WO2013162597A1

WO2013162597A1 - Configurable door handle assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2013162597A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/035452
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edward Norton SIEGLAAR; Michael Raymond Percy
Original assignee: Schlage Lock Company, Llc
Priority date: 2012-04-27
Filing date: 2012-04-27
Publication date: 2013-10-31
Also published as: AU2012378153A1

Abstract

A handle assembly for operating the locking mechanism of a door includes a handle 12 that rotates in an escutcheon 20, a drive member 30 that rotates with the handle 12, and a torsion spring 35 that biases the handle into either a right or left handed home position based on the position of a relocatable spring stop 46. The spring stop is moved between its positions by rotation of the handle and fixed in position by insertion of a handing piece 50. The handing piece also provides positive stops that cooperate with the drive member to limit the angular motion of the handle so as to prevent damage to the internal lock components.

Description

CONFIGURABLE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY

The present invention generally relates to door handles and related assemblies, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to lever style handles that are internally biased towards a rest position and configurable into either a right or left handed orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description when considered in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a door handle assembly according to one embodiment;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the door handle assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is sectional view of the Figure 1 handle assembly installed in a door.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

While the present invention can take many different forms, for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the described embodiments and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

According to one aspect, a handle assembly for operating the locking mechanism of a door includes a handle that rotates in an escutcheon, a drive member that rotates with the handle, and a torsion spring that biases the handle into either a right or left handed home position based on the position of a relocatable spring stop. The spring stop is moved between its positions by rotation of the handle and fixed in position by insertion of a handing piece. The handing piece also provides positive stops that cooperate with the drive member to limit the angular motion of the handle so as to prevent damage to the internal lock components.

With reference to the Figure 1 , the illustrated door handle assembly 10 includes an escutcheon 20, a handle 12, a drive washer 30, a torsion spring 35, a collar 40, and a handling piece 50.

The handle 12, washer 30, spring 35, and collar 40 are assembled into the escutcheon 20 as follows. The collar 40 and spring 35 are inserted over the annular portion 24 of escutcheon 20, and the prongs 35a, 35b of the torsion spring 35 are placed on either side of collar projection 46. Then, after the shank portion 14 of the handle 12 is inserted through the receiving aperture 22 of escutcheon 20, the drive washer 30 is mounted on the shank portion 14 of the handle with the inwardly facing lugs 34 of the washer 30 received in the corresponding shaped cutout slots 18 in the shank 14, which has the effect of preventing the washer 30 from rotating independently of the shank 14. The bent ear 32 of the washer 30 is also positioned between the prongs 35a, 35b of the torsion spring 35, as can be seen in FIG. 2, and the retaining clip 60 is mounted in the groove 16 to hold the washer 30 on shank 14. Accordingly, because the flat back circumferential surface of the drive washer 30 abuts the end of the annular portion 24, as can be seen in FIG. 3, the handle 12 is allowed to rotate within the aperture 22 but is prevented from being pulled out.

At the time of installation on a door 74, the handing piece 50 is inserted in the escutcheon 20. The handing piece 50 fits snugly between the upper and lower barrier portions 26, 28 and the sidewall of the escutcheon 20 so as to be maintained in position with collar stop 56 abutting collar projection 42 and collar stop 58 abutting collar projection 44 as shown in FIG. 3. These collar stops 56, 58 of handing piece 50 serve to prevent rotation of collar 40, and thus the presence of the handing piece 50 within escutcheon 20 serves to fix the position of the collar projection 46, which has the effect of establishing the home position to which the torsion spring 35 biases the handle 12 to return. This is because the bent ear 32 of the drive washer 30, which rotates with the handle 12, and the collar projection 46 are both positioned between the prongs 35a, 35b of the torsion spring 30. Thus, when the handle 12 and drive washer 30 are rotated in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 (i.e. downward), the washer ear 32 pushes against the lower prong 35b of the torsion spring while the upper prong 35a remains fixed by the now stationary stop 46, which generates a restoring force in the torsion spring 35 due to spreading apart of prongs 35a, 35b. When the handle is released, the prongs 35a, 35b spring back towards each other, the lower prong 35b drives the ear 32 and the handle 12 upward to the horizontal rest position.

Accordingly, the insertion of the handing piece 50 fixes the position of the collar projection 46 that serves as the torsion spring stop, thereby establishing either a right handed or left handed home position for handle. Prior to insertion of the handing piece, the collar is free to rotate. Thus, when the handing piece 50 is not in place, the handle 12 is rotatable in 360 degrees relative to the escutcheon 20, as the collar 40 simply rotates along with the handle. As a result, the handedness of the assembly 10 can be changed by simply rotating the handle 180 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 2 and then reinserting the handing piece 50 in the other side.

With the handing piece inserted, the escutcheon 20 is mounted to a door 74. As shown in FIG. 3, a spindle 70 that operates the locking mechanism 72 of the door 74 is received within the socket 15 of the handle 12, and thus rotation of the handle 12 rotates the spindle 70 to activate one or more functions of the locking mechanism 72, for example retracting a latch bolt or other lock tongue or activating shoot bolts.

The handing piece 50 also has a set of handle stops 52 54 that are aligned with washer ears 38 and 36. These handle stops 52, 54 serve as positive stops that limit the angular movement of the washer 30, and consequently they can serve to protect the locking mechanism 72 from excessive wear or damage due to overrotation of the handle 12. This protection may be accomplished by configuring at least one of the positive stops in the handle assembly 10 to engage before a corresponding positive stop in the locking mechanism 72.

As illustrated, the handing piece handle stops 52, 54 and washer ears 38, 36 are symmetric. As a result, the handle is able to rotate upward or downward the same amount, which may be just over 45 degrees, and the same handing piece 50 may be used to set the handle assembly 10 into either a right or left handed configuration by simply reversing its orientation. Alternatively, different handing pieces can be used for setting the handle into its different configurations, for example so as to permit greater rotation in the upward direction than in the downward direction, for vice versa.

It is to be appreciated that what has been described includes a novel handle assembly comprising a body, a handle that is rotatable with respect to the body, a drive member that rotates with the handle, a spring stop that is rotatable between first and second positions by rotating the handle, a torsion spring engaged between the spring stop and the drive member, and a handing piece positionable in the body so as to prevent rotation of the spring stop from at least one of the first position and the second position. The first position of the spring stop may corresponds to a left handed configuration of the handle and the second position of the spring stop may corresponds to a right handed configuration of the handle. The handing piece may include at least a drive stop which cooperates with the drive member to limit the angular rotation of the handle with respect to the body in a first direction. The spring stop may be provided on a collar having first and second projections wherein the handing piece is positionable in the housing so as to have a first stop abutting the first projection and a second stop abutting the second projection. The handing piece may be positionable in the body in so as to prevent rotation of the spring stop from either the first position or the second position. The handle of the assembly may be coupled to a spindle that is engaged with the locking mechanism of a door.

What is also described is a novel handle assembly for operating the locking mechanism of a door, comprising a handle that is rotatable with respect to an

escutcheon, a drive member that rotates with the handle, a spring stop that is rotatable between first and second positions within the escutcheon by rotating the handle, a torsion spring engaged between the spring stop and the drive member, and a handing piece positionable in the body so as to maintain the spring stop in at least one of the first position and the second position, wherein when the spring stop is maintained in the first position, the handle is biased into a left handed configuration and when the spring stop is maintained in the second position, the handle is biased into a right handed configuration. The handing piece may includes at least one drive stop which

cooperates with the drive member to limit the angular rotation of the handle with respect to the escutcheon. The handle assembly may be used with a locking mechanism having a positive stop wherein the angular rotation of the handle is limited by the drive stop so as to prevent engagement of the positive stop of the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism may be operable to retract a latch bolt or activate a shoot bolt.

What has also been described is a novel handle assembly for operating the locking mechanism of a door, comprising a handle that is rotatably mounted in an escutcheon, a drive member that rotates with the handle, and a torsion spring that biases the handle into either a right or left handed home position based on the position of a spring stop, wherein the spring stop is moved between positions by rotation of the handle and is fixed in position by insertion of a handing piece into the escutcheon. The handing piece may further provides at least one positive stops that cooperates with the drive member to limit the angular motion of the handle. The spring stop may be provided on a collar having first and second projections and wherein the handing piece has a first stop that abuts the first projection so as to prevent rotation of the collar in a first direction and wherein the handing piece has a second stop that abuts the second projection so as to prevent rotation of the collar in a second direction.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected. It should be understood that while the use of words such as preferable, preferably, preferred or more preferred utilized in the description above indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope being defined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as "a," "an," "at least one," or "at least one portion" are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language "at least a portion" and/or "a portion" is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A handle assembly, comprising:

a body;

a handle that is rotatable with respect to the body;

a drive member that rotates with the handle;

a spring stop that is rotatable between first and second positions by rotating the handle;

a torsion spring engaged between the spring stop and the drive member; and a handing piece positionable in the body so as to prevent rotation of the spring stop from at least one of the first position and the second position.

2. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first position of the spring stop corresponds to a left handed configuration of the handle and the second position of the spring stop corresponds to a right handed configuration of the handle.

3. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the handing piece includes at least one drive stop which cooperates with the drive member to limit the angular rotation of the handle with respect to the body.

4. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the handing piece includes first and second drive stops which cooperate with the drive member to limit the angular rotation of the handle in two different directions.

5. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring stop is provided on a collar having first and second projections and the handing piece is positionable in the housing so as to have a first stop abutting the first projection and a second stop abutting the second projection.

6. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the handing piece is positionable in the body in so as to prevent rotation of the spring stop from either the first position or the second position.

7. The handle assembly of any of the preceeding claims in which the handle is coupled to a spindle that is engaged with the locking mechanism of a door.

8. A handle assembly for operating the locking mechanism of a door, comprising: a handle that is rotatable with respect to an escutcheon;

a drive member that rotates with the handle;

a spring stop that is rotatable between first and second positions within the escutcheon by rotating the handle;

a torsion spring engaged between the spring stop and the drive member; and a handing piece positionable in the body so as to maintain the spring stop in at least one of the first position and the second position;

wherein when the spring stop is maintained in the first position, the handle is biased into a left handed configuration and when the spring stop is maintained in the second position, the handle is biased into a right handed configuration.

9. The handle assembly of claim 8, wherein the handing piece includes at least one drive stop which cooperates with the drive member to limit the angular rotation of the handle with respect to the escutcheon.

10. The handle assembly of claim 9 in combination with the locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism has a positive stop and the angular rotation of the handle is limited by the drive stop so as to prevent engagement of the positive stop of the locking mechanism.

11. The handle assembly of claim 10 wherein the locking mechanism is operable to retract a latch bolt or activate a shoot bolt.

12. A handle assembly for operating the locking mechanism of a door, comprising: a handle that is rotatably mounted in an escutcheon;

a drive member that rotates with the handle; and

a torsion spring that biases the handle into either a right or left handed home position based on the position of a spring stop;

wherein the spring stop is moved between positions by rotation of the handle and is fixed in position by insertion of a handing piece into the escutcheon.

13. The handle assembly of claim 12 wherein the handing piece further provides at least one positive stops that cooperates with the drive member to limit the angular motion of the handle.

14. The handle assembly of claim 12 wherein the spring stop is provided on a collar having first and second projections and wherein the handing piece has a first stop that abuts the first projection so as to prevent rotation of the collar in a first direction and wherein the handing piece has a second stop that abuts the second projection so as to prevent rotation of the collar in a second direction.