Patent Application
20130283696
The present invention pertains to window opening control devices, and more particularly to a casement window fall prevention device with an emergency escape release mechanism.
ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, is a globally recognized organization in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards, in part, pertaining to consumer safety specifications addressing window fall prevention devices that protect against potential falls by children age five years and under through open windows. Window opening control devices restrict the size of the open area of the window so that it is too small for a young child to fall through. They do this by allowing the window opening to be set at a predetermined position. In addition, such window fall prevention devices must be provided with an emergency escape release mechanism in the case of fire or other emergencies.
Currently in the market, there are a limited number of devices to control the opening angle of a casement window. These devices have limit arms of fixed length which prevent the window from opening beyond a predetermined limit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which permits a casement window to open further beyond the limit by applying two independent actions as required by ASTM. The device of the present invention provides the consumer with the flexibility to open the window to four inches to avoid having anything fall through the window, and at the same time, the device of the present invention is also able to disengage from the window sash and allow the casement window to open further for emergency escape.
The casement window fall prevention device of the present invention is provided with an emergency escape release mechanism. The casement window fall prevention device includes a limit arm of selected length having a pivotal connection at its proximal end for securement to a casement window frame and a roller at its distal end received and confined for travel in a track which is securable to a casement window sash. An outer limit stop is provided in the track and is positioned to stop the roller at an outer sash opening limit position, which normally might permit the window to open only to approximately four inches to prevent anything from falling out of the window.
An escape disengagement opening is provided in the track and is positioned outwardly beyond this outer limit stop and is dimensioned to pass the roller for thereby disengaging the roller from the track by forcing the roller beyond the outer limit stop and then through the disengagement opening with hand manipulation of the limit arm. This outer limit stop is comprised of a narrowed neck area in the track which is dimensioned to pass the roller with a forced fit. In addition, a disengagement stop is preferably positioned in the track at the outer most extend of the disengagement opening for engagement by the roller to align the roller with the opening for disengagement.
The track also includes a side roller access passage located at an inner most sash closed position. This side roller access passage faces the limit arm for permitting passage of the roller from outside of the track for re-engagement with the track when the sash is closed. A rest stop is provided and positioned on and secured to the window frame for engaging the limit arm and thereby positioning the roller in alignment for passage through this access passage when the sash is fully closed. This access passage includes a flexibly displaceable side restriction that is dimensioned to permit passage of the roller through the access passage with forced engagement and displacement by the roller. The roller cannot then exit through the access passage.
In summary the present invention provides the following:
Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims. The appended drawings show for the purposes of exemplification, without limiting the scope of the invention or the appended claims, certain practical embodiments of the present invention wherein:
Referring to the drawings, the casement window opening control fall prevention device 10 of the present invention is a casement window opening control device incorporating an escape release mechanism according to the teachings of the present invention. In the assembly of the present invention, the limit arm 11 is of a selected length for limiting the extent of the opening of the casement window (as represented by window sash 19 in
An outer limit stop 20 is provided in track 17 and is positioned to stop roller 15 at an outer sash opening limit position 21.
An escape disengagement opening 22 is provided in track 17 and is positioned outwardly beyond the outer limit stop 20, and is further dimensioned to pass roller 15 therethrough for thereby disengaging roller 15 from track 17 by forcing roller 15 through and beyond the outer limit stop 20 with hand force and manipulation of the limit arm 11. At this position, limit arm 11 may be pushed downwardly to thereby disengage limit arm 11 from track arm 18 whereby sash 19 may be fully opened for escape purposes.
Outer limit stop 20 provides a narrowed neck area in track 17 which is dimensioned to pass the roller 11 with a force fit. In addition, a disengagement stop 23 is provided in track 17 at the outer most extent of the disengagement opening 22 for engagement by roller 15 to align roller 15 with opening 22 for disengagement from track 17 of track arm 18.
A side roller access passage 24 is provided in track 15 and located at an innermost sash closed position. This side roller access passage 24 faces limit arm 11 for permitting passage of roller 15 from outside of track arm 18 for re-engagement within track 17 as illustrated at the stage of pre-engagement in
Access passage 24 is further provided with a flexibility displaceable side restriction 25 to permit passage of roller 15 through the access passage 24 with forced engagement and displacement of restriction 25 by roller 15, but thereby prevent removal of roller 15 back out of track 17 through access passage 24. A rest stop 26 is positioned on and secured to window frame 14 (
While in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the disengagement opening 22 is positioned on a bottom side of track 17 or track arm 18, it will be further understood that this engagement opening 22 could be provided on the side of track 17 or track arm 18 whereby the disengagement opening would then be transverse to the axis of roller 15 instead of in alignment with the axis of roller 15 as shown in the described embodiment. The original embodiment illustrated is preferred because final disengagement of limit arm 11 requires a second positive manipulation action of arm 11 for escape disengagement.
In order to describe the casement window opening control device of the present invention in sequence, the window is first initially in a fully closed position as illustrated in
If, as in an emergency, the window must be opened further, such as for a fire, the consumer will first manipulate the limit arm 11 by hand to force the roller 15 past the outer narrowed neck stop 20 to thereby engage the outer most stop 23 provided by a disengage block. At this point the roller 15 is properly aligned with the disengagement opening 22 and by a second action the window operator may push limit arm 11 downwardly to pass roller 15 through the disengagement opening 22 in track 17 and thereby disengage limit arm 11 from track arm 18.
For reassembly, the consumer may thereafter manually move limit arm 11 back to its resting position in base 26 so the next time the window is closed roller 15 will be re-engaged with track 17.
When the window sash 19 is being closed as shown in
