Background art As is known, windows, or fixtures, which can be opened in leaf or tilting fashion, comprise a fixed surrounding frame mounted integrally on a wall and a closure member which is provided with a movable frame and sealed by a sheet of transparent material-generally standard glass or plate glass-and which is normally called a leaf. The latter is supported by the fixed frame so as to be freely rotatable about a vertical axis which is lateral for the movable frame, and a horizontal. axis which extends along a bottom side of the fixed frame across a frame assembly.

As is known, there are frame assemblies of the fixed type, of the type comprising two or more fixed hinges, which are installed on leaves which are to be opened solely in leaf fashion. There are also frame assemblies of the adjustable type, which are installed on windows which can be opened as required in leaf or tilting fashion according to the existing needs. Both assemblies mentioned comprise a handle which serves to perform opening and closure of the leaf on the fixed frame and which, only in assemblies which can also be opened in tilting fashion, also allows the type of opening to be selected.

The frame assemblies for leaf and tilting-type opening therefore comprise control devices actuated by the handle, whose function is to differentiate between the type of opening. It should be remembered that the leaf is connected to the vertical axis via an upper and a lower hinge, positioned on the same side as the surrounding frame. The upper hinge has its respective fixed and movable portions joined together in a freely rotating manner by means of a vertical pin which terminates inside a seat mounted on the fixed frame. The fixed portion of the upper hinge is installed laterally on the surrounding frame, while the movable part supports a substantially horizontal arm which is coupled to the leaf at the top in prismatic fashion via a hinged mechanism, which is part of the aforementioned control device. The hinged mechanism can be changed over between a passive configuration, where it enables solely leaf-type opening, and a configuration where it enables solely tilting-type opening. The handle performs the changeover in known fashion via a transmission for the rectilinear motion comprising an elongated body mounted on the leaf in a position facing the handle so as to be rectilinearly movable by the thrusting action of a tenon of the handle which is housed in a transverse seat of the same elongated body. Therefore the elongated body acts as an interface between the handle and an angular transmission mounted on the leaf at the vertex between the handle side and the upper side, so as to change over the configuration of the hinged mechanism ; and, on the opposite side, between the handle and a push-rod which is designed to support the leaf on the handle side in conditions where the leaf is open in tilted fashion. The elongated body is connected to the push-rod and to the angular transmission via thin and flat bars, said bars having the sole function of transmitting the linear motion of the tenon. Given what is described above, the elongated body is movable through specific linear interval corresponding to a rotation through 90° of the handle, and the push-rod and hinged mechanism are movable therewith.

The lower hinge also comprises a push-rod which terminates at the bottom in a ball joint, wholly similar to that described in Italian patent No. 1,248,230 in the name of the Applicant. Naturally, the connection between the leaf and the fixed frame is complete for tilting-type openings only if it comprises a push-rod, which is mounted on the leaf, and terminates at the bottom in a truncated cone element which is movable towards and away from a position of engagement with a seat formed in the bottom cross-member of the fixed frame below the handle.

It is known that the arm of the movable part of the upper hinge is not dimensioned to support the leaf in conditions where the leaf is open in tilted fashion, and that therefore, with the leaf open, any withdrawal of the push-rod from the respective seat would leave the leaf to bear solely on the lower hinge and on the arm. In order to avoid this risk, frame assemblies for windows are known which can also be opened in tilting fashion and are designed to keep the handle locked in one of the working positions intended to allow leaf or tilting-type opening.

For example, with reference to the Italian patent No.

1,266,241 in the name of the Applicant, it is known to exploit the considerable thickness of the elongated body, forming therein a plurality of transverse seats open outwards for a transverse key of a member known as false operation device, which is mounted rigidly on the leaf above the same handle. The transverse seats of the elongated body are arranged in series and spaced by the aforesaid specific interval and can be engaged by the key upon separation of the leaf from the fixed frame of the window in a manner known from patent No. 1,266,241 in the name of the Applicant, by means of the thrusting action of a spring co-operating with the key on the inside of the false operation device. Withdrawal of the key from the currently engaged transverse seat is achieved upon contact of the fixed frame during closure of the window with a portion of the L-shaped key, so as to come into contact with the internal face of the same fixed frame.

Therefore it can be said that each of the seats of the elongated body corresponds to a configuration of the frame assembly, and therefore a type of opening of the leaf.

From what has been described above it is easy to deduce that the false operation device and the elongated body are both positioned in the region of the handle and are therefore as accessible as the same handle.. This accessibility has on numerous occasions represented a disadvantage of considerable importance, given that it has been the cause of collapse of the leaf in conditions of both leaf-type opening and tilting-type opening, following accidental actuation of the key of the false operation device by users who are careless or ill-informed as to the function of this mechanical element. As mentioned, in fact, the arm of the upper hinge is not dimensioned to support the open leaf together with the lower hinge, and therefore actuation of the key has enabled actuation of the handle, and has left the leaf to bear down solely on the ball joint of the lower hinge, and therefore no longer with devices for effective fastening to the fixed frame.

Aware of this problem, some manufacturers have decided to solve the problem of the lack of fastening by modifying the upper hinge and therefore also the opening which the leaf and fixed frame create in the region of the hinged mechanism when they are joined together. This measure is unsatisfactory from the point of view of cost and aesthetic appearance due to the need to alter the second hinge, which is replaced by a larger and therefore more costly one, and modify consequently the structure of the window along the upper side.

Disclosure of the invention The object of the present invention is to provide a frame assembly for fixtures which does not have the disadvantage described above, which does not require substantial alterations to the fixed frame and leaf structure, which operates in an easily understandable manner, is easy to install and is low-cost.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a frame assembly which is resistant to careless users and which can be installed according to the needs of the user without requiring structural modifications to the members of the same assembly.

According to the present invention a frame assembly for fixtures is provided, the characteristic features of which are defined in Claim 1 below.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting example of embodiment thereof, in which: - Figure 1 is an exploded, schematic, perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a frame assembly according to the present invention ; - Figure 2 is an exploded view, on a larger scale and with parts removed for clarity, of Figure 1 according to two methods of installation; - Figure 3 is a side view, on a larger scale, of some methods of assembly of details taken from Figure 2; and - Figure 4 illustrates, in a plan and side elevation view and on a larger scale, a detail taken from Figure 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment (s) 1 in Figure 1 denotes, as a whole, a set of frames or "frame assembly"for fixtures, windows or French doors, intended to close off openings. The explicit reference to a window 2 made by assembling extruded parts normally made of metal or the like has been made for the sake of convenience and cannot nor must not be interpreted as an intention to limit the general nature of the following description.

Still with reference to Figure 1, the window 2 comprises a fixed frame 3 and a movable frame or leaf 4 which can be opened in leaf or tilting fashion. The assembly 1 comprises support members designed to connect the leaf 4 so as to support it rotatably about a vertical side and a horizontal side, in particular, a pair of hinges 10 and a push-rod 11 mounted on opposite and vertical sides 12 and 13 in Figure 1. On the side where the push-rod 11 is located, the assembly has an actuating handle 14 which is mounted on the side 12 and is designed to determine the method of opening of the leaf 4 The assembly 1 comprises, mounted on the leaf 4 on a respective upper side 16, a hinged device 17 for controlling the slant of the leaf 4 in relation to said fixed frame 3. This device 17 is known as regards all its features, being normally used for example in frame assemblies known as"KAJ"and produced by the Applicant ; therefore it was decided to represent it schematically in Figure 1 by means of a parallelepiped block and to omit a description thereof, considering that the description of this device would not add anything to the understanding of the present invention.

) The push-rod 11 is mounted on the side 12 so as to slide axially from and towards a position of engagement with a seat 18 formed in a bottom side 19 in Figure 1 of the fixed frame 3, which is opposite the side 16 of the leaf 4. A hinge 10a of the two hinges 10 is mounted on the fixed frame 3 in the region of the side 13 adjacent to the corresponding upper vertex 20 of the leaf 4 and has an arm 21 which is coupled prismatically to the leaf 4 in an end position via the device 17. The remaining lower hinge 10b is mounted on the fixed frame 3 in the region of the side 13 adjacent to the bottom vertex of the leaf 4.

The assembly 1 also comprises a first elongated body or pull-piece 25 which is coupled to the side 12 prismatically in a known manner and not illustrated so as to be freely slidable axially. The pull-piece 25 has a transverse housing 26 for an actuating member or tenon 27 of said handle 14. As is known, the tenon 27 is connected to the grip of the handle 14 by means of the arrangement, in between, of a sprocket-rack pair, known and not illustrated, so as to be movable with pauses in two opposite directions along the side 12. The pull-piece 25 is made by pressure die-casting or pressing and is delimited axially (see Figure 4) by respective top and bottom free ends 28 and 29 arranged symmetrically in relation to a transverse axis 33. The top end 28 has a coupling seat 30 which is transverse to the side 12 and is designed to couple the pull-piece 25 with an upper arm 35 of a device 37 for transmission of the movement of the tenon 27, and the bottom end 29 has a coupling pin 31 which is transverse to the side 12 and is designed to couple the pull-piece 25 with a lower arm 36 of the transmission device 37. In particular, the upper arm 35 is designed to actuate the control device 17, switching it over, so as to differentiate between leaf-type opening or tilting-type opening of the same leaf 4, while the lower arm 36 is designed to actuate the movement of the push-rod 11 from and towards the respective position of engagement with the seat 18. The pin 31 has a respective central axis 32.

With reference to Figure 2, the upper arm 35 comprises a second elongated body 40 which is coupled prismatically to the side 12 above the handle 14 in a known manner not illustrated in Figure 1, so as to be freely slidable axially. In particular this body 40, which is made by pressure die-casting or pressing, has a pair of pins 41 similar to the pin 31, by means of which the body 40 is coupled with an angular transmission 42, to be described in greater detail hereinbelow, and with the pull-piece 25 by means of the arrangement, in between, of at least one connection bar 43. According to Figure 2, the bar 43 has at the tope, in an end position, a transverse hole 44 for a pin 41 of the body 40, and at the bottom, in an end position, a pin 45 similar to the pin 31 for coupling with the end 35 of the pull-piece 25. In this way the angular transmission 42, the second body 40, the bar 43 and the pull-piece 25 are connected together in series so as to transmit the movement of the tenon 27 to the hinged device 17 and therefore differentiate between the type of opening of the leaf 4.

Again with reference to Figure 2, the assembly 1 comprises a false operation device 50 mounted rigidly on the side 12, below the angular transmission 42, so as to co-operate with seats 51 formed frontally in the body 40, arranged linearly and at intervals and accessible transversely. Co-operation of the false operation device 50 with the seats 51 can take place via a transverse key 52 which is mounted on the false operation device 50 and is movable transversely by means of the thrusting action of a spring member 54 known and not illustrated, which member is contained inside the false operation device 50 itself, as described in patent No. 1,266,241 in the name of the Applicant, and for this reason illustrated only schematically in Figure 1 alone. The interval which separates the seats 51 corresponds to a rotation through 90° of the handle 14. The key 52 is designed to engage transversely with any one of the seats 51 and therefore block movement of the tenon 27 and the handle 14, through the locking in position of the upper arm 35 of the transmission 37. The key 50, moreover, has internally an end 53 bent in an L shape which is designed to strike against an internal face of the fixed frame 3 while the leaf 4 is brought against the fixed frame 3 to close the window 2. The key 52, therefore, is designed to be moved backwards against the thrust of the spring member 54 until it frees the seat 51 currently engaged. Vice versa, during opening of the leaf 4, according to any one of the types of opening, the key 52 is pushed into a position of engagement with one of the seats 51, on condition that the body 40 has one of the respective seats 51 in a position facing the key 52. In the light of that described above, this occurs if and only if the handle 14 is in one of the three known and not illustrated working positions, and in particular the closed position, where the grip 55 is vertical downwards, the position for leaf-type opening, where the grip 55 is horizontal, and the position for leaf-type opening, where the grip 55 is vertical upwards. In the light of that described above, it can be said that the false operation device 50 is a safety device, designed to disable selectively rotation of the handle 14 and actuation of the two transmission arms 35 and 36 by means of engagement of the transverse key 52 with one of the seats 51.

The angular transmission 42 comprises a bracket 56 mounted rigidly on the leaf 4 at the respective vertex 57, arranged between the sides 12 and 16, and a flexible bar 58 which engages with the bracket 56 in freely sliding fashion so as to transmit a movement of translation between the two concurrent sides 12 and 16, and therefore between the handle 14 and the device 17, and therefore perform, selectively, actuation thereof. The bar 58 has at the bottom a coupling hole 59, designed to be engaged by a pin 41 of the body 40 or by a pin 45 of the bar 43.

As shown in Figure 2, the body 40 and the bar 43 are axially interchangeable with each other so as to allow assembly of the false operation device 50, and therefore of the respective key 52, in any of the positions adjacent to the angular transmission 42 or adjacent to the tenon 27.

As already mentioned, the fact that the key 52 can be positioned at a considerable distance from the handle 14 means that any actuation of the key 52 positioned there can only be the result of an action performed in a deliberate manner. In fact, since the false operation device 50 is positioned adjacent to an upper vertex of the window 2, immediately below the transmission 42, the key 52 can only be reached by using a ladder. Therefore the frame assembly 1, which has the separate pull-piece 25 and the body 40 physically separated and located at a considerable distance from one another, solves the technical problems originally proposed effectively, economically and without the need for any special action. Therefore the use of a frame assembly 1 frees the installer from the necessity to place the false operation device 50 in a position facing the handle 14, without requiring structural modifications to the parts of the assembly 1 itself.

With particular reference to Figure 4, the pull-piece 25 has the housing 26 for the tenon 27 in the middle and, at the respective upper end 28, a longitudinal key 60 which has a given transverse thickness S1 and is designed to engage internally with an L-shaped striker or closing wedge 61, mounted on the fixed frame 3, so as to determine, during use with the leaf 4 closed, a closing pressure with a first given value between the leaf 4 and the fixed frame 3. The fixed frame 3 has a plurality of closing wedges 61 in the region of a respective L-shaped internal surface 62 which faces the sides 12 and 16, of which only three can be seen in Figure 1. In particular, Figure 1 shows a first closing wedge 61 mounted facing the push-rod 11, a second wedge 61 mounted facing the key 60, and a third wedge 61 mounted facing the flexible bar 58 of the angular transmission 42.

The pull-piece 25 also has, on an opposite side to the longitudinal key 60, an additional longitudinal key 63 which differs from the key 60 in terms of the value of the transverse thickness S2, which is distinct from S1, so as to determine, in association with the wedge 61, a closing pressure with a second given value, distinct from the first value mentioned above. It should be noted that the thickness S1 is greater than the thickness S2 and that the housing 26 of the tenon 27 is of the through type, in such a way that the pull-piece 25 can be coupled with the tenon 27 itself in two possible orientations. In particular the pull-piece 25 can be selectively oriented with the respective key 60 arranged at the top so as to co-operate with the respective closing wedge 61 and determine a higher closing pressure, or with the key 63 arranged at the top, so as to determine a lower closure pressure. The two orientations are therefore, reciprocally angled at 180°, in such a way as to determine, during use, a given closing pressure, chosen as required from the first and second given pressure values. It should be noted that the pull- piece 25 is symmetrical both in relation to the transverse axis 33 and in relation to a longitudinal axis 64, and that the difference in pressure upon closure is defined by the half difference S1-S2, which represents the distance between the two positions of the leaf 4 in closed conditions.

In connection with that described above, it should be noted that the pull-piece 25 has, on opposite sides of the housing 26, mechanical elements 60 and 63 which are designed to perform the same functions, and therefore the pull-piece 25 is functionally symmetrical in relation to a longitudinal axis 64 of the same housing 26.

For reasons of completeness it should be pointed out that, with reference to Figure 4, the pull-piece 25 has, on opposite sides of a respective longitudinal central axis 7P, slide elements 71 arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the housing 26 of the tenon 27. The pull-piece 25 is coupled with the leaf 4 between two longitudinal ribs 72 with an overturned L shape, parallel one to the other and of the known type, formed in the side 12 of the leaf 4.

Only one of these ribs 72 is visible in Figure 1 for reasons of clarity. Moreover this rib 72 has been deliberately interrupted in the region of the handle 14, again for reasons of clarity.

The use of the assembly 1 can be easily understood from what has been described above and does not require further explanations.

Finally, it is clear that modifications and variations can be made to the frame assembly for fixtures described and illustrated here without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.