The present invention relates to a window hinge comprising a first mounting bracket, a second mounting bracket and a connecting member that is slid- ingly and pivotally connected to the first mounting bracket and releasably connected to the second mounting bracket.

JP 2002 138744 discloses window hinge assembly comprising a sliding and pivotal connection between a window sash and a window frame. The hinge assembly comprises, at either side of the window assembly, a track in which a slider is displaceable. The slider is pivotally connected to the window sash, and the track is releasably connected to the window frame by means of two mounting brackets mounted at either end of the slider, respectively, on the window frame. However, it may be difficult to position and connect either end of the track to a mounting bracket, first at a first side of the window assembly and secondly at a second side of the window assembly when at the same time carrying the window sash. Furthermore, this construction is rather bulky and cannot be combined with a slim window construction.

The object of the present invention is to provide a robust and compact window hinge permitting easier mounting of the window sash in the frame.

In view of this object, the window hinge is characterized in that the second mounting bracket comprises a substantially flat plate having two spaced mounting sections adapted to be mounted on either side of a longitudinal groove, respectively, of a sash or frame member profile, in that the second mounting bracket comprises an engagement section situated between the two mounting sections, and in that the connecting member comprises an elongated tongue having a width that is not greater than the width of the en- gagement section of the second mounting bracket, so that, in the mounted state of the second mounting bracket on the sash or frame member profile, the elongated tongue may slide into the longitudinal groove of the sash or frame member profile, under the engagement section of the second mounting bracket, and reach a mounted position in which an elastically suspended locking member locks the elongated tongue to the second mounting bracket.

Thereby, the window sash it very easily mounted in the frame just by positioning the elongated tongue in the longitudinal groove of the sash or frame member profile and sliding the elongated tongue into engagement with the engagement section of the second mounting bracket. The window hinge is very compact, as the snap connection is integrated into a groove of the sash or frame member profile.

In a structurally particularly advantageous embodiment, the elastically suspended locking member is a protrusion arranged on a first side of a flat piece of spring metal, a second side of which abuts and is fixed to a flat side of a locking member carrying part, so that the protrusion and at least a part of the flat piece of spring metal is positioned above a cutout in the locking member carrying part, and a locking member engagement part comprises a recess in which the protrusion may be received in the substantially unbiased state of the flat piece of spring metal.

In an embodiment, the locking member carrying part is comprised by the elongated tongue, and the locking member engagement part is comprised by the second mounting bracket. Thereby, it may be easier to disassemble the hinge, as the flat piece of spring metal may be depressed by means of a tool, such as a screw driver.

In an embodiment, the flat piece of spring metal is elongated and has a first end that is fixed to a top face of the elongated tongue and a second end car- rying the protrusion, and the cutout is sufficiently long to permit a length of the flat piece of spring metal to flex elastically into the cutout. Thereby, an adequate elasticity of the elastically suspended locking member may be obtained.

In an embodiment, the cutout is positioned between the first end of the flat piece of spring metal and a first, free end of the elongated tongue. In this way the elongated tongue may be shorter, thereby providing for an even more compact hinge.

In an embodiment, the recess comprised by the locking member engagement part has the form of a through-hole in the engagement section of the second mounting bracket. Thereby, it may be easier to disassemble the hinge, as the protrusion may be depressed by means of a tool, such as a screw driver, that is inserted into the through-hole.

In an embodiment, the connecting member is pivotally connected to a slider that is longitudinally displaceable in the first mounting bracket.

In an embodiment, the connecting member comprises a side arm extending laterally from a second end of the elongated tongue, the side arm has a first end connected to the elongated tongue and a second end pivotally connected to the slider, and the side arm is offset in relation to the elongated tongue in the thickness direction of the elongated tongue. Thereby, the pivotal connection may be positioned off-set in relation to the centre line of the sash or frame member profile, whereby a better opening motion of the win- dow assembly may be obtained, especially in a slim window construction.

In a structurally advantageous embodiment, the side arm and the elongated tongue are integral and made from one piece of flat metal.

In an embodiment, the sliding connection between the connecting member and the first mounting bracket comprises a track in the form of an elongated cutout in a track plate member and a slider comprising a sliding block of friction reducing material, such as PTFE or the like, the sliding block is fastened to a slider bracket by means of at least one security rivet having a head portion with a diameter larger than the width of the elongated cutout in the track plate member, so that the slider bracket is located at a first side of the track plate member, the security rivet extends through the elongated cutout and the head portion of the security rivet is located at a second side of the track plate member. By means of the sliding block of friction reducing material, a good sliding operation may be achieved, and at the same time, due to the fact that the security rivet has a head portion with a diameter larger than the width of the elongated cutout in the track plate member, the window sash is secured to the frame, also in the case that the sliding block of friction reducing material should break as a result of an attempt to break in or for instance due to poor handling during mounting.

In an embodiment, the security rivet is sufficiently long for the slider bracket to be located at a distance of the first side of the track plate member. Thereby, after snap connecting the first window hinge, the window sash may be allowed to twist in a certain degree, thereby facilitating positioning and snap connection of the second hinge.

In an embodiment, the track plate member forms part of the first mounting bracket, and the slider bracket forms part of the slider and is pivotally connected to the side arm of the connecting member.

The present invention further relates to a window assembly comprising a sash carrying a window pane and being mounted in a frame movable between an open position and a closed position by means of two window hinges as described above. The window assembly is characterized in that the upper corners of the window sash are connected to the frame by means of a first window hinge and a second window hinge, respectively, and in that the distance between the sliding block of the first hinge and the sliding block of the second hinge is suitably adapted to the distance between the track plate member of the first hinge and the track plate member of the second hinge, so that the two sliding blocks provides a sliding movement of the window sash without play. Thereby play may be avoided by means of only one sliding block at either side of the window assembly.

The present invention further relates to a window hinge assembly comprising a window hinge as described above. The window hinge assembly is charac- terized in that the window hinge assembly comprises a window balance arm having a first end pivotally journalled in a first arm mounting bracket and a second end pivotally journalled in a second arm mounting bracket, the second end being releasably connected to the second arm mounting bracket. Thereby, the complete mounting procedure of the window assembly may comprise as few as three or four snap-connection steps.

The present application further discloses a separate invention relating to a window hinge comprising a sliding connection between a connecting member and a first mounting bracket, the connecting member being connected to a second mounting bracket. The window hinge is characterized in that the sliding connection comprising a track in the form of an elongated cutout in a track plate member and a slider comprising a sliding block of friction reducing material, such as PTFE or the like, in that the sliding block is fastened to a slider bracket by means of at least one security rivet having a head portion with a diameter larger than the width of the elongated cutout in the track plate member, so that the slider bracket is located at a first side of the track plate member, the security rivet extends through the elongated cutout and the head portion of the security rivet is located at a second side of the track plate member. By means of the sliding block of friction reducing material, a good sliding operation may be achieved, and at the same time, due to the fact that the security rivet has a head portion with a diameter larger than the width of the elongated cutout in the track plate member, the window sash is secured to the frame, also in the case that the sliding block of friction reducing material should break as a result of an attempt to break in or for instance due to poor handling during mounting.

In an embodiment, the security rivet is sufficiently long for the slider bracket to be located at a distance of the first side of the track plate member. Thereby, after snap connecting the first window hinge, the window sash may be allowed to twist in a certain degree, thereby facilitating positioning and snap connection of the second hinge.

The invention will now be explained in more detail below by means of examples of embodiments with reference to the very schematic drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a window assembly comprising window hinges according to the invention, in the disassembled state,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a window assembly comprising window hinges according to the invention, in the assembled state,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the window assembly in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of one of the window hinges in Fig. 1 ,

Fig. 5 is perspective view of one of the window hinges in Fig. 1 , in a partly disassembled state,

Fig. 6 is perspective view of one of the window hinges in Fig. 1 , in the assembled state, Fig. 7 is perspective view of the window hinge in Fig. 6, seen from another side,

Fig. 8 is an end view of the window hinge in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the window hinge in Fig. 8, seen in the direction of the arrow IX.

Fig. 1 and 2 show an outwardly opening window assembly 1 comprising a window sash 2 carrying a window pane 3 and being mounted in a window frame 4 movable between an open position and a closed position. The upper corners 5 of the window sash are connected to the window frame by means of a first and a second window hinge 6a, 6b according to the invention, so that the upper corners 5 of the window sash may slide vertically in relation to the window frame and may pivot about a horizontal axis. Each window hinge

6a, 6b has the form of a snap-connection for connection of the window sash to the window frame without tools.

Furthermore, the window sash 2 is connected to the window frame 4 by means of two window balance arms 7. In Figs. 1 and 2, the left window balance arm is shown before snap connection to the window sash, and the right window balance arm is shown after the snap connection. A first end 8 of the window balance arm 7 is pivotally journalled in a first arm mounting bracket 9 mounted on a vertical side member 13 of the window frame 4 and a second end 11 of the window balance arm is pivotally journalled in a second arm mounting bracket 12 mounted on a side member 10 of the window sash 2. However, the first mounting bracket 9 could also be mounted on the window sash 2, in which case the second mounting bracket 12 would be mounted on the window frame 4. Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the first window hinge 6a in Fig. 1 in a partly disassembled state. The window hinge comprises a first mounting bracket 14, a second mounting bracket 15 and a connecting member 16 pivotally connected to a slider 17 by means of a pivot pin 18. The second mounting bracket 15 comprises a substantially flat plate 19 having two spaced mounting sections 20, 21 adapted to be mounted on either side of a longitudinal groove 22, respectively, of a sash member profile in the form of the side member 10 of the window sash 2, see Fig. 3. An engagement section 23 is situated between the two mounting sections 20, 21 of the second mounting bracket, and the connecting member 16 comprises an elongated tongue 24 having a width that is not greater than the width of the engagement section 23 of the second mounting bracket 15 and preferably only slightly smaller than the width of the longitudinal groove 22 of the side member 10, so that, in the mounted state of the second mounting bracket 15 on the side member 10, the elongated tongue 24 may slide into the longitudinal groove 22 of the side member 10, under the engagement section 23 of the second mounting bracket 15, and reach a mounted position in which an elas- tically suspended locking member in the form of a protrusion 25 locks the elongated tongue to the second mounting bracket, see Figs. 6 and 7.

The protrusion 25 is arranged on a first side of a flat piece 26 of spring metal, a second side of which abuts and is fixed to a flat side of a locking member carrying part in the form of the elongated tongue 24, so that the protrusion 25 and a part of the flat piece 26 of spring metal is positioned above a cutout 27 in the elongated tongue. A locking member engagement part in the form of the engagement section 23 of the second mounting bracket 15 comprises a recess in the form of a through-hole 28 in which the protrusion 25 may be received in the substantially unbiased state of the flat piece 6 of spring metal, as shown in Figs 6 and 7. The flat piece 26 of spring metal is elongated and has a first end 29 that is fixed to the top face of the elongated tongue 24 and a second end 30 carrying the protrusion 25. The cutout 27 is sufficiently long to permit a length of the flat piece 26 of spring metal to flex elastically into the cutout during inser- tion of the elongated tongue into the longitudinal groove. The cutout 27 is positioned between the first end 29 of the flat piece 26 of spring metal and a first, free end 31 of the elongated tongue.

The connecting member 16 comprises a side arm 32 extending laterally from a second end 33 of the elongated tongue 24. The side arm 32 has a first end 34 connected to the elongated tongue and a second end 35 pivotally connected to the slider 17. The side arm 32 is offset in relation to the elongated tongue 24 in the thickness direction of the elongated tongue in that the side arm and the elongated tongue are integral and made from one piece of flat metal having a bended portion 36.

The sliding connection between the connecting member 16 and the first mounting bracket 14 comprises a track in the form of an elongated cutout 37 in a track plate member 38 and the slider 17 comprising a sliding block 39 of friction reducing material, such as PTFE or the like. The sliding block 39 is fastened to a slider bracket 40 by means of two security rivets 41 having a head portion 42 with a diameter larger than the width of the elongated cutout 37 in the track plate member. The slider bracket 40 is located at a first side 43 of the track plate member 38, the security rivets 41 extends through the elongated cutout 37 and the head portion 42 of the security rivets is located at a second side 44 of the track plate member. Due to the fact that the security rivets have a head portion with a diameter larger than the width of the elongated cutout in the track plate member, the window sash is secured to the frame, also in the case that the sliding block of friction reducing material should break. The length of the security rivets 41 is sufficient for the slider bracket 40 to be located at a distance of the first side 43 of the track plate member 38, so that a certain flexibility is obtained, when only one of the window hinges 6 is connected to the window sash, see Fig. 8.