Carrier device for window balance assembly
AssigneeCaldwell Manufacturing Company North America, LLC
InventorsJay Sofianek, Richard S. DeNormand
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A window balance assembly may include a spring member, a mounting bracket, and a carrier. The spring member may include a first portion and a second portion. The mounting bracket may engage the first portion of the spring member. The carrier may include an upper body portion supporting the second portion of the spring member and removably engaging the mounting bracket, a lower body portion rotatably supporting a cam, and an elongated central portion extending between the upper body portion and the lower body portion. The elongated central portion may be resiliently flexible to allow movement of the lower body portion relative to the upper body portion.
Claims23
A carrier for a window balance assembly comprising:
- an upper body portion engaging a spring member;
- a lower body portion rotatably supporting a cam;
- and
- an elongated central portion extending between the upper body portion and the lower body portion, the elongated central portion being resiliently flexible to allow movement of the lower body portion relative to the upper body portion.
A window balance assembly comprising:
- a spring member having a first portion and a second portion;
- a mounting bracket engaging the first portion of the spring member;
- and
- a carrier including an upper body portion supporting the second portion of the spring member and removably engaging the mounting bracket, a lower body portion rotatably supporting a cam, and an elongated central portion extending between the upper body portion and the lower body portion, the elongated central portion being resiliently flexible to allow movement of the lower body portion relative to the upper body portion.
The window balance assembly of claim 16, wherein the spring member comprises a curl spring.
A method of installing a window balance assembly into a window jamb, the window balance assembly including a carrier having a first portion supporting one of a spring member and a cam and a second portion supporting the other of the spring member and the cam, the method comprising:
- inserting the first portion into a jamb channel of the window jam through a cutout in the window jamb, the cutout being disposed between upper and lower vertical ends of the window jamb;
- flexing a central portion of the carrier that extends between the first and second portions so that the second portion moves relative to the first portion;
- sliding the first portion within the jamb channel toward one of the upper and lower vertical ends;
- and
- allowing the central portion of the carrier to resiliently unflex to receive the central portion and the second portion into the jamb channel through the cutout.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.