, two generally parallel limbs 33 extending at substantially 900 from the base and having at their ends a respective inwardly and rearwardly directed hook 35 formed by folding back an end portion of said limbs. The limbs have some lateral resilience which allows them to be sprung onto the support member conveniently at a position offset from the abutments whereupon they are movable slidably along the support member to place the hooked ends in perpendicular alignment with the slots for engagement with the abutments. The base carries a screw connection 37 - conveniently by way of a threaded nut, to receive a securing strap, eye bolt or other fixing, not further illustrated.

In use, a screen is placed into the window opening on the outside of the building and a suitable fixing bolt or strap connected with the anchor element is passed through the opening and secured internally to retaining members (not illustrated) spanning across the opening. Conveniently strapping is employed with a ratchet fixing system but other arrangements could be provided. The slot allows slidable positioning of the anchor element to best suit the position where the fixing can pass through the opening, for example where the fixing has to pass through an opening light of the window.

Referring now to Figure 2 and 3, the screen construction corresponds with that of Figure 1 save for the variation in the design of the support member and the associated anchor block. Here each support member comprises an elongate member 59 conveniently formed as a C-shaped channel section welded to the rear face of the screen. The channel section has a base 61 welded to the screen, two rearwardly extending limbs 63, 65 and a respective inturned flange 67, 69 defining a slot 71 running along the length of the support member. An anchor element 73 is received slidably within the channel section and is retained by the flanges 67, 69.

The anchor block is threaded to receive the limbs of an eye bolt 75 to connect a fixing strap, wire, bolt or otherwise to the anchor element, for example, in the manner described for the embodiment of Figure 1.

The screen is fitted in the same manner as that described with respect to the first embodiment.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show an alternative embodiment in which a screen 81 is formed by a first pair of opposite side elements 83, 85 formed by folding sheet metal into the illustrated sectional configuration, preferably a second pair of corresponding opposite side elements at 900 to the first (not illustrated), and an infill panel 86. The infill panel is formed from sheet steel and is apertured for lightness and to admit light and is conveniently welded to the side elements. The side elements provide a wall engaging surface 87 and at least temporary support surfaces 91 for one or more support members 89. Usually two support members are provided per screen. Flanges 93 of the side element have a plurality of spaced holes to receive the end of a securing element, for example, a self-tapping screw or bolt 95, of the support members.

The support member 89 is formed by folding sheet material into a C-section elongate bar and has two angle brackets 99 secured thereto, conveniently by welding to the free edge portions 101 of the C-section. The brackets are positioned to lie adjacent the side elements as will be apparent from Figure 5. Preferably the bracket carries a captive nut or nut-sert 103 to receive bolt 95.

Received slidably within each support member 89 are one or more anchor elements 105. Anchor elements 105 are made from sheet steel which is folded into a Csection and the base element 107 carries a captive nut or nut-sert 109. In use the base 107 abuts the inside of edge portions 101 whereby a securing force for the screen applied to the anchor elements by way of say a bolt secured to the nut-sert 109 is transferred to the support member 89 and thence to the screen by way of support surfaces 91.

It will be noted from Figure 5 that the side elements have a rearward edge portion 111 which is disposed in close proximity to the support member 89.

This serves to resists deformation of the screen.

In fitting a screen over a window opening, the installer decides the best location for the support members 89, introduces them into the gap formed between the support surface 91 and the edge portion 111 (the length of the support member is chosen so that when angled it will pass between the flanges 91), and then screws out the bolts 95 so that they enter holes in the flanges 93. This serves to locate the support members against accidental dislodgement. The captive anchor elements 105 are fitted with an eye bolt to receive a retaining strap or bar whose other end cooperates with a retaining bar disposed spanning the inner side of the opening to which the security closure is being fitted.

Claims (12)

1. A security closure for a window, door or other access opening, said closure comprising a panel member having a front face and a rear face, one or more support members extending laterally with respect to the security closure and disposed to the rear panel members, at least one anchor element cooperable slidably with a support member for lateral movement, the support member and anchor block being provided with mutually cooperable abutment means operable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel.

2. A security closure as claimed in claim 1, in which the support member is an elongate member which extends laterally across substantially the entire width of the panel member.

3. A security closure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the support member comprises a generally Cshaped channel section open to the rear and the anchor element is slidably received within the channel section.

4. A security closure as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the anchor element is a generally C-shaped channel section.

5. A security closure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the panel member has peripheral side elements formed by folding sheet material, and at least two oppositely disposed side elements provide a supporting surface for said support member.

6. A security closure as claimed in claims 5, in which the support elements are releasably cooperable with said support surface.

7. A security closure as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which the support members carry location means which are releasably cooperable with the side elements for selective partitioning of the support members.

8. A security closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the support members are fixedly secured with respect to the panel member.

9. A security closure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the anchor element is releasable from the support member.

10. A security closure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the support member comprises a pair of divergent sides which diverge towards the ends furthest from the rear face of the panel member and said sides have a plurality of abutments extending along the length of each side and at spaced intervals to receive hook-like ends of the anchor element.

11. A security closure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the support member and the anchor members are formed from sheet material.

12. A security closure constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings of Figures 1 and 2 or 3 and 4, or 5, 6 and 7.