GB2337552A

GB2337552A - Spigot and socket closure arrangement for windows and doors

Info

Publication number: GB2337552A
Application number: GB9913948A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giovanni Maria Laporta
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-05-09
Filing date: 1996-12-03
Publication date: 1999-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2016-12-03
Also published as: GB9625127D0; GB2312914A; GB9913943D0; GB9913948D0; GB2337550B; GB2337551B; GB9913942D0; GB2337550A; GB2337551A; GB2337552B; GB2312914B

Abstract

A window assembly comprises a movable frame 14 coupled to a fixed frame 12 to allow the moveable frame 14 to be swung open and closed. A male unit 40 and a female unit 42 are arranged one on the rear edge of the movable frame 14 and the other on the corresponding edge of the fixed frame 12 to allow them to cooperate as the window is opened and closed. The male and female units 40,42 are mounted intermediate the ends of the edge of the frame. The male unit 40 comprises a base 54 from which projects a spigot 46 which is provided with a reinforcing region 74 which provides lateral support for the spigot. There are provided many further options to the arrangement.

Description

2337552 WROVEMENTS RELATINQ TQ WINDOWS AND DOORS is The present invention

relates to windows and doors, in particular to windows and doors which can be swung open and closed. The invention is particularly suitable for windows with frames made of u-PVC plastics (commonly used in double glazing systems), but it is not limited exclusively to this.

Usually, concealed sliding stay hinges, referred to herein as friction hinges, are used in window assemblies instead of butt hinges. Friction hinges have advantages in that they are not externally visible when the window is closed, they obviate the need for a separate window stay, and they spread the weight of the window over a relatively large area of the frame part fixed to the wall.

Friction hinges are mounted usually on the two opposite sides of a window which are perpendicular to the hinge axis. In other words, for a window which swings open and closed about a generally upright axis, the friction hinges are mounted along the top and bottom sides of the window. Similarly, for a window which swings about a generally horizontal axis, the friction hinges are mounted along the vertical sides of the window.

Compressible elastomeric sealing strips are fitted to either the movable part of the window frame, or to the fixed part of the window frame, or to both parts, to provide a weather-tight seal when the window is closed. However, we have appreciated that problems can arise with friction hinges in ensuring that the movable frame part is pulled firmly against the fixed frame part to compress the elastomeric strip(s) into sealing engagement around the entire periphery of the frame. The problem is most apparent at the "rear" edge of the window opposite the lock or catch. If the elastomeric strip is not compressed properly to form a seal, draughts may result and, in extreme case, rainwater may leak through the seal particularly when the window is of a type which hinges upward about a horizontal upper axis (see Fig. 1).

Although modern windows are often supplied as pre-assembled units which have been quality tested prior to fitting, distortions can still occur, particularly in the fixed frame when it is secured in position in a window opening, and potentially reducing the integrity of the seal when the window is closed. Large windows are particularly 1 1 1 vulnerable to imperfect sealing between the movable and fixed frame parts.

The ffiction hinges also represent a weakness in the window assembly. A typical conventional friction hinge is illustrated in Fig. 14. This includes a fixed member 120, and a lightweight pivoting member 122 coupled to the fixed member by an arrangement of lightweight stays 124. A slider 126 slides in a channel of the fixed member 120. The pivoting member 122 carries a nose 128 at its upper end which locks in a recess 130 at the upper end of the fixed member 120 to positively locate the pivoting member 122 when in the closed position.

However, the nose 128 necessitates a compound vertical, pivoting and horizontal action of the hinge. To accomplish this, a relatively large number and complicated arrangement of the stays 124 is required, which increases the cost of the hinge.

Moreover, the large number of pivot points 132 makes the hinge vulnerable to wear.

Particularly in the final closed position, in which the nose 128 becomes levered into the recess 130, the hinge is under considerable internal stress, and this is in addition to the weight of the window being supported.

The sealing characteristics of the window are attributed substantially to the nose 128 locking into the recess to hold the frames together when in the closed position. If the hinge is fitted incorrectly, or becomes slack due to wear, then seal will be impaired.

The lightweight material normally used also makes the hinge suitable only for supporting windows up to a quite modest size. The hinges are unsuitable for security applications, or for supporting heavy doors or shutters.

The present invention has been devised bearing these problems in mind.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a window or door assembly comprising a leaf coupled by hinge means to a frame to allow the leaf to be swung open and closed, a 2 is male unit and a female aperture unit arranged one a rear edge of the leaf and the other on a corresponding edge of the frame such that the male unit co-operates with the female unit as the leaf approaches a fully closed position, the male unit comprising a base, a spigot projecting from the base, and a reinforcing region between the spigot and the base 5 to provide lateral support for the support.

Such an arrangement can improve the lateral strength of the fixing of the male member to the frame in the channel, and reduce the stress applied to the channel if, for example, a person tries to lever open the window or door.

Such a system can also ensure reliable positioning of even large frames on closing, and avoid the occurrence of gaps between the movable and fixed frames. Preferably, the engagement means fimction to draw the frames into scaling engagement with each other, for example, by compressing one or more elastomeric sealing strips carried on the frames. Preferably, the engagement means additionally, or alternatively, functions to improve the security of the window frame by preventing the frame from being levered open.

Preferably, at least one of the male and female units comprises a tapered engagement surface. In the preferred embodiment, the male part comprises a pin with a tapered tip, and the female part comprises a tapered mouth.

For example, the male part may have a rounded, tapered or chamfered tip.

Additionally, or alternatively, the female part may, for example, have a tapered surface around its mouth.

Preferably, the male unit is in the form of a spigot.

Preferably, the female unit is in the form of a socket.

Preferably, the spigot has a tip at the end of a shank or trunk, the tip having a 3 1 rounded or tapered profile on a first side for guiding entry of the spigot into the socket aperture, and a blocking surface or profile on the opposite side for obstructing withdrawal of the spigot if skew in the socket. - Such an arrangement can improve security. For example, if a window frame typically of PVC-U plastics is levered, the frames will tend of twist, and this might normally risk withdrawal of the male part (spigot) from the female part (socket). However, by providing a blocking surface as above, such withdrawal can be prevented, or at least obstructed, if the male spigot is skew in the female socket.

The blocking surface may be formed by a generally flat, or generally square profile on, for example, the tip of the spigot. The flat surface may extend substantially along the length of the shank of the spigot. In a preferred embodiment, the shank generally has a D-shaped cross section profile. However, other cross sectional shapes may also be employed such as polygonal, square, etc. The rounded profile of at least one side of the tip can guide entry of the spigot into the socket regardless of the cross sectional shape.

Preferably, the socket has a taper or ramp on an interior surface to progressively guide the spigot laterally as the spigot advances into the socket. Such an arrangement can provide improved compression of, for example, a window assembly as the window is moved to its fully closed position.

In a preferred embodiment, the taper is on a generally rounded, or arcuate, part of the interior surface.

A blocking surface may also be formed diametrically opposite the tapered surface, to block or obstruct withdrawal of the male spigot from the socket if skew at a predetermined angle.

4 1 Preferably, the spigot is mounted in a channel of a fi-ame part of the assembly, and means are provided for coupling the male member to a reinforced region of the frame part to provide additional support.

In a preferred embodiment, the coupling means comprises a support plate which overlaps the base of the male member, and a reinforced part of the frame. Also, in a preferred embodiment the reinforcement is provided by a reinforcing member received within the fi-ame.

Preferably, one or both of the male member and the female member has one or more slotted screw holes to allow adjustment of the position of the member once the position of the screws is determined, and means on the member for gripping or biting into the surface of the window or door assembly when the screws are tightened, to prevent the member from sliding on said surface.

In the preferred embodiment, the means for gripping or biting comprises one or more spikes which project rearwardly from a face part of the member.

In a related aspect, the invention provides a kit of male and female units means for use in an assembly as aforesaid, the units being securable to a said rear edge of a leaf and to a said corresponding edge of a frame.

In a flu-ther related aspect, the invention provides a spigot member for use in conjunction with a socket in a window or door assembly as aforesaid, the spigot member comprising a base, a spigot projecting therefrom and reinforcing region extending between the spigot and the base to provide lateral support for the spigot.

Embodiments of the inventions are now described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a window in its open position; 5 frame; embodiment; Fig. 2 is a schematic section through the window fi-ame along the line X- X in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic section through the.window frame as it approaches its closed condition; Fig. 4 is a schematic section through the window frame in its fully closed condition; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the male frame locating piece of the present invention in isolation; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the female frame locating piece of the present 10 invention in isolation; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of male member on a Fig. 8 is a front view of the male member of Fig. 7 in isolation; Fig. 9 is a front view of the support plate in isolation; Figs. 10 and 11 are schematic views showing the operation of the second Fig. 12 is a front view of the socket of the second embodiment in isolation; Fig. 13 is a side view of a simple hinge; and Fig. 14 is a side view of a conventional compression friction hinge.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate a window 10 consisting of a conventional fixed frame 12, and a conventional movable frame 14 holding a pair of double glazing panels 16. The frames are made of extruded u-PVC plastics and are joined by a pair of sliding stay "friction" hinges 18. The friction hinges 18 are secured along the opposite left and right sides of the frames, such that the window can be swung open and closed about 6 a generally horizontal upper axis.

Referring to Figs. 2-4, the fixed frame 12 is hollow, with a generally inverted-L shaped profile. The movable frame 14 is also hollow, with a generally inverted-T shaped profile. The glazing panels 16 are secured to the movable frame 14 by conventional glazing strips which are well known to the skilled man and so are not shown or described here.

An elastomeric scaling strip 20 is fitted to a portion 22 of the fixed frame 12 for sealing against a surface 24 of the movable frame 14 when the window is closed. The sealing strip 20 is hollow so that it is easily compressible, and is secured in place by a continuous elastomeric lug 26 received in a groove 28 of the frame portion 22. A similar elastomeric sealing strip 30 is also fitted to a portion 32 of the movable frame 14 for sealing against a corresponding surface 34 of the fixed frame 12 when the window is closed.

A male locating member 40 is secured to the movable frame 14 to face a female locating member 42 secured to the fixed frame 12. Referring to Fig. 5, the male locating member 40 consists of a generally rectangular solid base 44 from which projects an integrally formed solid pin 46. The pin 46 is circular in section with a chamfered surface 48 at its tip 50. The base 44 is dimensioned to fit within a so called "Euro-groove" 52 of the movable frame 14, and has laterally projecting lips 54 which sit in corresponding recesses 56 at the mouth of the Euro-groove 52. The base 44 is fastened in position by screws (not shown) received in counter-sunk bores 58 extending through the base 44.

Referring to Fig. 6, the female locating member 42 consists of a closed hollow well 60 which depends integrally from a face plate 62. The mouth of the well 60 has a outwardly tapered surface 64. The face plate 62 is fastened in position on the fixed frame 12 by screws received in countersunk openings 66.

As best seen in Fig. 2, when the window is open, the movable frame 14 at the top of the window is moved down and away from the fixed frame 12 by the action of the friction hinges 18. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, as the window is closed, the movable frame 14 approaches the fixed frame 12 such that the tip 50 of the pin 46 enters the mouth of the well 60. The chamfered surface 48 of the tip 50 bears against 7 the tapered mouth surface 64 of the well 60, thereby pulling the movable frame 14 in the direction of the arrow 68 as the window is moved to its fully closed position. The progressive engagement of the pin 46 and the well 60 ensures that the frames 12 and 14 are pulled together sufficiently firmly to compress the elastomeric sealing strips 20 and 32 against the opposite sealing surfaces 24 and 34, respectively, to achieve a reliable seal. The progressive engagement also serves to correct any minor mis-alignment of the pin 46 relative to the well 60, thereby ensuring correct engagement each time the window is closed.

The arrangement of the pin 46 and the well 60 also aids window security by preventing the frames from being forced apart along that edge by a burglar using, for example, a crowbar or other lever.

In this embodiment, the locating members 40 and 42 are made of metal, for example, brass or steel, sufficiently strong to bear the engagement forces when the window is closed, and to withstand the wear of repeated engagement. Alternatively, the locating members could be made of other strong material, such as strong plastics material.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment described above provides a simple yet effective means for ensuring that a reliable seal is formed when the window is closed, and improves the security of the window. The male and female members can be fitted during installation of the window structure, or easily retrofitted to existing window frames.

In this embodiment, the pin 46 is of about 1cm in diameter, and about 2. 5cm in length. The well 60 has an internal diameter of about 1. 1cm, to leave a total radial clearance of lmm when the pin 46 is inserted in the well 60. Such a clearance is sufficient to ensure that the pin 46 is not fouled (for example, if slightly misaligned) on entry into the well 60, but also ensures accurate positioning of the pin 46 relative to the well 60.

Although the male member 40 described above is integrally formed, the pin 46 could be separate from the base 42 and be attached to the base by, for example, a screw thread. Alternatively, the base 42 could be omitted, and the pin 46 attached directly to the frame 14. Instead of a closed well 60, the female member 42 could 8 1 1 1 simply comprise an open tube depending from the face plate, or alternatively merely the face plate 62 with an opening therein for receiving the pin 46.

Figs. 7-12 illustrate a modified embodiment of a male member 70 and female member 72. These function in the same manner as that described above, but include additional features to improve the security of the window frame.

Firstly, to improve the strength of the male member 70, a pair of reinforcing webs 74 extend between the base 44 and the pin 46 on either side of the pin. The webs are formed integrally with the pin 46 and base 58, and buttress the pin 46 to enable the pin to withstand extremely high levering forces without risk of shearing from the base 44.

Secondly, a support plate 76 is fastened in front of the base 44 and around the pin 46. The support plate 76 has a cut-out 78 to permit the plate to be fitted over the pin 46 and, in this embodiment, the cut-out 78 is shaped to match the general profile of the pin 46 and webs 74. Counter sunk screw holes 80 are formed in the support plate 76 in register with the holes 58 in the base 44, and the securing screws (not shown) pass through the support plate 76, through the base 44 and into the frame.

The support plate 76 extends laterally on the frame to overlap a reinforced region of the frame which, in this embodiment, is provided by an internal reinforcing member 82 received in a central region of the frame. Such reinforcing members 82 are often used in U-PVC plastics frames to provide additional strength and are normally made of steel. The region of the support plate 76 overlapping the reinforcing member 82 is provided with screw holes 84 for receiving screws, shown schematically at 86, which are sufficiently long to screw into the reinforcing member 82. However, even if the reinforcing member 82 is omitted, the central region of the frame alone can provide useful additional support as described below.

The purpose of the support plate 76 is to provide additional support to the male member 70 to prevent excess bending of the Euro-groove 88 in which the base 44 of the male member 70 is received. It will be appreciated that, without the support plate 76, any lateral force exerted on the male member 70 (for example if an attempt is made to lever the window open) is bourn by the base of the Euro-groove channel 88 into which the securing screws are screwed, and an external side wall 90 of the Euro9 groove 88. Under extreme conditions, the side wall 90 will flex and may deform sufficiently for the male member 70 to slip out of the female member 72. However, the provision of the support plate 76 transfers this load to the reinforcing member 82 (or to the reinforcing central region of the frame), which alleviates overloading of the plastics material on the external wall of the Euro-groove 88.

As best seen in the Figs. 10 and 11, the socket or well 60 of the female member 72 is formed with an inwardly tapered interior surface 92 in addition to the tapered or chamfered mouth 64. In this embodiment, the interior taper extends from the mouth to the rear wall 94 of the well 60, although the taper could be omitted, or shortened, if desired. The purpose of the interior tapered surface 92 is to provide additional progressive compression of the frames as the pin 46 moves further into the well 60. This can further improve compression of the elastomeric sealing surfaces of the frames, to achieve an excellent weatherproof seal.

As best seen in Fig. 12, in this embodiment, the screw holes 66 of the face place 62 of the female member are formed as slots extending in the transverse direction. These slots allow lateral adjustment of the female member 72 on the frame when the securing screws are loosened. This provides two distinct advantages. Firstly, it is not necessary to have to drill the screw holes in the frame with high positional accuracy, because the female member 72 can be adjusted laterally to provide the correct engagement with the male member 70 to achieve compression on closing Thus the drilling of the holes is far less critical, and can be carried out much more rapidly by a workman or engineer. Furthermore, the adjustability of the female member 72 means that it can even be retrofitted by a non-skilled person, for example, a DIY enthusiast.

The second advantage is that the position of the female member 72 can be adjusted to compensate for ageing of the window and frame. For example, if the frame has warped slightly with age, or if the hinges have slackened, such that a greater degree of compression is required to achieve a weather-tight seal, then it will be a simple matter to adjust the position of the female member 72 to achieve increased compression.

As best seen in Figs. 10-12, a number of gripper spikes 96 project rearwardly from the rear face of the face plate 62 of the female member 72. In this embodiment, the spikes are located in each corner of the face plate adjacent to the elongate screw holes 66, and adjacent to the well 60. In use, when the securing screws are tightened to press the face plate 62 against the surface of the frame, the spikes 96 penetrate the plastics material of the frame to securely anchor the female member 72 in position. Without these spikes 96, there may be a tendency for the elongate screw holes 66 to allow the female member 72 to slip laterally under the high forces experienced when the pin 46 enters the well 60. Such slippage may occur despite the securing screws being tight. However, the provision of the anchoring spikes 96 can prevent such slippage. It will be appreciated that other forms of gripping means, such as sharp edges or teeth, may be used to grip or bite into the plastics material when the securing screws for the female member 72 are tightened.

Referring to Figs. 7-8 and 10-11, the tip 50 of the pin 46 of the male member 70 is formed with a generally square profile on one side. In this embodiment, the square profile is achieved by the pin 46 being is flattened on one side, so that the pin has a flat surface 98 running substantially the length of the pin. As best seen in Fig. 8, the pin 46 thus has a D-shaped cross section. Similarly, as best seen in Fig. 12, the interior surface of the well 60 is formed with a complementary flat surface 100 which is diametrically opposite the interior tapered surface 92.

Referring to Fig. 10, the well 60 is dimensioned such that, in use, when the pin 46 is received within the well 60, the flat surface 98 of the pin 46 is adjacent, but slightly spaced from, the flat surface 100 of the well 60. Therefore, the flat surfaces 98 and 100 do not hinder entry of the pin 46 into the well 60. Although the pin 46 may initially enter the mouth of the well 60 at a skew angle, the larger interior dimension of the well in the mouth region, and the "straightening" of the pin 46 as the window closes, means that the pin 46 can slide fully home into the well 60 without obstruction.

When the window is opened in the usual way, the pin 46 is withdrawn from the well 60 by following in reverse substantially the same path as that during entry. Therefore, removal of the pin is not obstructed.

However, referring to Fig. 11, if a person attempts to lever open the frames 11 is along the rear edge of the window, the force results in the window and fixed frames twisting relative to each other, such that the pin 46 twists away from the interior taper surface 92, into contact with the opposite flat surface 100. When engaged, the square tip of the pin 46 and the flat surface 100 of the female member 72 co-operate with each other to block withdrawal of the pin 46. The square profile of the tip 50 makes it virtually impossible for the pin 46 to be withdrawn from the well 60 while skew in this way, because there is. no room for the square tip 50 to follow its usual arc of movement while pressed against the flat surface 100. It will be appreciated that, were the tip 50 to be tapered around the whole of its surface (as in the first embodiment), this would not provide the same security feature because the tapering would allow the tip to slide out from the well 60 more easily while askew.

It will be appreciated that the male member 70 and the female member 72 should be installed such that the rounded surface of the pin 46 and the tapered surface 92 of the well 60 engage to draw the window into sealing engagement with the fixed frame as the window is closed. As best seen in Figs. 8 and 11, the members are provided with the letters "L" and "R", and the members should be orientated so that the appropriate letter is upright when the window is left opening, or right opening, respectively.

Although not illustrated in the drawings, interlocking teeth or steps, could be provided on the pin 46 or on the "blocking" surface 100 of the well in additional to, or as an alternative to, the flat surfaces. Generally, it is desirable that some form of blocking or obstructing surface be included be to obstruct withdrawal of the pin 46 if the pin 46 is twisted away from the compression taper surface 92 if an attempt is made to lever the window frame open.

The provision of male and female elements as described in any of the above embodiments can relieve the hinge from the burden of compressing the frames together to achieve a seal. Therefore, it may no longer be necessary to use an expensive "compression" hinge of the type illustrated in Fig. 14. Instead, a much simpler design of hinge could be employed in some applications, such as that shown in Fig. 13. Referring to Fig. 13, the hinge consists generally of a fixed member 102, a pivoting 0 C member 104, and a single stay 106. The pivoting member is coupled to a slider 108 12 which runs in a channel of the fixed member 102. In contrast to the conventional type of hinge in Fig. 14, the hinge in Fig. 13 is not a "compression" type, and includes no nose and recess. Therefore, the hinge is not under internal stress as in the prior art. Coupled with the fact that the number of pivoting joints is reduced, the hinge is significantly less prone to wear than the conventional type of hinge of Fig. 14.

Instead of having to use lightweight stays as in the prior art, the hinge of Fig. 12 may be made of relatively thick, strong metal and be considerably stronger than conventional designs. This would enable the hinge to support significantly heavier loads.

Alternatively, a multi-stay hinge may still be desirable in some applications where the rear ed.e of the window needs to move out of the plane of the fixed frame. Nevertheless, the conventional compression nose and recess can be avoided, which relieves the hinge of internal stress, and provides reduced wear and longer hinge life. The absence of the nose and recess means that any hinge can be used as the left, or the right side hinge, since the pivoting member is able to swing either side of the fixed member as desired.

A window assembly employing such hinges could rely on the male and female members 40 and 42, or 70 and 72, to achieve compression seals around its periphery, since the hinges would not achieve compression themselves.

It will also be appreciated that other forms of male and female locating members could be used. In a basic form, the male and female members could be replaced by engagement surfaces which engage as the window is closed to draw the movable frame 14 towards the fixed frame 12.

Typically, a number of male and female parts pairs will be used, spaced apart alona the rear ed e of the frames. The number of pairs will depend on the size of c) 9 window, and on whether a sealing problem is known to exist with the frame.

Although the above embodiments have been described in relation to windows, it will be appreciated that the male and female members could be used on other assemblies, such as door assemblies. The description of the preferred embodiments is not intended to be limited in this respect.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing description to draw attention to those

13 features of the invention believed to be of particular importance, it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

In general terms, the invention may be said to provide spigot andlor a socket for use in a door or window assembly comprising a leaf coupled by friction hinge means to a frame to allow the leaf to be swung open and closed, the spigot and/or socket being attached or attachable one on a rear edge of the leaf and the other on a corresponding edge of the frame such that the spigot can co-operate with the socket as the leaf approaches a fully closed position.

14

Claims

1. A window or door assembly comprising a leaf coupled by hinge means to a frame to allow the leaf to be swung open and closed, a male unit and a female aperture unit arranged one a rear edge of the leaf and the other on a corresponding edge of the frame such that the male unit co-operates with the female unit as the leaf approaches a fiffly closed position, the male unit comprising a base, a spigot projecting from the base, and a reinforcing region between the spigot and the base to provide lateral support for the support.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing region comprises a tapered buttress extending from the base to provide said lateral support.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reinforcing region is 15 arranged around one or more sides of the spigot.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the spigot comprises a shank extending above the level of the reinforcing region.

5. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the spigot is generally circular in section.

6. An assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spigot has a generally D-shaped cross section.

7. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the spigot comprises a tapered or rounded or chamfered tip.

8. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein one or both of the leaf and the frame carry an elastomeric sealing strip.

9. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the male part is on the movable frame, and the female part is on the fixed frame.

10. An assembly according to any preceding claim any of claim, wherein the male unit has a tapered surface for progressively engaging by the female unit.

11. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the female aperture unit has a tapered surface for progressive engagement by the male part.

is

12. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the tapered surface is at the mouth of the female unit.

13. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the male and female 20 units function to draw the frames into sealing engagement with each other.

14. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the hinge means comprises friction hinge means.

15. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the hinge means is 16 joined to the leaf along one or more edges intermediate the front and rear edges.

16. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the male and female units disengage as the movable frame is moved to an open position.

17. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the male and female units are made of metal.

18. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the male and female units is secured in a peripheral groove in the frame or in the leaf.

19. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein at least one of the male unit and the female unit is fastened to the frame or leaf by screws, said unit comprising a base or face portion having at least one screw receiving slot to permit positional adjustment of the base or face portion.

20. An assembly according to claim 19, wherein the face or base portion is formed with at least one gripping element for gripping the surface of the leaf or frame when the screws are tightened.

21. An assembly according to claim 20, wherein the gripping element includes a sharp edge or point.

22. An assembly according to claim 21, wherein the gripping element comprises a projecting spike.

17

23. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the female unit comprises a face plate from which extends a tube defining a socket recess.

24. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the base is received in a channel or recess of the flame or leaf, the assembly fin-ther comprising means for coupling the base to a reinforcing region of the leaf or frame to prevent overstressing of the channel wall or walls.

25. An assembly according to claim 24, wherein the coupling means comprises a 10 plate or extension which overlaps the reinforcing region.

26. An assembly according to claim 25, wherein the reinforcing region comprises a buried reinforcing member. -

27. An assembly according to claim 25 or 26, wherein the plate is attached to the reinforcing region by screws.

28. A kit of male and female units means for use in the assembly of any preceding claim, the units being securable to a said rear edge of a leaf and to a said corresponding 20 edge of a frame.

29. A spigot member for use in conjunction with a socket in a window or door assembly as defined in any preceding claim, the spigot member comprising a base, a spigot projecting therefrom and reinforcing region extending between the spigot and the 25 base to provide lateral support for the spigot.

18

30. A member according to claim 29, wherein the shank has a generally D- shaped cross section (rounded with a flat segment).

31. A member according to claim 29 or 30, wherein the reinforcing region comprises a tapered buttress extending from the base to provide said lateral support.

32. A member according to claim 29, 30 or 31, wherein the reinforcing region is arranged around one or more sides of the spigot.

33. A member according to claim 29, 30, 31 or 32, wherein the spigot comprises a shank extending above the level of the reinforcing region.

34. A member according to any of claims 29 to 33, wherein the spigot has a tapered or rounded or chamfered tip.

35. A member according to any of claims 29 to 34, wherein the member is of metal.

36. A window or door assembly comprising a member as defined in any of claims 29 to 35.

2,)- 1

19 Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1 1. A window or door assembly comprising a leaf coupled by hinge means to a frame to allow the leaf to be swung open and closed, 'a male unit and a female aperture unit arranged one a rear edge of the leaf and the other on a corresponding edge of the fi-ame such that the male unit co-operates with the female unit as the leaf approaches a fully closed position, the male unit comprising a base, a spigot projecting from the base, and a reinforcing region between the spigot and the base to provide lateral support for the spigot.

is 2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing region comprises a tapered buttress extending from- the base to provide said lateral support.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reinforcing region is arranged around one or more sides of the spigot.

x 7. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the spigot comprises a tapered or rounded or chamfered tip.

8. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein one or both of the leaf 5 and the fitme carry an elastomeric scaling strip.

9. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the male unit is on the movable frame, and the female unit is on the fixed frame.

10. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the male unit has a tapered surface for progressively engaging by the female unit.

11. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the female aperture unit has a tapered surface for progressive engagement by the male unit.

is 12. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the tapered surface is at the mouth of the female unit.

15. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the hinge means is 21 1 30. A member according to claim 29, wherein the shank has a cross section which is generally rounded with a flat segment 31. A member according to claim 29 or 30, wherein the reinforcing region 5 comprises a tapered buttress extending from the base to provide said lateral support.

is 35. A member according to any of cLdm 29 to 34, wherein the member is of metal.