GB2304793A - A slide for slidably attaching an espagnolette or locking bar to a window or door frame to facilitate positioning during mounting - Google Patents

Abstract

A slide for slidably attaching an espagnolette or locking bar to a window or door frame, comprises a head portion 2 and a foot portion 3 connected together by a neck portion 4. The foot portion has a width W which is shorter than its length L, allowing it to be inserted through a slot (31,Fig 2) in the locking bar but when rotated through approximately 60{ the slide cannot be removed. The neck portion 4 has the cross-section shown in Fig 3A allowing it to slide in the slot in either of two orientations. The short diagonal 4a of the neck portion 4 is slightly longer than the width of the slot so that the neck must be resiliently deformed to turn the slide between the two orientations. The slide and locking bar assembly is attached to a window or door frame by means of a screw inserted through a central hole 5 of the slide and screwed into the frame.

Description

A SLIDE This invention relates to a slide for mounting a locking bar to a door or window.

Throughout this description all references to doors, equally relate to windows, hatches etc. and to both hinged and sliding versions. Windows and doors, particularly those made from plastic or aluminium profiles, often have locks which comprise an espagnolette or locking bar. The locking bar is typically located on the edge of the door or window and is provided with engaging cams which typically engage U-shaped receptors on the door or window frame. After the door is closed, the user turns a handle or key to engage the lock.

This causes a mechanism to move the locking bar either up or down. This motion moves the engaging cams up or down into the U-shaped receptors. Any subsequent attempt to open the door results in the cams being pushed against the side of the receptors preventing the door from opening.

For such a locking arrangement, the locking bar must be attached to the door such that it can move vertically relative to the door, but not move sideways so as to prevent the door being forced open. Presently the locking bar is provided with slots through which slides are passed and screwed to the door.

The slots in the locking bars allow a degree of movement vertically. The slots are generally of a width comparable to the diameter of the slides so that no sideways movement is allowed.

There are certain drawbacks with this method of construction. The position of the slides on the door needs to be accurate otherwise the locking bar will not have the required travel and the locking function will not operate correctly. As such, assembling the locking mechanism can be awkward since several pieces need to be held accurately in position during fastening of the attachment screws etc.

Therefore according to the present invention there is provided a slide for slidingly retaining a locking bar of a door, window or the like, the locking bar having at least one elongate slot into which the slide is insertable, the slide comprising: a head portion to prevent the slide passing completely through said slot in said locking bar; a foot portion having a length greater than its width, its width being small enough to allow the foot portion to pass through said slot, the foot portion being engageable with a frame of said door or window; and a neck portion connecting said head portion and said foot portion.

The slide according to the present invention allows a locking bar to be mounted to a door more easily, by reducing the number of operations and the number of components needed.

This in turn allows the locking bar to be accurately positioned in less time.

The neck portion is preferably slidable in the slot. It is also desirable for the neck portion to have two orientations in which said sliding can take place and may be such that the neck portion must be resiliently deformed to move the slide between these positions. The slide may also be provided with an attachment means (such as a screw) for attaching it to the door. Alternatively the slide may be provided with engaging means for engaging a recessed rib portion in said door.

It is advantageous in terms of assembly to provide the fixing means pre-attached to the slide and/or providing the slide pre-attached to the locking bar.

The present invention will hereinafter be further described with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an orthographic projection of the slide according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a locking bar held in position by two slides according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figures 3A, 3B and 3C show the neck portion of a slide according to the present invention in three positions as the slide is moved between the locked and loading positions; Figure 4 shows a side view of part of a locking bar held in place by a slide according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is an orthographic projection of the slide according to a second embodiment of the present invention;; Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view through a door showing the slide according to the second embodiment of the present invention positioned in the door or window frame; and Figure 7 is a view of the slide according to the second embodiment of the present invention in position when engaged with the locking bar.

The first embodiment of the present invention comprises a slide as shown in Figure 1. The slide comprises a head portion 2 and a foot portion 3 connected together by a neck portion 4.

The foot portion 3 has a length L greater than its width W such that the narrow part of the foot portion can be easily passed through a slot in a locking bar 30 but once the slide is rotated through part of a turn (approximately 600) to a locked position, the wider part of the foot portion is too wide to pass back through the slot. The neck portion is shaped (as shown in Figs. 3A to 3C) so that it has two pairs of parallel opposing sides to allow it to slide in the slot in the locking bar in either of two orientations. The short diagonal is a little longer than the width of the slot so that the neck must be resiliently deformed to turn the slide between the two orientations. Once in the locked position, the locking bar is slidingly retained between the head portion 2 and the foot portion 3 of the slide.

Figure 2 shows the end of a door 50 with a locking bar 30 in its operating position. The locking bar is held in position by two slides 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The locking bar also has locking cams 51 which are slidingly engageable with latches (such as the previously mentioned U-shaped receptors) on the door frame to provide the locking action. In order to operate the locking bar a handle, key or other mechanism 60 is operated, this mechanism being engaged with the locking bar via connections 52, causing the locking bar to move up or down. The sliding motion of the locking bar relative to the door causes the cams to move between the jaws of latches on the door frame preventing the door from opening.

In order to attach the locking bar mechanism to the door, the foot portion of the slide is inserted through a slot 31 in the locking bar 30. The slide is then rotated from this loading (or unlocked) position to the locked position. Figures 3A to 3C show the neck of the slide (other parts have been omitted for clarity) in the loading position (Fig. 3A), an intermediate position (Fig 3B) and in the locked position (Fig.

3C). The short diagonal 4a of the neck 4 is slightly longer than the width of the slot so that as the slide is rotated the edges 4a of the neck are slightly resiliently compressed. Once the slide is in the position shown in Figure 3C, it can slide freely in the slot. The resistance needed to turn the slide prevents it rotating back and dropping out of the slot.

Although a gap is shown between the edge of the slot and the neck of the slide, this is not a requirement of the present invention and is merely shown for clarity. The slot need only be slightly wider than the width W of the neck shown in Figures 1 and 3A.

Once the slide is rotated into the locked position on the locking bar, the edges of the slot 31 are trapped between the head and foot portions of the slide preventing the slide from being pulled out of the slot. The slide and locking bar assembly is then attached to the door frame 50 by means of a screw inserted through a central hole 5 of the slide and screwed into the door. The screw hole is countersunk, at 6.

In the above embodiment the hole through the slide may be such that the fixing screw passes freely through it. However, to further simplify the operation of attaching the locking member to the door, the fixing screw may be firmly held in the slide when made. The slide/screw combination is inserted through the slot in the locking bar which is already in position on the door. Then when the screw is screwed into the door, the slide is first turned with it into the locked position, thereafter the screw rotates relative to the slide.

The screw may initially be held in the slide simply by being a tight fit in the hole or by being held by a part of the slide which breaks as the screw is turned beyond the locking position.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the door assembly shown in Figure 2, showing the lock operating means 60.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 5. As shown, the slide 20 has a head portion 21, a foot portion 22, 23 and a neck portion 24 connecting the head portion and the foot portion. The foot portion is divided into two parts, an engaging portion 23 and a locking portion 22.

The locking and engaging portions are of similar width and longer than they are wide. The engaging portion is longer than the locking portion. Otherwise, the slide is constructed in a similar manner to that described above in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the locking bar is placed in position on the door frame and the slide is inserted through the locking bar, then turned from the loading position to the locked position as before (see Fig. 7). The slide is prevented from rotating back to the unloading position for the same reasons of constructions as the previous embodiment. The door frame 50 is provided with a slot 41 (see Fig. 6) having inwardly projecting ribs 40 to form an undercut. As the slide 20 is passed through the slot 31 in the locking bar 30, it is also inserted into the slot 41 in the doorframe. When the slide has been inserted sufficiently far into the door and is rotated, the engaging portion 23, which is longer than the width between the ribbed portions 40 in the slot 41 engages the undercut to hold the slide in place. The locking bar is retained between the locking portion 22 and the head portion 21 As the slide is movable relative to the door, the locking bar can be positioned and adjusted accurately and quickly. This helps to reduce the assembly cost since no additional fixing means is needed.

If desired, in order to prevent the slide moving relative to the door, the edge of the locking portion 22 and/or the engaging portion 23 may be arranged to engage the edge of the slot 41 or the edge of the ribs 4D respectively.

To aid in turning the slide to the locked position, a slot 25 is provided in the head 91 of the slide, so that a screwdriver or the like can be used to turn the slide.

Alternatively a posidrive, Phillips, hex head etc. may be provided in the head of the slide.

Claims (12)

1. A slide for slidingly retaining a locking bar of a door, window or the like, the locking bar having at least one elongate slot into which the slide is insertable, the slide comprising: a head portion to prevent the slide passing completely through said slot in said locking bar; a foot portion having a length greater than its width, its width being small enough to allow the foot portion to pass through said slot, the foot portion being engageable with a frame of said door or window; and a neck portion connecting said head portion and said foot portion.

2. A slide according to claim 1 wherein the neck portion is shaped so that the slide is slidable in said elongate slot in two orientations of said slide.

3. A slide according to claim 2 wherein said neck portion has a section which is wider than said slot, such that the neck must be resiliently deformed to rotate it between said two orientations when in said slot.

4. A slide according to claim 1, 2 or 3 having a through-hole for inserting an attachment means to attach said slide to said door or window frame.

5. A slide according to claim 4 wherein the attachment means is a screw.

6. A slide according to claim 5 having a screw releasably held therein.

7. A slide according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the foot portion comprises an engaging portion and a locking portion, the locking portion being shorter in length than the engaging portion.

8. A slide according to claim 7 wherein the slide has an engaging recess in the head portion into which a screwdriver or the like may be inserted for turning the slide.

9. A slide constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

10. A locking bar having at least one elongate slot provided with a slide according to any of the preceding claims.

11. A locking bar according to claim 10 having a slot at each end, each provided with a slide.

12. A door comprising at least one locking bar having at least one slide according to any one of the preceding claims.