Abstract:
A control assembly for an outwardly opening pivoting wing, comprising an actuating device including a support, a crank rotatable with respect to the support and a control mechanism actuated by the crank, an arm having a toothed portion, wherein said control mechanism cooperates with the toothed portion of the arm for swinging the arm between a closed wing angular position and an open wing angular position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of Italian patent application number 102015000034081, filed Jul. 14, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to accessories for doors and windows and regards a control assembly for an outwardly opening pivoting wing. 
         [0004]    The invention can be applied to wings articulated about vertical axes or to wings articulated about horizontal axes. 
         [0005]    Description of Prior Art 
         [0006]    Devices are known for opening and closing an outwardly opening pivoting wing comprising:
   an actuating device including a crank associated with a worm screw and a rotatable gear, driven into rotation by said worm screw; and   an arm, pivoting about a fixed pin and having a toothed portion that meshes with said gear, wherein said gear cooperates with the toothed portion to swing the arm between a closed wing angular position and an open wing angular position.   
 
         [0009]    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 maneuvers for controlling the locking/unlocking of the wing and the opening/closing movement are necessary. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,645 describes a device for opening and closing a pivoting wing equipped with a crank-operated device, which also controls the locking and unlocking of the wing. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,645 comprises:
   an actuating device including a support, a crank rotatable with respect to the support and a control mechanism actuated 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 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 straight direction between a locked wing position and an unlocked wing position, and vice versa.   
 
         [0013]    In certain applications, it is necessary to provide a device capable of limiting the opening stroke of the wing because certain regulations require that the maximum opening angle of the wing is not greater than a predetermined value. In these cases it would be necessary to provide an additional device to limit the opening stroke of the wing or modify the actuating device to ensure that the maximum opening angle is below the value fixed by the regulations. In any case, there are complications for providing a limit of the maximum value of the opening angle of the wing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present invention aims to provide a device for opening and closing a pivoting wing that also controls the locking and unlocking of the wing, wherein the limitation of the maximum opening angle of the wing is possible, without complications. 
         [0015]    According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a device having the characteristics forming the subject of claim  1 . 
         [0016]    The claims form an integral part of the disclosure provided here in relation to the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, given purely by way of non-limiting example, wherein: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wing provided with a control assembly according to the present invention in an open position. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a control assembly according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the opening/closing device indicated by the arrow III in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the part indicated by the arrow IV in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 5 - FIG. 8  are plan views according to the arrow V of  FIG. 3  illustrating the sequence of operation of the control assembly according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , numeral  10  indicates a window including a fixed frame  12  and a wing  14  articulated to the fixed frame  12  about a vertical axis and outwardly opening. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the window  10  comprises a control assembly including an opening/closing device  16  and a locking device  18 . The opening/closing device  16  is intended to be mounted on the fixed frame  12 , for example, on the lower horizontal side of the frame  12 . 
         [0025]    The locking device  18  comprises a plurality of strikers  20  fixed to the frame  12  along the lower horizontal side, the upper horizontal side and along the vertical side opposite to the articulation axis. The locking device  18  comprises a plurality of locking elements  22  cooperating with respective strikers  20 . The locking elements  22  are carried by the wing  14  in a sliding manner in the longitudinal direction of the respective side of the wing. The locking elements  22  are preferably located on the lower horizontal side, on the upper horizontal side and the vertical side of the wing  14  opposite to the articulation axis. The locking elements  22  are movable with respect to the wing  14  between an unlocked position and a locked position. In the locked position, the locking elements  22  are facing respective strikers  20 , so as to prevent opening of the wing  14 . In the unlocked position, the locking elements  22  are disengaged from the strikers  20 , so as not to obstruct the opening of the wing  14 . 
         [0026]    The locking elements  22  are connected together by means of connecting rods  24 , which are movable with respect to the wing  14  along respective longitudinal directions. The locking device  18  further comprises a lower corner drive  26  and an upper corner drive  27 , which connect together the connecting rods  24  and the locking elements  22  located along sides of the wing  14  orthogonal to each other. 
         [0027]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , the opening/closing device  16  comprises a crank-operated device  28  intended to be fixed to the fixed frame  12 . The crank-operated device  28  includes a first support  30  and a second support  34 . The first support  30  carries a rotatable crank  40 . The second support  34  carries an arm  32 , which is capable of swinging and moving with respect to the second support  34 . The first and the second supports  30 ,  34  are intended to be fixed on opposite faces of the 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). Alternatively, a single support could be provided that carries out the function of the first and second supports  30 ,  34 . 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the actuating device  28  comprises a worm screw  42 , rotatable with respect to the first support  30  about an axis A coinciding with the rotation axis of the crank  40 . The crank  40  is fixed to one end  44  of the worm screw  42 . The actuating device  28  comprises a gear  46  rotatably mounted with respect to the first support  30  about a fixed pin  48 . The gear  46  meshes with the worm screw  42  and is driven into rotation about the pin  48  by the crank  40 . 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , the arm  32  comprises a first arm section  54  and a second arm section  56  fixed together by means of an adjusting device  58  that allows adjustment of the angular position of the second arm portion  56  with respect to the first arm portion  54 . The adjusting device  58  comprises a first pin  59 , which engages two aligned holes and connects the first and the second arm portions  54 ,  56  together in an articulated manner. The adjusting device  58  also comprises a second pin  62 , which engages a hole of the first arm section  54  in a rotatable manner. The second pin  62  has an eccentric portion, which engages a slot of the second arm section  56 . An angular movement of the second pin  62  about its own axis varies the angular position of the second arm section  56  with respect to the first arm section  54 . Once the adjustment is made, the two sections of the arm  54 ,  56  are fixed to each other in the selected position. 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , the first arm section  54  is connected to the first support  30  by means of a mechanism that allows the arm  32  to pivot about an axis between a closed wing position and an open wing position, and vice versa, and that, in the closed position, allows the arm  32  to move in a straight direction with respect to the support  30  between a locked wing position and an unlocked wing position, and vice versa. A mechanism of this type is described in detail in the Italian patent application TO2014A000230. This mechanism comprises an articulation seat  66  formed in the first arm section  54 . The articulation seat  66  has a circular profile that communicates with a straight guide  68 , radial with respect to the center of the articulation seat  66 . The articulation seat  66  has a circular profile, interrupted at the straight guide  68 . The straight guide  68  has two straight parallel walls that define a straight opening, which leads into the articulation seat  66 . The articulation seat  66  is engaged by a pin with a rectangular cross-section carried by the second support  34 . 
         [0031]    The first arm section  54  has a toothed portion  70  composed of a circular toothed portion  72  and a straight toothed portion  74 . The teeth of the toothed portion  70  extend continuously and with constant pitch along the circular toothed portion  72  and along the straight toothed portion  74 . In the embodiment illustrated, 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 . The gear  46  meshes with the toothed portion  70  of the first arm section  54 . When the gear  46  meshes with the straight toothed portion  74 , the rotation of the crank  40  controls a movement in the straight direction of the arm  32 . When the gear  46  meshes with the circular toothed portion  72 , the rotation of the crank  40  controls a swinging of the arm  32  about a fixed axis. 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 5-8 , the opening/closing device  16  comprises a slider  80 , intended to be slidably mounted within a longitudinal groove of the lower horizontal side of the wing  14 . The slider  80  is articulated to the distal end of the arm  32  by a pin  82 . 
         [0033]    Still with reference to  FIG. 3 , the corner drive  26 , known per se, comprises an angular support  84 , intended to be fixed at a corner of the wing  14 . The angular support  84  carries a flexible lamina  86 , which is movable within the two orthogonal arms of the support  84 . The corner drive comprises a mobile element  88  guided with respect to the support  84  in a straight direction and fixed to the flexible lamina  86 . The mobile element  88  is movable with respect to the support  84  between a position corresponding to the disengaged position of the locking elements  22  (position in which the locking elements  22  are disengaged from the respective strikers  20 ) and an engaged position of the locking elements  22  (position in which the locking elements  22  are engaged with the respective strikers  20 ). The stroke of the mobile element  88  with respect to the support  84  is limited by stroke-end means, known per se. The maximum stroke of the mobile element  88 , with respect to the support, is equal to the stroke of the locking elements  22  between the disengaged position and the engaged position. 
         [0034]    The mobile element  88  of the corner drive is fixed to the slider  80  of the opening/closing device  16 . In the example illustrated in the figures, the mobile element  88  and the slider  80  are fixed together by means of a closing element  90 , which is intended to cooperate with a striker  20  fixed to the frame  12 . In the example illustrated, the closing element  90  forms a unique piece with the slider  80  and is fixed to the mobile element  88  by means of a pin  92 . Alternatively, the slider  80  could be fixed to the mobile element  88  by means of a connecting rod  24  identical to the connecting rods that connect the closing elements  22  to each other. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 5-8  illustrate the operation of the opening/closing device  16 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  shows the closed and locked condition of the wing  14 . In this condition, the locking element  90 —fixed to the slider  80  and to the mobile element  88  of the corner drive  26 —engages the corresponding striker  20  fixed to the frame  12 . Furthermore, all the locking elements  22  distributed along three sides of the wing  14  engage the respective strikers  20  distributed along three sides of the frame  12 . 
         [0037]    In the closed and locked configuration of the wing  14 , the gear  46  of the crank-operated device  28  meshes with the straight toothed portion  74  of the arm  32 . 
         [0038]    Starting from the closed and locked position, the rotation of the crank  40  controls a translation movement of the arm  32  in the straight direction B of  FIG. 5  from the closed and locked wing position illustrated in  FIG. 5  towards the closed and unlocked wing position illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The slider  80  and the mobile element  88  of the corner drive  26  move together with the arm  32  from the closed and locked wing position towards the closed and unlocked wing position. 
         [0039]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , in the closed and unlocked wing position, the locking element  90  is disengaged from the respective striker  20 . The corner drive  26 , driven by the slider  80 , moves all the locking elements  22  from the engaged position to the disengaged position. 
         [0040]    In the closed and unlocked wing position, the gear  46  meshes with the circular toothed portion of the gear teeth  72  of the arm  32 . 
         [0041]    Continuing to rotate the crank  40 , the arm  32  swings from the closed position towards the open position in the direction indicated by arrow C in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0042]    The swinging of the arm  32  in the direction C opens the wing  14 . During the opening movement of the wing  14 , the mobile element  88  of the corner drive moves with respect to the support  84  until it reaches a stroke-end position, as shown in  FIG. 8 . This position is the maximum opening position of the wing  14 . A further rotation of the crank  40  is prevented by the stroke-end of the corner drive  26 , which prevents a further movement of the mobile element  88 . Therefore, the fixing between the slider  80  and the mobile element  88  of the corner drive limits the maximum opening of the wing  14  to a predetermined angle, which depends on the maximum stroke of the mobile element  88  and the width of the wing  14 . Therefore, in cases where the regulations envisage that the outwardly openable wings have a predetermined maximum opening angle, with the system according to the present invention, an intrinsic limitation of the maximum opening angle is obtained without the need to provide an independent opening limiter. 
         [0043]    During the closing movement of the wing  14 , the previously described steps are followed in the opposite direction. 
         [0044]    Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments can be widely varied with respect to those described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.