Patent Application
20110203194
1. Background
The present invention relates generally to devices suitable for covering window wells found in many homes and buildings.
2. Related Art
It is often the case that windows are installed in homes or other buildings below (or partially below) ground level. In such cases, a “well,” or open portion in the ground, adjacent the window is formed to allow light to enter the window and to allow human egress from the window. In many cases, these windows wells can present a hazardous situation to those near the windows outside of the home or building, as one might easily fall into the window well and become injured. This risk is particularly high when small children are playing near window wells.
Due to this situation, many homeowners choose to install covers over the window wells that prevent individuals from falling into the well. Such covers can also serve as security devices, preventing intruders from entering the home or building. A wide variety of different types of such covers have been designed, from relatively simple, transparent polymeric covers to ornate metal grates.
While such covers address the hazard of falling into the window well, they can serve to limit or hinder egress from the window by those inside of the home. This can be very problematic in the case of a fire or other emergency. In particular, heavy, ornate metal grate covers can be sufficiently heavy, or rusted or otherwise partially held in place, that small children, or even adults, find them difficult or impossible to remove from inside the window well.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a window well cover assembly including a cover grate, pivotally coupleable to a window well structure or a dwelling. At least one actuator can be operable to pivot the cover grate from a closed position in which the cover grate is closed over the window well into an open position in which the cover grate is opened over the window well. A latching assembly can be operable to maintain the cover grate in the closed position until released to allow the actuator to pivot the cover grate into the open position.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a window well cover assembly is provided, including a cover grate, pivotally coupleable to a window well structure or a dwelling. At least one actuator can be operable to pivot the cover grate from a closed position in which the cover grate is closed over the window well into an open position in which the cover grate is opened over the window well. An actuator initiating system can be operable to initiate the actuator to cause the actuator to pivot the cover grate from the close position to the open position.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for installing a window well cover over a window well adjacent a dwelling is provided, including: pivotally coupling a cover grate to the window well or a dwelling adjacent the window well, the cover grate being operably coupled to at least one actuator operable to pivot the cover grate from a closed position in which the cover grate is closed over the window well into an open position in which the cover grate is opened over the window well; and latching the cover grate into the closed position with a latching assembly, the latching assembly operable to maintain the cover grate in the closed position until released to allow the actuator to pivot the cover grate into the open position.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of the invention, taken with the accompanying drawings and claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention.
Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but is extended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those of ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to an “actuator” includes one or more of such actuators.
In describing and claiming the present invention, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set forth below.
Distances, forces, weights, amounts, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It is to be understood that such a range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and thus should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly recited as the limits of the range, but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub-ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub-range is explicitly recited.
As an illustration, a numerical range of “about 1 inch to about 5 inches” should be interpreted to include not only the explicitly recited values of about 1 inch to about 5 inches, but also include individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. Thus, included in this numerical range are individual values such as 2, 3, and 4 and sub-ranges such as from 1-3, from 2-4, and from 3-5, etc.
This same principle applies to ranges reciting only one numerical value and should apply regardless of the breadth of the range or the characteristics being described.
As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, when an object or group of objects is/are referred to as being “substantially” symmetrical, it is to be understood that the object or objects are either completely symmetrical or are nearly completely symmetrical. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained.
The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an opening that is “substantially free of” material would either completely lack material, or so nearly completely lack material that the effect would be the same as if it completely lacked material. In other words, an opening that is “substantially free of” material may still actually contain some such material as long as there is no measurable effect as a result thereof.
As illustrated generally in the figures, the present invention provides a window well cover assembly that can be used to provide a manner of safe and easy egress from a dwelling through a window well. The window well covers of the present invention can be used by very small, or not physically strong individuals, to move a cover grate from a window well, even in the case that the cover grate is very heavy, or is partially held in position by rust, debris, etc.
Generally speaking, dwellings that include windows installed below ground level typically include open spaces, or “wells,” adjacent the window that serve to allow light to enter the window. These wells also serve as a manner of human egress from the dwelling, should egress be necessary, through the window. In the following description, while reference will be made to various window wells, dwellings adjacent window wells, window structures, etc., these structures are not shown in detail in the figures: it being understood that one of ordinary skill in the art, having possession of this disclosure, would readily understand how the present invention can be incorporated into such known structures.
In one aspect of the invention, a window well cover assembly 10 of the present invention can include a cover grate 12 pivotally coupleable to a window well structure or a dwelling. In the example shown in
The system can include at least one actuator 16 that can be operable to pivot the cover grate 12 from a closed position in which the cover grate is closed over the window well into an open position in which the cover grate is opened over the window well. A latching assembly, shown generally at 18 in
Thus, the cover grate 12 is normally held in the closed position by the latching assembly 18. When it is desired to move the cover grate into the open position, a user can activate or initiate the latching assembly to thereby release the cover grate. The actuator or actuators 16 then force the cover grate from the closed position to the open position. As the force required on the user's part to activate or initiate the latching mechanism can be very small, even a small child can be taught to open the cover grate by him- or herself. Thus, if it becomes necessary for the child to exit a dwelling through the window well, he or she can do so with very little effort.
The actuator 16 can take a variety of forms. In one aspect, the actuator is biased in a compressive state when the cover grate is in the closed position. In this manner, the at least one actuator will cause the cover grate to pivot or rotate into the open position as soon as the latching assembly releases the cover grate. Examples of suitable actuators include, without limitation, gas springs, coiled springs, torsional springs, beam springs, and the like. As best shown in
In addition to actuators that utilize mechanically stored energy (e.g., springs and the like), the system can also include actuators that utilize an auxiliary power source that is initiated by the latching mechanism 18. For example, a generic actuator 16a can be coupled to the cover grate 12, as shown in
The system can also include a ladder 24 that can aid the user in climbing upwardly and out of the window well. In one aspect, shown by example in
In the system shown in
As shown in
While the exemplary system illustrated in the figures includes a skirt 14 to which some or all of the components of the cover grate 12 can be coupled, in one embodiment of the invention, no skirt or other intermediate structure is included. In this aspect, the cover grate 12, actuator 16, latching assembly 18, etc., can all be coupled or otherwise associated with structure generally found adjacent typical window wells. For example, many such window wells include a corrugated steel lining: the various components of the present system can be coupled or attached to the lining instead of using a skirt.
A further exemplary aspect of the invention is illustrated in
The extendable members 32a, 32b can move relative to the stationary members 34 in a variety of manners. In the example shown in
Thus, it is contemplated that, once the frame has been adjusted properly to fit within a particular window well, the extendable member 32a, 32b can be secured relative to the stationary members 34 to provide a rigid framework for supporting the weight of the cover grate 12 as it is being moved into, or held in, the open position. The extendable and stationary members can be arranged so as to create an open space for a person to exit the window well via ladder 24.
As is shown, one or more actuators 16 can be coupled to the adjustable frame member to allow operation of the cover grate as discussed in the embodiments above. It is also contemplated, however, that the actuators can be coupled to structure adjacent to or within the window well (e.g., the steel lining 36) if such an arrangement is desirable.
In addition to the structural components discussed above, in one aspect of the invention a method for installing a window well cover over a window well adjacent a dwelling is provided, including: pivotally coupling a cover grate to the window well or a dwelling adjacent the window well, the cover grate being operably coupled to at least one actuator operable to pivot the cover grate from a closed position in which the cover grate is closed over the window well into an open position in which the cover grate is opened over the window well; and latching the cover grate into the closed position with a latching assembly, the latching assembly operable to maintain the cover grate in the closed position until released to allow the actuator to pivot the cover grate into the open position.
It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present invention has been described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.
