LOCOMOTIVE SLIDING WINDOW COMPRISING A LOCKING DEVISE AND A LOCOMOTIVE DOOR HAVING SUCH A WINDOW

Technical Field The present invention generally relates to a locomotive window, a device for a locomotive window and a locomotive door having a window,

More particularly, the present invention relates to sliding windows made of glass, to be applied to and mounted on railway locomotives or locomotive doors.

Prior art Sliding windows for locomotives or locomotive doors are known in the art. Such windows can be opened and closed by displacing the glass, for instance in vertical or horizontal direction, by means of suitable knobs or handles.

Sliding windows hitherto known have some problems if used on locomotives operating on high speed railway lines. Actually, as known, a common problem for all locomotives operating on high speed railway lines (which problem is however generally present, even if in less marked way) is that, when the locomotives and the relative trains meet, the air wave pushed by each locomotive creates a respective pressure wave onto the doors and the windows of the locomotive being met. The effect of the pressure wave is that the windows of known type and the doors having such windows start vibrating due to the pressure wave and generate a corresponding pressure wave inside the locomotive, causing serious troubles to people working in the locomotive as well as possible damages to the windows and the doors having the windows. Patent publication WO2006/1 1 1870 in the name of the Applicant discloses a locomotive window, and a locomotive door having a window, configured so as to avoid the troubles and the problems mentioned above.

More particularly, the known window includes a stationary frame, a glass arranged to be locked/unlocked to prevent/allow sliding and a locking device secured to the frame and arranged to lock/unlock the sliding of the glass.

According to the prior art document, two handles are provided, of which a first handle is secured to the glass and is arranged to be held for making the glass slide, and the second handle is secured to the locking device and can be positioned so as to allow or not to allow sliding of the glass.

The prior art solution, entailing the provision of two handles, one for moving the glass and the other for locking/unlocking it, results in the need for people working on the locomotive to perform multiple sequential operations with two different elements (the handles), and hence gives rise to the problem of sequence errors and/or long operation times.

Essentially, the Applicant has realised that there is the need to improve the prior art window so as to allow locking/unlocking/displacing the window glass substantially by means of a single operation. Description of the invention It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a locomotive window, a locomotive door having a window and a device for a locomotive window having the features set forth in the appended claims. The invention also concerns a method of manufacturing a window for a locomotive or a locomotive door as claimed herein.

The claims are integral part of the technical teaching provided herein in respect of the invention.

According to a preferred embodiment, the locomotive window includes a frame, a glass arranged to be locked/unlocked to prevent/allow its sliding and a locking device having a first unit secured to the glass and a second unit connected to the frame and arranged to be operated by the first unit in order to lock/unlock the glass at any position.

According to another feature of the present invention, the first unit includes control means consisting of a handle and configured to provide for locking/unlocking the glass and/or for positioning the glass.

According to yet another feature of the present invention, the first unit includes first sliding elements consisting of at least one bush, and the second unit includes second sliding elements consisting of at least one pin and arranged to cooperate with the first sliding elements to allow the glass to slide within the frame. According to yet a further feature of the present invention, the bush is arranged to operate the pin in order to lock/unlock the glass. Brief Description of the Figures

The above and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments, given only by way of non limiting

examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which elements denoted by the same or similar numerical references denote components having the same or similar functions and construction:

- Fig. 1 shows a locomotive door having a window according to the invention; - Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device according to the invention in a first operating condition;

- Fig. 3 is a front view of some details of Fig. 2 in the first operating condition;

- Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device according to the invention in a second operating condition; - Fig. 5 is a front view of some details of Fig. 4 in the second operating condition. Description of Preferred Embodiments

Referring to Fig. 1, a locomotive door 10 with an associated window according to the present invention includes a door frame 18a, made for instance of aluminium, and a window frame 18b, it too made for instance of aluminium, having at least one opening or window and having associated or connected therewith a set of devices or elements arranged to form the window.

Of course, in other embodiments, the whole frame can simply correspond to window frame 18b.

For sake of completeness of exemplification, the present description refers to a window installed in a locomotive door.

Door 10 includes a handle device or lock of known type, for instance secured to door frame 18a and arranged to allow opening and closing the door, and a window.

Lock 12 is connected to door frame 18a in known manner, and it includes a handle (door handle) 21 and one or more locking elements 23, connected to door handle 21 and arranged to lock the door, in known manner, on a corresponding frame in the locomotive, not indicated in the drawing.

The window includes window frame 18b, a glass 14 and a locking device 15 secured to the glass and arranged to lock/unlock the sliding of glass 14 along window frame 18b, as it will be explained in detail below. A supporting device 19 is associated with glass 14 and is arranged to support glass

14. Supporting device 19, of known type, is arranged to support glass 14 in the various positions the glass can take during the vertical displacement and is made, for instance, by a gas device, including a cylinder and a rod, such as a Stabilus gas spring, connected to door frame 18a.

Of course, in other embodiments, the gas device can be replaced by supporting devices with equivalent functions, or it can be missing.

In the preferred embodiment, window frame 18b includes, for instance in correspondence of the opening or window, a pair of front guides 81 , a pair of side guides 83 and a gasket or weather strip 85.

Front guides 81 are secured, in known manner, to respective cavities formed in window frame 18b and, in the preferred embodiment, they extend substantially along the whole height of the opening in window frame 18b at the sides of the opening. Guides 81 include a sliding element 183, made for instance of Nylon, in contact with outer face 43a of glass 14 and arranged to make sliding of glass 14 easier during displacement in vertical direction. Front guides 81 also include respective resilient elements 185, for instance a plurality of leaf springs located in each cavity at predetermined intervals and arranged to allow a displacement of glass 14 from the inside towards the outside of the locomotive and vice versa, for instance a horizontal displacement, during locking and unlocking of glass 14, respectively, as it will be explained in detail below.

Side guides 83, for instance, are secured in known manner to respective cavities formed in window frame 18b at both sides of the opening, in correspondence of side faces 45 of glass 14. In the preferred embodiment, they extend substantially along the whole height of the opening in window frame 18b and are made for instance of Nylon. Side guides 83 are arranged to make sliding of glass 14 easier during displacement in vertical direction.

In the preferred embodiment, weather strip 85 extends along the whole periphery of the opening in door 10 or in the window, it is connected, in known manner, to window frame 18b and is made of a material, such as for instance rubber or a material with similar characteristics, capable of exerting a sealing action when put in contact with the glass.

In the preferred embodiment, weather strip 85 is also so shaped that it enables a high pressure seal when glass 14 is pressed against weather strip 85 itself, as it will be explained in detail below.

In the preferred embodiment, weather strip 85 is located near outer face 43a of glass 14 and it is not in contact with outer face 43a of glass 14 while glass 14 itself is sliding, since resilient elements 185 associated with sliding element 183 of front guides 81 are arranged to keep the glass spaced apart from weather strip 85 itself.

Glass 14, for instance a laminated safety glass, has a front face external to the locomotive (external face) 43a (Fig. 1 , Fig. 2), an internal front face (internal face) 43b,

and two side faces 45, all of them being known per se.

In the preferred embodiment, locking device 15 includes a first unit 551, secured to the glass and arranged to be operated for locking glass 14, and a second unit 552, associated or connected with window frame 18b and arranged to be operated by the first unit 551.

The first unit (driving unit) 551 includes one or more securing elements 70, a box element 71 secured to securing element 70 and a cam mechanism 73 associated with control means 51 , for instance a handle, and housed for instance within box element 71.

Securing element 70, for instance a metal bracket, has a first surface 70a secured, for instance glued, to internal face 43b of glass 14, and a second surface 70b secured, for instance welded, to an external surface 71a of box element 71.

Box element 71, for instance a shell formed by two metal shell halves, and securing element 70 preferably have sizes slightly exceeding those of cam mechanism 73, so that they engage only a limited portion of window glass 14. Control means (handle) 51 are rigidly associated with cam mechanism 73. The latter includes a cam (handle cam) 73, for instance of circular shape, a pair of levers, namely a first lever 55 and a second lever 65, respectively, having first ends pivotally mounted on cam 53 at diametrically opposite positions and respective second ends connected to first ends of respective spindles, namely a first spindle 155 and a second spindle 165: Spindles 155 and 165 are arranged to slide in known manner into respective sleeve collars 59 and 69, upon a rotation, for instance by 90°, of handle 51. The sleeve collars are, for instance, ball sleeve collars manufactured by company SKF, secured in known manner within box element 71.

Driving unit 551 of locking device 15 further includes a pair of sliding elements 251 and 261, respectively, for instance bushes of known type, which are mechanically connected to second ends of spindles 155 and 165, respectively, and are arranged to slide, by means of respective bearings 253 and 263 of known type, along corresponding sliding elements 255 and 265, for instance pins of known type. The pins have lengths corresponding to the height of the opening in window frame 18b, are perfectly symmetrical and are connected to frame 18b itself, as it will be explained in detail below.

The second unit (driven unit) 552 of locking device 15 includes sliding elements (pins) 255 and 265, a first pair of connecting rods 151 and a second pair of connecting rods 161 , perfectly symmetrical and secured to the ends of pins 255 and 265, respectively, and a first cam 157a and a second cam 167a, respectively, associated with the first and

second pairs of connecting rods 151 and 161 , respectively.

In the preferred embodiment, the first pair of connecting rods 151 and the second pair of connecting rods 161, respectively, of driven unit 552 have first ends secured to the respective pins 255 and 265, and second ends secured to the respective cams 157a and 167a. Cams 157a and 167a are rotatably mounted inside respective rotation elements 57 and 67, preferably with semicircular shape, formed along the walls, for instance the vertical walls, of window frame 18b.

Cams 157a and 167a of each connecting rod 151 and 161, respectively, are made for instance of aluminium, are coated with plastic material, for instance Nylon, and are shaped so as to form a bulge or projection. In particular, the bulge of each cam, 157a or 167a, can be directed, during the rotation of cam 157a or 167a itself, respectively, inside the respective rotation element 57 or 67, towards internal face 43b of glass 14, so as to lock it. Each cam (locking cam) 157a and 167a of each connecting-rod 151 and 161 preferably extends substantially along the entire height of front guides 81 or of the opening of window frame 18b.

In the preferred embodiment, each locking cam 157a and 167a is associated with a respective resilient element or spring 157b (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5) and 167b, for instance a spiral spring of known type, arranged to cooperate with the respective rotation element 57 and 67 in order to lock glass 14, as it is explained in detail below. Driving unit 551 of locking device 15 is arranged, upon rotation of handle 51, to exert a certain pressure on pins 255 and 265, respectively, of driven unit 552, thereby causing rotation of locking cams 157a and 167a, linked to rotation elements 57 and 67, and exerting a corresponding pressure, for instance a pressure of some Kilograms, on glass

14 by means of the bulges of locking cams 157a and 167a, so as to move glass 14 itself outwards and to press weather strip 85 onto external face 43a of glass 14.

In particular, upon rotation of handle 51 , for instance starting from a rest position in which the glass can slide, handle cam 53 in driving unit 551 causes the axial displacement of the first and second spindles 155 and 165, so as to cause:

- the displacement of pins 255 and 265 of driven unit 552 along an arc and the rotation of locking cams 157a and 167a, linked to frame 18b;

- the alignment of the bulges of locking cams 157a and 167a in the direction of internal face 43b of glass 14; and

- the displacement of glass 14 in substantially orthogonal direction to faces 43a and 43b, in particular, in the given example, towards the outside of the locomotive door (or of

the locomotive window), for instance with a stroke of some millimetres.

Obviously, the displacement is facilitated by the presence of resilient elements 185 in front guides 81.

The operation of the locomotive window or locomotive door window described above is as follows.

Taking as reference a starting position of glass 14 in which the glass is free to move in vertical direction and the handle is for instance vertically oriented, in such a condition, in accordance with the preferred embodiment, handle 51 of locking device 15 is positioned so that, for instance, the first and second levers 55 and 65 are aligned with spindles 155 and 165, and locking cams 157a and 167a, kept in position by spindles 155 and 165 through bushes 251 and 261, pins 255 and 265, connecting rods 151 and 161 and rotation elements 57 and 67, are oriented so that they do not exert any pressure on internal face 43b of glass 14.

In such a condition or phase, glass 14 is kept at a distance from weather strip 85 and can freely slide onto sliding elements 183 in front and side guides 81 and 83, having locking cams 157a and 167a, respectively, as contrast element on internal face 43b of glass 14.

During the movement, handle 51 can advantageously be used for making glass 14 slide and supporting device 19 is arranged to cooperate in maintaining glass 14 stable in the various possible positions between a maximum window opening, where the glass completely lowered, and the closed condition, where the glass completely raised.

When the need to lock glass 14 arises, according to the present exemplary embodiment glass 14 is raised up to the closed condition or to an intermediate position, and handle 51 is rotated by 90° so as to take for instance a horizontal orientation and, at the same time, to operate the first and second levers 55 and 65 and to drive the axial movement of spindles 155 and 165 and the rotation of locking cams 157a and 167a, linked to window frame 18b, so as to orient the bulges of the locking cams in the direction of inner surface 43b of glass 14 and lock the glass.

As a result of such operation, glass 14 is moved towards the outside of the locomotive so that weather strip 85 is consequently compressed and exerts a high pressure over the whole or a part of the periphery of external face 43a of glass 14.

In such a way the locking of glass 14 is obtained, as the glass is pressed between the bulges of locking cams 157a and 167a and weather strip 85. In such a locked situation, the provision of resilient elements 185 in front guides 81 is useful, for instance, in order not to

hinder the outward displacement of glass 14.

The described locked position also corresponds, preferably, to a maximum stability condition of driving unit 551 of locking device 15, because, as it can be easily understood by the skilled in the art, the contrasting thrust exerted by the glass is such that it does not generate force components that can make locking cams 157a and 167a rotate towards the unlocking position.

Obviously, in order to pass from the locking position to the unlocking position of the glass, it is sufficient, for instance, to rotate handle 51 in a direction opposite to that used for locking. Thanks to the described solution, it is therefore possible, during locomotive stops, to keep the glass unlocked and to freely move it by means of handle 51.

In the same way, during the travel, for instance, at high speed or on railway lines where it is possible to meet locomotives and trains operating at high speed, it is possible to keep the glass and consequently the window locked in a closed position whereas, during the travel, for instance, at low speed, it is possible to keep the glass and consequently the window locked in an intermediate position.

Moreover, thanks to the described solution, the window, or the door having a window according to the invention has in particular the undeniable advantage that handle 51 can be used for both locking and unlocking the sliding of the glass and for making the glass slide when it is unlocked.

The invention has been so far described by taking as reference, in particular in the drawings, an application to a locomotive door, but, as already mentioned, the described construction and architecture can be independently applied, as it can be easily understood by the skilled in the art, so as to allow building windows directly applicable to locomotive walls.

In the description reference has been made to embodiments wherein the movement of the glass in the window is of vertical type, but, as it can be easily understood by the skilled in the art, the same type of construction and architecture can be applied to windows in which the movement of the glass takes place in horizontal direction, by suitably rotating the locking elements of the window itself.

In the above-described embodiment possible emergency devices have not been considered. However, as it can be easily understood by the skilled in the art, it is possible to provide emergency devices or switches applied for instance to the handle of the locking device and arranged to transmit suitable signals in order to avoid, for instance, that the

glass remains unintentionally unlocked during the travel of the locomotive.

In the description, reference has generally been made to glass as the material used for opening or closing the opening or window in the locomotive or in the locomotive door; as a matter of fact, in order to achieve the objects of the invention, it is to be understood that the term glass is used in this description and in the claims as a generic term aimed at indicating any flat material, preferably transparent, utilisable for closing and opening openings or windows on a locomotive.

Obvious changes and variations to the above disclosure are possible, in respect of sizes, shapes, materials, components and connections, as well in respect of the details of the described construction and the operation method, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.