WO2008040086A1

WO2008040086A1 - Handle assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2008040086A1
Application number: PCT/AU2007/001504
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Martin Stuckey
Original assignee: Burgundy Trial Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-10-06
Filing date: 2007-10-05
Publication date: 2008-04-10

Abstract

A lockable swing handle assembly (10) comprising a swing handle member (20), a supporting frame (30), a locking shaft (50) and a biasing means (60), wherein a first attachable end (23b) of the handle member (20) is cooperable with, the locking shaft (50) and is pivotal about the shaft (50) relative to the frame (30) and wherein the biasing means (60) is locatable between the shaft (50) and the handle member (2O3) such that when the biasing means (60) is in a relaxed condition, the other end (23a) of the handle member (20) is maintained substantially out of contact with the frame (30) and wherein when the biasing means (60) is in a compressed condition, the other end (23a) of the handle member may he lowered into and substantially received within the frame (30) for co-acting therewith to enable the handle assembly (10) to be placed in a locked condition.

Description

HANDLE ASSEMBLY

Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to a swing handle assembly. In particular the invention relates to a lockable swing handle assembly for use on a barrier, door, hatch, lid or the like and is particularly useful for use on metal enclosures. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention in relation to these particular applications. It should be appreciated however that the present invention is not limited to these applications only.

Background to the Invention

Barriers or doors for entry and exit from metal enclosures, which are used as storage areas, necessarily require a handle with an internal latch or locking mechanism for securing the enclosure from unauthorized entry. hi the past, swing handle assemblies, usually comprising a swing handle member and a supporting frame in which the handle can sit and be locked against, have been employed as a component of various types of locking arrangements for securing such enclosures.

Swing handle members when not aligned to sit within their supporting frame and when accidentally dropped or let go have been known to damage the surface surrounding the door or the like to which they are fitted. Accordingly, careless release of an unaligned swing handle member can result in dinting or scratching of the paint on that area surrounding the supporting frame. In some locking arrangements, the locking mechanism for locking the handle member to the frame is contained in the swing handle member, adding additional weight to the handle and increasing its potential pendulum- like force to strike the surrounding area to which its supporting frame is attached.

Another downfall of swing handle assemblies of the past, is that when the handle member is sitting in its support frame giving the appearance that it was locked thereto, the user is required to physically check that the swing handle member is actually locked, as this cannot be judged by simply looking at it. When such swing handle assemblies are used to secure doors, entry points or compartments on the rear cabins of trucks, which may be transporting valuable goods, each of these doors, compartments etc. is secured by a separate handle assembly and it is imperative that all assemblies be securely locked to safeguard the goods contained therein or behind the doors etc.. If one or more of the handle members is mistakenly taken for being locked to its supporting frame simply because it is sitting in its supporting frame, this can create a problem as the handle and goods are not actually secure.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome or at least substantially ameliorate, at least some of the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lockable swing handle assembly, such that the unlocked condition of the handle member relative to its supporting frame will be readily visible to the user. In addition, it is further envisaged that the solution presented by the present invention also minimizes the possible damage caused by the handle member contacting the surface surrounding it when it is accidentally dropped or let go of.

Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lockable swing handle assembly comprising a swing handle member, a supporting frame, a locking shaft and a biasing means. A first end of the handle member is cooperable with the locking shaft and is pivotal about the shaft relative to the frame. The biasing means is locatable between the shaft and the handle member, such that when the biasing means is in a relaxed condition, the other end of the handle member is maintained substantially out of contact with the frame, enabling an observer to note that the handle member is not in lockable engagement with the frame.

Preferably, the other end of the handle member carries a locking means, wherein the handle member with its locking means cooperates with and is at least partially receivable within the remainder of the frame. Preferably further, when the biasing means is in a compressed condition, the other end of the handle member may be lowered into and substantially received within the frame for coacting therewith to enable the handle assembly to be placed in a locked condition. The benefit derived from such an arrangement is that when the handle assembly is in the unlocked condition, the handle member will remain in a substantially raised position relative to the frame and will therefore be readily noticeable to the user/observer that the assembly is not locked and that in the event that the handle member is dropped or accidentally let go of, the biasing means acts to substantially prevent the other end of the handle member contacting the area immediately surrounding the supporting frame. In addition, the handle member will remain in the raised position, until positively acted upon by a downward force. Swing handle assemblies that are preferably used with the present invention are those as described in PCT/AU2005/000999 and PCT/AU2006/000089. The subject matter of these specifications is incorporated herein by way of reference.

The handle assembly generally comprises a swing handle member, preferably of a generally obround shape and a frame of a preferably substantially rectangular periphery. The frame preferably comprises a base section, having a substantially rectangular shape. To the base section, there are provided substantially upwardly extending outer walls. Preferably, these outer walls are of a substantially oblique shape. The outer walls terminate in an opening, which is preferably of a substantially obround configuration. The opening provides entry into the interior of the frame. The handle member is preferably of a complimentary shape to the opening of the frame to allow the handle member to be able to substantially sit or be substantially accommodated within that opening. Thus, the frame is a substantially open-box member, having an interior bottom wall as the base section. The base section may contain a further opening therein, which can lead to a chamber or well. The chamber or well may be integral with the base section or is locatable under the base section opening. When the handle member is located in the opening of the frame, the locking means is aligned with the base section opening to permit the locking means to enter into the chamber below the frame. When so positioned, the locking means can be operated to lock or unlock the handle member relative to the frame. To the underside of the frame, there may be attached a mounting means which may be in the form of an externally threaded passageway, which is adapted to be substantially aligned with the opening in the base section of the frame through which the locking shaft is receivable or is accessible. The mounting means may be integral with the frame or may be a separate item which is subsequently fixable to the underside of the frame. Further opening/s may be provided in the base section to permit fixing of the frame to the device, such as a door or the like, that will carry the assembly.

The first end or attached end of the handle member is preferably in the form of a ball joint. More preferably, the ball joint is formed with a channel section, comprising a base section and two upwardly extending side walls, wherein the base section and the walls define the substantially U-shaped channel section adapted to engage the first end of the locking shaft therein. Further more preferably, each of the channel side walls comprises an opening located therein, such that the opening in one side wall substantially corresponds to and is aligned with the opening on the opposing side wall.

Preferably, the first end of the locking shaft is of a bifurcated conformation. In one form, the bifurcated end comprises a stirrup member, wherein the stirrup member comprises two legs defining a space therebetween and an opening located substantially adjacent the end of each of the feet thereof. The biasing means is preferably a spring, wherein the spring comprises a coiled spring having a first and a second end and a passageway through the coil windings thereof.

The handle member and the locking shaft are preferably arranged so as to substantially form a knee joint. To assemble the knee joint, the biasing means is located between the two stirrup legs of the locking shaft and the stirrup member and the biasing means are placed in the channel section of the ball joint of the handle member. Preferably, the first end of the biasing means is biased against the inner surface of a stirrup leg and the second end is biased against an inner surface of the channel section. Once in position, the pair of openings in the channel side walls, the openings in each stirrup foot and the internal passageway through the length of the spring are all brought into substantial alignment with each other to enable a fixing member, preferably, a rod or pin, to be fed transversely therethrough. The locking shaft is thereby held in biased cooperable pivotal attachment to the handle member.

Once the locking shaft, preferably threaded, is attached to the handle member, the other end of the threaded locking shaft is fed through the opening of the frame and the passageway of mounting means and releasably secured at the base of the mounting means on the underside of the frame using spacer means and securing means, preferably, a threadable nut.

Preferably, when the handle assembly is installed into a door or the like, the underside of the frame is positioned such that it is substantially flat against a first surface of the door. A spacer means may lie therebetween or may sit within a cut-out region in the surface of the door to enable the frame to sit flush against the door. A securing means is then tightened onto the threaded section of the mounting means and thus the other side of the door, thereby securing the handle assembly onto the door. Preferably, downward pressure applied to the upper surface of the handle member thereby causing the other end of the handle member to be lowered into the frame, causes the biasing means to be placed in a substantially compressed condition, whereby the first and second ends of the spring are brought into substantial juxtaposition to one another. Should the applied pressure be removed, the biasing means will return to a substantially relaxed condition, thereby returning the handle member to a substantially raised position above the frame and thus above the surrounding area to which the assembly is attached.

The other end of the handle member is able to be raised and rotated relative to the attached end of the handle member. To this other end, there may be provided a lifting means either additional to or integral with this other end. When the handle member is sitting within the opening of the frame, the lifting means preferably extends beyond the opening and as such permits a user access to the lifting means. Raising the lifting means causes the other end of the handle member to be lifted out of the opening and permits the handle to be moved and/or rotated. Preferably, the lifting means is formed such that it is of reduced thickness relative to the remainder of the handle member. The lifting means would preferably be designed such that if it is acted upon with force (which would be required if the assembly is in the locked condition), it will shear off rather than causing the locking means to fail or be destroyed. The locking means can be of any type as typically known and used in the art. Li a preferred aspect, the locking means comprises a cylinder or barrel and key arrangement. Preferably, the locking means is of the barrel and key type, which comprises a key-receiving end and a locking bolt end, wherein the locking bolt end has a lock actuator, which engages a suitable device, preferably a nib protrusion in the chamber of the frame for locking the handle member to the frame, thereby locking the handle assembly. When the locking means is installed in the handle member, the key- receiving end is preferably flush-mounted with or to the upper wall or face of the handle member. The key-receiving end is preferably fitted with a lock cylinder for moving the locking means from an unlocked to a locked condition, wherein a key means inserted into the lock cylinder actuates the lock actuator. When the handle member is in the closed or locked condition, it is lockable by operation of the key means and once unlocked, the handle member is pivotable from the closed to the open position. The locking mechanism may be of any form, including, but not limited to push-button, key- and-lock or remote control mechanisms, the latter of which is disclosed in PCT/AU2006/000089. Such a remote controlled mechanism is incorporated herein by way of reference as one type of locking mechanism useful with the handle assembly of the present invention.

Description of the Drawings

Other features and advantages of one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following written description with reference to, and used in conjunction with, the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG 1 is a perspective view of the handle assembly of the invention with the handle member in the closed position;

FIG 2 is a cross-sectional view of a handle assembly in the closed position; FIG 3 is an exploded and partially cut-away view of the disassembled knee joint arrangement as shown in FIG 2;

FIG 4 is a cross-sectional view of a handle member in the open position.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring to all the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, an assembled view of an embodiment of the handle assembly 10 is shown. The handle assembly 10 generally comprises a swing handle member 20, preferably of a generally obround shape and a frame 30 of a preferably substantially rectangular periphery.

The handle member 20 having an open box-like body 21 comprising an upper face 22, a other end 23 a and a first or attached end 23b, opposed side walls 24a and 24b and an underside 25 that may be partially open. The first end or the attached end 23b is preferably in the form of a ball joint 26 or the like. More preferably, the ball joint 26 is formed with a channel section 27 comprising a base section 27a and two upwardly extending side walls 27b and 27c, wherein the base section 27a and the walls 27b and 27c define the substantially U-shaped channel 27 adapted to receive working end 51a of the locking shaft 50 therein. Further more preferably, each of the channel side walls 27b and 27c has an opening 27d substantially located therein, such that the opening 27d in one side wall substantially corresponds to the opening 27e in the opposing side wall.

The working end 51a of the locking shaft 50 is preferably bifurcated and in one form is a stirrup member 54, having stirrup legs 54a and 54b being spaced apart from one another to accommodate the biasing means 60 located therebetween. Preferably, each of legs 54a and 54b contains an opening 55a and 55b in the respective foot 56a and 56b thereof. The biasing means 60 is preferably a spring or the like, wherein the spring, having a first end 60a and a second end 60b, preferably contains a passageway 60c therethrough formed by the coil windings thereof. To assemble the knee joint arrangement, the biasing means 60 is located between the two stirrup legs 54a and 54b of the stirrup member 54 and working end 51a of locking shaft 50 and the biasing means 60 are placed in the channel 27 of the ball joint 26 of the handle member 20. Preferably, first end 60a of the biasing means 60 is biased against the inner surface of a stirrup leg 54a, and the second end 60b is biased against an inner surface of the channel 27c. Once in position, the pair of openings 27d and 27e in the channel side walls 27b and 27c, the openings 55a and 55b in stirrup feet 56a and 56b and the internal passageway 60c through the length of the spring 60 are all brought into substantial alignment with each other to enable a rod or pin member 70 to be fed transversely therethrough. The locking shaft 50 is thereby held in biased cooperable pivotal attachment to the handle member 20.

The frame 30 preferably has a base section 31, which preferably contains a first opening or recess 32 to receive therethrough a locking shaft 50 to which an operator means, for example, a separate locking mechanism (not shown) positioned within a door 70 may be attached and an opening 34 into which the remainder of the handle member 20 can substantially sit.

To the underside 38 of the frame 30, there may be attached a mounting means 39 which may be in the form of an externally threaded passageway 39a, which is adapted to be substantially aligned with the first opening 32 in the base section 31 of the frame 30 through which the locking shaft 50 is receivable or is accessible. The mounting means 39 may be integral with the frame 30 or may be a separate item which is subsequently fixable to the underside 38 of the frame 30. Further openings may be provided in the base section 31 to permit fixing of the frame 30 to the device, such as a door 70 or the like, that will carry the assembly 10. Once the locking shaft 50, preferably threaded, is attached to the handle member

20, the other end 51b of the threaded locking shaft 50 is fed through the first opening 32 of the frame 30 and the passageway 39a of mounting means 39 and releasably secured at the base of the mounting means 39 on the underside 38 of the frame 30 using spacer means 54 and securing means 58, preferably, a threadable nut.

Preferably, when the handle assembly 20 is installed into a door 70 or the like, the underside 38 of the frame 30 is positioned such that it is substantially flat against a first surface of the door 70. Spacer means 52 may lie therebetween or may sit within a cut-out region in the surface of the door 70 to enable the frame 30 to sit flush against the door 70. A securing means 53 is then tightened onto the threaded section of the mounting means 39 and thus the other side of the door 70, thereby securing the handle assembly 10 onto the door 70, lid or the like.

Preferably, downward pressure applied to the upper surface 22 of the handle member 20 causes the biasing means 60 to be placed in a substantially compressed condition allowing the other end 23a of the handle member 20 to be lowered towards and ultimately into the frame 30. Should the applied pressure be removed, the biasing member 60 will preferably provide sufficient resistance to cause it to return to the substantially relaxed condition, thereby returning the handle member 20 to the substantially raised position above the frame 30. When in use, the biasing means 60 acts along the full lateral pivotal sweep of the handle member 20 to substantially minimize the risk of the handle member 20 coming into contact with the surrounding surface of the door 70, lid or the like.

When required, the handle member 20 can be brought into lockable engagement with the frame 30, by means of a locking means 40, preferably in the form of a barrel/cylinder lock means (not shown) carried by the handle member 20.

The handle member 20 and its locking means 40 are adapted to be able to sit or be accommodated at least substantially within the opening 34 of the frame member 30. Thus, when the opening 34 of the frame member 30 is obround, then it is preferred that the external perimeter of the handle member 20 is also obround to permit it to sit or be accommodated within the frame 30. Additional openings (not shown) may be provided within base section 31 to permit fixing, preferably by a fastening means (not shown), of the frame 30 to the surface such as a door 70, compartment, panel etc. to which the handle assembly 10 will be installed. The other end 23 a preferably has a lifting means 29 integral thereto and which is also of a semicircular configuration. Preferably, through raising the lifting means 29, when the handle member 20 is in an unlocked condition, the handle member 20 is sufficiently also raised out of the frame opening 34 and is then able to pivot relative to the attached end 23b of the handle member 20, namely the ball joint 26 which engages with the locking shaft 50. When the handle member 20 sits in the opening 34 of the frame 30, part of the lifting means 29 preferably extends beyond the periphery of the opening 34 to permit ready access to the user.

Preferably, the lifting means 29 is formed such that it is of reduced thickness relative to the thickness of the other end 23 a of the handle member 20, to which it is attached or forms part thereof. In this form, should the swing handle assembly be in a locked condition, and an intruder tries to lever the handle member 20 out of the frame 30 via the lifting means 29, the lifting means 29 will break or fracture in favour of the handle member 20 remaining in locked contact with the frame 30. Having broken or fractured the lifting means 29, it is now more difficult for the intruder to separate the handle member 20 from the frame 30.

The handle member 20 is adapted to receive in its upper wall 22 a locking means 40, preferably a cylinder lock (not shown), preferably comprising a key-receiving end 42 and a lock actuator 41 for locking the handle member 20 to the frame 30. When the assembly 10 is in the locked condition, the handle member 20 is partially or totally received within the opening 34 of frame 30 and it sits upon the base section 31 substantially parallel with the base section 31 of the frame 30.

When the handle member 20 and its associated locking means 40 are positioned in the opening 34 of the frame 30, the underside 25 of the handle member 20 will preferably sit upon at least part of the exposed area of the base section 31 of the frame 30. That part of the locking means 40, namely a cylinder barrel (not shown) which protrudes from the underside 25 of the handle member 20 is preferably aligned with the opening 34 in the base section 31, which leads to chamber 33, whereby at least part of the protruding locking means 40 is able to be accommodated within the chamber 33. When so positioned, the user of the device is then able to operate the locking means 40, which preferably co-operates with the frame 30 to lock the locking means 40 and thus the associated handle member 20 into engagement with the frame 30, whereby the handle member 20 is unable under normal use to be released from the frame 30 to permit the handle member 20 from being turned to open the assembly upon which the handle member 20 is located.

When the handle member 20 is in the unlocked condition, the handle member 20 by using the lifting means 29, is able to be lifted up and by upward pivotal movement of handle member 20 relative to the ball joint 26, the cooperating locking shaft 50 can be rotated. When and if required, a suitable key inserted into the key-receiving means 42 of the locking means 40 causes the lock actuator 41 to engage with the nib protrusion 35 in chamber 33 and thus prevents the lifting of the handle member 20 from out of the frame 30. When the handle member 20 is not locked relative to the frame 30 and due to the biasing means' 60 preferred relaxed condition, the other end 23a of the handle member 20 is caused to be raised above and out of contact with the frame 30, such that in an in- use situation, the user/observer can see that the assembly 10 is not locked as the handle member 20 stands proud of the supporting frame 20. In addition, by using a suitable biasing means 60, should the handle member 20 accidentally be dropped or be let go of, the biasing means 60 substantially prevents the handle member 20 and its associated locking means 40 from contacting and thereby damaging the area 70 immediately surrounding the supporting frame 30. Thus, by using the present invention on a number of doors, compartments etc. on the rear of a truck, it can be easily seen which door 70, compartment etc. is not locked as that door 70, compartment which is not locked will have its associated swing handle assembly 10 sitting out of its supporting frame 30.

As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of the essential characteristics of the invention, it should be understood that the above described embodiments are not to limit the present invention unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the specific embodiments are to be understood to be illustrative of the many ways in which the principles of the present invention may be practiced.

Where the terms "comprise", "comprises", "comprised" or "comprising" are used in this specification, they are to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components referred to, but not to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other feature, integer, step, component or group thereof.

Claims

The claims defining the present invention are as follows:

1. A lockable swing handle assembly comprising a swing handle member, a supporting frame, a locking shaft and a biasing means, wherein a first attachable end of the handle member is cooperable with the locking shaft and is pivotal about the shaft relative to the frame and wherein the biasing means is locatable between the shaft and the handle member, such that when the biasing means is in a relaxed condition, the other end of the handle member is maintained substantially out of contact with the frame and wherein when the biasing means is in a compressed condition, the other end of the handle member may be lowered into and substantially received within the frame for co-acting therewith to enable the handle assembly to be placed in a locked condition.

2. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the other end of the handle member carries a locking means, wherein the handle member with its locking means is cooperable with and is at least partially receivable within the frame.

3. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 2, wherein the frame is of a substantially rectangular periphery having a substantially rectangular base section with outer walls extending substantially upwardly therefrom and wherein the outer walls, being of a substantially oblique shape, terminate in an opening of a substantially obround configuration.

4. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 3, wherein the handle member has a substantially complimentary shape to the opening of the frame to allow the handle member to be able to substantially sit or be substantially accommodated within that opening.

5. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 1, wherein the first attachable end of the handle member is in the form of a ball joint.

6. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 5, wherein the ball joint is formed with a substantially U-shaped channel section therein, which channel section is adapted to engage a working end of the locking shaft.

7. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 6, wherein the working end of the locking shaft is of a bifurcated conformation comprising a stirrup member said stirrup member including a pair of substantially parallel but spaced apart outwardly extending leg members.

8. A lockable swing handle assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the biasing means is a spring, wherein the spring comprises a coiled spring having a first and a second end and a passageway through the coil windings thereof.

9. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 8, wherein the handle member and the locking shaft are arranged so as to substantially form a knee joint, wherein during assembly of the knee joint, the spring is located between the leg members of the stirrup member of the locking shaft and the stirrup member and the spring located therein are received in the channel section of the ball joint of the handle member.

10. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 9, wherein the first end of the spring contacts the stirrup member and the second end of the spring contacts the ball joint of the handle member such that when the spring is in a relaxed state, the other end of the handle member assumes a raised position above the frame.

11. A lockable swing handle assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein downward pressure applied to the upper surface of the handle member causes the other end of the handle member to be lowered into the frame, wherein the spring is placed in a substantially compressed condition, whereby the first and second ends of the spring are brought into substantial juxtaposition to one another and when the applied pressure is removed, the spring returns to a substantially relaxed condition, thereby returning the handle member to a substantially raised position above the frame.

12. A lockable swing handle assembly according to Claim 11, wherein the handle member further comprises a lifting means either additional to or integral with its other end, wherein when the handle member is resting in the frame, the lifting means extends beyond the frame opening to permit a user access thereto, whereby raising the lifting means causes the other end of the handle member to be lifted out of the frame and permits the handle to be moved and/or rotated.