GB2311320A

GB2311320A - Decorative horns for sliding and pivoting sash window.

Info

Publication number: GB2311320A
Application number: GB9605693A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Andrew Gill
Original assignee: Rehau Ltd
Current assignee: Rehau Ltd
Priority date: 1996-03-19
Filing date: 1996-03-19
Publication date: 1997-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-19
Also published as: GB2311320B; GB9605693D0

Abstract

A sliding and pivoting sash window having an exterior frame 1 and at least one sash 4 slidably mounted within it, comprises separately formed horns 13 extending below or above the vertical frame members 5, that slide with the sash but remain separate from said vertical frame members, during pivoting of the sash. As shown, the sash 4 can pivot for maintenance, cleaning etc., about a pair of pivot rods 8 which are mounted in respective slider members 11. The sash is equipped with a pair of horns 13 which are each slidably mounted on a respective horn carrier member 14 which itself is slidably mounted in the exterior frame 1. The pivot rods 8 pass through the respective horn carrier members, so that they slide with the sash 4. The horn 13 is sprung biased towards the sash, but is capable of moving away from the sash to give clearance for the aforesaid pivoting movement.

Description

"WINDOW FRAMES" This invention relates to window frames and in particular to sash window frames.

A sash window frame generally comprises a rectangular exterior frame within which are fitted a number, usually two, of sub-frames each carrying a sheet of glass or a doubled glazing unit. At least one of such sub-frames, and often both, are vertically slidable to allow the window to be opened for ventilation.

The movable sub-frames are often fitted with small projections, known as homs, top and bottom which have the practical purpose of acting as buffers, limiting frame movement, and have also over the years become a traditional decorative feature of such windows.

In recent years the traditional material for sash windows wood - has started to be replaced by more modern materials, particularly light metals such as aluminium, and plastics material such as PVC. Both these materials can be readily extruded to form the elongate frame components for such windows. One feature of modern design of sash windows is the ability to tilt the sub-frames to enable easy access for window cleaning and repair. Such tilting is generally achieved by pivoting the sub-frame, usually near the bottom, about an axis parallel to the bottom of the sub-frame and approximately in the plane of the sub-frame. By this means, the sub-frame is able to pivot inwards, but not outwards because it is constrained by an exterior flange which guides the sliding movement of the sub-frame when in use.

The desire to enable the sub-frame(s) to pivot in the manner described above is frustrated if it is desired also to fit horns because such horns, extending as they do for a significant distance on the other side of the pivot axis from the sub-frame itself, act as a barrier to tilting because the horns abut against the aforesaid exterior flange.

In the present invention, this problem is overcome by providing that the horn is not fixedly attached to its sub-frame, as in the traditional construction, but is mounted with respect to its sub-frame in such a way that: 1) In normal sliding movement of the sub-frame, the horn travels with the sub-frame and is butted against the sub-frame to give the appearance that the horn is integral with the sub-frame; and 2) When the sub-frame is pivoted out of its normal plane of sliding movement, the horn will retain its orientation and the horn and the sub-frame will tend to move apart.

In order to achieve the above, there is provided a horn carrier member which is mounted for sliding movement in said window frame, said horn carrier member having means for mechanically linking it to the subframe for sliding movement therewith, and means for supporting said horn for sliding movement with respect to said horn carrier member. Preferably means are provided for biasing said horn against the sub-frame so that it appears as if the horn forms a part of the sub-frame. The biasing means may, for example, take the form of a spring acting between the horn and the horn carrier member.

In an embodiment, said mechanical linking member takes the form of an aperture in the horn carrier member which is fitted over a protrusion on the sub-frame. Conveniently, this protrusion may be the sub-frame pivot rod itself. In a normal arrangement, two such pivot rods are provided, each emerging from a respective vertical side member of the sub-frame at or near the bottom thereof. Each pivot rod enters a respective slide member which is slidably located in the outer frame. The pivot rods are able to rotate, at least to a limited extent, within their respective slide members to thus enable the sub-frame to be pivoted with respect to the slide members and hence the outer frame. The pivoting arrangement, including the use of the aforesaid slide members is known technology and will not therefore be described in detail.

In order that the invention may be better understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of part of a sash window; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the horn support member of the invention, and associated horn, seen from the front and above; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but taken from the rear and above; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the horn support member of the invention, and associated horn, seen from the rear and above.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 there is shown a part of a sash window frame comprising an exterior frame on vertically sliding sashes mounted within it. The window frame comprises a rectangular frame of two vertical and two horizontal members. Each of these members is made up of an elongate extrusion of plastics material, such as PVC. One of the vertical members is illustrated in Figure 1 under reference 1, from which the shape of the cross section can be clearly seen.

The exact cross-sectional shape of the frame member 1 will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but all will define two rebates or slots or equivalent which guide the normal sliding movement of the sashes.

In Figure 1 just the corner of a single, outer, sash is shown. The sash comprises a rectangular sub-frame 4 made up of four straight members: two vertical and two horizontal. One of the bottom corners is illustrated, joining a vertical member 5 and a bottom horizontal member 6. Once again, the exact cross-sectional shape of the sub-frame members will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but all will define a rebate or slot 7 for a glazing unit, usually a double-glazed unit (not shown).

Attached at each bottom corner of the sub-frame 4 is a pivot rod 8, usually of metal such as brass. The pivot rod 8 is parallel to the bottom member 6 of the sub-frame 4 and lies in the general plane of the sub-frame 4. The exact method of fixing the rod 8 varies according to the particular shape of the sections involved, but one effective and strong method of fixing is to attach an L-shaped bracket 9 of metal or strong plastics material to the outside bottom corner of the sub-frame 4. The bracket is attached by gluing, screwing or riveting into a shallow groove or slot formed in the members 5,6 so that it does not protrude from the subframe. The rod 8 is located in a slot (not visible) formed in this bracket and protrudes in a direction towards the vertical outer frame member 1. It will be understood that both left and right-hand bottom corners of the subframe 4 will be equipped with such pivot rods to enable the sub-frame to be pivoted, usually inwards, for cleaning and maintenance. The rods at each corner enter a respective slot 10 formed in the vertical member 1. The slot 10 opens into the face against which the subframe slides and extends inwards from that face. Sliding within the slot 10 is a slide member 11 which rotatably carries the end of the pivot rod 8 to enable the aforesaid pivoting movement of the sub-frame 4 relative to the outer frame.

Attached to the slide member 11 is some form of sash cord arrangement 12 which controls the sliding movement of the sashes, as is well known.

Figure 1 also shows under reference 13 the horn, the attachment of which forms the subject of the present invention. Details of the horn and its attachment are shown additionally in Figures 2 to 4. The horn is made from a material, usually light metal or plastics material which is visually compatible with the sub-frame 4. The horn is hollow and has an exterior shape which mimics the traditional shape of a horn on a wooden sash window, although other shapes, traditional or otherwise, are of course possible.

The horn 13 is mounted for sliding movement on a horn carrier member 14 which is itself slidably mounted in a sub-compartment 15 of the slot 10 in the vertical member 1 of the outer frame. The slide member 11, which supports the sub-frame, via the pivot rods 8, also slides in the slot 10, but in a different compartment thereof. The carrier member 14 is equipped with a hole 16 through which the rod 8 passes, as will be clear from Figure 1, thus effectively linking the slide member 11 and carrier member 14 together for sliding movement along the slot 10.

Referring now particularly to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the back surface of the horn 13 is equipped with a ridge 17 7 which extends in the vertical direction. The ridge is equipped with a slot 18 having a closed upper end in which is located a coil spring 19. The outer longitudinal edges of the ridge 17 are each provided with a slot or rebate 20. The carrier member 14 is a generally planar member of generally rectangular shape having a width, in the horizontal direction, to suit the internal width of facing sub-compartments 15 in slot 10 to enable sliding movement therein in the manner described above. The outwardly facing surface of the carrier member 14 - that is, that surface facing the horn - is equipped with a series of hook-like projections 21 which together constitute a longitudinal vertical slot in which the ridge 17 of the horn 13 may slide as indicated by the arrow A in Figure 4. The projections 21 in the carrier member 14 enter the slots 20 in the ridge 17 and thus retain the ridge, and hence the horn, against the carrier member.

Also formed on the same face of the carrier member 14 is a further projection 22 which acts to locate the bottom end of the spring 19.

The spring 19 thus acts between this projection 22 and the closed upper end of the slot 18 in the ridge 17.

The arrangement is such that, with the sash in its normal position, shown in Figure 1, the horn 13 is pushed upwards by the pressure of spring 19 relative to the carrier member 14. Since the carrier member 14 is mechanically linked to the sub-frame 4 by the hole 16 and rod 8, the effect of the spring is to push the top of the horn 13 firmly against the underside of the horizontal sub-frame member 6. Thus, provided that the width of the horn 13 and that of the bottom horizontal member 6 match up, the appearance will be of an "integral" unit. However, when the subframe is pivoted about the rods 8, the horn 13 will be able to move downwards, relative to the carrier member 14, to accommodate the bottom front edge 23 of the sub-frame 4 as the latter is tilted inwards. During this movement, the horn 13 does not attempt to tilt with the sub-frame, but merely slides downwards, retaining the orientation illustrated in Figure 1, to allow the sub-frame to tilt.

The carrier member 14 is equipped with a T-shaped handle 24 which extends in a downwards direction. The handle 24 assists fitting by providing a lever which allows the fitter to compress the spring 19 by pushing the carrier member 14 upwards. This gives the required room to insert the sash. Once assembly is completed, the handle 24 can be removed by twisting it off and discarding it, leaving the flush fitting carrier member unseen behind the frame rebate.

Claims

1. A window frame comprising an exterior frame and a subframe movable within the exterior frame and carrying a glazing material, said sub-frame being equipped with at least one pair of horns extending for a short distance vertically below and/or above the sub-frame, said horns being movably mounted with respect to said sub-frame in such a way that: 1) In normal sliding movement of the sub-frame, the horn travels with the sub-frame and is butted against the sub-frame to give the appearance that the horn is integral with the sub-frame; and 2) When the sub-frame is pivoted out of its normal plane of sliding movement, the horn will retain its orientation and the horn and the sub-frame will tend to move apart.

2. A window frame as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sub-frame is slidably movable in the approximate plane of the exterior frame and is also pivotaily movable with respect to the exterior frame.

3. A window frame as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a horn carrier member for each horn, each horn carrier member having means for mechanically linking it to the sub-frame for sliding movement therewith, and means for supporting the respective horn for sliding movement with respect to said horn carrier member.

4. A window frame as claimed in either one of claims 2 or 3 wherein means are provided for biasing said horn against the sub-frame so that it appears as if the horn forms a part of the sub-frame.

5. A window frame as claimed in claims 3 and 4 wherein said biasing means takes the form of a spring acting between the horn and the horn carrier member.

6. A window frame as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein said mechanical linking means comprises an aperture in each horn carrier member which is fitted over a respective protrusion on the sub frame.

7. A window frame as claimed in claim 6 wherein said protrusions take the form of respective coaxial pivot rods about which the sub-frame pivots, as aforesaid.

8. A window frame as claimed in claim 7 wherein each of said pivot rods is pivotably supported in an aperture formed in a respective slide member which is slidably located in the exterior frame.