EP1939387A2

EP1939387A2 - A bottom-hung window unit

Info

Publication number: EP1939387A2
Application number: EP07123227A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marco Lambertini
Original assignee: GSG International SpA
Current assignee: GSG International SpA
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-12-14
Publication date: 2008-07-02
Also published as: EP1939387A3; ITBO20060897A1

Abstract

A bottom-hung window unit comprises: a mobile frame (2) and a fixed frame (3) hinged to each other along a respective first crosspiece (4); drive means (5) acting between a second crosspiece (6a, 6b), parallel and opposite to the first hinged crosspiece (4), said drive means being designed to enable the window unit (1) to be moved to an open configuration, where at least the second mobile crosspiece (6a) is away from the second crosspiece of the fixed frame (3) and to a closed configuration where the mobile crosspiece (6a) is in contact with the fixed crosspiece (6b); means (7) for limiting the stroke of the mobile frame (2) moving to the open configuration relative to the fixed frame (3) and comprising at least one arm (8) hinged at its ends between the second crosspieces (6a, 6b) of the mobile and fixed frames (2) and (3).

Description

This invention relates to a bottom-hung window unit, in particular a bottom-hung window unit whose frames are made of metal, PVC or the like, wood and aluminium, etc.
At present, bottom-hung windows are used extensively because they meet a wide range of requirements in buildings of all kinds (residential, schools, hospitals, factories and so on).
Windows of this kind are installed in the parts of a building that are not easy to reach as, for example, is the case of transom windows or fanlights (usually above a door) or that are situated very high up (as, for example, in factory buildings) and are opened preferably using a suitable operator or other tool with hooking means at its top end.
Typically, a window of this kind has two hinge points between the mobile frame and the fixed frame on the bottom horizontal edge, a single point by which the mobile frame is closed, on the top horizontal edge, and two stop arms for limiting the opening stroke of the window and hinged between the two uprights of the mobile frame and of the fixed frame.
The single closing point, which is usually located half way along the width of the window frame, consists of a well known device which those familiar with the trade refer to as "latch".
The latch is basically a fastening element, consisting of a pin mounted on suitable supporting means (plates) attached to the mobile frame, and a striker element attached to the fixed frame. The striker element (usually an inclined surface) is normally coaxial with the latch pin which can slide axially (in both directions, thanks to a spring) towards an engagement slot located at the innermost end of the striker element. The outermost end of the latch has a ring handle that can be operated by hand or engaged by a hook or operator.
With this device, the user can release the latch pin from the engagement slot so that gravity causes the mobile frame to be tilted towards the inside of the room where it is installed. To close the window, the user pushes the mobile frame towards the fixed frame until the pin springs into the slot.
Although this type of window is widely used, its structure presents several problems that are as yet unsolved.
The main drawback of this type of window is, indeed, the closing device at a single point.
The single closing point makes it difficult to close the window satisfactorily because, amongst other things, windows of this kind usually have irregular proportions (very wide and low, very narrow and tall, depending on requirements) and thus the single closing point, which is usually positioned, as mentioned above, half way along the window, cannot provide an efficient seal or sufficient guarantee of security for the entire window.
In particular, the single closing point offers little resistance to would-be burglars and applies insufficient pressure on the weather strips, especially at the corners furthest away from it, providing an ineffective seal against rain and/or draughts (as well as low insulation against noise). To overcome this drawback, the Applicant devised a solution (see publication EP 1.707.720 ) where the drive means comprise operating means positioned on the mobile crosspiece and have two or more elements for closing the mobile frame against the fixed frame, these closing elements being spaced far apart and being able to be securely coupled to each other by means of strikers located on the fixed crosspiece: in practice, this created a multiple closing system for the window (with at least two retention points defined by bosses on a slidable operating rod controlled by an external handle) using the groove of the mobile frame and means for driving the bosses when the mobile frame is acted upon to pass from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
A system made in this way substantially solved the problem of securely closing the bottom-hung window along the top of the frame.
To maximize the new system applied to windows of this kind so as to increase security, it would be desirable to fit multiple closures also along the full length of the uprights of the window frame, based on the system described above: at present, however, this is not possible because the stop arms that limit the opening of the window prevent the passage of the operating rod and the application of closure strikers.
This invention therefore has for an aim to overcome the above mentioned drawback by providing a bottom-hung window with a simple, effective structure offering maximum security and that is at once simple and inexpensive to produce.
According to the invention, this aim is achieved by a bottom-hung-window unit comprising the technical characteristics described in one or more of the appended claims.
The technical characteristics of the invention, with reference to the above aims, are clearly described in the claims below and its advantages are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention provided merely by way of example without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a bottom-hung window unit in accordance with this invention;
Figure 2 is a cross-section through the line II - II shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a top plan view, with some parts cut away in order to better illustrate others, of the bottom-hung window unit of Figure 1 in an open configuration;
Figure 4 is a perspective view from below of the bottom-hung window unit of Figure 1 in an open configuration.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, in particular Figure 1, the window unit according to the invention, labelled 1 in its entirety is of the bottom-hung type.
Window units 1 of this kind basically comprise:

a mobile frame 2 and a fixed frame 3 hinged to each other along a respective first crosspiece 4 by means of hinges 4a;
drive means 5 acting between a second crosspiece 6a and 6b, parallel and opposite to the first crosspiece 4 on which the mobile frame 2 is hinged to the fixed frame 3, said drive means 5 being designed to enable the window to be moved to an open configuration, where the second crosspiece 6a of the mobile frame 2 is away from the respective second crosspiece 6b of the fixed frame 3 (this configuration being illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, arrows F2), and a closed configuration where the mobile crosspiece 6a is in contact with the fixed crosspiece 6b (see Figure 2);
means 7 for limiting the stroke of the mobile frame 2 moving to the open configuration relative to the fixed frame 3 are interposed and hinged between the frames 2 and 3 themselves.

Further, the mobile frame 2 and the fixed frame 3 each have respective perimetric grooves C2 and C3 in which operating means 9 can be fastened.
Looking more closely at the drive means 5 (which are described in detail in publication EP 1.707.720 in the name of the same Applicant but which are partly described again herein in order to better clarify the new solution according to this invention), said drive means 5 comprise a drive member 13 (a traditional, hand-operated handle or a handle with automatic spring return feature) positioned on the outside of the mobile crosspiece 6a and acting on the operating means 9 comprising, for closing the mobile frame 2 against the fixed frame 3, at least two elements 14 and 15 spaced far apart and being able to be securely coupled to each other by means of strikers 16 and 16a located on the second crosspiece 6b of the fixed frame 3 in such a way as to at least enable the closing elements 14 and 15 to change over from a closed configuration to an open configuration of the window unit 1.
Obviously, if a traditional handle is used, the changeover from open to closed and vice versa is accomplished directly by the movement of the handle, whereas, in the case of a handle with spring return feature, the closing elements remain in the closed position until the handle is actuated again.
As clearly illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the above mentioned means 7 for limiting the opening stroke comprise at least one arm 8 hinged at its ends between the second crosspieces 6a and 6b of the mobile and fixed frames 2 and 3.
In particular, the arm 8 is pivoted, at a first end of it 8a, to a support 10 positioned parallel to and above the aforementioned fastening groove C2 of the mobile frame 2 and, at the other end of it, to a slide 11 that is slidably coupled to a fastening element 12 associated with the groove C3 of the fixed frame 3.
Obviously, the fact that this embodiment has only one arm 8 does not limit the possibility of adding a second arm along the two crosspieces 6a and 6b on the other side of the window unit, in the area adjacent to the first, if added strength is required.
More specifically, the drive member 13 is associated with the mobile crosspiece 6a by a contact plate 17 located on the inside surface of the mobile crosspiece 6a (see Figure 2).
The above mentioned support for the arm 8 is provided on the plate 17 and is embodied by a bracket 10 which protrudes transversally from the plate 17 and on which the end 8a of the arm 8 is pivoted.
To avoid interference between the frames 2 and 3, the arm 8 is positioned and pivoted with its end 8a on the surface of the bracket 10 facing the groove C2 in the mobile crosspiece 6a.
The above mentioned fastening element (see Figure 4 in particular) is in the form of a slotted track 12 for slidably mounting the slide 11 (see arrow F11 in Figure 4) and equipped with at least one adjustable end limit 18 for stopping the slide 11 according to the required length of the opening stroke for the mobile frame 2.
The track 12 is mounted directly in the groove C3 in the fixed crosspiece 6b in such a way as not to interfere with the closure between the two frames 2 and 3.
Since the drive member 13 is positioned centrally on the second mobile crosspiece 6a, the arm 8 is also fastened by its end 8a to a substantially central point of the mobile crosspiece 6a.
The limiting arm 8 positioned on the second crosspieces 6a and 6b does not interfere with the operating means 9 located in the grooves C2 and C3 of the second crosspieces 6a and 6b themselves.
Thus, the operating means 9 may comprise at least one first drive rod 19 slidably mounted in the groove C2 in the second mobile crosspiece 6a and operated by the drive member 13.
The drive rod 19 is associated with vertically protruding bosses 14 and 15 constituting the aforementioned closing elements.
The above mentioned strikers are embodied by at least two blocks 16 and 16a positioned on and attached to the fixed crosspiece 6b at the respective longitudinal groove C3.
Each block 16 and 16a can securely engage a respective boss 14 and 15 in such a way as to define a closed configuration of the window unit 1 (this configuration is not described in detail since it does not strictly form part of the invention).
The position of the arm 8 at the top of the window unit 1 makes it possible to fit at least one third closing element 21 along a mobile upright M2 and acting on a respective third striker 22 fitted to a fixed upright M3.
Like the others, the third closing element is comprised of a third boss 21 associated with a second drive rod 23 connected to and driven by the first rod 19 by means of a known corner drive. The third boss 21 can be coupled to a third block 22 fitted to the fixed upright M3 and thus defining a third closure of the window unit 1.
Obviously, this type of third closure (with boss 21', block 22' and rod 23') may also be fitted to the other pair of mobile and fixed uprights M4 and M5 so as to provide all three mobile sides of the window with a closure.
A bottom-hung window made in this way thus achieves the above mentioned aims thanks to the different position of the limiting arm which, by making use of the contact plate of the handgrip, can be fitted between the upper mobile and fixed crosspieces without interfering with the operating means.
The different position of the stroke limiting means enables additional closing points to be fitted to the uprights of the window frames, too, thereby improving the security of the window unit without unduly increasing its overall cost.
The invention described above is susceptible of industrial application and may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

A bottom-hung window unit, the window unit (1) comprising at least:
- a mobile frame (2) and a fixed frame (3) hinged to each other along a respective first crosspiece (4) ;

- drive means (5) acting between a second crosspiece (6a, 6b), parallel and opposite to the first crosspiece (4) on which the mobile frame (2) is hinged to the fixed frame (3), said drive means (5) being designed to enable the window to be moved to an open configuration, where at least the second crosspiece (6a) of the mobile frame (2) is away from the respective second crosspiece (6b) of the fixed frame (3) and a closed configuration where the mobile crosspiece (6a) is in contact with the fixed crosspiece (6b);

- means (7) for limiting the stroke of the mobile frame (2) moving to the open configuration relative to the fixed frame (3) being interposed and hinged between the frames (2, 3) themselves, the window unit being characterized in that the means (7) for limiting the opening stroke comprise at least one arm (8) hinged at its ends between the second crosspieces (6a, 6b) of the mobile and fixed frames (2) and (3) .
The window unit according to claim 1, where the mobile frame (2) and the fixed frame (3) each have a profile that forms a respective perimetric groove (C2, C3) for fastening operating means (9), characterized in that the at least one arm (8) is pivoted at a first end of it (8a) to a support (10) positioned parallel to and above the fastening groove (C2) of the mobile frame (2) and, at the other end of it, to a slide (11) that is slidably coupled to a fastening element (12) associated with the groove (C3) of the fixed frame (3).
The window unit according to claims 1 and 2, where the drive means (5) comprise a drive member (13) positioned on the outside of the mobile crosspiece (6a) and acting on the operating means (9) comprising, for closing the mobile frame (2) against the fixed frame (3), at least two elements (14, 15) spaced far apart and being able to be securely coupled to each other by means of strikers (16, 16a) located on the second crosspiece (6b) of the fixed frame (3) in such a way as to at least enable the closing elements (14, 15) to change over from a closed configuration to an open configuration of the window unit (1), characterized in that the drive member (13) is associated with the mobile crosspiece (6a) by a contact plate (17) located on the inside surface of the mobile crosspiece (6a); the support for the at least one arm (8) being provided on the plate (17) and being embodied by a bracket (10) which protrudes transversally from the plate (17) and on which the end (8a) of the at least one arm (8) is pivoted.
The window unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the at least one arm (8) is positioned and pivoted with its end (8a) on the surface of the bracket (10) facing a groove (C2) in the mobile crosspiece (6a).
The window unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the fastening element is embodied by a slotted track (12) for slidably mounting the slide (11), said track (12) being equipped with at least one adjustable end limit (18) for stopping the slide (11) according to the required length of the opening stroke for the mobile frame (2).
The window unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one arm (8) is fastened with its end (8a) to a substantially central point on the second mobile crosspiece (6a).
The window unit according to claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the operating means (9) comprise at least one drive rod (19) slidably accommodated in the groove (C2) in the mobile crosspiece (6a); the drive rod (19) being associated with at least two vertically protruding bosses (14, 15) constituting the closing elements; said first rod (19) being driven by the drive member (13).
The window unit according to claims 1 to 3 and 7, characterised in that the strikers are embodied by at least two blocks (16, 16a) positioned on and attached to the second fixed crosspiece (6b) in the respective longitudinal groove (C3) and for securely engaging a respective boss (14, 15) in such a way as to define a closed configuration of the window unit (1).
The window unit according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises at least three of the closing elements (14, 15, 21) of which at least one (21) is positioned on a mobile upright (M2) and acts on a respective third striker (22) fitted to a fixed upright (M3).
The window unit according to claim 9, characterized in that the third closing element comprises a third boss (21) associated with a second drive rod (23) connected to and driven by the first rod (19); the third boss (21) being able to be coupled to a third block (22) fitted to the fixed upright (M3) and thus defining a third closure of the window unit (1) .