The present invention refers to an improved window frame. In particular, the present invention refers to a window frame whose shutters, lacking a ledge frame, allow increasing the brightness, guaranteeing the thermal and acoustic insulation through the window frame.

Moreover, the present invention refers to a window frame whose opening mechanism assembled on the fixed frame allows simplifying and enlightening the carrier structure of the shutters.

Known windows have a frame surrounding a glass portion and provided with hinges arranged on a side. The window frame hinges are joined to a sub- frame fastened to the wall preferably through braces or other known fastening means.

The assembly of window frame and of the glass portion inside such frame make a shutter which can be opened, whose rotation axis is next to the hinges .

Great care has been paid in these last years when making windows capable of cutting the thermal bridges. The term thermal bridges means those channel made of highly heat conductive materials such as steel or aluminium, or also air channels, which can bring about a heat exchange between the internal and the external window portion.

Typically, the main thermal bridge, in the past, was made by the glass portion. Such thermal bridge has been cut by using a glass chamber, namely a portion with air or vacuum or an inert gas interposed between due glasses and mutually sealed. Such chamber allows strongly reducing the undesired heat exchange by irradiation and conduction.

In spite of all this, current standards about energy efficiency impose a still greater care in lowering the thermal bridges. Attention has therefore been oriented towards the portions of frame, of sub-frame and of ironware of windows.

Secondarily, the assembly composed of frame and sub-frame of windows is one of the most vulnerable portions of a windows as regards the attempts of burglary. In known windows, the structure transversally projecting with respect to wall thickness, and the box-type making of the frame and of the sub-frame, make it easier for thieves to break open the window.

The fixed and moving frame of a window for performing the above mentioned tasks, without reducing the thermal and resistance characteristics of a window must have more or less important dimensioning according to the material of which it is made, but is always and anyway a critical element of the window frame, which reduces the transparent part of the window, which reduced the thermal and acoustic characteristics of a window and which is the mechanically weak part of a window .

In a window of the classic type, the fixed and moving frames are always, thermally acoustically speaking, the weak part: therefore, removing the moving frame brings about an increase of the thermal and acoustic insulation characteristics of the window.

The moving frame is also the weakest point of a window frame as regards burglary attempts and reducing or removing the moving frame means removing the weakest point of the window.

Traditionally, in a window glass is the most rigid and sturdy part and the moving frame is helped by glass to find its stiffness and resistance necessary to perform its functions.

The state of the art, represented for example by DE102004040646B4, discloses a fastening and support system for a door or window, such system composed of two glass panels shaped at their edges to be able to house a ledge, adapted to keep such glass panels separated. Moreover, a pair of projecting elements next to the edges of the glass panels allows a fastening to the fixed frame.

Document DE102004040646B4 however does not solve the problem of how the opening-closing mechanism can be houses to allow blocking the door or window with respect to the fixed frame.

Document US8528255B2 discloses an external window opening unit comprising a fixed frame, a moving frame with respect to the fixed frame through hinged arms, an operating unit placed on the fixed frame to move the moving frame, a structure for closing the moving frame on the fixed frame, a handle associated with the fixed frame and connected to the operating panel. The fixed frame has a perimeter channel defining a temporary groove provided with two undercuts for coupling tie-rods connected to the operating unit, an angular element for transmitting motion being placed at an angle formed of the fixed frame, the angular element equipped with a structure configured for connecting two corresponding rods in order to synchronize the movement imparted them by the operating panel.

Document US8528255B2 however does not solve the problem of how to remove the ledge-type frame of the moving shutter to increase its handling.

Object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems by providing a window frame equipped with spot fastenings on glasses, without a frame or ledge on the moving shutter, without a handling mechanisms, tape opening mechanism, on the moving shutter.

A further object is making a system capable of constraining the glasses to form glass windows with single chamber, two or more chambers, in order to avoid thermal bridges between inside and outside the window frame.

Ά further object is making a system in which the following functions are performed: blocking the glass slabs at defined distances one from the other to allow making one or more chambers which guarantee the thermal and acoustic insulation of the window, allowing to move the window in its opening. A further object is constraining the slabs to be able to avoid the use of a continuous moving frame which passes all around the window, thereby increasing the transparent surface of the window, thereby making a window with single or double chamber, or with many chambers, without frame with closing abutments directly on the glasses.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained with an improved window frame as claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view along a section with respect to a horizontal plane of a first embodiment of the improved window frame according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an enlarged portion II of the previous Figure;

Figure 3 shows a plan view along a section with respect to a horizontal plane of a second embodiment of the improved window frame according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows an enlarged portion IV of the previous Figure;

Figure 5 shows an axonometric view of a shutter of an embodiment of the improved window frame according to the present invention;

Figure 6 shows an enlarged portion VI of the previous Figure;

Figure 7 shows an axonometric exploded view of Figure 5;

Figure 8 shows an enlarged portion VIII of the previous Figure;

Figure 9 shows an enlarged portion IX of Figure 5;

Figure 10 shows an axonometric exploded view of angular elements of Figure 5; Figure 11 shows a sectional view of an enlarged portion of the frame of an embodiment of the improved window frame according to the present invention;

Figure 12 shows a plan view of an open shutter of the vasistas type of a first embodiment of the improved window frame according to the present invention;

Fogure 13 shows a plan view of an open shutter of the vasistas type and of a closed shutter of a second embodiment of the improved window frame according to the present invention;

Figure 14 shows a part XIV of the previous Figure;

Figure 15 shows a part XV of Figure 13;

Figure 16 shows a sectional view along line XVI-XVI of Figure 12;

Figure 17 shows a part XVII of the previous Figure ;

Figure 18 shows a part XVIII of Figure 16;

Figure 19 shows a plan view of an open frame of the vasistas type of a second embodiment of the improved window frame according to the present invention;

Figure 20 shows a part XX of the previous Figure; and

Figure 21 shows a part XXI of Figure 19.

With reference to Figures 1 to 8, it is possible to note that an improved window frame 1, 2 comprises at least one shutter 10 which can be opened with respect to a frame 20, opening and closing means 30 acting on mechanical abutments 41, 42 for removably blocking such at least one shutter 10 with respect to the frame 20. The improved window frame 1, 2 is of the type in which such at least one shutter 10 comprises a sandwich-type structure adapted to form at least one chamber Rl, R2 included between a first and a second slab 61, 62, and in which the first and the second slab 61, 62 comprise holes and recesses to allow housing fastening means 50 of the sandwich-type structure.

Advantageously, the fastening means 50 composed of angular spacers 51, 52 of the first slab 61 with respect to the second slab 62 and of angular elements 53, 54 inserted in edge recesses at least of the first slab 61 allow blocking the sandwich-type structure next to the edges of such at least one shutter 10.

With reference to Figure 9, the angular spacers 51, 52 allow connecting such at least one shutter 10 with respect to the frame 20 by means of at least one engagement portion of an hinge 90.

In particular, the angular spacers 51, 52 allow blocking such at least one shutter 10 with respect to the frame 20 by means of grooved and clinging elements, with which such angular spacers 51, 52 are equipped due to their shape, such grooved and clinging elements being adapted to engage the mechanical abutments 41, 42 vertically and horizontally sliding along the frame 20.

With reference to Figure 10, the angular elements 53, 54 have holes 55, 56 for passing hinging means 57 of the sandwich on angular blocking elements which are opposite and axially aligned.

With reference to Figure 11, the angular spacers 51, 52 laying inside the perimeter located by the first or second slab 61, 62 allow entering the frame 20 in abutment with a perimeter portion of at least one between the first and the second slab 61, 62 of such at least one shutter 10. In particular, the frame 20 composed of structural elements 21, 22 equipped with a plurality of walls 23, 24, 25 comprises a respective plurality of gaskets 81, 82, 83 configured for abutting against a perimeter portion of at least one between the first and the second slab 61, 62 of such at least one shutter 10.

Advantageously, the sandwich-type structure of such at least one shutter 10 comprising a perimeter framework 70 between the first and the second slab 61, 62 allows delimiting the chamber Rl, R2 inside the perimeter located by the first and second slab 61, 62. In particular, the perimeter framework 70 in abutment with respect to the first and to the second slab 61, 62 allows thermally cutting the first slab 61 with respect to the second slab 62.

With reference to Figures 1, 3, the opening and closing means 30 comprising a handle placed next to such at least one shutter 10 allow transferring the motion to the mechanical abutments 41, 42 by means of a belt 40 placed next to the frame 10. In fact, the belt 40 is composed of rigid linear sections, vertically or horizontally sliding along the frame 20, alternated with flexible linear sections to be able to slide along the edges of the frame 20.

With reference to Figures 12 to 21, it is possible to note several opening and closing positions of such at least one shutter 10, according to the position of the handle of the opening and closing means 30.

The improved window frame of the present invention allows obtaining its provided objects.

According to a preferred embodiment, the improved window frame comprises at least one first perimeter framework delimiting the area of the chamber and enclosed within the sandwich, laying on an intermediate plan between a first and a second slab made of a material which is at least partially transparent to luminous radiations and further laying inside the perimeter located by one of the two slabs.

Advantageously, there are angular elements placed next to edges of the first perimeter framework; the angular elements are equipped with through-holes to allow the passage of transverse blocking means of the sandwich.

The angular elements are of the same thickness of the perimeter framework.

The sandwich further comprises an intermediate slab made of a material at least partially transparent to luminous radiations, interposed between, and laying on a plane parallel to the two slabs. The improved window frame comprises a second perimeter framework, delimiting the area of the second chamber and enclosed within the sandwich laying on an intermediate plane between the intermediate slab and the second slab made of a material at least partially transparent to luminous radiations and further laying inside the perimeter located by the second slab made of a material at least partially transparent to luminous radiations.

The first perimeter framework is enclosed within the sandwich laying on an intermediate plane between the first slab made of a material at least partially transparent to luminous radiations and the intermediate slab.

The angular elements are equipped with an engagement portion of an hinge subjected to allow the rotation of the shutter with respect to the sub-frame .

The angular blocking elements are inserted in edge recesses of the first slab, and have holes for passing hinging and blocking means of the sandwich on angular blocking elements which are opposite and axially aligned.

The improved window frame comprises lever-type opening means placed next to the shutter and acting on mechanical bearing means.

At least one between the first and the second slab made of a material at least partially transparent to luminous radiations and the intermediate slab at least partially transparent to the luminous radiations is made of glass material.

At least one between the first and the second slab and/or the intermediate slab are physically coupled with a layer of synthetic, flexible, breakthrough-preventing material.

Advantageously, the closing kinematism of the window frame is fastened to the fixed frame of the window frame. The fixed frame houses all moving ironware elements necessary to ensure the closure between glass shutter and fixed frame.

Advantageously, a window without continuous moving frame but with angular elements which block the glasses and make them mutually integral allows increasing the transparent surface, increasing the thermal characteristics of the window, increasing the acoustic characteristics of the window, increasing the mechanical characteristics of the window, moving the mechanical blocking movements of the window from the moving frame to the fixed frame, making the window still more transparent and still lighter.

The mechanical part houses on the fixed frame is moved by the handle which can be placed on the glass shutter or on the fixed frame or in a part outside the frames. The angular nodes become fastening points for hinges for opening the window frame and fastening points for the closures.

This technical choice makes the window more transparent and lighter and allows obtaining a much more convenient logistics for building and shipping the window. The glass factory makes the window shutter using techniques which can also be robotized and ships the shutter directly at the customer's house; the assembling operator will reach the customer's house with a fixed frame only and, on site, will assemble the window frame.

In the prior art, the glass factory ships the glasses to the manufacturer, who makes the moving frame of the window and assembles the glasses with the moving frame. Then, he makes the fixed frame and assembles it with the previously assembled shutters. He ships the window frame completed with shutter (glass + moving frame) and fixed frame to the customer's house.