Patent ID: 7412800

Claim:
A window assembly including a latching system for a pivoting window sash having a pivoting end and a non-pivoting end, said latching system comprising: an upper latch member disposed near the non-pivoting end of the window sash; an anti-bow latch member disposed between the pivoting end of the window sash and said upper latch member; an activating member operationally connected to said upper latch member and said anti-bow latch member for operating both said upper latch member and said anti-bow latch member, wherein the pivoting window sash further includes a sash rail and a sash stile, said upper latch member being at least partially disposed within the sash rail and said anti-bow latch member being at least partially disposed within the sash stile, operation of the activating member retracting said upper latch member and said anti-bow latch member generally at the same time, wherein the pivoting window sash is slidable within a slide channel of a window frame of said window assembly and both of said upper latch member and said anti-bow latch member are independently engageable with the slide channel of the window frame, and an operating mechanism, said activating member being connected to said anti-bow latch member via said operating mechanism, the operating mechanism including a horizontal linking member connected to both of said activating member and said upper latch member; and a vertical linking member connected to both of said anti-bow latch member and at least one of said horizontal linking member and said upper latch member, wherein each of the horizontal linking member and the vertical linking member include a flexible element adapted to support a tensile force, but not generally adapted to support a compressive force.