Slide mechanism for fenestration unit and associated methods
AssigneePella Corporation
InventorTodd A Bernhagen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fenestration units that include slide mechanisms that operate the unit through linear motion. Slide mechanism designs include a handle, a slide member coupled to the handle, and a linear rail along which the slide member is slidably received such that the slide member is operable to slide in a linear motion. The slide member includes an attachment structure for operatively coupling with a drive belt to transfer linear motion through a transfer mechanism to a drive mechanism of the unit. The attachment structure is attached to the drive belt such that a position of the attachment mechanism along the length of the drive belt may be adjusted by a user.
Claims13
A method of adjusting a slide mechanism of a fenestration unit including a frame, a panel coupled to the frame such that the panel is movable between an open position and a closed position, a drive mechanism coupled to the frame and operable to actuate the panel between the open and closed positions, a transfer mechanism including a drive belt having a length, and a slide mechanism including a handle, a slide member coupled to the handle, and a linear rail along which the slide member is slidably received, the method including releasing a portion of the drive belt from the slide mechanism, sliding the slide mechanism along the length of the drive belt, and releasably re-attaching the slide mechanism to the drive belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.