Patent Publication Number: US-10760317-B2

Title: Casement window operator

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an improved operator for a casement window. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A casement is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges at the side. They are used singly, in pairs or even in greater numbers within a common frame, in which case they are hinged on the outside. Casement windows have a single sash, which is hinged on the side and cranks open on a metal track. The sash opens with the turn of a handle, making casement windows a great choice for hard-to-reach places, such as over countertops and sinks. 
     A casement window has a window sash which is moveably mounted within a frame by a pair of hinges mounted between the window frame and the top and bottom of the window sash. Typically, the arrangement is such that a track is configured within the window frame and an operator arm is connectable to the window sash. A hinge member interconnects the track and the sash window with the hinge member being pivotably connected to the sash arm and to the track. The hinge member is pivotably connected to a mounting shoe which is supported and guided for movement lengthwise of the track. 
     Casement window operators are well known and typically include a hand crank which drives a worm gear arrangement which is connected to an arm or lever which pushes the window sash open. The worm gear assembly includes a gear shaft having the worm at one end thereof with the other end of the gear shaft extending outwardly through the housing to engage a crank. When the crank is turned, the worm causes the worm wheel to rotate thereby causing the sash to pivot on its hinges between open and closed positions. 
     As previously noted, there are different opening arrangements for casement windows. A first type is a single arm operator which has an arm which pivots about an axis that is fixed with respect to the window frame and worm gear. The remote end of the arm carries a bearing which slides in a track mounted to the underside of the sash. A disadvantage with single arm operators is the torque required to move the sash towards its fully open position. 
     A second type of casement operator is the split arm variety. A split arm operator includes a second arm which has a pivot point in the middle of the second arm and the remote end of the second arm is secured through a pivotable mounting to a fixed point on the sash. While a split arm operator allows the window to extend to its fully open position, it does present difficulty at the time of the initial opening of the sash. 
     A third type of window operator is a dual arm operator which has one arm which rotates about a fixed axis and a housing which carries at its far end a bearing to slide in the track mounted to the window sash. There is also a second arm which has a pivot joint and which is secured at its remote end by a pivotable but fixed connection to the sash. 
     Many of the operators described above are relatively complex and difficult to assemble such that they will function in a reliable manner. A further problem in northern climates is the tendency of the operator to permit infiltration of cold air thus driving up energy costs. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed herein is a casement operator that greatly simplifies the mechanism required to open and close a casement window. According to one aspect of the casement operator disclosed herein, there is provided an operator for a window having a window frame and a sash operable between a window closed position in which the sash is received in the frame and a window open position in which the sash is swung outwardly from the frame. The casement operator includes a rack with a first end and a second end. The rack is slidable in a track disposed within the window frame. 
     The casement operator also includes an operator arm with a first end and a second end, the first end of the operator arm is interchangeably and rotatably connectable to either the first end or the second end of the rack depending upon the desired swing direction of the sash. The second end of the operator arm is rotatably connected to the sash. The casement operator further utilizes a shaft with a first end and a second end and a pinion mounted to the second end of the shaft. The pinion functionally engages with the rack and as the pinion rotates it imparts movement to the rack and the operator arm. The rack and the operator arm movement allow transitioning the sash between the window open and the window closed position. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a window operator which overcomes some of the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     It further is an object of the casement operator disclosed herein to provide a single operator that can function in either a left or right hand opening window. 
     It further is an object of the casement operator disclosed herein to reduce the number of operator mechanisms required for nearly all casement windows to a single set of standard components thereby substantially reducing the number of operators that must be inventoried. 
     It further is an object of the casement operator disclosed herein to substantially streamline the profile of the casement operator handle to minimize interference with window accouterments such as blinds and shades. 
     Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components. The contents of this summary section are provided only as a simplified introduction to the disclosure, and are not intended to be used to limit the scope of the appended claims. The contents of this summary section are provided only as a simplified introduction to the disclosure, and are not intended to be used to limit the scope of the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a casement window including a frame, a sash and an operator, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of casement window operator components, window sash connection hardware and frame features, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the frame of the casement window and hardware for connection to the sash in a window open position, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded view of casement window operator components, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of the handle portion of the casement window operator, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of the handle assembly of the casement window operator, according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of the casement window frame and hinge arm hardware, according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is of various exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. Rather, the following description is intended to provide a convenient illustration for implementing various embodiments including the best mode. As will become apparent, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described in these embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  reveals a casement operator  10  for a window  12  having a window frame  14  and a sash  16  operable between a window closed position in which the sash  16  is received in the frame  14  and a window open position in which the sash  16  is swung outwardly from the frame  14 . As seen in  FIG. 2  a hinge arm  18  is mounted to the underside of the sash  16  (not shown in this view) preferably with a plurality of threaded fasteners  20 . At a proximal end  22  of the hinge arm  18  is a circular opening  24  that is used to mount the hinge arm  18  to a round boss  26  extending upwardly from a hinge shoe  28 . The boss  26  extends upwardly through the opening  24  and the hinge arm  18 , as secured to the bottom of the sash  16  is able to rotate about the boss  26  when the sash  16  transitions from an open to a closed position. 
     The hinge shoe  28  is slidably disposed atop a hinge track  30  which is secured in position within a frame channel  32  that optionally may be formed into the base  34  of the window frame  14 . Alternatively, the frame channel  32  may rest atop the frame  14  itself. The hinge track  30  is preferably secured in position within the frame channel  32  by a plurality of threaded fasteners  36  and includes a longitudinally extending overhanging flange  38  that serves to restrain an upwardly extending flange  40  on the hinge shoe  28  in position during translation of the hinge shoe  28  along the hinge track  30 . In a preferred embodiment the overhanging flange  38  does not extend the entire span of the hinge track  30  thereby allowing for ready insertion of the upwardly extending flange  40  on the hinge shoe  28  into the gap G resulting from the overhanging flange  38  on the hinge track  30 . 
     At a distal end  42  of the hinge track  30  is a riser  44  that extends upwardly. Mounted upon the riser  44  is an opening  46  in the distal end  48  of a support arm  50 . The proximal end  52  of the support arm  50  is pivotally secured at roughly a midpoint  54  of the bottom side  56  of the hinge arm  18 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 3 , the structure at the upper horizontal surface  58  of the frame  14  and sash  16  is comparable to that found at the lower level of the frame  14  and sash  16 . An upper hinge arm  60  is mounted to the upper horizontal surface  58  by a plurality of threaded fasteners  62 . At a proximal end  64  of the upper hinge arm  60  is a circular opening  66  that is used to mount the upper hinge arm  60  to a round boss  68  extending downwardly from an upper hinge shoe  72 . The boss  68  extends downwardly through the opening  66  into the upper hinge arm  60 . The upper hinge arm  60  is able to rotate about the boss  68  when the sash  16  transitions from an open to a closed position. 
     The upper hinge shoe  72  is slidably disposed beneath an upper hinge track  74  which is secured in position within a frame channel  76  formed into the upper cross member  76  of the window frame  14 . The upper hinge track  74  is preferably secured in position within the frame channel  76  by a plurality of threaded fasteners  78  and includes a longitudinally extending overhanging flange  80  that serves to restrain a downwardly extending flange  82  on the upper hinge shoe  72  in position during translation of the upper hinge shoe  72  along the upper hinge track  74 . In a preferred embodiment the overhanging flange  80  does not extend the entire span of the upper hinge track  74  thereby allowing for ready insertion of the downwardly extending flange  82  on the hinge shoe  72  into the gap G resulting from the overhanging flange  80  on the hinge track  74 . 
     At a distal end  84  of the upper hinge track  74  is a riser  86  that extends downwardly. Mounted over the riser  86  is an opening  88  in the distal end  90  of an upper support arm  92 . The proximal end  94  of the upper support arm  92  is pivotally secured at roughly a midpoint  96  of the upper side  98  of the upper hinge arm  60 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the casement operator  10  utilizes a rack  100  with a first end  102  and a second end  104  and multiple cutouts  106  along nearly the entire length of the rack. The rack  100  is configured to be translatable in a track  108  secured to the base  34  of the window frame  14 . The rack  100  is preferably fabricated from a material such as aluminum or an engineered plastic and, a boss  110 ,  112  extends upwardly from the first end  102  and the second end  104 .  FIGS. 2 and 4  also illustrate the operator arm  116  with a first end  118  and a second end  120 . 
     The second end  120  of the operator arm  116  is interchangeably and rotatably connectable to either the first boss  110  on the first end  102  or the second boss  112  on the second end  118  of the rack  110  depending upon the desired swing direction of the sash. The second end  120  of the operator arm  116  is rotatably connected to a downwardly extending boss  121  on the sash bracket  128  which in turn is secured to the sash  16  (not shown in  FIG. 2 or 4 ) with a plurality of threaded fasteners  130 . The threaded fasteners secure the bracket  128  to a lower vertical surface  132  of the sash  16  with the boss pivot point  121  of the bracket  128 —operator arm  116  connection positioned adjacent a vertical exterior wall  136  of the sash  16  as seen in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 4  also illustrate a shaft  140  with a first end  142  and a second end  144 . The first end  142  of the shaft  140  is preferably splined  146  for receiving an internally splined female component member as will be detailed later. The shaft  140  is preferably fabricated from a metal such as aluminum, or a durable engineered plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride.  FIG. 4  reveals a pinion  148  mounted to the shaft  140  proximate the second end  144 , wherein the teeth  150  of the pinion  148 , in an assembled and operational configuration, engage with the cutouts  106  of the rack  100 . Rotation of the shaft  140  and associated pinion  148  imparts movement to the rack  100  which in turn causes the operator arm  116  to move. As will be further detailed below, movement of the rack  100  and operator arm  116  transitions the sash  16  between the window open and the window closed position. 
       FIG. 4  further illustrates that the splined  146  first end  142  of the shaft  140  extends outwardly from an opening  152  in the window frame  14 . The second end  144  of the shaft  140  is inserted into the opening  152  and the pinion gear  148  engages with the cutouts  106  in the rack  100 . A collar  154  on the shaft  140  serves to limit the depth of the plunge of the shaft  140  into the opening  152  by interfering with a ledge (not shown) inside of the opening  152 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , handle cradle  160  has a face side  162 , a mounting side  164  and an opening  166  extending between the two sides is shown in  FIG. 4 . As seen in  FIG. 4 , the mounting side  164  of the handle cradle  160  is mounted against the vertically oriented base portion  170  of the window frame  14  and preferably has a beveled surface  172  resulting in an upward projection of the shaft  140  thereby limiting interference of the handle  102  with the window sill when the handle  160  is being rotated. The handle cradle  160  is mounted over and aligned with the opening  152  in the window frame  14 . Alignment of the cradle opening  166  and the window frame opening  152  allows the shaft  140  to be inserted through the handle cradle  160  and to extend outwardly and upwardly. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a handle assembly  179  including a handle coupler  180  that is mounted to the first end  142  of the shaft  140 . The splines  146  of the first end  142  engage with the internal female splines  182  of the handle coupler  180 . The handle coupler  180 , as previously detailed, mounts to the first end  142  of the shaft  140  and enhances operational flexibility of the handle  186  during utilization of the casement operator  10 . A first end  188  of the handle  186  is pivotally mounted to the handle coupler  180 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a preferred embodiment for pivotal mounting is to use a pin  190  passing laterally through a pair of flanges  192 ,  194  on the first end  188  of the handle  186  and also passing through a raised extension  198  on the handle coupler  180 . The pin  190  secures the flanges  192 ,  194  to the extension  198  and further facilitates rotation of the handle about the pin. 
     As also shown in  FIG. 6 , a T-shaped link  202  is pivotally pinned to the second end  204  of the handle  186 . In a preferred embodiment, a main body portion  206  of the T-shaped link  202  is inserted between two flanges  208 ,  210  at the second end  204  of the handle  186 . A pin  220  is then passed through the main body portion  206  of the T-shaped link  202  and the two flanges  208 ,  210  secure the T-shaped link  202  to the second end  214  of the handle  186 . The T-shaped link  202  also includes a cylindrical shaft  222  with a distal end  224 . The thumb plate shaft  222  extends outwardly and oppositely from the main body portion  206 . 
     The thumb plate shaft  222  extends through a bore  228  in a thumb plate  230  and extends to a distal end  232  of the thumb plate. The distal end  224  of the cylindrical shaft  222  and the distal end  232  of the thumb plate  230  are coterminous. The thumb plate  230  is rotationally secured in position with a set screw  234  installed at the distal end  224  of the cylindrical shaft  222 . 
     In operation, and starting from a closed window orientation, a human operator unfolds the handle  186  including the thumb plate  230  from the handle cradle  160 . Once the handle  186  and thumb plate  230  are elevated off of the cradle  160  the human operator positions the thumb plate  230  in a comfortable orientation allowing the handle to be rotated in the direction to open the window. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 5-7 , the inclination of the handle  186  relative to the cradle  160  can be optimized for the particular user because the first end  188  of the handle  186  is mounted to the handle coupler  180  preferably by a pin  190  passing laterally through the raised pair of flanges  192 ,  194  of the handle and also passing through a raised extension  198  on the handle coupler  180 . This pinned handle configuration in conjunction with the pivotal nature of the thumb plate  230 , which is capable of rotation about the cylindrical shaft  222  passing through the thumb plate, optimizes the ergonomic connection between the user and the handle  186 . 
     As the human user rotates the handle  186 , in the direction to open the window, the handle coupler  180  which is mounted over the splined shaft  180  and which has its own internal mating spline  182 , imparts rotation to the pinion gear  148  which engages with the cutouts  106  in the rack  100  causing movement of the rack  100 . The shaft  140  which passes through openings  152 ,  166  in both the cradle  160  and the window frame  14  maintains positional orientation because of the collar  154  located on the shaft  140  above the pinion gear  148 . The collar  154  prevents the shaft  140  from dropping too low into the window frame  14  and provides for precise engagement with the cutouts  106  in the rack  100 . 
     With the pinion gear  148  engaged with the cutouts  106  in the rack  100 , the rotation of the pinion gear  148  is transferred to translation of the rack  100  within the track  108  of the window frame  14 . As the rack  100  translates within the track  108  of the window frame  14  an opening  122  in the first end  118  of the operator arm  116  is mounted to the boss  110  of the first end  102  of the rack  100 . The second end  120  of the operator arm  116  is secured to a sash bracket  128  as seen in  FIG. 2 . As the rack  100  translates and in turn moves the operator arm  116  the upper and lower hinge shoes  72 ,  28  slidably mounted onto the oppositely disposed hinge tracks  30 ,  74 , as seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3  also begin to translate causing the sash  16  to rotate inwardly or outwardly depending upon the direction of rotation of the handle  186 . 
     When moving the sash  16  into a fully open position, the translation of the rack  100  pulls the operator arm  116  which is connected to the sash bracket  128  which in turn causes the upper and lower hinge shoes  70 ,  28  to slide atop the hinge tracks  30 ,  74 . Turning the handle  168  the opposite direction, causing the window to close, simply reverses the movement. The rack  100  reverses direction and causes the operator arm  116  to push on the sash brackets  154 ,  128 . The sash brackets then transfers the force from the operator arm  116  to the sash  16  causing the hinge shoes  28 ,  70  to slide, or translate, atop their respective hinge tracks  30 ,  74  eventually returning the vertical panel  272  of the sash  16  to contact the window frame  14  and allowing the opposite vertical panel  274  of the sash  16  to come into contact with the opposite window frame member. 
     Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention, further adaptations of the apparatus described herein may be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Potential modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the examples, embodiments, geometries, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are illustrative and are not required. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings. Moreover, the order of the components detailed in the system may be modified without limiting the scope of the disclosure.