IE20190152A1 - Handle assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A handle assembly 1 for a window or door comprising a base plate 4 connectable to a window or door and a handle 3 connectable to the base plate 4 and rotatable relative to the base plate 4. The base plate 4 has a channel 22 with a threaded region 23, and the handle 3 has a connecting portion 33 with a corresponding threaded portion 34 for engagement with the threaded region 23 in the channel 22. The base plate and handle can be connected by engaging the two threaded portions, thus simplifying manufacture.

Description

M&C PB154326lE Handle Assembly Technical Field The invention relates to handle assemblies for doors and windows. More specifically, the invention relates to handle assemblies for espagnolette window locking mechanisms.

Background A wide variety of handles are sold for fitting to doors and windows. Modern uPVC windows typically comprise an espagnolette lock located within the eurogroove in the edge face of the window leaf frame. The espagnolette lock is typically driven by a spindle which extends through the frame surrounding the glass pane and which can be driven by a handle assembly. Handle assemblies of various shapes and styles are sold to provide a high degree of customisation, both for window installers and for the retrofit market by home owners and renovators. The handle assemblies can be simply swapped by locating the handle on the spindle and inserting a screw or bolt into the frame or through the frame and into the espagnolette lock itself.

Handle assemblies are conventionally assembled from two main parts, a handle which can be turned by a user and a base plate for connecting the assembly to the window leaf. There may be additional components such as locks and latches depending on the end user’s requirements.

Summary of invention One problem with existing handle assemblies is the connection between the handle and the base plate. in Figures 1A and 1B there is shown a handle assembly 1 as commonly available on the market. The handle 3 can rotate relative to the base plate 4.

To connect the handle 3 and base plate 4, the handle 3 is provided with a connecting portion 5 which extends through a channel in the base plate 4. To retain the handle 3 in position, it is necessary to ‘rivet’ over the end of the connecting portion 5 so that the end flairs outwardly and thus cannot be pulled back through the channel. Alternative constructions require the use of a circlip or washer to engage the connecting portion 5 35283084-2 M&C PB154326|E and thus retain the handle 3 in position, or combinations of both connections may be used.

Although the known connection techniques are secure and strong, they require a large recess 6 to be formed in the rear of the base plate 4 to accommodate the width of the riveted portion and/or circlip. To form a sufficient recess 6, the side walls 7 of the recess 6 are thinned. This thinning results in a weak point in the base plate 4 which can be prone to breakage. in existing products, this problem is typically overcome by forming the base plate 4 from a high strength material, such as zinc. The handle 3 on the other hand, can be formed from a much cheaper material, such as aluminium or even a plastics material.

It is thus desirable to provide a handle assembly which overcomes or ameliorates one or more of the above problems, or provides a useful alternative.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a handle assembly for a window or door, the assembly comprising: a base plate connectable to a window or door; and a handle connectable to the base plate and rotatablerelative to the baseplate; wherein the base plate is provided with a channel therethrough comprising a threaded region, and the handle is provided with a connecting portion comprising a threaded portion formed thereon for engagement with the threaded region in the channel.

The handle may be connected to the base plate by screwing the connecting portion into the channel.

The threaded region may be provided on an inner surface of the channel. The threaded portion may be formed on an outer surface of the connecting portion. The channel and connecting portion may act as female and male connectors respectively.

The threaded portion may comprise first and second threaded portions. The first and second threaded portions may be discontinuous. In some embodiments, the threaded portions may extend around less than 80% of the circumference or perimeter of the connecting portion. The first and second threaded portions may be provided on 35283084-2 M&C PB154326|E opposite sides of the connecting portion. The connecting portion may comprise at least one flattened region between the first and second threaded portions. in some embodiments, the connecting portion may comprise a pair of flattened regions provided on opposite sides of the connecting portion. The pair of flattened regions may be aligned in or along the longest dimension of the handle.

The handle may be configured to connect to a spindle for driving a locking mechanism.

The connecting portion may comprise a spindle recess for receiving the spindle. The spindle may comprise a square spindle i.e. the spindle may have a substantially square cross-section.

The spindle recess may be shaped so as to prevent rotation of the handle relative to the spindle. The spindle recess may comprise a tapering region to closely conform to the shape of the spindle. The tapering region may narrow in the axial direction of the spindle and optionally, it may narrow away from the base plate.

The handle may comprise a handle head and a handle tail. The spindle recess may extend through the connecting portion and optionally into the handle head. The spindle recess may comprise a tapering portion or narrowed portion within the handle head.

The base plate may be a single unitary component. The base plate may be moulded or cast. The base plate may be milled or machined. In some embodiments the base plate may be extruded or stamped. The base plate may be formed from metal or a plastics material. in a preferred embodiment, the base plate may be formed from aluminium.

The base plate may comprise an annular recess provided around the channel. The annular recess may be configured to receive one or more of a circlip, cam, washer or fastener. The annular recess may be configured to receive a spring or wave washer configured to provide tension to the threaded region and threaded portion.

The handle assembly may further comprise a limiter. The limiter may restrict rotation of the handle relative to the base plate. The limiter may restrict the rotation of the handle to 180° or less. The limiter may comprise a cam or gear. The limiter may comprise a block for restricting the rotation of a cam or gear. 35283084-2 M&C PB154326lE The handle assembly may further comprise a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism may be configured to lock the handle and base plate and prevent relative rotation. The lock mechanism may be located within the handle head. The lock mechanism may comprise a plunger configured to depress a sprung latch within the base plate.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a locking assembly for a window or door, comprising a locking mechanism and a handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims. The locking mechanism may be a window espagnolette.

Brief Description of the Figures Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A is a top perspective view of a prior art handle assembly; Figure 1B is a rear perspective view of a prior art handle assembly; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a handle assembly; Figure 3 is an exploded view of a handle assembly; Figure 4 is a plan view of a handle assembly; Figure 5 is a cross section in the plane A-A of Figure 4; Figure 6A is a rear perspective view of a base portion; Figure 6B is a rear perspective view of a prior art base portion; and Figure 7 is a perspective close up view of a handle.

Detailed Description Turing to Figures 2 and 3, there is shown a handle assembly 10 in an assembled and exploded view. The handle assembly 10 comprises a base plate 20 and a handle 30.

The handle 30 is connected to, but rotatable relative to, the base plate 20.

The base plate 20 has a pair of connector holes 21, one provided at each end of the base plate 20. The connector holes 21 extend through the base plate 20 from front to back, and thus permit a mechanical fastener (not shown) to extend therethrough and connect the base plate 20 to the surface of a window leaf when in use. 35283084-2 M&C PB154326|E In an approximately central position of the base plate 20 is provided a channel 22. The channel 22 extends through the base plate 20 from front to back, and is provided with a threaded region 23 on the internal surface thereof. The threaded region 23 extends almost the full depth of the channel 22 as further described below.

The handle 30 comprises a handle head 31 and a handle tail 32. The handle head 31 is provided with a connecting portion 33 extending therefrom. The connecting portion 33 has a threaded portion 34 formed on its outer surface.

The threaded region 23 and threaded portion 34 are configured to cooperate and engage each other in use. Thus, the handle 30 and base plate 20 can be connected by inserting the connecting portion 33 into the channel 22 and screwing the two parts together. The handle 30 is thus freely rotatable about the connecting portion 33 when not installed on a window leaf. The handle assembly 10 is far simpler to assemble than the prior art handle assembly shown in Figures 1A and 1B, and thus the manufacturing costs are reduced. Due to the advantages discussed herein, this simpler manufacture can be achieved without sacrificing the strength of the product. When using the handle assembly 10, the handle 30 rotates on the thread. Since the forces being applied through the handle 30 are low, the actuation of a window espagnolette or locking mechanism can be achieved without excessive wear or damage to the threaded region 23 or threaded portion 34.

Turning now to Figure 5, there is shown a cross section through the plane A—A of Figure 4. The handle 30 is provided with a lock channel 35 which extends through the handle head 31 and may be provided with a look (not shown). A conventional lock may be provided within the lock channel 35 as is known in the art in order to lock the handle relative to the base plate 20. The lock may comprise a simple button mechanism or optionally may also include a key actuated lock cylinder. Typically a spring latch (not shown) would be provided with the latch recess 25. The spring latch may engage and project into the lower end of the lock channel 35B when in a default position to restrict rotation of the handle 30. As is known in the art, a user can depress a button (not shown) provided in the upper end of the lock channel 35A which in turn presses an arm (not shown) downwards. The movement of the arm depresses the spring latch so that it no longer projects into the lock channel 35B and thus allows the handle 30 to rotate 35283084—2 M&C PB154326lE relative to the base plate 20. As is known in the art, the lock may comprise a lock cylinder which can be configured so that when locked, the user can no longer depress a button in the upper end of the lock channel 35A. it is also envisaged that alternative forms of locking devices may be used in the handle assembly of the present invention.

It will also be envisaged that alternative arrangements may not comprise a mechanism to lock the handle 30 relative to the base plate 20 (e.g. may not comprise the above mentioned lock).

The connecting portion 33 is substantially cylindrical, and comprises a spindle recess 36 which extends through the connecting portion 33 and into the handle head 31. The outer surface of the connecting portion 33 is provided with the threaded portion 34. The spindle recess 36 is configured to receive the end of a spindle (not shown) for driving a locking mechanism (not shown) such as a window espagnolette mechanism (not shown). The spindle recess 36 has a square cross-section so as to receive a square spindle and prevent relative rotation of the handle 30 and the spindle. Although the spindle recess 36 can have a different cross-section for alternative profiled spindles, square spindles are the most common. Since the spindle is received closely within the connecting portion 33, it provides additional strength and reinforces the walls of the connecting portion 33.

Further advantages of the handle assembly will now be described, with additional reference to figures 6 to 8.

The connecting portion 33 is received within the channel 22 so that the threaded region 23 and threaded portion 34 are engaged. The screw threads remain engaged once the handle assembly is assembled, and thus the cooperating threaded parts prevent the handle 30 from being pulled away from the base plate 20. This configuration removes the requirement to have either a circlip on the rear side of the base plate 20 or the end of the connecting portion 33 being riveted outwards as required in the handle assembly of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 5 the walls 22A of the channel 22 almost extend the full depth of the mounting plate 20 with a length 1. During use, any stresses applied to the handle 30 (e.g. by misuse or by someone attempting to remove the handle by force) are spread over the full length of the thread, and thus distributed across a larger surface area than the single washer or circlip shown in Figure 1B. Since the connecting portion 33 is reinforced by the spindle (which may commonly be formed from steel), the 35283084-2 M&C PB154326|E walls of the connecting portion 33 can be formed relatively thin without sacrificing overall strength. This reduction in thickness means the channel 22 can have a slightly reduced diameter and allows for an increase in thickness of the walls 22A, 27 (Figure 6A).

Figure 6A shows a rear view of the base plate 20 of the present invention in comparison with the known prior art base plate 4 in Figure 6B. In Figure 6A the walls 22A of the channel 22 extend almost to the rear edge of the base plate 20. In comparison, in Figure 6B there is shown a deep recessed region 6 and sections of thinned wall 7 adjacent to the channel. Thus, relative to the base plate 4 of Figure 6B, the base plate 20 of Figure 6A has much thicker and stronger side walls 22a and 27.

Because of this increased thickness and strength, it is possible to cast the base plate from cheaper materials such as aluminium, thus drastically reducing the manufacturing cost without sacrificing strength (compared with the prior art product formed from zinc).

Figure 5 also shows an optional annular recess 28 in the upper end of the channel 22. in some embodiments the annular recess 28 may be provided with a spring washer or wave washer to provide a biasing force against the handle 30 and base plate 20. This force can be used to provide a tension within the cooperating threaded parts and ensure that the handle 30 and base plate 20 are securely connected. In some alternative embodiments (not shown), the spring or wave washer may be provided in a shallow annular recess located around the channel 22 on the rear of the base plate 20. in some embodiments (not shown) the handle assembly may be provided with a limiter to limit the amount of rotation of the handle 30 relative to the base plate 20. The limiter may comprise a cam or similar mechanism connectable to the handle. However, this is optional, since when the handle assembly is installed, the rotation of the handle will be limited by allowable rotation of the spindle, which may in turn be restricted by the window locking mechanism.

Turning now to Figure 7, there is shown a further optional embodiment of the handle 30A. in the embodiment 30A, the connecting portion 33 is provided with a pair of threaded portions 34A and 34B. The threaded portions are discontinuous and are separated by flattened or non—threaded regions 37. As shown, the flattened or non- 35283084-2 M&C PB154326lE threaded regions 37 are provided on the top and bottom of the connecting portion 33, which are positioned with a centre line which bisects the handle 30A (i.e. the same as line A-A of Figure 4). This configuration allows for much simpler moulding or casting of the threaded portion in handle 30A. This is advantageous if the handle were to be formed from a plastics material, for example. 35283084-2

Claims (17)

M&C PB154326|E CLAIMS:

1.

2. A handle assembly for a window or door, the assembly comprising: a base plate connectable to a window or door; and a handle connectable to the base plate and rotatable relative to the baseplate; wherein the base plate is provided with a channel therethrough comprising a threaded region, and the handle is provided with a connecting portion comprising a threaded portion formed thereon for engagement with the threaded region in the channel.

3. The handle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the handle is connected to the base plate. by screwing the connecting portion into the channel.

4. The handle assembly according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the threaded region is provided on an inner surface of the channel and the threaded portion is formed on an outer surface of the connecting portion.

5. The handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the threaded portion comprises first and second threaded portions, wherein the first and second threaded portions are discontinuous.

6. The handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle is configured to connect to a spindle for driving a locking mechanism.

7. The handle assembly according to claim 5, wherein the connecting portion comprises a spindle recess for receiving the spindle.

8. The handle assembly according to claim 6, wherein the spindle recess is shaped so as to prevent rotation of the handle relative to the spindle.

9. The handle assembly according to either of claims 6 or 7, wherein the handle comprises a handle head and a handle tail, and wherein the spindle recess extends through the connecting portion and into the handle head. 35283084—2 M&C PB154326lE

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17. 10 The handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base plate is a single unitary component. The handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base plate comprises an annular recess provided around the channel. The handle assembly according to claim 10, wherein the annular recess is configured to receive one or more of a circlip, cam, washer or fastener. The handle assembly according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the annular recess is configured to receive a spring or wave washer configured to provide tension to the threaded region and threaded portion. The handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a limiter to restrict rotation of the handle relative to the base plate. The handle assembly according to claim 13, wherein the limiter restricts the rotation of the handle to 180° or less. The handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a lock mechanism configured to lock the handle and base plate and prevent relative rotation. A locking assembly for a window or door, comprising a locking mechanism and a handle assembly according to any one of the preceding claims. The locking assembly according to claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism is a window espagnolette. F.F. Gorman & Co. 35283084~2