Patent Application
20100325964
The present invention relates to operators for shiftable fenestration components and more specifically to operators for windows having hinged movable sashes.
Skylights, casement windows and other types of windows having hinged movable sashes are a popular option for allowing natural light to enter into an enclosed space. Commonly found in both residential and commercial settings, skylights and windows generally include a pane of transparent or translucent material that enables the entry of sunlight while providing a physical barrier between the enclosed space and the outside environment.
Despite their popularity, skylights can have drawbacks. Among these drawbacks is a tendency to promote condensation and unnecessarily heat the enclosed space in warm climates or during warm seasons. To minimize or reduce these drawbacks, skylights have been developed which can be selectively opened and closed. An opened skylight allows warm air that has accumulated in the skylight well to escape into the outer environment. An opened skylight can also facilitate the circulation of natural air within the enclosed space.
Window and skylight operators having a worm with an integrally formed worm shaft to which a handle is permanently or releasably secured are known in the art. Such integrally formed worm shafts and associated handles can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,837; 4,189,248; and 4,209,266, for example. With the worm secured to the window operator, the worm shaft and associated handle conventionally extend some distance from the window operator.
It is also known in the art to secure the above-described window operators to a window to form a window assembly which is shipped to the customer who then installs the window assembly in his or her home. Because of the additional clearance required to accommodate the worm shaft (and sometimes the handle) extending from the window operator, these window assemblies are expensive to package and to ship. Additionally, the handle and worm shaft can end up damaging other windows during installation if the windows are not kept spaced from each other a proper distance, in addition to damaging the operators themselves.
It is known in the art to conceal the worm shaft by disposing it in a passage in a wall and to remotely drive the worm by a handle via a temporary coupling. French Patent No. 2,467,954 discloses a window operator having a worm with an integrally formed worm shaft which is disposed at one end of a narrow passage which extends through a wall. A coupling is provided which extends from the worm shaft to the other end of the passage, where a handle may be used to rotate the worm via this coupling. This window operator system, however, does not address the problems disclosed above caused by the worm shaft extending from the window assembly prior to installation, such as the expensive shipping and packaging costs involved with such assemblies, or the damage to other windows caused during installation using such windows assemblies. In addition, the window operator system disclosed requires elaborate preparatory work to be performed on the wall prior to the installation of the window operator. The window operator system also discloses that the window operator be secured to the external surface of the building, where it is exposed to environmental factors, such as precipitation and extreme temperatures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,813 also discloses a temporary coupling for a handle used in conjunction with a motor-driven window operator which has an alternative manual drive to be used to open and close the window. In one embodiment of the manual drive, a worm is coupled to a handle in an operative position. However, the handle is intended to be only temporarily coupled, even in the operative position, so as to not disturb the aesthetic appearance of the window. Consequently, the forces generated in opening and closing the window using the alternative manual drive can cause the male shaft to become separated from the female worm. Further, neither French Patent No. 2,467,954 nor U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,813 address the problems associated with conventional operators, including the stresses encountered with an angularly oriented worm (which orientation is required for proper operation so that the person does not hurt himself or the window when turning the handle by banging his hand against the window) and the necessity that the handle as connected to the operator be essentially wobble free to provide a reliable and quality feel when being turned.
Although the devices and methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,858, hereby fully incorporated herein by reference, were directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above, there remains a need for secure drive shaft engagement in such assemblies, while still enabling field serviceability of the operator.
The present invention is directed to a skylight operator that addresses the aforementioned needs of the industry. The present invention generally comprising an operator mounted on the frame of the window having a drive assembly and an insertable drive shaft. The drive assembly further comprises an extendable and retractable drive chain coupled to a hinged movable sash of the window. The extension and retraction of the drive chain opens and closes the window by changing the position of the sash relative to the frame of the window. The drive assembly also comprises a sprocket engaging the drive chain such that the rotation of the sprocket causes the drive chain extend or retract. The present invention is particularly suited for windows having fenestration assemblies such as casement windows and skylights.
The drive shaft can be inserted into the drive assembly after the drive assembly has been mounted to the frame of the skylight. The drive shaft is inserted into the drive assembly such that the drive shaft engages the sprocket, wherein rotation of the drive shaft causes the sprocket to rotate, which in turn extends or retracts the drive chain. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a drive shaft retainer assembly is operably linked to the drive assembly for receiving and locking the drive shaft within the drive assembly once the drive shaft is inserted into the drive assembly. The drive shaft retainer can further comprise a locking ring having a plurality of tabs for engaging the exterior of the drive shaft and preventing the drive shaft from being removed from the drive assembly. According to an embodiment of the invention, the plurality of tabs may be angled inward such that the drive shaft can be inserted into the locking ring without the tabs engaging the exterior of the drive shaft, but attempting to withdraw the drive shaft causes the tabs to engage the drive shaft preventing removal. The drive shaft retainer can also comprise at least one removable fastener for fastening the drive shaft to the drive assembly.
The above summary of the various representative embodiments of the invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the invention. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. The figures in the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the following drawings, in which:
While the present invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Referring now to
Drive assembly 104 generally includes drive chain 118 and drive 120. Drive 120 generally includes body 122, pinion 124, bushing 126, sprocket 128, worm assembly 130, and drive shaft assembly 131. Exploded view
Worm assembly 130, depicted in
Drive shaft assembly 131 generally includes drive shaft 158 and drive shaft retainer assembly 160. Drive shaft 158 as depicted in
In use, operator 100 is secured to skylight frame 400 of skylight assembly 401. End 402 of chain 118 is coupled with skylight sash 404. Chain 118 is received in chain track 114 and extends through drive channel 186 of drive assembly 104 and outward through chain aperture 110. Sprocket 128 engages chain 118 such that chain 118 is extended and refracted with rotation of sprocket 128 as driven by rotation of worm 144 and pinion 124. The extension and retraction of chain 118 in turn shifts skylight sash 404 relative to frame 400 to open and close the skylight.
A notable feature of the depicted embodiments is the structure of drive shaft assembly 131. According to the invention, operator 100 may be mounted on a skylight without drive shaft 158 having been inserted. Drive shaft 158 is then advanced into drive shaft retainer assembly 160 until splines 162 are engaged with internal splines 152 of worm 144. Tabs 180 of lock washer 172 deflect downward, sliding on lower portion 190 of barrel 166 as drive shaft 158 is advanced until groove 168 is reached. Once groove 168 is reached, tabs 180 resiliently spring back so as to extend into groove 168. In this position, tabs 180 engage lower shoulder 192 of groove 168, inhibiting withdrawal of drive shaft 158. According to embodiments of the invention, this arrangement may inhibit withdrawal of drive shaft 158 even under forces of 100 pounds or more applied to pull drive shaft 158 from worm 144. Should it be desirable for field service, however, drive shaft 158 may be easily dissembled from operator 100 simply by removing fasteners 182 holding drive shaft assembly 131 to operator 100. By removing fasteners 182, the drive shaft retainer assembly 131 is removable from the operator 100 allowing the entire drive shaft 158 to be fed through the lock washer 172 in the non-engaging direction to separate the drive shaft 158 from drive shaft retainer assembly 131.
Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose could be substituted for the specific examples shown. This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be defined by the attached claims and their legal equivalents, as well as the following illustrative embodiments.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/187,920 entitled “Operator for Movable Sash,” filed Jun. 17, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61187920 | Jun 2009 | US |
