Hinge with locking means particularly for folding shutters

Abstract

 A hinge (1) with locking means particularly for folding shutters, comprising a female body (2) and a male body (3) which are mutually joined by a hinging pivot (4) and can be respectively coupled to a coupling portion (20) and to a folding portion (21) of a shutter; a locking protrusion (10) is connected to the pivot (4) for detachably engaging a locking seat (11) formed by a fixed structure (12) to which the shutter is connected; the pivot (4) is rigidly connected to the male body (3) associated with the folding portion (21) of the shutter.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge with locking means particularly for folding shutters.

[0002] Currently commercially available folding shutters are constituted by a coupling portion and by a folding portion which is hinged to the coupling portion so as to allow to reduce the space occupied when the shutter is in the open position.

[0003] These solutions are often used when gratings are provided as a protection for external doors or windows, and in this kind of solution it is necessary to be able to fix the shutter to the fixed structure in various points so as to make said shutter much more secure.

[0004] In order to solve this problem, hinges for connecting the coupling portion and the folding portion have already been provided which have a mutual hinging pivot which can slide axially and is actuated by the mutual rotation of the coupling portion and the folding portion of the shutter.

[0005] This embodiment has been found to be structurally very complicated and entails difficult machining on the pivot, which must be able to perform an axial translational motion.

[0006] The aim of the present invention is to solve the above problem by providing a hinge with locking means particularly for folding shutters which allows to simplify construction considerably, achieving locking in a substantially automatic manner without however having to resort to the use of sliding pivots.

[0007] Within this aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide a hinge which provides stable locking and does not require complicated or particular maneuvers for its actuation.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge which, by virtue of its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a hinge with locking means, particularly for folding shutters, which can be obtained easily starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials and is further competitive from a merely economic point of view.

[0010] This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a hinge with locking means particularly for folding shutters, according to the invention, comprising a female body and a male body which are mutually joined by a hinging pivot and can be respectively coupled to a coupling portion and to a folding portion of a shutter, characterized in that it comprises a locking protrusion which is connected to said pivot for detachably engaging a locking seat formed by a fixed structure to which said shutter is connected, said pivot being rigidly connected to the male body associated with said folding portion of said shutter.

[0011] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a hinge with locking means particularly for folding shutters, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the hinge according to the invention, applied to a grating;

Figure 2 is a partially sectional plan view of the insertion of the pivot in the locking seat;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the hinge with the pivot inserted in the locking seat;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken along a vertical plane, of the hinge with the pivot inserted in the locking seat but not in the locking position;

Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of the pivot with the protrusion in the locking position;

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view, taken from below, of the hinge according to the invention.

[0012] With reference to the figures, the hinge with locking means particularly for folding shutters, according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a female body and a male body, designated by the reference numerals 2 and 3 respectively, which are joined by a hinging pivot designated by the reference numeral 4.

[0013] In the specific example, the female body has two fork-like arms 5 which retain inside them an engagement element 6 of the male body 3.

[0014] The engagement element 6 forms an abutment 7 which limits the rotation of the body 3 with respect to the body 2.

[0015] It should also be noted that the pivot 4 is rigidly connected to the body 3 by way of a coupling provided by means of a grub screw 8.

[0016] The particularity of the invention is that the pivot 4 has, at an end which lies outside the region where the bodies 2 and 3 mutually couple, a radial protrusion 10 which is shaped so that it can easily enter a locking seat 11 formed by the fixed structure, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, and constituted for example by a tubular or extruded element which provides the fixed frame.

[0017] With the described arrangement, when the shutter closes, the folding shutter can be positioned by first closing the coupling portion 20 of the shutter so that the protrusion 10 can easily enter the locking seat 11.

[0018] Once positioning has been performed, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is sufficient to complete the closure of the shutter by closing the folding portion 21, which consequent rotates with respect to the coupling portion.

[0019] The rotation of the portion 21 produces the consequent rotation of the protrusion 10, which locks inside the seat 11.

[0020] As shown, therefore, it is possible to obtain a point for connection to the fixed structure which acts automatically by way of the ordinary rotation of the elements that constitute the shutter.

[0021] It should be added to the above that on one of the fork-like arms, and specifically on the one that faces the end of the pivot that is provided with the protrusion 10, there is a protective wing 15 which prevents access to the region affected by the protrusion 11, thus preventing any ill-intentioned person from cutting the pivot so as to eliminate the connection to the fixed structure.

[0022] From the above description it is therefore evident that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, and in particular the fact is stressed that a hinge is provided which allows to perform automatic locking in various points without having to resort to complicated mechanisms or particular actuations but simply by using the normal rotation between the coupling portion and the folding portion of the shutter and without having to resort to sliding pivots.

[0023] In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.

[0024] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2000U000267 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

[0025] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A hinge (1) with locking means particularly for folding shutters, comprising a female body (2) and a male body (3) which are mutually joined by a hinging pivot (4) and can be respectively coupled to a coupling portion (20) and to a folding portion (21) of a shutter, characterized in that it comprises a locking protrusion (10) which is connected to said pivot (4) for detachably engaging a locking seat (11) formed by a fixed structure (12) to which said shutter is connected, said pivot (4) being rigidly connected to the male body (3) associated with said folding portion (21) of said shutter.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that said protrusion (10) protrudes radially with respect to said pivot (4).

3. The hinge according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a locking grub screw (8) in order to rigidly rotationally couple said pivot (4) to the male body (3) associated with said folding portion (21) of said shutter.

4. The hinge according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said female body (2) has two fork-like arms (5) between which an engagement element (6) is inserted, said engagement element constituting said male body (3), a protective wing (15) being connected to the fork-like arm (5) at the end of the pivot (4) that is provided with said protrusion (10).

Drawing