GB2087323A - Rotary operating handles - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotary operating handle such as a window winder for a vehicle window is formed in only two parts, a body part (10) and a knob (11) which have a co-operating spigot (19) and socket (16) providing a snap-engaged swivel fixing. The spigot (19) has an external annular rib (20) spaced from an abutment surface (21), the spacing being equal to the thickness of an internally projecting rib (17) at the mouth of the socket (15). In a preferred embodiment, the socket (15) is provided at an end of the elongate body part (10) and the spigot is provided on the knob (11). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rotary operating handles This invention relates to rotary operating handles of the winder type, for example window winders of the kind used for manually operated vehicle windows.

Various other forms of apparatus may be manually operated by means of rotary operating handles, for example shutters or remotely operated windows in buildings. Handles for these purposes may be made according to the invention but, for ease of description the example of a vehicle window winder will be used.

Conventional window winder assemblies for vehicle windows tend to be complicated and relatively expensive, considering the fairly minor function which they have to perform. Since at least two and possibly four such winders have to be provided on each vehicle, large savings could be made by the manufacturers of mass produced vehicles if the current type of window winder assembly could be replaced by something less complicated and expensive.

A typical present day window winder has five parts, two or three of these being plastics mouldings. The winder has an arm which may be plastics or metal, a knob of plastics which is rotatably secured to the arm by a metal rivet and washer, and a plastics cover which is subsequently fitted to the knob to cover the rivet. Thus, it is necessary firstly to asemble the arm, knob and washer, then to carry out the riveting operation, and finally to add the cover part or cap to the knob. It will be seen that this involves a variety of different manufactured parts and a number of assembly operations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simpler and potentially less expensive rotary operating handle, for example a vehicle window winder.

According to the invention there is provided a rotary operating handle consisting of a body part and a knob, the body part being of elongate form with a first end portion adapted to be pivoted for use and a second end portion, the knob and the second end portion of the body part having co-operating means affording a snap-engaged swivel fixing.

The snap-engaged swivel fixing may comprise a spigot having one or more external projections and a tubular socket having one or more internal projections, the internal and external projections being snap-engaged by insertion of the spigot into the socket, and the spigot and socket being so shaped and dimensioned that the spigot is thereby rendered captive and freely rotatable within the socket.

The socket may be provided on the second end portion of the body part. Alternatively, the socket may be provided on the knob.

The spigot may have a single external projection in the form of an externally projecting annular rib.

The socket may have an internally projecting annular rib. This may be formed at the mouth of the socket.

The externally projecting annular rib may be spaced from an abutment portion of the member carrying the spigot by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the internally projecting rib at the mouth of the socket, whereby the body part and knob are located against relative axial movement on snap-engagement of the spigot and socket.

The body part and the knob may both be formed of synthetic plastics material.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 its a plan view of a window winder embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the window winder shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a window winder is illustrated which consists solely of two parts, a body part 10 and a knob 11, each of which is manufactured as a one-piece moulding in a synthetic plastics material.

The body part 10 is elongate and has a first end portion 12 which is in the form of a generally disc-shaped hub adapted to be pivoted for use on an operating mechanism for a vehicle window. It will be appreciated that the actual operating mechanism of the window can be of any suitable type and does not form any part of the present invention.

The first end portion 12 can be secured to the operating mechanism in a variety of ways, for example, by means of a fastener passing through a central opening 13. The underside 14 of the first end portion will normally be provided with non-circular keying formations so as to transmit rotary movement about the pivotal axis of the first end portion to the operating mechanism of the window.

The elongate body part 10 also has a second end portion 15. This provides a swivel fixing for the knob 11.

The second end portion of the body part 10 includes a hollow tube forming a socket 16. The socket 16 has in inwardly projecting annular rib surrounding its mouth and restricting the size of the opening.

The knob 11 is circular in plan view having a downwardly depending skirt portion 18 which surrounds and conceals the swivel fixing between the knob 11 and second end portion 15 of the body part.

Beneath the central region of the knob 11, a spigot 19 is provided, this being made hollow as shown to reduce the amount of plastics material necessary for manufacturing the knob and also to enable a slight degree of resilience to be achieved. The spigot 19 has an outwardly projecting annular rib 20 which has an external diameter slightly larger than the internal diameter of.the inwardly projecting rib 17. Thus, by moving the knob downwardly to the position shown in Figure 2, the projecting ribs snap-engage with each other to hold the knob captive on the body part.

The outwardly projecting rib 20 is spaced from an abutment surface 21 of the underside of the knob by a distance which is approximately equal to the thickness of the inwardly projecting rib 17 at the mouth of the-socket 16. Thus, when the ribs have been snap-engaged to form the assembly shown in Figure 2, the inwardly projecting rib of the socket is trapped between the outwardly projecting rib 20 of the knob and the-abutment surface 21, preventing axial movement of the knob relative to the socket.

Co-operating parts of the spigot and socket are dimensioned so that, although axial movement of the knob relative to the socket is substantially prevented and the knob is held captive, there is only minimal frictional engagement between the parts so that the knob can rotate freely on the swivel afforded at the second end portion of the body part.

It will be seen that the assembly requires the manufacture of only two separate parts and that the assembly operation involves a simple axial movement to snap-engage the ribs 17 and 20. This operation can be performed by automatic machinery. If desired, suitable lead in surfaces can be provided, for example at 22 on the spigot, to enable the snap-engagement to be carried out more readily.

Although the assembly described incorporates a socket on the body part and a spigot on the knob, this arrangement could be reversed with suitable modifications in the component parts.

Although it is envisaged that both parts should be made as mouldings in synthetic plastics material, for example a durable low friction nylon material, one or both of the parts could be made of metal or other material provided that some degree of resilience could be achieved in orderto facilitate snapengagement of the parts.

Claims (11)

1. A rotary operating handle consisting of a body part and a knob, the body part being of elongate form with a first end portion adapted to be pivoted for use and a second end portion, the knob and the second end portion of the body part having cooperating means affording a snap-engaged swivel fixing.

2. A handle according to Claim 1 wherein the snap-engaged swivel fixing comprises a spigot having one or more external projections and a tubular socket having one or more internal projections, the internal and external projections being snap-engaged by insertion of the spigot into the socket, and the spigot and socket being so shaped and dimensioned that the spigot is thereby rendered captive and freely rotatable within the socket.

3. A handle according to Claim 2 wherein the socket is provided on the second end portion of the body part.

4. A handle according to Claim 2 wherein the socket is provided on the knob.

5. A handle according to any preceding claim wherein the spigot has a single external projection in the forum of an externally projecting annular rib.

6. A handle according to any preceding claim wherein the socket has an internally projecting annular rib.

7. A handle according to Claim 6 wherein the internally projecting rib is formed atthe mouth of the socket.

8. A handle according to Claim 5 and Claim 7 wherein the externally projecting annular rib is spaced from an abutment portion of the member carrying the spigot by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the internally projecting rib at the mouth of the socket, whereby the body part and the knob are located against relative axial movement on snap-engagement of the spigot and socket.

9. A handle according to any preceding claim wherein the body part and the knob are both formed of synthetic plastics material.

10. A handle according to any preceding claim in the form of a window winder for a vehicle window.

11. A rotary operating handle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.