GB2159398A - Improvements relating to handle assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

A handle assembly (10) comprises a housing (11) adapted to be mounted on a door or window, and an actuator (12) comprising a shaft portion passing through an aperture in a face plate (18) of the housing (11) and being rotatably mounted in a mounting part (16) of the housing (11). The face plate (18), in a first condition, conceals mounting holes in the mounting part (16), and is rotatable to a second condition wherein the holes are exposed. The mounting part (16) comprises a recess (19) in which the plate (18) is retained, in the first condition, under action of a removable circlip (26). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to handle assemblies Description of invention The invention relates to a handle assembly of the kind, hereinafter referred to as being ofthe kind specified, comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on awing, such as a door ora window, and an actuator having a manually graspable portion and a shaft portion rotatably mounted in the housing.

The manually graspable portion of the actuatoris conventionally a lever a knob, and in use, the shaft portion of the actuator typically engages an operating spindle of a latch on the wing, to permit the latch to be operated by manuai rotation ofthe actuator.

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

According to the invention, there is provided a handle assembly ofthe kind specified wherein the housing comprises a mounting part comprising mounting means for use in mounting the assembly on the wing, and a face plate which is movable between a first condition wherein said face plate conceals the mounting means and a second condition wherein the mounting means are exposed.

Preferablytheface plate is rotatable between said conditions.

Preferably the actuator shaft portion passes through an aperture in said face plate, and is rotatably mounted in the mounting part, and the face plate is rotatable about the shaft portion.

Preferably the face plate and the mounting part interfit in the first condition, thereby hindering accidental movement of the face plate therefrom.

Preferably the mounting partcomprisesa recess of complementary shape to the outer peripheral edge of the face plate, which recess is capable of receiving the face plate in said firstcondition.

Where the face plate is rotatable about said shaft portion and where said recess is provided, a spacing element may be removably inserted between the graspable portion and the face plate when the face plate is in said first condition, thereby preventing or hindering movement ofthe face plate out of the recess when the spacing element isthus inserted.

Preferably,a depression in communication with the recess is provided in the mounting part, to permitthe face plate to be levered out of the recess under action of stool inserted into the depression.

Where the handle is to be used in conjunction with a key-operated lock, a key hole formation may be provided in the face plate. The mounting part may be hollow-backed, enabling a key to pass therethrough.

Conveniently, the mounting part is formed in one piece,forexample by moulding thereof from plastics material, whilstthe face plate may be surface coated to provide a high quality appearance.

Where the shaft portion is mounted in the mounting part, it is preferably so mounted by being passed through an aperture in the mounting part and being fixedly engaged with a retaining plate, the retaining plate being of greatersizethanthe aperture, on the opposite side of the mounting part to the manually graspable portion ofthe actuator.

The actuator is preferably spring-loaded by spring means acting between the mounting part and the retaining plate. The spring means advantageously comprises a flat spiral spring located between the mounting part and the retaining plate so as to be protected thereby.

The retaining plate may comprise a radial projection, abutting ofwhich with portions, for example side walls, of the mounting part defines limits of rotational movement ofthe actuator.

One embodiment ofthe invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE lisa perspective view of a handle assembly embodying the invention, with a face plate thereof in a first condition; FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the handle assembly of Figure 1 ; FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the handle assembly, to a larger scale, on the line X-X of Figure 2; and FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the handle assembly with the face plate in a second condition, wherein mounting means on a mounting part ofthe assembly are no longer concealed from view by the face plate.

Referring to the drawings, a handle assembly 10 embodying the invention comprises a housing 11 adapted to be mounted on the face of a door (not shown) together with an actuator 12, comprising a manually graspable lever portion 13 (which could alternatively be a knob), and a shaft portion 14 rotatably mounted in the housing 11. In use, the shaft portion 14typically receives an operating spindle (not shown) of a latch on the door in a passage 15 in the shaft portion 14, to permitthe latch (not shown) to be operated by manual rotation of the actuator 12. In most such uses, afurther door handle assembly (not shown), preferably similar or identical to the handle assembly 10, would be mounted atthefarend ofthe operating spindle, on the other side of the door.The housing 11 comprises a mounting part 16 having countersunk mounting holes 17 formed therein to receive mounting screws, for use in mounting the part 16 on the door. The housing 11 further comprises a face plate 18 which, in a first condition, illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, conceals the mounting holes 17 (and, in use, only screws therein) from view from the front of the housing 11.

The part 16 and the plate 18 are substantially rectangular, and the front surface of the part 16 provides a recess 19 substantially complementary in shape to the periphery ofthe plate 18, which recess 19 interfittingly receives the plate 18 in said first condition so that the plate 18 then lies substantially flush with forwardly facing edges 1 6a of side walls 1 6b of the part 16.

The actuator shaft portion 14 passes through a circularaperture 20 intheface plate 18, through a circular aperture 21a in a planar portion 21 ofthe part 16,andthrougha biasing spring 22, and then fixedly engages a generally circular metal retaining plate 23 (of greater diameterthan the aperture 21 a) which is held in place by a circlip 24 so as to prevent the actuatorl2 from being pulled out of the housing 11 in a forwardly direction, thereby rotatably mounting the actuator 12 on the mounting part 16.Rotation ofthe actuator 12 is spring-biased by the spring 22, which acts between the retaining plate 23 and one ofthe adjacent side walls 16b. A nylon washer 25 facilitates rotation ofthe shaft portion 14 in said apertures and hence facilitates rotation ofthe lever 13. A spacing element in the form of a circlip 26 is inserted between the washer 25 and the lever 13, so thatthe plate 18 is pressed bythe circlip 26 into the recess 19. The spring 22, by being located between the planar portion 21 of the part 16 and the retaining plate 23, is generally protected from damage in use.

The part 16 is formed in one piece by moulding from plastics material.

The retaining plate 23 comprises a radial projection 27, abutting of which with innersurfaces 16c of certain of the walls 16b defines limits of rotational movement ofthe actuator 12. The spring 22 biases the actuator 12 to the position shown in the drawings,which position, in use, corresponds to the lever 13 being generally horizontal,withthe door latch extended. Rotation of the actuator 12 in the direction indicated in Figure 2 by the arrowAwould then cause the door latch to be retracted.

When it is desired to mountthe assembly 10 on the door face, or when it is desired to dismountthe assembly 10 from the doorface, the spacing circlip 26 is first removed, by urging thereof in the direction indicated bythe arrow B in Figure 4, and a tool such as a screwdriver is then inserted, if necessary, into a depression 28 in the part 16 so that underthe action of the tool, the plate 18 may be levered out ofthe recess 19.The plate 18, when consquently no longer constrained bythe side walls 166(the circlip 26 must be of sufficientthicknessforthis result two be obtained) may then be rotated about the shaft portion 14, for example in the direction indicated bythe arrow C, into a second condition, shown in Figure 4, wherein the holes 17 and mounting screws 29 (if present) are no longer concealed bythe plate 18. If the assembly 10 is being dismounted, the fixing screws 29 maythen be unscrewed from the holes 17, and if the assembly 10 is being mounted on the door, the screws 29 may be screwed through the holes 17 and into the door.In either case, the plate 18 maythen be rotated backto its original orientation and then pressed back into its first condition in the recess 19 so as to conceal the holes 17 and the screws 29 (where present). The spacing circlip 26 maythen be re-inserted overthe shaft portion 14 between the plate 18 and the lever 13.

Although the face plate 18 occupies a substantial portion ofthefrontofthe housing 11, an alternative handle assembly otherwise substantially as hereinbefore described but in which an alternative face plate occupying a lesser portion ofthe front ofthe housing is movable between a first condition wherein mounting means are concealed and a second condition wherein such mounting means are not concealed will remain within the scope ofthe invention. Such an alternative face plate need not be rotatable about the shaft portion ofthe actuator, but could instead be rotatable about a different location orcould be slidably movable, while remaining with the scope of the invention.

Although the assembly 10 illustrated is not adapted for use in conjunction with a key-operated lock, in order to facilitate such use, a keyhole formation could be formed in the face plate 18, and a corresponding holefora key could beformed in one of two back portions 30 ofthe mounting part 16.

The portions 30 are advantageouslythin so asto permit such holes to be formed therein. Additionally, a saving of material is achieved by having thin portions 30, without significantly sacrificing rigidity ofthe mounting part 16.

Alternatively, the portions 30 could be omitted, thereby making the mounting part 16 hollow-backed.

The face plate 18 is formed from aluminium, but could alternatively be formed from brass or plastics material orfrom any other suitable material.

The actuator 12 isformed from aluminium but could alternatively be formed from brass or from any other suitable material.

Theface plate 18 and the actuator 12 may be coated for protection or decoration.

Although the mounting part 16 has been described as comprising the recess 19, such a recess need not be provided. Instead, other interfitting formations could be provided on the part 16 and the plate 18, such as protrusions from the rear surface of the plate 18 which would be received by corresponding depressions in a front surface ofthe part 16, or alternatively the face plate 18 could be retained inthefirstconditionsimply by frictional engagement thereof with the part 16.

Although the assembly 10 has been described with particular reference to its use on a door, it is both functionally and aesthetically suitable for use on other wings, such as windows.

If it is desired that a window should be openable from only one side thereof, a handle assembly embodying the invention need be fitted onlyto said side of the windowframe, for example to an inwardly facing surface ofthe window frame.

Conventionally, surface zones available on window frames which are suitable for mounting thereon of handle assemblies are generally of lesserwidth than those commonly available on doors. Thus, the mounting part and face plate of a handle assembly in accordance with the invention, when intended for use on a window, may have dimensions particularly suited to such a use. The actuator, however, may be identical to the actuator 12 ofthe assembly 10, so that if both the doors and the window a of a room or building are fitted with handle assemblies in accordancewith the invention, a highlyco-ordinated appear ance may result.

The actuator lever of such an assembly intended for use on a window may be spring-biased to a vertical pOsition.

When not mounted on a wing, a handle assembly in accordance with the invention may be capable of being readily dismantled, thereby permitting components thereof to be replaced with ease, for example so as to provide a !arge number of possible colour combinationsforthe mounting part, the face plate and the actuator.

In general, a handleassemblysubstantiallyas hereinbefore described comprising a plastics moulded mounting part, a substantially flat face plate, and an actuator mounted as hereinbefore described, is less costly to produce than a conventional handle assembly.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, orthe 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, ora class orgroupofsubstancesorcompositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (19)

1. A handle assembly of the kind specified wherein the housing comprises a mounting part comprising mounting means for use in mounting the assembly on the wing, and a face plate which is movable between a first condition wherein said face plate conceals the mounting means and a second condition wherein the mounting means are exposed.

2. An assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the face plate is rotatable between said conditions.

3. An assembly according to Claim 2 wherein the actuator shaft portion passes through an aperture in said face plate, and is rotatably mounted in the mounting part, and the face plate is rotatable about the shaft portion.

4. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the face plate and the mounting part interfit in the first condition.

5. An assembly according to Claim 4 wherein the mounting part comprises a recess of complementary shape to the outer peripheral edge of the face plate, which recess is capable of receiving the face plate in said first condition.

6. An assembly according to Claim where eventually dependent upon Claim 3 wherein a spacing element may be removably inserted between the graspable portion and the face plate when the face plate is in said first condition.

7. An assembly according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein a depression in communication with the recess is provided in the mounting part, to permit the face plate to be levered outofthe recess under action of a tool inserted into the depression.

8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a key hole formation is provided in the face plate.

9. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the mounting part is hollow-backed.

10. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the mounting part is formed in one piece.

11. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the mounting part is formed by moulding thereof from plastics material.

12. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fact plate is surface coated to provide a high quality appearance.

13. An assembly according to Claim 3 or according to any one Claims 4to 12 where dependent upon Claim 3 wherein the shaft portion is mounted in the mounting part by being passedthrough an aperture in the mounting part and being fixedly engaged with a retaining plate, the retaining plate being of greater size than the aperture, on the opposite side of the mounting parttothe manually graspable portion of the actuator.

14. An assemblyaccordingto Claim 13wherein the actuator is spring-loaded by spring means acting between the mounting part and the retaining plate.

15. An assembly according to Claim 14 wherein the spring means comprises a flat spiral spring located between the mounting part and the retaining plate so as to be protected thereby.

16. An assembly according to any one of Claims 13 to 15 wherein the retaining plate comprises a radial projection, abutting of which with portions of the mounting part defines limits of rotational movement ofthe actuator.

17. An assembly according to Claim 16 wherein said portions ofthe mounting part are side walls thereof.

18. A handle assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

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