WO2008001397A1

WO2008001397A1 - Device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position

Info

Publication number: WO2008001397A1
Application number: PCT/IT2006/000503
Authority: WO
Inventors: Raffaele Mara'
Original assignee: Mara Raffaele
Priority date: 2006-06-28
Filing date: 2006-06-28
Publication date: 2008-01-03

Abstract

The present invention refers to a device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position, which comprises a support shelf with a slot on the side, and wall fixing means in the back; a slider is overturned and slides outside the slot, with two upper fixed catches that act as housing for the shutter and a lower knob that protrudes downwards and is used to release the shutter from the maximum open position; it being provided that the shelf is suitably shaped to cooperate with the slider to cause automatic engagement when the slider is overturned and slides backwards.

Description

Device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position.

The present patent application refers to a device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position. The said device is designed to be fixed on the external wall of buildings to hold shutters of windows or French windows in maximum open position and prevent said shutters from being accidentally closed by the wind or from being damaged by repetitive shocks at the end of the closing or opening travel, when the shutter is opened or closed by strong wind or draught. The market currently offers different models of shutter-holders, which can be divided into two large groups: manual devices and automatic devices.

The device of the present patent application belongs to the second group, being automatically actuated thanks to the presence of articulated backing elements that are designed to receive and use the thrust of the shutter at the end of the closing travel, when the said shutter surmounts the device and touches the external wall of the building.

In other words, the said backing means are articulated in such a way to allow the passage of the shutter during opening and prevent the backward travel of the shutter. In traditional automatic shutter-holders, the articulated backing elements are usually subject to a return force that holds them in idle state, which coincides with the position that the backing elements must assume to hold the shutter at the end of the opening travel. The return force is normally exercised by elastic parts or counterweights that act on the said backing elements.

The patent EP 0823524 discloses an automatic shutter-holder in which the shutter is blocked inside a forked bracket that oscillates around an horizontal pin and suffers the thrust of an elastically flexible arc blade, which holds the bracket in the shutter-holder position.

The patent EP 0119413 discloses an automatic shutter-holder in which the shutter is blocked by a catch that oscillates around an horizontal axis and is subject to a counterweight that holds the catch in the shutter-holder position. The automatic shutter-holders of known type are impaired by the easy breaking of the elastic parts, which are exposed to quick wear, due to fatigue stress and weathering, especially if the elastic parts are made of oxidisable metals/ Other causes of malfunctioning or breaking are to be found in the constructive complexity of the said shutter-holders of known type, which comprise complex and delicate mechanisms with pins, support bushings for the pins, screws, springs, and hinges. The purpose of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned disadvantages by designing a new device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position, which is composed of a few, simple components, without elastic parts, counterweights, screws or hinges. Another purpose of the present invention is to realise a device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position, which is made of components with simple geometrical configuration that are easy and inexpensive to produce.

Finally, another purpose of the present invention is to realise a device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position, which is composed of a small number of components that are easy and fast to assemble, including by non-skilled workers and without the use of special, expensive assembly equipment.

The device of the invention comprises a support shelf provided in the back with a threaded rod for wall fixing, a slider with two upper fixed catches that act as housing for the shutter and a lower fixed catch used to release the shutter from the maximum open position.

The catches on the upper part of the slider have a different function: the first catch prevents the shutter from hitting the wall, absorbing the travel of the shutter and causing the overturning and sliding of the slider (absorbing catch), and the second catch locks the movement of the shutter in maximum open position (locking catch). The knob in the lower part of the slider (release knob) is used to move the slider forward to release the shutter. The point of the support shelf is shaped in such a way that it advantageously cooperates with the tilting and sliding slider, normally in shutter-release position, which is tilted and slides automatically in horizontal position when it receives the thrust of the shutter, until the shutter reaches the end of the closing travel. This means that, at the end of the opening travel, the shutter is locked in the space between the two fixed catches in the upper part of the slider. Evidently, in order to close the shutter, the slider must slide and be overturned. The backward overturning and sliding of the slider is only possible if the slider slides and is overturned downwards by means of the release knob under the slider.

In view of the above, the thrust of the shutter against the locking catch does not determine the sliding and the overturning of the slider. To close the shutter, the shutter-holder must be released by means of the knob on the lower part of the slider, pushing it outside and down. The new device of the invention is able to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position by using only two components and one pin for assembly.

For purposes of clarity the description of the shutter-holder of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense, whereby:

- fig. 1 is a view of the two basic components of the device.

- - figures 2 to 5 are cross-sections of the device of the invention that illustrate the sequence of movements for the automatic locking and manual release of the shutter.

With reference to figure 1 , the device of the invention comprises a support shelf (1) provided with a slot (1A) on the side, a groove (1C) in the upper end, a threaded rod (1B) for wall fixing in the back, a slider (2) with two upper fixed catches (2A, 2B) that act as housing for the shutter in maximum open position; the lower part of the slider is provided with a knob (2C) that protrudes downwards and is used to release the shutter from the maximum open position, while the internal part of the slider is provided with a tooth (2E) suitably shaped to cooperated with the groove (1C) of the slider (1). The assembly of the new device requires at least one pin (3). The shelf (1) is housed and pivoted inside the slider (2) by means of a transversal pin (3) inserted through the hole (2D) provided on the vertical part of the slider 82) and through the slot (1A) of the shelf (1 ). With reference to figure 2 and 3, this description continues illustrating the modes used to automatically lock the shutter at the end of the opening travel, in the space between the absorbing catch (2A) and the locking catch (2B). When the shutter is opened, the slider must be in the maximum forward overturning position with respect to the support shelf (1 ), as illustrated in figure 2.

When the shutter reaches the end of the opening travel, the lower side of the shutter goes past the locking catch (2B) and strikes the absorbing catch (2A), lifting the slider from the overturned position (fig. 2) to the horizontal position (fig. 3), to the idle position (fig. 4) (the idle position (fig. 4) is a neutral position, from which the user can choose to release or (automatically) lock the shutter). When the slider is in horizontal position, the two catches are erect, thus locking the shutter (fig. 4). When the device is in idle position, as shown in fig. 4, the thrust of the shutter against the locking catch (2B) brings the shutter-holder from the idle position (fig. 4) to the lock position (fig. 5), thus preventing the slider (2) from sliding and being overturned, with the base of the slider (2) engaged against the grooved point of the support shelf (1 ).

To close the shutter, the said engagement must be eliminated by bringing the slider (2) forward manually, passing from the idle position (fig. 4) to the release position (fig. 2) in order to move the internal tooth (2E) of the slider (2) away from the grooved point of the support shelf

⁽D-

This operation is performed by the user by means of the release knob (2C) that is grabbed to move the slider (2) forward (as shown by the arrow (F3)), whose forward travel is blocked when the slot (1A) of the shelf (1 ) obstructs the travel of the transversal pin (3) of the slider (2).

The point (1 C) of the shelf (1 ) is suitably shaped to cooperate with the internal part of the slider (2), which is provided with a tooth (2E) that cooperates with the inlet of the shelf (1 C) only when the user attempts to release the shutter by pushing on the locking catch (2B), as shown in fig.

5.

If the shutter is in maximum open position, i.e. locked between the absorbing catch and the locking catch, the shutter-holder is actuated only if the shutter presses the locking catch (2B) in the direction shown by the arrow (F1), bringing the device from the idle position (fig. 4) to the locking position (fig. 5).

To release the shutter-holder, the user must actuate the knob (2C), moving the slider (2) forward to pass from the idle position (fig. 4) to the release position (fig. 2). By sliding in the direction indicated by the arrow (F2) on the shelf (1 ), the slider (2) is overturned downwards (fig. 2) also thanks to the notch (2G) of the slider (2).

Finally, attention is drawn on the fact that the front ending section of the shelf

(1) has an upper tapered border with the transversal notch (1C). The tapered profile favours the rotation of the slider (2) around its pivoting pin

(3) and allows the tooth (2E) to be positioned above the groove (1C) when the slider (2) reaches the end of the backward travel.

Claims

1 ) Device used to automatically lock shutters in maximum open position, of the type comprising a slider (2) supported and guided by a support shelf (1) provided in the back with wall fixing means (1 B), device being characterised in that the lower wall of the slider (2) is provided with a rear notch (2G), while a spaced pair of catches protrudes from the upper wall, of which the catch (2B) is designed to lock the shutter and the catch (2A) is designed to act as absorber, additionally characterised in that the slider (2) is provided with a transversal pivoting pin (3) that is inserted and slides into a longitudinal slot (1 a) on the support shelf (1 ). 2) Device as defined in the preceding claim, characterised in that the slider (2) has an internal housing designed to exactly receive the shelf (1), whose front end is provided with a transversal groove (1C) designed to cooperate with a suitable tooth (2E) located inside the housing and characterised in that the front ending section of the shelf (1) has an upper tapered border with the transversal groove (1C).

3) Device as defined in the preceding claims, characterised in that the slider (2) is provided with a knob (2C) in the front end.

4) Device as defined in the preceding claims, characterised in that the wall fixing means (1 B) consist in a threaded rod. 5) Device as defined in the preceding claims, characterised in that the spaced pair of catches (2B) and (2A) is obtained with the slider (2) from a single piece.