GB2331545A

GB2331545A - Handle assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2331545A
Application number: GB9722090A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yurek Adrian Wronski
Original assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Current assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Priority date: 1997-10-21
Filing date: 1997-10-21
Publication date: 1999-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-21
Also published as: GB9722090D0; GB2331545A9; GB2331545B

Abstract

A handle assembly comprises a handle 11 pivotally mounted on a base 12. An L-shaped latch 19 is pivotally mounted about axles 22 in the handle 11 for movement in and out of a recess (14, see Fig 4) in the base 12, and is actuated by a push button 18. A spring 21 biases the push button 18 outward of the handle 11 and maintains the latch 19 in the latched position. Depression of the button 18 causes the latch 19 to pivot out of the recess (14), a knuckle 23 at one end of the latch 19 engaging a slot 24 in the push button 18.

Description

1 Handle Assembly 2331545 This invention relates to handle assemblies such

as may be used with espangnolette type locking mechanisms or with cockspur handles.

In recent years purchasers of double glazing and the like, have sought handles which have a "push to open', mechanism whereby on pushing an actuator, the handle is released from its base and able to operate the espangnolette mechanism in a sense to allow opening of a window, door etc.

The most successful of these assemblies operate on the basis of a latch which can be moved into and out of a recess or opening formed in one end of the base of the handle assembly in response to movement of the actuator. Examples of such constructions are shown in GB-A-2263304 and GBA-2288631.

is In both of these arrangements the push button and lat-ch are integral and pivot as a whole, as the push button is depressed. This leads to a rather awkward geometry and there is a considerable danger of the push buttons becoming jammed by detritus entering the rather large bore or cavity required within the handle.

An alternative approach has been to actuate the latch remotely in response to sliding movement of an actuator along the surface of the handle. This produces a much more desirable motion, but it is relatively expensive to manufacture.

The present invention consists in a handle assembly comprising a base for attachment to a frame and defining an 2 opening or recess, a handle pivotally mounted on the base and including a latch mechanism comprising a latch pivotally mounted about an axis on the handle for movement into and out of the opening or recess to lock and release the handle with respect to the base, means for biasing the latch into the opening or recess and an actuator for causing the latch to release characterised in that the actuator is a push button mounted for generally rectilinear movement in a direction generally orthogonal to the base and spaced from the axis on the opposite side of the latch and in that the latch mechanism includes an extension from the latch which engages the button such that depression of the button causes Lhe latch to move out of the opening.

The latch and extension may form a generally L-shaped element and the pivot axis may pass through the element at or adjacent the join between the latch and extension. Preferably the latch and extension are formed integrally, for example as a plastics moulding.

An end of the extension may engage in an opening in the push button, in which case that end may be in the form of a knuckle formed with surfaces to allow it to pivot within the opening. It will be understood that as the button is depressed, so is the end of the extension causing upward pivoting of the latch out of its associated recess or opening.

The push button opening may be in the form of a transverse open-mouthed slot, such that the push button can freely rotate about an axis, extending generally in the 3 direction of movement, through an arc to allow locking of the button against depression.

The bias means may act directly on the push button and conveniently sits beneath the push button so that it biases the button upwardly into its raised position and hence causes the latch to be engaged in the recess or opening.

Although the invention has been defined above it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view from above of a handle assembly; Figure 2 is a section of the assembly Figure 1 taken is along the line I- I; Figure 3 is a cranked section on the line II-II of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a scrap section corresponding to the section part of Figure 2, but with the latch mechanism in the "open" position.

A handle assembly 10 comprises a handle 11 and a base 12. The base 12 has holes 13, to enable it to be screwed to a frame, a rearward facing opening or recess 14 for receiving a latch and an aperture 15 whereby the handle can 25 be pivotally mounted with respect to the base on a shaft passing through the aperture 15.

A latch mechanism is generally indicated at 16. The mechanism 16 is substantially retained within a chamber 17 4 formed in the handle and comprises a push button 18, a latch 19, a latch extension 20 and a frusto-conical compression spring 21.

The latch 19 and latch extension 20 are formed as a single integral Lshaped plastics moulding. The moulding is also provided with transverse stub axles 22, which are received on seats formed in the handle 11 to allow the latch 19 to pivot into and out of the recess 14. The free end of the extension 20 is formed with a rounded knuckle 23, which engages in an open-mouthed transverse slot 24 formed in the push button 18.

In use, the spring 21 generally urges the push button 18 into the raised position shown in Figure 2 and, because of the engagement of the knuckle 23 in the slot 24, the latch 19 is thus pulled into the recess 14. When it is desired to release the handle 11, the push button 18 is depressed causing the knuckle 23 to move downwardly towards the base 12 and hence causing corresponding lifting of the latch 19 so that it is raised out of the recess 14 and clear of the base 12 (see Figure 4). In this position the handle 11 can be moved into its operative opening position. When it is desired to close the window or door, the handle 11 is returned to the in-line position shown in the Figures and the latch drops back into the recess 14 under the action of the spring 21, which seeks to raise the push button 18.

The construction of the slot 24 is such that the push button 18 can be rotated about its longitudinal axis 25 for an arc of around 180 degrees without interfering with the extension 20. This will enable the push button to be locked against depression, using one of the many locking arrangements that have been developed for button like actuators. For example, a lateral extension on the push button 18 may be moved to lie above a seat formed on the handle 11.

The arrangement described above has a number of advantages. Firstly the elements of the latch mechanism are relatively simple and cheap to mould. Secondly the fact that the push button 18 is only required to move rectilinearly, means that its size can be conveniently reduced and hence it can be utilized in a large number of handle designs. The geometry of the two prior art applications mentioned above, is such that the push button has to be wide enough to cover the full path that it sweeps out 1 Thirdly assembly is simple, whilst providing a very positive action.

6

Claims

CLAIMS is 1. A handle assembly comprising a base for attachment to a frame

and defining an opening or recess at one end thereof, a handle pivotable mounted on the base and inclusively a latch mechanism comprising a latch pivotally mounted about an axis on the handle for movement into and out of the opening or recess to lock and release the handle with respect to the base, means for biasing the latch into the opening or recess and an actuator for causing the latch to release characterised in that the actuator is a push button mounted for generally rectilinear movement in a direction generally orthogonal to the base and spaced from the axis on the opposite side to the latch and in that the latch mechanism includes an extension from the latch which engages the button such that depression of the button causes the latch to move out of the opening.
2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the latch and extension form a generally L-shaped element and the pivot axis passes through the element at or adjacent the join between the latch and extension.
3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein an end of the extension engages in an opening in the push button.
4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the end of the extension has a knuckle formed with surfaces to allow it to pivot within the push button opening.
5. An assembly as claimed in 3 or claim 4 wherein the 7 push button opening is in the form of a transverse openmouthed slot such that the push button can freely rotate about an axis, extending generally in the direction of movement, through an arc to allow locking of the button against depression.
6. An assembly as claimed in any one of the proceeding claims wherein the bias means act directly on the push button.
7. A handle assembly substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.