WO2001069031A1

WO2001069031A1 - Quick-fit mosquito net for door and window openings with an improved device to fix the net when unwound

Info

Publication number: WO2001069031A1
Application number: PCT/IT2001/000124
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pietro Mingrone
Original assignee: Medaldue S.R.L.
Priority date: 2000-03-15
Filing date: 2001-03-13
Publication date: 2001-09-20
Also published as: AU4454101A

Abstract

Mosquito net (10) with a frame (20) consisting of horizontal members (23, 24) and of a box-upright (21) to house a roller with an elastic means for return action to wind up a movable net (11) connected along its free side to a bar-handle (40), comprising devices for locking the unwound net (11), respectively fixed to the end of said bar-handle (40) and to the frame (20), served by an elastic means for ensuring that said lock is stable and comprising devices for quick installation, consisting of pressure bodies (80, 95) sliding respectively inside heads (70, 94) of said horizontal members (23, 24), and of at least one box-upright (21) pressed by a screw (75, 97) supported by a thread in said heads (70, 94) and operable from outside using an ordinary socket-head wrench (100) or under pressure from one or more counteracting springs.

Description

Quick-fit mosquito net for door and window openings with an improved device to fix the net when unwound The invention concerns mosquito netting for door and window openings, with a moveable net.

Mosquito nets usually have a square framework, with right-angled corners to place in the opening of a door or window, of which at least one upright or horizontal member is box-shaped to hold a roller over which a net, providing protection against entry of insects, is rolled up or down by an elastic means for return action. If there are two horizontally sliding nets the two boxes must of course be placed opposite each other. The nets may slide horizontally or vertically. The edges of the net, or nets, slide in grooves made in the uprights or in the horizontal members of the frame.

Bearing in mind the elastic winding system, the devices for locking the net in its unwound position, generally consisting of permanent magnets, function in a precarious manner or in any case cannot ensure a stable protection. Another drawback is that the framework may not fit perfectly into the door or window opening, often leaving cracks at the sides through which insects can enter.

Purpose of this present invention is to overcome these drawbacks offering an easily mounted structure, safe and simple to use, at a reasonable cost.

The characteristics described below apply both to a single net or to two, sliding either horizontally or vertically. For the sake of simplicity, a single type of horizontally-sliding mosquito net is described here.

It will however be made clear that the novelty features are applicable to two nets and to either horizontal or vertical movement. Subject of the disclosure is a quickly fitted mosquito net for a door or window opening, with a moveable net supported by a quadrangular framework with right-angled corners, comprising at one side a box housing a roller with an elastic return action to wind up the net, connected, on its free side, to a bar-shaped handle. The bar-shaped handle is about as long as said free side; it slides laterally in guides made in the frame, and comprises a locking device for the net when unwound.

This locking device comprises fixing means joined respectively to each of the two ends of said handle and to the frame at said ends, served by an elastic means to ensure a stable hold. The net slides horizontally, unwinding from a roller mounted in a box in one upright placed at one vertical side of the opening, in guides made in the upper and lower horizontal members, fitted onto said box at one end and having, at the other end, a body supplying pressure, or pressure body, that slides inside one head making contact against the opposite side of the opening in which the mosquito net is installed.

The fixing means joined to the two ends of the bar-shaped handle, consists of an oblong body at the end of which is a tooth inclined towards the bar-shaped handle, while the fixing means joined to the frame is situated in a cavity in the pressure body at the end of the horizontal members and comprises a hook, facing away from the tooth, and a spring that applies pressure towards said tooth Therefore, by using the bar-shaped handle to introduce, into said cavity, the end of the oblong body, this latter, pressing on the spring, allows the tooth to fit into the hook, while the spring, when released, holds said tooth pressed against the hook All that is needed to release the locking device is to press against the spring laterally using the handgrip of the handle, in order to release the tooth from the hook and thus free the net The spring is a piece of V-shaped metal, one side of which is applied to the wall of the cavity in the pressure body, while the free side remains inclined towards the inside of said cavity and therefore towards the hook

At least one of the uprights of the framework is fixed in position in the opening where the mosquito net is installed, by a body supplying pressure, or pressure body, that slides inside one head on said upright moved by a screw supported by threading in an insert in said head, it being possible to operate on said screw from the opposite side of said pressure body

By turning the screw said pressure body can be made to project from said head so as to lock said upright in the opening where the mosquito net is installed The pressure body at the ends of the horizontal members slides inside a head on said members, moved by a screw, supported by threading in an insert in said head, it being possible to operate on said screw from the opposite side of said pressure body By turning said screw said pressure body can be made to project from said head in such a way as to lock said horizontal members in the opening where the mosquito net is to be installed The screws are socket-headed, preferably remaining fully sunk inside the cavity made for them in the heads of the uprights and horizontal members respectively; they can be quickly and easily tightened using an ordinary socket-headed wrench so that this can be done by the users themselves.

As an alternative, at least one of the frame's uprights can be fixed inside the opening where the net is to be installed, by a pressure body that slides inside one head of said upright pressed by one or more counteracting expansion springs whose set, rigidity and flexibility are such as to lock said upright in the opening for the net by simply pushing it in vertically between the opposing shoulders of said opening.

Similarly, as an alternative, the pressure body at the ends of the frame's horizontal members slides inside one head of said members pressed by one or more counteracting expansion springs whose set, rigidity and flexibility are such as to ensure that said members are lockedg in the opening for installation of the mosquito net by simply pushing them in horizontally between the opposing shoulders of said opening. The systems described above can obviously be used for the various types of mosquito nets, best suited to users' individual needs, having one or two nets each of which slide vertically or horizontally. The invention offers evident advantages. The locking device, comprising elastic means of stabilization, ensures that the net remains firmly in position when in use without any risk of its getting out of place by accident or of insects entering the room to be protected.

The methods of installation and locking of the uprights and horizontal members forming the frame for the net or nets, by means of pressure bodies whose projection is adjustable by screws that can be tightened by an ordinary socket-headed wrench, or else is automatically adapted, by expansion springs, to suit the dimensions of the opening where the net is to be installed, means not only that the net can be quickly and simply fitted in place by any user, but also that the structure of the mosquito net can be easily adapted to practically any door or window opening where protection against entry of insects is desired.

All this is available at a reasonable and competitive cost.

Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures. Fig. 1 A single moveable horizontally-sliding mosquito net, pressure fitted by means of expansion heads at the sides of a window opening, front view.

Fig. 2 The mosquito net being unwound from a box-upright towards an expansion head to fix it onto the opposite side of the opening, horizontal section with encircled detail.

Fig. 3 The mosquito net while the net is penetrating inside the expansion head.

Fig. 4 As above when fixed in place.

Fig. 5 Detail of the expansion head for holding the net and for fixing the horizontal members with a pressure screw, longitudinal section.

Fig. 6 As above, a cross section.

Fig. 7 Detail of the box-upright, cross section.

Fig. 8 Detail of the head fixing the box-upright, longitudinal section.

Fig. 9 Detail of the expansion head on the horizontal members for holding the net and for fixing said horizontal members with pressure springs in an alternative type, longitudinal section.

Fig. 10 As above, cross section.

Fig. 11 Detail of the head of the box-upright, in an alternative type of locking means using pressure springs, longitudinal section. Fig. 12 As above, cross section. The mosquito net 10 with its horizontally sliding net 11 is fitted into the opening 15 of a window by its frame 20 with uprights 21 and 22, and horizontal members 23 and 24.

Said net 11 is wound round the roller 30 (Figure 2) in the upright 21 which also forms a box to hold said roller 30.

The free end 31 of the net 11 is fixed inside the bar-shaped handle 40. This handle, extending up the entire height of the free side of the net and having handgrips 50 and 51 , comprises a seat 45 with a groove 46 in it for the net 11 held in place by the round bar 43 that is wider than said groove 46.

Behind the space for application of the free side of the net, is a further space 55 for housing an oblong brush 56. Locking devices 60 with teeth 61 for holding the unwound net 11 are placed at the upper and lower ends of said bar-handle. The upper and lower horizontal members, 23 and 24, are fixed to the quadrangular heads 70 within whose space 71 the pressure body 80 will penetrate, said body pressing against the upright 22 opposite the box-upright 21 or in any case against the side of the installation opening 15 opposite said upright 21. Said pressure body 80 comprises the cavity 82.

On one wall 83 a hooking means 85 opposes the flat spring 90 the end 91 of which is fixed to said wall 83, its free end being bent towards the hook 85. As will be seen from Figure 3, on pressing the locking devices 60, placed at the upper and lower ends of the bar-handle 40, after sliding on the guides 27 of the horizontal members 23, 24, inside the head 70 and the cavity 82 in the pressure body 80, the tooth 61 , passing over the spring 90 and therefore over the back of the hook 85, can then fit into said hook, as may be seen in Figure 4, also aided by pressure from the spring 90.

To detach the bar-handle 40 from the head 70, all that is needed is to use the handgrip 50 on the bar-handle 40 to press against the spring 90 causing it to move sideways so freeing the tooth 61 from the hook 85.

As may be seen in Figure 1 , the upright 21 can be fixed to the window opening 15 using the socket-headed wrench 100 on the screw 97 (Figure 8) causing the pressure body 95 to move in relation to the head 94 fixed to the box-upright 21 creating tension between said upright and the window opening into which the mosquito net 10 is being fitted. The horizontal members 23, 24 present at their ends a head 70 and a pressure body 96 that, by means of the socket-head screw 75 can be moved, using a wrench 100, for adjusting the overall length of said horizontal members to the width of the opening in which the mosquito net structure is to be installed. The screws 75 and 97 screw into the thread on the inserts 78 and 98 for the above mentioned heads 70 and 94 respectively.

Alternatively, as will be clearly seen in Figures 9 and 10, the horizontal members 36 can be fixed into the window opening 15 by provision of counteracting helical springs 124, of suitable set, rigidity and flexibility, placed in the opposing cylindrical cavities 121 in the heads 120 and 123 of the pressure body 122.

Similarly as an alternative, shown in Figures 11 and 12, the box- upright 35 can be fixed into the window opening 15 by provision of counteracting helical springs 134, of suitable set, rigidity and flexibility, placed in the opposing cylindrical cavities 131 in the heads 130 and 133 of the pressure body 132.

Claims

1 Quickly-fitted mosquito net (10) for a window or door opening (15), with a movable net (11 ) supported by a quadrangular frame (20) with right-angled corners, comprising on one side a box (21 ) for housing an elastic return-action roller (30) for winding up the net (11 ), connected on its free side to a bar-handle (40) substantially as long as said free side, sliding laterally within guides provided in the frame (20) and comprising a device for locking the net when unwound (11 ), characterized in that said locking device comprises hooking means (60), (85) respectively fixed to each of the two ends of said bar- handle (40) and to the frame (20) at said ends of the bar-handle (40), served by an elastic means (90) to ensure that said net (1 1 ) is firmly locked in place 2 Mosquito net (10) as in claim 1 , characteπzed in that the net (11 ), unwinding from a roller (30) inside a box-upright (21 ), (35) placed at one vertical side of the opening (15), slides horizontally within guides made in the upper and lower horizontal members (23), (24), (36) in one of their ends on said box- upright (21 ), (35) and having, at the other end, a pressure body (80), (122) sliding inside a head (70), (120) of said horizontal members (23), (24), (36) making contact against the opposite side of said opening (15) in which the mosquito net (10) is installed 3 Mosquito net (10) as in claims 1 and 2, characteπzed in that the hooking means (60) fixed at the two ends of the bar-handle (40) consists of an oblong body (60) at the end of which is a tooth (61 ) inclined towards the bar-handle (40) while the hooking means (85) fixed to the frame (20) is placed in a cavity (82) in the pressure body (80) at the end of the horizontal members (23), (24) and comprises a hook (85) facing in the opposite direction to the tooth (61 ) and a spring (90) pressing towards said hook (85) so that, the bar-handle (40) determining introduction in said cavity (82) of the end of the oblong body (60), this latter presses on the spring (90) permitting the tooth (61 ) to fit into the hook (85) while the spring (90), being then released, holds said tooth (61 ) against said hook (85) while, to detach said locking device it is sufficient to press the spring (90) laterally using the handgrip (50) on the bar-handle (40) to release said tooth (61 ) from the hook (85) so freeing the net (11 )

4 Mosquito net (10) as in claim 3, characterized in that the spring (90) is a piece of V-shaped metal one side (91 ) of which is applied to the wall of the cavity (81 ) in the pressure body (80) while the free side (90) remains inclined towards the inside of said cavity (81 ) and therefore towards the hook (85)

5 Mosquito net (10) as in claims 1 and 2, characteπzed in that at least one (21 ) of the uprights forming the frame (20) is locked in the opening (15) where the mosquito net (10) is installed, by a pressure body (95) sliding inside one head (94) of said upright (21 ) pressed by a screw (97), supported by a thread made in an insert (98) in said head (94), that can be operated from the opposite side of said pressure body (95), it being thus possible by turning said screw (97) to cause said pressure body (95) to project fom said head (94) in such a way as to lock said upright (21 ) in the opening (15) where the mosquito net is being installed

6 Mosquito net (10) as in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the pressure body (80) at the ends of the horizontal members (23), (24) of the frame (20) slides inside one head (70) of said members (23), (24) pressed by a screw (75), supported by a thread made in an insert (78) in said head (70), operable from the side opposite to said pressure body (80), it being thus possible, by turning said scew, (75), to cause said pressure body (80) to project in relation to said head (70) in such a way as to lock said horizontal members (23), (24) in the opening (15) where the mosquito net (10) is being installed

7. Mosquito net (10) as in claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the screws (75), (97) are socket-head screws, preferably remaining entirely inside a cavity made for them in the heads (94) and (70), on the uprights (21 ) and on the horizontal members (23), (24) respectively, and can be quickly and conveniently turned using an ordinary socket-head wrench (100) for the purpose and therefore by the users themselves.

8. Mosquito net (10) as in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at least one (35) of the uprights of the frame (20) is locked in the opening (15) where the mosquito net (10) is installed, by a pressure body (132) sliding inside one head (130) of said upright (35) pressed by one or more counteracting expansion springs (134), of a set, rigidity and flexibility such as will ensure that said upright (35) becomes locked in the opening (15) where the mosquito net (10) is installed.

9. Mosquito net (10) as in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the pressure body (122) at the ends of the horizontal members (36) of the frame (20) slides inside one head (120) of said horizontal members pressed by one or more counter- acting expansion springs (124), of a set, rigidity and flexibility such as will ensure that said horizontal members (36) become locked in the opening (15) where the mosquito net (10) is installed.

10. Mosquito net (10) as in claims 1 to 9, characterized by the possibility of substantially applying systems described in the preceding claims to the various most suitable types required to satisfy the needs of individual users, with one or two nets, each net sliding vertically or horizontally.