Combined sliding and pivot window assembly

Abstract
A combined sliding and pivot window assembly including a plurality of sashes separately pivotally mounted on substantially C-shaped sash support frames that are slidably fixed on rails provided on an outer window frame. The window assembly includes combined sliding and locking mechanisms that allow the C-shaped sash support frames to slide on the rails when the sashes are pivotally closed, or to be locked on the rails when the sashes are pivotally opened, or to be pushed to one side in the outer window frame while allowing all the sashes to be pivotally opened; pivot mechanisms that allow the sashes to be pivotally opened and stay at any desired open position relative to the sash support frames; and elastic two-end locking mechanisms that are mounted in a vertical member of the sashes to lock the sashes at upper and lower ends to the sash support frames simply by laterally shifting an external adjusting key of the two-end locking mechanism. The combined sliding and pivot window assembly is therefore safer and more convenient for use.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a combined sliding and pivot window assembly, and more particularly to a window structure that includes pivot mechanisms for a plurality of sashes to be pivotally opened and stay at any desired position relative to sash support frames holding the windows, and combined sliding and locking mechanisms for the sash support frames to slide on rails when the windows are pivotally closed, or to be locked on rails when the windows are pivotally opened, and elastic two-end locking mechanisms for locking the windows at upper and lower ends to the sash support frames simply by laterally shifting an external adjusting key of the locking mechanism. According to the present invention, each of the sash support frames is a substantially C-shaped member, whereby when all the sash support frames are pushed to one side of an outer window frame in which the sash support frames are slidably mounted, all the sashes in the sash support frames could be pivotally open at the same time.




Most window structures in the early stage are either a sliding window that includes sashes slidably mounted on rails in an outer window frame, or a pivot window that includes sashes connected at one side to an outer window frame through pivotal shafts so that the sashes may be pivotally opened or closed. Problems with the sliding window include that when the sashes thereof are slid opened, the sashes overlap to occupy and block about one half of the window space, and that it is uneasy to clean outer side of the window. And, a problem with the pivot window is that the sashes are pivotally connected to fixed positions on the window frame and will sometimes block the sight of people. To solve these problems, there are combined sliding and pivot window structures developed in recent years through different technical means and structural designs.




U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,201 entitled “Sliding pivoting Window” allowed in 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,597 entitled “Sliding Window Construction Having pivotal Characteristic to Facilitate Cleaning both Sides of The Window” allowed in 1982, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,455 entitled “Sliding Window Construction” allowed in 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,739 entitled “Stabilized pivotable Window” allowed in 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,168 entitled “Sliding and pivotal Window” allowed in 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,307 entitled “Tilt-sliding Mechanism for A Window or Door” allowed in 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,657 entitled “Locking Slide for Tilt-out Window Balance System” allowed in 1990, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,544 entitled “Window Assembly” allowed in 1991; European patent Application publication Nos. 0222092, 0223068, 0297202B1, 0312738B1, and 0507592A1; and PCT Patent International Publication No. WO94/05881 entitled “A Window, A Door or The Like and in particular A Slide Mounting provided for Same”; all disclose window pivoting and sliding structures.




There is also disclosed by Singapore's Sunday Times on Mar. 14, 1999 a combined sliding and pivot window assembly designed by Mr. Derrick Lee who is awarded a Tan Kah Kee Young Inventor's Silver Award in the Open Category for this design. This type of combined sliding and pivot window assembly is used in most Singapore's Housing Development Board flats. In this type of window assembly, sashes thereof are on the one hand slidable on rails, and on the other hand pivotally openable through an arm system connecting the sashes to the rails. Two major disadvantages are found in this type of combined sliding and pivot window assembly. A first one of the disadvantages is the pivotally opened sashes are still slidable on the rails under strong wind and would very possibly collide with one another and break. Another disadvantage is, when all the sashes are slid to one side of the outer window frame, the arm system of one sash would obstruct the pivotal open of another adjacent sash. Moreover, none of the above-mentioned conventional window assemblies allow all the sash support frames mounted within one outer window frame to be pushed to one side of the outer window frame and then be pivotally opened at the same time.




It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved combined sliding and pivot window assembly to eliminate the disadvantages existing in the conventional combined sliding and pivot window assemblies.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




A primary object of the present invention is to provide a combined sliding and pivot window assembly that includes a plurality of sashes separately and pivotally mounted on sash support frames of which each is a substantially C-shaped member and may separately slide on rails in an outer window frame.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a combined sliding and pivot window assembly that includes combined sliding and locking mechanisms separately mounted on a plurality of sash support frames, such that when sashes mounted on the sash support frames are pivotally opened, the sash support frames are locked to the rails without the risk of sliding to collide with one another.




A further object of the present invention is to provide a combined sliding and pivot window assembly that includes pivot mechanisms allowing sashes to be pivotally opened and stably stay at any desired open position.




A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combined sliding and pivot window assembly that includes sash support frames each of which being a substantially C-shaped member and therefore allows all sashes thereof to slide along with their respective sash support frames to one side of the outer window frame, and then be pivotally opened at the same time.




A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combined sliding and pivot window assembly that includes elastic two-end locking mechanisms to easily lock the sashes at upper and lower ends to their respective sash support frames simply by laterally shifting an external adjusting key.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein





FIG. 1

is a perspective of a combined sliding and pivot window assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a top sectional view of the combined sliding and pivot window assembly of

FIG. 1

with all sashes and sash support frames thereof in a fully closed position;





FIG. 3

is still atop sectional view of the combined sliding and pivot window assembly of

FIG. 1

with all sashes and sash support frames thereof being pushed to the same side of an outer window frame thereof;





FIG. 4

is still a top sectional view of the combined sliding and pivot window assembly of

FIG. 1

with all sashes and sash support frames thereof being pushed to the same side of the outer window frame and pivotally opened;





FIG. 5

is a side sectional view of the combined sliding and pivot window assembly of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 6

is a front view of a combined sliding and locking mechanism of the present invention with the corresponding sash in a pivotally opened position;





FIG. 7

is a side sectional view taken on line B—B of

FIG. 6

;





FIG. 8

is a side sectional view taken on line A—A of

FIG. 6

;





FIG. 9

is another front view of the combined sliding and locking mechanism of the present invention with the corresponding sash in a closed position;





FIG. 10

is a side sectional view taken on line B—B of

FIG. 9

;





FIG. 11

is a side sectional view taken on line A—A of

FIG. 9

;





FIG. 12

is an assembled perspective of a pivot mechanism of the present invention;





FIG. 13

is an exploded perspective of the pivot mechanism of

FIG. 12

;





FIG. 14

is an exploded perspective of a two-end locking mechanism for individual sashes of the present invention;





FIG. 15

is a front sectional view of the two-end locking mechanism of

FIG. 14

in a locked position; and





FIG. 16

is another front sectional view of the two-end locking mechanism of

FIG. 14

in an unlocked position.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




please refer to

FIG. 1

that is an assembled perspective of a combined sliding and pivot window assembly


10


according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The combined sliding and pivot window assembly


10


mainly includes a plurality of sashes


30


separately pivotally mounted on corresponding sash support frames


20


which are then slidably mounted on an outer window frame


60


, as can be clearly seen from FIG.


5


. The sash support frame


20


each is a substantially C-shaped member. That is, unlike most conventional sash support frame that each is a closed rectangular or square member, the sash support frame


20


adopted in the present invention each is a substantially C-shaped member with two horizontal frames and only one single vertical frame at one lateral side of the sash support frame


20


. When all the sashes


30


are in a closed position on the sash support frames


20


, a combined sliding and locking mechanism


22


provided on each of the sash support frames


20


allows the latter to freely slide along T-shaped rails


40


on the outer window frame


60


to positions as shown in

FIG. 2

or


3


. Each of the sashes


30


is also provided in one of their vertical members


31


at upper and lower ends thereof with two sets of pivot mechanism


32


. After the sashes have been pivotally opened through the pivot mechanisms


32


, the sash support frames


20


may be locked on the rail


40


by the combined sliding and locking mechanisms


22


without the risk of moving any further, as shown in FIG.


4


. Further, since the sash support frames


20


are substantially C-shaped members, they could all be pushed to one side within the outer window frame


60


and allow all the sashes


30


to be pivotally and outward opened at the same time, so that the outer window frame


60


is in a fully opened state, which forms a unique feature of the window assembly


10


of the present invention.




As illustrated in

FIG. 2

, when the sashes


30


and the sash support frames


20


all are in a fully closed position in the outer window frame


60


, two catches


50


or other functionally similar fastening means separately provided on vertical members of two adjacent sashes


30


may, on the one hand, ensure the sashes


30


have been slid to a most suitable position when they are in the closed position, and, on the other hand, enhance the airtight and sound-insulation condition of the sashes


30


.




please refer to

FIGS. 6

,


7


and


8


at the same time. The combined sliding and locking mechanism


22


each is mounted in a lower horizontal member of the sash support frame


20


and mainly includes a guide block


23


having a beveled top normally elastically projected from a top surface


21


of the lower horizontal member of the sash support frame


20


. The guide block


23


has a spherical bottom to press against a rear upper surface


241


of a lever plate


24


. The lever plate


24


extends a predetermined length in the direction of the lower member of the sash support frame


20


. A rotating shaft


242


is provided within a middle section of the lever plate


24


for a pulley


25


to mount thereon, such that the pulley


25


rotatably slides on the rail


40


and serves as a fulcrum in the lever motion of the lever plate


24


, so that descending of the rear end


241


of the lever plate


24


by the guide block


23


causes ascending of a front end


243


of the lever plate


24


. A return spring


26


is provided above the front end


243


of the lever plate


24


to normally depress the front end


243


of the lever plate


24


. The rotating shaft


242


of the lever plate


24


has a substantially n-shaped cross section to hold a rubber stopper


244


thereto. When the front end


243


of the lever plate


24


is in a descendant position, the rubber stopper


244


would press against a top surface of the T-shaped rail


40


. An n-shaped member


27


is fixed by a flat-headed screw


245


to the middle section of the lever plate


24


behind the pulley


25


for producing a secondary frictional force. The n-shaped member


27


includes two symmetrical and generally L-shaped leg portions


271


having rubber stoppers


272


provided at lower inner ends thereof. The leg portions


271


downward extend from the lever plate


24


to end at positions below two lower edges of the T-shaped rail


40


, such that the rubber stoppers


272


contact with the two lower edges of the rail


40


.




When the sash


30


is pivotally turned toward exterior (or interior, depending on the design) to an open position, a lower horizontal member thereof leaves the top surface


21


of the lower horizontal member of the sash support frame


20


. At this point, due to the return spring


26


that normally presses the front end


243


of the lever plate


24


downward, the guide block


23


at the rear end


241


is allowed to freely project upward from the top surface


21


, as shown in

FIGS. 6

,


7


and


8


, and the rubber stoppers


244


and


272


are brought to forcefully and frictionally press against the top and the lower edges of the T-shaped rail


40


, respectively. This makes the sash support frame


20


be frictionally locked to the rail


40


without sliding any further on the rail


40


. That is, the pivotally opened sashes


30


, as shown in

FIG. 4

, would not collide with one another and become damaged due to sliding of the sash support frames


20


on the rails


40


.




On the other hand, when the sashes


30


are in the closed position, as shown in

FIG. 2

, the lower horizontal member of each sash


30


is located immediately above the top surface


21


of the lower horizontal member of the sash support frame


20


and pushes the guide block


23


downward into the top surface


21


, as shown in

FIGS. 9

,


10


and


11


. The downward moved guide block


23


pushes the rear end


241


of the lever plate


24


down and brings the n-shaped member


27


to a lowered position, causing the rubber stopper


272


to separate from the lower edges of the T-shaped rail


40


. Meanwhile, the downward moved guide block


23


causes the lever plate


24


to turn about the rotating shaft


242


in a lever movement to raise the front end


243


, bringing the rubber stopper


244


to move upward and separate from the top of the rail


40


. At this point, the rubber stoppers


244


and


272


no longer frictionally contact with the rail


40


to lock the sash support frame


20


to the rail


40


, allowing the sash support frame


20


to carry the sash


30


to freely slide on the rail


40


within the outer window frame


60


. The return spring


26


is now in a compressed condition and accumulates stronger restoring force.




When any one of the sashes


30


is pivotally opened again to leave the sash support frame


20


, the guide block


23


in the lower horizontal member of the corresponding sash support frame


20


is released and the restoring force of the compressed return spring


26


pushes the front end


243


of the lever plate


24


downward, bringing the combined sliding and locking mechanism


22


back to the locked state shown in

FIGS. 6

,


7


and


8


.




please now refer to

FIGS. 12 and 13

for the detailed structure of the pivot mechanism


32


of the present invention. As can be seen from

FIG. 1

, two sets of pivot mechanism


32


are separately mounted in one vertical member


31


of the sash


30


at upper and lower ends thereof. The following description is based on the one pivot mechanism


32


mounted in the upper end of the vertical member


31


. The pivot mechanism


32


mainly includes a pivot shaft


324


, an upper end of which upward projects from a top surface


311


of the vertical member


31


and then extends into an upper horizontal member of the sash support frame


20


. A nut


321


is screwed onto the upper end of the pivot shaft


324


to secure the latter to the sash support frame


20


, so that the pivot shaft


324


would not rotate relative to the sash support frame


20


. A rotation-control means


325


is mounted about the pivot shaft


324


at a lower part thereof to locate in the vertical member


31


. The rotation-control means


325


consists of an upper and a lower wedges


325




a


and


325




b


. The upper wedge


325




a


has a cross section corresponding to that of the vertical member


31


. Mating grooves and ribs


325




c


may be separately provided on the upper and the lower wedges


325




a


,


325




b


at their inclined surfaces that abut on each other, so that the two wedges


325




a


,


325




b


are guided by the engaged grooves and ribs


325




c


to slide outward relative to one another in opposite directions when a pressure is applied on them. Whereby, when the two wedges


325




a


,


325




b


are subject to a force applied on them and slide outward relative to one another, the rotation-control means


325


formed from the two wedges


325




a


,


325




b


is brought to tightly contact its outer periphery with inner wall of the vertical member


31


and can therefore rotate along with the sash


30


when the same is pivotally opened or closed. Two frictional washers


328


are separately disposed above and below the rotation-control means


325


, and elastic packing rings


326


may be further disposed between the frictional washers


328


and the rotation-control means


325


. A sub-assembly of the frictional washers


328


, the elastic packing rings


326


, and the upper and lower wedges


325




a


,


325




b


rotates along with the sash


30


. A long bolt


322


is extended upward to extend through a central area of the sub-assembly of the frictional washers


328


, the elastic packing rings


326


, and the upper and lower wedges


325




a


,


325




b


before being extended through and secured to the pivot shaft


324


by an adjusting nut


327


screwed onto an upper end of the long bolt


322


projected from the upper end of the pivot shaft


324


. Moreover, two frictional rings


329


are separately mounted around the lower part of the pivot shaft


324


and the long bolt


322


to locate above and below the two frictional washers


328


. Whereby, when the adjusting nut


327


is tightened against the upper end of the long bolt


322


, the elastic packing rings


326


are compressed to press the frictional washers


328


against the frictional rings


329


and cause the two members to highly frictionally contact with one another. A magnitude of the frictional force at contact areas between the frictional washers


328


and the frictional rings


329


decides the tightness of the sash


30


relative to the sash support frame


20


when the sash


30


is pivotally turned, and accordingly the possibility for the sash


30


to stably stay at any desired pivotally opened position. To ensure that the pivot shaft


324


and the long bolt


322


are securely associated with one another, a small externally threaded pin


323


may be screwed into the pivot shaft


324


at a predetermined position to firmly press against the long bolt


322


.




To ensure that the sashes


30


are safely mounted in the sash support frames


20


to sufficiently resist against a wind pressure applied on glass mounted in the sashes


30


and be securely locked to prevent unauthorized open of the sashes


30


, an elastic two-end locking mechanism


70


is provided on each of the sashes


30


at one side opposite to the vertical member


31


that has the pivot mechanisms


32


mounted therein.

FIGS. 14

,


15


and


16


illustrate a preferred embodiment of the elastic two-end locking mechanism


70


. As shown, the elastic two-end locking mechanism


70


mainly includes a horizontal pull member


71


and a vertical transmission bar


72


. The pull member


71


is connected at a first end


711


to an external adjusting key


714


. By shifting the adjusting key


714


, the pull member


71


may be laterally moved in the direction of the horizontal members of the sash


30


. A second end of the pull member


71


opposite to the first end is formed of a generally trapezoid plate defining a first and a second slopes


712


and


713


. Inclinations and heights of the two slopes


712


,


713


are decided depending on distances by which a lower and an upper locking key


73


and


74


, respectively, are to be moved for locking the sash


30


to the sash support frame


20


.




The lower locking key


73


is located in a guide casing


731


provided on the pull member


71


at a suitable position with a pin


732


thereof projected from the guide casing


731


to abut on the first slope


712


, such that the pin


732


and accordingly the lower locking key


73


can be guided by the first slope


712


to stably move upward or downward when the pull member


71


is caused to move laterally by shifting the adjusting key


714


. A spring


75




a


is provided in the guide casing


731


to normally push the lower locking key


73


downward.




To control the upper locking key


74


, a guide tube


721


is vertically provided at the second end of the pull member


71


. A lower section of the transmission bar


72


is vertically slidably disposed in the guide tube


721


with a pin


722


projected from the guide tube


721


to abut on the second slope


713


, such that the pin


722


and accordingly the transmission bar


72


and the upper locking key


74


connected to an upper end of the transmission bar


72


can be guided by the second slope


713


to stably move upward or downward when the pull member


71


is caused to move laterally by shifting the adjusting key


714


. The transmission bar


72


may have an upper sections screwed to the lower section. By screw different length of a thread


723


at a lower end of the upper section into the lower section, different overall length of the transmission bar


72


may be obtained. The upper locking key


74


has an extended lower bar


741


that downward extends into a guide sleeve


76


. A spring


75




b


is disposed in the guide sleeve


76


below the extended lower bar


741


. Both the upper locking key


74


and the guide sleeve


76


are enclosed in an outer sleeve


77


. A pin


742


sideward extends from the upper locking key


74


to vertically move in a guide slot


771


provided on the outer sleeve


77


. The upper end of the upper section of the transmission bar


72


upward extends into a lower end of the outer sleeve


77


to abut against the lower end of the guide sleeve


76


. Whereby when the pin


722


is guided by the second slope


713


to move upward or downward, the transmission bar


72


is brought to move upward or downward and thereby compress or release the spring


75




b


, causing the upper locking key


74


to project from or retract into the upper horizontal member of the sash


30


.




When the sash


30


is pivotally turned to the closed position in the sash support frame


20


, both the lower and the upper locking keys


73


,


74


are initially pushed by the sash support frame


20


into the lower and the upper horizontal members, respectively, of the sash


30


, and then pushed by the springs


75




a


,


75




b


to project into a lock hole correspondingly provided on the sash support frame


20


and thereby lock the sash


30


to the sash support frame


20


.




And when the sash


30


is to be pivotally turned from the closed position to the open position, a user needs only to move the adjusting key


714


laterally, causing the slopes


712


,


713


on the pull member


71


to separately guide the lower and the upper locking keys


73


,


74


to move inward to separate from the lock holes provided on the sash support frame


20


, allowing the sash


30


to be pivotally opened. And, when the adjusting key


714


is released, the pull member


71


is pushed by a spring


75




c


to its original position.




It is to be understood that the present invention has been described and illustrated in the form of a preferred embodiment thereof. Many changes, modifications and variations could be made to the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. For example, the slopes


712


and


713


may be of any other suitable shape, the lever plate


24


may be suitably changed in its profile to facilitate convenient manufacture of parts thereof, and the combined sliding and locking mechanisms may be mounted in the sash support frames


20


at differently selected positions. All these changes of the present invention could be easily made by a person skilled in the art and should therefore be included in the scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A combined sliding and pivot window assembly, comprising a plurality of sashes, a plurality of substantially C-shaped sash support frames corresponding to that of said sashes to each hold one said sash thereto, an outer window frame within which said sash support frames being fixed, a combined sliding and locking mechanism provided in a lower horizontal member of each of said sash support frames for said sash support frames to either slide or be locked on a rail correspondingly provided on said outer window frame, pivot mechanisms mounted to upper and lower ends of a vertical member of each said sash for said sash to be pivotally turned open or closed relative to said sash support frame holding said sash, and an elastic two-end locking mechanism mounted in another vertical member of each of said sashes for easily locking said sashes to upper and lower horizontal members of said sash support frame corresponding to said sash;said substantially C-shaped sash support frames, each having two horizontal and two vertical frames to form a closed rectangular or square member, each having two horizontal frames and only one single vertical frame; said C-shaped sash support frames having their open side, that is, a side of said support frames without the vertical frame, all facing toward the same direction, such that when all of said sash support frames are pushed to one side in said outer window frame, said sashes supported by said C-shaped sash support frames could still be pivotally and outward opened; said combined sliding and locking mechanism each including a guide block having a beveled top normally elastically projected from a top surface of said lower horizontal member of said sash support frame, said guide block also having a spherical bottom to press against a rear upper surface of a lever plate that extends a predetermined length in the direction of said lower horizontal member of said sash support frame; a rotating shaft being provided within a middle section of said lever plate for a pulley to mount thereon, such that said pulley rotatably slides on said rail on which said sash support frame slides and serves as a fulcrum in the lever motion of said lever plate, so that descending of said rear end of said lever plate by said guide block causes ascending of a front end of said lever plate; a return spring being provided above said front end of said lever plate to normally depress said front end of said lever plate; a first rubber stopper being held to said front end of said lever plate, such that when said front end of said lever plate is in a descendant position, said first rubber stopper downward presses against a top surface of said rail; and an n-shaped member being fixed to a middle section of said lever plate behind said pulley, said n-shaped member including two symmetrical and generally L-shaped leg portions having second rubber stoppers provided at lower inner ends thereof to frictionally contact with two lower edges of said rail; whereby when said sash is in a pivotally opened position, said guide block is allowed to freely project upward from said top surface of said lower horizontal member of said sash support frame and brings said second rubber stoppers on said legs of said n-shaped member to forcefully and frictionally press against said rail, locking said sash support frame to said rail without sliding any further on said rail; and said pivot mechanism each including a pivot shaft, an outer end of which projecting from a top or a bottom surface of said vertical member of said sash and then extending into said upper or lower horizontal member of said sash support frame and being secured thereto with a nut, so that said pivot shaft does not rotate relative to said sash support frame; a rotation-control means being fixedly mounted around said pivot shaft at an inner part thereof to locate in said vertical member of said sash, said rotation-control means being disposed between two frictional washers with two frictional rings separately disposed at two outer sides of said two frictional washers; a long bolt being extended through a central area of said frictional washers, said frictional rings, and said rotation-control means before being extended through and secured to said pivot shaft by an adjusting nut screwed onto an outer end of said long bolt projected from said outer end of said pivot shaft; whereby when said adjusting nut is tightened against said outer end of said long bolt, said frictional washers and said frictional rings are highly frictionally contact with one another, allowing said sash to stably stay at any desired pivotally opened position.
  • 2. A combined sliding and pivot window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotation-control means consists of an outer and an inner wedges that abut on one another at inclined inner surfaces thereof, said outer wedge having a cross section corresponding to that of said vertical member of said sash, and mating grooves and ribs being separately provided on said outer and said inner wedges at their inclined surfaces that abut on each other, so that said two wedges are guided by said grooves and ribs engaged with one another to slide outward relative to one another in opposite directions when a pressure is applied on said two wedges, causing said two wedges to tightly contact their outer peripheries with inner wall of said vertical member of said sash and can therefore rotate along with said sash when the same is pivotally opened or closed.
  • 3. A combined sliding and pivot window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotation-control means and one of said two frictional washers at an outer side of said rotation-control means further have elastic packing rings disposed between them to increase a frictional contacting force therebetween.
  • 4. A combined sliding and pivot window assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elastic two-end locking mechanism each includes a horizontal pull member, a lower locking key, an upper locking key, and a vertical transmission bar;said pull member being connected at a first end to an external adjusting key for easily laterally moving said pull member through shifting said adjusting key, a second end of said pull member opposite to said first end being formed of a generally trapezoid plate defining a first and a second slopes having inclinations and heights decided depending on distances by which said lower and said upper locking keys are to be moved for locking said sash to said sash support frame; said lower locking key being located in a guide casing provided on said pull member at a predetermined position with a pin thereof projected from said guide casing to abut on said first slope on said pull member, such that said pin and accordingly said lower locking key are guided by said first slope to stably move upward or downward when said pull member is caused to move laterally by shifting said adjusting key; and a spring being provided in said guide casing to normally push said lower locking key downward; said upper locking key being located in an outer sleeve with a pin sideward extended from said upper locking key to vertically move in a guide slot provided on said outer sleeve, said upper locking key having an extended lower bar that downward extends into a guide sleeve, a spring being disposed in said guide sleeve below said extended lower bar to normally push said upper locking key upward, and said guide sleeve being enclosed in said outer sleeve; and said transmission bar including a lower section that is vertically slidably received in a guide tube vertically connected to said second end of said pull member with a pin of said lower section projected from said guide tube to abut on said second slope, such that said pin and accordingly said lower section of said transmission bar can be guided by the second slope to stably move upward or downward when said pull member is caused to move laterally by shifting said adjusting key, said transmission bar also including an upper section that may be screwed into said lower section by different depth to provide different overall length of said transmission bar; said upper section of said transmission bar upward extending into a lower end of said outer sleeve to abut against a lower end of said guide sleeve; whereby when said pin projected from said lower section of said transmission is guided by said second slope to move upward or downward, said upper section of said transmission bar is brought to compress or release said spring in said guiding sleeve of said upper locking key, causing said upper locking key to project from or retract into said upper horizontal member of said sash; whereby when said sash is to be pivotally opened from said sash support frame, a user needs only to shift said adjusting key laterally to cause said first and said second slopes on said pull member to separately guide said lower and said upper locking keys to move into said guiding case and said outer sleeve, respectively, to unlock said sash from said sash support frame.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Number Name Date Kind
2253325 Davidson Aug 1941
4083148 Saucier Apr 1978
4438594 Bunzl Mar 1984
5058321 Harbom et al. Oct 1991
5065544 Martin Nov 1991
5409749 Goldenberg Apr 1995
5486026 Borgardt Jan 1996