GB2192928A - A casement fastener with security device - Google Patents

Abstract

The fastener has a lever handle 6 mounted on a base plate 7 for pivotal movement between open and closed positions and a retainer 12 slidably mounted on the handle 6 and biassed by a spring 22 so that an abutment end 15 of the retainer 12 engages in a recessed formation 16 in the base plate 7 in the closed position to hold the handle in that position. The retainer 12 is provided with an actuating portion 17 by means of which the member 12 may be slid against the biassing of the spring 22 to release the abutment end 15 from the recessed portion 16 and permit pivotal movement of the handle 6 to the open position. As shown, the actuator portion 17 is formed as a push button extending through an elongate slot 18 in section 6a of handle 6-although it could be a laterally extending lug accessible from one side of the lever handle. The base plate 7 is formed with inclined ramp faces 23 for engagement by the abutment end 15 when handle 6 approaches the closed position. Casement fastener may be cockspur, nib or wedge form. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A casement fastener with security device This invention relates to a casement fastener with a security device to prevent inadvertent opening of the fastener and to hold the fastener in the closed position.

This invention concerns casement fasteners of the conventional kind comprising a handle assembly and a striker wherein a lever handle is mounted for pivotal movement to engage the striker to maintain the casement closed, the handle assembly may be mounted either on the casement frame or on the fixed window frame with the striker being mounted respectively either on the fixed window frame or on the casement frame. The relative disposition of the two main component parts of the fastener, the handle assembly and the striker, does depend on the design and requirement for the type of window.In addition, there are generally two kinds of casement fastener with a pivotal handle assembly, and these are referred to in the trade as a "cockspur or spur" handle in which the handle has a nose or lug projecting therefrom for engagement with a striker having a keep portion, and a "wedge" handle in which the handle lacks a nose but provides a face for abutment and engagement with a striker plate usually of wedge form.

In this Specification, the term casement fastener" is deemed to cover fasteners of the conventional kind as just described.

It has already been recognised that in a casement fastener of the kind described, it is advantageous to provide a security device to maintain the fastener in the closed position to prevent inadvertent opening or movement of the handle. In many instances, the security device is also designed to prevent unauthorised opening of the window as a burglar deterrent or as a child-proof feature.

In the security devices that have been proposed previously, it has been common to provide some form of lock or locking device which is operated by a loose key or the like that has to be manipulated to actuate the device.

A common prior arrangement is a threaded grub screw that is mounted in the handle and which has to be turned by a key-like actuator to bring the grub screw into engagement with a recess formed in the base plate of the handle to prevent rotation of the handle relative to the base plate. To release the handle, it is necessary to use the key-like actuator to rotate the grub screw. In another common arrangement, instead of a grub screw, there is a cylinder lock which has to be actuated to drive a pawl or detent device either preventing rotation of the handle on the pivot or to secure the handle to the base plate on which it is pivotally mounted.

In both of these known arrangements, the user has to use a key or key-like actuator, and of course there is the problem of losing or maintaining the key or key-like actuator in a safe place. Additionally, for many persons, the actual use of the key or key-like actuator requires a degree of manual dexterity, and this often presents problems for the elderly and or handicapped.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved casement fastener of the kind described and having a security device not requiring any separate key or key-like actuator.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a casement fastener of the kind described wherein a simple form of security device is incorporated in the handle assembly for easy operation by a user to maintain the handle in the closed position but releasable in an easy manner.

Other objectives of this invention will be appreciated with reference to the specific exemplary embodiments of this invention as described later herein.

According to this invention, we provide a casement fastener of the kind described and wherein the handle assembly comprises a base plate, a lever handle mounted on the base plate by a pivot for pivotal movement between an open position and a closed position, the base plate being provided with a recessed formation for engagement by a retainer when the handle assembly is in the closed position, the retainer comprising a member mounted on the handle for sliding movement relative to the handle and biassed towards the recessed formation by spring means, the retainer member having an abutment end for engagement within the recessed formation, and the retainer member having an actuation portion accessible to the user for sliding the retainer member relative to the handle to release the abutment end of the retainer from engagement within the recessed formation of the base plate to permit the lever handle to be moved from the closed position to the open position and on movement of the lever handle from the open position to the closed position, the spring-loading of the retainer enables the abutment end to be displaced to engage in the recessed formation to hold the lever handle in the closed position.

By this invented casement fastener, the lever handle mounts the retainer which serves as a security device that is actuated in a simple manner by merely sliding the actuator portion of the retainer member to release the abutment end from engagement with the base plate. No separate key or key-like member is required and the manual operation is analogous to sliding a button or knob to release the handle.

Preferably, the lever handle has a section of inverted channel shape in which the slidable retainer with associated spring means is mounted for such sliding movement with the actuator portion of the retainer member protruding through an access opening or aperture formed in the lever handle.

With such preferred arrangement, the retainer and spring means are received between two opposed side walls of the lever handle and are secreted or concealed therebetween to preclude interference or damage.

Conveniently, the base plate is formed with lead-in or ramp faces adjoining the recessed formation whereby the abutment end of the retainer engages such ramp faces for guided movement to ride over same to displace the slidable retainer against the spring bias when the lever handle is turned from the open to closed positions.

By such an arrangement of the ramp faces, then the abutment end of the retainer will automatically re-engage the recessed formation in the base plate when the lever handle is moved to the closed position, and the retainer member only has to be actuated by sliding the actuator portion for releasing the lever handle from the closed position.

Other features of the invented casement fastener will be understood from the description of exemplary embodiments given later herein, and it will be understood that this invention may be applied to a very wide range of styles and designs of casement fasteners.

This invention will now be described with reference to exemplary embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a casement fastener with a striker shown in the closed position; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the fastener shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a sectional detail view of the fastener shown in Fig. 1 and taken on line 3'-3' of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a detail schematic view taken generally in the direction 4'-4' of Fig. 2 showing the handle in the closed secured position; and Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4 but showing the handle in the released position.

With reference to the drawings of Figs. 1 and 2, the casement fastener comprises a handle assembly 1 and a striker 2. In known manner the striker 2 is adapted by holes or the like for securing to a fixed window frame 3a whilst the handle 1 is secured to a casement frame 3b. The striker has a mounting base 4 from which projects a striker lug 5 onto or over which the handle 1 is arranged to engage when in the closed position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The handle assembly 1 comprises a lever handle 6 mounted on a base plate 7 by a pivot pin 8 for opening and closing movement as depicted by the arrows in Fig. 1. The base plate 7 is provided with holes 7a (see Fig. 3) for use in securing the handle assembly 1 to the casement frame 3b by screws, rivets or the like.

In known manner, the head of the handle 6 is formed with an opening 9 in which the striker lug 5 may be received when the fas tener is the the closed position to hold the casement frame 3a slightly ajar or spaced from the window frame 3b to provide a night vent or ventilating location. Also in known manner, the base plate 7 is formed with a seating 10 for receiving the striker lug 5 as shown in Fig. 2 when the fastener is in the closed position to hold the casement in the fully closed position engaging the window frame 3.

It will be understood that the style or type of casement handle and lever handle may be varied as desired and this invention may be applied to other kinds of striker and handle arrangements on different casement and window frames.

With reference now also to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the lever handle 6 includes a section 6a which is arranged to overlie the base plate 7 when the fastener is in the closed position.

This section 6a is of inverted channel shape having opposed side walls 11 between which a retainer member 12 is mounted for limited sliding movement lengthwise of the lever handle 6. A guide plate 13 is mounted on the underside of the handle section 6a by dependent lugs 6b of which the free ends extend through suitable openings in the guide plate 13 and which are peened over to secure the guide plate to the handle section 6a.

The retainer is confined between the side walls 11 and has a dependent limb 14 providing an abutment end 15 received within a recessed formation 16 in the base plate 7.

The retainer has an actuator portion 17 opposed to the limb 14 which extends through an elongate slot 18 formed in the handle section 6a. The retainer has another limb 19 that extends within the housing 20 closed by the guide plate 13. The limb 19 has a clearance slot 21 extending centrally and lengthwise through which one of the dependent lugs 6b extends to support the retainer 12 and to limit the sliding movement of the retainer relative to the lever handle 6.

A spring 22 is mounted in the housing 20 between the lug 6b and the end face of the retainer limb 19 so as to apply a spring force to the retainer to urge it into the position as shown in Fig. 3 wherein the abutment end 15 engages the recessed formation 16 to prevent the lever handle being turned on the pivot 8 and to hold the lever handle in the closed position.

In order to release the lever handle 6 from the closed position, all that is required is for the actuator portion 17 of the retainer 12 to be pushed or slidden towards the free end of the lever handle 6 against the spring force.

Once the portion 17 has been so displaced, then the abutment end 15 is displaced out of the recess 16 and the lever handle can be turned on it's pivot to the open position.

Once the lever handle has been so released from the closed position and is clear of the base plate 7, then the actuator portion 17 can be allowed to return to it's normal position as shown in Fig. 3.

With reference to Figs. 4 and 5, these depict a schematic view of the relative positions of the base plate 7 with the recess 16 and the retainer 12 with the abutment end 15 and the clearance slot 21.

The recessed formation 16 is of a shape substantially complementary to the abutment end 15, and to each side of the recessed formation 16 the base plate 7 is formed with inclined ramp faces 23 that extend to each lateral side for engagement by the abutment end 15 of the retainer 12 when the lever handle 6 approaches the closed position during closing movement whether the handle assembly be for left or right hand closing movement. On such engagement of the abutment end 15 with either of the ramp faces, then the retainer is automatically displaced into the housing against the spring force to ride over the ramp faces until the abutment end is engaged in the complementary recess 16.

Thus, once the lever handle is open and then turned to the closed position, it is not necessary for the user to slide the actuator portion 1 7 for the retainer is automatically displaced and engages in the recess when the lever handle is brought into the closed position.

These two ramp faces 23 are not essential to the operation of the handle assembly as the lever handle may be brought into the closed position whilst pushing the slidable retainer into the disengaged position and then releasing the retainer once the lever handle is aligned over the base plate. However, there are advantages in such automatic action to secure the fastener when brought into the closed position.

The retainer and other parts such as the guide plate may be plastics mouldings of suitable strength and low friction. Although the actuating portion of the retainer is shown as a push button projecting through a slot in the handle section, the actuator could be a laterally extending lug accessible from one side of the lever handle for the sliding action required.

The security device provided by the spring loaded slidable retainer with the special recessed formation in the base plate may be applied to casement fasteners of the cockspur or nib kind as the invention merely seeks to prevent relative movement of the lever handle relative to it's base plate when the lever handle is in the closed position. Thus, the invention can be applied and embodied in a diverse range of casement fasteners of the kind first described herein. Such application of the invention to other designs and styles of casement fasteners will be understood by those familiar with such window fittings.

Claims (14)

1. A casement fastener of the kind described and wherein the handle assembly comprises a base plate, a lever handle mounted on the base plate by a pivot for pivotal movement between an open position and a closed position, the base plate being provided with a recessed formation for engagement by a retainer when the handle assembly is in the closed position, the retainer comprising a member mounted on the handle for sliding movement relative to the handle and biassed towards the recessed formation by spring means, the retainer member having an abutment end for engagement within the recessed formation, and the retainer member having an actuation portion accessible to the user for sliding the retainer member relative to the handle to release the abutment end of the retainer from engagement within the recessed formation of the base plate to permit the lever handle to be moved from the closed position to the open position and on movement of the lever handle from the open position to the closed position, the spring-loading of the retainer enables the abutment end to be displaced to engage in the recessed formation to hold the lever handle in the closed position.

2. A casement fastener according to Claim 1 wherein the retainer member is mounted on the underside of the lever handle.

3. A casement fastener according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the lever handle has a section of inverted channel shape in which the retainer member is mounted with the actuation portion protruding through an access opening or aperture formed in the lever handle.

4. A casement fastener according to Claim 3 wherein the retainer member is received between the opposed side walls of the inverted channel section and the access opening or aperture is formed in the upper wail of the inverted channel section.

5. A casement fastener according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the inverted channel section is partly closed by a guide plate to define a housing in which a portion of the retainer member is slidably received with the spring means acting between said portion and an end wall of the housing.

6. A casement fastener according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the actuation portion comprises a laterally extending lug accessible from one side of the lever handle.

7. A casement fastener according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the retainer member and handle are provided with co-operating formations to limit sliding move ment of the retainer member.

8. A casement fastener according to Claim 7 wherein the co-operating formations comprise a slot in which a fixed lug is received.

9. A casement fastener according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the base plate is co-operable with the abutment end when the lever handle is turned from the open position to the closed position to displace the abutment end to engage automatically in the recessed formation.

10. A casement fastener according to Claim 9 wherein the base plate has at least one lead-in or ramp face adjoining the recessed formation engageable with the abutment end for displacing the abutment end to effect said automatic engagement.

11. A casement fastener according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the lever handle has a projecting lug, nose or like formation for engagement with the striker in the closed position.

12. A casement fastener according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the striker has a projecting lug, nose or like formation for engagement with the lever handle in the closed position.

13. A casement fastener according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the lever handle and striker are adapted to engage to maintain the casement closed or in a partiaily open vent position.

14. A casement fastener of the kind described substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.