WO2018130861A1

WO2018130861A1 - Hidden uplifting frame with locking mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2018130861A1
Application number: PCT/GR2017/000071
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexandros MYLONAS
Original assignee: Cft Carbon Fiber Technologies Private Co
Current assignee: Cft Carbon Fiber Technologies Private Co
Priority date: 2017-01-13
Filing date: 2017-12-21
Publication date: 2018-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-13
Also published as: EP3568548B1; GR20170100014A; CY1124925T1; RS62405B1; EP3568548A1; EP3568548B9

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of mechanical sliding frames and refers to a locking mechanism (1) using three gears, the handle gear (17), the connecting gear (18) and the locking gear (19). The gears are spaced apart and are surrounded by a chain (20), the rotary movement of the handle (4) enters the mechanism (1) from the handle gear shaft (9). The chain (20) conveys the motion to the connection gear (18), the movement exits through an output shaft (23) to the frame uplifting mechanism (21) located inside the vertical side profile (2) of the sash (3). When the sash is closed, the handle gear (17) is located in part B of the mechanism (1) which remains outside the walls, while the connecting gear (18) is located in part A of the mechanism that enters the walls along with the vertical a side profile (2) of the sash (3) and the lifting/lowering mechanism of the frame.

Description

Hidden uplifting frame with locking mechanism The invention belongs to the field of engineering and in particular concerns hidden sliding door frames.

"Hidden" sliding frame means the frame whose aluminium sash frame is entirely inserted into the case, which may be built-in into the floor and the surrounding walls. Hidden sliding frames maximise the field of the user's vision, however their technical problem is that the frame built-in into the floor and surrounding walls limits the vital space required for fitting sufficient frame sealing means. The result is installing waterproofing brushes in the limited space left, which may allow the sash to slip easily, but offer incomplete waterproofing compared to rubber insulating materials. Therefore, in the currently used technique, hidden frames use only brushes as waterproofing means. To lock the frame, a common handle is used that can be "hidden" within the walls, when the door is closed, and is operated by means of a protruding piston.

At the same time, in the current state of the art there are uplifting sliding frames, which -unlike the hidden sliding frames- have good waterproofing properties, because they feature rubber materials, all around but mostly in their lower horizontal guide, where there is mainly the risk of water entering the interior. However, in order to slide the frame with the sealing rubbers on the horizontal guide, it should be lifted with at least a slight clearance thereto, thus obtaining their technical name: "uplifting frames". Uplifting is achieved by a lifting mechanism that is placed in the lower horizontal profile and is operated by the handle on the vertical side profile of the frame and is directly connected to the lifting mechanism. Therefore, in the current state of the art, uplifting frames may use rubber waterproofing means, but both the lifting mechanism and the handle require an aluminium profile several centimetres wide that can in no way be "hidden" and as a result they limit the surface of the glass panel and the user's field of vision. This leads us to the problem that needs to be solved, namely that there is no hidden uplifting frame in the current state of the art, that is, a frame that is "hidden", i.e. its frame can be entirely inserted into the case, offering maximum visibility to the user and at the same time combining brushes and rubber waterproofing means.

Many hidden sliding frames have an additional technical problem that the majority of them, in the current state of the art, have their lock positioned in the middle, at the point where the vertical frames of the two sashes of the frame, called in practice "profile hooks", overlap. The problem with this locking mode is that the lock at the overlapping point is easily accessible and given that aluminium is an easily deformed material, it would be equally easy to tamper the lock.

This is the solution that EP 2921624 Al proposes, namely placing the handle at the point where the vertical frames of the two sashes of the frame overlap at the "profile hooks", as opposed to the present invention featuring the handle at the vertical side panel.

The above problems are also encountered in EP 1681417 A2 featuring an uplifting sliding frame, but the new solution proposed relates to the uplifting mechanism located in the lower horizontal profile of the sash and does not concern the handle mechanism as in the present invention. EP 2315900 Bl also features an uplifting sliding frame with a lock placed only in one of the frames, which has frames embedded in the glass, while usually the opposite occurs, i.e. the frame supports the glass. However, when the frame is in closed position, a large part of the frame embedded into the glass remains outside of the case, thus compromising the user's field of vision.

The present invention solves the problem of waterproofing by adding rubber means to a hidden frame, in addition to the brushes it already has, but it also solves the problem of fully integrating the frame into the case and achieves the manufacture of a hidden uplifting sliding frame with rubber waterproofing means, thanks to an innovative locking mechanism.

The present invention briefly functions as follows: The locking mechanism is mounted on the vertical side profile of the sash and has a long handle.

With the help of three gears located inside the mechanism and spaced apart and with a chain around them, the rotary movement of the handle enters the mechanism from the handle gear shaft. The chain conveys the motion to a remote connection gear, the movement exits through an output shaft to the frame uplifting mechanism located inside the vertical side profile of the sash. When the sash is closed, the handle gear is located in the part of the locking mechanism remaining outside the walls (Part B of the mechanism), while the remote connection gear is located in the part of the mechanism entering the walls (Part A of the mechanism) along with the vertical side profile of the sash and the lifting/lowering mechanism of the frame. Thanks to the distance between the two gears, it is possible for the vertical side of the sash that also includes the lifting mechanism, to be inserted into the walls. In addition, due to the distance between the two gears, the handle mechanism, although located outside the walls, it "commands" the lifting mechanism that has entered inside the walls along with the vertical side profile of the sash, to lift or lower the frame.

An advantage of the present invention is that, thanks to the locking mechanism, a hidden frame is manufactured that is a sliding and uplifting frame at the same time, thus combining the maximum visibility for the user that hidden frames offer, with the maximum waterproofing capability provided by the rubber waterproofing means.

A further advantage is that this invention converts a frame into a hidden and uplifting frame, using a common lifting mechanism of current state of the art, thus keeping the total cost of manufacturing the invention low.

A further advantage is that thanks to the locking mechanism, the frame and frame profiles can be fully integrated into the case, and therefore there are no visible level differences ("steps") between the technical elements of the frame such as case, frame, glass. When the sash is closed, these technical elements enter or are integrated into the walls and the only level visible to the user is the glass level, thus offering high aesthetics and state of the art. In single-sash frames, the only technical elements in the user's field of vision are the lower frame of the frame and the handle. In two-sash frames, in addition to the above, only the seamless joining of the two sashes remains visible.

The 6 drawings accompanying the invention briefly present the following:

Drawing 1 illustrates the front view of the entire hidden uplifting frame with the locking mechanism as well as the technical components and parts of the frame that are integrated into the walls and not visible to the user. The sashes are in closed position. The points of sections A-A' and B-B' are set. Drawing 1 illustrates a two-sash typology, with one fixed sash and one moving sash bearing the locking mechanism.

Drawing 2 illustrates a horizontal section/floor plan B-B' of a two-sash hidden uplifting frame with the locking mechanism. The two sashes overlap in the section of the two "hook" profiles.

Drawing 3 illustrates a vertical section A-A' of the hidden uplifting frame. Drawing 4 illustrates the locking mechanism separately in a three- dimensional perspective view, assembled and disassembled.

Drawing 5 illustrates the inside of the locking mechanism separately, in a frontal position.

Drawing 6 illustrates the locking mechanism components, in particular the outer guide plate (figures 6A, 6A i, 6A ii)

the inner guide plate (figures 6B, 6B i, 6B ii) and

the lid (figures 6C, 6C i, 6C ii).

There follows a detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As illustrated in drawings 1, 2 and 3, the locking mechanism (1) is mounted on the vertical side profile (2) of the sliding sash (3). A fixed sash (3a) that does not open is also illustrated along with that. The locking mechanism (1) has a long handle (4), like the one of the currently used technique for uplifting sliding frames. The handle (4) is vertically mounted and performs a wide 180 degree rotary movement, so that even a weak user with limited power would be capable of lifting the sash (3) (drawing 4).

As illustrated in drawings 4, 5 and 6, the locking mechanism (1) is comprised

- of a lid (6),

- of an inner guide plate (11),

- of an outer guide plate (12) and

- of three gears mounted between the inner guide plate (11) and the outer guide plate (12), i.e. the handle gear (17), the connecting gear (18) and the locking gear (19) (drawing 5).

The handle gear (17) has a rotation movement input shaft (9) of the handle (4)

The connecting gear (18) has a rotation movement output shaft (23) of the handle (4). The two gears (17 & 18) are spaced apart and are enclosed by a chain (20).

The lid (6) (drawing 4 and drawing 6 of figures 6C, 6C i, 6C ii) has a through hole (7) for the rotation movement input shaft (9) of the handle (4) and has a through hole (8) for mounting a lock (10) with a locking member (24).

The inner guide plate 11 (drawing 4 and drawing 6, figures 6B, 6B i, 6B ii) is located inside the locking mechanism (1) between the lid (6) and the outer guide plate (12). There are connecting holes (13) to the outer guide plate (12) on its surface and a through hole (8a) corresponding and coaxial to the hole (8) located on the lid (6) for mounting the lock (10). The inner guide plate (11) has also mounting holes (14) at its end part that are used to fix the mechanism (1) to the vertical side profile (2) of the moving sash (3) with screws. It also has a through hole (7a) corresponding and coaxial to the hole (7) located on the lid (6), through which the rotary input shaft (9) for the handle (4) passes and rotates. The rotary input shaft (9) has a square cross section to a part of it, it passes through the handle gear (17) located between the inner (11) and the outer guide plate (12) and moves it. The through hole (7a) also functions as a bearing recess for the handle gear (17).

The inner guide plate (11), on the side that is fitted with the lid (6), has shaped recesses (16) contacted with the hole (7a) through which the square cross section rotary input shaft (9) of the handle (4) passes. Sheets (25) are placed in the recesses (16) formed, enabling the rotary movement of the handle (4) by 90° + 90°, total 180 degrees.

Also, the inner guide plate (11) (drawing 6, figure 6B), on its side fitted to the outer guide plate (12), has:

- a seating hole (15) for supporting and rotating the connecting gear shaft (18) located between the inner (11) and the outer guide plate (12). The seating hole (15) may be through or not

- a seating hole (26) for supporting and rotating the locking gear shaft (19) located between the inner (11) and the outer guide plate (12). The seating hole (26) may be through or not and

- a special formation for positioning a drive chain (20) around the handle gear (17) and the connecting gear (18).

The outer guide plate 12 (drawing 4, drawing 5 and drawing 6, figures 6A, 6A i, 6A ii) bears the connecting holes (13a) on its surface that are corresponding, coaxial to and facing the connecting holes (13) on the inner guide plate (11) for assembling the two plates (11 & 12). The holes (13a) are threaded to allow screw connection. It also has mounting holes (14a) at its end part, corresponding, coaxial to and facing the mounting holes (14) on the inner guide plate (11), for fixing the mechanism (1) by means of screws to the vertical side profile (2) of the moving sash (3). It also has a bearing hole (7b) corresponding and coaxial to the holes (7 and 7a) located respectively on the lid (6) and on the inner guide plate (11), with a formation suitable for the handle gear's (17) rotation and support.

The outer guide plate (12) has also a recess on its surface, where the connecting gear (18) is mounted and has a through hole (15a) corresponding and coaxial to the hole (15) of the inner guide plate (11). The rotary output shaft (23) of the handle (4) that has a square cross- section to a part of it and passes through the connecting gear (18) and moves it, is seated in the hole (15a). The shaft (23) has a square cross- section and is connected with the lifting mechanism (21) of the frame (drawings 1 and 2). The lifting mechanism (21) is located inside the side vertical profile (2) of the sash (3) and inside the lower horizontal profile (27) of the sash (3) and is of the current state of the art.

The outer (12) guide plate has a recess on its inner side, specially shaped for the operation of the drive chain (20) that surrounds the handle gear (17) and the connecting gear (18). The locking gear (19) is not surrounded by the drive chain (20), but is connected to the outer side of the chain (20) and moves in the rotary movement of the chain (20). The chain (20) is pressed by the locking gear (19), so its trajectory at the point of contact with the gear (19) is curved (drawing 5).

The outer guide plate (12) has also a bearing hole (26a) for supporting and rotating the locking gear shaft (19) (drawings 4, 6). The bearing hole (26a) may be through or not. There is a recess (8b) formed in the bearing hole (26a), corresponding and coaxial to the through holes (8a and 8) inside the inner guide plate (11) and the lid (6) respectively, through which the locking mechanism (10) passes. When the lock (10) of the frame is locked, a locking member (24) of the lock (10) passing through the hole (8a) on the inner guide plate (11) enters the recess (8b) formed in the bearing formation (26a) of the outer guide plate (12) and immobilises the locking gear (19) (drawings 4, 5).

The outer guide plate (12) has mounting through holes (14a) on its outer side, through which the locking mechanism (1) is fixed to the vertical side profile (2) of the sliding sash (3) (drawing 6, figure 6A). Finally, the outer guide plate (12) has a through hole (15a), from which the square- section rotary output shaft (23) of the handle (4) exits, connected to the lifting mechanism (21) of the frame. The lifting mechanism of the-frame (21) is located inside the side vertical profile (2) of the sash (3) and inside the lower horizontal profile (27) of the sash (3) (drawings 1-3).

During operation of the invention, the sliding sash (3) moves as follows:

To close the sliding sash (3) the user initially pulls it by means of the handle (4) towards the wall in direction H'-H, until the side vertical profile (2) of the sash (3) enters the case (5) that is located inside the wall. In addition to the vertical profile (2), the end part of the locking mechanism (1) bearing the mounting holes (14) also enters the case (5) and screws onto the vertical profile (2) that contacts Part A of the mechanism (drawings 2 and 4). Therefore, the part of the mechanism where the connecting gear (18) and the rotary output shaft (23) of the handle (4) are located, forming together "Part A" of the mechanism (drawings 2 and 4), enters the walls and stops along with the vertical profile (2). Only the part of the mechanism bearing the lock (10) and the handle (4) in vertical position, the handle gear (17) and the locking gear (19), forming all together "Part B" of the mechanism (drawings 2 and 4), remain outside the walls and are visible to the user. In this position, the frame meets the characteristics of a "hidden" frame.

Then the user moves the handle (4) with a rotary movement of 180 degrees, in direction R-R' towards the floor, in order for the frame to decent and partially enter the case (5) located in the floor. Rotating the handle (4) towards the floor rotates the square cross-section rotary input shaft (9) of the handle (4). The shaft (9) passes through and moves the handle gear (17) which in turn moves the chain (20). The chain (20) surrounds and moves the connecting gear (18). The connecting gear (18) rotates the rotary output shaft (23) of the handle (4), which is connected and operates a lifting mechanism (21) located within the side vertical profile (2) of the sash (3); and into the lower horizontal profile of the sash (27). The lifting mechanism (21) lowers the sash (3) in direction E'-E, the sash (3) presses the rubber waterproofing means (29) mounted all around the sash (3) and especially at the lower horizontal profile. At the same time, it also presses the brushes (28) inside the case (5) of the frame (drawing 3). Due to the pressure with the rubber waterproofing means (29) the sash is now closed and immobilised within the lower horizontal guide. The combination of the rubber waterproofing means (29) and the brushes (28) offers two waterproofing zones to the frame. In this position, the frame meets the characteristics of an uplifting frame.

The user can lock the frame with a key (30) entering the lock (10) and actuating the member (24) of the lock (10). The locking member (24) enters the formation (8b) of the outer plate (12) and immobilises the locking gear (19). Then the locking gear (19) immobilises the drive chain (20), along with the handle (17) and connecting gears (18). The handle (4) is immobilised and the sash (3) is locked (drawings 4, 5). To open the sliding sash (3), the user unlocks and turns the handle (4) counter clockwise by 180 degrees, rotating it in direction R'- R. The movement of the handle (4) initially lifts the sash (3) in direction E-E' from the case (5) located inside the floor, and then the sash (3) is pulled in direction H-H' by means of the handle (4).

Thanks to the distance between the two gears (17 & 18), it is possible for the vertical side (2) of the sash (3) that also includes the lifting mechanism (21), to be inserted into the walls.

In addition, due to the distance between the two gears (17 & 18), the handle mechanism (4), although located outside the walls (drawings 2 and 4, Part B of the mechanism (1)), it "commands" the lifting mechanism (21) that has entered inside the walls along with the vertical side profile (2) of the sash, to lift or lower the frame.

As illustrated in drawing 2, the opening between the two sides of the walls is L. When the frame is closed, the two sashes (3 and 3a) overlap only in the vertical "hook" profiles at LI length. Thanks to the locking mechanism from the entire L opening of both sides of the wall, the user's field of vision is compromised only by LI section, i.e. the two vertical side frames and the top horizontal one are not visible, as part A of the locking mechanism of the frame that enter the walls. Only pat B of the locking mechanism bearing the handle and the lower horizontal guide (drawings 2 and 4) remain visible outside the walls.

The present invention can be applied in all door openings covered by sliding frames/whether bypass or not.

Claims

1. Hidden uplifting frame with a lifting mechanism (21) located in the vertical side (2) and in the lower horizontal profile (27) of the sash (3), with a handle (4) vertically arranged to make a 180° degree rotary movement and with a locking mechanism (1), characterised by the fact that it comprises:

- of a lid (6) that bears a hole (7) for a shaft (9) with square cross- section to a part of it of it, rotating the handle (4), and a locking hole (8) for mounting the lock (10),

- of an inner guide plate (11) bearing a through hole for lock (8a) corresponding and coaxial to the hole (8) of the lid (6), bearing a through hole (7a) corresponding and coaxial to the hole (7) and having seating holes (15 & 26) for seating and rotating the connecting gear shaft (18) and the locking gear (19), respectively,

- of an outer guide plate (12) with a bearing hole (7b) corresponding and coaxial to the holes (7 & 7a) for seating the handle gear (17), bearing a through hole (15a) corresponding and coaxial to the hole (15) of the inner guide plate (11) for seating and exiting the shaft (23) -with square cross-section at a part of it- to rotate the handle (4), which is connected to a lifting mechanism (21) of the frame, with a bearing hole (26a) for seating and rotating the locking gear shaft (19) and a recess formation (8b) corresponding and coaxial to the through holes (8a and 8) of the inner guide plate (11) and the lid (6), respectively.

- of a handle gear (17) with a rotary input shaft (9) -with square cross-section to a part of it, of the handle (4), the shaft (9) passing through the coaxial through holes (7 & 7a),

a connecting gear (18) with a rotary output shaft (23) -with square cross-section to a part of it-, of the handle (4), with the two gears (17 & 18) spaced apart and

a locking gear (19) connected to the outer side of the chain (20), which is immobilised by a member (24) of the lock (10) passing through the hole (8a) of the inner guide plate (11) and entering the recess formation (8b) on the bearing formation (26a) of the outer guide plate (12),

all three gears (17, 18, 19) are positioned between the inner guide plate (11) and the outer guide plate (12).

- a lock (10) located within the coaxial holes of the lock (8 & 8a) and having a locking member (24) entering the recess formation (8b) of the outer guide plate (12),

- a chain (20) surrounding the two gears (17 & 18).

2. Hidden uplifting frame according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the inner guide plate (11) is located between the lid (6) and the outer guide plate (12).

3. Hidden uplifting frame according to claims 1-2, characterised by the fact that the inner guide plate (11) has connecting holes (13) with the outer guide plate (12) and mounting holes (14) at its end part, for fitting the mechanism (1) to the vertical side profile (2) of the moving sash (3).

4. Hidden uplifting frame according to claims 1-3, characterised by the fact that the outer guide plate (12) has threaded connecting holes (13a), corresponding, coaxial to and facing the connecting holes (13) of the inner guide plate (11) and mounting holes (14a), corresponding, coaxial to and facing the mounting holes (14) of the inner guide plate (11) for fitting the mechanism (1) to the vertical side profile (2) of the moving sash (3).