WO2014181271A1

WO2014181271A1 - Fixed window assembly, such as a portole for a boat

Info

Publication number: WO2014181271A1
Application number: PCT/IB2014/061271
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ermenegildo Sossai
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-05-09
Filing date: 2014-05-07
Publication date: 2014-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2015-11-09
Also published as: ITPN20130026A1

Abstract

The present invention concerns a fixed window assembly (1) such as a porthole for boats, comprising a frame (2) associable to an opening (A) formed on a wall separating an inner space (I) and an outer space (E), said frame (2) being provided with retaining means (22) projecting toward the center of said opening (A); and a panel (4) provided with a support frame (5) comprising engagement means (55) suitable to cooperate with said retaining means (22) to hold said panel (4) firmly abutted against said frame (2). In particular, said retaining means (22) are movable between a first position, wherein said engaging means (55) can be associated to and dissociated from said retaining means (22) to allow the positioning and removal of said panel (4) on said frame (2), and a second position in which said panel (4) is firmly secured to said frame (2) through the mutual engagement of said retaining means (22) and said engaging means (55) by operating through a maneuvering aperture (30) between the outer edges of said panel (4) and said wall from the outer space (E). The present invention also regards a method for mounting a window assembly (1) to an opening (A) formed on a wall suitable to separate an inner space (I) and an outer space (E), in which are provided operating steps that can be carried out from the outer space (E).

Description

"FIXED WINDOW ASSEMBLY, SUCH AS A PORTOLE FOR A BOAT"

DESCRIPTION TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The present invention refers to a window assembly and to the method for mounting the same. More specifically, the present invention concerns a fixed, that is, not openable, window assembly, such as a porthole suitable to be mounted on a boat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[002] In the shipbuilding field, a known practice is to provide the sides of boats with portholes, or small openings of different shapes closed by relative hatch doors, designed to allow air and light into the internal spaces in the boat. In particular, said portholes comprise a frame on which is mounted the hatch door, which it may or may not be possible to open, generally made of a plate of transparent material, for example tempered glass or a polymeric material such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

[003] Normally, the portholes suitable to be mounted on the lower decks, that is, those nearest the surface of the water, are fixed (that is, they cannot be opened) and must be designed so as to meet rather stringent requirements: said portholes must first of all guarantee absolute watertightness, for example in case of adverse weather conditions. Moreover, said portholes must have a high structural strength to withstand high stress levels due to repeated overpressure/low-pressure cycles caused by waves or wind, without yielding in any way. The extent of the stresses depends on the approval class of the boat.

[004] Thus, in general, for this type of porthole the transparent hatch is held firmly pressed against the corresponding frame provided with elastomeric seals by means of devices such as high-strength screws, bolts or snap levers provided both inside and outside the boat, and subsequently sealed around the whole inner and outer perimeter with appropriate structural sealing compounds.

[005] Currently, the operations needed to completely finish a boat, starting from the unfinished state, last many months and require a perfect coordination of the different workers employed in the project so that each can perform the respective tasks in the correct sequence.

[006] When the shipyard makes the boat available in the unfinished state, the personnel involved in the finishing operations carry out suitable measurements to assess possible (but frequent) divergences of the built structure from the design, and consequently determine the necessary measures to rectify such divergences. For example, the caulker must determine the thickness of the caulking compound necessary to level the plating of the vessel.

[007] The window fitter/glazier measures, on the glazing putty, the exact dimensions of the openings on which each porthole will be mounted. Consequently, he prepares the frames, generally formed from structural metal sections, to associate to each opening, which, once mounted, define the fixed points for caulking and make it possible to shape the corresponding transparent plates.

[008] At this point, however, since the installation of the transparent plates is carried out by operating both from inside and outside the boat, it would be advisable for the upholsterer and the decorator to wait before starting their work until the portholes have been completely installed: in fact, in some vessels, such as cruise ships or yachts, the interior decorations are generally of valuable quality, and there is the risk that the fitter could involuntarily damage them in the course of the porthole mounting operations.

[009] Hence, the work can extend for several months, and often complications occur that cause further delays in the delivery of the finished product, with consequent payments of fines or non-performance penalties to the port authority or to the customer.

[0010]The same problems are also found in the case in which it is necessary to replace one or more portholes due, for example, to damage or wear, or to carry out works to renovate the boat. In this case, too, in fact, the operator will have to work from inside the cabin and in doing so could cause damage to the cabin decorations. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011]The main objective of the subject matter of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art by devising a window assembly, such as a porthole for boats, and the relative installation method that enables the installation of the transparent panel on the frame through operations carried out exclusively from outside and that also make it possible to subsequently remove the same by operating from outside, so as to significantly shorten the finishing times on the boat and to avoid causing damage to the interior decorations during the installation.

[0012] In the scope of the above objective, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a porthole for boats that is easy to manufacture and that can be mounted extremely easily and rapidly.

[0013] A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a porthole having the requirements of structural strength and watertightness required to allow its installation on boats and vessels.

[0014] Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a porthole that is also visually appealing.

[0015]The above-mentioned objective, purposes and advantages, as well as others that will become more evident in the following specification, are achieved by a window assembly as defined in claim 1 and by a method of installation as defined in claim 7.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0016]The subsequent claims define further characteristics of a window assembly according to the present invention that will be better illustrated in the description of a particular, but not exclusive, embodiment illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached figures, in which:

- figure 1 is a front view of a window assembly according to the present invention;

- figure 2 is an A-A cross-section view of the window assembly of figure 1 ;

- figure 3 is a B-B cross-section view of the window assembly of figure 1 ;

- figure 4 illustrates an exploded view of the components of the window assembly according to the invention;

- figures 5 and 6 are perspective views showing two phases of installation of a window assembly according to the present invention;

- figure 7 is an A-A cross-section view of a variant embodiment of the window assembly of figure 1 ;

- figure 8 shows an exploded view of the components forming the window assembly according to the variant embodiment of the invention;

- figures 9 and 10 illustrate, in perspective views, two steps in the method of mounting of a window assembly according to the variant embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0017] With reference to the above-mentioned figures, a fixed window assembly according to the present invention will be illustrated, said assembly being suitable to be associated to an opening A formed on a wall separating an inner space I from an outer space E; in particular, the invention regards a porthole 1 of fixed (that is, not openable) type suitable to be installed on a boat (figure 1 ). Clearly, the teachings of the present invention can also be applied, for example, to the building industry when problems similar to the ones illustrated above are found, as will be obvious to a person skilled in the field.

[0018] In the following specification may be used terms such as "above", "below", "upper", "lower", "high", "low" and the like; an expert in the field will have no problem understanding that such terms refer to the orientation of the porthole 1 and of its various components in their normal working position, that is, when in use, as shown in the accompanying figures.

[0019]Said porthole 1 comprises a frame 2, preferably formed from a plurality of structural metal sections and associable in a known manner through suitable fastening means to an opening A formed on the side of a boat made, for example, of fiberglass, and a panel 4, preferably of transparent material such as glass or a polymeric material, such as PMMA.

[0020]According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, said frame 2 comprises retaining means 22 suitable to cooperate with engaging means 55 connected to said panel 4 to firmly secure said panel 4 to said frame 2 by pressing it in abutment against the frame 2. In particular, said retaining means 22 are movable between a first position, wherein the positioning of the panel 4 and/or its possible removal from the frame 2 is possible since said retaining means 22 do not hinder the passage of said engaging means 55, and a second position wherein said retaining means 22 engage said engaging means 55, retaining the panel 4 abutted against the frame 2 and preventing its removal.

[0021] Preferably, said frame 2 is mounted on the shell plating 10 when the boat is in the unfinished state; its precise position is determined in cooperation with the caulker, who determines the thickness of the caulking compound 20 to apply to the plating to obtain the external finish.

[0022]Said frame 2 is advantageously formed with a plurality of structural sections suitably jointed so as to frame the opening A that is to be fitted with a porthole. Each of the structural sections that form the frame 2 comprises a first portion 2A, suitable to be embedded to a certain depth D inside the boat, that is, substantially flush with the caulked surface 20 of the plating 10 and thus not visible, and a second portion 2B, associated with said first portion 2A and projecting with respect to the caulked surface 20 of the plating 10 (figures 2 and 3).

[0023]Said second portion 2B is suitable to be secured to an inner finishing wall 3 of the boat that hides said frame 2 from inside I the boat cabin. The inner wall 3 can for example form a wall of the recess in which the porthole 1 is inserted.

[0024]A guiding groove 12, substantially rectilinear and having a U-shaped cross section, extends for the entire length of the first portion 2A of each structural section; said guiding groove 1 2 is suitable to house said retaining means 22, formed by an elongate body 22B, having a cross section that can be substantially coupled to the cross section of said guiding groove 12 and is provided with a first toothing 22A formed by a plurality of first retaining teeth, preferably flat and elongate, projecting from said groove 12 toward the center of the opening A. The size, shape and arrangement of the teeth in said first toothing 22A depend on calculations of structure and tightness.

[0025]According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said body 22B is slidable within said guiding groove 12, so that its position, and consequently the position of said first toothing 22A integral with it, can be varied within the corresponding structural section of the frame 2.

[0026]The transparent panel 4 suitable to be associated with the frame 2 to form the porthole 1 has substantially the shape and size suitable to properly close the opening A formed on the plating 10 of a boat; however, at least one maneuvering aperture 30 must be left free between the edges of the panel 4 and the first portion 2A of the structural sections of the frame 2, arranged substantially flush with the plating 10, so as to make it possible to carry out the installation from outside E the boat, as explained below.

[0027]Said panel 4 is provided, on the side facing inward I, with a support frame 5 comprising a plurality of preferably metallic structural sections that are preassembled on said panel 4, each of them substantially secured near the outer edge of the panel 4, as shown in figure 4. In particular, each of the structural sections forming said support frame 5 comprises a flat surface through which it is coupled to the panel 4 before being installed on the frame 2, by interposing for example a layer of biadhesive material 51 and a structural sealing compound 52.

[0028]On the edge portion of the panel 4 on which the support frame 5 is secured a silkscreen print 53 can be applied to produce an aesthetic masking so that the support frame 5 is not visible from outside the boat when the porthole 1 is installed.

[0029] Each of the structural sections forming the support frame 5 is provided with engaging means 55 comprising a second toothing 55A formed by a second plurality of teeth.

[0030] In particular, the teeth of said first toothing 22A are spaced apart from each other at a center distance such as to allow the passage of the teeth from said second toothing 55A when said sliding body 22 is in a first position, as shown in figure 5. Thus, when said sliding body 22 is in said first position, said panel 4 can be associated to said frame 2 by placing said support frame 5 against the second portion 2B of said frame 2.

[0031] In this manner, to carry out the installation of the panel 4, it is sufficient to set the panel 4 in a position corresponding with the frame 2, making the teeth of said second toothing 55A pass through the gaps interposed between the corresponding teeth of said first toothing 22A, so that each structural section forming the support frame 5 is positioned in contact with the corresponding second portion 2B of said frame 2, as shown in figure 5.

[0032]To hold the panel 4 in a contact position against the frame 2, it is thus sufficient to slide, as shown by the arrows F in figure 6, said body 22B within the relative guiding groove 12 from said first position to a second position, wherein the teeth of said first toothing 22A at least partially overlap the teeth of said second toothing 55A; at this point, by operating on appropriate locking means 40, such as a plurality of grub screws, said body 22B is locked in said second position, fastening the panel 4 into abutment against the frame 2 and thus forming the porthole 1 .

[0033]The access to said grub screws 40 with an appropriate tool to fasten them is possible from the outside E through the maneuvering aperture 30 that remains open between the panel 4 and the first portion 2A of said frame 2; following the assembling of the panel 4 on the frame 2, said open maneuvering aperture 30 can be sealed with the application of an appropriate sealant 42.

[0034] However, in order to allow the removal of the panel 4 at a later moment, an anti-adhesive material 41 , such as a bead of filtene, can be advantageously inserted into the maneuvering aperture 30 before applying the sealant 42 so that the locking grub screws 40 are not buried in the sealant 42.

[0035]According to a variant embodiment of the invention, illustrated in figure 7, said first toothing 22A' can be formed by a plurality of pins, having advantageously a substantially square cross section, rotatably associated to said body 22B sliding inside the guiding groove 12 as shown by the arrows F of figure 10 to adjust its position. In particular, similarly to the previously described embodiment, the pins of the first toothing 22A' are spaced apart from each other at a center distance such as to allow the passage of the teeth of said second toothing 55A to bring them into abutment against said second portion 2B of the frame 2 when the pins of the first toothing 22A' occupy a first position (figures 8 and 9).

[0036]The passage from said first position to said second position, in which the passage of said second plurality of teeth 55A and thus the removal of the panel 4 is prevented, is achieved by rotating said pins around 90 ° about their main axis, as shown by the arrows T in figure 10.

[0037] In fact, since the pins of said first toothing 22A' have a substantially square cross section, there is at least one position in which the longitudinal cross section of the pins is minimal and corresponds to the side of the square cross section and, following a rotation of about 90 °, they reach a second position in which the longitudinal cross section is larger than the side of the square cross section as, consequently, are also their dimensions, thus at least partly overlapping the teeth of said second toothing 55A and therefore preventing their passage.

[0038]The present invention also regards a method for mounting a fixed window assembly 1 , in particularly a porthole for a boat, on an aperture A. Said method comprises the following steps of:

- associating the frame 2 to an opening A formed on a wall (on the shell plating 10 of a boat in case of a porthole), arranging said retaining means 22 of said frame 2 in said first position (figure 4);

- prearranging said panel 4 in correspondence with said opening A so that said engaging means 55 are associated with said retaining means 22 to allow the positioning of the panel 4 against said frame 2 (figure 5);

- moving said retaining means 22 to said second position so that said retaining means 22 and said engaging means 55 are mutually engaged, said step being performed through a maneuvering aperture 30 provided between the lateral edges of said panel 4 and said wall from the outer space E (figure 6), and finally

- locking said retaining means 22 in said second position so that said panel 4 is firmly abutted against said frame 2. [0039]According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the steps of the assembling method which consist of positioning the panel 4 on said opening A and of moving said retaining means 22 from said first position to said second position are performed from outside E the boat.

[0040] In fact, the movement of said retaining means 22 from said first position to said second position is performed by the user by means of a tool, operating through said maneuvering aperture 30 freely accessed between the panel 4 and the plating of the boat 10 from the outside E.

[0041] When said retaining means 22 are arranged in said second position, in which they are engaged with said engaging means 55 and hold the panel 4 abutted against the frame 2, their position is fixed by operating on the locking means 40, such as for example a plurality of grub screws, which are firmly fastened and prevent further movements of said retaining means 22.

[0042] Finally, after having fastened the grub screws 40, the maneuvering aperture 30 is closed by injecting a sealing agent 42 having suitable characteristics of watertightness and elasticity.

[0043]The passage from said first to said second position is achieved by moving said body 22B as shown by the arrows F of figure 6 within the corresponding guiding groove 12, so that the teeth of said second toothing 55A overlap at least partially the teeth of said first toothing 22A.

[0044] If a window assembly according to the variant embodiment described with reference to figure 7 is used, said retaining means 22 comprise a first toothing 22A' formed by a plurality of pins with a square cross section, rotatable about their axis. In this case, the passage from said first position to said second position is performed by shifting said body 22B, if required, within the guiding groove 12 in the direction shown by the arrow F in figure 10, and then rotating the pins of the first toothing 22A' around their extension axis about 90 ° as shown by the arrows T of figure 10, so as to move them from a first position in which their dimension is smallest to a second position in which their dimension is largest.

[0045]Advantageously, in order to allow the removal of the panel 4 at a later moment, an anti-adhesive element 41 , such as a filtene bead, can be advantageously inserted into the maneuvering aperture 30 before injecting in it the sealant 42, so that said grub screws 40 are not buried.

[0046]Thus, to remove the panel 4, while operating from outside E the boat, it is sufficient to strip away the sealant 42, for example by means of a box cutter, and to pull off the anti-adhesive element 41 that covers said grub screws 40 so as to have access to them. Subsequently, it is necessary to carry out in reverse order the same operations performed to install the panel 4, namely: loosening the grub screws 40 and moving said retaining means 22 from said second position to said first position; detaching said engaging means 55 from said retaining means 22, and finally removing the panel 4 from said frame 2.

[0047] In conclusion, from the above it is evident how the present invention achieves the initially foreseen purposes and advantages. In fact, a window assembly, in particular a porthole for a boat, has been devised, in which the operations to perform to mount the transparent panel on the frame are extremely fast and can be carried out exclusively from outside.

[0048] Moreover, thanks to a window assembly according to the invention, the transparent panel can be removed from the frame, for example to be repaired or replaced, through fast operations carried out from outside; in this manner, in the case of a boat, the times for installing and/or removing the portholes are noticeably shortened and, in addition, no damage is caused to the prized and luxurious interior decoration.

[0049]As is illustrated in the foregoing description, a window assembly according to the present invention has the structural strength and watertightness required to allow its installation, for example, on boats, and it is also rather simple to build.

[0050] Finally, thanks to some technical design devices, the window assembly of the present invention also proves to be aesthetically pleasing.

[0051] Naturally, the invention is amenable to many modifications or variants without thereby departing from its scope of patent protection as defined by any of the attached claims.

[0052] Moreover, the materials used to implement the present invention, as well as the shapes and dimensions of the individual components, may be the most suitable for the specific requirements.

Claims

1. Fixed window assembly (1 ) comprising

- a frame (2) adapted to be associated to an opening (A) formed on a wall separating an inner space (I) from an outer space (E), said frame (2) being provided with retaining means (22) projecting towards the center of said opening (A);

- a panel (4) provided with a support frame (5) comprising engaging means (55) adapted to cooperate with said retaining means (22) for retaining said panel (4) firmly abutted against said frame (2),

characterized in that

said retaining means (22) are movable between a first position, wherein said engaging means (55) are able to be associated and dissociated with said retaining means (22) allowing said panel (4) to be arranged on and removed from said frame (2), and a second position wherein said panel (4) is firmly secured to said frame (2) through the mutual engagement of said retaining means (22) with said engaging means (55) by acting from the outer space (E) through a maneuvering aperture (30) provided between the lateral edges of said panel (4) and said wall.

2. Window assembly (1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said retaining means (22) comprise a body (22B) provided with a first toothing (22A, 22A') formed by a first plurality of teeth projecting toward the center of said opening (A), said engaging means (55) comprising a second toothing (55A) formed by a second plurality of teeth, the pitch of said first toothing (22A, 22A') being configured such as to allow the passage of the teeth of said second toothing (55A) when said retaining means (22) are in said first position.

3. Window assembly (1 ) according to claim 2, wherein said body (22B) is slidable within a guiding groove (12) provided on at least a portion of the frame (2) to move between said first position and said second position, wherein the teeth of said first toothing (22A) are at least partially overlapping the teeth of said second toothing (55A).

4. Window assembly (1 ) according to claim 3, wherein locking means (40) are provided for securing said retaining means (22) in said second position.

5. Window assembly (1 ) according to claim 2, wherein said first toothing (22Α') is formed by a first plurality of pins having square section and protruding from said body (22B), said pins being rotatable about their axis to move between said first position, wherein their longitudinal section is smaller and corresponds to the side of the square section, and said second position, wherein their longitudinal section is larger than the side of the square section thus overlapping at least partially the teeth of said second toothing (55A).

6. Porthole (1 ) for a boat associable with an opening (A) formed on the plating (10) of a boat according to any one of the preceding claims.

7. Method for mounting a window assembly (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims to an opening (A) formed on a wall adapted to separate an inner space (I) and an outer space (E), comprising the steps of :

a) associating said frame (2) to said opening (A), arranging said retaining means (22) of said frame (2) in said first position;

b) locking said retaining means (22) so that said panel (4) is firmly abutted against said frame (2),

characterized in that between said step a) and said step b) are provided the following steps performed by acting from the outer space (E):

c) arranging said panel (4) in correspondence of said opening (A) associating said engaging means (55) with said retaining means (22) of said frame (2); d) moving said retaining means (22) from said first position to said second position so that said retaining means (22) and said engaging means (55) are mutually engaged, said step d) being performed from the outer space (E) through said maneuvering aperture (30) provided between the lateral edges of said panel (4) and said wall.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein said step d) is performed by sliding said retaining means (22) from said first position to said second position such that the teeth of a first toothing (22A) of said retaining means (22) overlaps at least partially the teeth of a second toothing (55A) forming said engaging means (55).

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein said step d) is performed by rotating about their axis a plurality of pins forming a first toothing (22Α') of said retaining means (22) from said first position, wherein the longitudinal section of said pins is smaller and corresponds to the side of the square section, and said second position wherein the longitudinal section of said pins is larger than the side of the square section such that to overlap at least partially the teeth of a second toothing (55A) forming said engaging means (55).

10. Method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein after said step b), said maneuvering aperture (30) is closed from the outer space (E) by inserting an element (41 ) made by an anti-adhesive material and a sealant (42).