GB2398831A

GB2398831A - A Hinge

Info

Publication number: GB2398831A
Application number: GB0302628A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Francis Lambert
Original assignee: Securistyle Ltd
Current assignee: Securistyle Ltd
Priority date: 2003-02-05
Filing date: 2003-02-05
Publication date: 2004-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 2023-02-05
Also published as: GB2398831B; GB0302628D0

Abstract

A hinge for supporting a vent between a closed position and open position comprises a support track 1 and a vent arm 10 joined by a linkage 4,5,6,7. A seal slider 3 is movably mounted on the support track 1 and is biased away from a pivot point 2 on the support track 1 by a leaf spring 17. Upon closing the vent, a first cam surface on the seal slider 3 is engaged by an engagement member 13 on the vent arm 10. This forces the seal slider 3 towards the pivot 2 against the bias of the spring 17, and a second cam surface of the seal slider 3 engages a sealing block on the vent arm 10. This prevents the vent arm from moving outwards and bowing of the window thus providing improved weather sealing around the vent.

Description

HINGE

This invention relates to hinges, and in particular to hinges for supporting a top-hung vent with improved sealing properties. Said hinges support the vent between a closed position in which it lies within a fixed frame and an open position in which it extends substantially perpendicularly to the fixed i'rame.

To provide weather sealing, hinges may be provided with a cap member at the end of a support track about which the vent arm pivots providing two internal cam surfaces meeting at an apex. The vent arm is provided with a corresponding nose portion that enters the cap member and engages the cam surfaces with a wedging action as the vent arm is moved into the closed position. Sometimes the shape of the cap member is symmetrical, however in larger windows, the weight of the window causes deflection of the components so that when the window is closed, the nose portion does not enter the cap member, but instead strikes the outer surface ol'the cap member.

GI32 133074 describes a cap where the cam surfaces of the cap member are asymmetrically disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the support track. '['his overcomes the deflection problems described above, allowing an efficient weather seal at the cap member end of the vent. There is, however, no support or sealing mid-span.

I'here is therefore a demand for a hinge with improved sealing and furthermore, there is demand where said sealing acts mid-span and is integral to the hinge.

The present invention provides a hinge for supporting a vent between a closed position and an open position, the hinge comprising: a support track and a vent arm joined by a linkage; a seal slider movably mounted on the support track, and an engagement member on the vent arm, wherein upon closing of the vent, in use, the engagement member engages the seal slider thereby providing improved sealing.

The seal slider and/or the engagement member may comprise a sealing block. One of the seal slider and the engagement member may comprise a cam and the other of the seal slider and the engagement member may comprise a cam follower.

Preferably, the seal slider is resiliently connected to the pivot block or the linkage such that it is always in a position such that the engagement member can engage the seal slider upon vent closing. Said resilient connection is preferably provided by a spring and, more preferably provided by a leaf' spring. However, the resilient connection may be made by an elastomeric compound or a pneumatic damper. The support track may also provide a stop to prevent the seal slider from moving too far away from the pivot block due to the resilient connection. This stop may comprise a raised portion of the support track or may be an additional metal or plastics block attached to the support track.

The pivot block may comprise a flange that protrudes towards the seal slider and is raised ] O from, yet substantially parallel to the support track. This flange provides protection for the resilient connection The seal slider and the engagement member may be made from metal and/or plastics material.

In one embodiment, the seal slider comprises a first cam surface and a second cam surface.

Preferably, the seal slider consists of a first cam surface and a second cam surt'ace and the engagement member consists of a cam follower and a sealing block such that, upon closing of the vent, said cam follower engages the drive slot of the seal slider. As the follower moves across the first cam surface of the slider, the slider is driven up the support track towards the head of the hinge and behind the sealing block. The sealing block is engaged against a second cam surface which urges the vent closed such that the vent arm lies substantially parallel to the support track.

Preferably the sealing block and cam follower are riveted to the vent arm.

I'hc seal slider may be shaped such that it receives inwardly facing flanges of the support track in grooves and therefore can only move along the track.

In a f'urthcr embodiment, the linkage means comprises a slider and a pivot block mounted in said support track, a thrust link attaching said vent arm to said slider, a control link attaching said vent arm to said pivot block and a brace joining the slider to a midpoint of the control link. The linkage may also comprise one or more reinforcing links between the vent arm and the brace. Further types ol' suitable linkages are described in the art and will not be described here in detail.

In a further embodiment said pivot block is movcable along the support track.

In a yet further embodiment said support track further comprises a cap member at the end distal to said seal slider, and said vent arm comprises a nose piece to engage said cap member. Hinges with cap members have been previously described and are well known in the art. A combination of a hinge with a cap member together with the features of the present application provides greatly improved window sealing.

A specific embodiment of the present invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is an isometric view of a hinge according to the present invention in a partly open position; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the seal slider; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the cam follower and sealing block.

Figure 4 is a front view of the seal slider.

With reference to the drawings, a hinge according to the present invention comprises a support track 1, a slider 8, a pivot block 2 and a vent arm 10.

An end of the vent arm 10 is pivotally attached via a thrust link 7 to the slider 8. A midpoint of the vent arm 10 is pivotally attached via a control link 6 to the pivot block 2. A brace 5 joins the slider 8 to a midpoint of the control link 6 via pivots 16. Reinforcing links 4 attach the brace 5 to the vent arm via pivots 15. The vent arm 10 has a nose portion 9 at one end, and the support track 1 has a corresponding end cap 12 to receive the nose portion. 'I'he pivot block 2 has a flange 11 that protrudes towards the seal slider and is raised from, yet substantially parallel to the support track.

I'he support track I comprises a web, two side walls and two inwardly facing flanges at the tops of the two side walls. The slider 8 is shaped to be received in the support track 1 and to be held therein by means of the flanges in known manner. The slider can then move along the support track.

The seal slider 3 is shaped to be received in the support track and held there by said flanges, such that it can slide along the support track. It is attached to a leaf spring 17, which lies between the seal slider 3 and the pivot block 2. The leaf spring lies inside the support track under the inwardly facing flanges and biases the sealing block away from the pivot block. The cam l'ollower 13 and sealing block 14 are riveted to the vent arm 10, such that they engage with the seal slider when the vent is closed.

Upon closing of the vent, the cam follower 13 engages the first cam surface of the seal slider 3. This drives the seal slider towards the pivot block, under a protruding flange 11 and compresses the leaf spring 17. 'I'he second cam surface of the seal slider contacts the sealing block on the vent arm and drives the vent arm into a closed position such that the vent arm lies substantially parallel to the support track. When the vent is fully closed, the second cam surface of the seal slider is adjacent to the sealing block 14. This prevents the vent arm from moving outwards and bowing of the window, thus providing improved scaling.

Upon opening the vent, the spring 17 returns the seal slider to its original position as the cam follower and sealing block disengage from the seal slider. The seal slider always returns to the same original position as the spring pushes the seal slider away from the pivot block until the seal slider hits a stop 18 in the support track. In this case, the stop is a raised portion of the support track. 'I'he spring and stop therefore ensure that the seal slider is always in a position to receive the cam follower and sealing block.

In the present case, during assembly of the hinge, alter the pivot block has been attached to the support track, the spring is fitted in place under the flanges of the support track. The seal slider is then pushed into position in the track and a raised portion is made in the support track web to produce the stop.

It is clear that the seal slider, cam follower and sealing block could be used in conjunction with hinges of dit't'erent designs. In any case, improved sealing is provided which both improves protection against the weather and offers improved security.

Accordingly, the present invention provides improved sealing for large vent windows over

the methods disclosed in the prior art.

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and that modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A hinge for supporting a vent between a closed position and an

open position, the hinge comprising: a support track and a vent arm joined by a linkage; a seal slider movably mounted on the support track, and an engagement member on the vent arm, wherein upon closing of a vent, in use, the engagement member engages the seal slider to provide improved sealing.
2. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein the seal slider and/or engagement member comprise a sealing block.
3. A hinge according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one of the seal slider and the engagement member includes a cam, and the other of the seal slider and the engagement member includes a cam follower.
4. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein the seal slider or engagement member comprises a first cam surface and a second cam surface.
5. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein upon closing the vent the cam follower engages a cam surface and a second cam surface engages a sealing block such that the vent is urged closed and into a position substantially parallel to the support track.
6. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein said seal slider is resiliently connected to a pivot block or the linkage.
7. A hinge according to claim 6, wherein the resilient connection is provided by a spring, an elastomeric or a pneumatic means.
8. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein the seal slider and/or the engagement member are manufactured using a plastics material and/or metal.
9. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein the seal slider has grooves to receive inwardly facing flanges of the support track.
10. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein the linkage comprises a thrust link attached to a slider and a control link attached to a pivot block.
11. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein said pivot block is moveable along the support track.
12. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein the vent arm has a nose portion and the support track has an end cap to receive the nose portion.
13. A hinge according to any preceding claim, wherein the linkage comprises a thrust link, pivotally attached to a slider and the vent arm, a control link pivotally attached to a pivot block and a midpoint of the vent arm, a brace pivotally attached to the slider and a midpoint of the control arm and a number of reinforcing links attached to the vent arm and the brace.
14. A hinge substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
15.A method of making a hinge with improved sealing as described in any of the preceding claims.