Handle mounting assembly

Details Handle mounting assembly Handle mounting assembly

1999-06-30

2001-06-05

Estremsky, Gary W. (Department: 3627)

Closure fasteners

Knob-attaching devices

C292SDIG006

Reexamination Certificate

active

06241295

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a handle mounting assembly.
The invention has been developed primarily for use in mounting lever handles for door locks and latches and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use and is equally suitable for mounting all types of handle that are non-symmetric about their axis of rotation and/or otherwise have a preferred orientation relative to the door or other component to which they are mounted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Handles, such as those used for door locks and latches, can be broadly categorised as being symmetric about their rotational axis, for example knobs, and non-symmetric about their rotational axis, for example lever handles.
A problem associated with mounting non-symmetric handles, such as lever handles, is that it is customary for the free or gripping end of the handle to point towards the hinges of the door or like component. Accordingly, relative to the escutcheon or face plate, the handle on one side of a door is thus orientated 180° around its rotational axis away from the handle on the other side of the door. This results in door furniture suppliers having to manufacture different mounting assemblies so the handles always point towards the hinge regardless of what side of the door the hinge is on, and in the case of lockable doors, which side of the door is to be lockable.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome this disadvantage by providing a handle mounting assembly in which the orientation of the handle may be quickly and easily changed relative to the escutcheon or face plate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a handle mounting assembly including:
a handle adapted for turning about an axis;
a drive member operable on a latch and/or lock mechanism, the drive member being rotatably mounted to the handle; and
a handing plate non-rotatably mounted to the handle, the handing plate adapted to non-rotatably engage the drive member in at least two angularly spaced apart positions relative to the axis of the handle.
Preferably, the handle is non-symmetric about its rotational axis. More preferably, the handle is a lever handle.
The drive member preferably includes at least two first engaging formations adapted for individual engagement with a corresponding engaging formation provided on the handing plate. In a preferred form, the drive member includes a pair of opposed recesses and the handing plate includes a correspondingly sized locking tab.
The handing plate preferably also includes second engaging portions adapted to engage with second complementary engaging formations provided on the handle. In a preferred form, the handle includes a spigot having a pair of opposed recesses into which is received a pair of opposed teeth provided on the handing plate.
The handing plate locking tab is preferably moveable in an axial direction in and out of engagement with the recesses. The handing plate is desirably biased against the drive member by a spring means. In one form, the handle, the drive member and the handing plate are all preferably biased towards an escutcheon plate by the spring means. The spring means is preferably in the form of a wave washer. The wave washer is desirably retained on the handle spigot by cir-clip engaging a groove therein.


REFERENCES:
patent: 494554 (1893-04-01), Doebler
patent: 843047 (1907-02-01), Voight
patent: 2317592 (1943-04-01), Dey
patent: 2459920 (1949-01-01), Clark
patent: 2707649 (1955-05-01), Young
patent: 2727773 (1955-12-01), Hagstrom
patent: 5732578 (1998-03-01), Kang
patent: 5761936 (1998-06-01), Katayama

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