Patent Abstract:
A device for opening and closing an outwardly opening pivoting wing, comprising: an actuating device including a support, a crank rotatable relative to the support and a control mechanism operated by the crank, and an arm having a toothed portion which cooperates with said control mechanism, wherein the control mechanism cooperates with the toothed portion of the arm for the translational motion of the arm along a rectilinear direction between a locked wing position and an unlocked wing position, and vice versa, a first and a second slider intended to engage a groove of the wing in a movable manner in a rectilinear direction, wherein the first slider is articulated at a distal end of the arm and wherein the second slider is connected to a locking device.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention refers to accessories for doors and windows and relates to a device for opening and closing an outwardly opening pivoting wing. 
         [0002]    The invention can be applied to wings articulated about vertical axes or to wings articulated about horizontal axes. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0003]    Devices for opening and closing an outwardly opening pivoting wing are known, comprising: 
         [0004]    an actuating device including a crank associated with a worm screw and a rotatable gear wheel driven in rotation by said worm screw, and 
         [0005]    an arm, pivoting about a fixed pin and having a toothed portion which meshes with said gear wheel, wherein said gear wheel cooperates with the toothed portion for swinging the arm between a closed wing angular position and an open wing angular position. 
         [0006]    The openable wings are normally equipped with a locking device to lock the wing in the closed position. In the known solutions, the locking/unlocking device of the wing is separate and independent from the opening/closing device of the wing. The locking device can, for example, be controlled by a cremone handle or by any other known type of device. Therefore, two independent operations are required to control the locking/unlocking of the wing and the opening/closing movement. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,645 describes a device for opening and closing a pivoting wing equipped with a crank actuating device that also controls the locking and unlocking of the wing. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,645 comprises: 
         [0008]    an actuating device including a support, a crank rotatable relative to the support and a control mechanism actuated by the crank, and 
         [0009]    an arm having a toothed portion which cooperates with said control mechanism, wherein the control mechanism cooperates with the toothed portion for swinging the arm between a closed wing angular position and an open wing angular position, and wherein in the closed wing angular position, the control mechanism cooperates with the toothed portion of the arm for the translational motion of the arm along a rectilinear direction between a locked wing position and an unlocked wing position, and vice versa. 
         [0010]    One of the drawbacks of the solution described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,645 is that the connection between the arm and the locking/unlocking device of the wing is insufficiently effective. 
       OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention aims to provide a device for opening and closing a pivoting wing which also controls the locking and unlocking of the wing wherein the connection between the arm and the locking/unlocking device of the wing is more effective and functional. 
         [0012]    According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a device having the characteristics forming the subject of claim  1 . 
         [0013]    The claims form an integral part of the disclosure provided in relation to the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, given purely by way of non-limiting example, in which: 
           [0015]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are perspective views of a wing equipped with an opening and closing device according to the present invention, in the closed position and in the open position, respectively, 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an opening/closing device according to the present invention together with a locking device, 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the opening/closing device according to the invention indicated by the arrow IV in  FIG. 3 , 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of some components indicated by the arrow V in  FIG. 4 , 
           [0019]      FIGS. 6 and 6A  are perspective views illustrating two variants of  FIG. 5 , 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the arm indicated by the arrow VII in  FIG. 4 , 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the component indicated by the arrow VIII in  FIG. 4 , 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a cross-section according to the line IX-IX of  FIG. 1 , 
           [0023]      FIGS. 10, 11 and 12  are enlarged details of the part indicated by the arrow X in  FIG. 9 , in the locked wing position, unlocked wing position and open wing position, respectively, and 
           [0024]      FIGS. 13, 14 and 15  are enlarged details of the part indicated by the arrow XIII in  FIG. 9 , in the locked wing position, unlocked wing position and open wing position, respectively. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , numeral  10  indicates a window including a fixed frame  12  and an outwardly openable wing  14  articulated to the fixed frame  12  about a vertical axis. 
         [0026]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , numeral  16  indicates a device for opening and closing the pivoting wing  14 . The device  16  is intended to be mounted on the fixed frame  12 , for example on the lower horizontal side of the frame  12 . The wing  14  is provided with a locking device  18  to lock the wing  14  in a closed position. The locking device  18  is of a type known per se and comprises a plurality of strikers  20  fixed to the frame along the lower horizontal side, the upper horizontal side and along the vertical side opposite the articulation axis. The locking device  18  comprises a plurality of locking elements  22  cooperating with respective strikers  20 . The locking elements are carried by the wing  14  and are located on the lower horizontal side, on the upper horizontal side and on the vertical side of the wing  14  opposite to the articulation axis. The locking elements  22  are movable relative to the wing  14  between an unlocked position and a locked position. The locking elements  22  are connected together by means of connecting rods  24  and by means of corner drive assemblies  26 , in a manner known per se. 
         [0027]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the opening and closing device  16  comprises a crank actuating device  28  including a first support  30  intended to be fixed to the fixed frame  12 . The first support  30  carries a rotatable crank  40 . The device  16  comprises an arm  32  carried in a pivoting manner by a second support  34  intended to be fixed to the fixed frame  12  in a position facing the first support  30 . The first and the second supports  30 ,  34  are intended to be fixed on opposite faces of a same wall of the fixed frame  12 . The first and the second supports  30 ,  34  are provided with holes  36 ,  38  aligned with each other and designed to be engaged by fastening screws (not shown). 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIGS. 5, 6 and 6A , the actuating device  28  comprises a worm screw  42  rotatable relative to the first support  30  about an axis A coinciding with the axis of rotation of the crank  40 . The crank  40  is fixed to an end  44  of the worm screw  42 . The actuating device  28  comprises a gear wheel  46  rotatably mounted relative to the first support  30  about a fixed pin  48 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the gear wheel  46  has a toothing with helical teeth which meshes with the worm screw  42 . In the variant illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the gear wheel  46  has a first toothing  50  with helical teeth and a second toothing  52  with straight teeth. The two toothings  50 , are fixed and coaxial with each other. The first toothing  50  meshes with the worm screw  42 . In the variant illustrated in  FIG. 6A , the gear wheel  46  has a toothing with straight teeth which meshes with the worm screw  42 . 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIG. 7 , the arm  32  comprises a first arm section  54  and a second arm section  56  fixed together by means of an adjusting device  58 , which allows adjustment of the angular position of the second arm portion  56  relative to the first arm portion  54 . The adjusting device  58  comprises a first pin  59  which engages two aligned holes  60 ,  61  and connects together the first and the second arm portions  54 ,  56  in an articulated manner. The adjusting device  58  further comprises a second pin  62  which rotatably engages a hole  63  of the first arm section  54 . The second pin  62  has an eccentric portion  64  which engages a slot  65  of the second arm section  56 . An angular movement of the second pin  62  about its axis varies the angular position of the second arm section  56  relative to the first arm section  54 . Following the adjustment, the two arm sections  54 ,  56  are fixed to each other in the selected position. 
         [0030]    The first arm section  54  has an articulation seat  66  with a circular profile which communicates with a straight guide  68  radial with respect to the center of the articulation seat  66 . The straight guide  68  and the articulation seat  66  may be formed by a through opening. The articulation seat  66  has a circular profile interrupted at the straight guide  68 . The straight guide  68  has two parallel straight walls that define a straight opening that leads to the articulation seat  66 . 
         [0031]    The first arm section  54  has a toothed portion  70  composed of a circular toothed portion  72  and of a straight toothed portion  74 . The teeth of the toothed portion  70  extend in a continuous manner and with a constant pitch along the circular toothed portion  72  and along the straight toothed portion  74 . In the illustrated embodiment, the circular toothed portion  72  is coaxial with the articulation seat  66  and the straight toothed portion  74  is parallel to the straight guide  68 . In other embodiments, the straight guide  68  may not be parallel to the straight toothed portion  74  and the circular toothed portion  72  may not be coaxial to the articulation seat  66 . The toothed portion  70  may be formed in one piece with the first arm section  54  or may be formed by a separate component fixed to the first arm section  54 . 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the toothed portion  70  of the first arm section  54  can have teeth with helical sides which mesh directly with the helical toothing of the gear wheel  46 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 6A , the toothing  70  of the first arm section  54  can have teeth with straight sides which mesh with the toothing with straight sides of the gear wheel  46 . The first arm section  54  can also be provided with a hook portion  76  with a wall  78  parallel to the straight guide  68 . The wall  78  need not necessarily be parallel to the straight guide  68 . 
         [0033]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the device  16  comprises a first slider  80  and a second slider  82 , intended to be slidably mounted within a longitudinal groove of the lower horizontal side of the wing  14 . The first slider  80  has a pin  84  which rotatably engages a hole  86  arranged at the distal end of the arm  32 . The second slider  82  has an integral closing element  88  which is intended to be connected to a connecting rod  24  of the locking device  18  by means of a pin  90 . The sliders  80 ,  82  are provided with respective projecting teeth  92 ,  94 . 
         [0034]    With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 8 , the device  16  comprises a connecting member  96  including a base  98  intended to be fixed to the frame  12  and a striker  100  movable on the base  98  in a rectilinear direction. A helical spring  102  is arranged between the movable striker  100  and the base  98  and tends to push the movable striker  100  toward a predetermined position. The movable striker  100  has two seats  104 ,  106  which are intended to be engaged by the respective teeth  92 ,  94  of the sliders  80 ,  82 . 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIG. 10 , the articulation portion  66  and the guide portion  68  of the first arm section  54  cooperate with a pin  108  fixed relative to the second support  34 . The pin  108  has two parallel walls  110  spaced apart by a distance equal to the width of the straight guide  68  and two arcuate walls  112  with a radius of curvature equal to the radius of the articulation seat  66 . The first support  30  also has a fixed appendix  114  provided with an opening  116  intended to be engaged by the hook portion  76  of the first arm section  54 . 
         [0036]    The arm  32  is movable between a closed wing angular position and an open wing angular position, and vice versa. In the closed wing angular position, the arm  32  is movable in a rectilinear direction between a locked wing position and an unlocked wing position, and vice versa. Both the angular movement of the arm  32 , and the movement in the rectilinear direction, are controlled by rotation of the crank  40 . 
         [0037]      FIGS. 9, 10 and 13  show the opening/closing device  16  in the closed and locked wing position. In this position, the gear wheel  46  meshes with the straight portion  74  of the toothing  70 . The pin  108  engages the straight guide  68 . One of the arcuate walls  112  of the pin  108  is in abutment against the end of the straight guide  68  opposite to the articulation seat  66 . The hook portion  76  engages the opening  116  of the projection  114 . The teeth  92 ,  94  of the sliders  80 ,  82  engage the respective seats  104 ,  106  of the movable striker  100  of the connecting device  96 . The closing element  88  of the slider  82  engages a respective fixed striker  20 . All the closing elements  22  of the locking device  18  engage the respective fixed strikers  20 . In this condition, the wing  14  is locked relative to the frame  12  along the lower horizontal side, the upper horizontal side and along the vertical side opposite to the articulation axis of the wing  14 . 
         [0038]    Starting from this condition, the control device  28  allows unlocking and opening of the wing  14  solely by the rotating movement of the handle  40 . Rotating of the handle  40  drives the gear wheel  46  in rotation by means of the worm screw  42 . 
         [0039]    With reference to  FIGS. 11 and 14 , in a first step, the gear wheel  46  controls the movement in the rectilinear direction of the arm  32  in the direction indicated by the arrow A as a result of the meshing of the gear wheel  46  with the straight portion  74  of the toothing  70 . Following this movement, as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 14 , the pin  108  disengages from the straight guide  68  and engages the articulation seat  66 . One arcuate wall  112  of the pin  108  comes into contact with the circular wall of the articulation seat  66  in a position opposite to the straight guide  68 . In this position, the pin  108  is completely disengaged from the straight guide  68  and only engages the circular articulation seat  66 . In this condition, the gear wheel  46  meshes with the end of the straight toothed portion adjacent to the circular toothed portion  72 . The hook portion  76  disengages from the opening  116  of the projection  114 . The first slider  80  moves the movable striker  100  in the rectilinear direction relative to the base  98 . The movable striker  100  in turn moves the second slider  82 . The closing element  88  of the slider  82  disengages from the respective fixed striker  20 . All the closing elements  22  of the locking device  18  disengage from the respective fixed strikers  20 . In this condition, the wing  14  is still in the closed position but is unlocked. 
         [0040]    Continuing to rotate the crank  40  in the same direction, the gear wheel  46  meshes with the circular toothed portion  72  of the toothing  70  and drives in rotation the arm  32  about the pin  108 , as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . With reference to  FIG. 15 , the teeth  92 ,  94  of the sliders  80 ,  82  are disengaged from the respective seats  104 ,  106  of the movable striker  100 . The movable striker  100  is maintained in the position of  FIG. 15  by the spring  102  ( FIG. 8 ). The pivoting of the arm  32  about the pin  108  opens the wing  14 . During the opening movement of the wing  14 , the slider moves in the rectilinear direction into the respective groove of the wing  14  while the slider  82  remains stationary. 
         [0041]    Closing of the wing  14  is controlled by operating the crank  40  in the opposite direction. The closing and locking operations of the wing take place according to a sequence opposite to that previously described. The teeth  92 ,  94  of the sliders  80 ,  82  engage the seats  104 ,  106  of the movable striker  100  when the arm  32  reaches the closed wing angular position. At this point, the arm  32  moves in a rectilinear direction thanks to the engagement of the gear wheel  46  with the straight toothed portion  74  of the toothing  70 . The movement in the rectilinear direction of the arm  32  from the unlocked wing position to the locked wing position consequently moves the movable striker  100  of the connecting device  98 . The movable striker  100  moves the slider  82 , which controls the movement of the locking device  18  from the unlocked position to the locked position. 
         [0042]    From the preceding description it is clear that the device according to the present invention does not require a separate control device to unlock the wing  14  prior to controlling the opening, or to lock the wing after the closing operation. The unlocking and locking operations take place automatically by rotating the crank  40  itself, which controls the opening and closing movement of the wing  14 . 
         [0043]    Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may be widely varied with respect to what is described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4