The present invention relates to a screening arrangement for mounting on a frame of a window or a door, said frame having a top piece, a bottom piece and two side pieces, said screening arrangement comprising a top element, a screening body having a first and a second end edge and two side edges, a bottom element having two opposing ends, and two side rails having a first flange and a second flange connected with the first flange and extending at an angle thereto, said top element being intended for mounting at the top piece of said frame, said screening body being at the first end edge fastened to the top element and at the second end edge to the bottom element, said bottom element being movable between an inactive position close to the top element and an active position at a distance from the top element by movement of the opposing ends along the side rails, the first flange of each of said side rails having an abutment face intended for mounting at an inner side face of a respective side piece of the frame.

In such screening arrangements the side rails positioned at the side pieces of the window serve i.a. the purpose of improving the light- proofing properties of the screening arrangement, as they overlap the side edges of the screening body. Furthermore, cords and other operating or guidance devices, which might be present in the screening arrangement, are hidden behind the side rails. Eventually, depending on the type of screening body and the installation situation, the side rails may contribute to holding the screening body in position.

In its simplest form, such a side rail has a cross-section shaped substantially as an L or a T having two perpendicularly extending flanges, of which the first flange abuts the inner side face of the frame side piece, i.e. the face closest to the pane of the window. The second flange overlaps the side edges of the screening body etc. as described in the above, and possibly also part of the front face of the frame side piece. However, this design presupposes a substantially right angle between the inner side face and the front face of the frame side pieces.

For use in frames having a bevelled inner side face, i.e. in which the inner side face forms an angle slightly larger than 90° with the front face, the side rails of the screening arrangement are consequently formed with a corresponding angle between the first and second flanges. Not only does the bevel angle influence the angle of the side rail, the distance between the opposing side pieces at the transition between the inner side face and the front face increases with the bevel angle.

The fact that windows, and doors, are delivered in a number of different sizes, combined with the diversity of bevel angles, entails that screening arrangements are traditionally delivered in a corresponding range of sizes. Even a window, which at first sight appears to be of

• identical size and model as another window, might require a particular screening arrangement different from that of the other window, just as there is a risk that the purchaser does not know exactly which type of window he or she is buying the screening arrangement for.

Attempts have been made in order to overcome this problem. For instance, following mounting of the side rail in the window separate insertion pieces may be inserted between the side rails and the respective inner side face of the frame side pieces in order to adapt the distance between the side rails at the opposing frame side pieces by displacing the side rails in parallel with their original position. That is, only a distance adjustment is achieved. Furthermore, the provision of a particular side rail in a range of different side rails for use with a standard screening body and top and bottom elements is foreseen in order to adapt the screening arrangement to the installation situation in question. Eventually, mounting of a separate profile on each frame side piece prior to mounting of the side rail has been suggested.

With this background it is the object of the invention to provide a screening arrangement, which may be utilized universally in a number of different windows or doors, and in which the mounting is simplified and made more logical to the person performing the mounting with a reduced risk of erroneous purchase and subsequent positioning of the screening arrangement.

This and further objects are met by the provision of a screening arrangement of the kind mentioned in the introduction, which is furthermore characterized in that screening arrangement comprises means for adjusting the inclination of at least the abutment face of the first flange of each side rail, said inclination adjusting means being connected at least temporarily with each side rail.

The possibility of adjusting the inclination of at least the abut¬ ment face of the first flange entails that an increased degree of standardization is achieved, and at the same time the screening arrangement is very easy to mount as the inclination adjusting means are connected with the side rails during installation.

In an embodiment said inclination adjusting means include a plurality of wedge-shaped members. This provides for a simple and effective change of angle of the abutment face between the first flange of the side rail and the inner side face of the corresponding frame side piece.

In principle, the wedge-shaped members may be connected with the side rail in any suitable manner. However, in an embodiment providing for an easy and reliable connection, each wedge-shaped member has an engagement section and each side rail is provided with a track between the first and second flanges, said engagement section being received in said track, preferably resiliency.

In order to secure the correct inclination and positioning even further, the screening arrangement may comprise supporting means for its top element, said supporting means including inclination adjusting means.

The adaptability with respect to the universal applicability of the screening arrangement may be increased even further by providing means for adjusting the length of each side rail, said length adjusting means being connected at least temporarily with each side rail. This entails that the same screening arrangement may be utilized in windows and doors having different lengths, as the length adjusting means makes it possible to accommodate the difference in length of the side pieces.

Preferably, the length adjusting means include an extension member having the same cross-section as the side rail. This makes it possible to utilize any features present in the side rail also for the part of the frame, on which the extension member is mounted. An easy manner to provide the temporary connection is pro¬ vided by an embodiment in which the screening arrangement includes a steering member and the extension member and the side rail each has a track, said steering member being received in the tracks of the extension member and the side rail. In another aspect of the invention, a screening arrangement for mounting on a frame of a window or a door is provided, said frame having a top piece, a bottom piece and two side pieces, said screening arrangement comprising a top element, a screening body having a first and a second end edge and two side edges, a bottom element having two opposing ends, and two side rails, said screening body being at the first end edge fastened to the top element and at the second end edge to the bottom element, said bottom element being movable between an inactive position close to the top element and an active position at a distance from the top element during movement of the opposing ends along the side rails, said top element being intended for mounting at the top piece of said frame and including a spring-biased element acting toward moving the screening body to said inactive position, and means being provided for retaining the bottom element in an active position against the spring-bias. The screening arrangement is characterized in that said retaining means include two end members, one end member being connected with a respective end of the bottom element and cooperating with the corresponding side rail. By this embodiment the arrangement of cords, possibly connected with friction elements, is completely avoided. Such cords complicate the mounting to a considerable extent.

Preferably, each end member comprises a retaining section including two opposing contact surfaces, each side rail includes two edges for cooperating with the opposing contact surfaces of the retaining section, and the end member may be brought between a

retaining position, in which the opposing contact surfaces are in retaining contact with the two edges, and a movement position, in which the end member may be moved along the side rail, by rotating the bottom element and the two end members. This provides for a particularly easy mounting and operation of the screening arrangement, as the opposing contact surfaces secure a reliable retaining contact with the edges of the side rail.

In order to increase the reliability of the retaining contact even further, at least one of said opposing contact surfaces may be rounded. This effect is increased even further if the opposing contact surfaces are displaced with respect to each other.

In a further aspect of the invention, a screening arrangement is provided comprising a top element, a screening body having a first and a second end edge and two side edges, a bottom element having two opposing ends, and two side rails. In order to facilitate the mounting and operation of the screening arrangement by accommodating unavoidable manufacturing tolerances and inaccurate mounting of the side rails, the screening arrangement is characterized in that said bottom element includes two end members, one end member being connected with a respective end of the bottom element and cooperating with the corresponding side rail, and that each end member is fastened to the bottom element with a loose fit.

Preferably, the loose fit is provided by means of a screw and a stepped bushing In a further embodiment, which makes the mounting and op¬ eration more reliable, and in which the screening body comprises a cloth of screening material, each of the side edges of the screening body is provided with a plurality of guide members, preferably in the form of buttons, and each side rail comprises a track, the guide members being received in said track.

In another aspect of the invention a method of mounting a screening arrangement is provided. The method comprises the steps of establishing the inclination of the inner side faces of the frame side pieces, adjusting the inclination of the abutment surface of the first

flange of the side rail by means of inclination adjusting means, mounting the top element at the top piece of the frame, mounting the side rails including the inclination adjusting means on the side pieces of the frame, and inserting the bottom element and the screening body into the side rails.

As an additional step before the mounting of the side rails, the length of the frame side pieces may be established and the length of the side rails be adjusted by means of length adjusting means.

In the following the invention will be described in further detail with reference to the schematic drawings, in which

Fig. 1 shows a front view of a window provided with a screening arrangement in an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a partial cross-sectional view, on a larger scale, along the line II-II in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 2 of the screening arrangement mounted in a window having another bevel angle,

Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a detail of the screening arrangement according to the invention on a further enlarged scale,

Fig. 5 shows an exploded perspective view of parts of the screening arrangement in another embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of parts of an alternative embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a detail of the screening arrangement in a further embodiment of the invention, Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the screening arrangement in a still further embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 9 shows a partial perspective view of the screening ar¬ rangement of Fig. 8, seen from another angle,

Figs. 10 and 11 are explanatory sketches showing the function of the screening arrangement in the embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9, and

Fig. 12 shows a partial perspective view of a detail of the screening arrangement in a still further embodiment.

The screening arrangement generally designated 1 is mounted on a frame which in the embodiment shown is constituted by a sash 2 of

a window. A frame 3 lining an opening in a building surrounds the sash 2. It is noted that the term "frame" is intended to be understood as incorporating any substantially rectangular structure positioned in any opening in a building, whether in a wall or the roof. Although the window shown in Fig. 1 is a roof window and the screening arrangement 1 is mounted on the sash 2 of the window, the screening arrangement may just as well be mounted on the frame 3 instead of the sash and may also be utilized in connection with e.g. windows having a frame only, or in doors. The sash 2 has a top piece 21, a bottom piece 22 and two side pieces 23 and 24. The screening arrangement 1 comprises a top element 40, a screening body 50 and a bottom element 60, the screening body 50 being fastened at its opposing two end edges (not shown in detail) to the top element 40 and the bottom element 60, respectively. Furthermore, the screening arrangement 1 comprises two side rails 70 and 80. The screening arrangement may e.g. comprise a roller blind having as its screening body a cloth, and of which the top element includes a spring-biased roller bar. However, other kinds of screening bodies and corresponding top and bottom elements are conceivable, e.g. pleated blinds and Venetian blinds.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the left-hand side piece 23 is shown in cross-section with the corresponding side rail 70. The side piece 23 has a front face 23a and a inner side face 23b forming a bevel angle a of approximately 102°. The remaining portion of the side piece 23, including an outer side face, a back face and a rebate for retaining the pane or glazing, is not shown. The frame 3 is not shown either.

The side rail 70 comprises a first flange 71 and a second flange 72, of which the first flange 71 extends along, but not itself in parallel with the inner side face 23b, whereas the second flange 72, which is connected with the first flange 71 via a connecting portion 73, extends substantially in parallel with the front face 23a and abuts against the front face 23a at a protruding edge 72a. As the obtuse angle between the first flange 71 and the second flange 72 is smaller than the bevel angle a, inclination adjusting means have been applied in order to

provide the first flange 71 with an abutment face against the inner side face 23b which makes it possible to obtain the position shown in Fig. 2. In the embodiment shown, these inclination adjusting means comprise a plurality of wedge-shaped members 90 shown in further detail in Fig. 5, the abutment face thus being formed by the total area of the corresponding faces of the wedge-shaped members 90. The number of wedge-shaped members varies depending on the length of the side rail, but in principle, it is sufficient with only two wedge-shaped members, e.g. one near each end of the side rail, on the condition that the side rail is made sufficiently stiff so as not bend down at the middle.

In comparison, the frame side piece 23' in Fig. 3 has a bevel angle b which is smaller than the bevel angle a of the side piece 23 in Fig. 2 and corresponds in substance to the angle between the first and second flanges 71, 72. Consequently, the abutment face of the first flange 71 is constituted by the back side of the first flange itself.

Regarding the features of the side rail 70, reference is also made to Fig. 4 showing a slightly different embodiment compared to Figs. 2 and 3. However, reference numerals denoting elements having the same or analogous function are the same throughout Figs. 1 to 6. It is understood that the right-hand side rail 80 has a mirror- inverted cross-section. The inclination adjusting means, in the above embodiment the wedge-shaped members 90, may be the same and be applied in a corresponding manner, as will be apparent from the following description of Fig. 5. In order to facilitate the mounting of the screening arrange¬ ment, the inclination adjusting means are connected at least temporarily with the side rails. In the present context the term "at least temporarily" means that the inclination adjusting means are connected, in any suitable manner, with the side rails during the positioning and mounting of the side rails on the frame pieces. When the side rails have been fastened securely, the inclination adjusting means may move slightly behind the side rails, e.g. be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the side rail; however, they still define the inclination.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it may be seen that in the embodiment

shown, each wedge-shaped member 90 has an engagement section 91. The side rail 70 is provided with a track 74 between the first and second flanges 71, 72 opposite the connecting portion 73, and the engagement section 91 is received in this track 74. In order to ease the positioning of the wedge-shaped elements 90 and subsequently retain the engagement sections 91 of the wedge-shaped members 90 in the track 74, the engagement section 91 is provided with two protruding arms 92 which abut resiliently against the one wall of the track 74, i.e. the arms 92 may be pressed in and then spring back to their original position. However, it is in principle also possible to form the engagement section 91 with such dimensions that a tight fit with the track 74 is obtained in order to achieve the at least temporary connection between the wedge- shaped member 90 and the side rail 70. The track 74 may as shown in Fig. 4 be formed within protruding portions 71b and 72b, the bottom of the track 74 being formed by the connecting portion 73. Insertion of the inclination adjusting means may either be performed by pressing in the arms 92 of the engagement section 91 in the embodiment shown, or by inserting the wedge-shaped element from the end of the side rail. Alternatively, forming the inclination adjustment means with a non- resilient engagement section is also possible, e.g. having a shape corresponding to the track 74 and inserting the inclination adjustment means from the end. The second flange 72 may also be formed with a depressed portion 72 as indicated in the embodiment of Fig. 5. Other possibilities include connection by means of screws or plugs in holes 93 and 75 in the wedge-shaped member 90 and the first flange 71 of the side rail 70, respectively, possibly combined with a circumferential skirt surrounding the hole 93 which engages with the holes 75 in the side rail 70. Also non-releasable connections are possible, e.g. by gluing, riveting or welding. It is also possible to deliver the screening arrangement with pre-mounted inclination adjusting means on the side rail and then remove them, should this be needed. The inclination adjusting means may be provided in a variety of angles. In the above embodiment, it is thus possible to provide wedge-shaped members having different

angles. The term "wedge-shaped" is not limited to the shown design of a single uninterrupted surface. Alternatively, at least two abutment surfaces at a distance from each other and of different height suffice in order to achieve the desired effect. The extension of the inclination adjusting means may also vary; in the above embodiment, the wedge- shaped members 90 are relatively small in comparison with the length of the side rails 70,80. It is of course possible to form the inclination adjusting means with a larger length.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment in which the wedge-shaped ele- ment 90' having an engagement section 91' and a hole 93' is combined with a distance member 95 with a hole 96. This provides for an adjustment of the distance between the two side rails in addition to the inclination adjustment. In this embodiment, it must be ensured that the second flange 72 of the side rail is sufficiently long so as to avoid that a gap occurs to the front face of the frame side piece.

In case the top element 40 of the screening arrangement 1 is fastened to the sash 2 by means of supporting means known per se, comprising a set of bracket members mounted on the side pieces of the sash and which e.g. cooperate with coupling members of the top element, the bracket members (not shown in Fig. 45 may protrude through the recess 76 in the first flange 71 of the side rail 70.

Turning now to Fig. 7, an embodiment of the screening ar¬ rangement according to the invention is shown, in which a bracket member 100 having inclination adjusting means is provided mounted in a sash having a top piece 21" and a side piece 23". Below a first portion 101 of the bracket member 100 a second portion 102 is provided, the second portion 102 having a wedge-shape, which corresponds to the difference between the bevel angle of the side piece 23" and the angle between the first and second flanges of the side rail to be mounted on the side piece 23". Furthermore, the bracket member 100 has flanges 103,104 defining the position of the bracket member 100 from the frame front face 23a" and/or the top piece 21".

Referring now to the embodiment of Fig. 5, it may be seen that means are provided for adjusting the length of each side rail. In the

embodiment shown, the length adjusting means include an extension member 110 having the same cross-section as the side rail 70. A similar but mirror-inverted extension member (not shown) is connected with the other side rail 70. In order to connect the extension member 110 at least temporarily with the side rail 70, a steering member 120 is provided. The extension member 110 is provided with a track 117 and the side rail 70 with a track 77, the steering member 120 being received in the tracks Wl ,11. The primary task of the steering member 120 is to keep the side rail and the extension member 110 together during the mounting. When the side rail 70 and the extension member 110 have been brought to their correct positions on the frame, the side rail 70 and the extension member 110 may be fastened by means of e.g. screws (not shown) through holes 75 and 115, respectively. In case the bevel angle of the frame side piece does not correspond to the angle provided by the side rail, the extension member 110 may be provided with inclination adjusting means as well, in the embodiment shown thus by applying one or two wedge-shaped members 90 e.g. by inserting the engagement section 91 of each wedge-shaped member 90 into the corresponding track 114. Figs. 8 to 11 show an embodiment of a screening arrangement

201 according to the invention. A top member 240 of the screening arrangement 201 includes a spring-biased element (not shown) acting toward moving the screening body to the inactive position of the screening arrangement, in which a bottom element 260 is positioned close to the top element 240 corresponding to an unscreened window. A screening body 250 is only indicated by broken lines in order not to impede the clear reading of the drawing. In its simplest form, such a spring-biased element is a roller bar of a roller blind, but other forms of spring-biasing are of course conceivable. In order to retain the bottom element 260 in an active position against the spring-bias, retaining means are provided. In the embodiment shown, these means include two end members 261,262, one end member being connected with a respective end of the bottom element 260 and cooperating with the corresponding side rail 270. By the term "end" in connection with the

bottom element 260 is meant the parts of the bottom element close to the side rails 270,280.

Each end member 261,262 comprises a retaining section in¬ cluding two opposing contact surfaces 263,264. In the mounted position of the screening arrangement these opposing contact surfaces 263,264 are positioned at opposite sides of a flange 278a connected with a first flange 271 of the side rail 270 via a protruding portion 271b. The flange 278a is provided with two edges 278b, 278c, with which the opposing contact surfaces 263,264 may be brought into retaining contact, in which movement of the end members 261,262 and hence the bottom element 260 are prevented from moving due to the friction.

As a result of the spring-bias of the top element 240, the screening body 250 and in turn the bottom member 260 is subjected to a pulling force, which entails that the bottom member 260 is forced to assume an upright position around a pivot constituted by the contact surface between the opposing contact surface 263 and the edge 278b, cf. Figs. 9 and 11. In this manner, the other opposing contact surface 264 is brought into contact with the edge 278c and the end members 261,262 and the bottom element 260 are arrested. In order to allow operation of the bottom element 260, the end members 261,262 are moved to a movement position, in which the end members may be moved along the side rail, the bottom element 260 and the two end members 261,262 are rotated, thereby releasing the retaining contact between the opposing contact surfaces 263,264 and the edges 278b, 278c. This movement position corresponds to the position shown in Fig. 8 and 10.

The opposing contact surfaces 263,264 are preferably rounded such that a reliable contact is obtained, even if there are slight deviations in the position of the side rail. As shown most clearly in the sketches of Figs. 10 and 11, the opposing contact surfaces are displaced with respect to each other in relation to a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flange 278a.

In the embodiment of Fig. 12, it is possible to accommodate large tolerances, whether due to manufacturing or inaccurate

positioning of the side rails. Here, each end member 261,262 is fastened to the bottom element 260 with a loose fit. As is shown in Fig. 12, the loose fit is obtained by the provision of an arrangement of a screw 265 and a stepped bushing 266. Alternatively, the stepped function may be built into the screw. The loose fit makes it possible to wriggle the bottom element 260 some degrees which may ease the insertion of the end members 261,262 into the side rails, and to overcome uneven portions along the side rails.

Eventually, in order to secure that the screening body is kept securely in place, in case the screening body comprises a cloth of screening material, each of the side edges of the screening body is provided with a plurality of guide members. Such guide members may be in the form of buttons, and each side rail comprises a track 279, the guide members being received in said track. The guide members are spaced apart along both of the side edges of the screening body, at distances which may for instance vary from 3 to 10 cm.

In the following, a method of mounting the screening arrange¬ ment on a frame of a window or door will be described:

First, the inclination of the inner side faces of the frame side pieces is established. This may e.g. be carried out be templates delivered by the manufacturer of the screening arrangement, or the manufacturer may provide information regarding the actual bevel of the model in question.

If necessary, the inclination of the abutment surface of first flange of the side rail is adjusted by means of inclination adjusting means.

The top element is then mounted at the top piece of the frame, following which the side rails including the inclination adjusting means are mounted on the side pieces of the frame. This mounting may be carried out by using any suitable fastening elements, e.g. screws.

Finally, the bottom element and the screening body are in¬ serted into the side rails.

If necessary, the length of the frame side pieces is established and the length of the side rails is adjusted by means of length adjusting

means.

The invention should not be regarded as being limited to the described embodiments. Several modifications and combinations of the different embodiments will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.