GB2500189A

GB2500189A - Folding window opener device

Info

Publication number: GB2500189A
Application number: GB201204317A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neal Desorgher
Original assignee: Caldwell Hardware UK Ltd
Current assignee: Caldwell Hardware UK Ltd
Priority date: 2012-03-12
Filing date: 2012-03-12
Publication date: 2013-09-18
Also published as: GB201204317D0

Abstract

A folding window opener comprising two mounting parts 32, 34 adapted to be secured respectively to a a window and an adjacent fixed frame; two pivotal link members 36, 38 pivotally connected to one another and also pivotally connected to the respective mounting parts; the link members pivoting between over-centre open and closed positions to hold the window open and closed respectively; wherein the link member 36 pivotally connected to the fixed frame 12 has a control formation 60 engageable by an operating member and which, when the window is fully opened, lies inwardly of the axis of pivotal connection of the link member to the mounting part such that it is always accessible from the operating side of the window. Control formation 60 may be pivotally connected to the link member and comprise an aperture into which a pole may engage to operating out of reach windows (see fig.2).

Description

Title: Folding Window Opener Device 5 Description of Invention

This invention relates to a folding window opener device.

A device in accordance with the invention is intended primarily, but not 10 exclusively, to be used with a pivotally-opening, top-hung, window, and serves to open and close such a window and also act as a stay for holding the window in a fully-open position relative to a fixed frame in which it is installed. The device may be used in connection with other opening panels, for example where similar or analogous requirements arise, but the term "window(s)" used 15 herein should be understood to include such other possibilities.

Known such devices comprise two mounting parts which are adapted to be secured, respectively, to a frame member of the openable window and a frame member of the fixed frame relative to which the openable window is moveable. 20 The mounting parts, in use, are connected to respective frame parts at an edge of the openable window remote from the axis about which it pivots; in the case of a top-hung window, the mounting parts will be connected to respective frame parts at the lowermost edges of the openable window and fixed frame. The mounting parts are each pivotally connected to a respective link member, 25 and the line members are pivotally connected to one another and configured so that, when the window is closed and the mounting parts are at their closest to one another, the link members are able to assume a folded over-centre position relative to one another to hold the window closed. When the window is opened to the maximum extent permitted by the lengths of the link 30 members, the link members are able to assume an unfolded over-centre

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position wherein the opener acts as a stay to hold the window in that open position and not close under its own weight.

When the window is closed, the link members lie substantially wholly to the 5 face of the window opposite that to which the window opens, which opposite direction usually will be the interior of a building in the case of a window provided in an exterior wall of the building. Hence, herein, the general direction moved by the opening windows as it opens relative to the fixed frame will be referred to as outwardly and the opposite direction will be referred to as 10 inwardly, and cognate expressions such as "inside", "outside" should be construed accordingly. When the window is fully open, the link members lie substantially wholly to the outside of the fixed frame of the window, except for a portion of the link member which is pivotally connected to the mounting part which is secured to the fixed frame part of the window.

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In many cases a window is provided with two or possibly more of such folding openers, so that the window is held closed or open at two positions spaced from one another in a direction parallel to the pivotal axis of the window. In this case, it is common to provide the openers with formations with which is 20 engageable a "tandem bar" in the form of an elongate element engaging complementary formations on corresponding link members of the openers, so that the openers are constrained to move in synchronism with one another. Such a tandem bar may have an operating formation with which an engaging formation of an operating pole is engageable, enabling operation when the 25 window is installed at a height greater than that which can readily be reached by a person standing at floor level adjacent the window. Despite this, operating difficulties can still be encountered in the case of high-level windows; even when using a long operating pole with an end portion extending at an angle to the main length of the pole it is difficult to engage the pole with the 30 tandem bar or one of the openers and to exert force in the correct direction to open or close the window. A particular difficulty is encountered with closing

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the window, necessitating movement of the link members from their unfolded over-centre position: a tandem bar positioned to facilitate opening of the window from its closed position is likely, when the window is open, to be disposed to the outside of the fixed frame of the window and may not even be 5 readily visible from the inside of the window.

With the aim of addressing these difficulties, the present invention provides that a folding opener device as described above is provided, on its link member which is connected to the mounting part intended to be secured to the 10 fixed frame of an outwardly-opening top-hung window, with a control formation engageable by an operating member and which, when the window is fully open, lies inwardly of the axis of the pivotal connection of the link member to the mounting part.

15 The control formation may be provided by a member fixed to the link member; such a member may be pivotable relative to the link member.

When an opener in accordance with the invention is in use, the provision of the control formation on the link member presents two main advantages. Firstly, 20 the disposition of the control formation is such that it is readily visible at the inside of the window when the window is open, and therefore it is relatively easy for an operator to engage a long operating pole with it. Secondly, its disposition, in relation to the axis about which the link member is connected to the mounting part is such that a simple downwards pull on the formation, 25 which is readily exerted even with a long operating pole, is sufficient to pivot the adjacent link member about its connection to the mounting part to cause the link members to be moved out of their unfolded over-centre position, to enable the window to close. It will be appreciated that when the window falls under its own weight to a nearly closed position, after the over-centre stay 30 action of the opener has been overcome, both link members of the or each opener of a window, and in the case of a window having two or more of the

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openers, a tandem bar connecting the same, are accessible to enable the window to be fully closed and the link members moved to their folded over-centre position to hold it closed.

5 In the case of a window having two or more of the folding openers, only a single one thereof need be provided with the additional control formation.

These and other features of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

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Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a top-hung pivotally opening window assembly provided with folding opener devices one of which is in accordance with the invention, the window having been opened to the fully open position;

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Figure 2 is a view as Figure 1, with the window about to be closed from the Figure 1 position;

Figure 3 shows the window in the course of being closed;

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Figure 4 shows the window in the fully closed position.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated window assembly comprises a fixed frame indicated generally at 10, having upper and lower horizontally oriented 25 frame members 12, 14 and vertical side frame members 16, 18. A pivotally openable window panel 20 has side frame members 22, 24 and a lower horizontally oriented frame member 26; its uppermost horizontal frame member is not visible nor is a pivoting mechanism (e.g. one or more hinges) by which it is pivotally connected to the frame member 12.

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The frame members 14, 26 of the fixed and opening frames are connected to one another by two folding opener/stay devices 28, 30 which are substantially identical to one another except as described hereafter, and are spaced from one another lengthwise of the frame members 14, 26.

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Each folding opener device 28, 30 comprises two mounting parts 32, 34 which are fixed to inwardly facing surfaces of the frame members 14, 26. They are fixed by fasteners, e.g. screws/rivets. The mounting part 32 extends upwardly to a position just above the uppermost edge of the frame member 14, and has 10 pivotally connected thereto a first link member 36. A second link member 38 is pivotally connected to the mounting part 34, and the two link members are pivotally connected to one another at a joint 40. Adjacent the joint 40, the link member 36 has a portion 42 of increased depth, provided with a rectangular aperture in which is received one end of a tandem bar 44. The other end of 15 the tandem bar 44 is received in the corresponding aperture of the other folding opener device 30, and the ends of the tandem bar are secured in such apertures by fixing screws one of which is indicated at 46 in relation to the opener device 30.

20 Substantially midway between the opener devices 28, 30, the tandem bar 44 is provided with an eye member 48, most clearly seen in Figure 2 of the drawings. This has a rectangular aperture through which the tandem bar extends so that the eye member is not able to move around the tandem bar, and an operating formation in the form of a pentagonal (or other shape, e.g. 25 round or square) opening 50 able to receive an engaging formation which is a boss 52 of circular cross sectional shape extending laterally from an end portion 54 which is inclined to the main length 56 of an operating pole 56. It will be appreciated that the above-described configuration of the eye member 48 and operating pole 52, 54, 56 enables a user simultaneously to control 30 operation of the two folding opener devices 28, 30, as hereinafter described.

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The geometry of each of the folding opener devices 28, 30, is such that, when the openable window panel 20 approaches its fully-open position, a position is reached at which the axes of the pivotal connections of the link members 36, 38 to the mounting parts 32, 43 and to one another lie in a common plane and 5 then the pivotal axis of the joint 40 drops slightly below the plane of the pivot axes of the link members to the mounting parts. In this condition, parts of the link members abut one another to prevent further pivoting and in this over-centre position the folding opener device functions as a stay to hold the window panel open. To move the folding opener devices from this, unfolded, 10 over-centre position when the window is to be closed, it is necessary to lift the respective pivot joint 40 between the link members of each opening device.

Such release of the opener devices from their unfolded over-centre position could be effected by engaging the boss of the operating pole with the 15 formation 50 in the eye member 48, but this presents a problem in the case of a high-mounted window. Firstly, assuming such a window opens outwardly from the exterior wall of a building, the eye member 48 may not be visible to a person within the building. Even if it is visible, it is difficult to fit the boss 52 through the pentagonal formation 50, working from the opposite end of a long 20 operating pole.

Accordingly, therefore, the folding opener 30 is provided with an additional member with a control formation engageable by the operating pole. The member 60 is generally U-shaped having parallel limbs 62, 64, whose free end 25 portions lie against opposite sides of the link member 36 adjacent its pivotal connection to the mounting part 32. The member 60 is pivotably secured to the link member 36 by a pin 76 which extends between the limbs 62, 64 through a clearance hole in the link member. Abutments 78 fixed to the limbs are positioned to limit the extent of such pivoting by contacting the upwardly-30 facing (when the window is open) surface of the link member. The limbs 62, 64 have aligned control apertures 66, able to receive the boss 52 of the

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operating pole. The geometry of the member 60 is such that the aligned apertures 66 lie, when the window is in its fully open position, generally inwardly of the pivotal axis of connection of the link member 36 to the mounting part 32.

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Therefore, the apertures in the member 60 are, when the window is fully open, visible and accessible to an operator wishing to close the window. Compared with the difficulty of engaging boss 52 of the operating pole with the eye member 48, the member 60 can be engaged thereby and a simple pulling 10 force be exerted by pulling the operating pole in the direction indicated by arrow 68 in Figure 2. This is sufficient to displace the opener device 30 (and with it the opener device 28 connected by the tandem bar 44) from its window-open, unfolded, staying position of Figure 1 and Figure 2, so that the window can be closed.

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Figure 3 illustrates an intermediate position in the closing of the window as above described. Because of the weight of the window it will naturally tend to fall to its closed position, but in the intermediate position shown in Figure 3 the operator is able by exerting an upwardly directed force on the operating pole to 20 control such movement.

As the window approaches its closed position, the link members of each opener device lie one above the other and, approaching a folded, window fully closed, over-centre position, pass through a position in which the three axes, 25 of pivoting of the link members to each other and to the mounting parts, lie in a common plane. In the course of this, whatever sealing elements are provided between the frame members of the fixed and pivotable frames become compressed. Then the boss of the operating pole can be disengaged from the member 60 and engaged, as shown in Figure 4, with the eye member 52, 30 whereupon a downwards pull on the operating pole moves the two stay

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devices into their folded, window-closed over-centre position and the window is securely held in that position.

As the window is closed, the member 60 abuts the mounting part 32 and is 5 pivoted thereby to the position in which it is shown in Figure 4, where it does not obstruct the opener from reaching its closed over-centre position.

When the window is again required to be opened from its closed position, the boss 52 of the operating pole is engaged with the eye member 48, and pushed 10 upwardly to release the opener devices from their folded over-centre positions. Then the operating pole can be moved as indicated in Figure 1 by the arrow 70 to complete opening of the window. Since the tandem bar 44 is spaced a significant distance from the pivotal connections of the link members 36 to the mounting parts 32, sufficient force can be exerted to 15 overcome the weight of the window during its opening. As the window moves from the fully closed position, the member 60 falls under gravity to the position in which it is shown in figures 1, 2 and 3, relative to the link member 36, and hence is positioned ready for use when closing the window.

20 Therefore the provision of the formation 60 makes the closing of a window from a fully open position substantially easier than would be the case if the formation 60 were not provided.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and 25 "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or 30 the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for

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attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

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Claims

1. A folding window opener device, comprising two mounting parts adapted to be secured respectively to a frame member of the openable

5 window and an adjacent frame member of a fixed frame relative to which the window is openable; and two link members pivotally connected to one another and also pivotally connected to the respective mounting parts; the configuration of the link members enabling them to assume a folded over-centre position relative to one another to hold the window closed and an 10 unfolded over-centre position when the window is open to hold the window open; wherein the link member pivotally connected to the fixed frame member has a control formation engageable by an operating member and which, when the window is fully opened, lies inwardly (as herein defined) of the axis of pivotal connection of the link member to the mounting part.

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2. A window opener device according to claim 1 wherein the control formation is provided by a member fixed to the link member.

3. A window opener device according to claim 2 wherein the member is 20 pivotable relative to the link member.

4. A window opener device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the control formation comprises an opening for engagement by an engagement formation of the operating member.

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5. A pivotally-opening window comprising a folding opener device according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. A window according to claim 5 which is top hung.

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7. A window according to claim 5 or claim 6 comprising two or more folding opener devices connected to one another for synchronised operation, and wherein only one of the devices has a control formation.

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8. A window set of two or more folding opener devices; wherein one of the devices is as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A folding window opener device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.

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