Assembly for Opening & Closing Panels

The invention relates to assemblies for the remote opening and closing of

angularly movable panels, such as windows, ventilation flaps or louvres, mounted to a

frame by one or more hinges. In particular it relates to assemblies with slide-fit locking

connectors, methods and kits for construction and fitting of the assemblies and units

forming part of the assemblies.

In situations where angularly movable panels, such as windows, louvres,

doors, flaps, vents and the like, are situated in positions where access to them for opening

and closing is difficult, it is desirable to provide a remote opening and closing assembly.

Such remote opening and closing systems are known in the art and are described, for

instance in GB 1 ,091 ,528 and US 4,014,136. The remote opening and closing assemblies

described in these citations comprise an opening and closing means mounted adjacent to

the panel, a driving means situated remotely from the panel, and a movable driving

member such as a cable, wire, cord, rod or chain, which links the driving means to the

opening and closing means.

In the systems which have found the greatest commercial acceptance, the

opening and closing means is a chain operator which comprises a length of chain coupled

with a drive sprocket within a casing, such that rotation of the drive sprocket causes

movement of the chain into or out of the casing, thereby opening or closing the panel

which is connected to an exposed end of the chain. The chain operator is typically directly

provided on the frame adjacent to the panel. Typical installations use a push/pull cable in

order to drive the chain operator. Thus, a toothed or screw threaded cable or rod , such as

a helical cable, meshes with a pinion linked to the drive sprocket of the chain operator

such that, as the cable is pulled or pushed past the pinion, it rotates the pinion, thence the

sprocket causing the chain operator to open or close the window.

A suitable driving means is used to drive the cable or rod in either direction.

Although motorized driving means could be used, because the opening and closing of the

window is relatively infrequent, manual means are generally used. A typical driving means

comprises a crank handle attached to a pinion enclosed within a casing, the pinion driving

the push/pull cable.

In order that the push pull cable can be efficient in transmitting drive from

the crank to the chain operator at the vent, the cable is enclosed within an outer casing

which is clamped at each end, to the casing of the crank and to the casing of the chain

operator, and is typically also rigidly mounted to the wall surrounding the frame of the

panel or to the frame itself. The push-pull is then linearly displaced along the outer casing

when the driving means applies a compressive or tensile force to it.

In order to provide reliable installations, the outer casing in commercial

applications is typically a rigid metal (such as steel) conduit, usually of circular cross-

section, capable of being bent, which is mounted rigidly to both the driving means and to

the chain operator, as well as typically being mounted to the frame or to the wall

neighbouring the frame holding the panel. Preferably, the conduit is lined with a polymer

such as nylon. A need for rigidity of the conduit, to allow for effective Operation of the

push/pull cable, has resulted in the use of rigid connector clamps used to fasten the conduit

to the driving means and to the chain operator.

Fitting the assembly to a particular location is a skilled and time consuming

task. Careful measurements must be taken to determine the dimensions of the conduit

required, and the conduit is typically provided with one or more bends which are formed in

straight tubing, bent in-situ at the location of the installation. The final bent conduit must

be cut to size in terms of its length in order to match up with the chain operator and with

the driving means. The ends of the conduit are provided with grooves, once again, cut in

situ, in order to mate with a clamping means to lock the conduit rigidly to the driving

means at one end and to the chain operator at the other end. The assembly is mounted as a

complete assembly, which means an inconvenient operation as the operator generally needs

to use step-ladders or a ladder to fit the assembly in place, and the size and dimensions of

the remote opening assembly may mean that two people will be needed to perform the

aligmnent and fitting. Alternatively, the driving means and chain operator may be mounted

and then the shaped conduit subsequently mounted to them. Because the rigid fittings

conventionally used need precise location of the ends of the conduit in the proximity of the

mounted units, this approach may lead to problems if the conduit is slightly misshaped or

cut to the wrong length.

The configuration and fitting of the conduit can also be wasteful in terms of

raw materials, in that considerable precision is required in order to mate the ends of the

conduit to the driving means and the chain operator, so if conduit is cut too short, the only

remedy is replacement of the conduit. If the conduit is cut to long, a further cutting

operation is needed to allow correct mating of the conduit with the rest of the assembly.

In spite of these disadvantages, this method of installation has been accepted

and used for many years. In particular, it has been considered that rigid, clamped fittings

are essential to the efficient operation of the remote opening and closing assemblies.

It has now been realised that a simpler method for the fitting and installation

of the conduit would be advantageous both in terms of time for fitting and in terms of raw

material losses.

A first aspect of the invention provides an assembly for the remote opening

and closing of a movable panel mounted to a frame, the assembly comprising an opening

and closing means for location adjacent to the panel, a driving means for location remote

from the panel and an elongate flexible transmission element mechanically linking the

driving means and the opening and closing means, wherein the elongate flexible

transmission element is guided within a conduit comprising a single section, or two or

more sections joined together by one or more connectors, wherein the conduit is mounted

to the driving means at a first end by a connector and to the opening and closing means at

the other end by a connector, and wherein at least one of the connectors is a slide-fit

locking connector.

It has been discovered that such an assembly can be constructed easily an

conveniently using slide-fit locking connectors rather than by use of conventional rigid

connectors. Surprisingly, the slide-fit locking connectors used in this simplified

construction provide adequate rigidity in the resulting assembly such that the assembly still

operates efficiently.

It is preferred that the opening and closing means is rigidly mounted on the

frame or wall adjacent to the panel, though it can be mounted to the panel itself.

Preferably, at least one of the opening and closing means, the driving means or the conduit

is rigidly mounted to the frame holding the panel, or to a wall adjacent to the frame holding

the panel.

By movable panel is meant a panel, typically provided for ventilation purposes, such as a

window, door, louvre, trap, vent or flap. The moveable panel will suitably be mounted to a

frame in a wall of a structure (the term wall to include ceiling or roof or floor) by one or

more hinges. The term hinge includes both fixed and moving axis pivots. Suitably the

movable panel will be angularly movable relative to the frame to allow opening and

closing of the movable panel.

Suitably, the conduit is sufficiently rigid in order to restrain movement of the

conduit when the system is in use for opening or closing the panel. Where the conduit is

provided with one or more bends, it is preferred if the conduit is a tube of circular cross

section, such that conventional pipe bending techniques may be used.

A preferred opening and closing means for use with the system is a chain

operator, comprising a length of chain mechanically linked to a drive sprocket within a

casing, wherein rotation of the drive sprocket causes movement of the chain in or out of

the casing to open or close the panel which is connected to the exposed end of the chain.

Such chain operators are known in the art and described in, for instance, GB 1,091,528,

US 4,521,993, US 4,014,136 and US 4,382,349.

The driving means may be any suitable means for providing a force through

the elongate flexible transmission element to the opening and closing means. Such a

system is analogous to a rack and pinion drive, where the elongate flexible transmission

element acts as the rack, driven by a pinion in the driving means and driving a pinion in the

opening and closing means. Although a motorised driving means may be used, a manually

operated driving means is preferred, such as a hand operated crank which is coupled with

the elongate flexible transmission element. This avoids the need for the fitting of an

electricity supply for a motorised driving means such as an electric motor. Suitably, the

elongate flexible transmission element is a flexible rod or cable which is sufficiently rigid

to transmit drive in compression as well as in tension. Suitably, the elongate flexible

transmission element is a toothed or threaded rod, such as a helical cable, mechanically

coupled to a first drive pinion within the driving means, and mechanically coupled to a

second drive pinion within the opening and closing means. The second drive pinion in the

opening and closing means is mechanically coupled to the means used for opening and

closing the panel. Where the opening and closing means is a chain operator, the second

drive pinion is mechanically coupled to the drive sprocket of that chain operator, either

directly or via an arrangement of gears to facilitate the operation of the assembly.

The assembly comprises at least one slide-fit locking connector. This may

connect the guide conduit either to the driving means, or to the opening and closing means,

or may join together two sections of the conduit, where the conduit comprises two or more

sections. The provision of at least one joint where the connector is a slide-fit locking

connector, facilitates the fitting of the assembly in that it allows any errors in measurement

of the required dimensions of the conduit to be taken up by motion within the slide-fit

locking connector. The use of slide fit locking connectors also allows pre-formed bends to

be used in the assembly, preventing the need for on-site bending of the conduit, and

allowing the use of conduit cross sections and conduit materials which would not be

amenable to bending on site, such as brittle polymer materials.

By slide-fit locking connector, is meant a connector where the conduit can

slide freely into or out of the connector unless the connector is operated or operably

configured to grip the conduit. A simple example of such a connector would be a threaded

connector with an o-ring such as used in domestic plumbing applications. The connector is

in the form of a pipe into which the conduit slides. Friction -fit connectors, where the

conduit slides into a connector having a narrowing orifice whereby the conduit is gripped

by the connector, are not included within the meaning of the term slide-fit locking

connector as used here. Such connectors would not be suitable for the purpose of the

invention as the forces applied during use would be likely to force apart the connection.

Similarly, connectors requiring the use of glue or adhesive to fix the conduit to the

connector are excluded from the term slide-fit locking connector. Slide-fit locking

connectors as meant here are connectors which can be repeatedly operated or manually

configured between a configuration of the connector which allows conduit to pass freely

and a configuration of the connector causing the connector to grip the conduit. This allows

for adjustment of the position of the conduit within the connector, which would not be

possible for a friction-fit connector.

For further ease of fitment, it is preferred if the slide-fit locking connector is a

slide-fit self-locking connector. This means that no manual manipulation of the connector

is needed by the operator in order to bring the connector into a locked state. Such a

connector is provided with a gripping means to engage a section of conduit, whereby the

gripping means permits the section of conduit to slide in to the connector, but prevents it

from sliding out of the connector, unless the gripping means is manually reconfigured to

permit release of the conduit. A suitable slide-fit self-locking connector comprises two

parts which cooperate such that in a first configuration, the conduit is allowed to slide

substantially freely into the connector but is gripped when an attempt is made to withdraw

the conduit from the connector, and in a second configuration, the conduit is allowed to

slide substantially freely into and out of the connector. The first and second configurations

may differ from each other by virtue of relative longitudinal or angular displacement of the

two parts relative to the long axis of the conduit.

Such slide-fit self-locking connectors are described in US 4,288,113, US

4,593,943, US 4,123,090, GB 2,177,174. A preferred connector is a hydraulic cable

connector supplied by John Guest Limited of Horton Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UK.

In another aspect, the invention provides a driving means for an assembly as

described above, wherein the driving means comprises a slide-fit locking connector for the

mounting of the conduit to the driving means. In this situation, the slide-fit locking

connector forms a part of the driving means, attached to the casing of the driving means at

the exit hole for the flexible transmission rod. The driving means is as described

hereinbefore but with a slide-fit locking connector as either a unitary part of the driving

means or preferably as an insert comprising a slide fit locking connector adapted to be

attached to the driving means. For instance, the insert may be a tube, through which the

flexible transmission rod can be inserted, with a thread at one end and a slide fit locking

connector at the other end, adapted to screw into a tapped hole in the casing of the driving

means. In a preferred option, the insert may be adapted to be clamped rigidly by the casing

of the driving means, for example by providing the insert with a groove configured to

engage with a ridge provided inside the casing. For convenience of fitting the conduit, it is

preferred if the slide-fit locking connector is a slide-fit self-locking connector as detailed

above.

In another aspect, the invention provides an opening and closing means for an

assembly as described above, wherein the opening and closing means comprises a slide-fit

locking connector for the mounting of the conduit to the opening and closing means. In

this situation, the slide-fit locking connector forms a part of the driving means, attached to

the casing of the opening and closing means at the exit hole for the flexible transmission

π

rod. The slide-fit locking connector is either a unitary part of the opening and closing

means, attached to a casing of the opening and closing means at the entrance or exit hole

for the flexible transmission rod or is preferably an insert comprising a slide fit locking

connector adapted to be attached to the opening and closing means. For instance, the insert

may be a tube, through which the flexible transmission rod can be inserted, with a thread at

one end and a slide fit locking connector at the other end, adapted to screw into a tapped

hole in the casing of the opening and closing means. In a preferred option, the insert may

be adapted to be clamped rigidly by the casing of the driving means, for example by

providing the insert with a groove configured to engage with a ridge provided inside the

casing of the opening and closing means. The opening and closing means is as described

hereinbefore but with the addition of a slide-fit locking connector as a part of the opening

and closing means. For convenience of fitting the conduit, it is preferred if the slide-fit

locking connector is a slide-fit self-locking connector as detailed above.

Hence another aspect of the invention provides an insert adapted to be rigidly attached

to an exit hole of a casing for a driving means or an opening and closing means of an

assembly for the remote opening and closing of a panel mounted to a frame, as

described hereinbefore, wherein the insert comprises a slide-fit locking connector, a

means adapted to rigidly attach the insert to said entrance hole and a passage for

allowing a flexible transmission rod can pass into the casing through said entrance hole.

Preferably the insert is a tube comprising a slide fit locking connector at one end and a

means for engaging with the casing towards the other end, whereby the insert can be

rigidly attached to an entrance hole of the casing. Suitably, the means for engaging with

the casing is one or more ridges or grooves provided on the surface of the tube and

adapted to engage with complementary grooves or ridges provided in the casing.

Alternatively, the tube may be threaded and adapted to screw into a tapped entrance

hole in the casing. Other suitable means may be employed for attaching the insert

comprising a slide-fit locking connector to the entrance hole of the casing. For instance,

if the casing comprises two parts which are clamped together to form the casing,

enclosing the internal workings of the driving or opening and closing means, then the

two parts may be adapted to rigidly clamp the insert when they are brought together to

form the casing.

Preferably, the slide-fit locking connector of the insert is a slide-fit self-locking

connector.

A further aspect of the invention provides a conduit connection piece, for use in

connecting sections of conduit in a remote opening and closing assembly as described

hereinbefore, comprising a rigid sleeve and two slide-fit locking self-locking connectors

provided at opposite ends of the sleeve, each provided with a gripping means to engage

with a section of conduit, whereby the gripping means permits a section of conduit to slide

into the rigid sleeve through the slide-fit locking self-locking connector, but prevents said

section of conduit from sliding out of the rigid sleeve unless the gripping means is

manually reconfigured to permit release of the section of conduit.

Another aspect of the invention is concerned with a kit of parts for the

construction and fitting of an assembly as described hereinbefore for the remote opening

and closing of an angularly movable panel. The use of a slide-fit locking connector in

assemblies for remote opening and closing of angularly movable panels, means that the

conduit, instead of being bent into shape and measured in situ, can be made up from a

simple kit of parts comprising one or more straight sections and one or more bent sections,

where the sections are joined together by one or more slide-fit locking connectors.

Preferably the slide-fit locking connectors are slide-fit self-locking connectors as detailed

hereinbefore. Such an arrangement of pre-formed parts provides considerable advantages

in terms of fitting the assembly to the panel to be opened and closed. Only the straight

sections need to be cut to length, and only approximately, as any errors can be

compensated by sliding the conduit in or out of the slide-fit locking connector.

A further aspect of the invention provides a process for the fitting of an

assembly for the remote opening and closing of an angularly movable panel as described

above, wherein the process comprises the step of fitting one or more sections of conduit to

the rest of the assembly by means of a locking slide-fit connector, preferably a slide-fit

self-locking connector as hereinbefore described.

A further aspect of the invention is the use of a slide-fit locking connector,

preferably a slide-fit self-locking connector and in the construction and/or fitting of an

assembly for the remote opening and closing of an angularly movable panel as

hereinbefore described.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with

reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective exploded view of a prior art rigid collar

connector as used for connection conduit in remote vent opening and closing assemblies;

Figure 2 shows slide-fit self-locking connector with a side view (a) and end

view (b) of the locking assembly, a cross section (c) through the assembled connector and

a perspective view (d);

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a slide-fit self-locking connector

suitable for joining two sections of conduit; and

Figure 4 shows a schematic view of an assembly for the remote opening and

closing of a vent.

Figure 1 shows the ends of two sections of conduit 10 to be joined. Each end

must be provided with a groove 11. A collar assembly formed of two halves 12 has a

central positioning stop 13 and ridges 14 which engage with the grooves 11 on the sections

of conduit. In order to join the sections of conduit 10 together, first grooves 11 are made in

the conduit ends (this operation normally being performed on site as an assembly is being

installed). The two halves of the collar assembly 12 are then located around the ends, with

the ridges in registration with the grooves, and a sleeve 15 is forced over the collar

assembly. The collar assembly is tapered; being of cross-sectional profile such that driving

the sleeve 15 over the collar assembly forces the two halves of the assembly together,

holding the conduit rigidly.

Figure 2 shows various views of a slide-fit self-locking connector. A rigid

sleeve 25 made of metal or a rigid polymer material encloses a collet (shown separately in

figures 2(a) and 2(b). The sleeve 25 is furnished with a groove to hold an o-ring seal 27 at

the ends opposite the collet, and an internal circumferential ledge 26. The collet has a

shoulder 22 to which jaws 21 are connected by resilient arms 23. The interior faces of the

jaws are provided with teeth 24. In operation, the end of a section of conduit is slid into the

connector in the direction A to engage with the o-ring seal 27 and teeth 24. The conduit

can slide easily in the direction A ₅ but an attempt to pull the conduit out of the connector

leads to the rear face of the jaws 28 engaging with the ledge 26, forcing the jaws 21 and

teeth 24 to press against the conduit, locking it in place. If it is necessary to pull the conduit

out of the connector, in order to better position it or dismantle the assembly, this is

achieved by pressing the collar 22 in the direction A while simultaneously withdrawing the

section of conduit.

Figure 3 shows a connector suitable for joining the ends of two sections of

conduit. The connector is essentially two connectors as shown in figure 2 joined together

by the use of a common sleeve. There is a collet at each end of the sleeve, each with its

respective o-ring seal (not shown) and circumferential ledge (not shown). The connector is

also provided with a central circumferential ledge to act as a stop, preventing the end of a

section of conduit from being pushed too far so that it engages with the opposite collet.

Figure 4 shows a schematic of the remote vent opening and closing assembly. A manual

driver 41 operated by a crank handle 42 is provided with a runout store 43 for a flexible,

screw threaded flexible drive rod (not visible). The drive rod runs through straight 45 and

bent 47 sections of steel conduit and through the connectors 44, 46, 48 to the chain

operator 49 driving the chain 50 to open or close a window (not shown). The chain

operator is also provided with a runout store 43 for the drive rod.

The connectors 44, 48 are as shown in figure 2, but are attached to the manual driver and

the chain opener respectively. The attachment is for example by means of a thread

provided on the outside of the connectors 44, 48 which mates with a tapped hole provided

in the casings of the manual driver and of the chain operator. The other connectors 46 are

as shown in figure 3.

The manual driver 41 , the chain operator 49 and the conduit are all rigidly mounted to the

wall adjacent to, or the frame of, the vent.

In operation to open the vent, the handle 42 is turned, such that the manual

driver 41 pushes the drive rod (not shown) along the conduit, driving the chain operator 49

to push out the chain 50 and open the vent (not shown).

In operation to close the vent, the handle 42 is turned in the other direction,

such that the manual driver 41 pulls the drive rod (not shown) back along the conduit,

driving the chain operator 49 to pull the chain 50 into it in order to close the vent (not

shown).