Patent Publication Number: US-9890557-B2

Title: Leaf of a sliding window or sliding door and sliding window or sliding door provided with such a leaf

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Belgian Application No. 2013/0566 filed Aug. 30, 2013 and PCT/BE2014/000040 filed Aug. 21, 2014, International Publication No. WO 2015/027301, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein. 
     The present invention relates to a leaf of a sliding window or sliding door. 
     More specifically the invention concerns sliding windows or sliding doors with a frame fastened immovably in a wall, in which one or more leaves that can slide are fastened, and in which there can also be fixed leaves that cannot slide. 
     These are large windows for example that can continue down to floor level and through which access can be gained to a terrace, for example, from a living room. They can be considered as sliding windows, but also as sliding doors. In this description only the word sliding window will be used, which also means a similar construction with a door character, thus running down to the floor and wide and high enough to act as a passageway. 
     For aesthetic reasons there is a great demand for sliding windows with a minimal aspect. This means that the outermost frame of the sliding window is concealed as much as possible in a wall and the floor if applicable, so that the frame profiles have the minimum possible visibility and that the leaf profiles are kept as slim as possible. 
     Hereby the lock and any motor to drive the sliding leaf is preferably placed in the frame, so that they do not constitute a visual disturbance. 
     However it is difficult to firmly affix a lock plate, i.e. a component of an essentially plate form with a hole or holes to receive a pin or pins of the lock, on the leaf, because when installing a leaf in an outer frame there is no further space at the top of the leaf to perform the operations to affix the necessary hardware components, such as the lock plate or a coupling to a drive motor. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Belgian patent application No. 2013/0015 provides a solution to this, whereby a lock plate is slidably placed in a groove in the top profile from the side, where the groove is open and secured by means of a connecting piece that is slid in a similar groove in the side profile of the leaf. 
     However, the manufacturing tolerances of the leaf and the outer frame mean that the positions of the lock and the lock plate sometimes poorly correspond, so that either a pin or pins of the lock do not enter into the lock plate, such that the lock does not work, or there is a greater than desired play between the pins and the lock plate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the present invention is to provide a solution to a least one of the aforementioned and other disadvantages, by providing a leaf of a sliding window or sliding door, and this leaf has a horizontal profile and an upright side profile perpendicular to the horizontal profile, whereby the horizontal profile is provided with a lock plate for a lock, whereby the leaf is provided with an adjustment mechanism to be able to adjust the position of the lock plate in the direction in which the horizontal profile extends, and to be able to fasten the lock plate to the leaf, whereby the adjustment mechanism can be operated from the side where the side profile is located. 
     Hereby all indications of the profiles are considered as relating to the leaf in the mounted situation. 
     This thus means that the horizontal profile is a top or bottom profile of the leaf in the mounted situation, and the side profile is a vertical profile when the leaf is mounted. 
     Also with a leaf in the non-mounted situation, it is clear to a man skilled in the art what the orientation of the leaf will be in the mounted situation, i.e. which profile of the leaf will be on the top, bottom or side after mounting, because all these sides are provided with different seals and fittings. For example, the bottom profile is usually provided with wheels that enable movement. This also follows naturally from complementary characteristics of a surrounding frame in which the leaf has to be fitted. 
     This has the advantage that the position of the lock plate can be easily adjusted, without the leaf having to be taken out of the outer frame, because the side, i.e. the edge where the side profile is located is accessible for a fitter. 
     As a result the good operation of the lock of such a sliding window is guaranteed. 
     The play between the lock and the lock plate can also be kept to a minimum. 
     This can also be done while the leaf is in the closed position. It is thus not necessary to repeatedly adjust the position of the lock plate with the leaf in the open position and then to confirm the correctness of the position by bringing the leaf to a closed position. 
     The horizontal profile is normally a top profile, but can also be a bottom profile. 
     In a preferred embodiment the adjustment mechanism comprises the following components:
         a hole in the lock plate or a fixed component attached thereto, whereby this hole extends horizontally and is provided with an internal screw thread;   at least one adjusting rod that is at least partly provided with an external screw thread and which is affixed in the hole, whereby the adjusting rod has a head that is arranged to engage with a tool to rotate the adjusting rod and which is oriented towards the side where the side profile is located.       

     By screwing the adjusting rod in and out of the hole the distance between the head and the lock plate can be adjusted, such that a reliable adjustment possibility is obtained in an easy way. 
     A big advantage is that the adjustment can be done blind, because often there is no or only limited access for a fitter. This means that the fitter can place the tool on the head by feel and thereby turn the adjusting rod. 
     In a further preferred embodiment the horizontal profile is provided with a first groove with undercut flanks that extends in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal profile, whereby a first carriage is held in the first groove, whereby the lock plate forms part of the first carriage or is fastened thereto, and whereby preferably the said hole is made in the first carriage. 
     The advantage of this is that the lock plate is fixed in the top profile, except for a movement in the longitudinal direction of the groove, so that the adjustment mechanism only has to be provided to secure the carriage in one direction. 
     In a further preferred embodiment the adjustment mechanism also comprises a gripping element, which, at least in the horizontal direction, has a fixed position with respect to the horizontal profile whereby the adjusting rod and the gripping element are arranged such that the adjusting rod can be secured to the gripping element or that the gripping element forms an end stop for the adjusting rod. 
     For clarity it is hereby noted that a gripping element means a component with a fixed position with respect to the leaf as a whole, to which the rest of the adjustment mechanism is fastened, so that the gripping element is the component with respect to which the lock plate is adjustable. 
     In a further preferred embodiment the side profile is provided with a second groove with undercut flanks that extends longitudinally in the side profile, whereby a second carriage is held in the second groove and the gripping element is formed by the second carriage. 
     This gives a good and sturdy construction method for the gripping element, so that the lock plate can be firmly fastened, whereby the first and second groove and the first and second carriage can be of the same shape so that standardisation is possible. 
     In a further preferred embodiment the gripping element is provided with a horizontal passage and the adjusting rod is provided with a thickening and a screw thread between the head and the thickening, whereby the passage is of such a size that the part between the head and the widening fits through the passage, but not the widening. 
     In an alternative preferred embodiment, the adjustment mechanism comprises two of the above-mentioned holes and two of the above-mentioned adjusting rods, whereby the gripping element is provided with two horizontal passages, whereby a first combination of a passage and an adjusting rod is such that the adjusting rod is not inserted through the passage and the head of the adjusting rod does not fit through the passage, but a tool to rotate the adjusting rod does fit through the passage and whereby a second combination of a passage and an adjusting rod is such that the head of the adjusting rod does not fit through the passage and the adjusting rod is inserted through the passage. 
     With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a leaf and a method according to the invention is described hereinafter by way of an example, without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an outside view of a sliding window provided with a leaf according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a leaf according to the invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows an enlargement of the part of the leaf of  FIG. 2  indicated by F 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a similar presentation as  FIG. 3 , with the leaf in a partly dismantled situation; 
         FIG. 5  shows a cross-section of the leaf of  FIG. 3  according to line V-V; 
         FIG. 6  shows an alternative leaf according to the invention in a presentation as in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a similar presentation as  FIG. 6 , with the leaf in a partially dismantled situation; 
         FIG. 8  shows a side view of a part of the leaf of  FIG. 6 , as indicated by F 8 ; and 
         FIG. 9  shows a top view of a part of the leaf of  FIG. 6 , as indicated by F 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The sliding window  1  shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a frame  2 , a fixed leaf  3  and a slidable leaf  4 . 
     In order to be able to move the slidable leaf  4 , in this example but not necessarily, a motor  5  is provided that is connected to the slidable leaf  4  via a drive belt  7  running over a reversing roller  6  and a first carriage  8 , not shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     A lock  9  is also provided, which together with a lock plate  10  provided on the first carriage  8 , can lock the slidable leaf  4  in a closed position. 
     The motor  5 , reversing roller  6 , lock  9  and drive belt  7  are schematically indicated in  FIG. 1 , although they are affixed in the frame  2  and are thereby enclosed and thus not visible from the outside. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 2 to 5  the slidable leaf  4  essentially consists of a glass panel  11  that is provided on its sides and top with a side profile  12  or a top profile  13 . 
     In this example but not necessarily, these side and top profiles  12 ,  13  have an identical cross-section. They are provided with a groove  14  with undercut flanks  15  oriented towards the outside, thus away from the glass panel  11 . 
     The aforementioned first carriage  8  is mounted in the groove  14  of the top profile  13 . A coupling  18  is mounted on this first carriage  8  for the said drive belt  7 , as well as a lock plate  10  for the lock  9 . The drive belt  7  is normally connected to the coupling  18  in the situation shown, but for the purpose of a better presentation of the invention it is not shown in  FIGS. 2 to 9 . 
     As is especially clear from  FIG. 5 , the shape of the bottom part of the first carriage  8  is largely complementary to the shape of the groove  14  of the top profile  13 . 
     The first carriage is provided with a horizontal hole  19  with an internal screw thread. 
     A second carriage  20  is affixed in the groove  14  of the side profile  12 , which is located close to the top of this side profile  12 . 
     A horizontal passage  21  is made in this second carriage  20 . 
     The first carriage  8  and the second carriage  20  are coupled together by means of an adjusting rod  22  and a first nut  23 . 
     The adjusting rod  22  is provided over its entire length with an external screw thread that is complementary to the screw thread in the hole  19  of the first carriage  8 . The adjusting rod  22  has a head  24  that is provided with a hexagonal recess  25  for a socket screw key. 
     At some distance from the head  24  there is a thickening, in this case in the form of a second nut  26  that is affixed to the adjusting rod  22  by means of the screw thread, and is fastened thereto, for example by welding or gluing. 
     The end of the adjusting rod  22  turned away from the head  24  is screwed in the hole  19  of the first carriage  8 . The other end, i.e. the end with the head  24 , is inserted through the passage  21 . By means of a first nut  23  the adjusting rod  22  is fastened to the second carriage  20 , whereby the second carriage  20  is fastened between the first nut  23  and the second nut  26 , so that the adjusting rod  22 , and thus also the first carriage  8 , is firmly secured. 
     The second carriage  20 , and in particular the top end thereof, thereby forms, via the adjusting rod  22 , a gripping element  20   a  that is unmovable in the horizontal direction for the first carriage  8  and the components fastened thereon, that restrains this first carriage  8  thereof from moving horizontally. 
     In order to adjust the position of the lock plate  10  in the longitudinal direction of the top profile  13 , indicated by arrow P in  FIG. 3 , the first nut  23  is loosened somewhat, after which the adjusting rod  22  can be rotated from the side of the side profile  12  by means of a socket screw key that is inserted in the head  24  of the adjusting rod  22 . 
     This results in the adjusting rod  22  being turned in or out of the hole  19  in the first carriage  8 , so that the distance between the second carriage  20  and the first carriage  8  becomes smaller or larger. As soon as the first carriage  8  is in a position in which the lock plate  10  correctly engages with the lock  9 , the first nut  23  is tightened again. 
     The first carriage  8 , the adjusting rod  22  and the second carriage  20  together form an adjustment mechanism in order to adjust the position of the lock plate  10  and to be able to fasten the lock plate  10  to the leaf  4 . 
     This action can be done while the leaf  4  is mounted in the frame  2 , because for the adjustment only access to the first nut  23  and the head  24  of the adjusting rod  22  is required, whereby this access is possible from the side of the side profile  12 . 
     The alternative embodiment of a slidable leaf  4  shown in  FIGS. 6 to 9  differs from the embodiment described above by the adjustment mechanism being constructed differently with regard to the following points:
         Instead of one adjusting rod  22 , there are two adjusting rods  22 A,  22 B, each with a head  24 A,  24 B with a recess  25  for a socket screw key, but without the aforementioned thickening. In this embodiment, the head  24 A,  24 B of the two adjusting rods  22 A,  22 B is indeed thickened.   Two holes  19 A,  19 B with a screw thread are also made in the first carriage  8 , and two passages  21 A,  21 B in the second carriage  20 , whereby the heads  24 A,  24 B of the adjusting rods  22 A,  22 B do not fit through the passages  21 A,  21 B.   A first adjusting rod  22 A is not inserted through a passage  21 A in the second carriage  20 , but is affixed such that the head  24 A is at the location of a passage  21 A such that it can be operated with a socket screw key via the passage  21 A of the head  24 A.   The second adjusting rod  22 B is inserted through a passage  21 B in the second carriage  20 .       

     The adjustable securing of the lock plate  10  can be done in this embodiment by further turning the two adjusting rods  22 A,  22 B in or out of the holes  19 A,  19 B in the first carriage  8  by means of a socket screw key. Hereby the second carriage  20  acts as an end stop for the heads  24 A,  24 B of the adjusting rods  22 A,  22 B. 
     If the lock plate  10  has to be adjusted in a direction towards the side profile  12 , the first adjusting rod  22 A is first turned further in a hole  19 A, to enable the first carriage  8  to be pulled in the direction of the second carriage  20 , after which the second adjusting rod  22 B is turned further into a hole  19 B to effectively pull the first carriage  8  to the second carriage  20  and to secure the first carriage  8 . 
     If the lock plate  10  has to be adjusted in a direction away from the side profile  12 , the second adjusting rod  228  is turned further out of a hole  19 B to enable the first carriage  8  to be pushed away from the second carriage  20 , after which the first adjusting rod  22 A is turned out of its hole  19 A to effectively push the first carriage  8  away from the second carriage  20  and to secure the first carriage  8 . 
     Although in the above example a motor  5  to drive the leaf  4  and a coupling  18  of a drive belt  7  with the leaf  4  are described, the invention is not limited to sliding windows  1  with a drive motor and leaves  4  for this purpose. 
     Although in the above examples the lock plate  10  is described as a separate component screwed to the first carriage  8 , the lock plate  10  together with the first carriage  8  can also form one component, for example as a lock plate  10  with a base that is complementary to the shape of the groove  14 . 
     The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the drawings, but a sliding window or sliding door according to the invention can be realised in all kinds of forms and dimensions and according to all kinds of variant methods, without departing from the scope of the invention.