GB2277549A - Window securement - Google Patents

Abstract

A sash window has upper and lower sashes 2, 4. These are secured together by an espagnolette-type securement device operating between the opposed surfaces of the two sashes, when shut. A control bar 12 is located within the top rail of the frame of the lower sash 4 and has mushroom-shaped protrusions 14 located at its ends. The bar is movable under the control of a central control member 10. Keepers (18, Fig 2) are secured to the bottom rail (16, fig 2) of the frame of the upper sash 2, to co-operate with the protrusions 14. <IMAGE>

Description

WINDOW SECURENENT This invention relates to the securement of sash windows.

A sash window, having upper and lower sashes, one or both of which may slide vertically, is conventionally secured in the closed condition by means of one or more catches, sometimes called Flitch catches, in which the movable part of the catch is secured to the top surface of the top rail of the lower sash, and the keeper, also known as the strike plate, is fitted to the top surface of the bottom rail of the upper sash. Such a catch is usually operated by a 90" turn whereby a lipped tongue on the movable part of the catch is moved into the keeper.

Such catches are visible through the glass and so a potential intruder can see their type and position. This knowledge may assist an intruder in releasing the catches from the outside, by means of a blade or strip passed between the adjacent rails of the upper and lower sashes.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a sash window having upper and lower sashes, at least one of which is upwardly/downwardly slidable, wherein the bottom rail of the upper sash and the top rail of the lower sash have surfaces which oppose each other, in the closed condition of the window, characterised in that window securement is effected by means of the interengagement of securement means, comprising a protrusion and a keeper, between the said surfaces.

Preferably, the inter-engagement of the protrusion and the keeper is controlled by a control member which is spaced apart, across the window, from the protrusion and keeper.

Preferably, the securement means comprises two or more protrusions inter-engageable with a corresponding number of keepers. Preferably each keeper/protrusion pair is spaced apart from a common control member.

Suitably, the control member is located in a central position on the top surface of the top rail of the lower sash, which is conventionally the inner sash; and there are two protrusion/keeper pairs, each pair being located towards respective side rails of the sash window.

Preferably, the or each protrusion projects from the top rail of the lower sash, and the or each keeper is carried by the bottom rail of the upper sash.

Preferably, a said protrusion is carried by a bar which is moved longitudinally under the control of the control member. Where there are two or more protrusions, there may be two bars extending on respective sides of the control member, movable in opposite directions under the control of the control member. Such a securement device is sometimes called a shoot-bolt. Preferably, however, there is a single bar which carries the or each protrusion.

Suitably such a bar or bars is/are mounted within a rail of a sash, either the bottom rail of the upper sash or, more preferably, the top rail of the bottom sash, such that only the protrusion or protrusions project from the surface of the said rail, which surface faces the rail of the other sash, in the closed condition of the window.

Preferably the window frame is of a plastics material, for example extruded UPVC, and the bar or bars is/are mounted within a hollow chamber of the appropriate rail.

Preferably means are provided for locking the or each protrusion and keeper together. For example, a control member as described above may be provided with a lock which requires a key to release it.

It will be appreciated that it will be difficult or impossible for a potential intruder inspecting a sash window in accordance with the invention to see the type and position of the securement means, the protrusion(s) and keeper(s) thereof being located between the opposed faces of the said rails. Moreover when the control member is spaced apart from a said protrusion/keeper, the position of the control member will give no clue, as to the position of that protrusion/keeper.

Preferably, one or other of the rails of the sash window provided with a securement means as described above has a resilient sealing strip located above the securement means, to engage the other rail when the window is closed.

As well as performing its regular sealing function, such a strip makes it impossible for an intruder to see the type and position of the securement means, by peering downwardly, into the gap between the opposed surfaces.

Preferably, one or other of the rails of the sash window provided with a securement means as described above has a resilient sealing strip located below the securement means, to engage the other rail when the window is closed.

As well as performing its regular sealing function, this strip makes it impossible for an intruder to see the type and position of the securement means, by peering upwardly, into the gap between the opposed surfaces.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an external view of a sash window, in the open position; Fig. 2 is an internal view of a sash window, in the open position; and Fig. 3 is an internal view of a sash window, in the closed and secured position.

The sash window shown in the drawings comprises two upwardly/downwardly slidable sashes 2, 4. As is conventional, the upper sash 2 is the outer sash, and the lower sash 4 is the inner sash.

The sash frames are formed from hollow extruded UPVC profiles. A securement device of an espagnolette-type is mounted in the top, horizontal, rail 8 of the lower sash 4. The securement device is the type having a single control member in the form of a handle 10, which controls, by means of a gearing (not shown) the movement of a single bar 12 which carries, at each of its ends, a mushroomshaped protrusion 14.

The gearing and the bar 12 of the securement device are located within a hollow chamber of the top rail. The handle 10 is secured to the top surface of the rail 8, whilst the two protrusions 14 extend through slots (not shown) in the vertical, outwardly facing, surface of the top rail 8 of the lower sash. The provision of slots enables the protrusions to move sideways, longitudinally with respect to the rail 8, under the control of the handle 10.

Secured in fixed positions to the inwardly facing vertical surface of the bottom rail 16 of the upper sash, are two keepers 18 each having a U-shaped recess, located for engagement with the protrusions 14.

The handle 10 is located centrally on the top surface of the top rail 8 of the bottom sash, whilst the protrusions and keepers are located at intermediate positions, between the handle and respective side rails of the sashes.

To close the window, the top and bottom sashes are both slid to their closure positions, as shown in Fig. 3, with the handle in its position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In this position, the protrusions 14 are just out of alignment with the keepers 18. On turning the handle through 900, the bar 12 slides, to the left as shown in Fig. 2, so that the protrusions 14 locate within the keepers 18, so preventing either sash from being slid.

Preferably, sealing strips are provided to seal the gap between the outwardly facing surface of the lower sash, and the inwardly facing surface of the upper sash, both above and below the protrusions and keepers. Such sealing strips may be secured to the bottom rail of the upper sash, or to the top rail of the lower sash, or one to each. It will be appreciated that these make it impossible for a potential intruder to view the protrusions and keepers.

Preferably, the handle is provided with a lock (not shown) controlled by a key.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (11)

1. A sash window having upper and lower sashes, at least one of which is upwardly/downwardly slidable, wherein the bottom rail of the upper sash and the top rail of the lower sash have surfaces which oppose each other, in the closed condition of the window, characterised in that window securement is effected by means of the inter-engagement of securement means, comprising a protrusion and a keeper, between the said surfaces.

2. A sash window as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the inter-engagement of the protrusion and the keeper is controlled by a control member which is spaced apart, across the window, from the protrusion and keeper.

3. A sash window as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the securement means comprises two or more protrusions inter-engageable with a corresponding number of keepers.

4. A sash window as claimed in Claim 3, wherein each keeper/protrusion pair is spaced apart from a common control member.

5. A sash window as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the control member is located in a central position on the top surface of the top rail of the lower sash, and there are two protrusion/keeper pairs, each pair being located towards respective side rails of the sash window.

6. A sash window as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each protrusion projects from the top rail of the lower sash, and the or each keeper is carried by the bottom rail of the upper sash.

7. A sash window as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a said protrusion is carried by a bar which is moved longitudinally under the control of the control member.

8. A sash window as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said bar is mounted within a rail of a sash, such that only the or each protrusion projects from a surface of the said rail, which surface faces the rail of the other sash in the closed condition of the window.

9. A sash window as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sash frames are of an extruded plastics material.

10. A sash window as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein resilient sealing strips extend between said surfaces between which securement is effected, above and below the securement means.

11. A sash window substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.