AU2021201578B2

AU2021201578B2 - Door Handle Mounting Structure Improvement

Info

Publication number: AU2021201578B2
Application number: AU2021201578A
Authority: AU
Inventors: James Yu
Original assignee: CLASSIC HARDWARE SUPPLIERS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: CLASSIC HARDWARE SUPPLIERS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-12
Filing date: 2021-03-12
Publication date: 2022-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 2041-03-12
Also published as: AU2021201578A1

Abstract

The specification discloses a door handle mounting structure designed to secure the door handle assembly to the door so that it does not loosen after prolonged use. The door handle mounting structure comprises a mounting plate (6) having angled transverse thread bores (9) spaced around the face of the mounting plate, each said transverse thread bore being at an outward angle to allow fastener members (10) inserted through the thread bores to engage with the internal wall (15) of the preform transverse bore holes (2). 3/5 16 17 99 10 114 10 15 1 3 12 2 15 Fig 4 (A - A)

Description

3/5

16

17

99

10 114 10

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Fig 4 (A - A)

DOOR HANDLE MOUNTING STRUCTURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a door handle mounting structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(0001) The structure of a conventional door handle assembly typically includes a pair of mounting plates with each mounting plate, in use, being arranged on either side of the door, the mounting

plates being secured together by several threaded fastener members that pass through a generally

.0 circular transverse bored opening in the door with the threaded fasteners separately engaging with

and securing the mounting plates together with each mounting plate engaging against an opposite

face of the door. Such handle structures include a handle and a mechanism for linking the handle to

one of the aforesaid mounting plates, to partially rotate a square drive shaft passing through the

door that engages with the other handle mounting mechanism. A square drive shaft either connects

.5 the spigots on the handles on either side of the door through a lock device or separate square drive

shafts join each handle spigot to opposite sides of the lock device whereby the handles can operate

the lock device independently.

(0002) In smaller installations of door handle assemblies, it is common for a tradesman to install the

door handle structure manually by forming the transverse bored hole and the edge opening latch operating mechanism recess in the door themselves. In addition to the transverse bore hole, this

method requires two or more bored holes to be drilled for the fasteners to securely link the pair of

mounting plates together.

(0003) To minimise labour costs for installations of multiple door handle assemblies, the majority of

doors are supplied by door manufacturers with preformed transverse bored holes. In Australia and

New Zealand, doors with preformed transverse bored holes are manufactured with the diameter of

the aforementioned holes being suitable for Australian and New Zealand originating door handle

structures, which are generally too large for a typical European originating door handle structure. In

the Australian and New Zealand door hardware industry, the preformed transverse bored holes

created by door manufacturers as described above are typically known as 'pre-drilled holes'.

(0004) Door handle mounting structures are dimensionally different to those used in other

countries, particularly in Europe, where the transverse bored hole for each of these structures has a

P10906.AU Specification -27 July 2022 different diameter. To date, suppliers of door handle structures have typically been required to maintain inventory of both Australian, New Zealand and European dimensioned door handle structures so that they can satisfy differing consumer preferences. Adaptor plates are commonly used in the industry to enable different dimensioned door handle structures to be compatible with pre-drilled hole doors.

(0005) An issue with using pre-drilled holes is that the vibration on operating the door handle may

cause the threaded fastener members to become loose over a period of time. The mounting plates

become unsecure when the threaded fastener members are loosened. This is especially the case for

pre-drilled hole doors, as opposed to manually drilled doors which are measured to suit the

.0 diameter of the preferred door handle structure, where self tapping screws cannot be used to

secure the mounting plate to the door as the diameter of the transverse bore hole and the diameter of the mounting plate leaves insufficient space for the self tapping screws to be installed. In

manually drilled doors, the self tapping screw goes through the mounting plate and screws into the

front face of the door, which helps to secure the mounting plate in position, preventing rotation

.5 caused by vibrations in use. In addition, for pre-drilled hole doors, the threaded fasteners are not

installed through separate bored holes as they are in for manually drilled doors, which increases the

likelihood of the mounting plate loosening over time.

(0006) Looseness of door handles may make users feel unsecure and can eventually cause the

locking functionality to deteriorate. Many of the solutions addressing this issue in the door hardware industry require securing a mounting plate to a door latch in different ways, such that the

performance relies exclusively on the stabilisation of the door latch. These methods have shown to

not be fully effective as the mounting plate is not directly secured to the door.

(0007) Embodiments of the present invention aim to improve the performance and maintenance of

door handle mounting structures by preventing looseness caused by operation of the door handle

over a period of time. An additional benefit of embodiments of the present invention is efficiency in

door handle assembly installation as the use of pre-drilled hole doors can be relied upon without

existing issues relating to looseness of the door handle and deteriorating door handle assembly

functionality.

P10906.AU Specification -27 July 2022

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

(0008A) According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door handle

mounting structure securable at a first face of a door to a like mounting structure securable at an

opposite second face of the door via one or more fasteners passing through a preformed transverse

opening extending through the door, the mounting structure comprising a mounting plate having

two or more threaded bores extending therethrough, the bores being angled such that respective

fastening members driven therein are driven into an internal circumferential wall of the transverse

opening.

(0008B) In certain embodiments, the mounting structure further comprises an adaptor plate with

.0 corresponding threaded bores aligned with those of the mounting plate. It is envisaged that door

handles may be interchangeably engaged with the present mounting structure.

(0008) The door handle mounting structure may comprise a set of at least two threaded bores on

each mounting plate in an outward angled direction on the mounting plate, corresponding fastener

members are driven through the thread bores in the mounting plate, with the aforesaid angled

.5 thread bores guiding the fastener members to expand and press into the internal wall of the

preformed transverse bore holes. By such an arrangement, a large friction force is created between

the fastener members and the wall of the preformed transverse bore hole, preventing the fastener

members screws from loosening and securing the door handle in place for a long period of time.

(0009) The mounting structure may be used with an adaptor plate member when the mounting plate does not have enough surface to support the preformed transverse bored hole, which is

typically seen for European originating door handle structures. In use, an elongated fastener

member passes transversely through a door to engage with a co-operating mounting plate member

on the opposite side of the door, with corresponding holes on the adaptor plate member to match

the aforesaid angled direction fixing holes on the mounting plates.

(0010) [INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(0011) An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with

reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(0012) Fig 1 is a side elevation view of the preformed transverse bore hole and edge opening latch operating mechanism recess;

P10906.AU Specification -27 July 2022

(0013) Fig 2 is a side elevation view of an interchangeable privacy door handle with a privacy latch

assembly, together with the upper plan views of a mounting plate and adaptor plater member;

(0014) Fig 3 is a front-facing view of a door handle with an adaptor plate member mounted on a

door (the mounting fascia plate member is shown to provide a clearer view of an embodiment of the

invention)

(0015) Fig 4 is a cross sectional view (A-A) through the interchangeable privacy door handle

assembly shown on Fig 3, some parts being omitted for the sake of clarity.

(0016) Fig 5 is a cross sectional view (B-B) through the interchangeable privacy door handle assembly

shown on Fig 3, some parts being omitted for the sake of clarity.

.0 (0017) Fig 6 is a cross sectional view (B-B) through the standard privacy door handle assembly shown

on Fig 3, some parts being omitted for the sake of clarity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(0018) Referring to the drawings, Fig 1 shows a door 1 with an edge opening latch operating

.5 mechanism recess 3, and a preformed transverse bore 2 through a door surface 13 to another door

surface 14 for door handle installation, with 15 being the wall of a preformed transverse bore 2. Fig

2 shows a door handle assembly 16 and a privacy door latch 12. The door handle assembly 16 will be

described hereafter.

(0019) Fig 3 shows a front-facing view of a door handle assembly 16, it being understood that a

second door handle mounting structure and door handle with a lever grip portion 5 would, in use, be

positioned on an opposite side of a door.

(0020) The mounting structure comprises a mounting plate 6 with a door handle mounting

mechanism 7 rotatably connected to the mounting plate 6 and having a non- circular (typically

generally square) drive recess 8 to receive a square spindle shaft 19 passing through the door in use

and received in a similar drive recess in the mounting mechanism on the other side of the door.

(0021) The assembly 16 includes a handle 4 with a lever grip portion 5 and a mounting plate 6. The

handle 4 is connected to a mounting plate 6 which can be fitted over the preformed transverse bore

2. Depending on the size of the door handle, the door handle mounting structure may include an

adaptor plate 11 connected to the mounting plate 6 in order for the size of the door handle to be

compatible with the size of the preformed transverse bore 2. For an adaptor plate 11 to be used

with this embodiment of the invention, the adaptor plate will need to have the corresponding bores

P10906.AU Specification -27 July 2022 to match the placement of the angled thread bores 9 on the mounting plate 6. This is shown in

Figures 2 to 6.

(0022) In a preferred embodiment, the mounting plates 6 have bores 20 for threaded fastener

members to pass through and secure the mounting plates 6 together, with each mounting plate

engaging against an opposite face of the door 13, 14, or each adaptor plate 11 engaging against an

opposite face of the door, where applicable.

(0023) A group of threaded bores 9 are preferably evenly spaced on the surface 17 of the mounting

plate 6 with an outward angled direction (a) as shown in Figure 4 to pass through into the bottom of

the mounting plate 18. A group of suitable fastener members 10 drive through the threaded bores 9

.0 at an angled direction towards the internal wall 15 of a preformed bore hole 2. As such, friction is

created by the fastener members 10 fastened into the internal wall 15 of a preformed bore 2, such

that the mounting plate 6 is prevented from becoming loose after continued use. This is shown in

Figures 4 to 6.

(0024) Many modifications of the described embodiment(s) will be apparent to those skilled in the

.5 art without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, while the drawings

show four equally spaced angled thread bores 9 for the suitable fastener members 10, fewer or

more thread bores and corresponding fastener members might be provided.

(0025) While Figures 2 to 5 show an embodiment in use with an interchangeable door handle

assembly with a privacy function, it will of course be appreciated that other embodiments can O comprise a door handle assembly without a privacy function.

(0026) Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires

otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be

understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not

the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

(0027) The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or

to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission

or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known

matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this

specification relates.

P10906.AU Specification -27 July 2022

Claims

1. A door handle mounting structure securable at a first face of a door to alike mounting

structure securable at an opposite second face of the door via one or more fasteners passing

through a preformed transverse opening extending through the door, the mounting structure

comprising a mounting plate having two or more threaded bores extending therethrough, the bores

being angled such that respective fastening members driven therein are driven into an internal

circumferential wall of the transverse opening.

2. The mounting structure of claim 1, further comprising an adaptor plate with corresponding

threaded bores aligned with those of the mounting plate.

.0

3. The mounting structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the door handle is interchangeable.

P10906.AU Specification -27 July 2022