GB2244755A - A handle assembly for a pivoted window or door - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-latching window handle (1) has an elongate latch member (16) working in a first bore (17) extending parallel to the handle pivotal axis and provided with a latch detent (22) which co-operates with a striker recess (23b) formed in the handle backplate (10). A key-lockable latch release plunger (28) works in a second bore (30) of the handle and has a frusto-conical inner end (41) which co-operates with a camming face (42) on the latch member such that on pressing the outer end (45) of the plunger (28) the latch detent is withdrawn from the striker recess to enable opening of the handle. The latch detent can be locked in the engaged position, to lock the handle, by turning the plunger (28) with a key to bring a baulking lug (40) on the plunger into engagement with the latch member. The window handle may operate an espagnolette mechanism, or it may be of the type having an integral nib. <IMAGE>

Description

A HANDLE ASSEMBLY FOR A PIVOTED WINDOW OR DOOR This invention relates to a handle assembly for a pivoted window or door, particularly, but not exclusively, to a handle assembly adapted to operate an espagnolette mechanism capable of retaining the window or door in a closed condition with respect to a fixed frame. Such a handle assembly is also the subject of our co-pending patent application numbered 2 204 909A.

The terms "pivoted window" and "vent frame" will be used hereafter to include a pivoted door where the context admits.

Espagnolette mechanisms which are concealed from view in the closed condition of the window are being increasingly used, particularly with UPVC window frames. An operating strip of the mechanism is mounted on the edge of the window vent frame for reciprocation by a pivoted handle which is mounted on that face of the vent frame which faces inwardly of the room. A spindle of the handle assembly drives the operating strip through a gearbox housed within the vent frame, the operating strip carrying projections, often in the form of rollers, which are engageable with cams mounted on the fixed frame to draw the vent frame tightly closed on operation of the handle.

The projections and cams are often shaped to provide, in addition to a fully closed position of the vent frame, a slightly open, night vent condition. In many cases the night vent condition of the window represents a security risk because it is possible for the window handle to be operated from outside the building by inserting a suitably thin tool through the gap between the vent frame and the fixed frame.

Similar problems can arise with other types of window retaining mechanisms such as those which, like the espagnolette mechanisms, incorporate catches which are positioned remotely from the handle assembly for operation by the handle assembly through an elongate transmission element, for example tilt and turn locking mechanisms.

Handle assemblies are known which incorporate a key-operated lock in the handle to enable the handle to be locked in its closed position.

We consider it desirable that the handle when brought to the closed position is retained in that position without the need to use a key.

According to the invention a handle assembly for a window or door comprises a handle member pivotally mounted or mountable on a mounting member adapted to be secured to the window vent frame or door respectively, the handle member being adapted to operate at least one catch for co-operation with a keeper on a fixed frame, such that in use the catch is released from the keeper on pivoting the handle relative to the mounting member from a closed position of the handle to an open position, one of the members housing a latch which is adapted to co-operate with a striker formation provided on or in the other of the members, the latch and the striker formation being so arranged that they interengage on bringing the handle to the closed position so as to prevent reverse movement of the handle from the closed position, and latch releasing means which is operable to release the latch to enable the handle member to be pivoted from the closed position towards the open position, the latch releasing means incorporating a key-operated means to prevent the latch from being released without the use of a key, following locking of the key-operated means with the key.

The mounting member can be a relatively thin back plate formed with the striker formation on its outer surface.

For convenience of operation the latch releasing means is preferably actuated by a release button which faces in substantially the opposite direction, with respect to the pivotal axis of the handle member, to the direction in which an elongate handgrip portion of the handle member extends. This facilitates operation of the release button by the thumb when the fingers are gripping the handgrip portion.

The latch will usually be resiliently biassed to its projecting position, but in some circumstances gravitational biassing might suffice.

The key-operated means is preferably a key-operated cylinder lock incorporated in the release button. Alternatively the release button may be provided with a non-round formation, such as a hexagonal socket, for engagement by a suitable key, to enable the release button to be turned about its longitudinal axis.

Whereas the invention is particularly applicable to handle assemblies for operating remote catches, the handle member may be of the type which is formed with an integral projecting catch adapted to engage in use with a keeper provided on the fixed frame adjacent to the handle assembly.

A handle assembly for operating an espagnolette mechanism of a window vent frame will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the handle assembly; Figure 2 is an end view of the handle looking towards the free end of the handle; Figure 3 is a section on the stepped line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view of the handle looking in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a cross-section of the assembled handle assembly on a larger scale than Figures 2 to 4, and taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figures 6 and 7 are plan and side views respectively of the locking button unit; Figure 8 is a side elevation of the latch member; Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a plan view of the backplate;; Figure 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Figure 10; and Figures 12 and 13 are end and side elevations respectively of the sleeve for retaining the locking button unit.

With reference to Figures 1 and 5 the handle assembly comprises a handle 1 pivotally mounted on a backplate 2 and comprising a handgrip portion 3 depending from an integral enlarged body portion 4. It will be appreciated that the external shapes of the parts 2, 3 and 4 are largely matters of choice which do not affect the functioning of the handle assembly with which the invention is concerned. However, for neatness the backplate 2 in this example has been made of oblong-rectangular outline in plan as shown in Figure 10 and the body portion 4 is of substantially box shape but with faces 5, 6, 7 and 8 which are inclined with respect to the planar back face 9 which confronts the front face 10 of the back plate 2.

The handle body portion 4 is provided with a tubular spigot 11 which projects into a corresponding circular through-bore 12 positioned centrally of the backplate 2 to provide the pivotal connection between the handle 1 and backplate 2. The bore 13 of spigot 11 is of square section to receive drive spindle 14 which is adapted to engage in use with the drive member of an espagnolette gearbox concealed within the window vent frame. A typical example of the arrangement of such an espagnolette mechanism is shown in Specification G.B.

No. 2 169 336A. The backplate 2 is secured in use on the inner face of the vent frame, that face which faces inwardly of the room, by suitable fastenings extending through counter-sunk holes 15 in the backplate 2.

An elongate latch member 16, shown enlarged in Figures 8 and 9, is slidably mounted in a blind first bore 17 in body portion 4, the bore 17 being of oblong-rectangular cross-section, corresponding to that of the upper and lower portions 18 and 19 respectively of the latch member, and extending at right angles to the plane of face 9 into which it breaks, parallel to the axis of spigot 11.

The latch member 16 is biassed outwardly of bore 17 by a coiled compression spring 20, located in a blind bore 21 in upper portion 18, in order to biass a latch detent 22 on the lower extremity of lower portion 19 against backplate 2 for co-operation with a striker recess 23b provided in the upper surface 10 thereof. The backplate 2 is provided with symmetrically disposed striker recesses 23a and 23b for use respectively with right and left hand handles (the illustrated handle being a left hand one), the striker recesses for convenience of manufacture breaking into the counterbore of the adjacent hole 15.

Latch detent 22 is of conventional shape having a stop face 24 extending at right angles to the handle face 9, and a curved camming face 25. Complementary stop faces 26a and 26b are provided by the walls of recesses 23a, 23b respectively for co-operation with the stop face 24 of the striker when the handle is in the closed position, shown in Figure 5, in which the handgrip portion 3 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of backplate 2.

The handle body portion 4 is integrally provided with an elongate stop bar 27, Figures 2, 4 and 5, which overhangs the backplate 2 to engage with one side of the backplate if an attempt is made to move the handle beyond the closed position.

A lockable push button assembly 28, Figures 6 and 7 is slidably mounted in a sleeve 29, Figures 12 and 13, which is held in a second bore 30 in body portion 4 by a pair of fixing pins 31 driven into blind bores 32 which extend from face 9 at right angles thereto to break substantially tangentially at 33, Figure 3, into bore 30. Sleeve 29 is provided with cut-outs 34 for co-operation with the inner ends of the pins 31.

The button assembly 28 comprises a cylindrical lock unit of the kind having tumbler plates each with a respective tab 35 which are resiliently biassed to project, as shown in Figure 7, from the lock body 36 when the lock is in the locked condition, that is when the key is not inserted in the key-hole 37, Figure 1.

The sleeve 29 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinal slots 38 which are dimensioned to receive the projecting tabs 35 in two angular positions disposed at 1800 apart, but the tabs 35 themselves do not prevent axial movement of the lock body 36 with respect to sleeve 29.

The inner end of lock body 36 is provided with an integral camming head 39 defined by a frusto-conical cam surface 41 interrupted by a projection abutment 40, which conveniently is axially aligned with the tabs 35.

Bore 30 meets with bore 17 to enable the camming head 39 to control the displacement of latch member 16, the axes of the bores 30 and 17 intersecting directly as shown in Figure 2, at an angle of 75". Latch member 16 is cut-away substantially in its mid region on one side at 44 to accommodate the axial movement of head 39, and is provided with an inclined follower face 42 for sliding engagement with cam surface 41 when the lock body 36 is pressed axially inwardly of bore 30 by finger pressure on the projecting free end 45 of the lock body 36.

The lock body 36 is prevented from being pressed inwards to release latch member 16 from engagement with striker recess 23b, when it is angularly positioned such that the tabs 35 are engaged with the upper slot 38, by the baulking action of abutment 40 which as shown by the full outline in Figure 5, will engage with one side 46 of the upper portion 18 of latch member 16. Since the body 36 cannot then be pressed inwards to permit cam face 41 to engage with cam follower face 42, the latch member cannot be operated by depressing the lock body.

On inserting the correct key into the lock key-hole 45 the tabs 35 are retracted into the body 36 to enable the body 36 to be turned by the key in sleeve 29 from the position shown in full outline in Figure 5 through 180 , which brings the tabs 35 into register with the lower (in Figure 5) slot 38, and on removal of the key the tabs 35 will engage with that lower slot to hold the body and camming head 39 against rotation. In that angular position of the head 39 pressing the protruding free end 45 of the lock cylinder with the thumb will result in retraction of the latch member 16 against spring 20 through the co-operation between surfaces 41 and 42.If the handle is in the position shown in Figure 5, with the handgrip 3 aligned with the longitudinal axis of backplate 2, the handle will have been held in that "closed position" by the engagement between the latch detent 22 and the striker recess 23b, so that pressing of the cylinder end 45 will withdraw the latch detent from the striker recess to enable the handle to be turned to release the locking components of the espagnclette mechanism and enable the vent to be opened, or to be fully closed if the window was already in a slightly open night-vent condition.

When the handle is returned to the locked position, to lock the espagnolette mechanism, the camming face 25 of the latch detent 22 will co-operate in the usual latch fashion with surface 10 of the backplate adjacent to recess 23b to urge the latch member upwards (in Figure 5) to allow the handle to be turned fully to the locked position, latch detent 22 then falling into recess 23b to hold the handle once again in the "locked condition".

Before the handle can be moved again it is necessary to depress lock end 45 to release the latch.

It will be appreciated that this provides considerable security to the handle and espagnolette mechanism since, when the window is held by the espagnolette mechanism in the night-vent condition, it would not be easy from outside to press the button 45 as well as turning the handle. Of course, at night it will be desirable to use the key to lock the cylinder in the bold line position of Figure 5 to prevent the handle from being released.

Although the axis of second bore 30 may be arranged perpendicular to that of first bore 17, it is preferred that an acute angle is defined between these two axes, as illustrated.

The inclination of face 5 on the handle to the pivotal axis, assists in providing maximum clearance between the projecting end 45 of the cylinder 36 and the window fixed frame.

Since the end 45 faces in the opposite direction to the handgrip position 3, the end 45 is positioned for operation by the thumb when the fingers are gripping the handgrip portion 3.

As shown in Figure 5, the lower end 47 of the spigot 11 is peened over into a counterbore to bore 12 to retain the handle 1 to the backplate 2, suitable low-friction washers 48 being provided on spigot 11.

Prior to connection of the handle to backplate 2, the latch 16 is held captive to the handle by the push button assembly 28 which itself is held captive by sleeve 29.

The handle 1, backplate 2 and latch member 16 are conveniently made as metal die castings, but other materials could be employed.

In a modification the lock cylinder 28 is replaced by a turnable push button assembly having a non-round recess at its free end for engagement by a suitable key.

Claims (6)

1. A handle assembly for a pivoted window or door comprising a handle member pivotally mounted or mountable on a mounting member adapted to be secured to the window vent frame or door respectively, the handle member being adapted to operate at least one catch for co-operation with a keeper on a fixed frame, such that in use the catch is released from the keeper on pivoting the handle relative to the mounting member from a closed position of the handle to an open position, one of the members housing a latch which is adapted to co-operate with a striker formation provided on or in the other of the members, the latch and the striker formation being so arranged that they interengage on bringing the handle to the closed position so as to prevent reverse movement of the handle from the closed position, and latch releasing means which is operable to release the latch to enable the handle member to be pivoted from the closed position towards the open position, the latch releasing means incorporating a key-operated means to prevent the latch from being released without the use of a key, following locking of the key-operated means with the key.

2. A handle assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the latch releasing means incorporates a manually operable release button which faces in substantially the opposite direction, with respect to the pivotal axis of the handle member, to the direction in which an elongate handgrip portion of the handle member extends.

3. A handle assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the release button incorporates a key-operated cylinder lock constituting the key-operated means.

4. A handle assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the handle member is adapted to co-operate with an espagnolette mechanism, or similar retaining mechanism incorporating said latch remote from the handle member.

5. A handle assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 in which the handle member is formed with an integral projecting catch which is adapted to engage in use with a keeper provided on the fixed frame adjacent to the handle assembly.

6. A handle assembly as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.