GB2177150A

GB2177150A - Handle

Info

Publication number: GB2177150A
Application number: GB08513063A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond John Tarbet
Original assignee: Smith Wallis & Co Ltd
Current assignee: Smith Wallis & Co Ltd
Priority date: 1985-05-23
Filing date: 1985-05-23
Publication date: 1987-01-14
Also published as: GB8513063D0

Abstract

A handle (10) for use in operating a locking mechanism of a sliding or pivoting door or window comprises a mounting portion (28), a graspable portion (16) pivotally mounted on the mounting portion, and a rack member (24) movable, for effecting movement of an actuator of the locking mechanism, under action of a toothed pinion (30) which is rotatable with the graspable portion (16). The pinion (30) lies within the mounting portion (28) and comprises a toothed sector, the axis of the pinion (30) being located closer to one side of the mounting portion (28) than to the opposite side of the mounting portion (28), so enabling the mounting portion to be slim and hence suitable for narrow-frame doors or windows. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handle This invention relates to a handle and is concerned primarily, although not exclusively, with a handle of the kind, hereinafter referred to as being of the kind specified, suitable for use in operating a locking mechanism of a sliding or pivoting wing (e.g. a door or a window) on which the handle is mountable, which locking mechanism is of the type in which locking involves rectilinear sliding movement of an actuator bar in or on the wing caused by rotation of the handle. Conventionally, such a locking mechanism may be of the "multi-point" type, wherein movement of the actuator bar operates a plurality of locking means at different locations on the wing substantially simultaneously.

Recently, there has been a tendency for window or patio door frame elements, particularly those formed by extrusion, to be made narrower than has hitherto been customary, in order to increase the glass area attainable in the windows or doors and thereby achieve aesthetic benefits and, in some instances, a reduction in weight and cost. Such a tendency is particularly pronounced in the case of frame elements formed by extrusion from plastics materials such as "UPVC" for example. Typically, such narrow frame elements afford regions having widths of only about 16 mm or so for the mounting of handles thereon.

Conventional handles of the kind specified are too bulky for use with such narrow window frame elements, leading to fitment of inferior locking arrangements to such frames.

It is an object of the invention to provide a new and improved handle of the kind specified.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a handle of the kind specified comprising a manually graspable portion pivotally mounted on a mounting portion via which the handle is mountable on the wing, rack means, and a toothed pinion rotatable with the graspable portion and in meshed engagement with the rack means, wherein the pinion comprises a sector only of toothed pinion wheel.

In this manner, the pinion may occupies less space than would a full pinion wheel, so enabling at least the mounting portion to be slimmer than has hitherto been possible, so as to render the handle suitable for use on wings comprising narrow frame elements.

Preferably the rack means and said pinion lie wholly or partially in a region which, when the handle is mounted on a wing, is concealed by a face plate of the mounting portion.

Preferably the graspable portion is eccentrically mounted on the mounting portion at or adjacent to one side of the mounting portion (and to the corresponding side of the graspable portion where the mounting portion and the graspable portion are "matched") and the pinion extends, at least for some handle orientation, towards the opposite side of the mounting portion, the rack means preferably being sandwiched between teeth of the pinion and an inner surface of a wall of the mounting portion on said opposite side.

In this manner, a minimal width may be achieved for the mounting portion, thereby optimising the possibility of fitting the handle onto a narrow frame element, while still providing a handle having sufficient range to enable an actuator bar associated with conventional locking means to be operated under action of the handle.

Preferably a shaft portion of the pinion which rotates therewith is provided with a cam surface which rides against resilient means, the cam surface being such that an over-centre action occurs when the handle is moved at least to its fastened position, initially against action of the resilient means, in which fastened position it is then releasably retained under action of the resilient means on a portion of the cam surface. Preferably, the same resilient means, by acting on another portion of the cam surface, is capable of releasably retaining the handle in its unfastened position.

Preferably said cam surface portions comprise respective regions of reduced radial extent compared with that of a central cam surface portion therebetween, and the resilient means preferably comprises a strip or bar of spring metal having a portion or portions of its length retained in a slot or slots in the mounting portion, while another portion of its length engages the cam.

Preferably the pinion overlies said slot, thereby retaining the resilient means in place.

Preferably the handle comprises a cooperating member having a bifurcated portion protruding rearwardly from the handle, said rack means preferably being provided in, on or adjacent to the base of said bifurcated portion, and a plate-like transverse portion extending from said base and between locations at or adjacent to said opposite sides of the mount ing portion and being sandwiched between said face plate and the pinion.

In this manner, the parts of the handle may be retained in place due to a single fixing operation during manufacture, namely fixing of the manually graspable portion to the shaft of the pinion.

If desired, the handle may itself be lockable at least in its fastened position wherein the graspable portion and the mounting portion are in alignment.

Such additional locking may be achieved us ing a cylinder lock carried in the graspable portion at a location spaced from the axis of rotation of the graspable portion, the lock hav ing on an end thereof adjacent to the mount ing portion, a locking element rotatable with the lock, and being capable of engaging the mounting portion so as to prevent rotation of the graspable portion relative thereto. Said element may be symmetrical and D-shaped, or may comprise an annual portion and a projection therefrom engagable with the mounting portion to prevent rotation of the graspable portion relative thereto. Such a projection may render the locking element asymmetrical.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a handle comprising a mounting portion mountable on a wing, and a graspable portion rotatably mounted on the mounting portion, resilient means retained in the mounting portion, and a cam which rotates with the graspable portion and against which cam the resilient means bears, the cam being formed with a cam surface such that the action of the resilient means is capable of releasably retaining the graspable portion in at least one orientation relative to the mounting portion.

Preferably, the graspable portion may be so retained in at least two orientations (e.g. fastened and unfastened), by providing two cam surface portions on the cam, or the cam may be provided with for example three cam surface portions to enable the graspable portion to be so retained in any of three orientations, the latter arrangement being particularly appropriate to handles for use on three-position tiltand-swing windows or doors.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a lockable handle, comprising a cylinder lock carried in a graspable portion of the handle, at a location spaced from the axis of rotation of the handle relative to a mounting portion of the handle, the cylinder lock carrying on an end thereof adjacent the mounting portion a locking element rotatable with the cylinder lock and comprising an annular portion and a projection therefrom, such that in one orientation of the cylinder lock, the locking element does not interfere with the mounting portion, whilst in another orientation of the cylinder lock, the projection enters a recess in the mounting portion, thereby preventing rotation of the graspable portion. The locking element may be asymmetrical in shape e.g. due to the shape of the projection.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a handle embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation, to a larger scale, of the handle of Fig. 1 when assembled, showing its interaction with an actuator bar of a locking mechanism; Figure 3 is a rear view, to a still iarger scale, of the assembled handle, with the graspable portion in a first orientation, with a rear cover plate removed for clarity; Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with the graspable portion in a second orientation; Figure 5 is another view similar to Fig. 3, but with the graspable portion in a third orientation;; Figure 6 is a sectional view, on the line VI--VI of Fig. 2 but to a larger scale, illustrated ing engagement of a locking element with a mounting portion of the handle; and Figure 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the locking element in an unlocked configuration.

Referring to the drawings, an exploded view of the parts of a handle 10 embodying the invention is provided by Fig. 1, and these parts will now be introduced by describing the manner in which the handle 10 may be assembled.

First, a cylinder lock 12 is received, from the front, in a bore 14 in a manually graspable portion 16 of the handle 10, and a lock bush 17 is then applied to the cylinder lock 12 from behind the portion 16, thereby aligning the lock 16 rotatably in the bore 40.

An annular portion 18b of a non-circular locking element 18 is then ppsitioned over a projecting square-cross section portion 20 on the cylinder 22 of the lock 12, and the portion 20 is then deformed by striking a blow thereon, in order to retain the locking element 18 thereon. The element 1 8 comprises a projection 1 8a which projects from the annular portion 1 8b and renders the element 18 asymmetrical.

The bore 14 illustrated extends completely through the portion 16, but during manufacture, the portion 16 initially comprises a bore extending only from the rear of the portion 16 to a location just behind a front surface of the portion 16. If it is desired that the handle should be non-lockable, such a partial bore is then plugged from behind, using a plug 14a, but if it is desired to fit a cylinder lock such as the lock 12 described above, the plug 14a is omitted and the portion 16 is machined so as to extend the bore 14 completely through the portion 16.

Irrespective of whether or not a lock 12 is fitted, in the next stage of assembly, a strip of spring metal 19 is positioned with its opposite ends in respective slots in the rear surface of a face plate portion of a mounting portion 28 of the handle 10. Next, a pinion 30 is positioned so that a radially protruding toothed portion thereof, in the form of a sector of pinion wheel, overlies a portion 26 of a rack member 24 formed from bent plate material, and such that at least one of the teeth 32 of the pinion 30 enters one of the holes 34 in the rack member 24.The rack member 24 and the pinion 30 so meshed therewith are then urged towards the mounting portion, so that the portion 26 is received within a hollow rear region of the mounting portion 28, and such that a shank portion 36 of the pinion 30 passed through a hole 38 positioned at an eccentric location displaced to one side of the centre of the portion 28. The portion 26 is sandwiched between the toothed portion of the pinion 30 and the rear surface of the face plate portion of the mounting portion 28.The shank portion 36 protrudes from the hole 38 and through a washer 40 applied thereover from the front, and then into a similarly eccentrically located bore in the graspable portion 16, the shank portion 36 being retained in said bore by a friction-fit locking pin 37 inserted through the graspable portion 16 so as to engage the shank portion 36 and thereby also maintain the parts of the handle 10 in their assembled condition.

The base of a portion 27 of the member 24 then lies between the opposite side wall of the portion 28 and the teeth 32, and the resilient strip 19 bears on an enlarged cam 42 on the shank portion 36 so as to bias the graspable portion 16 towards preferred orientations (as will hereinafter be described.) A rear cover plate 46 is then applied (pushfit) to the rear of the mounting portion 28.

The plate 46 includes a bearing hole 47 which receives a shaft-like protuberance on the exposed end of the pinion, thereby ensuring firm rotatable mounting of the pinion 30 in the handle 10.

The handle, when so assembled, is shown in Fig. 2.

The portion 27 of the member 24 is bifurcated, and, in use, a cross-member 25 on an actuator bar 21 of a conventional multi-point locking mechanism of a wing such as a window or door lies between the prongs of the fork so as to cooperate therewith, such that rectilinear sliding movement of the rack member 24 causes movement (upward or downward in Fig. 2) of the actuator bar, in order to operate a locking mechanism or locking mechanisms of the wings.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 5, in a first orientation of the graspable portion 16 (see Fig. 3) the rack member 24 is raised, a tooth 32a of the pinion 30 engaging a hole 34a of the rack means.

If the portion 16 is now rotated to the ori entation shown in Fig. 4, the pinion 30 rotates therewith so as to drive the member 24 downwardly, the tooth 32a emerging from the rack whilst another tooth 32b enters the next hole 34b of the rack, and on further rotation of the portion 16, the tooth 32b emerges from the hole 34b and the next successive tooth 32c enters the next successive hole 34c (see Fig. 5), so that the member 24 is driven downwards rectilinearly by rotation of the portion 16. If the portion 16 is now rotated in the opposite direction, this process is re versed, and the pinion 30 drives the member 24 upwardly.

The portion 26 is shaped such that in the positions of the member 24 shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the portion 26 does not interfere with any screws or bolts which may extend through holes 33 in order to mount the handle 10 on a wing. (When so mounted, self adhesive cover elements are applied over the holes 33.) The width "d" is less than that for conventional mounting portions, since the pinion 30 is essentially a sector only of a full pinion wheel, and is present on one side of the axis of rotation of the portion 16, thereby permitting the mounting portion to be slim, such that where the graspable portion is corresponding slim, the handle may be fitted to contempary narrow-type frame elements (e.g.

where an available width of only 16 mm or so may be present) while permitting an entirely adequate range of movement of the member 24 to be provided to ensure full and correct operation of the wing's locking mechanism.

The cam 42 is shaped such that due to bearing action thereon by the strip 19, an over-centre bias exists on the graspable portion 16, towards each of the orientations of Figs. 3 and 5. In those orientations, the strip 19 only just bears on respective surface portions 42a, 42b of the cam, whereas in Fig. 4, at an orientation intermediate those of Figs. 3 and 5, due to an increased central radial extent of the cam, the strip 19 bears more heavily on the cam than in Fig. 3 and 5, thereby preventing movement of the portion 16 from the orientations shown in Figs. 3 and 5 unless sufficient force is applied to the portion 16. In this manner the possibility of accidental movement of the portion 16 from orientations in which the locking means of the wing is or are locked or unlocked by the handle 10 may be reduced.

When the graspable portion is in a fastened orientation (in alignment with the mounting portion), then if the lock 12 is orientated such that the locking element 18 has the orientation shown in Fig. 6, subsequent rotation of the portion 16 is prevented by receipt of the projection 18a in a recess 28a on a hub of the mounting portion.

However, if, using a key, the lock 12 is unlocked and rotated to the orientation shown in Fig. 7, the projection 18a is rotated away from said recess, so that rotation of the portion 16 is permitted at least in one direction.

In order to facilitate assembly of the handle 10, two such recesses 28a are provided, on opposite sides of the hub.

The range of movement of the graspable portion 16 is limited by the range of angular movement of the pinion 30 relative to the mounting portion 28.

Although the handle 10 has been described as being lockable using a cylinder lock, it will be appreciated that any other locking arrange ment, or if desired, none at all, may be pro vided on the handle 10.

Although the handle 10 has been described in relation to its use on relatively narrow frame elements of wings such as windows or doors, it should be appreciated that the handle 10 may also be used on windows or doors comprising broader frame elements.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A handle of the kind specified comprising a manually graspable portion pivotally mounted on a mounting portion via which the handle is mountable on the wing, rack means, and a toothed pinion rotatable with the graspable portion and in meshed engagement with the rack means, wherein the pinion comprises a sector only of toothed pinion wheel.

2. A handle according to Claim 1 wherein the graspable portion is eccentrically mounted on the mounting portion at or adjacent to one side of the mounting portion and the pinion extends, at least for some handle orientation, towards the opposite side of the mounting portion.

3. A handle according to Claim 2 wherein the graspable portion is eccentrically mounted at or adjacent to the corresponding side of the graspable portion and the mounting portion and the graspable portion are "matched".

4. A handle according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the rack means is sandwiched between teeth of the pinion and an inner surface of a wall of the mounting portion on said opposite side.

5. A handle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein a shaft portion of the pinion which rotates therewith is provided with a cam surface which rides against resilient means, the cam surface being such that an over-centre action occurs when the handle is moved at least to its fastened position, initially against action of the resilient means, in which fastened position it is then releasably retained under action of the resilient means on a portion of the cam surface.

6. A handle according to Claim 5 wherein the same resilient means, by acting on another portion of the cam surface, is capable of releasably retaining the handle in its unfastened position.

7. A handle according to Claim 6 wherein said cam surface portions comprise respective regions of reduced radial extent compared with that of a central cam surface portion therebetween.

8. A handle according to any one of Claims 5 to 7 wherein the resilient means comprises a strip or bar of spring metal having a portion or portions of its length retained in a slot or slots in the mounting portion, while another portion of its length engages the cam.

9. A handle according to Claim 8 wherein the pinion overlies said slot, thereby retaining the resilient means in place.

10. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rack means and said pinion lie wholly or partially in a region which, when the handle is mounted on a wing, is concealed by a face plate of the mounting portion.

11. A handle according to Claim 10 comprising a cooperating member having a bifurcated portion protruding rearwardly from the handle, and a plate-like transverse portion extending from the base of said bifurcated portion and between locations at or adjacent to opposite sides of the mounting portion and being sandwiched between said face plate and the pinion.

12. A handle according to Claim 11 wherein said rack means is provided in, on or adjacent to the base of said bifurcated portion.

13. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims which is itself lockable at least in its fastened position.

14. A handle according to Claim 13 wherein such additional locking may be achieved using a cylinder lock carried in the graspable portion at a location spaced from the axis of rotation of the graspable portion, the lock having on an end thereof adjacent to the mounting portion, a locking element rotatable with the lock, and being capable of engaging the mounting portion so as to prevent rotation of the graspable portion relative thereto.

15. A handle according to Claim 14 wherein said element is symmetrical and Dshaped.

16. A handle according to Claim 14 wherein said element comprises an annular portion and a projection therefrom engagable with the mounting portion to prevent rotation of the graspable portion relative thereto.

17. A handle according to Claim 16 wherein said projection renders the locking element asymmetrical.

18. A handle comprising a mounting portion mountable on a wing, and a graspable portion rotatably mounted on the mounting portion, resilient means retained in the mounting portion, and a cam which rotates with the graspable portion and against which cam the resilient means bears, the cam being formed with a cam surface such that the action of the resilient means is capable of releasably retaining the graspable portion in at least one orientation relative to the mounting portion.

19. A handle according to Claim 18 wherein the graspable portion may be so retained in at least two orientations.

20. A handle according to Claim 19 wherein said orientations are fastened and unfastened orientations respectively.

21. A handle according to Claim 19 or Claim 20 wherein the graspable portion may be so retained through provision of two cam surface portions on the cam.

22. A handle according to any one Claims 19 to 21 wherein the cam is provided with three cam surface portions to enable the graspable portion to be so retained in any of three orientations.

23. A handle according to Claim 22 for use on three-position tilt-and-swing windows or doors.

24. A lockable handle, comprising a cylinder lock carried in a graspable portion of the handle, at a location spaced from the axis of rotation of the handle relative to a mounting portion of the handle, the cylinder lock carrying on an end thereof adjacent the mounting portion a locking element rotatable with the cylinder lock and comprising an annular portion and a projection therefrom, such that in one orientation of the cylinder lock, the locking element does not interefere with the mounting portion, whilst in another orientation of the cylinder lock, the projection enters a recess in the mounting portion, thereby preventing rotation of the graspable portion.

25. A handle according to Claim 24 wherein the locking element is asymmetrical in shape.

26. A handle according to Claim 25 wherein the locking element is asymmetrical due to the shape of the projection.

27. A handle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

28. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.