GB2525707A

GB2525707A - Letter plate assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2525707A
Application number: GB1501509.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart Carpenter
Original assignee: INGENIOUS LOCKS & HARDWARE Ltd
Current assignee: INGENIOUS LOCKS & HARDWARE Ltd
Priority date: 2015-01-29
Filing date: 2015-01-29
Publication date: 2015-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 2035-01-29
Also published as: GB201501509D0; GB2525707B

Abstract

A letter plate assembly for comprises a letter plate and a shaft member 16 which supports the letter plate for pivotal movement. The shaft member has first 18 and second 20 parts connected to each other by a rotationally fast connection 22 there between. The connection, which may be biased 56, is configured such that the first and second members may be moved towards and away from each other so as to facilitate installation of the letter plate.

Description

Title: Letter plate assembly

Description of Invention

The present invention relates to a letter plate assembly for connection to a support part. In particular, the invention relates to a letter plate assembly for a door.

It is known to provide a letter plate assembly which includes a letter plate to cover an aperture provided by a door or letter box for receiving mail. Such letter plates are typically pivotally connected to a support part, e.g. a frame, on an exterior surface of a door / letter box. The letter plate can be pivoted between open and closed positions to provide access to the aperture and permit a letter to be passed therethrough. The letter plate is typically biased to the closed position in order to cover the aperture and prevent wind and/or rain passing therethrough.

A typical support part generally has a pair of opposing side walls which are connected to an upper portion of the letter plate by a respective shaft member positioned at opposite ends of the support part. The shaft members provide the pivotal connection between the letter plate and the support part. The shaft members pass through respective holes which extend through the side walls and these holes / ends of the shaft members are visible to the exterior of the door. This is undesirable from an aesthetic point of view. The shaft members may also deteriorate and / or loosen after repeated use.

It is desirable to provide a letter plate assembly that is aesthetically pleasing and reliable in operation. Furthermore, it is desirable to manufacture and assemble such a letter plate assembly in an economic manner.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, we provide a letter plate assembly for connection to a support part, the letter plate assembly including: a letter plate; and a shaft member which supports the letter plate for pivotal movement, wherein the shaft member includes first and second parts which are connected to each other, said connection providing a rotationally fast connection therebetween.

According to a second aspect of the present invention we provide a door or letter box including an assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention.

Further features of the various aspects of the invention are set out in the claims appended hereto.

Examples of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:-Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a letter plate assembly and support part according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unassembled state; Figure 2 is a further exploded perspective view of the letter plate assembly and support part shown in figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the letter plate assembly of figure 1; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a further portion of the letter plate assembly of figure 1.

Referring to the figures, an embodiment according to a first aspect of the present invention for use with a door will be described. It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention as described below can be used with a letterbox in a manner that will be familiar to a skilled person, including any necessary modifications for its use therewith.

With reference to figure 1, this shows a letter plate assembly 10 for connection to a support part 12. The letter plate assembly 10 includes a letter plate 14 and a shaft member 16 which supports the letter plate 14 for pivotal movement. The shaft member 16 includes first and second parts 18, 20 which are connected to each other. In this example, the support part 12 extends through a suitably sized passage in a door (not shown) and is fixed to the door by screws or other suitable fixing means. In embodiments, the support part 12 may be formed integrally as part of the door and need not be a separate component part which is fitted to the door. The letter plate 14 and support part are formed from a metal such as aluminium or the like.

The letter plate 14 has a planar portion 24 which extends away from a generally cylindrical connection portion 25 of the letter plate 14. The connection portion 25 defines a passage 26 through which the shaft member 16 extends during use. The shaft member 16 extends across the whole length of the letter plate 14.

The support part 12 is generally rectangular and has a central passage 13 which is rectangular in cross-section to receive a letter or the like therethrough.

The central passage 13 includes a draught guard 17 positioned therein. Other embodiments may not have a draught guard. The support part 12 includes a front end portion 28 and a rear end portion 30. In use, the front end portion 28 is positioned adjacent an exterior surface of the door, whilst the rear end portion 30 is positioned within the passage provided by the door.

The letter plate 14 is connected to the front end portion 28. The front end portion 28 has opposing side walls 32, 34 which each include a respective recess 36, 38 provided at a respective upper portion thereof. The recesses 36, 38 do not extend to the exterior surface of the side walls 32, 34 and thus are not visible from the exterior of the device once the letter plate 14 has been connected to the support part 12.

The first and second parts 18, 20 are formed from a resilient material such as acetyl plastic (POM) or other types of plastics, or metals, e.g. spring steel, may also be used. The first and second parts 18, 20 are elongate and there is a connection 22 between them which will be described in more detail below.

The first and second parts 18, 20 each include respective first end portions 40, 42 and second end portions 44, 46. The portions 40, 42 abut / engage each other as will be described. The first and second parts 18, 20 are positioned in an end-to-end configuration with the respective first end portions 40, 42 facing each other. The second end portions 44, 46 include respective lugs 48, 50 which are received in the respective recesses 36, 38 of the support part 12.

In more detail, the connection 22 between the first and second parts 18, 20 is configured to permit the first and second parts 18, 20 to be moved between retracted and extended configurations, i.e. move towards and away from each other, whilst providing a rotationally fast connection therebetween.

The connection 22 provides a sliding connection between the first and second parts 18, 20. The connection 22 includes the first end portion 40 having a projection formation 52 which is received by a receiving formation 54 provided by the first end portion 42.

The projection formation 52 is generally rectangular in shape. The receiving formation 54 includes an elongate recess 55 which supports a resilient biasing member 56 therein. The biasing member 56 is a spring. The recess 55 is elongate about an axis and the cross-section of the recess 55 in a plane perpendicular to its elongate axis is square.

When the projection formation 52 is received by the receiving formation, a distal end of the projection formation 52 engages with one end of the biasing member 56 whilst the other end of the biasing member 56 engages with a wall of the recess 55. The cross-sectional shapes of the projection formation 52 and recess 55 mean that the projection formation 52 cannot rotate relative to the receiving formation 54. This arrangement therefore provides a rotationally fast connection between the first and second parts 18, 20. In other embodiments, the projection formation 52 may have other polygonal or non-circular cross-sections and similarly the cross-section of the recess 55 may also have other shapes. In the described embodiment, the projection formation 52 and the recess 55 have respective cross-sections that are the same shape. In other embodiments, this need not be the case and the respective cross-sections could be different shapes. All that is required is that the cross-sections have shapes which are configured so that the connection formed thereby is rotationally fast. In other embodiments, the connection 22 may be provided by a component part, e.g. a sleeve, which is separate from the first and second parts 18, 20 and includes respective recesses or other formations for receiving the first and second parts 18, 29 therein to provide a rotationally fast connection therebetween.

In other embodiments, the projection and receiving formations may be provided on the parts 18, 20 in an opposite way to that described, i.e. the projection formation 52 may be provided on the first end portion 42 of the second part 20 and the receiving formation 54 may be provided on the first end portion 40 of the first part 18.

With reference to figure 3, the receiving formation 54 includes a letter plate connection formation 58 in the form of a wedge-shaped portion extending radially away from the axis of the receiving formation 54. The letter plate connection formation 58 engages with a corresponding recess 60 in the connection portion 25 of the letter plate 14. The letter plate connection formation 58 and recess 60 are configured to provide a rotationally fast connection between the second part 20 and the letter plate 14. Thus, any rotational movement of the letter plate 14 is transmitted to the shaft member 16.

In embodiments, the first part 18 may include such a formation or another form of letter plate connection formation or both pads 18, 20 may include such a formation. In embodiments, the connection formation 58 and recess 60 may be positioned differently, e.g. the recess 60 may be provided on the first / second pad 18, 20 and the letter plate connection formation 58 provided by the connection portion 25.

Assembly of the letter plate assembly 10 for connection to the support part 12 and the operation thereof will now be described.

The biasing member 56 is placed into the receiving formation 54 of the second part 20. The first and second parts 18, 20 are then passed through opposite ends of the passage 26 until the projection formation 52 is received by the receiving formation 54 around mid-way along the passage 26. In this state, the shaft member 16 is in an extended configuration and the respective lugs 48, 50 project outwardly from the respective ends of the passage 26. Whilst in this state, the length of the shaft member 16 is greater than the distance between side walls 32, 34 of the support part 12 and so it cannot be positioned therebetween. In order to connect the letter plate assembly 10 to the support part 12, the shaft member 16 must first be moved to its retracted configuration.

However, prior to doing so, the respective second end portions 44, 46 are turned in opposite rotational directions to one another. This causes the first and second pads 18, 20 to twist about the shaft member axis because the connection 22 between the parts 18, 20 is rotationally fast. The parts 18, 20 are thus placed under torsion due to the pads being made of a resilient material and that torsion is equal to and in the opposite direction to the turning forces applied at the second end portions 44, 46. The direction of the forces applied to the parts 18, 20 is chosen such that the parts 18, 20 resist movement of the letter plate 14 away from a closed position. In other words, the first and second parts 18, 20, when connected, form a shaft member 16 which is configured to act as a torsion bar due to the rotationally fast connection 22 between the first and second parts 18, 20.

Once the shaft member 16 has been placed under torsion, respective forces are applied to the second end parts 44, 46 to move the shaft member 16 to its retracted configuration. In this configuration, its length is suitably reduced so that it can fit in the space defined by the side walls 32, 34 of the support part 12. The letter plate assembly 10 is then moved into position such that the respective lugs 48, 50 are aligned with their respective recesses 36, 38 in the side walls 32, 34. The applied forces are then released such that the biasing member 56 applies a force to the first and second parts 18, 20 which moves them away from one another and causes the lugs 48, 50 to engage with the side walls 32, 34. It will be appreciated that because the lugs 48, 50 have a generally rectangular shape which corresponds to the shape of the recesses 36, 38, they are connected in a rotationally fast manner with respect to the support part 12. In embodiments, the lugs and recesses may be other polygonal or non-circular shapes. In embodiments, the lugs and recesses may not be the same shape but have differing shapes. All that is required is that the lugs can be received by the recesses and connected thereto in a rotationally fast manner.

During use, movement of the letter plate 14 away from its closed state causes an additional torsional load to be applied to the shaft member 16. When the letter plate 14 is released, the additional torsion in the shaft member 16 causes the letter plate 14 to move back to its closed state.

It will be appreciated that letter plate assembly 10 requires relatively few parts and can be easily assembled. It also provides a reliable mechanism for closing the letter plate 14 that is less unlikely to fail during repeated use. The support part 12 is also more aesthetically pleasing as no holes are visible on the exterior of the support part 12 during use.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

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

Claims

CLAIMS1. A letter plate assembly for connection to a support part, the letter plate assembly including: a letter plate; and a shaft member which supports the letter plate for pivotal movement, wherein the shaft member includes first and second parts which are connected to each other, said connection providing a rotationally fast connection therebetween.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connection is configured to permit the first and second parts to be moved between retracted and extended configurations whilst providing said rotationally fast connection.
3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection is configured to permit the first and second parts to be moved towards and away from each other whilst providing said rotationally fast connection.
4. An assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the connection provides for a sliding connection between the first and second parts.
5. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the connection includes a resilient biasing member for biasing the first and second parts away from each other.
6. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second parts are positioned in an end-to-end configuration.
7. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second parts have respective first end portions which face each other.
8. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the respective first end portions engage or abut each other.
9. An assembly according to claim 7 or 8, wherein one of the first end portions includes one of a projection formation or a receiving formation and the other of the first end portions includes the other of a projection or a receiving formation, wherein the projection formation is received by the receiving formation.
10. An assembly according to claim 9, wherein the receiving formation includes a passage through which the projection formation is received.
11. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein the passage is elongate about an axis and the cross-section of the passage in a plane perpendicular to the elongate axis is generally non-circular, preferably polygonal in shape.
12. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the cross-section is rectangular.
13. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the cross-section is square.
14. An assembly according to any of claims 9 to 13 when directly or indirectly dependant on claim 5, wherein the resilient biasing member is supported by the receiving formation.
15. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein one or both of the first and second parts includes a letter plate connection formation for providing a rotationally fast connection between the first and I or second parts and the letter plate.
16. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second parts are generally elongate.
17. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the shaft member extends along substantially all or all of the letter plate.
18. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the letter plate includes a passage through which the shaft member extends.
19. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the first and second parts are made from a resilient material.
20. An apparatus including a letter plate according to any preceding claim and a support part which supports the shaft member.
21. A door or letter box including an assembly according to any preceding claim.
22. A support part and an assembly according to any preceding claim.
23. A letter plate assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
24. Any novel feature or novel combination of features as described hereinbefore and/or in the accompanying drawings.Amendment to the claims have been filed as followsCLAIMS1. A letter plate assembly including: a letter plate; and a shaft member which supports the letter plate for pivotal movement, wherein the shaft member includes first and second parts which are connected to each other, said connection providing a rotationally fast connection therebetween.2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connection is configured to permit the first and second parts to be moved between retracted and extended configurations whilst providing said rotationally fast connection. IC)3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection is o configured to permit the first and second parts to be moved towards and away from each other whilst providing said rotationally fast connection. (44. An assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the connection provides for a sliding connection between the first and second parts.5. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the connection includes a resilient biasing member for biasing the first and second parts away from each other.6. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second parts are positioned in an end-to-end configuration.7. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second parts have respective first end portions which face each other.8. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the respective first end portions engage or abut each other.9. An assembly according to claim 7 or 8, wherein one of the first end portions includes one of a projection formation or a receiving formation and the other of the first end portions includes the other of a projection or a receiving formation, wherein the projection formation is received by the receiving formation.loAn assembly according to claim 9, wherein the receiving formation includes a passage through which the projection formation is received.11. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein the passage is elongate about an axis and the cross-section of the passage in a plane perpendicular to LI") 15 the elongate axis is generally non-circular, preferably polygonal in shape.0') 12.An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the cross-section is rectangular.CJ 20 13. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the cross-section is square.14.An assembly according to any of claims 9 to 13 when directly or indirectly dependant on claim 5, wherein the resilient biasing member is supported by the receiving formation.15.An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein one or both of the first and second parts includes a letter plate connection formation for providing a rotationally fast connection between the first and / or second parts and the letter plate.l6.An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second parts are generally elongate.17.An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the shaft member extends along substantially all or all of the letter plate.18.An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the letter plate includes a passage through which the shaft member extends.19.An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the first and second parts are made from a resilient material.20.An apparatus including a letter plate according to any preceding claim and a support part which supports the shaft member.21.A door or letter box including an assembly according to any preceding claim.IC) 15 22.A support part and an assembly according to any preceding claim.o 23.A letter plate assembly substantially as bereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.