Fenestration unit operator tensioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725446-B2
Application number	US-202117325070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2021
Priority date	Aug 25, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A tensioner for a fenestration unit operator includes a base and a guide including a track, the track slidably receiving the base such that the base is restricted to sliding in a first direction with respect to the guide along a sliding axis and a second direction with respect to the guide along the sliding axis that is opposite to the first direction. The tensioner includes a pawl and a ratchet each being a part of one of the sled and the guide, respectively, the pawl being in biased engagement with the ratchet to permit sliding in the first direction and restrict sliding in the second direction, the pawl being configured to be manually disengaged from the ratchet to permit sliding in the second direction. The tensioner includes a pulley coupled to the sled such that the pulley is free to rotate about a rotational axis that is transverse to the sliding axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tensioner for a fenestration unit operator, the tensioner comprising:
a sled including a base and a pawl;
a guide including a track and a ratchet, the track slidably receiving the base such that the base is restricted to sliding in a first direction with respect to the guide along a sliding axis and a second direction with respect to the guide along the sliding axis that is opposite to the first direction, the pawl being in biased engagement with the ratchet to permit sliding in the first direction and restrict sliding in the second direction, the pawl being configured to be manually disengaged from the ratchet to permit sliding in the second direction, the pawl including a neck portion and a head portion having a first plurality of teeth, the plurality of teeth of the head portion being engaged with the ratchet and the neck portion being configured to be bent to elastically deflect to permit sliding of the sled in the first direction with respect to the guide and to be flexed to manually disengage the head portion from the ratchet to permit sliding of the sled in the second direction with respect to the guide; and
a pulley coupled to the sled such that the pulley is free to rotate about a rotational axis that is transverse to the sliding axis.

2. The tensioner of claim 1 , wherein the pawl includes the first plurality of teeth and the ratchet includes a second plurality of teeth, the first and second pluralities of teeth configured to mate with one another to permit ratcheted sliding in the first direction.

3. The tensioner of claim 1 , wherein the head includes a lip that defines a receiving slot for accessing the lip to flex the neck portion to manually disengage the head from the ratchet.

4. The tensioner of claim 1 , further comprising a linear rail forming a channel that receives the sled and guide, the guide being fixed to the linear rail.

5. The tensioner of claim 4 , wherein the guide has opposing ears that are wider than adjacent portions of the guide, the ears being configured to abut against an end of the linear rail when the guide is inserted into the channel of the linear rail.

6. The tensioner of claim 1 , wherein the sled forms opposing retention shoulders and the guide forms opposing retention channels, the opposing retention shoulders of the sled being received in the opposing retention channels of the guide to slidably retain the sled to the guide.

7. The tensioner of claim 1 , wherein the sled includes a mount for the pulley.

8. The tensioner of claim 7 , wherein the pulley includes a wheel and a shaft coupled to the wheel, the shaft being coupled to the mount such that the wheel is free to rotate.

9. A fenestration unit comprising:
a frame;
a panel hinged to the frame such that the panel is pivotable between an open position and a closed position; and
an operator assembly operable for actuating the panel between the open and closed positions, the operator assembly including a drive belt and a drive mechanism, the drive belt being tensioned to the drive mechanism by a tensioner, the tensioner including,
a sled including a base and a pawl;
a guide including a track and a ratchet, the track slidably receiving the base such that the base is restricted to sliding in a first direction with respect to the guide along a sliding axis and a second direction with respect to the guide along the sliding axis that is opposite to the first direction, the pawl being in biased engagement with the ratchet to permit sliding in the first direction and restrict sliding in the second direction, the pawl being configured to be manually disengaged from the ratchet to permit sliding in the second direction; and
a pulley coupled to the sled such that the pulley is free to rotate about a rotational axis that is transverse to the sliding axis.

10. The tensioner of claim 9 , wherein the pawl includes a first plurality of teeth and the ratchet includes a second plurality of teeth, the first and second pluralities of teeth configured to mate with one another to permit ratcheted sliding in the first direction.

11. The tensioner of claim 9 , wherein pawl includes a neck portion and a head portion, the head portion being engaged with the ratchet and the neck portion being configured to elastically deflect to permit sliding of the sled in the first direction with respect to the guide and to be flexed to manually disengage the head portion from the ratchet to permit sliding of the sled in the second direction with respect to the guide.

12. The tensioner of claim 11 , wherein the head includes a lip that defines a receiving slot for accessing the lip to flex the neck portion to manually disengage the head from the ratchet.

13. The tensioner of claim 9 , further comprising a linear rail forming a channel that receives the sled and guide, the guide being fixed to the linear rail.

14. The tensioner of claim 13 , wherein the guide has opposing ears that are wider than adjacent portions of the guide, the ears being configured to abut against an end of the linear rail when the guide is inserted into the channel of the linear rail.

15. The tensioner of claim 9 , wherein the sled forms opposing retention shoulders and the guide forms opposing retention channels, the opposing retention shoulders of the sled being received in the opposing retention channels of the guide to slidably retain the sled to the guide.

16. The tensioner of claim 9 , wherein the sled includes a mount for the pulley.

17. The tensioner of claim 16 , wherein the pulley includes a wheel and a shaft coupled to the wheel, the shaft being coupled to the mount such that the wheel is free to rotate.

18. A tensioner for a fenestration unit operator, the tensioner comprising:
a sled including a base;
a guide including a track, the track slidably receiving the base such that the base is restricted to sliding in a first direction with respect to the guide along a sliding axis and a second direction with respect to the guide along the sliding axis that is opposite to the first direction;
a pawl and a ratchet each being a part of one of the sled and the guide, respectively, the pawl being in biased engagement with the ratchet to permit sliding in the first direction and restrict sliding in the second direction, the pawl being configured to be manually disengaged from the ratchet to permit sliding in the second direction, the pawl including a neck portion and a head portion having a plurality of teeth, the plurality of teeth of the head portion being engaged with the ratchet and the neck portion being configured to be bent to elastically deflect to permit sliding of the sled in the first direction with respect to the guide and to be flexed to manually disengage the head portion from the ratchet to permit sliding of the sled in the second direction with respect to the guide; and
a pulley coupled to the sled such that the pulley is free to rotate about a rotational axis that is transverse to the sliding axis.

19. The tensioner of claim 18 , wherein the pawl is part of the sled and the ratchet is part of the guide.

20. A tensioner for a fenestration unit operator, the tensioner comprising:
a sled including a base and a pawl;
a guide including a track and a ratchet, the track slidably receiving the base such that the base is restricted to sliding in a first direction with respect to the guide along a sliding axis and a second direction with respect to the guide along the sliding axis that is opposite to the first direction, the pawl being in biased engagement

Assignees

• Pella Corp

Inventors

• Bernhagen Todd A

Classifications

• E05F11/16 Primary

  shifting the wing by pivotally-connected members {(moving) in a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis of the wing} · CPC title

• E05F11/10 Primary

  Mechanisms by which a handle moves the bar · CPC title

• E05F15/627

  operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables (using flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/619) · CPC title

• E05Y2900/148

  Windows · CPC title

• F16H2007/0891

  Linear path · CPC title