Actuator for a tilt-latch for a sash window

1. A tilt-latch for a sash window disposed within opposed guide rails on a master frame, the sash window comprises a top rail, a base and two stiles connected together at their extremities, the tilt-latch adapted for releaseably securing the sash window to the master frame, the tilt-latch comprising:

a housing adapted to be supported by the top rail, the housing having an outward end opening and a cover;

a latch bolt slidably disposed within the housing and having a nose adapted for engaging a respective one of the guide rails; and,

an actuator connected to the latch bolt and sized to be positioned over the entire cover, wherein the actuator slides along the cover to move the latch bolt within the housing.

2. The tilt-latch of claim 1 further comprising means for biasing the latch bolt through the outward end opening.

3. The tilt-latch of claim 1 wherein the cover has opposed longitudinal peripheral edges and the actuator has opposed depending longitudinal flanges, the flanges being positioned over the peripheral edges.

4. The tilt-latch of claim 3 wherein the flanges slide along the peripheral edges when the latch bolt is retracted into the housing.

5. The tilt-latch of claim 1 wherein the housing is adapted for substantially flush installation in the top rail wherein the cover is adapted to be positioned on the top rail, wherein the actuator slides along the cover when retracting the latch bolt into the housing exposing a front segment of the cover.

6. The tilt-latch of claim 1 wherein the latch bolt has a slot and the actuator has a post, the post being received by the slot.

7. The tilt-latch of claim 6 wherein latch bolt has a finger extending into the slot and the actuator post has a tab, the tab engaging an underside of the finger.

8. The tilt-latch of claim 6 wherein the cover has an elongated opening wherein the post extends through the elongated opening and into the slot.

9. The tilt-latch of claim 6 wherein the actuator has a pair of ridges depending from an underside of the actuator and extending from the post.

10. The tilt-latch of claim 1 wherein the actuator has an underside surface, the underside surface having a recessed portion accommodating the cover of the housing.

11. The tilt-latch of claim 10 wherein the actuator is rectangular, the recessed portion being rectangular and corresponding in size to the cover.

12. The tilt-latch of claim 10 wherein the cover has a rear transverse edge that engages a rear transverse edge defined by the recessed portion.

13. The tilt-latch of claim 1 wherein the housing is adapted for substantially flush installation in the top rail and wherein the actuator is adapted to slide along a top surface of the top rail when the latch bolt is retracted into the housing.

14. The tilt-latch of claim 1 wherein the actuator is made of metal.

15. The tilt-latch of claim 14 wherein the actuator is made of zinc.

16. The tilt-latch of claim 1 wherein the housing and latch bolt are made from plastic.

17. A tilt-latch for a sash window disposed within opposed guide rails on a master frame, the sash window comprises a top rail, a base and two stiles connected together at their extremities, the tilt-latch adapted for releaseably securing the sash window to the master frame, the tilt-latch comprising:

a plastic housing adapted to be supported by the top rail, the housing having an outward end opening and a cover;

a plastic latch bolt disposed within the housing and having a nose adapted for engaging a respective one of the guide rails; and

a metal actuator connected to the latch bolt and sized to be positioned over the entire cover, wherein the actuator slides along the cover to move the latch bolt within the housing.

18. The tilt-latch of claim 17 wherein the actuator is made of zinc.

19. The tilt-latch of claim 17 wherein the housing has a cover and the actuator is sized to be positioned over the entire cover.

20. The tilt-latch of claim 19 wherein the cover has opposed longitudinal peripheral edges and the actuator has opposed depending longitudinal flanges, the flanges being positioned over the peripheral edges.

21. The tilt-latch of claim 20 wherein the flanges slide along the peripheral edges when the latch bolt is retracted into the housing.

22. The tilt-latch of claim 19 wherein the actuator slides along the cover when retracting the latch bolt into the housing exposing a front segment of the cover.

23. The tilt-latch of claim 17 wherein the latch bolt has a slot and the actuator has a post, the post being received by the slot.

24. The tilt-latch of claim 23 wherein the latch bolt has a finger extending into the slot and the actuator post has a tab, the tab engaging an underside of the finger.

25. The tilt-latch of claim 23 wherein the housing has a cover having an elongated opening wherein the post extends through the elongated opening and into the slot.

26. An actuator for a tilt-latch for a sash window disposed within opposed guide rails on a master frame, the sash window comprises a top rail, a base and two stiles connected together at their extremities, the tilt-latch adapted for releaseably securing the sash window to the master frame, the tilt-latch comprises a housing adapted to be supported by the top rail, the housing having an outward end opening and a cover, and a latch bolt disposed within the housing and having a nose adapted for engaging a respective one of the guide rails, the actuator comprising:

an elongated body adapted to be connected to the latch bolt and sized to be positioned over the entire cover, wherein the actuator is adapted to slide along the cover to move the latch bolt within the housing.

27. The tilt-latch actuator of claim 26 wherein the cover is adapted to have opposed longitudinal peripheral edges and the actuator has opposed depending longitudinal flanges, the flanges adapted to be positioned over the peripheral edges.

28. The tilt-latch actuator of claim 27 wherein the flanges are adapted to slide along the peripheral edges when the latch bolt is retracted into the housing.

29. The tilt-latch actuator of claim 26 wherein the housing is adapted for substantially flush installation in the top rail wherein the cover is adapted to be positioned on the top rail, wherein the actuator is adapted to slide along the cover when retracting the latch bolt into the housing exposing a front segment of the cover.

30. The tilt-latch actuator of claim 26 wherein the latch bolt is adapted to have a slot and the actuator has a post, the post adapted to be received by the slot.

31. The tilt-latch actuator of claim 26 wherein the elongated body is made of zinc.

32. A tilt-latch for a sash window disposed within opposed guide rails on a master frame, the sash window comprises a top rail, a base and two stiles connected together at their extremities, the tilt-latch adapted for releaseably securing the sash window to the master frame, the tilt-latch comprising:

a housing adapted to be supported by the top rail, the housing having a pair of opposed sidewalls and a cover extending between the opposed sidewalls;

a latch bolt disposed within the housing and having a nose adapted for engaging a respective one of the guide rails;

means for biasing the latch bolt through the outward end opening; and,

an actuator connected to the latch bolt and sized to encompass the entire cover.