GB2370071A

GB2370071A - Sash hinge arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2370071A
Application number: GB0030742A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen John Weaver; Graham Wilfred Pearce
Original assignee: WILLENHALL ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: WILLENHALL ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 2000-12-16
Filing date: 2000-12-16
Publication date: 2002-06-19
Also published as: GB0030742D0

Abstract

A hinge arrangement 10 suitable for mounting a sash 14 within a frame 18 comprises a first hinge half 12 which is attached to the sash 14, and a second hinge half 16 which is mounted to the frame 18, wherein the first hinge half 12 has a cover portion 28 which in use overlies a region 32 of the external face of the sash 14 and is provided with fixing means 50,56 which passes through the external face region of the sash to be accessible only from the rear face of the sash 14, e.g. rebate 34. Preferably the cover portion 28 is provide with a threaded socket 50 which receives an elongate threaded member, e.g. screw 56, that is introduced from the rear face of the sash 14. The cover portion 28 may carry a chock projection 42 which is complementary in shape to a chamfered region 40 of the sash 14. Fixing screws 46 may be provided to secure the chock 42 to the sash 14. A resilient seal strip 38 may be provided for sealing purposes. The hinge arrangement 10 improves security by concealing the fixing sockets 50 thus making it harder for the hinge to be tampered with.

Description

HINGE The present invention relates to a sash hinge arrangement.

In a conventional style of sash window arrangement, a sash will be mounted on a frame by means of one or more hinges located around the external surface of the frame (i. e. to that side of the frame to which the sash swings when opened). External mounting of the hinge is necessary if a simple hinge, with a single hinge axis, is to be used with a sash having an edge which is rebated to provide a peripheral weather strip which overlaps the frame.

External positioning of the hinges renders them vulnerable to tampering and thus presents a security risk. In particular, it is difficult to maintain good aesthetics for the overall arrangement while providing adequate protection against the hinge being disconnected from the sash.

The present invention provides a sash hinge arrangement comprising a first half which is attached to a sash, and a second half which is attached to a frame, the two halves being connected to hingedly mount the sash on the frame, and the first half having a cover portion which overlies a region of the external face of the sash, there being further provided a fixing arrangement which, in use, passes through the said region of the sash external face to be accessible only from the rear face of the sash for engagement or release.

Preferably the fixing arrangement comprises an elongate threaded member and a member complementary thereto. The cover portion is preferably formed to provide a threaded socket to receive an elongate threaded member introduced through a rear face of the sash to extend therethrough. The socket may extend from the cover portion into an aperture formed in the outer face of the sash, within the said region. A plurality of fixing arrangements may be provided as aforesaid. The invention also provides a sash hinge for use in an arrangement as defined above and incorporating a first half for attachment to a sash, a second half for attachment to a frame, connection means operable to hingedly connect the halves, and an elongate fixing arrangement as aforesaid.

Examples of the present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partly disassembled elevational view of a sash hinge according to the present invention, viewed along the hinge axis; Fig. 2 is a view equivalent to Fig. 1 and partly in section, showing the hinge of Fig. 1 installed in a sash window; and Figs. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D are, respectively, views of the sash half of the hinge, viewed, respectively, from the rear face of the hinge, from the external face of the hinge, from one edge and from one end.

Turning to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a sash hinge arrangement 10 comprising a first half 12 which is attached to a sash 14, and a second half 16 which is attached to a frame 18. The two halves 12,16 are connected by means of a pivot pin, internal to the arrangement and not shown, to provide a pivot axis at 20.

Thus, the sash 14 can be opened or closed by hinging the first half 12 relative to the second half 16 about the axis 20, thereby swinging the sash 14 open or closed, relative to the frame 18.

In more detail, the first half 12 has a knuckle 22 which sits between posts 24 of the second half 16. The posts are connected by a base plate 26 which is attached to the frame 18 by suitable means, such as fixing screws (not shown). A pivot pin (not shown) extends along the pivot axis 20, within the posts 24 and the knuckle 22, to connect the knuckle 22 with the posts 24, to provide the hinge action.

The knuckle 22 carries a cover portion 28, which is a generally planar portion having an outline chosen primarily for aesthetic reasons and being chamfered at 30 around its edge, again for aesthetic reasons.

The cover portion 28 is attached to a peripheral flange 32 around the sash 14, by means to be described in more detail. The flange 30 is left by a rebate 34 around the perimeter of the sash 14. When the sash is closed, the flange 32 overlies part of the frame 18 at 36, partly for aesthetic reasons and partly to assist in providing a weather seal. A resilient seal strip 38 is provided to further assist in sealing.

The flange 32 is chamfered at 40, as is conventional for aesthetic effect.

However, the chamfered region 40 will be covered from view along part of its length, by the cover portion 28. Within this obscured region, the rear face of the cover portion 28 carries a chock projection 42 which is complementary in shape to the chamfered region 40 to provide a close fit between the first half 12 and the edge of the sash 14.

The chock projection 42 is pierced by several bores 44 through which fixing screws 46 are provided, extending generally radially away from the axis 20, to secure the chock projection 42 to the sash 14. The screws 46 extend into the sash 14, generally within the plane of the sash. Externally mounting the hinges in this way leaves them vulnerable to tampering, as discussed above. In particular, an attempt could be made to attack the security of the hinge by introducing a tool between the cover portion 28 and the external face 48 of the sash 14, in an attempt to prise the cover portion 28 away from the sash 14, wrenching the screws 46 from the sash 14 while so doing. This would leave the sash 14 not secured to the frame 18 and thus liable to be removed, in breach of security.

However, the arrangement 10 has additional features which seek to overcome this security risk. First, the rear face of the cover portion 28 carries internally threaded socket projections 50 which each extend away from the cover portion 28, generally perpendicular to the plane of the cover portion 28.

The sockets 50 fit in apertures 52 provided in the external face of the sash 14, preferably in the unchamfered region of the external face 48. Since the sockets 50 extend from the rear face of the cover portion 28, the sockets 50 will pass through, and the apertures 52 will be within, the region of the sash external face which the cover portion 28 overlies and obscures from external view. The sockets 50 will therefore be obscured from view when fitted as shown in Fig. 2.

Further apertures 54 are provided in the rear face of the flange 32. Each is positioned to receive a screw 56 from the rebate 34 to extend through the flange 32 toward the external face and to threadedly engage a corresponding socket 50. A washer 58 may be provided between the countersunk head 60 of the screw 56, and the rear face of the flange 32.

Accordingly, each group of a socket 50, screw 56 and the threaded engagement between them, form a fixing arrangement which passes through the sash, from the region which is covered by the cover portion 28, passing through the flange 32 to be accessible only from the rear face of the sash for engaging or releasing the fixing arrangement, by turning the screw 56.

The screw 56 can be tightened to pull the socket 50 and thus the cover portion 28 tightly against the external face 48, thus improving the aesthetics of the arrangement by providing a neat junction between the cover portion 28 and the external face 48, and also improving the security by making the arrangement more resistant to tampering, as follows. First, by using the sockets 50 to pull the cover portion 28 tightly against the external face 48, any gap between the cover portion 28 and the external face 48 can be removed or minimised, thus largely preventing the introduction of a tool between the two elements. Moreover, the fixing arrangement of the socket 50 and screw 56 will serve to retain the first half 12 secured to the sash 14 and this attachment will remain while the integrity of the fixing arrangement remains, which cannot be released without access to the head 60 from within the building (i. e. from the rear of the sash 14).

It is therefore expected that the arrangement 10 will provide improved security for a sash hinge arrangement, particularly when used in relation to a sash and frame arrangement of the type described above.

However, it will be appreciated by the skilled reader that many variations and modifications can be made to the apparatus described above, without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, many different dimensions and relative dimensions can be chosen for the components, in order to change the aesthetics of the resulting arrangement, or to accommodate changes in material etc. The arrangement is primarily intended for use with windows, but could also be used for doors. Similarly, the invention is primarily intended for use with UPVC extruded sash and frame arrangements, but could be used with aluminium, wood or other materials.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those 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.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A sash hinge arrangement comprising a first half which is attached to a sash, and a second half which is attached to a frame, the two halves being connected to hingedly mount the sash on the frame, and the first half having a cover portion which overlies a region of the external face of the sash, there being further provided a fixing arrangement which, in use, passes through the said region of the sash external face to be accessible only from the rear face of the sash for engagement or release.
2. A sash hinge arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing arrangement comprises an elongate threaded member and a member complementary thereto.
3. A sash hinge arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cover portion is formed to provide a threaded socket to receive an elongate threaded member introduced through a rear face of the sash to extend therethrough.
4. A sash hinge arrangement as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the socket extends from the cover portion into an aperture formed in the outer face of the sash, within the said region.
5. A sash hinge arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the arrangement incorporates a plurality of fixing arrangements.
6. A sash hinge for use in a sash hinge arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein there is provided a first half for attachment to a sash, a second half for attachment to a frame, connection means operable to hingedly connect the halves, and an elongate fixing arrangement as aforesaid.
7. A sash hinge arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. A sash hinge for use in a sash hinge arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
9. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.