Extendable grate fitted to protect doors and windows

Abstract: The subject invention concerns an articulated grate to protect doors and windows in general, that can be extended in such a way that it covers the whole space of the opening, when the place remains unattended and can be shifted laterally, freeing almost completely the space when the place is frequented. The grate is formed by a series of uprights (2), constituted by particular aluminium section bars, having inside elements foranti-cut reinforcement and gliding slides of connection (3) between the transversal (2) bars, that allow to space apart or draw close the uprights, in order to cover or free the opening.

Description: The subject invention concerns an articulated grate for protection of doors and windows in general, that can be extended to cover the whole span of the opening when the place is unattended, and can be shifted laterally, clearing almost completely the span when the place is attended. There are known extendable grates for shops, that use articulated parallelogram elements, in iron plate. These grates do not have adequate characteristics to be used in flats, because of the low level of the finishing, of the maintaining problems due to numerous articulations, subject to oxidising, and because of the relative facility with which the plate can be cut. The Utility Model DE-U-8714746 discloses a roller blind to which is coupled an articulated security screen that is formed by a variable number of long packetable rods, of different section, i.e. double rods. The ends of said rods are inserted in suitable guides, while the rods can be shifted by the virtue of transversal foldable bars, each of them has a first end hinged to a long rod, while, near its other end, the bar is provided with a slot in which a pin, fixed to a next rod, can slide. The solution claimed in this Utility Model shows a remarkable drawback just in the transversal rods since they are extremely weakened in the relative slot, so that they are the vulnerable element of the whole grate. The document US-4.006.768 discloses an extendable grate, adapted to protect doors or similar openings, which is of the type that has a series of uprights, each of them has a slide vertically movable and internally driven respectively by a lower rod, that is slidingly supported by an horizontal inferior guide of the frame of the grate, and by an upper rod, that is slidingly supported by an horizontal superior guide of said frame. Such uprights can be shifted by virtue of transversal connection bars that can assume different inclinations. The ends of each transversal bars are respectively pivoted to a corresponding couple of faced slides of two adjacent uprights. The uprights differentiate in main uprights and in link-anchoring uprights alternatively positioned in the grate. The slides of the link-anchoring uprights are not affected by any vertical movement during the opening and closing of the grate, while the slides of the main uprights glide vertically on the relative rods. The lower rod of each upright is provided with a registrable stop of the relative slide. The stops associated with the link-anchoring bars are initially fixed to a predetermined height of the bars so as to provide a means for accommodating the grate to the opening. The stops associated with the main bars are fixed to a predetermined height of the bars so as to determine the spacing between the uprights. The most important disadvantage of such grate is that each upright is not formed of a single part rather in three elements, a lower and an upper rod and a slide, which are not able to give sufficient solidity and mechanical fluency to the same grate. A further disadvantage lies in the fact that the slides of the uprights are vertically movable and consequently are also movable the pins in which are pivoted the transversal connection bars, so that the whole grate is hinged too much and than it is structurally labile and not much steady. Another disadvantage is that the grate has two type of vertical uprights which are functionally different and have various heights at a loss of aesthetical effect of the whole grate. There have been made extendable grates for residences, with better finishing and security characteristics, but the ones known at present have the disadvantage that they must be removed manually in order to free the opening, or, if gliding, they require a housing space in the wall, at the sides of the door of the window. The creation of the space provokes considerable problems, specially in preexistent constructions. The subject grate allows eliminates such disadvantages as, even if it is gliding, it is much close and hardy and it does not require any housing space in the wall, nor frequent maintenance operations. Moreover, it has adequate security and finishing characteristics and can be easily adapted to different opening widths to cover. The grate is formed by a series of uprights, made of particular aluminium section bars, having inside elements for anti-cut reinforcement and gliding slides for connection of the transversal bars, that allow to distance or draw near one to another the vertical uprights, in order to cover or free almost completely the opening. Now, the grate will be described in a detailed way, with reference to the enclosed drawings, that illustrate only as an example one of its possible embodiments. Fig. 1, table 1, shows the grate in the closed position. Fig. 2, table 2, shows the grate while it is being opened or closed in order to free or protect the opening. Fig. 3, table 3 shows two uprights equipped with the respective connection bars. Fig. 4, table 4, shows a particular of the lower part of an upright. In the figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 indicates a perimetric frame including an inferior guide 4 and a superior guide 5 whose ends are linked by respective vertical rods; with 2 are indicated the vertical uprights, which are structurally the same wholly extending between the guides 4 and 5: for instance these uprights are made of particular aluminium sec tion bars; while numeral 3 indicates the connection bars of the uprights. The uprights can be moved by gliding along the guides 4 and 5, since these guides are as their drives and supports. With 6 it is indicated the utmost upright, furnished with a known handle and a known lock. Extending and drawing close the uprights 2 is made possible due to articulations shown in fig. 3. As seen in that figure, the section bars 2 constituting the uprights are internally supplied with anti-cut round bars 7 that, are able to rotate and prevent the saw teeth from gripping and removing the metal. With 8 it is indicated a reinforcement plate, that makes the upright structure rigid. Numeral 9 indicates internal uprights slides that can glide longitudinally with low friction thanks to wheels 10 with which they are equipped. The connection bars 3 have one end pivoted to the slides 9 in 11 and the other end crossed by the gudgeon 12, integral with the section bar. In order to make possible to vary the inclination of the connection bars 3, that is necessary for drawing close or spacing out the uprights 2, the slides 9 have the slots 13 corresponding to the fixed gudgeons 12. When the grate is extended, the connection bars 3 assume a less inclined position, in order to cover the distance between one vertical rod and another: each bar rotates on the fixed pin 12 and determines, with the other end, the slope of the relative slide 9, until it reaches the ledge of the stop 14, fig. 4. This ledge is constituted by a registrable screw which inserts in the correspondent threaded hole of the body 15, blocked inside the section bar 2 by means of the screw 16. The registrable ledges 14, by limiting the slope of the slides 9 allow to maintain constant the distance between the uprights 2 of the grate, irrespective of the width of the opening to protect. There can be provided the additional security elements, constituted, for instance, by steel nails 17, put on the bodies 15, that in such a case will be fastened to section bars by screws with gauged resistance that shear in case of an elevated pressure toward the bottom of the slides 9. In such a way, an attempt to widen the grate over the provided measure will cause the breaking of the screw 16 and therefore the nail 17 will partially penetrate in the guide 4 blocking the sliding of the vertical rod. Obviously, the number of the vertical rods and transversal connection bars, subdivided in two or more raws, can vary according to the dimensions of the opening to protect. In the present case a manually operated grate has been adopted, but it is clear that the invention can be applied to grates which are operated by means of motors, e.g. via wormscrews, belts or other similar means.

Claims: Extendable security grate, adapted to protect a window or door opening, which is of the type that includes: a perimetric frame (1), including an inferior guide (4) and a superior guide (5), whose ends are connected by means of a respective vertical rod; a series of vertical uprights (2), each spanning the distance between said inferior guide (4) and said superior guide (5), each end of said vertical uprights (2) being slidingly supported respectively by said inferior guide (4) and by said superior guide (5), and at least a transversal connection bar (3) which connects each couple of said vertical-faced uprights (2); each of said uprights being fitted to house a slide (9) which glides inside said upright (2) and to which is pivoted an end of said transversal bar (3) while the other end of the latter is pivoted by means of a pin (12) fixed to said upright (2) which is faced to the same slide (9). Grate as in claim 1, characterised in that said slide (9) is provided with a vertical slot (13) which is interested, without interference, by said pin (12) and whose length is so that said slide (9) can glide vertically inside the respective upright (2), until said grate is completely packed, said slide (9) moreover provided with the wheels (10) that facilitate the sliding thereof inside said vertical upright (2). Grate as in claim 1, characterised in that the stroke of each cited slide (9) inside the upright (2) is limited by at least a registrable ledge (14), that is housed inside each cited upright (2) and that is anchored thereto by fastening means (16), whose position establishes the mutual distance between two adjacent uprights (2), thus the maximum extensibility of said grate. Grate as in claim 3, characterised in that the end of each cited registrable ledges (14) faced to said inferior guide (4) is provided with at least a nail element (17) that can stick into said inferior guide (4) in correspondence with a phase of forced widening of said grate and with the consequent detaching of said ledge (14) from said respective upright (2) due to the forced breakage of the cited fastening means (16) that in such a case have a gauged resistance. Grate as in claim 1, characterised in that each of said uprights (2) houses moreover at least a reinforcement plate (8) and at least an anti-cut round rod (7), that can freely rotate inside each respective cited upright (2).

Inventors: SPARAVENTI FRANCO, SPARAVENTI, FRANCO
Applicants: TE SI FLEX SRL, TE. SI. FLEX S.R.L.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: E06B9