GB2147498A

GB2147498A - Furniture pull-handle assemblies

Info

Publication number: GB2147498A
Application number: GB08326901A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Douglas Allen
Original assignee: Crofts and Assinder Ltd
Current assignee: Crofts and Assinder Ltd
Priority date: 1983-10-07
Filing date: 1983-10-07
Publication date: 1985-05-15
Also published as: GB8326901D0

Abstract

A pull-handle assembly comprising support means 11 providing opposed spaced apart sockets to receive co-axial trunnions 12 projecting in opposite axial direction from a handle 10, for pivotally supporting the handle upon an article of furniture, e.g. a drawer, the trunnions provide eccentric abutment surfaces 18 and the sockets provide eccentric abutment surface 25, which surfaces cooperate to limit rotation of the handle to a predetermined arc. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Furniture pull-handle assemblies This invention concerns furniture pull-handle assemblies, for example drawer pull-handle assemblies, which are substantially of a kind comprising support means providing opposed spaced apart sockets to receive co-axial trunnions projecting in opposite axial directions from a handle, for pivotally supporting the handle upon an article of furniture; and such pull-handle assemblies are hereinafter referred to as being "of the kind described".

Pull-handle assemblies substantially of the kind described have been well known for more than a century and can be produced in a great variety of visual styles because, unlike carrying handles, they are not designed to bear any loads, e.g. carrying loads, of a substantial nature.

According to the present invention there is provided a pull-handle assembly substantially of the kind described wherein at last one of the trunnions provides an eccentric abutment, and at least one of sockets also provides an eccentric abutment, which abutments cooperate to limit rotation of the trunnion to a predetermined arc.

There is also provided according to the invention a pull-handle assembly of the kind described wherein at least one of the trunnions comprises a bearing portion co-axial with an axis of the trunnions and rotatively supported by a peripheral wall of the socket, and arcuately spaced abutment surfaces; wherein at least one of said sockets provides arcuately spaced abutment surfaces engageable by the abutment surfaces of the trunnion to limit rotation of the trunnion about said axis to a predetermined arc.The abutment surfaces of the trunnion are preferably provided by an eccentric abutment, which preferably projects in the axial direction from an end face of the bearing portion; and the abutment surfaces of the socket are preferably provided by an eccentric abutment which is preferably provided at the bottom of the socket alongside a recess which accommodates the abutment of the trunnion.

The arc is preferably greater than 70 but less than 120 , about 904 to 100" being especially preferred.

The abutment of the or each trunnion is preferably formed so that the strength thereof enables the abutment to yield, e.g. break, prior to the handle or the remainder of the trunnion or trunnions breaking in the event of excessive rotative force being applied to the handle.

Alternatively, the abutment of the or each trunnion may be robust in comparison with the abutment of the or each socket, so that the latter abutment can yield if said excessive rotative force is applied to the handle.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows in front elevation a pullhandle assembly of the invention with one part removed; Figures 2 and 3 show details of the assembly in side elevation; and Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views of the assembly in a normal position and an in-use position respectively.

The pull-handle assembly comprises a handle 10 supported by support means comprising two mountings 11 only one of which is shown in Fig. 1.

The handle 1 0 (Figs. 1 and 2) has two coaxial oppositely directed trunnions 1 2. Each trunnion 1 2 has a bearing portion 1 3 providing an end face 14 from which a projection 1 5 extends in the axial direction.Each projection 1 5 comprises a central portion 1 9 of part cylindrical form co-axial with the axis 1 6 of the trunnion, and an eccentric abutment 1 7 having the shape of a sector of a cylindrical ring, which ring extends between planes which are radial to the axis and include an angle of about 90 therebetween, and which ring extends radially outwards from the central portion 1 5 to the periphery of the bearing portion 13, so as to provide two angularly spaced abutment surfaces 18.

Each mounting 11 (Figs. 1 and 2) comprises a base 20 (for securing to an article, e.g. a front 21 of a drawer), and a head 22 providing a socket. The bottom of the socket is shaped to provide a recess 23 and an eccentric abutment 24 of C-shape. The abutment 24 provides faces in radial planes which serve as abutment surfaces 25. The socket has a cylindrical bearing wall 26 which supports the bearing portion 1 3 so that the projection 1 5 is accommodated in the recess 23.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, in the normal position the handle depends from the support means so that one of the surfaces 1 8 of each trunnion abuts one of the surfaces 25 of the respective socket, whereby to prevent the handle beng swung back (anticlockwise in Fig. 4) to strike the front 21. To open the drawer, the handle is pulled forwards and raised so as to move arcuately in a clockwise direction, the arcuate movement being limited by the other of the surfaces 1 8 of each handle contacting the other of the surfaces 25 of the respective socket, as shown in Fig. 5.

The pull-handle assembly of the invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example; many variations are possible within the scope of the invention, e.g. to employ mechanical equivalents of the abutments to provide suitable interengageable abutment surfaces. For example, a combined bearing portion and abutment of common axial extent could constitute the trunnion so as to incorporate an obtuse angled recess between abutment surfaces provided by the trunnion, there being an abutment of the bearing wall 26 to provide surfaces at an included angle which is less than the obtuse angle by about 90 or other desired angle of arcuate movement of the handle.

The angle of movement may be varied by varying the relative positions of the abutment surfaces and an angle of about 180 may be permitted to allow the handle to swing upwards to adjacent the front to hinder the handle being used for lifting the article. However, an angle of 90 or slightly more e.g.

100" is preferred especially in combination 'Nith at least one of the abutments of the or each socket/trunnion combination being made so as to yield before part of the handle, e.g. the waist 30 (Fig. 1), yields, e.g. breaks or bends, if the handle is abused, e.g. used for lifting.

Th handle assembly of the invention is particularly easy to cast and is expected to have a particularly durable pivotal action because of the ample large diameter bearing surfaces which are supplemented by the lesser bearing surface provided by the co-axial surface portions of the abutment recesses and projections.

Claims

1. A pull-handle assembly comprising a support means providing opposed spaced apart sockets to receive co-axial trunnions projecting in opposite axial directions from handle, for pivotally supporting the handle upon an article of furniture, wherein at least one of the trunnions provides an eccentric abutment, and at least one of sockets also provides an eccentric abutment, which abutments cooperate to limit rotation of the trunnion to a predetermined arc.

2. A pull-handle assembly comprising support means providing opposed spaced apart sockets to receive co-axial trunnions projecting in opposite axial directions from a handle, for pivotally supporting the handle upon an article of furniture, wherein at least one of the trunnions comprises a bearing portion co-axial with an axis of the trunnions and rotatively supported by a peripheral wall of the sockets, and arcuately spaced abutment surfaces; wherein at least said one of said sockets provides arcuately spaced abutment surfaces engageable by the abutment surfaces of said trunnion to limit rotation of the trunnion about said axis to a predetermined arc.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the abutment surfaces of the trunnion are provided by an eccentric abutment, which projects in the axial direction from an end face of the bearing portion; and wherein the abutment surfaces of the socket are provided by an eccentric abutment which is provided at the bottom of the socket alongide a recess which accommodates the abutment of the trunnion.

4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1. 2 or 3, wherein the arc is greater than 70 but less than 1 20'.

5. An assembly as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the arc is within the range of 90 to 100 .

6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the abutment of the or each trunnion is formed so that the strength thereof enables the abutment to yield, e.g. break.

prior to the handle or the remainder of the trunnion or trunnions breaking in the event of excessive rotative force being applied to the handle.

7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the abutment of the or each trunnion is robust in comparison with the abutment of the or each socket, so that the latter abutment can yield if said excessive rotative force is applied to the handle.

8. A handle assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.