GB2335698A

GB2335698A - Handle assembly with integral push-button operated latch

Info

Publication number: GB2335698A
Application number: GB9802185A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cary Kam To Cheung
Original assignee: Avocet Hardware Ltd
Current assignee: Avocet Hardware Ltd
Priority date: 1998-02-13
Filing date: 1998-02-13
Publication date: 1999-09-29
Also published as: GB9802185D0

Abstract

The handle assembly comprises a handle 10 with a hand grip 12 pivotally mounted on a mounting member 11. A push button 15 within the body portion 13 of the handle, directly engages a latch element 16, pivotally mounted about axis 17. When the handle is in the locked position the latching member engages with a latching recess in the mounting member. A spring 18 biases the latch towards the latched position. When the push button 15 is pushed down, it disengages the latch from the latching recess, allowing the handle to be turned freely. The latch is re-engaged only when the handle is turned back to the locked position, since only then is the latch in the correct orientation to fit into the latch recess. The latching element 24 or its face 23 and wear strip 24, between the handle and the mounting member, may be made of wear-resistant material.

Description

2335698 PUSH-TO-RELEASE HANDLE This invention relates to a push-to-release

handle for securing a movable frame to a fixed frame e.g. a movable window frame to a fixed frame in which it is movably mounted for movement between open and closed positions.

Modern designs of window handle can come in a number of forms, including cockspur handles and espagnolette locking handles, which will be well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and which need not be described in detail herein.

When a "push-to-release" facility is required, (to permit unlatching movement of a cockspur handle or unlocking movement of an espagnolette handle), a push-button is usually provided which is slidably mounted in a main body portion of the handle. The body portion is pivotally mounted on a fixed mounting member which is secured to one of the frame members of the movable frame, and when the handle is in the closed position, a spring-loaded latch operates to hold the handle in the closed position. The latch can be mounted in the mounting member and be biased to move towards the underside of the body portion of the handle to latch with it. Alternatively, the latch can be mounted in the body portion and be biased downwardly into latching engagement with the mounting member.

The push-button is arranged so that, upon depression, it can act through a motion transfer mechanism in order to press the latch against its biasing and to release the handle and allow it to be pivoted from the closed position.

There are many different types of motion transfer mechanism utilised to transfer depression movement of the pushbutton so as to cause release of the latch. Currently available designs use a number of interconnected parts, and this has three disadvantages:

firstly, complexity of design involves inevitable cost penalties which cannot readily be borne by a relatively simple product made by mass production techniques, and in which there is very strong competition from different manufacturers; secondly, time of assembly is increased, with consequent impact on production costs; and, thirdly, the use of a number of different parts in the motion transfer mechanism multiplies the risk of component failure in service.

The invention therefore seeks to provide a simplified handle assembly, and yet which can meet required standards of reliability, and resistance to forced release of the handle.

According to the invention there is provided a push-torelease handle for securing a movable frame to a fixed frame, and comprising:

a mounting member for fixing to a frame member of the movable frame; a hand grip having a body portion pivotally mounted on the mounting member for movement between a holding position and a release position about a pivot extending generally perpendicular to the mounting member; a push-button slidably mounted in the body portion for movement up and down along an axis which is generally parallel to the axis of the pivot; a latch element pivotally mounted in the body portion for movement between a release position and a position of latching engagement with the mounting member, about an axis transverse to the axis of the pivot, so that when the latch is in the of latching engagement it resists movement of the posi handle to the release position; and, means biasing the latch to the position- of latching engagement:

characterised in that the push-button is engageable directly with the latch so that, upon depression, it moves the latch to the release position against said biasing means; and, the mounting member has a latching recess to receive the latch, and upon removal of the latch from the recess by operation of the push-button and followed by turning movement of the handle, the latch remains in the release position even when the push-button is released, until such time as the latch is returned into registry with the recess.

A handle according to the invention therefore has the advantage of simplified construction and assembly, but provides reliable operation and required resistance to forced opening.

Preferably, the latch has a wear resistant contact surface for sliding over the surface of the mounting member, and in practice it will be convenient for the entire latch to be made of this material e.g. hard moulded plastics.

Similarly, it is preferred that a wear strip be mounted on the facing side of the body portion, which also slides over the surface of the mounting member during movement of the handle between the holding position and the release position.

The handle may be a cockspur handle, in which case the body portion will be provided with any suitable "nib".

Alternatively, the handle may comprise an operating handle for an espagnolette mechanism, in which case the pivot on which the hand grip is mounted also comprises a shaft drive mechanism to operate an espagnolette mechanism e.g. a square cross section shaft.

To provide a locking facility, if required, the pushbutton may incorporate a key operated lock mechanism which, when operated to the locking position, resists depression movement of the push-button.

A preferred embodiment of push-to-release handle according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing a push-to-release handle according to the invention, taking the form of a handle for operating an espagnolette mechanism, and showing the handle latched in a closed position; and, Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1, but showing the handle after operation to a release position.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in relation to the handle for operating an espagnolette mechanism, although it should be understood that the principles of the invention may be applied to other types of push-torelease handle, including cockspur handles.

The handle is designated generally by reference 10, and is intended to secure a movable frame to a fixed frame e.g. a hingedly mounting window frame in a fixed window frame. The handle 10 comprises a mounting member 11 for fixing to a frame member of the movable frame (not shown) and a hand grip 12 having a body portion 13 pivotally mounted on the mounting member 11 for movement between a holding position and a release position about a pivot 14 extending generally perpendicular to the mounting member 11. The pivot 14 also serves as a rotary drive input to operate an espagnolette mechanism (not shown).

A push-button 15 is slidably mounted in the body portion 13 for movement up and down along an axis which is generally parallel to the axis of the pivot 14. Preferably, the pushbutton 15 incorporates a key-operated lock mechanism. A latch element 16 is pivotally mounted in the body portion 13 for movement between a release position, as shown in Figure 2, and a position of latching engagement with the mounting member 11, as shown in Figure 1. The latch element 16 can pivot about an axis 17 which extends transverse to the axis of the pivot 14, so that when the latch 16 is in the position of latching engagement (Figure 1) it resists movement of the handle to the release position.

The latch 16 is biased by any suitable biasing means so as to tend to take-up the position of latching engagement, and in the illustrated arrangement this comprises a simple coil spring 18 acting against a lower flank 19 of the latch 16, below the pivot 17.

The latch 16 therefore tends to take-up the position of latching engagement, shown in Figure 1, under the action of the biasing spring 18, and it will be noted that there is direct engagement between an upper curved nose 20 of the latch 16 and the underside of a push-button element 21.

Depression of the push-button 15 causes push-button element 21 to act on the curved nose 20 of the latch 16, thereby causing it to rotate clockwise against the action of the biasing spring 18, thereby to lift a lower latching part 22 of the latch 16 out of engagement with a latching recess defined in the mounting member 11.

The push-button 15 is therefore engageable directly with the latch 16 so that, upon depression, it moves the latch to the release position against the biasing spring 18. In addition, the mounting member 11 has a channelshaped latching recess (not shown in detail) which is shaped so as to receive the latching part 22 of the latch 16 as a snug fit. However, upon removal of the latching part 22 from the latching recess, by operation of the push-button 15, and followed by turning movement of the handle, the latch remains in the release position as shown in Figure 2, even upon release of the pushbutton. It remains in the release position until such time as the handle returns the latching part 22 so as to be in registry again with the latching recess.

The latching part 22 is held in the released position, as shown in Figure 2, after initial turning movement is applied to the handle, in that the face 23 of the latching part 22 maintains slidable engagement with the surface of the mounting member 10 adjoining the latching recess. Conveniently, the face 23 at least is made of wear resistant material e.g. hard plastics, although in practice preferably the entire latch element 16 is made of hard plastics material.

The body portion 13 of the handle 10 also may have a wear strip 24 of hard plastics material located between the underside of the body portion 13 and the adjacent contact surface of the mounting member 11.

Claims

1. A push-to-release handle (10) for securing a movable frame to a fixed frame, and comprising:

a mounting member (11) for fixing to a frame member of the movable frame; a hand grip (12) having a body portion (13) pivotally mounted on the mounting member (11) for movement between a holding position and a release position about a pivot (14) extending generally perpendicular to the mounting member (11); a push-button (15) slidably mounted in the body portion (13) for movement up and down along an axis which is generally parallel to the axis of the pivot (14); a latch element (16) pivotally mounted in the body portion (13) for movement between a release position and a position of latching engagement with the mounting member (11), about an axis (17) transverse to the axis of the pivot (14), so that when the latch (16) is in the position of latching engagement it resists movement of the handle to the release position; and, means (18) biasing the latch (16) to the position of latching engagement:

characterised in that the push-button (15) is engageable directly with the latch (16) so that, upon depression, it moves the latch to the release position against said biasing means (18); and, the mounting member (11) has a latching recess to receive the latch (16), and upon removal of the latch from the recess by operation of the push- button and followed by turning movement of the handle, the latch remains in the release position even when the push-button (15) is released, until such time as the latch is returned into registry with the recess.

2. A handle according to claim 1, in which the latch (16) has a wear resistant contact surface (23) for sliding over the surface of the mounting member (11).

3. A handle according to claim 2, in which the'entire latch (16) is made of wear resistant material.

4. A handle according to claim 3, in which the latch (16) is made of hard moulded plastics material.

5. A handle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which a wear strip 24 is mounted on the facing side of the body portion (13), to slide over the surface of the mounting member (1 1) during movement of the handle between the holding position and the release position.

6. A handle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and taking the form of a cockspur handle, having a nib provided on the body portion (13).

7. A handle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and comprising an operating handle for an espagnolette mechanism, in which said pivot (14) comprises a shaft drive mechanism to operate an espagnolette mechanism..

8. A handle according to claims, in which the push-button operated lock mechanism.

any one of the preceding (15) incorporates a key