Claims
- 1. A window grille retaining system comprising:
- molding for forming a pattern defining a window grille dimensioned in length to fit within a window sash with end faces of said molding adjacent to inner wall surfaces of the sash and a bottom surface of the molding against a windowpane;
- slots formed in said bottom surface of the molding extending from said end faces a predetermined distance along said length of the molding;
- spring clip assemblies each having two pieces; one of said pieces is carried by said molding within said slots, and the other of said pieces is bent in the shape of a bracket; and
- said other piece of the spring clip assemblies including a first arm formed as a blade for anchoring said other piece to the window sash and a second arm formed as a spring clip having two resilient fingers for engaging said first piece within said slots at different distances from said end faces along said length of the molding.
- 2. The retaining system of claim 1 in which said one piece of the spring clip assemblies is formed as a pin having a portion of its length exposed within said slots through the bottom surface of the molding.
- 3. The retaining system of claim 2 in which said slit defines a space measured between inner edges of said fingers that is smaller than a diameter of said pin.
- 4. The retaining system of claim 3 in which opposing notches are formed in said inner edges of said fingers for embracing said pin with a snap-type engagement.
- 5. The retaining system of claim 4 in which said pin takes the form of a nail having a shaft that is driven through said slot into said molding until a head of the nail is flush with said end faces of the molding.
- 6. The retaining system of claim 2 in which outer edges of said fingers are tapered to help guide said spring clip arm into said slots.
- 7. The retaining system of claim 6 in which ends of said fingers are radiused to help guide said pin into said slit between the fingers.
- 8. The retaining system of claim 1 in which a stop is formed in said blade arm for positioning said spring clip arm at a predetermined distance from the inner wall surfaces of the window sash.
- 9. The retaining system of claim 8 in which said predetermined distance at which the slots extend from the end faces of the molding is at least as large as a distance from said stop to said spring clip arm.
- 10. The retaining system of claim 9 in which said different distances from the end faces of the molding at which the two pieces of the spring clip assemblies are engageable correspond to different positions of said end faces of the molding along said distance from the stop to the spring clip arm.
- 11. The retaining system of claim 1 in which said blade arm includes a first portion that is shaped for engaging the window sash and a second portion that is offset from said first portion for guiding said first portion into engagement with the window sash at a predetermined spacing from the windowpane.
- 12. The retaining system of claim 11 in which said first and second portions of the blade arm are joined by a third portion that forms a stop for limiting penetration of said first portion into the window sash.
- 13. The retaining system of claim 12 in which said first and second portions of the blade arm are oriented substantially parallel to each other.
- 14. A window grille retaining system for accommodating variations in the lengths of molding pieces forming a grille in which end faces of the molding pieces are positioned at different distances from inner wall surfaces of a window sash comprising:
- slots formed in a bottom surface of the molding extending from the end faces of the molding a predetermined distance along the length of the molding;
- spring clip assemblies each having two pieces; one of said pieces is carried by said molding within said slots, and the other of said pieces includes a first arm for anchoring said other piece to the window sash and a second arm for engaging said first piece within said slots;
- means for positioning said second arm with respect to the inner wall surfaces of the window sash at a predetermined distance that is at least as large as the largest of the different distances at which the end faces of the molding are spaced from the inner wall surfaces of the window sash;
- said two pieces of the spring clip assemblies being engageable at different distances from the end faces of the molding corresponding to the distance between the end faces of the molding and the inner wall surfaces of the window sash subtracted from said predetermined distance between the second arm of the other piece of the spring clip assemblies and the inner wall surfaces of the window sash;
- said two pieces exerting a resilient reaction force opposing their separation directed in a plane that extends substantially perpendicular to said length of the molding;
- said first arm of the other piece being formed as a blade; and
- said means for positioning said second arm with respect to the inner wall surfaces of the window sash being formed in said blade arm as a bend that extends across the blade arm and functions as a stop against the inner wall surfaces of the window sash.
- 15. The retaining system of claim 14 in which said second arm of the other piece is formed as a spring clip having two resilient fingers separated by a slit.
- 16. The retaining system of claim 15 in which said one piece of the spring clip assemblies is formed as a pin having a portion of its length exposed within said slots through said bottom surface of the molding.
- 17. The retaining system of claim 16 in which said slit defines a space measured between inner edges of said fingers that is smaller than a diameter of said pin.
- 18. The retaining system of claim 17 in which opposing notches are formed in said inner edges of said fingers for embracing said pin with a snap-type engagement.
- 19. The retaining system of claim 18 in which said two pieces of the spring clip assemblies are unsnapped by a predetermined manual force directed away from the windowpane.
- 20. The retaining system of claim 14 in which said blade arm of the other piece includes a first portion that is shaped for engaging the window sash and a second portion that is offset from said first portion for guiding said first portion into engagement with the inner wall surfaces of the window sash at a predetermined spacing from a windowpane supported within the window sash.
- 21. The retaining system of claim 20 in which said first and second portions of the blade arm are joined by a third portion that functions as the stop for limiting penetration of said first portion through the inner wall surfaces of the window sash.
- 22. The retaining system of claim 21 in which said first and second portions of the first arm are oriented substantially parallel to each other and to the windowpane.
- 23. In a retaining clip for mounting a window grille within a window sash on one side of a windowpane including:
- a body of resilient material bent in the shape of a bracket;
- a first arm of said bracket arranged for anchoring the clip to the window sash, and
- a second arm of said bracket arranged for engaging the window grille; the improvement in which:
- said first arm includes a first portion that is shaped for engaging the window sash and a second portion that is offset from said first portion for guiding said first portion into engagement with the window sash at a predetermined spacing from the windowpane.
- 24. The clip of claim 23 in which said first and second portions of the first arm are joined by a third portion that forms a stop for limiting penetration of said first portion into the window sash.
- 25. The clip of claim 24 in which said third portion of the first arm is separated from said second arm for spacing said second arm at a predetermined distance from the window sash.
- 26. The clip of claim 25 in which said first and second portions are offset through a distance between 1.5 millimeters and 3 millimeters.
- 27. The clip of claim 24 in which a first bend is formed in said body of resilient material for orienting said second portion of the first arm with respect to said second arm, a second bend is formed in said body of resilient material for orienting said second portion with respect to said third portion, and a third bend is formed in said body of resilient material for orienting said first portion with respect to said third portion.
- 28. The clip of claim 27 in which said first and second portions of the first arm are oriented substantially parallel to each other.
- 29. The clip of claim 28 in which said third portion of the first arm extends substantially perpendicular to said first and second portions for providing a face against which the first arm can be urged into engagement with the window sash.
- 30. The clip of claim 23 in which said second arm is formed as a spring clip having two resilient fingers separated by a slit.
- 31. The clip of claim 30 in which opposing notches are formed along inner edges of said fingers for embracing a pin with a snap-type engagement.
- 32. The clip of claim 31 in which outer edges of said fingers are tapered to help guide said second arm into slots formed in the window grille.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending parent application Ser. No. 689,308, filed Apr. 22, 1991, entitled WINDOW GRILLE RETAINER, now abandoned. The parent application is hereby incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
"Installation Instruction Sheet", Andersen Corporation Bayport, MN, 55003, Apr. 9, 1989. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
689308 |
Apr 1991 |
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