A SCREENING ARRANGEMENT

Abstract: The screening arrangement is meant for screening of a window which is built into a roof surface and comprises a flexible screening body with a bottom bar in connection with the free end of the bar. A top casing for the screening arrangement is placed at the top frame or sash member of the window and comprises a reception means, such as a roller. The screening arrangement comprises at least on rotatable connection which permits a displacement of the screening body to a position in which it forms an angle with the roof surface and is positioned within the end wall of the top casing. The reception means is situated essentially in the plane of the screening, the top casing having such a form that it follows the form of the window at the top frame or sash member. The rotatable connection can be provided near at least two sets of spaced hing fittings, where the first fitting part in each of said sets is designed as a mounting fitting to be mounted on the top frame or sash member and has an engagement portion for engagement with a second fitting part in connection with the top casing.

Description: A screening arrangement The present invention relates to a screening device for screening of a window which is meant to be built into a roof surface, and which has a frame structure and a sash structure, each with a top and bottom member and two mutually parallel side members, comprising a screening body which is provided with a first end and a second end together with two side edges, a bottom roller in connection with said first end of the screening body and which extends essentially in parallel with the top and bottom frame or sash member, a top casing situated at and extending along the top frame or sash member of the window, including in each end, an end wall which is essentially parallel to the side members of the frame and sash structures, a reception means situated in said top casing and in connection with said second end of the screening body, and side guide rails to be mounted essentially in parallel with the side members of the window and which are meant for accommodation and guidance of the ends of the bottom rail and the side edges of the screening body, the screening body being movable between a first end position in which it occupies a rolled-up, pleated or folded position on or at said reception means in the top casing, and a second active end position in which for the screening of the window, it is extended between said top and bottom frame or sash members in a screening plane, the screening arrangement including at least one rotatable connection which allows the movement of the screening device to a position in which it forms an angle with the roof surface about a hinge axis which is essentially parallel to the top and bottom members of the window. Such screening arrangements are known in many different forms and comprise e.g. awning blinds, roller blinds and roller shutters, where the screening body in the non-screening position is rolled-up on a reception means in the form of a roller, and pleated blinds and Venetian blinds, where the screening body is pleated and folded, respectively, at a reception means which for these kinds of screening typically comprises wiring and operation devices. In prior art, such screening arrangements are known, in particular for placement on the outside of the window and in connection with an openable window sash, where it is necessary to tilt at least the screening body in relation to the plane of the roof surface in order to open the window. The rotatable connection can e.g. be provided by a hinge between the top casing and the top frame or sash member of the window, where the hinge connection can be placed at the lower edge of the top casing as shown in DE patent no. 29 06 913, DE patent no. 44 01 056 and EP patent application no. 0 207 870, whereas e.g. DE publication no. 196 00 952 discloses an arrangement where the hinge connection comprises consoles at the end walls of the top casing. Irrespective of the kind of screening arrangement in question and irrespective of the placement being inside or outside in relation to the window, the design is • generally desired to be as compact as possible, both for aesthetic reasons as it is desirable to avoid that the screening arrangement disfigures the appearance of the building, and for practical reasons, such as conditions for building-in. This applies in particular when installing a window in roof surfaces where it is not possible or desirable to modify the roof structure and/or the surrounding roof covering. Furthermore, the screening arrangement is. desired not to restrict the view through the window in a non-screening position, i.e. where the screening body is rolled-up, folded or pleated in the top casing. Therefore, the object of the invention is to improve a screening arrangement of the type mentioned by way of introduction with regard to building-in and appearance . With this end in view, the screening arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that said rotatable connection or connections are situated within the end walls of said top casing, and that said reception means is placed essentially in said screening plane, the top casing having such a form that it follows the form of the window at said top frame and sash member. The placement of the reception means in the top casing at a relatively low level in relation to the roof surface together with the rotatable connection or connections within the end walls of the top casing assure the very desired compact design of the screening arrangement, the dimensions in the elevation, longitudinal as well as width direction being smaller than possibly obtained in corresponding arrangements in prior art . In an embodiment simple as to mounting, the rotatable connection is provided by at least two sets of spaced hinge mountings. A first fitting part in each of said sets is preferably designed as an installation fitting to be mounted on the top frame or sash member of the window and has an engagement portion for engagement with a second fitting part in connection with the top casing. In a preferred further development of the embodiment simple to mount, the engagement portion in the first fitting part has the form as an essentially keyhole-shaped incision with a narrowed mouth in connection with a circular portion of the incision, and the engagement portion in the second fitting part has the form as an axle journal with an essentially rectangular cross section which in one direction has a first dimension corresponding to the width of the mouth of the incision in the first fitting part and in the direction perpendicular thereto a second dimension fitting the diameter of the circular portion of the incision. The hinge fitting sets are preferably arranged in such a way that the hinge axis is situated at the underside of the top casing and on the outside of the top frame or sash member of the window. In an alternative embodiment, the rotatable connection is provided at a hinge connection between each side guide rail and the top casing. In a further development of this embodiment simple as to production and mounting, the hinge connection comprises an upright flap at the end of each side guide rail for accommodation of an essentially circular cylindrical pin in connection with the top casing. A particularly compact design of a screening arrangement is obtained by an embodiment where the movement of the screening body from the first to the second end position is effected by the influence from an electric drive motor of a cord guidance comprising two draw cords which are guided separately in said side guide rails and individually in one end are connected with a winding reel coupled to the drive motor at one of the top or bottom frame or sash members and in the second end are connected to said bottom bar, and where said second cord end is spring- biassed towards the traction effecting the cord, the winding reel being provided with a smooth abutment surface for the rewound cord, and in connection with the winding reel a cord guidance is provided to assure the winding of the cord in a single cord layer in the longitudinal direction of the reel. By a particularly simple further development of this embodiment, the abutment surface of the winding reel is lowered in relation to two end guides, the cord is fastened to the reel at one end guide, and the end guide comprises a bar element positioned opposite the abutment surface of the reel and faintly tilted in relation to the reel axis such that its distance from the reel axis declines in the direction from said one end guide toward the second end guide . As a consequence of the spring bias on the second cord end, the tilted cord guide, the angle of which with the reel axis preferably amounts to 5-25°, e.g. 15°, entails that the cord during its own winding is displaced in the direction from one cord guide at which the cord is fastened to the reel toward the second cord guide . The spring bias of the second cord end can appropriately be produced by a screw compression spring positioned in the bottom bar and in one end connected with an end plug for the bottom bar and in the second end with the second cord end. The winding reels for the two cords can either be arranged at the top frame or sash member, and each cord can be led around a cord return element at the bottom frame or sash member for connection of the second cord end with the bottom bar, or as an alternative be positioned at the bottom frame or sash member for a direct connection of the second end of each cord with the bottom bar. In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by means of examples of embodiments and with reference to the schematic drawing, where Fig. 1 shows a side view partly sectional of a screening arrangement in a first embodiment of the invention, Fig . 2 a view of the screening arrangement shown in Fig. 1 during its mounting, Fig. 3 a view corresponding to Fig. 1 of a second embodiment , Fig. 4 a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 5 a detail of the embodiment shown in fig. 4. As an embodiment of the screening arrangement according to the invention is in Figs. 1 and 2 shown an external awning blind with a screening body in the form of an awning cloth 1 which in one end is fastened to a roller 2 constituting a reception means for the screening body and mounted in a top casing 3 at the top frame member 4a of the window and a top sash member 4b where the window is openable. Furthermore, each frame and sash structure comprises a not-shown bottom bar together with two side members, the sash members together bordering an insulating pane 30. The top casing 3 extends along the top frame and sash members 4a and 4b of the window and has in each end an end wall, of which in Figs. 1 and 2 only one end wall 3a is seen. The opposite free end of the awning cloth 1 is connected to a tubular bottom bar 5, between which and the roller 3, the awning cloth 1 in the shown embodiment is led around a guide roller 6 also placed in the top casing 2. The screening arrangement further comprises a side guide rail which in mounted position is connected to the side members of the sash structure and of which one side guide rail 10 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The side guide rails 10 are meant to accommodate and lead the ends of the bottom bar 5 and the edges of the awning cloth 1. The top casing 3 of the screening arrangement is rotatably connected to the window structure by means of two mutually spaced sets of hinge fittings where each set comprises a first fitting part in the form of a mounting fitting 31 connected to a top casing 32 for the window, e.g. as shown with a hook 33 and a not-shown screw connection, and a second fitting part in the form of an axle journal 34 in connection with the top casing 3 of the screening arrangement . The mounting fitting 31 has an engagement portion designed as an essentially keyhole-shaped incision 35 which comprises a narrowed mouth in connection with a circular portion of the incision. The axle journal 34 has in one direction a first dimension corresponding to the width of the mouth of the incision 35, whereas the axle journal 34 in the direction perpendicular thereto has a second dimension fitting the diameter of the circular portion of the incision 35. In this way, the screening arrangement can easily be mounted on the window by inserting the axle journal 34 in the incision 35, whereas the screening arrangement is kept in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the axle journal 34 has been inserted into the circular portion of the incision 35, the screening arrangement can be turned down past the window and connected to the sash structure in an appropriate manner. When mounted, the screening arrangement can then be moved together with the sash structure, when this is opened in relation to the frame structure. A second embodiment of the screening arrangement according to the invention is shown in Fig. 3 where parts with similar or analogue function in relation to the embodiment in Figs . 1 and 2 have the same referential number added with ' . The tilting of the screening length, e.g. an awning cloth 1', is provided in this embodiment in that each side guide rail 10 ' is rotatably connected to the top casing 3' of the screening arrangement, whereas the top casing 3 ' itself is firmly connected to the top member 4a' of the frame structure. The hinge connection comprises an upright flap 40 on the side guide rail 10' with .an opening 41 . for accommodation of a pin 42 in connection with the top casing 3 ' . In the following, a third embodiment of the screening arrangement according to the invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. This embodiment can be combined with the first or second embodiment in Figs. 1-2 and 3, respectively. Parts with similar or analogue function in relation to the above embodiments have the same referential number added with " . For movement of the bottom bar 5" and the connected end of the awning cloth 1" from a first end position in which the bottom bar 5" is positioned at or in the top casing 3" such that the window is not screened by the awning cloth 1", to a second end position in which the bottom bar 5" is positioned at the bottom frame or sash member 7 of the window, the bottom bar 5" is connected to a cord guidance comprising two draw cords 8 and 9 which are led each in their side guide rail 10" and 11, respectively, fastened to the frame or sash side members 12 and 13 of the window which also provide a guide for not-shown end covers or plugs to the tubular bottom bar ' 5" . Each cord 8 and 9 is in one end fastened to a winding reel 14 and 15, respectively, which in the shown design are placed outside each their end of the roller 2". The winding reels 14 and 15 are coupled to an electric drive unit in the form of an electric motor 16 with an associated transmission such that the displacement of the bottom bar 5 from the first to the second end position is effected by electric operation of a keyboard designed for this purpose, perhaps a remote control . From the winding reels 14, 15, each cord 8, 9 is through the associated side guide rail 10", 11 led around a cord return element e.g. in the form of a pulley 17, 18 placed at the bottom frame or sash member 7 and into one or another, respectively, end of the tubular bottom bar 5", where the free cord end is connected to one end of a screw compression spring 19, 20, the other end of which is connected to the not-shown end cover or end plug of the bottom bar 5" in the same side. In order to assure the rewinding of each cord 8, 9 on the associated winding reel 14, 15 in a single layer of cord windings with minimal width of the winding reel, each winding reel 14 and 15 is, as shown in Fig. 5, designed with a smooth, plane abutment or rewinding surface 21 for the cord rewinding, and to each winding reel 14, 15, a cord guide 22 is connected to assure the cord winding in a single cord or winding layer in the longitudinal direction for the reel 14, 15. In the shown embodiment, the abutment or rewinding surface 21 of the winding reel 14, 15 is as shown in Fig. 5 lowered between two end guides 23, 24, and the associated cord 8, 9 is fastened to the reel at one end guide 23, whereas the cord guide 22 is designed as a bar element positioned opposite the abutment or rewinding surface 21 and fixed in the top casing 3" by means of end fittings 25, 26. The bar element 22 is slightly tilted in relation to the axis of the associated winding reel 14, 15 preferably at an angle of 5-25°, e.g. 15° with the reel axis. During the rotation of the winding reel 14, 15 for rewinding the associated cord 8, 9, the bottom bar 5" with the shown cord guidance will be displaced from the first towards the second end position. During this displacement, each cord 8 and 9 will as a consequence of the spring load from the screw compression springs 19, 20 be kept tightly extended, and the cord guides 22 will thus automatically entail that the cords 8 and 9 during rewinding are displaced in the longitudinal direction of the associated winding reel 14, 15 from one end guide 23 where the cord 8, 9 is fastened to the reel 14, 15 towards the second end guide 24. Instead of being placed in the top casing 3, the winding reels 14, 15 can with associated electric drive unit 16 be arranged in an bottom casing at the bottom frame or sash member 7, which can have the advantage that the length of the winding cords 8 , 9 can be shortened such that the width of the winding reels 14, 15 can be further reduced. In an embodiment as shown on the drawing, the movement of the screening body 1" in the opposite direction can be effected by impact from the roller by a constant force, e.g. a spring power, or electrically by means of a separate rewinding motor. Even though the invention in the above has been described only for an external awning blind as embodiment example, it may also be used in other current forms of external screening arrangement such as roller shutters.

Claims: P A T E N T C L AT M S 1. A screening device for screening of a window which is meant to be built into a roof surface, and which has a frame structure and a sash structure, each with a top and bottom member and two mutually parallel side members, comprising a screening body which is provided with a first end and a second end together with two side edges, a bottom roller in connection with said first end of the screening body and which extends essentially in parallel with the top and bottom frame or sash member, a top casing situated at and extending along the top frame or sash member of the window, including in each end, an end wall which is essentially parallel to the side members of the frame and sash structures, a reception means situated in said top casing and in connection with said second end of the screening body, and side guide rails to be mounted essentially in parallel with the side members of the window and which are meant for accommodation and guidance of the ends of the bottom rail and the side edges of the screening body, the screening body being movable between a first end position in which it occupies a rolled-up, pleated or folded position on or at said reception means in the top casing, and a second active end position in which for the screening of the window, it is extended between said top and bottom frame or sash members in a screening plane, the screening arrangement including at least one rotatable connection which allows the movement of the screening device to a position in which it forms an angle with the roof surface about a hinge axis which is essentially parallel to the top and bottom members of the window, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said rotatable connection or connections are situated within the end walls of said top casing, and that said reception paeans is placed essentially in said screening plane, the top casing having such a form that it follows the form of the window at said top frame and sash member. 2. A screening device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said rotatable connection is provided by at least two sets of spaced hinge mountings. 3. A screening device according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a first fitting part in each of said sets is designed as an installation fitting to be mounted on the top frame or sash member of the window and has an engagement portion for engagement with a second fitting part in connection with the top casing. 4. A screening device according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the engagement portion in the first fitting part has the form as an essentially keyhole-shaped incision with a narrowed mouth in connection with a circular portion of the incision, and that the engagement portion in the second fitting part has the form as an axle journal with an essentially rectangular cross section which in one direction has a first dimension corresponding to the width of the mouth of the incision in the first fitting part and in the direction perpendicular thereto a second dimension fitting the diameter of the circular portion of the incision. 5. A screening device according to any of the claims 2-4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the hinge fitting sets are arranged in such a way that the hinge axis is situated at the underside of the top casing and on the outside of the top frame or sash member of the window. 6. A screening device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the rotatable connection is provided at a hinge connection between each side guide rail and the top casing. 7. A screening device according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the hinge connection comprises an upright flap at the end of each side guide rail for accommodation of an essentially circular cylindrical pin in connection with the top casing. 8. A screening device according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the movement of the screening body from the first to the second end position is effected by the influence from an electric drive motor of a cord guidance comprising two draw cords which are guided separately in said side guide rails and individually in one end are connected with a winding reel coupled to the drive motor at one of the top or bottom frame or sash members and in the second end are connected to said bottom bar, that said second cord end is spring- biassed towards the traction effecting the cord, that the winding reel is provided with a smooth abutment surface for the rewound cord, and that in connection with the winding reel a cord guidance is provided to assure the winding of the cord in a single cord layer in the longitudinal direction of the reel. 9. A screening device according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the abutment surface of the winding reel is lowered in relation to two end guides, that the cord is fastened to the reel at one end guide, and that the end guide comprises a bar element positioned opposite the abutment surface of the reel and faintly tilted in relation to the reel axis such that its distance from the reel axis declines in the direction from said one end guide toward the second end guide . 10. A screening device according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the bar element forms an angle of 5-25°, e.g. 15° with the reel axis. 11. A screening device according to claim 8, 9 or 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said spring bias of the second cord end is appropriately produced by a screw compression spring positioned in the bottom bar and in one end connected with an end plug for the bottom bar and in the second end with the second cord end. 12. A screening device according to any of the claims 8 to 11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the winding reels for the two cords are arranged at the top frame or sash member, and each cord is led around a cord return element at the bottom frame or sash member for connection of the second cord end with the bottom bar. 13. A screening device according to any of the claims 8 to 11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the winding reels for the two cords are positioned at the bottom frame or sash member for a direct connection of the second end of each cord with the bottom bar.

Inventors: MORTENSEN MARTIN ARMAND, ULRIKSEN ULRIK, MORTENSEN, MARTIN, ARMAND, ULRIKSEN, ULRIK
Applicants: MORTENSEN MARTIN ARMAND, ULRIKSEN ULRIK, VKR HOLDING AS, MORTENSEN, MARTIN, ARMAND, ULRIKSEN, ULRIK, VKR HOLDING A/S
Application year: 2000
Main classification: E06B9
IPC codes: E06B9