AU613666B2 - Drive mechanism for louvres or the like - Google Patents

Description

Ii COMMONWEALTH OF' AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952-1969 NACO INDUSTRIES PTY. LTD Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: 11-13 Aird Street, Parramatta, New South Wales 2150 EDWIN JOHN ALEXANDER G.R. CULLEN COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, Dalgety House, 79 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: DRIVE MECHANISM FOR LOUVRES OR THE LIKE The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to us IY- I 2 THIS INVENTION relates to a new construction of drive mechanism which is particularly suitable for operating louvres and the like as used in windows, awnings or roofs i. etc.

Louvres and the like constructions such as hoppers have been known over a long period and are a widely used form !of window due to their simplicity of installation and effectiveness in resisting weather while still permitting ventilation. A variety of mechanisms have been developed for operating the individual louvres in a multi-louvre installation. In one form of operating mechanism in widespread use the louvres are operated by an operating lever I. pivotally mounted in a longitudinal channel member in which one or more louvre supports are rotatably mounted and I pivotally cemented to one or more links pivotally interconnecting the louvre supports. In another form which is used for both hopper and louvre windows the operating mechanism involves a rotatable jack screw having a traveller ti nut connected to each louvre support by a pivotable link 20 whereby rotation of the screw in one direction moves the 1i traveller nut or nuts in a direction which opens the louvres ij or hoppers while movement of th traveller nut or nuts in the other direction closes the louvres or hoppers.

The prior art operating mechanisms have a number of deficiencies. In particular, many constructions of both types are expensive to manufacture and instal or are cumbersome and unsightly or do not provide positive location lz i

I~

id I:i: ii i3 ii i-a i: ii! ii ;r ;:j ii

II!

;1 i i i iI;r :-i :i ,r ii ii !:i i i j ;j i r I i.[j of the louvres between a fully open and a fully closed position. Moreover some constructions are not adapted for convenient use with fly screens and the like. The present invention is intended to overcome or reduce the disadvantages of prior drive mechanisms for louvres or the like which is simple to manufacture and instal, convenient to operate and provides positive location of the louvres in any orientation.

Moreover, the present invention provides a simple and effective drive mechanism which is applicable to other purposes where an appropriate mounting means is available.

A drive mechanism for louvres or the like according to the present invention comprises a substantially channel shaped support member having an end wall and a pair of opposed resilient side walls, a worm gear rotatably mounted on said side walls and extending between said side walls, a pinion gear mounted on said end wall for rotation about an axis perpendicular to said end wall and engaging said worm Sgear for rotation thereby, said support member being adapted for engagement and retention within a channel shaped member by flexure of the side walls of said support member or said channel shaped member and engagement of the outer surface of the side walls of said support member with the inner surface of the side walls of said channel shaped member.

Generally, the support member and the channel shaped member will be of metal, such as aluminium or aluminium alloy or other metallic material but may equally be of suitable plastics material. In a preferred form the worm I 4 gear will be formed from a cylindrical member whereby the worm gear will have a portion of reduced diameter projecting from one side wall of the support member with that portion and the shoulder also providing a radial and longitudinal bearing surface in association with an aperture of similar diameter in that side wall. The other end of the worm gear may be of the same diameter as the worm and radially supported in an aperture of corresponding diameter in the other side wall. With this configuration the worm gear may be assembled in the support member by insertion through the larger aperture while the inner surface of the side wall of the channel shaped member in contact with the side wall of Sthe support member having the larger aperture forms a thrust surface or pad preventing longitudinal movement of the worm gear outwardly of the aperture.

The principal application of the present invention is as a drive mechanism for louvre windows. When adopted for this purpose the channel shaped member in which the support member is inserted will be a longitudinal member supporting one or more louvre supports or holders which are mounted for rotation between open and closed positions on the longitudinal member. In this application the pinion gear may include means adapted for pivotal connection to one or more links interconnecting the louvre supports and arranged to move the louvre supports between open and closed positions on activation of the worm gear. The worm gear may be connected to manually operable handle means through clutch means preventing overwinding of the worm gear.

In a preferred construction the longitudinal member may include inwardly projecting abutments on its side walls adapted to engage with outwardly directed recesses on the support member which act to positively retain the support member in engagement with the longitudinal member.

In order to explain the invention more fully, reference is made to the accompanying drawings of which FIG 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of operating mechanism according to the invention adapted for use with a louvre window; FIG 2 Js a side view of the arrangement of the worm gear; and 0444 0 FIG 3 is a view of the operating mechanism in association with a louvre channel assembly.

As illustrat-d in Fig 1, 1 is an operating mechanism according to the invention and 2 is a longitudinal member of a louvre window frame which is intended to support a plurality of rotatable louvre support members (not illustrated).

Operating mechanism 1 includes a channel shaped support member 3 having an end wall 4 and two opposed side walls 5 and 5a. Side walls 5 and 5a are configured to be resilient and are provided at their ends engaging end wall 4 with a longitudinal rebate while their free edges may be curved as illustrated. Support member 3 is adapted to be inserted between the side walls of longitudinal member 2 by flexure of either side wall 5 and 5a or the side walls of 0 itudinal member 2 or both. The free edges of the side L7 V i 6 J walls of longitudinal member 2 are provided with an inwardly jj directed lip which engages with the respective rebate of side j walls 5 and 5a to thereby positively jretain support member 3 in engagement with longitudinal member 2.

Support member 3 is provided with an aperture in each side wall which act as bearing supports for worm gear 6. As illustrated, the worm gear and its bearing surface on wall 5a have the same diameter while the portion of the worm gear 6a extending through side wall 5 and the bearing surface in that wall are of lesser diameter. Accordingly, worm gear i *6 can be assembled in support member 3 by passing it 'ii longitudinally successively through the bearing supports in i side walls 5a and 5. The shoulder between the worm portion and portion 6a acts to prevent longitudinal movement of the i 15 worm gear 6 in one direction while the inner surface of the ;I side wall of longitudinal member 2 abutting side wall prevents longitudinal movement of the worm gear in the il I. opposite direction.

Worm gear 6 engages pinion gear 7 which is rotatably mounted on end wall 4 of support member 3. If desired, pinion gear 7 may include a shaft which projects through an aperture in end wall 4 and thus be removable therefrom. Pinion gear 7 is provided with pins 8 and 8a which are each adapted to pivotally engage a link extending longitudinally in longitudinal member 2 and which provide a linkage for moving louvre support members mounted on longitudinal member 2 between open and closed positions. The Li I J 7 length of pin 8 and 8a may be selected to lightly contact the inner surface of the base of longitudinal member 2 to thus prevent axial movement of pinion gear 7. Operation of the louvre supports may be effected by a suitable handle attached to shaft portion 6a of worm gear 6.

Fig 3 illustrates the association of the operating mechanism with a louvre channel assembly 20. Louvre channel assembly 20 comprises a longitudinal member 2 having a pair of opposed side walls 21, 22 connected by a rear wall 23. The terminal ends of side walls 21, 22 are provided with a longitudinal bead 24 extending at right angles from its o respective side wall. Side walls 21, 22 can flex outwardly o for a sufficient amount to allow the operating mechanism 1 to o o be press-fitted into the louvre channel assembly 20. Beads 24 f 0 S engage with a respective rebate 25 on operating mechanism 1 to o 00 Sprovide a locking means to lock operating mechanism 1 into the louvre channel assembly. In this manner, the operating mechanism 1 can be simply and conveniently snap-fitted to a 0 S louvre channel assembly without the requirement of bolts, Srivets or other forms of fasteners.

Louvre channel assembly 20 includes a pair of longitudinal links 26, 27 which are pivotally secured to spaced pivot plates 28, each pivot plate supporting a respective loivre (shown in phantom in Fig Links 26, 27 and pivot plate 28 are of conventional design and manufacture.

Each L.ink 26, 27 is provided with an opening 29, which is dimensioned to accept pins 8, 8A on pinion gear 7.

It can be seen from Fig 3 that rotation of pinion gear 7 by 8 worm gear 6 will result in one of the links being moved in one direction and the other of the links being moved in the other direction thereby pivoting the louvres to a desired open or closed position depending upon the direction of rotation of pinion gear 7 and worm gear 6.

A slot 31 is provided in one side wall 21 of the louvre channel assembly 20 to accommodate portion 6A of worm gear 6.

Portion 6A can be coupled to a winding handle (not shown) to assist in rotation of worm gear 6.

It will be appreciated that the present invention o" provides an extremely simple and effective operating mechanism S adapted to co-operate with a channel shaped longitudinal o member. It will also be appreciated that the invention is not S restricted to the embodiment illustrated and includes all ii coo o constructions which fall within the scope of the claims.

i i th0~Li

Claims (9)

1. A drive assembly for opening and closing louvres, said drive assembly comprising an elongate support having an end wall and a pair of opposed side walls and adapted for engagement with a louvre channel assembly, a worm gear rotatably mounted to said side walls and extending therebetween one end of said worm gear adapted to be operatively connected to a winding handle, a pinion gear rotatably mounted to said end wall about an axis perpendicular to said wall and engaging said worm gear for rotation thereby, said pinion gear including engagement means to engage with and operate one or more links in said louvre channel assembly, said one or more links assisting in opening and closing said louvres.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pinion gear includes a pair of engagement means to engage with a pair of links.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the engagement means comprise a pair of diametrically opposed pins extending from one side face of said pinion gear each pin engaging with a respective link.

4. The assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said drive assembly is lockingly engageable with said louvre channel assembly.

The assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein said v ouvre channel assembly includes a pair of opposed side walls 4;& /S i and these side walls together with the side walls of said elongate support include locking means to lockingly engage the drive assembly to the louvre channel assembly.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said locking means comprises a projection on a side wall of the ri louvre channel assembly which co-operates with a recess on the side wall of the elongate support.

S7. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the side wall of the louvre channel assembly and/or Sthe side wall of the elongate support are resiliently deformable to allow the drive assembly to be press-fitted into Sthe louvre channel assembly.

8. The assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein one end of said worm gear includes a portion of reduced diameter terminating with a shoulder, and wherein the *j pair of opposed side walls on said elongate support are each j provided with an aperture to rotatably support the worm gear, one of said apertures being of reduced size relative to the i other of said apertures whereby said worm gear can be inserted j through the larger of said apertures and said portion of i reduced diameter can be inserted through the smaller of said apertures with the shoulder portion overlying said aperture of Sreduced diameter thereby preventing further longitudinal movement of said worm gear.

9. The assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said pinion gear is removably mounted to said elongate support. v I t..o "r, _e, I 4 ji I S 1 1 A drive assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Twentysecond day of May, 1991. NACO INDUSTRIES PTY LTD I by their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. s i 4 II 1 'Ii I I:; f i i I 2