WO2010066419A2

WO2010066419A2 - Handle assembly, method for producing such a handle assembly and device system having such handle assemblies

Info

Publication number: WO2010066419A2
Application number: PCT/EP2009/008816
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Wannenwetsch
Original assignee: Gardena Manufacturing Gmbh
Priority date: 2008-12-13
Filing date: 2009-12-10
Publication date: 2010-06-17
Also published as: DE102008062156A1; WO2010066419A3

Abstract

For a handle assembly on a hand-held device having a softer material as a grip surface in comparison with the material of a main body of the handle assembly, it is proposed that the softer material be arranged on a plastic injection-molded body, which is produced in a two-component injection molding method using a dimensionally stable material as the carrier and the soft material as the cover layer. The handle body is attached to the main body in a form-fitting manner by means of corresponding first and second connecting structures on the main body and on the carrier.

Description

description

Handle assembly, method for making such a handle assembly and device system with such handle assemblies.

The invention relates to a handle assembly for hand gripping devices, a method for producing such a handle assembly and a device system with such handle assemblies.

Handle arrangements in handheld devices typically must

Include manual forces of a user to guide and / or actuation of the device and therefore be designed sufficiently dimensionally stable. At the same time to come with the hand of a user coming into contact surface of the handle assembly to give the user a pleasant touch impression. Typically, therefore, in such handle assemblies, a base body of a dimensionally stable first material is provided with a gripping surface of a second, relatively soft material.

This can be adhered, for example, by gluing a surface blank or a three-dimensionally shaped body made of a softer material as a grip surface on the base body. It is also known to mold soft plastic material in a second step of a two-component (2K) injection molding process to a plastic base body produced in a first step of this process. However, this is expensive in many ways.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved handle assembly with a softer gripping surface on a harder ground body, as well as a method for producing such a handle assembly and a device system with such handle assemblies.

Solutions according to the invention are described in the independent claims. The dependent claims contain advantageous refinements and developments of the invention.

The separate from the body of the handle assembly producing a handle body of two different plastic components in a two-component (2K) injection molding process appears to be disadvantageous by the additional process step compared to a direct 2K production of the handle assembly, but surprisingly turns into many Regard as particularly advantageous. In particular, often the effort compared to a direct 2K production of the handle assembly is not higher, since the separate production of the handle body for the body only a one-component injection mold is needed and used in the separate production of the handle body further injection mold by the opposite the body much lower volume of the handle body is much cheaper. By separate from the body of the handle body can also be provided in an advantageous manner that within a device system with several, typically similar devices, such as several models of hand scissors, different types of scissors are equipped with different bodies but uniform gripping bodies. For the different variants of the body then only one-component injection molds in different shapes are required, whereas for the 2K handle body a uniform 2K injection mold can be used. By separate from the production of the body manufacturing the 2K Ghffkörpers also provides greater freedom in the choice of materials for the plastics used. In particular, the formal stable handle shell of the handle body or the plastic material used in the process is not necessarily identical to the first plastic material of the base body, so that base body on the one hand and handle shell of the handle body on the other hand can be made of each optimal for the different function plastics.

For the formation of the first structures on the base body and the second structures on the handle body for the production of a form-fitting connection between the base body and the handle body, various variants are known to the person skilled in the art. Of particular advantage is the formation of the corresponding structures and counter-structures in such a way that the production of the positive connection between the base body and the handle body includes a snap-together engagement of at least a portion of the first and the second structures. This makes the production of the form-locking connection particularly simple. The direction of movement of such a snap-in movement during the assembly of the base body and the grip body is advantageously at least approximately in the direction of a mean surface normal of the grip surface on the grip body. In the assembled state, an actuating force of the user typically also acts in the direction of producing the snap connection and does not claim the connection established between the base body and the grip body in a direction that dissolves such a connection. The entire sequence of movement of the joining of the base body and the grip body to produce the form-locking connection between these two components can also contain other components of movement, for example a telescoping of corresponding structures, wherein preferably at least one movement component is given by said snapping movement. In the assembled state of the base body and the grip body, in which the first and second structures positively engage with each other, are first and second structures advantageously under elastic bias to each other. In order to produce the snap-in assembly and the generation of the elastic prestressing, base body and / or in the region of the first or the second structures are advantageously elastically deformable. In a preferred embodiment, it may be provided that the second structures on the handle body in the assembled state embrace the first structures on the base body and the second structures on the handle body in the manufacture of the positive connection are elastically spreadable. The handle shell of the body may be curved in a preferred embodiment of the body away.

In an advantageous embodiment of the handle body is located on only one side of a typically oblong shaped handle portion of the body on this laterally, without embracing it with respect to its longitudinal axis. The handle body is then attached to the main body transversely to the longitudinal axis and held by the engagement of first and second structures thereto. As a result, in contrast to, for example, a sleeve surrounding on all sides an elongated gripping portion, a great freedom arises with regard to the design of both the main body and the gripping body.

Within the handle body whose shape is primarily determined by the dimensionally stable third material of the handle. By contrast, the second material of the gripping surface, which is soft and generally largely flexible, advantageously covers more than half of the surface of the gripping element facing away from the main body. Preferably, the surface of the handle body is completely formed by the softer second material. The third material of the handle shell, which is then not visible or palpable, this can be a special wide range of plastics are selected. An injection molding technology particularly advantageous and for the purpose of use as a grip as dimensionally stable to be regarded plastic material is for example ABS.

The handle body advantageously has an elongated shape, which can be assigned a mean longitudinal direction. The second structures are advantageously arranged lying transversely to the longitudinal direction on one side of the handle body. The thickness of the second material of the gripping surface is on the average of the sealing surface advantageously at least 0.3 mm. Such an average thickness of the second material of the gripping surface is advantageously at most 4 mm.

The invention is illustrated below with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the figures still in detail. Showing:

1 shows an arm of a scissors,

2 shows a main body and a handle body to Fig. 1,

3 a handle body in isolation,

4 is a section along IV - IV of Fig. 1,

5 shows a handle assembly with a divided base body,

6 is a section through the handle portion of Fig. 5,

7 shows a grip body to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. Fig. 1 shows as a first example of a handle assembly a single arm of a two-armed scissors, which is connected for a complete scissors with a scissors blade and a scissors joint at the joint opening GE with another scissor arm. For the sake of clarity, only the scissor arm is shown in isolation.

The scissor arm consists essentially of a base body GK, on which fastening structures for the scissor blade and the joint opening GE and optionally further provisions to supplement the overall scissors are provided. The main body GK is preferably designed as a cast body, in particular a plastic Sphtzgusskörper, an aluminum injection molded body or a zinc die-cast body.

The main body GK facing away from the joint opening GE an elongated grip portion GAS, on which after the side on which rest when using the scissors fingers or palm particular user, a grip surface GF from a relation to the material of the body GK softer material is arranged , Scissor arms with such a structure are known per se, typically consisting of the soft material gripping surface GF glued to the body GK or molded in a 2K injection molding process on this.

FIG. 2 shows components of a scissor arm of the type outlined in FIG. 1 with a division according to the invention into a base body GK and a grip body GR, wherein the grip body GR in turn has a grip shell GS made of a dimensionally stable third material and the grip surface GF is made of the softer second material wearing. The gripping body GR is produced in a 2K plastic injection molding process, so that the second material of the gripping surface GF and the third material of the grip GS are permanently connected to each other permanently. Suitable material combinations are known in many forms from the prior art. 2K plastic injection molding processes are well known and commonly used. Here, a first part of the body in a first part, in the present case preferably the grip GS, made of the third material in a first injection molding step. In a second step, a modified injection mold, which contains the part body produced in the first step, plastic material of the second part body, supplied in the given example, the softer material of the grip surface GF, wherein the first produced part body partially as a boundary for the material of the second part body serves. The two part bodies are firmly connected to form a total body of two different materials. Such a method is used for the production of the grip body GR.

First structures S1 are produced on the side of the grip section GAS of the base body GK facing the grip body GR. On the side of the grip body GR facing the main body GK, second structures S2 are produced in the grip shell GS whose positions in the grip shell GS are assigned to the positions of the first structures on the base body GK. The grip body GR has an elongate curved shape, which in FIG. 2 is associated with a central longitudinal axis LA.

The main body GK and the grip body GR are joined together by moving the grip body GR relative to the base body GK in a direction of movement BR indicated by two arrows, the first structures S1 and the second structures S2 engaging one another and forming a positive connection between the base bodies GK and grip body GR work together. The intervention of the first and second structures into each other advantageously summarizes a snapping of the first and second structures into each other.

In Fig. 3, the grip body GR is shown enlarged. The second structures S2 are shown as directed from the edge of the handle shell to a central longitudinal plane towards projections.

4 shows a sectional view along a sectional plane IV-IV of FIG. 1, which is located at a position containing the first and second structures. The grip GS has a curved shape, the side facing away from the body GK is completely covered with a grip surface GF forming layer of a soft plastic material. Protrusions protrude from the lateral edges of the grip shell as second structures S2 towards the central longitudinal plane, which are undercut from the viewpoint of the base body GK. On the main body GK of the handle shell GS zuweisend first structures S1 are formed, which protrude beyond the plane of a parting line TF between body GK and handle GS in the direction of the handle shell and in turn also have undercuts.

When attaching the grip body with the grip GS to the base body GK, the material of the grip GS can be elastically deformed under their spreading and fully plugging snatch the first and second structures with their respective projections in the respective undercuts of the other structures and form a positive Locking, wherein advantageously caused when plugging elastic deformation of the grip GS does not go back completely and a residual elastic tension of the grip remains, which leads to an elastic bias, which the grip GS fixed to the first structures S1 holds the body GK and presses the handle along the parting line TF to the body GK.

FIG. 5 shows a further example of a handle arrangement formed as a bracket, wherein the bracket is formed by two half-shells GBL, GBR, which abut one another along a parting line TE. At a in Fig. 5 upper handle portion GAG of the handle frame formed by the frame outwardly facing a gripping surface GM from a relative to the material of the handle strap softer material is arranged. The gripping surface GM is again part of a grip body GZ shown in FIG. 7, which carries on a handle shell GSZ made of a dimensionally stable, third plastic material, for example ABS, a layer GFZ made of a softer material.

On the handle shell GSZ, protrusions S2Z projecting from the edges to the central longitudinal plane of the grip body GZ are again formed as second structures in a shape similar to that in FIG. 3 and FIG.

6 shows, in a cross-sectional sketch with a sectional plane running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the grip section GAG, the two partial bodies GBL, GBR as hollow half-shells which abut against one another along the parting line TE. On the half shell GBR, first substructures S1 R and first half structures corresponding to the half shell GBL are formed in the region of the grip portion GAG which, when the half shells are joined together at the parting line TE, become first structures with undercuts similar to the first Complete structures of FIG. 4. The grip body GZ is plugged onto the grip section GAG of the grip bracket in a similar manner to that described in FIG. 4, the second structures S2Z of the grip shell GSZ and the first structures S1R, S1L of the base body formed by the half shells GBR, GBL with projections and undercuts lock into each other. The grip body GZ forms in this example at the same time a mutual fixation and locking of the two half shells GBR, GBL, so that in the region of the grip portion GAG on a separate connection of the two half-shells can be dispensed with by these provided latching structures, by screwing etc.

In both the example according to FIGS. 1 to 4 and in the further example according to FIGS. 5 to 7, the gripping surface of soft material is arranged only on one side of the main body, taking advantage of the fact that a force is exerted a given device typically has a preferred direction and a user's hand acts only on one side of the handle assembly. The attachment of soft material may therefore be advantageously limited to such a side.

The features mentioned above and in the claims as well as the features removable in the figures are advantageously realizable both individually and in different combinations. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described, but can be modified in many ways within the scope of expert knowledge.

Claims

claims:

A handle assembly comprising a handle of a first material forming part of a hand gripper and a handle surface of a second material softer than and associated with the first material, comprising a second material and a portion of the surface of the handle assembly, characterized in that the handle surface ( GF, GM) part of a grip body (GR, GZ) with a dimensionally stable grip (GS, GSZ) of a third material, the third material has a higher strength than the second material and grip surface and grip a two-component plastic Forming injection molded body, and wherein on the base body first structures (S1, S1 L, S1 R) and the handle shell associated therewith second structures (S2, S2Z) of a positive connection are formed and the handle body by positive engagement of first structures and second structures with the Basic body is connected.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second structures abut each other under elastic bias.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second structures are snapped onto the first structures.

4. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the visible surface of the handle body to more than 50%, preferably completely formed by the second material.

5. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the base body includes two partial shells (GBL, GB), which in the loading rich of the first structures along a parting line (TE) abut each other and each contain a part of the first structures (S1 L, S1 R).

6. Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the handle shell fixes the partial shells of the base body relative to each other.

7. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the base body is formed by a cast body.

8. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the handle body has an elongated shape with a central longitudinal direction.

9. Arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the handle body is arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction laterally on the base body and this does not surround.

10. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that at least a part of the first and second structures for producing the mutual engagement by relative movement are formed substantially in the direction of a mean surface normal of the gripping surface.

11. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the average thickness of the second material is at least 0.3 mm and at most 4 mm.

12. A method for producing a handle assembly of a hand-gripping device, wherein a base body is made of a first material and thereby on the main body first structures of a positive connection fertil are produced, in a two-component plastic injection molding process, a handle body is made, which combines a gripping surface of a second, softer material and a handle shell of a third material in itself, wherein the handle shell second structures of the mold final connection are generated, the first and second structures are engaged with each other.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the first and second structures are brought by a relative movement between the handle body and body transversely to the longitudinal axis of the handle body into engagement.

14. Device system with a plurality of hand graspable devices, which handle arrangements according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the handle arrangements handle at least partially different basic body and handle body uniform.