ES2766759T3 - Drive handle - Google Patents

Abstract

Actuation handle (20), having a support component (22) and a handle component (21), the handle component being mounted on the support component, the support component being movable relative to the support component between a position storage and an operating position, the handle component being adapted to rotate an operating shaft (25) by which in use the handle component can actuate a locking mechanism (26), the handle component (21 ) rotatable in its operating position along an operating angle relative to the support component (22), the rotation of the handle component driving the rotation of the drive shaft (25) along an operating angle with respect to the support component, the handle component having a drive component (40) and a driven component (41), the drive component (40) and the driven component (41) being capable of engaging nar, and by means of which the rotation of the support component (21) is communicated to the drive shaft (25), characterized in that the operating angle comprises a first operating sector and a second operating sector, in which the movement of the drive component (40) along the first operating sector does not cause any movement in the driven component (41), and wherein the movement of the drive component (40) along the second operating sector causes the Corresponding rotation of the driven component (41), such that the drive angle is less than the operating angle.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Drive handle

SECTOR OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a drive handle, particularly for a folding / sliding door.

The directional terms used in the present description, such as "superior", "inferior", "height", etc. They are used to describe objects in their normal orientation of use, as shown for example in Fig. 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Folding / sliding doors are a particular type of door and an example is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, and the description that follows, correspond to our pending European Patent application 2213816.

A set of door panels 1-3 are located in an opening (not shown) in the wall of a building, the number of panels and their size being chosen to fit the opening. Typically, the panels will have a height to span the distance between the top and the bottom of the opening, so that the panel array comprises the number of panels required to span the width of the opening.

Three door panels 1,2,3 are shown in Fig. 1, although it will be understood that a folding / sliding door may comprise two or more panels.

The door panels 1,2,3 each comprise a substantially rigid frame 4 surrounding a glazed panel 5. A respective set of hinges 6,7 (typically butt hinges as shown in the figures) interconnect each pair of adjacent panels. Each hinge 6 is mounted on a respective skid 8, the skid 8 being located on one or more guide rails 9 that are mounted on the upper and lower part of the opening (only the guide rail 9 of the lower part of the opening is shown in Figs 1 and 2), so that the hinges 6 are "retained" in the sense that they remain aligned with the guide rails 9.

On the other hand, the hinges 7 that interconnect the panels 2 and 3 do not have a skate, and therefore the hinges are "free" in the sense that they can move away from the guide rails 9, as shown.

The set of door panels for a particular opening is constructed with retained hinges 6 and with free hinges 7 alternatively.

Panel 1 in this embodiment is designed to connect (via a set of free hinges 7) to another panel (not shown, but another panel similar to panel 2), but in alternative embodiments it may comprise locking means by which it can be lock the end panel of another folding / sliding door that covers another part of the opening. Panel 3 can be connected (via a set of retained hinges 6) to another panel (similar to panel 2) if desired, or can be attached to an adjacent wall.

As shown in Fig. 2, the alternative arrangement of free and retained hinges 6,7, which are typical of folding / sliding doors, allows door panels 1,2,3 to be hinged relative to each other in concertina form.

Folding / sliding doors have the particular advantage that they maximize the size of the opening that is available for ventilation or access. A set of patio doors, for example, will typically comprise a fixed panel and a sliding panel. Since only the sliding panel is mobile, a set of patio doors Fully open can provide slightly less than half the opening for ventilation or access. On the other hand, a folding / sliding door can usually provide almost the entire opening for ventilation or access.

Consequently, folding / sliding doors are particularly beneficial for buildings containing private pools, for example, and also for restaurants that have indoor and outdoor areas that can be separated when desired by closing the doors, or combined into a substantially unique area when doors are open.

It is usual to have locking means so that the "free" hinged joints can be attached to the guide rails 9 when the folding / sliding door is closed. The locking means will usually comprise a drive handle mounted on the surface of a door panel and a locking mechanism mounted within the profile of the door panel, said components being located adjacent to a free hinge 7. The locking mechanism is usually a spanner with a gear box, coupling the gear with locking rods that can be driven into housings located above and below the guide rails 9. Providing independent locking means at each freely hinged joint maximizes the security offered by the closed folding / sliding door, and also allows the folding / sliding door to be partially open in case full access or ventilation in the opening is not required.

It is also usual to place a weatherstrip on the upper and lower rails 9, the weatherstrip being compressed when the folding / sliding door is closed.

As will be seen in Fig. 2, the space available for the drive handle 10 when the folding / sliding door is open is relatively small, and therefore the drive handle 10 has a minimum "base height", ie , the minimum possible distance is projected from the door panel 2 on which it is mounted, according to the user's ability to grasp the actuation handle.

However, when the base height is minimized, the user can only grasp the actuation handle 10 with the tip of their fingers, and this is not sufficient to allow the user to rotate the handle and operate the locking mechanism. Accordingly, handle 10 is designed to pivot on a support bolt (not shown) so that when the folding / sliding door has been partially closed the user is able to pivot handle 10 out enough to can get a complete grip on handle 10. On known actuating handles of this type, handle 10 is flexibly oriented to its retracted position as shown.

It has been recognized that while a pivoting handle 10 such as that shown will allow the user to operate the locking mechanism, it is not always strong enough to allow the user to also compress the weatherstripping, and it may be necessary to provide an additional grip handle such as the grip handle 11, which the operator can grasp with one hand to pull the free hinged joint towards the guide rails 9 and compress the weatherstripping while with the other hand the user can grasp and rotate the drive handle 10 to operate the locking mechanism.

Most of the locking mechanisms used in folding / sliding doors require approximately 180 ° of rotation to move from their locked condition to their unlocked condition (i.e. to move the locking rods between their retracted and extended positions ). Thus, much of the components of the locking means are standardized for use on many types of doors and windows, including folding / sliding doors, and 180 ° rotation is (almost) standard for such components.

It will be understood that when the door is open the locking mechanism is necessarily unlocked, and therefore the actuating handle 10 will rotate to a position approximately 180 ° from that shown in Fig. 1. Minimize the base height of the locking handle. actuation 10 when the folding / sliding doors are unlocked and open is therefore highly advantageous.

Even with the reduced base height of the pivoting drive handle, this component often provides the limit to the opening movement of the folding / sliding door. It will be appreciated from Fig. 2 that when the folding / sliding door is open, the actuating handle 10 rests between facing frame portions of panels 2 and 3. Although it is provided that when the folding / sliding door is opened, the panels 2 and 3 are in parallel so that access through opening is maximized, the drive handle 10 will often obstruct door panel 3 before panels 2 and 3 are arranged in parallel. This problem is compounded by the (required) positioning of the drive handle 10 close to the axis of the free hinges 7, with each additional millimeter of height often moving from the base of the drive handle 10 in a space between the panels 2 and 3 of several centimeters in the guide rails.

DISCLOSURE OF THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

Our pending European Patent application 2213816 provides a drive handle that is movable between an operating position and a stowed position. The base height of the drive handle in its stowed position is very small, so this disclosure provides a drive handle for a folding / sliding door that can maximize the opening provided. Also the drive handle is "T-shaped", and the drive handle can be moved to its stowed position (with minimum base height) in both the locked and unlocked positions, although these positions are 180 ° apart.

Despite the advantages of the EP 2213 816 drive handle, there is a need for a drive handle for a folding / sliding door that can share the benefits in terms of a very low base height, and still be mechanically simpler, providing advantages in terms of manufacturing complexity and cost.

DE 102 04 744 A1 and EP 2 025 837 disclose operating handles suitable for use on a folding / sliding door. The drive handle for each of these disclosures is movable between an operating position and a stowed position to thereby minimize the base height of the drive handle when not in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drive handle that has a minimum base height in both the locked and unlocked conditions. It will be appreciated from the foregoing comments that base height is a significant feature for a folding / sliding door drive handle, and the present invention has been primarily designed for such applications. However, it will be understood that the drive handle can be used in other applications.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a drive handle having a support component and handle component, the handle component being mounted on the support component, the handle component being movable relative to the support component between a position of saved and a position of operation, the handle component being adapted to rotate a drive shaft whereby the drive handle can actuate a locking mechanism during use, the drive handle in its operating position being rotatable at an angle of operation relative to the component bearing, the rotation of the handle component during use to rotate the drive shaft in a drive angle with respect to the support component, the drive handle having a drive component and a driven component, being capable of meshing between yes the drive component and the driven component by which the rotation of the drive handle is communicated to the drive shaft, characterized in that the operating angle comprises a first operating sector and a second operating sector, not causing movement of the drive component in the first sector of operation no movement of the driven component, the movement of the driving component in the second operating sector causing the corresponding rotation of the driving component, such that the driving angle is smaller than the operating angle.

It will be appreciated that the handle components of many drive handles drive the drive shaft to rotate an angle that is slightly less than the angular rotation of the handle component, as a consequence of component manufacturing tolerances and freedom of movement resulting between interconnected and geared components. The present invention is not directed at such "accidental" differences between the operating angle and the driving angle, but rather intentionally provides a lost range of motion between the handle component and the driving shaft. The difference between the operating angle and the driving angle in the present invention is by the way much greater than the difference that arises due to manufacturing tolerances.

Preferably, the operating angle is approximately 360 °, so that the handle component can rotate a substantially complete rotation during use. Preferably, the actuation angle is approximately 180 °, such an actuation angle being suitable for actuating many of the known locking mechanisms with which the actuation handle will be used. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments, the lost motion corresponds to an angle of about 180 °, and the handle component rotates an angle that is substantially twice that of the drive shaft (during locking and unlocking movements). In other embodiments the lost motion may be less (eg, approximately 90 °) or greater (eg, 270 °) depending on the actuation angle required to actuate the locking mechanism, and the desired operating angle.

The ability to rotate the handle component approximately 360 ° allows the handle component to have the same orientation with respect to the support component in the locking and unlocking conditions of the locking mechanism. This moreover allows the handle component to have a single storage position, which can be adopted if the mechanism is locked or unlocked.

It will be understood that the storage position of the handle component provides the lowest base height for the drive handle. The stowed position also provides the least obstructed position (or in other words the most aesthetic position) for the handle component. When used with a sliding folding door it is desirable that the handle component adopt the stowed position when the sliding folding door is closed (and locked), even though base height is not an important criterion when the door is closed .

References made here on angles as "approximately" reflect the fact that manufacturing tolerances will lead to a few degrees of "clearance" or "freedom" between the handle component and the support. According to one example, the drive handle may be able to rotate an angle that is a few degrees less than 360 °, and still require a single save position for its lock and unlock settings. According to another example, the locking mechanism, which is designed to require rotation of its drive shaft by 180 °, will still be effectively driven by a drive shaft that rotates a drive angle that is a few degrees less than 180 °. .

Preferably, the handle component is mounted to pivot between its storage and operating positions. Ideally, the axis of rotation is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive axis, and is also substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle component. Ideally also the axis of rotation rests along the longitudinal axis of the drive axis.

Ideally, the handle component projects to either side of the axis of rotation. Preferably, the handle component projects significantly farther from the axis of rotation in one direction than in the opposite direction. This allows the user to press the cut side of the handle component (to one side of the axis of rotation) in order to raise the long side of the handle component (to the other side of the axis of rotation), from which the long side of the handle component can be grasped and manipulated.

Since the handle component rotates an actuation angle of approximately 360 ° during its movement from the locked position to the unlocked position, the same process for lifting and handling the handle component can be used during the locking and unlocking processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED REALIZATIONS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a state-of-the-art folding / sliding door in approximately the closed position:

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the folding / sliding door shown in Fig. 1 in approximately the fully open position;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view from the front of the actuation handle of the present invention;

Fig. 4 shows an exploded view from the rear of the operating handle.

Fig. 5 shows an exploded view from the front of the operating handle.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the drive handle in the stowed position, connected to a locking mechanism in the unlocked condition.

Fig. 7 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 6 but with the handle component in the operating position.

Fig. 8 shows a position similar to that of Fig. 7 but with the handle component rotated approximately 180 °.

Fig. 9 shows a position similar to that of Fig. 8 per with the handle component rotated approximately an additional 180 °.

Figs. 10a-e show a section of the drive handle at various stages of operation; and

Fig. 11 shows a sectional view through a section of a folding / sliding door equipped with the operating handle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A description of Figs. 1 and 2 and will not be repeated here.

The actuation handle 20 in accordance with the present invention is shown in more detail in Figs. 3-5. The actuation handle has a handle component 21 and a support component 22, the handle component being movable relative to the support component as described below. The support component 22 has three fixing holes 23 which can receive anchor element (not shown) through which the support component 22 can be fixed in a recessed or hollow part of the frame 24 of a chosen panel of the folding door / sliding (see Fig. 11).

The drive handle 20 is connected to a drive shaft 25 which has a standard shape and is designed to cooperate with a correspondingly formed opening in the locking mechanism or gear box 26 (see Fig. 6), in a known manner. In some embodiments the drive shaft is coupled to the drive handle by the manufacturer and is mounted on the folding / sliding door with the drive shaft; alternatively, the drive shaft is provided separately from the drive handle, and is installed on the locking mechanism and on the drive handle by the installer.

Handle component 21 of drive handle 20 has two aligned holes 27 that can accommodate a pivot bolt 28, the pivot bolt also passing through aligned holes 29 in a drive bracket 30. Pivot bolt 28 provides a small pivoting range of motion to the handle component relative to support component 22, specifically between the stowed position shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and the operating position shown in Fig. 7. An orientation spring 31 surrounds a portion of the pivot bolt 28 and orients the handle component 21 towards its stowed position.

Handle component 21 projects to both sides of the axis of rotation AA defined by holes 27, that is, handle component 21 extends above and below axis of rotation AA in the orientation of Fig. 4 The handle component 21 has a short side on the axis AA in the orientation of Fig. 4, and a long side below the axis of rotation. This allows the user to lift the long side of handle component 21 by pressing on the short side toward recess 32 of support component 22. Therefore, it is not necessary to extend the support component to include a finger recess or the like. whereby the handle component can be lifted, and as shown in Fig. 3 in particular, the support component 22 can closely surround the handle component 21, which is aesthetically pleasing.

As can be seen more clearly in Fig. 4, the drive bracket 30 has a neck 33 that can accommodate a drive member 34, the drive member 34 being slidably mounted within the collar 33. The drive member 34 has a square recess 35 that is designed to accommodate one end of the drive shaft 25. The drive bracket 30 and the drive member 34 are located in the recess 32 of the bracket component 22, and cover a hole 36 through the which drive shaft 25 projects. A safety collar 37 is designed to mount on drive shaft 25 which projects and retains drive bracket 30 and drive member 34 within recess 32.

It will be understood, however, that on the assembled drive handle 20, the user may press the cut side of handle component 21 to thereby move handle component 21 from its stowed position of Figs. 3 and 6 to their operating position in Fig. 7, pivoting handle component 21 about axis of rotation A-A. The handle component 21 can therefore be rotated about the axis of the drive shaft, the rotation of the handle component 21 being communicated through the drive bracket 30 and the drive element 34 to the drive shaft 25, and consequently to the housing gear 26.

However, the drive bracket 30 has a drive component 40 and the drive element 34 has a driven component 41, the drive component 40 and the driven component 41 comprising interrelated shapes that provide some lost motion between the handle component 21 and the drive shaft 25. Specifically, within the collar 33 of the drive bracket 30 is a quadrant array 40 (see Fig. 4), and the drive member 34 has a similar quadrant array 41 (see Fig. 5). When the drive element 34 is coupled to the drive bracket 30, the quadrant array 41 extends along the quadrant array 40, as shown in Figs. 10a-10e (showing sectional views through drive bracket 30 and formation 41 of drive member 34). In other words, in the coupling condition the quadrant formation 40 extends within the region 42 of the drive element 34, and the quadrant formation 41 extends into the throat 43 of the drive bracket 30.

In Figs. 7-9 the sequence of operations of how the drive handle 20 moves the gearbox 26 from an unlocked position to a locked position is shown, and the corresponding sequences of movement of the drive element and the drive bracket are shown in Figs. 10a-10e.

Figs. 7 represents the unlocking condition of the gear box 26, as is evident from the retracted position of the locking rods 44. Fig. 7 therefore represents how the gear box would be in the case of a partially folding / sliding door open. The first stage in the sequence of operations is to raise the handle component to the operating position as shown.

Next, the handle component is rotated approximately 180 ° to the position in Fig. 8. This movement is also shown in Figs. 10a-10c, the drive bracket 30 being driven to rotate (counterclockwise, as shown) by handle component 21. Fig. 10b depicts the position at 90 °, and is included to better demonstrate that during this part of the movement the formation 40 does not mesh with the formation 41, and instead the formation 40 moves within the region 42 (and the formation 41 extends into the throat 43), so that the support The actuating element 30 does not move the actuating element 34. Thus, region 43 spans an arc of 270 °, of which only 90 ° is occupied by formation 41, and similarly for region 42 and formation 40. The component Handle 21, and therefore drive bracket 30, can therefore be rotated counterclockwise from the 0 ° position in Fig. 10a, through the 90 ° position in Fig. 10b , and up to position 189 ° in Fig. 10c before the leading edge 42 d e formation 40 meshes with edge of formation 41.

Since there is no rotation of the drive member 34 during the first 180 ° of rotation of the handle component 21, there is no corresponding rotation of the drive shaft 24, nor is there any movement of the locking rods 44.

Continued rotation of handle component 21 from the position in FIG. 8 to the position of Fig. 9 is accompanied by the corresponding movement of the actuating element 34, that is, during the following 180 ° of rotation the leading edge 45 of the formation 40 remains in contact with the edge 46 of the formation 41 , and drive bracket 30 and drive member 34 rotate together, as shown in Figs. 10c-10e., The rotation of the driving element 34 causes the corresponding rotation of the driving shaft 25, and consequently the extension of the closing rods 44.

Fig. 9 therefore represents the gearbox locking condition, and since the handle component 21 has been moved over a full 360 ° operating angle, it can be released to return to its save position. Thus, as seen by comparing Fig. 10a with Fig. 10e, the drive bracket 30 (and therefore handle component 21) has been moved 360 ° while formation 41, and therefore the drive 34 and drive shaft 25, the drive angle has been moved 180 °.

It will be understood that reversing the sequence of operations will result in a similar "lost motion" effect, with the handle component 21 being rotated (clockwise as seen from the position in Fig. 10e) 180 ° before that the edge 47 of the formation 40 meshes with the edge 48 of the formation 41 and the rotation of the drive support 30 causes the rotation of the drive element 34. It will be understood that in the sequence that reverses the operation described above, the position of Fig. 8 will be altered since the locking rods 44 will still be extended for that position of the handle.

Obviously, different embodiments of the invention can provide different drive angles as a function of the required rotation of the drive shaft to drive the locking mechanism or gear case. Different embodiments may also provide different operating angles if it is desired to rotate the handle component other angles than about 360 °. The lost arc of motion for a particular embodiment will be determined by the difference between the operating angle and the actuation angle, and different arcs of lost motion can be provided by varying the angular extent of formations 40, 41 (specifically by the variation of the angle between the edges 45 and 47 of the formation 40, and between the edges 46 and 48 of the formation 41).

It is a valuable feature of the invention that the handle component 21 cannot be moved from the stowed position while it is in its "180 ° position" shown in Fig. 8, that is, in the position where the handle component 21 engages with the supporting component that limits the rotational movement of handle component 21 about axis AA. This allows the user to lock and unlock the folding / sliding door in two stages of operation. Initially, the user can lift the handle component and rotate it approximately 180 °, such movement requiring very little force, typically requiring single finger pressure on the handle component 21. If desired, the user can release their grip on the handle component 21 while the handle component is in the position of Fig. 8, and make a firmer grip (possibly with two hands if the user is a child, for example) before completing the rotation of the component of handle 21 (rotation during which the closing rods move, and therefore the required force is increased).

It will be understood that in an alternative embodiment the formation 41 may be formed at the end of the drive shaft, such that the drive shaft meshes with the drive bracket directly, whereby a separate drive element is not required.

Fig. 11 shows that the actuation handle 20 can provide a minimum base height, and particularly a base height that is less than the gap S caused by the hinges 7 (which can be around 5mm, for example) . As such, the folding / sliding door panels can have a minimum clearance on the guide rails 9. It will be understood that alternative hinges can be used to reduce the gap S, and in such cases the drive handle 20 can be further lowered by frame 24, perhaps flush with the surface of the frame if desired.

Claims (13)

1. Drive handle (20), having a support component (22) and a handle component (21), the handle component being mounted on the support component, the support component being movable with respect to the support component between a stowed position and an operating position, the handle component being adapted to rotate an operation shaft (25) whereby during use the handle component can actuate a locking mechanism (26), the handle component being (21) rotatable in its operating position along an angle of operation with respect to the support component (22), the rotation of the handle component a driving the rotation of the drive shaft (25) along an angle with respect to the support component, the handle component having a drive component (40) and a driven component (41), the drive component (40) and the driven component (41) being capable of en granar, and by which the rotation of the support component (21) is communicated to the drive shaft (25), characterized in that the operating angle comprises a first operating sector and a second operating sector, in which the movement of the drive component (40) along the first sector of operation does not cause any movement in the driven component (41), and in which the movement of the drive component (40) along the second sector of operation causes the corresponding rotation of the driven component (41), such that the actuation angle is less than the operating angle. 2. The actuation handle (20) according to claim 1, wherein the operating angle is approximately 360 °. 3. Drive handle (20) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the drive angle is approximately 180 °. Drive handle (20), according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the drive component (40) has a first edge (45) and a second edge (47), defining the angle between the first edge (45) and the second edge (47) the angular extension of the drive component (40), and in which the driven component (41) has a first edge (46) and a second edge (48), defining the angle between the first edge (46) and the second edge (48) the angular extension of the driven component (41), the sum of the angular extension of the drive component (40) and the angular extension of the driven component (41) being less than 360 °. 5. Drive handle (20) according to claim 4, wherein the sum of the angular extension of the drive component (40) and the angular extension of the driven component (41) is approximately 180 °. 6. Drive handle (20) according to claim 5, at the angular extension of the drive component (40) is approximately 90 °, and at which the angular extension of the driven component (41) is approximately 90 °. 7. The actuation handle (20) according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the handle component (21) is mounted to pivot between its storage and operating positions about a rotational axis A-A. 8. Drive handle (20) according to claim 7, wherein the axis of rotation (A-A) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft (25). 9. The actuation handle (20) according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the axis of rotation (A-A) is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle component (21). 10. Drive handle (20) according to any of claims 7-9, wherein the handle component (21) projects on both sides of the axis of rotation (A-A). 11. The actuation handle (20) according to claim 10, wherein the handle component (21) projects beyond the axis of rotation (A-A) more in one direction than in the opposite direction. 12. The actuation handle (20) according to any of claims 1-11, wherein the handle component (21) is flexibly oriented towards its stowed position. 13. The actuation handle (20) according to any of claims 1-12, wherein, in use, the actuation component (40) moves through a first sector of operation before it moves through a second sector of operation.