A closure includes a frame that is selectively pivotable about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis. A drive assembly is disposed in a groove of the frame to selectively determine which axis the frame pivots about as the frame pivots between an open position and a closed position. The drive assembly includes a plurality of actuating members and a plurality of transmission rods that operatively connect adjacent actuating members to each other. Each of the actuating members and each of the transmission rods has a single tenon which is disposed in only one side of the groove.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of Italian patent application number TO2006A000435, filed Jun. 15, 2006, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to door and window frames.

2. Description of the Related Art

The invention was developed for the application to door or window frames constituted by extruded section bars made of aluminium or similar metallic alloys, constituted by a quadrangular frame formed by four section bars defining a pair of uprights and a pair of cross members. The section bars forming the frames are constituted by bars with complex section, produced by extrusion, drawing or profiling. Each of said section bars is provided on an outer side of the frame with a longitudinal groove to be used for mounting the articulation hinges and the drive assembly of the door or window frame. In the remainder of the description and in the claims, “drive assembly” means the set of devices and components that allow to transmit the opening/closing motion from the handle to the various closure elements.

Door and window frames are classified as door and window frames with wing opening, with swivel opening and with wing and swivel opening. Wing opening is defined as an opening movement that takes place by rotation around a vertical axis. Swivel opening means an opening movement that takes place by rotation around a horizontal axis. Door and window frames with wing and swivel opening can be opened selectively by means of rotation around a vertical axis or by means of rotation around a horizontal axis.

In the case of door window frames within wing opening only or with swivel opening only, the drive assembly enables to select the closed or open position of the door or window frame. In the case of door or window frames with wing and swivel opening, the drive assembly enables selectively to activate closed positions, wing opening positions or swivel opening positions, under the command of a cremone bolt device.

The standard conformation of the metal section bars for doors or windows comprises on the outer side of the frame a longitudinal groove with undercut profile formed by a base, two parallel lateral walls and two edges oriented against each other and defining an undercut engagement area at each of the lateral walls of the longitudinal groove. Mounting the components of the drive assembly in the longitudinal slots of the section bars of the frame is an operation that has a considerable impact on the time required to assemble the door or window frames. In the most traditional solutions, the members comprising the drive assembly are provided with two longitudinal tenons that engage the two undercut engagement areas of the respective longitudinal grooves. This solution is not very attractive to the manufacturers of window and door frames because it entails the need to obtain notches at the end of each groove to allow the insertion of the actuating members in the longitudinal direction.

To overcome this drawback, the document FR-A-2722527 proposed a solution in which each actuating member is provided with a single tenon that engages only one undercut area of the longitudinal groove. According to the solution described in FR-A-2722527, the actuating members are arranged contiguous in alternated fashion, so that the first actuating member has its tenon engaging a first undercut engagement area of the groove and the actuating member adjacent to it has its own tenon engaging a second undercut engagement area opposite the first one. Arranging the actuating members in alternating fashion aims to solve the problem of the stability of the engagement between the actuating members and the groove of the frame. When two or more adjacent actuating members are fastened to each other, the set constituted by the series of mutually fastened actuating members comprises at least one tenon that engages the first undercut engagement area and at least one tenon that engages the second undercut engagement area of the groove.

The drawback of this solution is that the alternated mounting of the actuating members is inconvenient and it may require repeatedly upsetting the frame.

European patent application no. 05425179 by the same Applicant (not yet published as of the filing date of the present application) describes a drive assembly for door and window frames provided with actuating members with a single tenon which are inserted in transverse direction into the respective longitudinal slots of the frame. Said document does not describe that the actuating members all engage a same undercut engagement area of the respective groove.

The document DE-A-3225049 describes a door or window frame in which the longitudinal groove comprises a single undercut engagement area and with a lateral wall of the groove with a T shape engaged at opposite sides by two opposite tenons of the actuating members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide actuating members for door and window frames that can be mounted with greater simplicity relative to prior art solutions.

According to the present invention, said object is achieved by a door or window. that includes a movable quadrangular frame formed by four section bars each having a longitudinal groove. Each of the longitudinal grooves comprising a base, two parallel lateral walls and two edges oriented towards each other, wherein the edges and the lateral walls define a first undercut engagement area adjacent to a first face of the frame and a second undercut engagement area adjacent to a second face of the frame. The door or window further includes a drive assembly for opening/closing the movable quadrangular frame. The drive assembly comprising a plurality of actuating members and a plurality of transmission rods that operatively connect adjacent actuating members to each other, wherein each of the actuating members and each of the transmission rods has a single integral tenon, and wherein the tenons of all the actuating members and the tenons of all the transmission rods engage the first undercut engagement area.

In the solution according to the present invention, the actuating members have a single tenon and they all engage the undercut engagement area situated on the same side of the respective groove.

Thanks to this solution idea, during the assembly of the actuating members in the grooves of the section bars, it is not necessary repeatedly to upset the frame to mount the actuating members in alternated fashion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference toFIG. 1, the number10designates a door or window frame according to the present invention. The door or window frame10comprises a quadrangular frame12formed by four section bars14preferably constituted of aluminium or alloys thereof. Each of the section bars14has an outer side provided with a longitudinal groove16.

With reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, the frame12has two front faces designated respectively by the numbers18and20. The section bars14have respective front bearing edges22aligned to the first face18of the frame12and projecting outwards beyond the respective groove16. The front bearing edges22have respective grooves24able to receive a front sealing gasket (not shown) which in the closed position of the window or door frame is pressed against a front surface of the fixed frame of the door or window.

With reference for example toFIGS. 2 and 4, the longitudinal groove16of each section bar14comprises a base26, two lateral walls28and two longitudinal edges30oriented towards each other. The two longitudinal ends of the edges30facing each other define the outer opening of the longitudinal groove16. The longitudinal edges30define an undercut engagement area at each lateral wall28of the groove16. A first undercut engagement area32is adjacent to the first face18of the frame12and a second undercut engagement area34is adjacent to the second face20of the frame12.

Each undercut engagement area32,34has substantially “C” shape and is defined between the inner surfaces of the edge30, of the lateral wall28and by the lateral portion of the base26. The shape of the longitudinal groove16is standardised and it is used by most metallic section bars for door or window frames.

With reference toFIG. 1, the window or door frame10is provided with a drive assembly globally designated by the number36. The drive assembly36comprises a plurality of actuating members38,40,42,4649and a plurality of transmission rods48,50that operatively connect adjacent actuating members to each other. The drive assembly36shown inFIG. 1is that of a door or window frame with wing and swivel opening and it comprises a vertical fulcrum38, an angled transmission40, a scissors arm42a cremone bolt coupling and a cursor49.

According to the present invention, each actuating member and each transmission rod is provided with a single integral tenon for engagement with the respective groove16, so that all the components of the drive assembly36can be mounted frontally in the respective grooves. The tenons of the actuating members and of the transmission rods all engage the undercut engagement area32of the respective groove16adjacent to the first wall18of the frame12, i.e. the wall provided with front bearing edge22.

FIGS. 2 to 11schematically show some details and the manners of mounting of some actuating members40,42,49comprising the drive assembly36.

With reference toFIGS. 2 through 5, the actuating member49(cursor) has a single tenon52obtained in integral form with the body of the actuating member49and engaging the first undercut engagement area32of the groove16. The actuating member49is mounted by positioning the tenon52into the first undercut engagement area32as shown inFIGS. 2 and 4and then making the engagement member49oscillate towards the interior of the groove16obtaining the frontal insertion of the actuating member49into the groove16as shown inFIGS. 3 and 5. On the opposite side of the tenon52, the actuating member49is provided with a bearing longitudinal edge54that bears on the outer side of the edge30situated at the second undercut engagement area34.

The actuating member49is fastened to the transmission rod50by means of a screw56. The manner in which each actuating member38,40,42,46and49is fastened to the respective transmission rods48,50is described in detail in a contemporaneous patent application by the same Applicant.

FIGS. 6 through 9show the way in which the frontal mounting of the angled transmission40is carried out. In this case, too, the angled transmission40is provided with a single integral tenon52that engages the first undercut engagement area32of the longitudinal groove16. The mounting operation is carried out by frontally inserting the angled transmission40into the groove16as indicated inFIGS. 6 and 8and then making the angled transmission40oscillate towards the interior of the groove16until it reaches the position shown inFIGS. 7 and 9. On the opposite side of the tenon52there is a bearing edge54that bears on the outer side of the edge30situated at the second undercut engagement area34. The angled transmission40can also be provided with a recessing tooth58that engages in snap-in fashion the edge30during the frontal insertion into the groove16. The recessing tooth58is thrust elastically outwards and it has the purpose of holding the angled transmission40inside the groove16during the assembly. Similar retaining teeth can also be provided on other actuating members of the assembly36.

With reference toFIGS. 10 and 11, the scissors arm42is also mounted in the manner described previously.FIGS. 10 and 11show the scissors arm42at the end of the mounting in the groove16. The insertion takes place frontally, positioning the single integral tenon52in engagement with the first undercut engagement portion32and then making the scissors arm42oscillate towards the interior of the groove16.

The fact that all the actuating members and all the transmission rods are provided with a single tenon for connection to the section bars14could cause instability problems due to pressures on the door or window frame. However, said problems are solved thanks to the fact that all the actuating members engage the undercut engagement area32of the groove16that is oriented towards the face18of the frame12provided with the front bearing edge22. In the case of inward opening door and window frames, the face18is the inner face of the door or window frame whilst in the case of outward opening door and window frames, the face18is the outer face of the door or window frame.

The fact that all the tenons of the drive assembly36engage the inner portion of the groove16in the case of inward opening door and window frames and the outer portion of the groove16in the case of outward opening door and window frames determines a complete stability, even without a tenon with structural function on the opposite side of the groove16. It can be demonstrated that the connection between the actuating members and the section bars14is perfectly stable in the case of thrusts directed from the outside inwards, in the case of inwardly opening door and window frames, or under the action of thrusts directed from the inside outwards, in the case of outwardly opening door and window frames.

The fact that all the tenons of the drive assembly36engage the same side of the groove16enables to carry out the frontal mounting of the actuating members and of the transmission rods without upsetting the frame12, i.e. keeping the frame12with the face18bearing on a horizontal plane during the entire assembly operation.