Patent Description:
In the referred technical field, roller insect screens with horizontal or vertical sliding are quite known, see e.g. <CIT>. Such insect screens are usually applied inside a window or door frame. Generally, roller insect screens with lateral sliding in horizontal direction comprise a box configured to receive therein a winding roller for the insect screen net and a movable handle-bar configured to be moved upon intervention by the user in horizontal direction forwards and rearwards to the box. The box is usually a metal section fixed inside the frame of the window or door directly on the wall in lateral position. Obviously, an end of the net of the insect screen is fixed to the winding roller, while the other end is moved forwards and rearwards, since it is fixed to the handle-bar. The winding roller comprises, according to cases, spring returning means suitably preloaded for the net rolling up. The configuration of such insect screens provides, in addition to the box, also the usage of one or more guiding means configured to allow the respective upper and lower ends of the insect screens net and movable bar to slide.

In the just described context, there are known some kinds of insect screens with the guiding means for the net sliding which are constituted by net guiding chains having the double function of lower and/or upper support for the net and of guide for the forwards and rearwards horizontal sliding between a first closed position and a second open position of the insect screen. In this kind of insect screen the net guiding chains can be also vanishing, i.e. they can be configured to be contained in some elements of the insect screen (for example the box) by means of suitable mechanisms, usually quite complex, when the insect screen is in the open configuration. In some cases, in this way it is allowed to eliminate the net-holder lower guide when the insect screen is completely open.

Even if the just mentioned kind of insect screen is widely diffused on the market, some problems of its functioning concerning the exact positioning of the handle-bar during its travel remain still unsolved. In particular, among the systems currently known and on the market, it often occurs the undesired so-called "waving" effect of the insect screen, i.e. it is particularly difficult to make the handle-bar, on which the net is fixed, move forward in a perfectly parallel way to the box, i.e. it is difficult to maintain the most possible vertical position without differences in pitch or advancement between the upper and lower end.

Therefore, aim of the present invention is to solve the just described drawbacks by using a moving system received inside the box of an insect screen and interacting with suitable guide for the net which allows the insect screen net to move forwards smoothly and with equal pitch between the upper and lower side of the insect screen.

Another aim of the invention is to realize a moving system for a lateral sliding roller insect screen easy and cheap to be realized.

Another aim of the invention is to realize a moving system for a lateral sliding roller insect screen which can be actuated both manually by the final user and alternatively also automatically by means of electrically actuated movement transmission means.

The invention realizes the proposed aims since it is an insect screen according to the technical features described in the independent claim <NUM> and in the dependent claims, concerning preferred or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention.

<FIG> show a preferred embodiment of the invention, <FIG> show some equally advantageous alternative embodiments. In particular, <FIG> show two respectively front and rear assembly views of the insect screen, <FIG> show detail views of the transmission elements for the insect screen opening and closing, <FIG> show section detail views of the vertical box elements containing said transmission elements, <FIG> show details of the housing means of the transmission elements, <FIG> show an alternative embodiment of the invention, <FIG> shows the application of an electric motorization for moving the insect screen.

With reference to the above cited figures, it will be described in the following a preferred, purely not limiting embodiment of the present invention. The description will refer to the preferred embodiment of a horizontal sliding roller insect screen, i.e. with the main elements of the insect screen arranged vertically opposite to the side ends of the frame of a window or French door.

With reference to <FIG>, there are shown the main elements of the present invention in its preferred embodiment. In particular, the insect screen (<NUM>) comprises a side box (<NUM>) arranged vertically, i.e. a preferably metal box element, hollow inside configured to enclose coaxially therein suitable moving means for the opening and closing of the net (<NUM>) of the insect screen (<NUM>), a vertical handle-bar (<NUM>) configured to be moved forwards and rearwards in horizontal direction to the box (<NUM>) between a position of open insect screen and closed insect screen and to enclose coaxially therein a winding roller (<NUM>) for the net (<NUM>), upper and lower closing means (<NUM>) of the box (<NUM>) and upper and lower closing means (<NUM>) of the handle-bar (<NUM>), a screening net (<NUM>) interposed between said box (<NUM>) and said bar (<NUM>), a couple of upper and lower guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>') for the net (<NUM>), said guide means being configured both to be engaged with said moving means and to act as upper and lower support for the net (<NUM>). An end of the net (<NUM>) is fastened to be box (<NUM>), while the other end is configured to be wound around the winding roller (<NUM>) inside the handle-bar (<NUM>). Moreover, said guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>') for the net during its sliding, i.e. during the opening and closing of the insect screen (<NUM>), have an end fastened to the closing means (<NUM>) for the handle-bar (<NUM>) and the opposed end free and configured so that it can slide inside the box (<NUM>) in a suitable seat.

Said moving means for the net opening and closing comprise a couple of upper and lower gear wheels (<NUM>) whose respective shafts are rigidly coupled to a hollow cylindrical element (<NUM>) so that the rotation of the upper gear wheel corresponds exactly to the lower one, i.e. it occurs with the same pitch. The resulting coupling of the shafts of the gear wheels (<NUM>) and the cylindrical element (<NUM>) results introduced coaxially inside a hollow seat (<NUM>) of the box (<NUM>). Said gear wheels (<NUM>) are also configured to be engaged with said lower and upper guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>') so that the upper gear wheel (<NUM>) can interact with said upper guide means (<NUM>') and the lower gear wheel (<NUM>) can interact with said lower guide means (<NUM>).

Moreover, always with reference to <FIG>, it is shown that the handle-bar (<NUM>) is constituted as well by a preferably metal box element, hollow inside, inside which it is obtained a suitable hollow seat (<NUM>) configured to receive a winding roller (<NUM>) for the net (<NUM>) of the insect screen. In such way, an end of the net is fixed to the winding roller (<NUM>), while the opposite end of the net (<NUM>) is fixed and integral to the box (<NUM>). The handle-bar as well is provided with upper and lower closing means (<NUM>) for the metal section of the bar, said closing means (<NUM>) comprising suitable seats for receiving supporting means for the rotation of the winding roller (<NUM>). The winding roller comprises also spring means associated thereto configured to guarantee the rolling of the net around the roller or to allow that the net of the insect screen can be stopped in an intermediate position between the complete opening and complete closing. Said spring means associated to the winding roller are widely known in the referred technical field and so they are to be considered prior art, and their schematic representation is omitted.

<FIG> show a detail of the moving means (<NUM>, <NUM>) and lower (<NUM>) and upper (<NUM>') guide means for the net of the insect screen. The moving means comprise: a couple of upper and lower gear wheels (<NUM>) configured to be coupled coaxially to a hollow cylindrical element (<NUM>) interposed between said couple of gear wheels (<NUM>) so to transfer a rotation torque to said cylindrical element (<NUM>). Preferably the upper and lower gear wheel are identical to each other, but simply mounted the one on the upper portion of the insect screen at the upper closing plug, the other one in the lower portion at the lower plug. Obviously, the upper gear wheel (<NUM>) is configured to interact with the corresponding upper guide means (<NUM>'), while similarly the lower gear wheel (<NUM>) is configured to interact with the lower guide means (<NUM>). In other terms, said guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>') are configured to interact mutually with said moving means (<NUM>, <NUM>) so that upon an outer action on the handle-bar (<NUM>) the rotation of at least a gear wheel (<NUM>) causes a displacement of said upper guide means (<NUM>') of equal pitch as the one of said lower guide means (<NUM>) or vice versa. Preferably said cylindrical element (<NUM>) is a hollow tube with cylindrical shape. In particular, with reference to <FIG>, the gear wheel (<NUM>) comprises a gear (<NUM>) configured to be engaged with suitable seats of the guide means (<NUM>), said gear (<NUM>) being provided with a respective shaft (<NUM>) having a shaped portion so that it can be engaged with a respective complementary shaped portion obtained in the inner surface of said tube (<NUM>). In other terms, the innerly hollow tube (<NUM>) can be assimilable to a hub coupled to the respective shaft of a gear wheel. Preferably, but not limitingly, said shaped portion of the shaft (<NUM>) is constituted by a grooved profile (<NUM>) projecting in axial direction configured to be engaged with a respective slot (<NUM>) with complementary shape to the grooved profile (<NUM>) obtained in the inner surface of the tube (<NUM>). Yet preferably and not limitingly, the shaped section of the shaft (<NUM>) of the gear wheel (<NUM>) comprises a couple of opposite projections (<NUM>) configured to be engaged with a couple of complementary recesses (<NUM>) inside the cylindrical element (<NUM>). In other terms, the coupling of the couple of gear wheels and the cylindrical element can be assimilable to the coupling of a grooved shaft and a grooved hub, with the difference that in this case it is sufficient the presence of at least a projection (<NUM>) on the shaft (<NUM>) of the gear wheel (<NUM>) and a corresponding slot (<NUM>) with complementary shape to the projection realized on the inner surface of the hub (<NUM>). It is clear that a number of projections (or bosses) on the gear wheel and complementary slots in the tube greater than one is however technically possible on the basis of the measure of the torque to be transferred.

The couple of gear wheels (<NUM>) is also provided with an axial recess (<NUM>) in the longitudinal direction along the main axis of the wheel. Said recess (<NUM>) is suitably shaped so that it can be engaged with an outer transmission means, such for example an electric motor outside the insect screen, as it will be described better in the following.

With particular reference to <FIG>, it is shown that the guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>') for the net are configured both to interact with the couple of gear wheels (<NUM>) and to act as upper and lower support for the net (<NUM>). The guide means for the net consist substantially of a lower transmission chain (<NUM>) and an upper chain (<NUM>') both comprising a plurality of meshes (<NUM>, <NUM>') consecutively interconnected to each other and configured so that, once connected to each other, it is possible to define a suitable seat (<NUM>) for receiving the lower edge of the net in the case of the lower chain, and of the upper edge of the net in the case of the upper chain. Moreover, laterally on the outer edge of the chain (<NUM>, <NUM>') facing the gear wheel (<NUM>) there are defined a plurality of seats (<NUM>) configured to be engaged with the gears (<NUM>) of the gear wheel (<NUM>). In <FIG>, it is shown a representation of the single element or mesh (<NUM>) constituting the lower transmission chain (<NUM>), i.e. the one arranged in the lower portion of the space where the insect screen is to be installed. In particular, the single mesh is nearly "U" shaped and it is configured so that the recessed portion of the "U" constitutes the seat (<NUM>) for receiving the net, once all the meshes (<NUM>) are interconnected to each other. Moreover, the mesh (<NUM>) comprises another seat (<NUM>) on the side wall configured to be engaged with the gear (<NUM>) of the gear wheel (<NUM>). Obviously, once the single meshes (<NUM>) are interconnected to each other it is obtained a transmission chain (<NUM>) having a predefined length and comprising a plurality of seats (<NUM>) on the outer edge of the chain (<NUM>) facing the gear wheel (<NUM>). The interconnection between the plurality of meshes (<NUM>) can be realized simply by providing on the mesh (<NUM>) the realization of a couple of projections (<NUM>) and respective recessed seats configured to be engaged with respective holed bosses (<NUM>) so that the projections (<NUM>) of a single mesh (<NUM>) can be engaged with the respective holed bosses (<NUM>) of the immediately following mesh. In such way, it is obtained a chain (<NUM>) formed by a plurality of meshes (<NUM>) which define a unique seat (<NUM>) obtained by the union in series of all the "U" shaped recessed portions of the single mesh (<NUM>). Furthermore, the chain (<NUM>) obtained is configured so that the single meshes (<NUM>) can rotate around the projections (<NUM>) thus causing a rotation of the chain (<NUM>) when forcedly subjected to a rotation. Similarly, the plurality of seats (<NUM>) results consecutively arranged the one after the other one upon connection of the meshes (<NUM>) with such a pitch that it is possible to realize the gear with the teeth of the gear wheel (<NUM>), as it is shown schematically in <FIG>. <FIG> shows instead a representation of the single element or mesh (<NUM>') constituting the upper transmission chain (<NUM>'), i.e. the one to be fixed in the upper portion of the space where the insect screen is to be installed. The meshes (<NUM>') constituting the upper chain (<NUM>') have substantially the same shape as the meshes (<NUM>) constituting the lower chain (<NUM>), as yet described, i.e. the single mesh is nearly "U" shaped and is configured so that the recessed portion of the "U" constitutes the seat (<NUM>) for receiving the net, once all the meshes (<NUM>) are interconnected to each other. Similarly, it is also provided the other seat (<NUM>) on the side wall configured to be engaged with the gear (<NUM>) of the gear wheel (<NUM>). The only variant to the mesh (<NUM>) of the lower chain (<NUM>) is the presence of a shaped opening (<NUM>) configured to define a seat for the sliding of the upper chain (<NUM>) on a track (<NUM>) with "T" shaped section or anyway with complementary shape to the seat defined by the union of all the openings (<NUM>), once all the meshes (<NUM>') are interconnected to each other. Such measure allows the upper chain (<NUM>') not to be bended owing to its weight when the insect screen is completely or partially closed.

The final result obtained is that the action of the gear wheel (<NUM>) on the corresponding chain (<NUM>, <NUM>') possibly reproduces a gear equal as the one between a gear wheel and a rack. With reference to <FIG>, the chain (<NUM>) or rack has a first end fastened to the closing means (<NUM>) of the handle-bar (<NUM>), while the opposite end is free and configured to slide and be received coaxially inside a seat (<NUM>) of the box at the seat (<NUM>) of the cylindrical tube (<NUM>) interposed between the gear wheels (<NUM>). <FIG> shows a particular in section of the box (<NUM>), wherein there are shown respectively the first seat (<NUM>) where the tube element (<NUM>) is introduced coaxially and the second seat (<NUM>) where the free end of the chain (<NUM>) slides. Similarly, <FIG> shows a section view of the handle-bar (<NUM>), wherein it is shown the hollow seat (<NUM>) for receiving the net-holder (<NUM>) roller (<NUM>). Moreover, the handle-bar (<NUM>) is conveniently provided with a couple of recesses (<NUM>) shaped so that the user can carry out the opening and closing operations of the insect screen. With particular reference to <FIG>, instead, it is shown the inner portion of the upper plug (<NUM>) and the interaction with the corresponding upper chain (<NUM>'), which is configured to enter inside the upper plug (<NUM>) by means of a suitable opening in order to be guided then suitably in vertical direction downwards inside the seat (<NUM>) obtained inside the box (<NUM>) upon a deviation of the chain about <NUM> degrees, induced by suitable guide means. Always in <FIG>, it is shown also the seat inside which it is received the gear wheel (<NUM>) configured to interact with the chain (<NUM>'). For easiness of representation, the upper chain (<NUM>') schematized in <FIG> has the same shape as the lower chain (<NUM>), however it can be realized also according to what described in the previous paragraphs, in particular with reference to <FIG>. Similarly, the lower chain (<NUM>) is configured to enter inside the box at the lower plug (<NUM>) and to be guided in vertical direction upwards inside the same seat (<NUM>) of the box (<NUM>), as it is shown in <FIG>.

Preferably, but not limitingly, the length of the chain (<NUM>, <NUM>') is nearly equal as the width of the insect screen to be installed.

From an operational point of view, the insect screen according to the just described preferred embodiment is surely very advantageous. In closed position, the insect screen (<NUM>) has the handle-bar (<NUM>) completely alongside the box (<NUM>), the net (<NUM>) completely rolled around the roller (<NUM>) housed coaxially inside the handle-bar (<NUM>), the couple of transmission chains (<NUM>) housed inside their seat (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in the box (<NUM>). The open position of the insect screen (<NUM>) can be obtained instead by exerting a displacement outer action of the handle-bar (<NUM>) in horizontal direction moving away or near the box (<NUM>) by means of the handle (<NUM>). The movement of the bar (<NUM>) generates the rotation of the gear wheels (<NUM>), which interact with the respective transmission chains (<NUM>, <NUM>'). Moreover, the rigid coupling in coaxial direction of the couple of gear wheels (<NUM>) and the cylindrical tube (<NUM>) allows to obtain a very smooth advancement of the net (<NUM>) with equal pitch both in the upper and lower portion. It is quite clear and obvious that in an insect screen realized according to the present invention, on the basis of the position of the bar (<NUM>) chosen by the final user, it is possible to obtain a configuration of closed insect screen, a configuration of open insect screen but also any intermediate position of the net, and so, of the bar between the closed and open configuration.

<FIG> shows an alternative equally advantageous embodiment of the present invention. Despite all the technical features of the insect screen described so far in the preferred embodiment according to <FIG>, the unique variant of this alternative embodiment is in the inner structure of the box (<NUM>) which is provided with a couple of inner hollow seats (<NUM>, <NUM>) configured to allow the respective free end of the upper transmission chain (<NUM>') and lower one (<NUM>) to slide in two separate seats, respectively a first seat (<NUM>) for the upper chain (<NUM>') and a second seat (<NUM>) for the lower chain (<NUM>).

Moreover, another embodiment of the insect screen is the one in which it is provided the application of an automatic movement of electric type to generate the movement of the net of the insect screen, as it is shown schematically in <FIG>. It results particularly effective in fact to apply an electric motor configured to be keyed directly to the upper gear wheel (<NUM>) of the insect screen. In particular, as it is shown in <FIG>, the rotation shaft (<NUM>) of the electric motor (<NUM>) has a complementary shape to the one of the axial recess (<NUM>) obtained on the head of the gear wheel (<NUM>) so that it is put in rotation. Advantageously, the movement of the upper gear wheel (<NUM>) actuated by the electric motor (<NUM>) is equally transferred to the lower gear wheel owing to the provision of the rigid coupling in coaxial direction of the couple of upper and lower gear wheels (<NUM>) and the cylindrical tube (<NUM>) interposed therebetween. In this way, it is possible to realize an automized movement of the insect screen which is very smooth and without waving between the upper portion and the lower one.

Claim 1:
Lateral sliding roller insect screen (<NUM>) comprising:
a side box (<NUM>) arranged vertically, configured to enclose coaxially therein moving means (<NUM>, <NUM>) of the net (<NUM>) of the insect screen (<NUM>); a vertical handle-bar (<NUM>) configured to enclose coaxially therein a winding roller (<NUM>) for the net (<NUM>) and to slide in horizontal direction forwards and
rearwards to the box (<NUM>); upper and lower closing means (<NUM>) of the box (<NUM>) and upper and lower closing means (<NUM>) of the handle-bar (<NUM>); a screening net (<NUM>) interposed between said box (<NUM>) and said bar (<NUM>), said net (<NUM>) being fastened to an end to the box (<NUM>) and to the other one to said winding roller (<NUM>); a couple of guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>'), respectively lower (<NUM>) and upper (<NUM>'), for the net (<NUM>), said guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>') being fastened to an end to said closing means (<NUM>) of the handle-bar (<NUM>) and having the opposite end configured to be able to slide inside the box (<NUM>); said moving means (<NUM>, <NUM>) are interposed between said upper and lower closing means (<NUM>) of the box (<NUM>);
said insect screen (<NUM>) being characterized in that
- said moving means of the net comprise a couple of gear wheels (<NUM>) configured to be coaxially rigidly coupled to an innerly hollow cylindrical element (<NUM>) interposed between said couple of gear wheels (<NUM>) inside a hollow seat (<NUM>) of the box (<NUM>), so that the upper gear wheel can interact with said upper guide means and the lower gear wheel can interact with said lower guide means,
- said guide means (<NUM>, <NUM>') are configured to interact mutually with said moving means (<NUM>, <NUM>) so that upon an outer action on the handle-bar (<NUM>) the rotation of at least a gear wheel (<NUM>) causes a displacement of said upper guide means (<NUM>') with equal pitch as the one of said lower guide means (<NUM>) or vice versa.