The invention herein pertains to pivotal window sashes and particularly pertains to latches which maintain the pivotal sashes in a closed posture.
Windows having pivotable or “tilt” sashes have become widely accepted in recent years due to improved mass production techniques, hardware and other innovations. Tilt windows can be easily cleaned from inside the house or building and are often left open during light rainfall to provide fresh air to the occupants. Conventional pivotal sashes utilize a pair of latches at opposing ends of the top frame member which are manually operated to open the sash. Standard sash latches as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,291 and 5,669,639 are generally spring operated and engage catches or recesses along the sides of the window frame when closed. Some conventional latches create openings along the latch top when the latch is operated, exposing the interior features such as springs, slides and the like. Dust, debris and moisture can penetrate the opening to jam or foul the latch mechanism. Also, some conventional sash latches require a mounting slot to be cut to exacting standards in the top of the sash for the latch to properly operate. Other standard latches employ an internal spring which requires detailed, labor intensive latch assembly. Should these springs become weak or broken during use they are difficult to repair and maintain, rendering the latch useless.
Thus in view of the problems and disadvantages of conventional window sash tilt latches, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a simple tilt latch in which little assembly is required.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a tilt latch which can easily be fitted with a spring by unskilled persons.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a tilt latch which operates in a variety of sash slots formed with large tolerances.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a tilt latch that can be easily inserted or removed from the window sash without special tools or equipment.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a tilt latch in which the spring can be quickly removed and replaced after the latch is mounted in a window sash.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a tilt latch that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and purchase.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.
The aforesaid and other objectives are realized by providing a tilt latch preferably molded as one part from a standard, rigid, durable glass reinforced nylon and includes a cavity for maintaining a spring. By forming the latch in one piece a stronger, more durable latch is achieved for performing at higher sash pressure ratings. The latch includes a body having a front, angled projection. Upper and lower covers sandwich the body, slightly overhanging the body sides and are substantially coplanar with the outer surfaces of the angled projection. The projection engages a recess in the window frame to secure the sash when it is closed. Mirror image left and right tilt latches are formed for the respective sides of the window sash to mount within grooves on opposing sides of the top of the sash. Ramps on each side of the lower cover assist in the insertion of the latch into the sash groove.
The upper and lower covers extend beyond or overhang the sides of the body to provide channels for engaging the edges of the groove formed in the top of the window sash. Ramps on each side of the latch slightly, temporarily distort or spread the groove during latch insertion. The groove is positioned in the top of a sash tubular frame member as conventional. The upper cover of the tilt latch includes a top finger tab and extends rearwardly beyond the body parallel to the lower cover. Opposing channels are formed in the rear of the upper and lower covers to guide and maintain a resilient member such as a coil spring in a stable position proximate the spring cavity in the body. A spring can thus be inserted through the channels into the cavity of the body before mounting the latch into the sash groove. Shoulders formed by the upper and lower covers proximate the projection stop and prevent the latch from escaping the sash groove once the latch is installed as the spring normally urges the latch outwardly. The lower cover shoulders adjacent the ramps abut the inside edges of the sash. The upper cover shoulders abut gates positioned on modified sashes to provide additional strength and latch integrity. The projection extends beyond the side of the sash when the sash is open. The finger tab can be used to retract the latch, such as when opening or closing the sash.
As the sash is rotated towards the window frame the extended latch projections strike the jamb edges and due to the angled configuration of the projections, the jamb edges urge the latches (retract the latches) deeper into the sash grooves. Once the sash is completely closed the latch projections then extend outwardly into the window frame or jamb recesses to secure the window sash in its closed posture with the projections fully seated in the recesses as usual.
For a better understanding of the invention and its operation, turning now to the drawings,
As further seen in
As seen in
Sash 52 is shown in a front elevational view in
Standard sash frame 40 seen only in partial view in
In
Preferred coil spring 25 as shown in
In
Coil spring 25 fits within lower cover channel 22 and upper cover channel 23 as shown in
The preferred method of using tilt latch 10 includes the integral manufacture thereof by conventional molding techniques and once molded, spring 25 is manually inserted along channels 22, 23 into cavity 28 as seen in
The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.
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