Patent Publication Number: US-7581768-B2

Title: Anti-effraction safety system for door and window frames

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims benefit of Italian patent application serial number TO2007A000780, filed Nov. 5, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an anti-effraction safety system for door and window frames. 
   The invention has been developed in particular with a view to its application to door and window frames formed by a fixed frame and a mobile frame and constituted by sectional elements made of light alloy, typically aluminium or its alloys. In this type of door and window frames, the sectional elements forming the mobile frame are provided with at least one longitudinal groove with undercut cross section, installed within which are the accessories that enable control of opening and closing of the door or window frame according to the position of a control handle. Said accessories comprise one or more closing elements, which co-operate with complementary closing elements fixed to the fixed frame. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   An example of door and window frames of this type is described in the European patent application No. 07108493 filed in the name of the present applicant. 
   Attempts at effraction in regard to door and window frames of this type are usually performed by trying to deform inwards the upright of the mobile frame opposite to the hinges. In order to carry out an attempt at effraction of this type, an effraction tool is forced into the space between the sectional element of the mobile frame and the corresponding sectional element of the fixed frame. Said tool is then rotated so as to deform the sectional element of the mobile frame inwards. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The object of the present invention is to provide a safety system that will counteract effectively any attempts at breaking in of this type and that at the same time will enable simple and fast installation thereof. 
   According to the present invention, said object is achieved by an anti-effraction safety system having the characteristics forming the subject of claim  1 . 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge clearly in the course of the detailed description which follows, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a door or window frame on which a safety system according to the present invention can be applied; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the anti-effraction safety system according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 3-13  illustrate the sequence of installation of the safety system according to the present invention; and 
       FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the safety system according to the invention in conditions of use. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   With reference to  FIG. 1 , designated by  10  is a door or window frame comprising a fixed frame  12  and a mobile frame  14 . The fixed frame is formed by two uprights  16  and by two cross members  18 . The mobile frame  14  comprises two uprights  20 , parallel to the uprights  16  of the fixed frame  12 , and two cross members  22 , parallel to the cross members  18  of the fixed frame  12 . In the example illustrated in the figures, the mobile frame  14  is articulated to the fixed frame  12  by means of a pair of hinges  24 , which define a vertical axis of rotation. The present invention may be applied also to door and window frames with opening of a different type, for example, in which the frame  18  can be opened with a movement of rotation about a horizontal axis (transom-window-type opening) or else to door and window frames that can be opened with rotation both about a vertical axis (leaf opening) and about a horizontal axis (transom-window-type opening). The mobile frame  14  is provided with a control handle  26  mounted on an upright  20  opposite to the upright carrying the hinges  24 . The handle  26  controls, in a known way, the movement of transmission elements that enable selection of the positions of opening or closing or else of leaf opening, transom-window-type opening, and closing. 
   The uprights and the cross members  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  of the fixed frame  12  and of the mobile frame  14  are constituted by metal sectional elements, typically made of aluminium or its alloys. 
   With reference to  FIG. 2 , designated by  28  is an anti-effraction safety system according to the present invention. The system  28  comprises a transmission rod  30 , which slidably engages a longitudinal groove  32  provided on the sectional element forming one of the uprights  20  or one of the cross members  22  of the mobile frame  14 . More precisely, the transmission rod  30  is mounted in the groove  32  of the sectional element  20 ,  22  on which the control handle  26  is fixed. 
   The anti-effraction system  28  comprises a closing element  34 , which is fixed on the transmission rod  30  in the way that will be described in what follows, and a detent  36  complementary with respect to the closing element  34  and fixed to the corresponding upright  16  or cross member  18  of the fixed frame  12 . 
   With reference, in particular, to  FIG. 4 , the sectional elements forming the mobile frame  14  are made in a conventional way by means of techniques of extrusion, drawing, or the like. In a conventional way, the metal sectional elements for door and window frames are provided with at least one groove  32  with undercut cross section for installation of the accessories of the door or window frame. The groove  32  has two opposed longitudinal edges  38  that define respective undercut portions  40 . The two opposed edges  38  define an opening  42  elongated in a longitudinal direction. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 3-5  the transmission rod  30  is shaped so as to engage slidably in a longitudinal direction the groove  32 . Preferably, the transmission rod  30  is made as described in the European patent applications No. 06425583 and 06425586 filed in the name of the present applicant. The transmission rod  30  comprises a longitudinal tenon  44 , which engages one of the undercut portions  40  of the groove  42 . On the longitudinal edge opposite to the tenon  44 , the transmission rod  30  has a longitudinal edge  46 , which rests on the outer side of the corresponding edge  38  of the groove  32 . The transmission rod  30  has a longitudinal plane surface  48  and two longitudinal grooves  50 ,  52 , which extend on opposite sides with respect to the plane surface  48 . The functions of the plane surface  48  and of the longitudinal grooves  50 ,  52  are described in detail in the European patent application No. 06425583, already cited previously. 
   The transmission rod  30  is moreover provided with two opposed through openings  54 ,  56 , both open on the respective longitudinal edges of the rod  30 . The openings  54 ,  56  are set on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal plane surface  48 . The transmission rod  30  is inserted into the groove  32  of the sectional element  20  in the direction indicated by the arrow  58  in  FIG. 4 , i.e., in the orthogonal direction with respect to the opening  42 .  FIG. 5  shows the transmission rod  30  inserted into the groove  32 . As may be noted, in the configuration in which the transmission rod  30  is mounted in the longitudinal groove  32 , two through openings are defined between the edges  38  of the groove  32  and the corresponding edges of the through openings  54 ,  56 . 
   With reference to FIGS.  2  and  6 - 13 , the closing element  34  is formed by two separate and complementary parts  60 ,  62 , fixed to one another in the way that will be described in what follows. The two parts  60 ,  62  are formed so as to be inserted separately into the groove  32  when the transmission rod  30  has already been inserted into the groove  32 . Each of the two parts  60 ,  62  is inserted through a respective through opening  54 ,  56  and engages the respective undercut portion  40  of the groove  32 . The length of the two parts  60 ,  62  of the closing element  34  is substantially the same as the length of the through openings  54 ,  56  of the transmission rod  30 . Each of the two parts  60 ,  62  of the closing element  34  is constituted by a monolithic piece of metal plate, for example steel, either bent or stamped. The first part  60  comprises a tenon  64 , a fixing portion  66 , and an intermediate connection portion  68 . The fixing portion  66  is provided with a threaded hole  70 . The second part  62  also comprises a tenon  72 , a fixing portion  74 , and an intermediate portion  76 . The second part  62  further comprises an edge  78 , which is bent at  900  with respect to the fixing portion  74  and forms a portion of engagement with a corresponding engagement portion  80  of the detent  36  ( FIG. 2 ). 
   Installation of the closing element  34  is performed according to the sequence illustrated in  FIGS. 6-12 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , after insertion of the transmission rod  30  into the groove  42  as described previously, the first part  60  of the closing element  34  is inserted inside the groove  32  through the opening  54 . The first part  60  is inserted in the direction indicated by the arrow  82  in  FIG. 6 , with the tenon  64  oriented towards the opening  42  and set in a position corresponding to the opening  54  of the rod  30 . After insertion of the tenon  64  into the groove  32 , the first part  60  is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow  84  in  FIG. 6 . Following upon said rotation, the first part  60  is positioned as illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
   Then the second part  62  is mounted, as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The second part  62  is inserted into the groove  32  in the direction indicated by the arrow  86  with the tenon  72  facing the opening  42  and set in a position corresponding to the opening  56  of the rod  30 . Next, the second part  62  is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow  88 . At this point, the closing element assumes the configuration illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . 
   With reference to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , installation is completed by inserting a screw  90  into a hole  92  of the second part  62 . As may be seen in  FIG. 11 , the hole  92  is shaped like a truncated cone and is aligned to the threaded hole  70  of the first part  60 . 
   The screw  90  is screwed into the hole  70  of the first part  60 . 
   As may be noted in particular in  FIG. 11 , in the assembled configuration, the engagement element has two tenons  72 ,  64 , which engages the two undercut portions  40  of the longitudinal groove  32  of the sectional element  20 . The engagement element  34  is free to slide along the longitudinal groove  32  together with the transmission rod  30 , to which the closing element  34  is fixed thanks to the engagement with the transverse edges of the openings  54 ,  56  of the transmission rod  30 . 
   With reference to  FIG. 14 , the detent  36  is fixed to the sectional element  16  of the fixed frame by means of screws  94 . The closing element  34  moves in a longitudinal direction together with the transmission rod  30  between a position of engagement and a position of disengagement with respect to the detent  36 . In the engagement condition, the engagement portion  78  of the closing element  34  faces, without coming into contact therewith, the corresponding engagement portion  80  of the detent  36 . In this condition, any attempt at effraction tending to deform the sectional element  20  of the mobile frame inwards brings the engagement portions  78 ,  80  of the closing element  34  and of the detent  36  into mutual contact, which hinders any further deformation inwards of the mobile sectional element  20 . 
   Each door or window frame can be provided with a plurality of anti-effraction closing systems according to the present invention distributed along the openable upright  20  and possibly along the cross members  22 . Installation of the closing system according to the invention is particularly simple given that the closing element  34  is mounted in the groove  32  in a front direction. It is hence not necessary to take down the accessories already installed on the door or window frame. This characteristic enables installation of the anti-effraction safety system also with the door or window frame already mounted in place, provided that the transmission rod  30  is equipped with the openings  54 ,  56  as described previously. 
   While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.