Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MOTORIZED OPERATOR FOR CASEMENT WINDOWS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to window
operators and, more particularly, to window operators
which may be selectively motor driven or manually
driven.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many types of fenestration
products such as windows, skylights, doors with many
of such windows and skylights being generally
manually operated by turning a crank mechanically
connected to the pivotable unit of the window or
skylight, whereby various hardware, e.g. linkages,
connect the crank to the pivotable unit thereby
allowing for manually opening or closing of the
window or skylight. Various motorized versions of
such operators have been developed such that the
pivotable unit can be opened or closed by way, for
instance, of an electric motor.
United States Patent No. 5,006,766 issued
on April 9, 1991 to Yuhas et al. discloses a
motorized window operator which comprises a housing
containing a motor in operative engagement with a
gear train having an output gear. This output gear
is engaged to the drive axle of the window such that
the motor will cause the drive axle to rotate to
either open or close the window depending on the
direction of rotation of the motor. It is also
possible to manually operate the drive axle by
disengaging the gear train therefrom while
simultaneously cutting off power to the motor. In
this patent, the conventional lever or crank is
replaced by the aforementioned housing which contains
the motor. When the housing is in a lower position
thereof, the output gear meshes with an engagement
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member mounted to the window's drive axle. The
housing can also be displaced such as to disengage
the output gear from the engagement member while
engaging the latter to a tooth provided on a head
member which is fixed within the housing such that,
the housing may be rotated about the axis of the
drive axle, in a way similar to a conventional lever
or crank, thereby resulting in the manual rotation of
the drive axle. Various sensors, including a rain
sensor, can be interfaced with a controller adapted
to issue instructions to the electric motor for
appropriate operation thereof, to allow for automatic
operation of the window in accordance with prescribed
environmental parameters.
U.S. Patent No. 5,493,813 issued on
February 27, 1996 to Vetter et al. discloses an
electric window operator which can be engaged to a
handle for manual operation of the window.
U.S. Patent No. 5,313,737 issued on
May 24, 1994 to Midas teaches a motorized operator
encased within a housing mounted at the front of the
frame of the window and which replaces the usual
crank normally mounted to the window's operator
shaft. In this patent, there does not seem to be any
manual override.
U.S. Patent No. 4,553,656 issued on
November 19, 1985 to Lense discloses a housing
containing an electric motor for causing a driven
member to be rotated, the driven member being
connected to the sash of the window and being adapted
to cause the sash to displace such as to open or
close the window. A crank arm is displaceable
between active and inactive positions such that when
the arm is in its inactive position, the motor may
turn the driven member, whereas, when the arm is in
its active position, the motor is disconnected from
the driven member and the crank arm can be used to
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manually operate the sash. The housing in which the
electric motor is lodged is mounted on the window's
casement.
U.S. Patent No. 3,845,585 issued on
November 5, 1974 to Cecil discloses a motor
positioned in the casement of the window and adapted
to cause the rotation of a vertical pivot shaft
disposed adjacent to vertical hollow window jamb and
connected to a hinge mechanism substantially enclosed
within the hollow jamb and to which the window
assembly is mounted. Therefore, the motor causes the
rotation of the pivot shaft which displaces the hinge
mechanism in a sweeping movement such as to pivot the
window assembly between open and closed positions
thereof.
U.S. Patent No. 4,895,048 issued on
January 23, 1990 to Key et al. discloses a powered
actuator for opening and closing convertible tops,
sunroofs, windows and the like, in motor vehicles.
The powered actuator has a manual override to allow
the actuator to be operated by hand.
U.S. Patent No. 2,259,811 issued on
October 21, 1941 to Fregeau teaches a window operator
adapted to allow for windows to be manually adjusted
and for their remote controlled closing using an
electromagnet and associated hardware.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present
invention to provide a novel motorized operator for
casement windows.
It is also an aim of the present invention
to provide a novel motorized operator for casement
windows, the operator being adapted to be selectively
driven by a motor or manually.
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Therefore, in accordance with the present
invention, there is provided a motorized operator for
opening and closing a window sash relative to a
window frame via an arm mechanism and being adapted
to be installed in a cavity defined in the window
frame, comprising motor means, a drive axle adapted
to be rotated by said motor means, gear means adapted
to be rotatably driven by said drive axle and to so
cause the arm mechanism to pivot upon rotation of
said second gear for opening and closing the window
sash relative to the window frame, and a manual
operator displaceable between inoperational and
operational positions; said gear means being manually
displaceable between first and second positions,
wherein in said first position, said gear means is
rotated by said motor means via said drive axle for
pivoting the arm mechanism and displacing the window
sash, whereas in said second position, at least part
of said gear means is mechanically disconnected from
said drive axle such that said part of said gear
means is not rotated by said motor means, said part
of said gear means being connected to said arm means,
whereby with said manual operator in said operational
position, said manual operator is adapted to rotate
said part of said gear means for causing the arm
mechanism to pivot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Having thus generally described the nature
of the invention, reference will now be made to the
accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration
a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic front elevational
view of a casement window intended to be fitted with
a motorized operator in accordance with the present
invention;
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Fig. 2 is a exploded view of the motorized
operator of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the
motorized operator installed on the casement window
and connected to the pivotable window thereof;
Fig. 4 is a schematic, broken away, front
elevational view of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 is a schematic, broken away, side
elevational view of the motorized operator installed
in the casement window.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Fig. 1 illustrates a casement window C
generally comprised of a frame F mounted to a wall of
a dwelling and a window W pivotally mounted to the
frame F in a conventional manner. As it is well
known in the art, a crank provided with a linkage is
normally used to displace the window W between open
and closed positions thereof.
Now referring to Fig. 2, there is shown an
exploded view of a motorized operator 0 in accordance
with the present invention and adapted to render the
opening and closing of the window W with respect to
the frame F easier, practical and safe. The
motorized operator 0 is electrically connected to a
conventional 120 volt wall outlet or may obviously be
connected to a similar power supply but in a hidden
fashion, that is with the wires connected to the
operator 0 running within the wall.
It is noted that all of the components of
the present motorized operator 0 are hidden under the
moldings of the frame F, except for some subsidiary
components which will be described hereinafter.
Therefore, the present motorized operator 0
eliminates the prior art crank arm which has a
configuration which contrasts somewhat with the
traditional elegance of a casement window.
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Now turning to the various components of
the motorized operator 0 illustrated in Fig. 2, a
main limit switch 10 is intended to be installed
under and actuated by one of the two lever catches 12
mounted within the vertical molding of the window's
frame F and which co-act with hooks 14 mounted on the
window W to lock the latter with respect to the frame
F. The main limit switch 10 is thus adjusted such
that electric power cannot be fed to the other
elements of the operator 0 when the window W is in a
locked position by way of the mating engagement of
the catches 12 with their respective hooks 14.
Accordingly, when the catches 12 are disengaged from
the hooks 14, as shown in Fig. 1, the window W is
free to be pivoted towards the open or the closed
position thereof, whereby the limit switch 10 is in a
position to allow power to reach the motorized
operator 0 such that the latter can be used to
displace, under motor force, the window W with
respect to the frame F. In Fig. 1, the general
location of the main limit switch 10 is shown at
location 16. It is possible to provide a limit
switch 10 for each catch 12 such as to ensure that
power is fed to the operator 0 when both catches 12
are disengaged from the hooks 14.
A switch assembly 18 is also provided with
the motorized operator 0. The switch assembly 18
comprises a toggle switch 20 and a pilot light 22.
When the pilot light 22 is illuminated, it indicates
that the system is ready to be operated, that is that
the window W can be pivoted by way of the motor force
provided by the motorized operator O. This pilot
light 22 can only be illuminated if the catches 12
are completely disengaged from the hooks 14, whereby
it is electrically linked to the main limit switch
10. When the pilot light 22 is on, the toggle switch
20 can be actuated such as to operate the motorized
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operator 0. For instance, by pressing the toggle
switch in one direction, the window W will pivotally
open, for instance, up to a maximum orientation of
55 with respect to a plane of the frame F. By
pressing the toggle switch 20 in an opposite
direction, the window W will close until the switch
20 is released and, for instance, until the window W
is completely closed whereat the window W can then be
locked by pivoting the catches 12 such that they
lockingly engage the hooks 14 of the window W.
For instance, as indicated in Fig. 1, the
switch assembly 18 is mounted at location 24 such
that opening of the window is achieved by pressing on
an upper portion of the toggle switch 20, whereas, to
close the window W, a lower portion of the toggle
switch 20 is depressed.
Typically, the displacement of the window W
is relatively slow, for instance 10 seconds to
completely close the window W from a completely open
position thereof, and this permits for an easy
adjustment of the window W to a desired intermediate
position thereof with respect to the frame F. The
toggle switch 20 is biased towards a neutral position
thereof such that the window W can only be displaced
once force is manually applied on either the upper or
lower portions of the toggle switch 20, whereby once
released, the toggle switch 20 returns to its neutral
position, that is to an unoperational position such
that no movement whatsoever is imparted to the window
W by way of the motorized operator 0.
Now turning to the motorized operator 0
itself, it is adapted to be installed in a
conventional recessed chamber 26 (see Fig. 4) defined
in the lower horizontal section of the frame F. The
operator 0 comprises a motor and its casing 28 which
are of small dimensions (for instance,
4" x 2 1/411 x 2 1/4") with the motor 28 being capable
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of rotation in opposite directions for opening and
closing the window W. As also seen in Fig. 2, the
operator 0 comprises a base plate 30 which is
typically made of metal and which is carefully
adjusted to the profile of the metallic support frame
provided in the general window frame F. The base
plate 30 acts as a support for the motor and casing
28 located in the recessed chamber 26 defined in the
wooden framing of the frame F. For example, the
recessed chamber may measure
4 3/8" x 2 3/8" x 2 3/4".
A small first gear 32 (%" in diameter) is
mounted on a transmission motor shaft 34 of the motor
28. This first gear 32 transmits the rotation
imparted thereto by the motor shaft 34 to a second
gear 36 (l%" in diameter) which itself meshes with a
third gear 38 (2" in diameter). A composite movement
arm 40 is mounted at one end thereof to the third
gear 38 using screws 41, whereas the other end of the
arm 40 is attached to a frame 42 (see Fig. 1) of the
window W by way of a bracket 44 and a pivot pin (not
shown). The controlled rotational movement. of the
third gear 38 causes a pivot of the window W thereby
opening or closing the same.
The motorized operator 0 also comprises
first and second miniature lever switches 46 and 48,
respectively. The first switch 46 is actuated by a
pin which protrudes from under the second gear 36 and
which is adapted to interrupt power to the motor 28
once the window W has reached its completely open
position. Therefore, this pin is adjusted on the
second gear 36 such that after a given rotation of
the second gear 36, the pin actuates the first switch
46 and interrupts power to the motor 28, thereby
preventing any attempt to further open the window W.
The second switch 48 is actuated by a
further pin which protrudes under the third gear 38
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and which is adapted to interrupt power to the motor
28 once the window W has reached its completely
closed position. In a way similar to the pin mounted
to the second gear 36, the pin mounted to the third
gear 38 is positioned such that after a given
rotation of the third gear 38, its pin actuates the
second switch 48 and prevents any attempt to further
close the window W. Once the second switch 48 has
been tripped by the pin provided under the third gear
38, the window W is completely closed whereby the
catches 12 can be lowered to lock the window W to the
frame F thereby simultaneously interrupting power to
the motorized operator 0 and, more particularly, to
the motor 28 for preventing any subsequent attempt to
open the window W by way of the motorized operator
without having previously unlocked the window W from
the frame F by disengaging the catches 12 from the
hooks 14.
Short first and second shafts 50 and 52,
respectively are fixably mounted to the base plate 30
and constitute fixed pivots around which the second
and third gears 36 and 38 can respectively rotate.
Typically, the first and second shafts 50 and 52 are
spot-welded to the base plate 30. Accordingly, the
second and third gears 36 and 38 are free to rotate
around these first and second shafts 50 and 52 while
being prevented from being upwardly removed by
circlips.
In order to allow for the window W to be
manually opened or closed in the event, for instance,
of a power failure, the motorized operator 0 is
provided with a disengagement mechanism which
includes a spring 54 which is positioned around the
motor shaft 34 driven by the motor 28, this motor
shaft 34 having herein a square shape with the
opening in the first gear 32 being also square-shaped
such that it rotates with the motor shaft 34. This
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configuration further allows the first gear 32 to
slide along the motor shaft 34. The spring 54 is
under compression under the first gear 32 and a
circlip 56 is fixedly mounted around the motor shaft
34, above the first gear 32. Therefore, in a normal
position, the spring 54 urges the first gear 32
upwardly against the circlip 56 and, in this
position, the first gear 32 is disposed horizontally
opposite the second gear 36 and is thus in meshed
engagement therewith such that operation of the motor
28 causes the rotation of the first gear 32 by way of
the motor shaft 34 and, in turn, the rotation of the
second and third gears 36 and 38, respectively, and
the displacement of the arm 40 and of the window W.
If it becomes necessary to disengage the
motor 28 from the arm 40 for allowing the window W to
be opened or closed manually (again in the event of a
power failure), one must first remove a small cap
provided on a decorative cover 58 (see Fig. 1) which
conceals the motorized operator O. Then, a manual
operator 60 can be used to manually open or close the
window W. More particularly, the manual operator 60
comprises an elongated handle 62 defining, for
instance, an hexagonal opening 64 at one end thereof,
and a manual actuator 66 which is comprised of an
upper cylindrical member 68 defining an upper
hexagonal head 70 engageable through the hexagonal
opening 64 of the handle 62 and a lower gear 72 which
is mounted to the upper member 68 by way of its upper
cylindrical section 73.
Once the aforementioned cap has been
removed from the cover 58, the lower gear 72 of the
manual operator 60 is introduced in the opening
defined in the cover 58 and revealed by the removal
of the cap. By doing so, the lower gear 72 will be
aligned with the motor shaft 34 and, once the lower
gear 72 becomes located around the upper end of the
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motor shaft 34, a further lowering of the lower gear
72 along the motor shaft 34 will force the first gear
32 downwardly along the motor shaft 34 (as per arrows
80 in Fig. 4), against the spring force of spring 54,
thereby causing the unmeshing of the first gear 32
with the second gear 36. At the end of the downward
travel of the lower gear 72, it lies horizontally
opposite the second gear 36 and, as the lower gear 72
is of similar dimensions to the first gear 32, the
lower gear 72 in that position meshes with the second
gear 36. As the lower gear 72 defines an inner
opening such that it will be able to freely rotate
around the motor shaft 34, once the lower gear 72
meshes with the second gear, the motor shaft 34 is in
fact disconnected from the second gear 36 and, in
other words, the second and third gears 36 and 38 and
the arm 40 are all disconnected from the motor 28.
Furthermore, the upper member 68 of the
manual actuator 66 includes an incorporated magnet
(not shown) which is adapted to contact the upper end
of the motor shaft 34 with the magnet force holding
the manual actuator 66 and the motor shaft 34
together and compensating for the spring force of
spring 54; in other words, the user does not need to
continually press on the manual actuator 66 to keep
its lower gear 72 in meshed engagement with the
second gear 36 as the upward spring force of the
spring 54 is compensated or overcome by the magnet
force.
Then, the handle 62 is used to rotate the
manual actuator 66 thereby causing its lower gear 72
to rotatably drive the second gear 36 and, in turn,
the third gear 38 and the arm 40 for selectively
opening or closing the window W. The manual actuator
66 can then be forced upwardly out of engagement with
the motor shaft 34 and completely removed from the
operator 0 before the aforementioned cap is
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repositioned onto the cover 58. Once power has been
reinstated, the window W can be operated normally,
that is by way of the motorized operator 0 since,
upon withdrawal of the manual actuator 66, the spring
54 forced the first gear upwardly 32 against the
circlip 56 and thus into engagement with the second
gear 36.
It is noted that arm 40 includes various
components which can be adjusted (see, for instance,
threaded rod 74 which threadably engages both yokes
76). The arm 40 is further adapted to be
disconnected from the window W, for instance at
either of the pinned ends of the two yokes 76, to
allow for a more pronounced manual opening of the
window W, i.e. up to 90 degrees, to facilitate the
cleaning of both the inner and outer surfaces of the
window W.
It is also possible to use a humidity
sensor on the outside of the window W to
automatically cause the actuation of the motorized
operator 0 in the event that it starts raining such
as to automatically close the window W.
The above motorized operator 0 and its
associated hardware, namely the limit switch 10 and
the switch assembly 18 can all be generally retro-
fitted onto an existing casement window C in
replacement of its conventional crank arm and
associated mechanism linking it to the window W. It
is noted that both the main limit switch 10 and the
switch assembly 18 are substantially small and can be
installed without altering significantly the
appearance of the casement window C. It is also
proposed to incorporate the switch assembly 18 to the
cover 58 which itself blends very well with the
molding of the frame F of the casement window C.
It is noted that the adjustment for the end
travel of the window W when using the motorized
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operator 0 is provided by the aforementioned threaded
rod 74 of the arm 40. Alternatively, there could be
a means to make that adjustment at the level of the
positions of the first and second switches 46 and 48
on the base plate 30. Furthermore, the third gear 36
may preferably be provided with stops (not shown) to
prevent excess manual operation which could bend or
break the first and second switches 46 and 48.
As mentioned hereinabove, although the
switch assembly 18 is shown in Fig. 1 on one of the
vertical moldings of the frame F, it is preferably
incorporated to the cover 58 located on the lower
horizontal molding of the frame F.
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