[0001] The present invention relates to an operating unit for doors and windows, in particular
doors and windows with frames made of metal, wood or synthetic materials such as PVC.
[0002] At present, the technology relating to operating units of this type, that is to say,
the transmission and control systems for opening and closing doors and windows is
divided into two different constructional philosophies: one for door and window frames
made of metal, and the other for door and window frames made of wood and/or synthetic
materials such as PVC.
[0003] At present, the difference in the production of these accessories (which usually
comprise rods, contact and transmission elements controlled by operating units with
handles) is due to the presence of different profiles on the door or window frame.
[0004] In the case of doors and windows with frames made of metal, the profile presents
an open channel (usually defined by a pair of L- or T-shaped profiles protruding from
the bottom of the body and facing each other. The channel acts as a guide and retains
the rods which slide in it under the action of the operating unit to actuate the closing
and contact elements (protruding from the channel and usually directly attached to
or made as one with the rods) in such manner as to permit opening and closing of the
door or window.
[0005] In the case of doors and windows with frames made of wood, synthetic material or
aluminium and wood, the profile forming the vertical member of the frame is appropriately
slotted (see Figure 1, which shows a prior art solution with a profile made of metal
or synthetic material with a wooden covering, represented by the dashed line). The
slots are open to the outside and used for fitting a profile P presenting a main chamber
C delimited, at the sides, by two parallel wings A1 and, at the top, by two transversal
ledges A2 made on the parallel wings A1 and forming an upper supporting surface.
[0006] When the door or window is assembled, this profile is fitted with a preassembled
kit comprising an operating unit consisting of a rack and pinion device (to which
a handle is then connected) and some rods built into or connected to the operating
unit. The rods are in turn slidably mounted in a longitudinal cover-like supporting
element usually of predetermined length (greater than the length of the vertical member
of the frame and adapted on assembly). This cover is positioned on the above mentioned
upper supporting surface and screwed directly to the profile chamber.
[0007] Elements for closing and operating the frame (usually contact pins and bolts) are
connected to or made as one with the rods and protrude from the cover, the latter
having suitable openings or slots made in it to permit the movement of the operating
and closing elements under the action of the rods).
[0008] Operating units of this kind are unsatisfactory in terms of flexibility and adaptability
of assembly to different door and window frame structures.
[0009] That is because, as mentioned above, each unit is preassembled and the operating
elements are located at specific points on the rods: that means a large number of
operating units of different or standard sizes must be kept in stock.
[0010] This is contrary to market demand which, as in the case of doors and windows with
metal frames, calls for adaptability and fast fitting using an all-purpose bar and
appropriate tools which can also be used to automatically fasten the operating elements
at predetermined positions.
[0011] The lack of flexibility in terms of the size of the operating unit constitutes an
especially serious drawback in the sector of doors and windows with frames made of
wood and synthetic materials, where sizes are more diversified and assembling situations
less standard: this considerably increases the overall costs of making and assembling
the doors or windows precisely because dedicated units are required.
[0012] Furthermore, there is increasing demand for interchangeable kits (that is to say,
kits that can be used not only in metal profiles but also in profiles for frames made
from other materials such as wood and aluminium, wood or synthetic material).
[0013] This may be accomplished more easily by the use of simplified profile geometry that
is the same for all types of door and window frames available on the market.
[0014] For this reason, the Applicant has invented and designed an operating unit for doors
and windows whose structural characteristics are such that it can be fitted quickly
and easily to frames made of metal, wood, synthetic material, or wood and aluminium,
with or without standard profiles, combined with a high degree of adaptability to
different sizes and final configuration of the elements making up the operating unit.
[0015] Accordingly, the present invention provides an operating unit for doors or windows
of the type comprising a fixed frame and a mobile frame; the mobile frame having a
U-shaped channel for positioning and fitting the operating unit; the unit comprising
transmission means which are mobile in the channel in a direction parallel to it and
which are connected to a handle designed to move the transmission means in both directions;
the transmission means presenting locking and/or operating elements actuated by the
handle so as to enable the mobile frame to be moved into the open and closed configurations;
the operating unit further comprising means for retaining the transmission means and
fitted stably inside the channel; and at least one operating element constituting
the transmission means and equipped with quick-release snap fitting means for connection
to the retaining means; the operating element being insertable into the channel from
the front so as to permit the sliding of the operating element in the channel in both
directions.
[0016] The technical characteristics of the invention, with reference to the above aims,
are clearly described in the claims below and its advantages are apparent from the
detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which
illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention provided merely by way of example
without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which:
- Figure 1 is a cross section of a prior art channel presented by frames made of metal,
wood and/or synthetic material;
- Figure 2 is a cross section, with some parts cut away in order to better illustrate
others, of the operating unit for doors and windows fitted to a sliding channel;
- Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view, with some parts cut away in order to better
illustrate others, of the operating unit and sliding channel of Figure 2.
[0017] With reference to the accompanying drawings, in particular Figure 2, the operating
unit according to the invention is fitted to door and window frames made of metal,
wood and/or synthetic material such as PVC, or wood and aluminium, as a non-restricting
example of the invention.
[0018] The door or window comprises a fixed frame (of known type and not illustrated) and
a mobile frame 1 (also of known type and illustrated only insofar as is relevant to
the present invention). The mobile frame 1 presents a channel 2 for positioning and
fitting the operating unit 3, the channel 2 being open at the front to form a U shape
and located or made at the vertical member of the mobile frame 1. It will be understood
that the shape of the channel 2 just described is merely an example of the solution
according to the invention.
[0019] In this type of door or window frame, the channel 2 may be defined directly by the
basic profile made of wood-covered synthetic material or it may be inserted into matching
slots made in a wooden frame or it may be machined as a feature directly in a wooden
frame or made directly in an aluminium extrusion.
[0020] The operating unit 3 comprises transmission means 6 which are mobile in the channel
2 in a direction parallel to it and which are connected to a handle (not shown since
it is of known type) designed to move the transmission means 6 in both directions
(see arrows F in Figure 3).
[0021] The transmission means 6 present locking and/or operating elements 7 actuated by
the handle so as to enable the mobile frame 1 to be moved into the open and closed
configurations, through coupling and/or interference with matching slots in the fixed
frame.
[0022] The operating unit 3 also comprises:
- means 8 for retaining the transmission means 6 and fitted stably inside the channel
2; and
- at least one operating element 6 constituting the transmission means 6 and equipped
with quick-release snap fitting means for connection to the retaining means 8.
[0023] Thanks to this structure, the operating element 6 is insertable into the channel
2 from the front so as to permit the sliding of the operating element 6 in the channel
2 in both directions during use.
[0024] In the accompanying drawings, the channel 2 is defined, again by way of a non-restricting
example, by a first pair of lateral wings 4 and a second pair of inward-facing ledges
5, transversal to the first pair of wings 4 and delimiting the front portion of the
channel 2.
[0025] The aforementioned means for retaining the operating element 6 comprise at least
one plug 8 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) that can be attached by screw fastening means
10 (for example, self-tapping screws) to the bottom of the channel 2.
[0026] The operating element comprises at least one rod 6 positioned and slidable, in the
embodiment illustrated, on the second pair of leges 5, the locking and/or operating
elements 7 being made on and/or protruding from the rod 6 itself. In Figure 2, the
operating elements 7 are shown with a contact pin or bolt associated with the rod
6 and designed to enable the door or window frame to move into the open and closed
configurations thanks to the sliding movement of the rod 6.
[0027] Depending on the size of the mobile frame 1, the means for retaining the operating
rod 6 may comprise at least one pair of separate plugs 8, 8' that can be attached
by screw fastening means 10, 10' to the bottom of the channel 2 (see Figure 3).
[0028] In a first embodiment of the invention, shown in Figure 2, each plug 8 presents two
side recesses 11 defining respective sockets for irreversibly coupling the snap fitting
means 9 presented by the operating rod 6.
[0029] In a second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figure 3, each plug 8 presents
two side protuberances 12 defining respective undercuts for irreversibly coupling
the snap fitting means 9 presented by the operating rod 6.
[0030] The snap fitting means 9 may comprise two protrusions 9a, 9b projecting from the
free surface of the rod 6 and extending along the full length of the rod 6 itself.
[0031] The protrusions 9a, 9b may have respective enlarged, inward-facing ends 13a, 13b
designed to be coupled with the matching side recesses 11 or undercuts 12 of the plug
8 when the rod 6 is frontally positioned in the channel 2.
[0032] For irreversibly snap fitting the protrusions 9a and 9b, each plug 8 has a body with
flat base 14 that rests on the bottom of the channel 2 and a head 15 whose cross section
is substantially in the shape of a parallelepiped and which, between the large base
of the parallelepiped 15 and the flat base 14, forms the aforementioned coupling recesses
11 (of the first embodiment) and two inclined sliding surfaces 16 for elastically
deforming the protrusions 9a and 9b of the rod 6 when the plug 8 and rod 6 are irreversibly
snapped into the channel 2 (see arrows F9 in Figure 2).
[0033] As shown in Figure 3, each plug 8 may be equipped with stop means 17 for preventing
the plug 8 itself from turning inside the channel 2 during use.
[0034] The stop means 17 may comprise two tabs 18 protruding from the front and rear ends
of the plug 8 and being wider than the plug 8 itself so as to form a side stop with
the first pair of lateral wings 4 defining the channel 2.
[0035] Each of the tabs 18 has a first portion 18a parallel to the plug 8 and associated
to the plug 8, and a second portion 18b protruding from the plug 8 and inclined in
the direction of the rod 6 in such a way that it is plastically deformed when the
plug 8 and the element 6 are snapped together.
[0036] The operating unit made in this way achieves the preset aims thanks to an extremely
simple and effective structure that can be fitted quickly and easily irrespective
of the type of profile and of the type of material of which the vertical member of
the mobile frame is made.
[0037] This result is accomplished by the plugs which create a sliding surface that retains
the operating rod without requiring any further retaining elements in the channel
of the mobile frame.
[0038] The possibility of using a simple operating rod of a type much like a traditional
one confers a high degree of flexibility in the production of the rods which can be
made quickly and precisely from continuous bars using existing machines that make
the rods only for metal profiles.
[0039] The use of rods that are similar to those already used for metal frames makes it
possible, by simply acting on the machine program used to make the rod, to insert
the closing and contact points on the rod according to the type of door or window
frame to be made.
[0040] The structure of the unit also allows the rod to be fixed from the front, with obvious
advantages in terms of speed and ease of fitting, plus the fact that positioning the
retaining plugs inside the channel does not require a high degree of assembling precision.
[0041] This means that the operating unit according to the invention can be fitted quickly
and easily on any type of door or window frame whatever the type of profile.
[0042] It will be understood that the invention described may be useful in many industrial
applications and may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing
from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all the details of the invention
may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.
1. An operating unit for doors or windows of the type comprising a fixed frame and a
mobile frame (1); the mobile frame (1) having a channel (2) for positioning and fitting
the operating unit (3), the channel (2) being defined by a front opening and a bottom;
the unit (3) comprising transmission means (6) which are mobile in the channel (2)
in a direction parallel to it and which are connected to a handle designed to move
the transmission means (6) in both directions; the transmission means (6) presenting
locking and/or operating elements (7) actuated by the handle so as to enable the mobile
frame (1) to be moved into the open and closed configurations; the operating unit
(3) being
characterised in that it further comprises:
- means (8) for retaining the transmission means (6) and fitted stably inside the
channel (2);
- at least one operating element (6) constituting the transmission means and equipped
with quick-release snap fitting means (9) for connection to the retaining means (8);
the operating element (6) being insertable into the channel (2) from the front so
as to permit the sliding of the operating element (6) in the channel (2) in both directions.
2. The unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for retaining the operating element (6) comprise at least one plug (8)
that can be attached by screw fastening means (10) to the bottom of the channel (2).
3. The unit according to claim 1, where the channel (2) is U-shaped and defined by a
first pair of lateral wings (4) and a second pair of inward-facing ledges (5) transversal
to the first pair of wings (4) and delimiting the front portion of the channel (2),
the unit being characterised in that the operating element comprises at least one rod (6) positioned and slidable on the
second pair of ledges (5), the locking and/or operating elements (7) being made on
and/or protruding from the rod (6) itself.
4. The unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for retaining the operating element (6) comprise at least one pair of separate
plugs (8, 8') that can be attached by screw fastening means (10, 10') to the bottom
of the channel (2).
5. The unit according to claim 2 or 4, characterised in that each plug (8) presents two side recesses (11) defining respective sockets for irreversibly
coupling the snap fitting means (9) presented by the operating rod (6).
6. The unit according to claim 2 or 4, characterised in that each plug (8) presents two side protuberances (12) defining respective undercuts
for irreversibly coupling the snap fitting means (9) presented by the operating rod
(6).
7. The unit according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the snap fitting means (9) comprise two protrusions (9a, 9b) projecting from the
free surface of the rod (6) and extending along the full length of the rod (6) itself;
the protrusions (9a, 9b) having respective inward-facing enlarged ends (13a, 13b)
and designed to be coupled with the matching side recesses (11) or undercuts (12)
of the plug (8) when the rod (6) is frontally positioned in the channel (2).
8. The unit according to claim 7, characterised in that each plug (8) has a flat base (14) that rests on the bottom of the channel (2) and
a head (15) whose cross section is substantially in the shape of a parallelepiped
and which, between the large base of the parallelepiped (15) and the flat base (14),
forms the coupling recesses (11) and two inclined sliding surfaces (16) for elastically
deforming the protrusions (9a, 9b) of the rod (6) when the plug (8) and rod (6) are
irreversibly snapped into the channel (2).
9. The unit according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that each plug (8) is equipped with stop means (17) for preventing the plug (8) itself
from turning inside the channel (2) during use.
10. The unit according to claim 9, characterised in that the stop means (17) comprise two tabs (18) protruding from the front and rear ends
of the plug (8) and being wider than the plug (8) itself so as to form a side stop
with the first pair of lateral wings (4) defining the channel (2); each of the tabs
(18) presenting a first portion (18a) parallel to the plug (8) and associated to the
plug (8), and a second portion (18b) protruding from the plug (8) and inclined in
the direction of the rod (6) in such a way that it is plastically deformed when the
plug (8) and the element (6) are snapped together.