GB2203481A

GB2203481A - Lockable handle

Info

Publication number: GB2203481A
Application number: GB08709289A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Colin Smith; Kenneth Frederick Johnson
Original assignee: SCHLEGEL
Current assignee: SCHLEGEL
Priority date: 1987-04-16
Filing date: 1987-04-16
Publication date: 1988-10-19
Also published as: GB8709289D0

Abstract

The handle, for example for patio doors or windows with an espagnolette mechanism or for use as a latch, comprises a narrow mounting base (1) for mounting the handle e.g. on a window frame, a lever (9) pivotally mounted on the base (1) about axis (17) and a key-operable locking cylinder (15). The locking cylinder (15) in its locking position prevents pivotal movement of the lever (9) relative to the base (1). The longitudinal axis of the locking cylinder (15) is either parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever (9) or at an acute angle to it, being located within the lever (9) in such a way as to resist bending and/or shearing of the lever (9). Acute angle is preferably between 30 DEG and 60 DEG . Base (1) and lever (9) may be moulded from synthetic resinous material and have hollowed out portions with decorative inserts or cover portions secured by fasteners, adhesive, snap fit. The base (1) has a control threaded aperture (5) to receive a threaded male member (7) projecting from lever (9), the pivot axis (17) extending through longitudinal axis of member (7). <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO LOCKABLE HANDLE This invention relates to a lockable handle which has been specifically designed for use with a window espagnolette mechanism, but which could be used as an ordinary operating handle for a window, patio door or other member.

Lockable window handles are well known, and the lock cylinders are either parallel -to the pivot axis of the handle, or normal to.it and to the handle, but in all cases, the handle tends to be very bulky and heavy looking, as it normally has an enlarged portion to accommodate the lock cylinder without weakening the handle. Such handles are normally made of metal, e.g.

zinc or aluminium alloy.

We have now designed a lockable handle for windows which is very slim, and which can be moulded largely from synthetic resinous material. This means firstly that the handle only needs a narrow window frame member on which to mount it without it being visible from outside, thereby allowing narrow frames to be used for the window, thereby in turn maximising light and minimising window costs.

Secondly, the handle can be made inexpensively, and can be highly resistant to corrosion.

In designing our new handle, we wanted to keep the handle and its mounting base on which the handle is pivoted as thin or narrow as possible, without sacrificing strength at the pivot, and without losing rigidity in the lever of the handle, so as to resist bending. Normally, rigidity can be imparted to a long synthetic resinous member e.g. a lever by placing a reinforcing member along its length, but this was not possible with the handle of the present invention because of the need to accommodate a lock cylinder.

According to the present invention we provide a lockable handle comprising a mounting base for mounting the handle on a window frame or the like and a lever pivotally mounted on the base, about an axis generally normal to the plane of the base and a lock cylinder in the lever movable between an unlocked position and a locking position in which pivotal movement of the lever relative to the base is prevented, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the cylinder is so located within the handle that the cylinder imparts strength to the lever to resist bending and/or shearing of the lever. The lock cylinder may have its longitudinal axis generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever or it may extend at an acute angle thereto.Preferably,it extends at an acute angle of between about 300 and 60 , ideally between about 40 and 500 to the longitudinal axis of the lever.

Preferably, the handle is formed from synthetic resinous material components which may be-formed by moulding. Preferably, both the base and the lever each have principal moulded components with hollowed out portions, and decorative inserts or cover portions which may be secured thereto by fasteners, adhesive or a snap fit arrangement.

Preferably, the lever is threadedly engaged with the base, e.g. by a threaded male member on the lever# through the centre of which the pivot axis extends, engaging in a central threaded aperture in the base. Preferably, there is a espagnolette mechanism drive shaft extending centrally through the male member and projecting beyond the underside of the base, the other end of the drive shaft being inclined to the pivot axis and extending back into the lever and lying partly alongside but spaced from the lock cylinder further to strengthen the lever.

A preferred embodiment of lockable handle for a window espagnolette mechanism is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through the handle and FIGURE 2 is a part elevational view in the direction of the.arrow A in figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the handle is formed from six component parts, five of which may be formed by moulding or stamping (pressing) operations and the sixth of which is a lock cylinder. The handle comprises a narrow base mounting 1 having countersunk fixing screw apertures, and a central threaded aperture 5 to receive an externally threaded male member 7 projecting from a hidden face of the moulded lever 9. The base 1 has a further aperture 11 in its upper face to receive a locking member 13 of a locking cylinder 15 in the lever 9. A decorative insert overlies an exposed end of the base 1 (and also hides a fixing screw in aperture 3 when the handle is screwed to a window frame or the like).

The lever 9 is pivotally mounted on the base 1 about a pivot axis 17 extending through the longitudinal axis of male member 7, the thread on this engaging in threaded aperture 5 being the only means holding the lever 9 on the base 1. Since the handle is for operating an espagnolette, drive shaft 19 passes centrally through the male member 7 and projects therefrom to engage with the espagnolette mechanism (not shown). The lever as is traditional extends generally at right angles to its pivot axis 17 and is very narrow as can be seen from figure 2.

That portion of the handle 9 which provides a hand grip, as can be seen in both figures, is 'generally hollow, the main moulding having core apertures 21 thereon, both to assist with the moulding, and to keep the amount of material of the moulding to a minimum. (The handle is preferably moulded from a synthetic resinous material but other materials can be used). A decorative cover or insert 23 overtlies the apertured face of the hand grip portion of the lever, this having projections 25 on its underside which engage in two of the apertures 21 to hold the insert 23 in position. Fasteners (not shown) or adhesive may also or alternatively be used.

The lever tapers slightly as seen in the direction of the arrow A, but as seen in the side elevation (Figure 1), much more extensively, as well as being kinked in this plane, so that the end remote from the handle portion, from the underface of which the male member 7 projects, is sufficiently deep to accommodate the locking cylinder 15, and the end of the drive shaft 19 remote from the end engaging the espagnolette mechanism.

The cylinder 15 is located in a bore 27 in the lever 9 which extends at an angle of somewhere between 300 and 600 preferably, about 450 to the longitudinal axis of the lever, and by extending at this angle, the cylinder 15, as well as providing a locking function, reinforces the lever, as its axis lies in the plane in which bending of the lever 9 can occur. Also, as can be seen from Figure 2, the position of the cylinder 15 prevents the thin wall sections 28 on each side thereof creating a lever weakness as would be the case if the cylinder was parallel with the pivot axis 17 (there would then be a tendency for the thin wall sections to fail). The cylinder itself is generally of normal construction and at its exposed end (opposite locking nember 13) has a key aperture plate 29. When a key therein is operated to move the cylinder to a locking position (as shown in Figure 1), the member 13 engages in aperture 11 in the base 1, thereby preventing movement of the lever 9. However, when the cylinder is moved by operation of the key to an unlocked position, locking member 13 will be pivoted through 1800 so that its inclined end face 31 lies parallel to but spaced from the top face of the base, thus allowing operational movement of the lever (e.g. to release the espagnolette mechanism) to open the window.

It is envisaged that the cylinder 15 could be located within the lever 9 so that its longitudinal axis extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever. In this case, a further component would have to be incorporated in the handle which would be operated upon rotation of the cylinder 15 to a locking position to prevent operation of the lever 9.

It can also be seen from Figure 1 that the end of the drive shaft 19 remote from the espagnolette mechanism engaging end is inclined to the axis 17 at about 600, and is moulded into the deep end of the lever 9, and overlaps but is spaced from the cylinder 15, thus assisting in reinforcing the lever. Even the deep end of the lever has hollows 33 moulded therein, and those which are exposed are covered by a cover or insert 35 fixed--in place in the same manner as insert 23.

It will also be noted that the cylinder 15 has a circumferential groove 37 therein between its ends, with which a projection 39 on the insert 35 engages, to hold the cylinder within the bore 27.

It should be appreciated that the handle is non-handed; i.e. it can be used on a left hand or right hand hinged window, or for that matter top or bottom edge hinged window (or other member). It is also envisaged that instead of using the handle for operating an espagnolette, it could be used as a latch, in which case the projecting portion of the drive shaft would have to be omitted, and a projecting latching member would have to be moulded onto the lever where it is of deep section.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that we provide a handle which is inexpensive and simple to manufacture, which is narrow and key lockable, and yet, by virtue of the location and inclination of the lock cylinder, is sufficiently strong to resist bending and also by virtue of the drive shaft, shearing at the pivot.

Also, the base can be kept slim by securing the lever to it, and at the same time allowing pivoting, through a screw thread. Furthermore, the handle can be made attractive due to it being of moulded construction (e.g.

injection moulded).

It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of examaple, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A lockable handle comprising a mounting base for mounting the handle on a window frame or the like and a lever pivotally mounted on the base, about an axis generally normal to the plane of the base, and a lock cylinder in the lever movable between an unlocked position and a locking position in which pivotal movement of the lever relative to the base is prevented, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the cylinder is so located within the lever that the cylinder imparts strength to the lever to resist bending and/or shearing of the lever.

2. A handle according to claim 1, wherein the lock cylinder has its longitudinal axis generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever.

3. A handle according to claim 1, wherein the lock cylinder has its longitudinal axis extending at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the lever.

4. A handle according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinal axis of the lock cylinder extends at an acute angle of between about 300 and 600 to the longitudinal axis of the lever.

5. A handle according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinal axis of the lock cylinder extends at an acute angle of between about 400 and 500 to the longitudinal axis of the lever.

6. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle is formed from synthetic resinous material components.

7. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the lever and the mounting base components of the handle are of moulded construction.

8. A handle according to claim 7, wherein both the base and the lever each have principal moulded components with hollowed out portions, and decorative inserts or cover portions which may be secured thereto by fasteners, adhesive or a snap fit arrangement.

9. A handle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever is threadedly engaged with the base, by a threaded male member on the lever, through the centre of which the pivot axis extends, engaging in a central threaded aperture in the base.

10. A handle according to claim 9 and further comprising an espagnolette mechanism drive shaft which extends centrally through the male member and projects beyond the underside of the base, the other end of the drive shaft being inclined to the pivot axis and extending back into the lever and lying partly alongside but spaced from the lock cylinder further to strengthen the lever.

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