GB2137872A

GB2137872A - Handle

Info

Publication number: GB2137872A
Application number: GB08305211A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Douglas Allen
Original assignee: Crofts and Assinder Ltd
Current assignee: Crofts and Assinder Ltd
Priority date: 1983-02-24
Filing date: 1983-02-24
Publication date: 1984-10-17
Also published as: GB8305211D0; GB2137872B

Abstract

A handle is provided with a handle grip part 1, which may be pivotable, and whose ends have respective generally cylindrical stem portions 2 which extend into cylindrical blind receiving holes 3 in respective similar mounting bosses 4, to mount the handle to, e.g., a cabinet door or drawer. Each stem 2 is held in locking engagement with one of the bosses 4 by a projection 4a which is integral with said boss 4 and which extends perpendicularly across the hole 2 into groove 2a. The locking engagement provided restrains the stem 2 from being axially pulled out or withdrawn from the hole 3. Projection 4a is formed by a punch tool. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handles and Method of Making Handles This invention relates particularly but not exclusively to decorative cabinet handles and their production.

Previously, decorative cabinet handles have been made in three parts comprising a pivotable handle grip part which is, in use, pivotally mounted between two mounting bosses fixed on a door or drawer of the cabinet. The bosses have threaded holes which receive respective screws screwed thereinto from the inside of the cabinet door or drawer through respective small holes in the door or drawer. Such designs tend to be disadvantageous in some circumstances because the handle grip part and mounting bosses are not locked together before assembly on the cabinet door or drawer, so that component parts may be lost and also may be more difficult to assemble on the door or drawer than is necessary.

According to the present invention there is provided a handle comprising a mounting boss, to mount the handle to, for example, a door of a cabinet, and a handle grip part, an end of the grip part having a stem in locking engagement with the mounting boss in a receiving hole of the boss, said boss having an integral projection extending into the hole to provide said locking engagement, said locking engagement restraining the stem from being pulled out or withdrawn axially from the hole.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a method of making a handle comprising: a) making a mounting boss of the handle, to mount the handle to, for example, a door of a cabinet and making a hole in the mounting boss to receive an end stem of a handle grip part, b) making the handle grip part with said end stem c) assembling the mounting boss and handle grip part together by inserting said stem into said hole and then deforming part of the mounting boss to form an integral projection extending into the hole thereby locking the stem in the hole and restraining the stem from being pulled out axially from the hole.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided an item of furniture, for example a cabinet, including at least one handle as claimed in the penultimate paragraph or at least one handle made by the method of the immediately preceding paragraph.

It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a pre-assembled multicomponent handle may be produced which is relatively simple in design and relatively cheap to produce so that handles may be manufactured in many cases more cheaply than prior art counterpart handles. Additionally, embodiments of handles of the present invention may be more easily and quickly mounted to furniture than prior art counterpart handles, which could lead to a saving in the production costs of such furniture.

Usually two similar mounting bosses will be provided, one at either end of the handle grip part so that the handle grip has a stem at each end extending into and held in locking engagement in a respective hole of the associated mounting boss.

In such arrangements it will be usual for the handle grip portion to be pivotally mounted by the stems in the mounting boss stem receiving holes and, generally, where a pivotable handle grip portion is provided the or each stem will be provided with projection receiving means in the form of a peripheral groove which receives the associated integral projection of the associated boss. The or each stem may be generally cylindrical and the peripheral groove may be a circumferential groove extending part way or completely around the stem circumference. The projection receiving means may be any convenient form and the handle grip portion need not necessarily be pivotable in the mounting bosses.

In a preferred embodiment the or each mounting boss is provided with a threaded mounting hole (preferably an axial hole) so that the or each boss is mountable to an item of furniture by a single screw screwed in the mounting hole with, for example, a cabinet door or drawer front panel in between a radially extending flange on the mounting boss and a head of the screw. The mounting hole extends in a direction across (preferably perpendicularly across) the stem receiving hole.

The integral projection may extend axially from the mounting hole across the receiving hole into locking engagement with its associated stem and the projection is, preferably, formed by a punch tool which is aligned on the axis of the mounting hole and advanced towards a thin wall portion of the boss (said thin wall portion defining a boundary between the mounting hole and the receiving hole) to thereby punch said wall portion thereby deforming the wall portion to form said integral projection in the general form of a small generally conical burr or pip.

Conveniently, the handle grip part and the or each mounting boss are one piece metal castings, for example aluminium alloy castings. Such castings may be treated to produce a decorative reproduction brass or copper facsimile handle.

An embodiment of a handle and method of making the handle in accordnace with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a view of the handle in a pre assembled state, and Figure 2 shows a section taken on line I-I of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a handle generally designated H provided with a generally U-shaped handle grip part 1. The ends of the handle grip part 1 are thickened and have respective generally cylindrical stem portions 2 (see Figure 2) which extend into respective generally cylindrical blind receiving holes 3 in respective similar mounting bosses 4.

Each stem 2 is held in locking engagement with one of the bosses 4 by a projection 4a (in the form of a generally conical burr or pip which is integral with said boss 4 and which extends perpendicularly across the hole 3. The locking engagement provided restrains the stem 2 from being axially pulled out or withdrawn from the hole 3. The projection 4a is formed by deforming a relatively thin wall portion 4a of the mounting boss 4 as explained later on. Each stem 2 is provided with projection receiving means in the form of a circumferential groove which extends completely around the stem circumference and the projection 4a extends into the groove 2a to restrain axial movement of the stem 2a out of the hole 3 but permitting the handle grip portion 1 to pivot about the common axis of the stems 2.

Each mounting boss 4 has a threaded mounting hole 4c arranged axially of the boss which extends about halfway through the boss.

Each boss 4 has an annular radially extending flange 4d which during attachment of the handle H to a cabinet drawer or door front panel (not shown) or the like is brought into engagement therewith. Screws (not shown) may be screwed into the holes 4c from the reverse side of the panel so that the panel is in between heads of the screws and the bosses 4, the bosses 4 being urged into tight engagement with the panel.

The handle grip portion I and the mounting bosses are, in this example, one piece metal castings. The handle grip portion is provided with stops S near the ends which engage respective bosses in a manner known per se. The projection 4a is not cast into the boss 4 and is, in this example, formed by a punch tool inserted along the threaded mounting hole 4c and advanced towards the original planar face presented by thin wall portion 4b to punch and thereby deform the wall portion to form the integral projection.

The embodiment described provides a simple and relatively inexpensive arrangement and production method for a handle which is advantageously already in a pre-assembled state before attachment to a cabinet drawer or door panel or the like. The handle may be lacquered or otherwise surface finished to suit.

Claims

1. A handle comprising a mounting boss, to mount the handle to, for example a door of a cabinet, and a handle grip part, an end of the grip part having a stem in locking engagement with the mounting boss in a receiving hole of the boss, said boss having an integral projection extending into the hole to provide said locking engagement, said locking engagement restraining the stem from being pulled out or withdrawn axially from the hole.

2. A handle as claimed in Claim 1 comprising a second mounting boss similar to the first mentioned mounting boss, the handle having one of the bosses at each end of the handle grip part so that the handle grip part has a stem at each end extending into and held in locking engagement in a respective hole of the associated mounting boss.

3. A handle as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the handle grip portion is pivotable.

4. A handle as claimed in Claim 3 in which the or each stem is provided with projection receiving means in the form of a peripheral groove which receives the associated integral projection of the associated boss.

5. A handle as claimed in Claim 4 in which the or each stem is generally cylindrical and the peripheral groove is a circumferential groove extending part way or completely around the stem circumference.

6. A handle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the or each mounting boss is provided with a threaded mounting hole.

7. A handle as claimed in Claim 6 in which the mounting hole is axial of the boss.

8. A handle as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 in which the mounting hole extends in a direction across the stem receiving hole.

9. A handle as claimed in Claim 8 in which the integral projection extends axially from the mounting hole across the receiving hole into locking engagement with its associated stem.

10. A handle as claimed in Claim 9 in which the integral projection has been formed by a punch tool.

11. A handle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the handle grip part and the or each mounting boss are one piece metal castings, for example aluminium alloy castings.

12. A handle as claimed in Claim 11 in which the castings are treated to produce a decorative reproduction brass or copper facsimile handle.

1 3. A handle substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A handle as claimed in Claim 1 in which the mounting boss and stem are substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

15. An item of furniture, for example a cabinet, including at least one handle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

16. A method of making a handle comprising: (a) making a mounting boss of the handle, to mount the handle to, for example, a door of a cabinet and making a hole in the mounting boss to receive an end stem of a handle grip part, (b) making the handle grip part with said end stem (c) assembling the mounting boss and handle grip part together by inserting said stem into said hole and then deforming part of the mounting boss to form an integral projection extending into the hole thereby locking the stem in the hole and restraining the stem from being pulled out axially from the hole.

17. A method as claimed in Claim 1 6 in which the integral projection is formed by a punch tool which is aligned on the axis of the mounting hole and advanced towards a thin wall portion of the boss (said thin wall portion defining a boundary between the mounting hole and the receiving hole) to thereby punch said wall portion thereby deforming the wall portion to form said integral projection in the general form of a small generally conical burr or pip.

18. A method of making a handle as claimed in Claim 1 6 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. An item of furniture including at least one handle when made by the method of any one of claims 16 to 18.