GB2416189A - Stay with slidable supports and independent slidable restricting body - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to stays, such as window stays. A stay 10 includes a track 11, a window carrying arm 12, a first support 13, a second support 14 and links (15 to 18) connecting the arm 12 to one or other of the supports 13,14. An independent body 22 is slidably mounted in the track 11 to move between a first position in which it prevents movement of the support 13 from its egress position and a second position in which it does not, and allows movement of the stay into a cleaning position. The body 22 does not re-engage in its first position until the stay has first been closed and is subsequently open. The body 22 may have spring-loaded projections for engaging into openings in the track. In the egress position, the first support may have a greater frictional engagement with the track than the second support. The body 22 may restrict the second support 14 in its cleaning position, and may be arranged such that no more than one support is restricted at one time.

Description

This invention relates to stays such as window stays. Stays, which are a

basic form of the four bar mechanism, in which an arm can be hinged relative to a track, this is fixed on a frame, are well known. In most such stays pivots connected to one end of the arm stay fixed and the pivot connected to the other end of the arm moves or vice versa, but in some stays there are two pivot carrying sliders. Depending on the construction, different stays provide different functions. There is a need for stays known as "egress stays" which allow opening of the window which is sufficiently full to allow escape. In this position it is not easy to clean the window, for example, mounted on the stay and so it is desirable to enable the window to be moved, in an open condition, along the track so that both sides become accessible. It is, however, important that on any subsequent opening the window opens to its egress position. Further, an additional problem for many users, particularly the elderly, is that the window assembly is too heavy to slide in this way.

Accordingly, in connection with the first problem, a number of proposals have been made which are intended to define the egress position of the stay and typically these involve restricting the movement along the track of the support or slider which is most adjacent to the window in the egress position Various designs have been made to achieve this, but for the most part they involve springs which have to be cammed over or past projections into the track and have to be formed on one of the supports or sliders. These are not only quite difficult to assemble, they mean nonstandard supports have to be used increasing manufacturing costs.

From one aspect the present invention consists in a stay for windows or the like including an arm for supporting a load, a track, a first support slidably located in the track, a second support slidably located in the track and a linkage for hingeingly connecting the arm to the track and including at least one link member connected to the first support and another link member connected to the second support for allowing the stay to move between a closed and an egress position characterized in that the stay further includes an independent body slidably disposed in the track between the two supports and releasably engageable with the track in the first position in which it restricts movement of the first support from its egress position, but which, when released, allows movement of the stay into a cleaning position.

The advantage of this approach is that an essentially standard stay can be modified to form the desired stay simply by the provision of the intermediate body and, as will be mentioned below, for some embodiments the provision of suitable formations in the track.

The first position can be defined in many ways and the degree to which positive engagement is required between the track and the support will depend on the geometry, loading and likely forces. Thus it may be possible to use increased local friction, but in general a positive engagement is preferred. Thus for example the body may have one or more projections for engaging in respective openings in the track. Where the track is provided with over turned lips, these openings may be cut outs in the lips. The body is preferably spring loaded for movement of the or each projection into an opening so that, when the projections are adjacent their respective openings they will spring into them and they can be released by acting against the spring.

In previous designs, as has been mentioned, it has tended to be the practice to mount any restricting means on the first mentioned support so that as the window is closed from a cleaning position, the restrictor is returned to its egress defining position. The Applicants have however decoupled the restrictor and the support and it has been found convenient to provide a second position for releasably engaging or holding the body when it reaches the cleaning position so that it will remain substantially therein on closing of the stay. The stay can then be provided with means for releasing the body from its second position on closing or opening of the stay such that the body has returned to its first position by movement of the second support on opening of the stay to its egress position. As can be seen below, this decoupling allows for an alternative operation of the stay during movement from "egress" to "clean".

Most conveniently the link connected to the second support will carry on its underside, a projection which will engage the body in a sense to release it from the second position and move it sufficiently to prevent reengagement.

From another aspect the invention consists in a stay for windows or the like including an arm for supporting a load, a track, a first support slideably located in the track, a second support sldeably located in the track and a linkage for hingeing the connecting arm to the track and including at least one link member connected to the first support and another link member connected to the second support for allowing the stay to move between a closed position, an egress position and a cleaning position characterized in that the stay includes restrictor means for restricting the first support in its egress position and for restricting the second support in its cleaning position, the restricting means being arranged such that no more than one support is restricted at a time.

Although the invention has been defined above, it is to be understood it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the

following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and this specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view from above of a stay in its egress position; Figure 2(a) is view from above of the stay in its cleaning position and Figure 2(b) is a scrap side view of one end of the stay; Figure 3(a) is an enlarged view of the stay in the position of Figure 2 and Figure 3(b) is a side view of Figure 3(a); Figure 4(a) illustrates, from above, the closing of the stay from the cleaning position and Figure 4(b) is a side view of one end of that stay; Figures 5(a) and (b) are respectively enlarged views from above and the side corresponding to Figure 4(b); Figure 6(a) shows the stay in a slightly more closed position in which a body is being released and Figure 6(b) is a side view of one end of that stay; Figure 7 (a), (b) and (c) are views from above, the side and one end of the body of the stay respectively.

As can be seen in figure 1 a stay, generally indicated at 10, includes a track 11 for mounting on a frame, a window carrying arm 12, a first support 13, a second support 14, a link 15 extending between a pivot 16 and the support 13 and the pivot 17 on one end of the arm 12, a further link 18, extending between a pivot 19 and the support 14 and intermediate pivot on the arm 12 and a brace 21 pivotally connected between the link 18 and the support 13. A body 22 is slidably mounted in the track 11 and is interposed between the supports 13 and 14.

The body 22 will be described in more detail below, but it has a lateral projections 23 for engaging in cut-outs in the turned over lips 24 of the track 11.

Two pairs of cutouts are provided in the track. The first pair, 25, are located in a position in which the body 22 will prevent the support 13 travailing along the track 11 from left to right as shown in Figure 1. The second pair, 26, are located to retain the body 22 in the position in which it allows the stay to be in a cleaning position, as is described below.

The body 22 is arranged so that the projections 23 are normally urged against the undersides of the lip 24 and therefore will pop into the openings as they become aligned with a pair of openings (25 or 26). Similarly the body can be depressed against the spring action allowing for release of the body 22 from a defined position.

Thus if the window is in the egress position illustrated in Figure 1, it can be moved into the cleaning position illustrated In Figure 2 in one of two ways.

The first method is simply to depress the body 22 to release it from the openings and to slide the all stay and window assembly along the track from left to right. In some cases this may be too great an effort, due to the weight of the window, and so would not be suitable, for example, for more elderly users. The alternative approach therefore is to depress the body 22 to release it from the position defined by the cutouts 25; to close partially the window so that the support 14 retreats past the openings 26; to slide the body 22 until the projections 23 engage in the openings 26 and then to reopen the window, whereupon, because the support 14 is now restricted from movement by the body 22, the first support 13 will slide down the track from left to right into the cleaning position.

It will be understood that stays of this type are used in pairs and in either case both bodies will have to be manipulated according to the method being used. The second method will therefore be somewhat longwinded for some users, but it is a great boon for those who are physically not strong enough to slide the whole window unit relative to the track.

When the stay 10 is closed from the cleaning position at Figure 2, the support 14 will return up the track from right to left until it reaches its window closed position. However, the body 22 will apparently remain retained in the openings 26. It cannot therefore be left in that position, or else on next opening the window would open to its cleaning position. Accordingly link 18 carries, on its underside, a moulding 27 which has a downward projection 28. As can best be seen in Figures 4 to 6, as the window closes the link 18 begins to sweep over the body 22 and the projection 28 passes through an opening 26 to engage the upper part of the body 22 to depress the projections 23 out of the openings 26.

As can best be seen in Figure 7(b) the body 22 is formed with a raised portion 29, which has an edge 30 that can be cammingly engaged by the projection 28 so that the body is nudged sufficiently right to left up the track that, when the stay is reopened, the projections 23 will not simply pop back into the openings 26. This nudged position is shown in Figure 6(b).

On reopening of the stay, the second support 14 will move right to left along the track sweeping the body 22 towards the support 13 until it once more engages in the openings of 25 to ensure that the stay necessarily opens to egress in its fully opened position.

As can best be seen in Figures 7(a) to (c), the body 22 is provided with a spring 31 in its underside for engaging the base of the track 11. The spring mechanism could be provided by some integral moulding.

To achieve the functions as described above, it is necessary that the frictional engagement between the support 13 on the track is greater than the frictional engagement between the support 14 and the track, at least when the support 13 is in its egress position. This can be achieved by providing localised enhanced frictional engagement at the support 13's egress position, but most simply the support 14 is of a higher frictional type, for example that described in our co-pending application to 200407882.0 filed on 7th April 2004.

Claims (7)

1. Claims 1. A stay for windows or the like including an arm for supporting a

   load, a track, a first support slidably located in the track, a second support slidably located in the track and a linkage for hingeingly connecting the arm to the track and including at least one link member connected to the first support and another link member connected to the second support for allowing the stay to move between a closed and an egress position characterized in that the stay further includes an independent body slidably disposed in the track between the two supports and releasably automatically engageable with the track in a first position in which it restricts movement of the first support from its egress position, but which, when released, allows movement of the stay into an cleaning position.
2. 2. A stay as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body is releasably automatically engageable with the track in a second position when it reaches the cleaning position so that it remains substantially therein on closing of the stay.
3. 3. A stay as claimed in claim 2 further including means for releasing the body from its second position on closing or opening of the stay such that the body is returned to its first position by movement of the second support on opening of the stay to its egress position.
4. 4. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the body has one or more projections for engaging in openings in the track.
5. 5. A stay as claimed In claim 4 wherein the body is spring loaded for movement of the or each projection into an opening.
6. 6. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein, at least in the egress position, the first support has a greater frictional engagement with the track than the second support.
7. 7. A stay for windows or the like including an arm for supporting a load, a track, a first support slideably located in the track, a second support slideably located in the track and a linkage for hingeingly connecting the arm to the track and including at least one link member connected to the first support and another link member connected to the second support for allowing the stay to move between a closed position, an egress position and a cleaning position characterized in that the stay includes restrictor means for restricting the first support in its egress position and for restricting the second support in its cleaning position, the restricting means being arranged such that no more than one support is restricted at a time.