BALCONY GLAZING

Technical field

5 The invention relates to a window panel, which is designed to be arranged vertically between an upper and a lower horizontal guide rail in a sliding window arrangement in a glazed balcony enclosure in order to be moved laterally along these guide rails, and which has a rectangular window pane mounted in a rectangular outer frame, wherein the window0 pane is pivotable relative to the outer frame about a vertical pivot axis, positioned at one vertical lateral edge of the window panel, between a closed position, in which the window pane extends along the guide rails, and an open position, and wherein the vertical frame part of the outer frame located at the other vertical lateral edge of the window panel consists5 of a separate frame part, which is fixedly connected to the window pane and, by means of a locking device stabilizing the window pane in the horizontal direction in its closed position, is releasably connected to the two horizontal frame parts of the outer frame such that, after being released therefrom, it is entrained in the pivoting of the window pane relative to the o outer frame.

Background of the invention

A sliding window arrangement forming part of a glazed balcony enclosure and having window panels of the type mentioned above is5 known from WO 2008/108703. The window panels in this known sliding window arrangement, especially when they are large and heavy, have the disadvantage of being somewhat unstable in the vertical direction.

Summary of the invention

0 The object of the invention is to make available a window panel in which this disadvantage is avoided when the window pane is situated in the closed position.

This object is achieved by a window panel which is of the type mentioned in the introduction and which is characterized in that the upper 5 horizontal frame part of the outer frame has a first hook element at said other vertical lateral edge of the window panel, and in that the separate frame part has a second hook element at its upper end and has a ramp element at its lower end, wherein the first and second hook elements are designed to be brought into engagement with each other, during the pivoting of the window pane to the closed position, so as to stabilize the window pane in the vertical direction in the closed position of the window pane, and wherein the ramp element, during the pivoting of the window pane to the closed position, is designed to be brought into engagement with the lower horizontal frame part of the outer frame in order to lift the window pane slightly and stabilize the window pane in the vertical direction in the closed position of the window pane.

In a preferred embodiment, the rectangular window pane is inserted into a rectangular inner frame and, by means of the latter, is mounted in the outer frame so as to be pivotable about said pivot axis, and the vertical frame parts of the outer frame and inner frame located at said other vertical lateral edge of the window panel consist of a common frame part, formed by said separate frame part, which is fixedly connected to the window pane via the two horizontal frame parts of the inner frame.

In another preferred embodiment, the separate/common frame part is releasably connected to the two horizontal frame parts of the outer frame by means of a locking device of the espagnolette type.

The first hook element is preferably formed on an end-piece belonging to the upper horizontal frame part of the outer frame.

The second hook element is preferably formed on an upper end- piece belonging to the separate/common frame part.

The ramp element is preferably formed on a lower end-piece belonging to the separate/common frame part.

The end-pieces are advantageously made of plastic material.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a sliding window arrangement forming part of a glazed balcony enclosure, arranged at a front of the balcony and seen from the balcony interior, wherein the window panels according to the invention, and forming part of this arrangement, are shown in a position completely closing the front of the balcony.

Fig. 2 corresponds to Fig. 1 but shows one window panel moved to an opening end position and in the open position.

Fig. 3 corresponds to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 but shows all the window panels moved to the opening end position and in the open position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line V-V in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows a window panel seen from the balcony interior.

Fig. 7 shows the window panel from Fig. 6 in horizontal section along the line VII-VII.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 shows, in relation to Fig. 6, the upper, left-hand corner area of the window panel on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 10 shows the window panel seen from the left in Fig. 6.

Fig. 11 shows, on an enlarged scale, the lower edge portion of the window panel from Fig. 10.

Description of a preferred embodiment

The sliding window arrangement shown in Figures 1-3 is mounted at a front of a balcony and forms part of a glazed balcony enclosure, which usually extends along three "free" sides of the balcony. A similar sliding window arrangement is therefore arranged on each of the two other sides.

The sliding window arrangement according to the invention has an upper and a lower horizontal guide rail 101 and 102, which extend between two vertical columns 103 and 104. The guide rails 101 and 102 between them support a number of vertical window panels, in this example three vertical window panels 105, 106 and 107, which are arranged alongside one another and are movable in the lateral direction.

Each window panel 105, 106 and 107 consists of a rectangular window pane 108, 109 and 110, respectively, preferably made of glass, a rectangular inner frame 111 , 112 and 113, respectively, in which the window pane is inserted, and a rectangular outer frame 114, 115 and 116, respectively, in which the inner frame is mounted pivotably about a vertical pivot axis positioned at one vertical lateral edge (the right-hand edge in Figures 1-3) of the window panel. In this embodiment, the pivot axes of the inner frames 111 , 112 and 113 are defined by an upper and a lower pivot pin 117a, b, 118a, b and 119a, b, respectively. Each inner frame 111 , 112 and 113 is pivotable between a closed position, in which it extends along the guide rails 101 and 102, and an open position, in which it is pivoted inward on the balcony and in which cleaning of the outside of the window panes is made considerably easier.

The outer frames 114, 115, 116, and therefore the window panels 105, 106, 107 as a whole, are movable to and fro along a respective rectilinear path. The movement paths of the outer frames 114, 115, 116 extend parallel and adjacent to one another along the entire length of the horizontal guide rails 101 and 102. The movement paths are defined by upper guide bars 120a, 121a and 122a which are formed on the underside of the upper guide rail 101 (see Fig. 4), and by lower guide bars 120b, 121b and 122b which are formed on the top of the lower guide rail 102 directly opposite the corresponding upper guide bar. The outer frames 114, 115 and 116 are each supported on their lower guide bars 120b, 121b and 122b in a known manner by means of rollers 123 and are guided in a known manner with the aid of their upper guide bars 120a, 121a and 122a.

Each window panel 105, 106 and 107 is movable between a first end position, in which it is situated near the left-hand vertical column 103 as seen from the interior, and a second end position, called the opening end position, in which it is situated near the right-hand vertical column 104 as seen from the interior. Each panel is thus movable in a first direction P3, from the first end position to the opening end position, and in opposite direction P4. When the window panels 105, 106 and 107 are situated in the positions shown in Fig. 1 , they cover the front of the balcony across the entire width thereof. When they are situated in the abovementioned end positions, just over a third of the width of the front is still covered by the window panels 105, 106 and 107.

Each of the two window panels 105 and 106, which are the two outermost panels, i.e. the panels located closest to the outside of the balcony, has at the vertical lateral edge, where its pivot axis (the pivot pins 117a, b and 118a, b, respectively) is positioned, an engagement element 124 and 125, respectively, formed on the inside of the outer frame. Each of the two window panels 106 and 107, which are the two innermost panels, i.e. the panels located closest to the interior of the balcony, has at its other vertical lateral edge, i.e. at the vertical lateral edge opposite the vertical lateral edge where the pivot pins 118a, b and 119a, b are positioned, an engagement element 124' and 125', respectively, formed on the outside of the outer frame. As can be seen from Fig. 5, the engagement elements 124 and 124' on the one hand and the engagement elements 125 and 125' on the other hand are arranged to cooperate with each other such that, when the engagement elements 124 and 124' engage with each other and the engagement elements 125 and 125' engage with each other, the window panel 106 and the window panel 107 entrain the window panel 105 and the window panel 106, respectively, in the direction of the arrow P3, i.e. in the direction toward the opening end position. Correspondingly, of course, the window panel 105 and the window panel 106, in this engagement position of the engagement elements 124 and 124' and the engagement elements 125 and 125', entrain the window panel 106 and the window panel 107, respectively, in the direction of the arrow P4, i.e. in the direction toward the first end position. As can also be seen from Fig. 5, the window panels 105, 106 and 107 are movable relative to one another in the opposite directions depending on whether the engagement elements engage with each other or not.

Each window panel 105, 106 and 107 is designed such that the vertical frame parts of the inner frame and outer frame located at said other vertical lateral edge (i.e. the vertical lateral edge opposite the vertical lateral edge where the pivot pins are positioned) of the window panel consist of one and the same, and therefore common, frame part 126, 127 and 128, respectively. Each common frame part 126, 127 and 128 is releasably connected to the upper horizontal frame part 114a, 115a and 116a and lower horizontal frame part 114b, 115b and 116b of the outer frame 114, 115 and 116, respectively, by means of a locking device 129 of a suitable type. By way of example, Fig. 6 shows a locking device 129 of the espagnolette type. Each common frame part 126, 127 and 128 is also fixedly connected to the two horizontal frame parts of the inner frame 111 , 112 and 113, respectively, such that, after it has been released from the two horizontal frame parts of the outer frame 114, 115 and 116, respectively, by maneuvering of the locking device 129, it is entrained in the pivoting of the inner frame relative to the outer frame.

With the aid of the sliding window arrangement described above, it is easy to open the glass-enclosed front of the balcony across the entire width thereof, i.e. to produce the state shown in Fig. 3. This is done as follows:

Starting from the position of the window panels 105, 106 and 107 shown in Fig. 1 , the window panel 105 located closest to the outside of the balcony is moved to the right (in the direction of the arrow P3) to the opening end position, where its inner frame 111 is pivoted from the closed position shown in Fig. 1 to the open position, after the two inner window panels 106 and 107 have been moved to the left (in the direction of the arrow P4). The resulting positions of the window panels 105, 106 and 107 are shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter, the middle window panel 106 is moved to the opening end position, where its inner frame 112 is pivoted to the open position. Finally, the innermost window panel 107 is also moved to the opening end position, where its inner frame 113 is pivoted to the open position. The state shown in Fig. 3 has thus been reached, in which the front of the balcony is open across the entire width thereof. As can be seen from Fig. 8, the inner frames of the window panels are at an angle of ca. 90° to the guide rails 101 and 102 in the open position.

Here, the frame parts of the inner frames 111 , 112 and 113 and also of the outer frames 114, 115, 16 are made of aluminum profiles. At its end facing away from the pivot axis, the upper horizontal frame part 114a, 115a, 116a of each outer frame 114, 115 and 116, respectively, is closed by at least one end-piece 1 which is inserted therein and secured and which has a groove 2 open toward the left in Figures 6 and 9, which groove 2 extends at right angles to the plane of the window pane and is designed such that the end-piece 1 forms a first hook element 3. At its upper end, each common frame part 126, 127 and 128 is closed by means of an upper end-piece 4 which is inserted therein and secured and which, at its upper area, forms a second hook element 5. When a respective inner frame 111 , 112, 113 is pivoted to the closed position, the two hook elements 3 and 5 are brought into engagement with each other so as to stabilize the inner frame (and therefore the window pane) in the vertical direction in the closed position of the inner frame.

The upper end-piece 4 has a substantially vertical through-hole 6 for passage of the upper locking rod 129a of the espagnolette lock 129, and the end-piece 1 has a hole 7 for receiving the upper end of the upper locking rod 129a.

Each common frame part 126, 127 and 128 is closed at its lower end by means of a lower end-piece 8 which is inserted therein and secured and which, in its lower area, forms a ramp element 9 with a lower ramp surface 10 and a downwardly directed horizontal bearing surface 11. At its end directed away from the pivot axis, the lower horizontal frame part 114b, 115b 116b of each outer frame 114, 115 and 116, respectively, is closed by means of an end-piece 12 which is inserted therein and secured and which has an upwardly directed horizontal support surface 13. When the respective inner frame 111 , 112 and 113 is pivoted to the closed position, the ramp surface 10 of the ramp element 9 is brought into engagement with the slightly rounded upper inner edge 14 of the end-piece 12 in order to lift the inner frame (and therefore the window pane) slightly, and, finally, the bearing surface 11 of the ramp element 9 comes to bear against the support surface 13 of the end-piece 12 in order to stabilize the inner frame (and therefore the window pane) in the vertical direction in the closed position.

The lower end-piece 8 has a substantially vertical through-hole 15 for passage of the lower locking rod 129b of the espagnolette lock 129, and the end-piece 12 has a hole 16 for receiving the lower end of the lower locking rod 129b.

Here, the end-pieces 1 , 4, 8 and 2 are made from plastic material.

The window panel can be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. In particular, the window pane of the window panel can be mounted in any desired manner in the outer frame, that is to say not necessarily with the aid of an inner frame, although this is preferred. The important thing is that the vertical frame part of the outer frame, located at the lateral edge opposite the lateral edge where the pivot axis is positioned, is a separate frame part, that is to say a frame part separated from the other frame parts of the outer frame, which frame part is releasably connected to the other frame parts of the outer frame and fixedly connected to the window pane such that, after release from the other frame parts of the outer frame, it is entrained in the pivoting of the window pane relative to the outer frame.