GB2224770A

GB2224770A - Boot handle assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2224770A
Application number: GB8922959A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Pearson
Original assignee: Salter Springs & Pressing Limi
Current assignee: Salter Springs & Pressing Limi
Priority date: 1988-10-15
Filing date: 1989-10-12
Publication date: 1990-05-16
Also published as: GB8824217D0; GB8922959D0

Abstract

Handle assembly 1' has a handle 3' with wide opposed slots cut into end 3' 6. A retaining ring K has six teeth T1, T2, t1, t2, t3, t4 with tooth T1, T2 being inclined in an opposite direction to the inclination of teeth t1 to t4. Retaining ring K grips shaft 7' with teeth T1, T2 while gripping end 3 min b of the handle 3 with teeth t1 to t4. Ring K thus provides a flange F limiting relative axial movement of base 2 and handle 3 whilst allowing relative rotation of the handle and base. Base 2 may be attached to a boot lid/tailgate of a vehicle or to a garage door. A kit of parts comprising the assembly as well as the retaining ring K for use in the assembly are also claimed. <IMAGE>

Description

HANDLE ASSEMBLY This invention relates more particularly but not exclusively to a boot/tailgate handle assembly for a motor vehicle.

In a previously proposed boot handle assembly a handle is mounted to be rotated through an angle of about ninety degrees relative to a base fixed to the boot lid/tailgate in order to open the boot lid/tailgate of the vehicle. This type of assembly is well known and the handle is usually fitted with a key-operated, cylinder lock which prevents the handle being rotated relative to said base in the locked position.It is believed that the relative location of the various component parts of the handle assembly tends to be more complicated and expensive than need be, since some four individual component parts are required to retain a shaft to the handle (said shaft being arranged to operate a release mechanism for the boot lid/tailgate in known manner) and the base to the handle (whilst still allowing relative angular movement of the handle and base and resiliently urging the base against the handle to alleviate or obviate rattling). This type of handle assembly is also suitable for use on doors, more particularly garage doors.

It is an object of some embodiments of the present invention to alleviate one or more of the aforementioned, or other possible, disadvantages of this type of handle assembly.

According to the present invention there is provided a handle assembly comprising a shaft retained to an operating handle by a retaining ring, said retaining ring additionally retaining a base of the assembly to said handle, which base is, in use, locatable or mountable onto a boot lid or tailgate of a vehicle or onto a door.

Usually, the arrangement will be such that the handle is rotatable with the shaft relative to the base, the shaft, in use, being arranged to operate a release mechanism for the boot/tailgate/door in a manner generally known per se. Preferably, the handle is limited to an angle of rotation of 90" relative to said base.

Usually, the handle assembly will incorporate a lock, and, where the handle is rotatable relative to the base as aforesaid, the lock will often comprise a cylinder lock (usually key-operated) incorporated in the handle in a manner generally known per se.

Additionally, the retaining ring may provide that movement of the base in the axial direction of the shaft and relative to the handle is limited by a resilient biassing force provided by the retaining ring urging the base into engagement with said handle.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the handle projects through the base and has opposed slots for receiving teeth of the retaining ring which grip onto the shaft whilst further teeth on the ring grip onto the handle, said ring providing a flange overlapping the base thereby limiting axial movement of the base relative to said handle, said base further being urged resiliently axially into engagement with the handle by said ring.

The teeth which grip onto the shaft may be inclined (for example rearwardly) out of a main plane of the retaining ring and the teeth which grip onto the base may be inclined out of said main plane also but in the opposite direction (for example forwardly) to those which grip the shaft. Said teeth which grip the shaft are, preferably, larger than those which grip the base.

Further advantageous features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, and in particular the present invention may be applicable to an'assembly which is not necessarily a handle assembly or a boot lock handle assembly as well as to a kit of parts or to the retaining ring itself.

Therefore, further according to the present invention there is provided a components assembly in which a shaft is retained within a receiving hole in a member by d retaining ring or~plate by gripping the shaft with internal teeth thereof, said ring or plate also gripping the member with further internal teeth thereof.

An embodiment of a boot or door handle assembly in accordance with present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : FIGURE 1 shows an exploded view of a prior art boot/door handle assembly; FIGURE 2 shows an enlarged detail view of part of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1 but in an assembled state; FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but is an exploded view of the handle assembly in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but shows part of the assembly of FIGURE 3 in an assembled state; FIGURE 5 shows a retainer plate of the assembly of FIGURES 3 and 4, and FIGURE 6 shows a view of the assembly looking in the direction of arrow A in FIGURE 4.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a known boot or door handle assembly 1, has a base or boss 2 which, in use, is mounted onto the outside of the boot lid (or tailgate or door - usually garage door - where applicable) by screws (not shown) from the inside of the boot lid/tailgate/door. The handle assembly 1 has a handle 3 with a central key-operated cylinder lock 4 coaxial with, and mounted within, a cylindrical stem portion 3a of the handle 3. The lock barrel is retained within the cylindrical portion 3a by means of a radial pin fixed into hole 5 in the handle (see FIGURE 1); said cylindrical portion 3a has a three tier stepped external diameter and one end tier 3b of the portion 3a (see FIGURE 1) opposite end tier 3c housing the lock 4 is provided with an axial recess 6 of square cross section.The recess 6 receives one end 7a of a square section shaft 7 (of cross sectional dimensions matching the recess), which shaft 7 is insertable into the end tier 3b and retained thereto by a roll pin 8 introduced into a cylindrical diametrical hole 9 in end tier 3b, once the hole 9 is aligned with a cylindrical transverse hole 7b in shaft 7, in a manner which should be evident from FIGURES 1 and 2.

The base or boss 2 has a cylindrical portion 2a of external diameter matching that of end tier 3c of the handle and portion 2a is introduced over end tier 3b and the middle tier 3d of the stepped portion 3a of the handle 3 until adjacent annular, axial faces a1, a2 of end tier 3c and portion 2a respectively abut one another as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.Once the handle 3 has been retained to the base 2 (in a manner yet to be described) and the base retained to the boot lid/tailgate/door, in the:open.position of the lock, the handle 3 may be rotated through 90" relative to the base 2, which simultaneously rotates the shaft 7 through 90" to trigger a release mechanism (not shown but of a known type) on the boot/tailgate/door which allows the boot lid to be opened (or the tailgate or door to be lifted up) in well known manner.

The present invention resides more particularly but not exclusively in the manner in which the base and shaft are retained together in the handle assembly.

In the prior art assembly 1, as already described the shaft 7 is itself retained to the handle 3 by a roll pin 8 introduced through hole 9 in the handle and through hole 7b in the shaft 7. In order to retain the base 2 on handle 3 whilst allowing relative rotation of the handle and shaft relative to the base, three further components are necessary, namely two washers or rings W held spaced apart from one another, in between the base 2 and the pin 8 by spring resilient means in the form of a wavy washer X, as should be apparent from FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

The embodiment of present invention as shown in FIGURES 3 to 6 simplifies the assembly process by obviating any need for hole 9, roll pin 8 or the three further components W, W, and X. FIGURES 3 and 4 show an embodiment of a handle assembly 1' in accordance with the present invention having a handle 3' which is identical with handle 2 save for the lack of hole 9 and the provision of wide diametrically opposed slots S cut into end 3'b (see FIGURE 6). The shaft 7' is identical with shaft 7 save for the lack of hole 7b. The base 2 is identical with that shown in FIGURE 2 and is provided with two spaced, threaded holes H (see FIGURE 6) for locating screws (not shown) for fixing the base 2 to a boot lid/tailgate/door in known manner.Advantageously, the four components 8, W, W, x are now replaced by a single, multi-functional retaining ring K (FIGURE 5) and wide slots S are provided in end 3'b to allow access of the diametrically opposed wide gripping teeth T1, T2 of the ring K, onto the shaft 7.

The retaining ring K has 6 equiangularly spaced teeth T1, T2, tl, t2, t3, t4 in all, and as will be apparent more particularly from FIGURE 5, wide teeth T1, T2 are inclined forwardly out of the main plane of the ring whilst teeth t1 to t4 are inclined rearwardly out of the main plane. The radially inner gripping edges e1 to e4 of the teeth t1 to t4 are arcuate to match the outer contour of the end tier 3'b of the cylindrical portion 3'a of the handle 3' and to engage therewith and firmly grip thereonto whilst the wide teeth T1, T2 have straight gripping edges E1, E2 gripping onto the square section shaft 7' (the teeth T1, T2 being received in the axial slots S in end tier 3b).An underside view of the assembly 1' is shown pin Figure 6 and it should be apparent from the drawings how the retaining ring K grips the shaft 7'- with teeth T1, T2 whilst simultaneously gripping the cylindrical exterior of tier 3b with teeth t1 to t4. Ring K provides a flange F limiting relative axial movement of base 2 and handle 3 since it overlaps the base 2.

Therefore, the retention of the shaft 7' onto the handle 3' and retention of the base 2 to the handle 3' is advantageously accomplished by means of a single component in a much simplified assembly operation once the slots S have been cut into the end tier 3b of the handle. During assembly, the handle, base and shaft may be positioned relative to one another ready for being retained permanently to one another by an assembly tool which pushes the retaining ring onto the shaft, and thereafter, securely to the handle, on further relative axial movement of the ring on the shaft, with teeth T1, T2 being received into the receiving slots on the cylindrical stem portion of the handle.

It is envisaged that the principle of retaining a shaft within a receiving hole in a member by gripping the shaft with internal teeth of a retaining ring whilst also gripping the member with internal teeth of the ring may be more widely applicable than in the present example described. Additionally, in the example described the ring limits the axial movement of the base relative to the handle yet allows relative angular movement of the handle and base.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be unduly limited by the particular choice of terminology and that a specific term may be replaced by any equivalent or generic term where sensible. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions related to the handle assembly or retaining ring and/or combinations thereof might be individually patentably inventive.

Claims

1. A handle assembly comprising a shaft retained to an operating handle by a retaining ring, said retaining ring additionally retaining a base of the assembly to said handle, which base is, in use, locatable or mountable onto a boot lid or tailgate of a vehicle or onto a door.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the handle is rotatable with the shaft relative to the base, the shaft, in use, being arranged to operate a release mechanism for the boot/tailgate or door.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the handle is limited to an angle of rotation of 90" relative to said base.

4. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims incorporating a lock.

5. An assembly as claimed in Claim 4 in which the lock is a cylinder lock (preferably key-operated) incorporated in the handle.

6. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the retaining ring provides that movement of the base in the axial direction of the shaft and relative to the handle is limited by a resilient biassing force provided by the retaining ring urging the base into engagement with said handle.

7. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the handle projects through the base and has opposed slots for receiving teeth of the retaining ring which grip onto the shaft whilst further teeth on the ring grip onto the handle, said ring providing a flange overlapping the base thereby limiting axial movement of the base relative to said handle, said base further being urged resiliently axially into engagement with the handle by said ring.

8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7 in which the teeth which grip onto the shaft are inclined out of a main plane of the retaining ring.

9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 8 in which the teeth which grip onto the base are inclined out of said main plane but in the opposite direction to those which grip the shaft.

10. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 in which said teeth which grip the shaft are larger than those which grip the base.

11. A handle assembly substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A kit of parts for the handle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

13. A retaining ring for the handle assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 12.

14. A components assembly in which a shaft is retained within a receiving hole in a member by a retaining ring or plate by gripping the shaft with internal teeth thereof, said ring or plate also gripping the member with further internal teeth thereof.