[0001] This invention is concerned with the installation of door furniture and has particular
application to the mounting of lever door handles.
[0002] Applicant's prior U.S. patent 4,037,865 discloses a concealed door handle mounting
in which the escutcheon plate is threadedly fastened to a rear fixing plate after
the latter has been secured to the door. The fixing plate may have apertures for screws
or Other fasteners, and/or circumferentially extending tongues for engagement with
an aperture in the door.
[0003] Applicant's prior U.S. patent 4,142,748 discloses a more complex concealed door handle
mounting for knob-type handles with a privacy lockset, in which a semi-toroidal compression
spring is retained within a two-part housing and biases the knob-type handle to its
rest or closed position.
[0004] It is an object of the invenrion to achieve a door handle mounting for simple lever
handles which includes spring return for the handle but permits retention of the advantageous
concealed mounting features of the prior parents.
[0005] The invention accordingly provides a door handle mounting comprising:
an integral fixing plate including means for location or securement of the mounting
on a door, and defining an arcuate recess about a central aperture to receive a door
handle shaft;
a disc member rotatably seated on said fixing plate and engageable with said handle
shaft for rotation therewith;
elongate spring means housed in said recess so as to be resiliently compressible by
said disc member when the latter rotates wirh the handle shaft from a rest position;
and
a locking ring held by said fixing plate to retain the disc member in situ as it rotates.
[0006] Advantageously, the mounting further comprises a lever handle and a shaft associated
with the handle, which shaft projects through the central aperture of the fixing plate
and engages said disc member.
[0007] The invention also provides a door handle mounting comprising:
a fixing plate having means for location or securement of the mounting on a door,
and defining an arcuate recess about a central aperture to receive a door handle shaft;
means on said fixing plate defining an internal bearing surface and an annular shoulder
adjacent said bearing surface;
a disc member rotatably seated on said shoulder with its rim on said bearing surface,
and having means for engagement with said handle shaft;
respective stop surfaces on said plate and said disc member, both disposed transversely
in said recess; and
elongate spring means housed in said recess with its respective ends in engagement
with said stop surfaces, whereby, on rotation of the disc member in one direction
from a rest position, said spring means is resiliently compressed or tensioned, thereby
facilitating return of the disc member to said rest position; and
means defining said rest position of the disc member.
[0008] The recess and shoulder are preferably annular. The shoulder advantageously extends
about the rim of the recess.
[0009] The disc member advantageously includes means providing a mounting for an escutcheon
plate; such means may comprise, for example, a central internally threaded socket
complementary to an externally threaded boss on the escurcheon plate.
[0010] Preferably, said spring means is under compression in said recess when the disc member
is in said rest position, and is further resiliently compressed when the disc member
rotates from said rest position
[0011] The means defining the rest position of the disc member may comprise opposed transverse
abutments on the fixing plate and the disc member. Further opposed transverse aburments
on these elements advantageously define a limit position for rotation of the disc
member in said one direction.
[0012] The respective stop surfaces may be provided by an upstanding land in the recess
and by a outstanding lug on the disc member.
[0013] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an assembly of a lever handle and associated
escutcheon plate with a nandle mounting in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 is an axial cross-section of the principal portion of the assembly;
Figure 3 is an enlargement of a small portion of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 in Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the assembly in the door open condition;
and
Figure 6 provides front and side elevations of the disc.
[0014] The illustrated assembly 10 includes a lever handle 12 with an integral shaft 14,
an escutcheon plate 16 and a door handle mounting 20. The principal components of
mounting 20 are a fixing plate 22 which, inter alia, defines an annular recess 23,
a toroidal compression spring 26 retained in recess 23, a disc 24 in rotatable seated
engagement with plate 22, and a locking ring 28 for retaining disc 24 on plare 22.
Disc 24 has a boss 21 and a central opening 25 with two flat sides 25a and this opening
serves as a socket to receive the complementary shaped end 15 of shaft 14 whereby
handle 12 is irrotationally coupled to disc 24. The handle is held in place by a circlip
14a on shaft 14.
[0015] Fixing plate 22 has a central circular opening 30 bounded by an internally threaded
flange 32 which is threadingly engageable with an externally threaded boss 34 on escutcheon
plate 16. Fixing plate 22 is also provided towards its outer rim with suitable mounting
apertures such as 36 for receipt of screws or other fasteners for securing the plate
to a door. In addition, there are three circumferentially extending tongues 38 spaced
radially inwardly from the outer rim 22a of the plate. The free ends of these tongues
are displaced rearwardly out of the plane of the plate, i.e. in the direction away
from the escutcheon plate, for fitting snugly into an aperture in the door to accurately
locate the assembly.
[0016] Internal flange 32 and an outer cylindrical portion 40 of plate 22 co-operate to
define the aforementioned annular recess 23, which opens to the rear of the plate.
About the outer edge of this recess there is a shallow annular skirt 42 which is disposed
so that there is defined a narrow annular shoulder 44 (Figure 3) at the rim of the
recess in a plane normal to the axis of the assembly. Shoulder 44 is in turn surrounded
by an inwardly raised annular journal bearing surface 46. Disc 24 has a radially projecting
flange 48 of almost semicircular extent at its periphery and, co-planar with and symmetrically
opposite flange 48, a tab 49 with an outer rim 49a (Figure 6) on a common circle with
the rim 48a of flange 48. Flange 48 and tab 49 are dimensioned to rotatably seat the
disc on shoulder 44 in firm sliding journal engagement with bearing surface 46. Flange
48 extends between radial edges defining respective transverse abutments 47a, 47b
for a purpose to be described, and tab 49 similarly extends between radial edges defining
respective transverse abutments 45a, 45b.
[0017] Annular recess 23 is interrupted, firstly, by an L-section land 50 on fixing plate
22 and, secondly, by an axially projecting lug 52 on disc 24. Land 50 also interrupts
bearing surface 46. Land 50 and lug 52 define respective pairs of stop surfaces 50a,
52a and 50b, 52b berween one of which pairs compression spring 26 is mounted. The
assembly is such that in the normal horizontal condition of handle 12, disc 24, which
it will be remembered rotares with the handle shaft, is in its rest position: abutment
47a opposes and contacts the outer part of stop surface 50a to define a rest position
for the disc at which handle 12 is horizontal. Spring 26 is under compression in recess
23 between stop surfaces 50b, 52a on land 50 and lug 52: the spring has been compressed
or loaded during assembly by rotating disc 24 until flange 48 drops onto shoulder
44 behind land 50. When the handle is turned downwardly to open the door, disc 24
is rotated from the rest position and spring 26 is resiliently compressed by lug 52;
as soon as the handle is released the spring rotates the disc back until aburment
47a engages land stop surface 50a, thereby bringing handle 12 back to its horizontal
position. A limit position for rotation of disc 24 is defined by engagement of abutment
45a with stop surface 50b.
[0018] As already foreshadowed, the assembly of plate 22, disc 24 and spring 26 is maintained
by annular locking ring 28. Ring 28 is dimensioned to fit firmly within skirt 42 on
a secondary shoulder 43 (Figure 3) in light engagement with land 50 and the back of
disc 24 about its boss 21. The ring is itself locked in place on assembly by rolling
the outer edge of skirt 42 behind the ring, as seen at 42a in Figure 3.
[0019] It will be appreciated that the illustrated mounting comprising fixing plate 22,
disc 24, spring 26 and locking ring 28 affords a highly compact and effective arrangement
for incorporating a spring return for the lever handle while retaining previously
known but advantageous features of the concealed fixing, for example the engagement
between the escutcheon plate and the fixing plate and the hidden screw apertures and
tongues on the fixing plate.
[0020] It will also be noted that by mounting spring 26 between the other stop surfaces
50a, 52b of land 50 and lug 52, and locating disc 24 with flange 48 on the other side
of stop 50, the mounting can be readily converted between a left handle and a right
handle.
[0021] It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above
purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope
of the invention.
1. A door handle mounting comprising:
an integral fixing plate including means for location or securement of the mounting
on a door, and defining an arcuate recess about a central aperture to receive a door
handle shaft;
a disc member rotatably seated on said fixing plate and engageable with said handle
shaft for rotation therewith;
elongate spring means housed in said recess so as to be resiliently compressible by
said disc member when the latter rotates with the handle shaft from a rest position;
and
a locking ring held by said fixing plate to retain the disc member in situ as it rotates.
2. A door handle mounting according to claim 1 further comprising a lever handle and
a shaft associated with the handle, which shaft projects through the central aperture
of the fixing plate and engages said disc member.
3. A door handle mounting according to claim 1 wherein said fixing plate includes
an internal journal bearing surface for the rim of the disc member and an annular
shoulder adjacent said bearing surface for seating the disc member.
4. A door handle mounting according to claim 3 wherein said fixing plate defines a
further annular shoulder, to seat said locking ring, outwardly of said bearing surface.
5. A door handle mounting according to claim 1 wherein, when said disc member is in
said rest position, said spring means is under compression in said recess between
respective transverse stop surfaces on the disc member and in said recess.
6. A door handle mounting according to claim 5 wherein said respective stop surfaces
are provided by an outstanding land in said recess and by an outstanding lug on the
disc member.
7. A door handle mounting according to claim 1 wherein said disc member further includes
means providing a mounting for an escutcheon plate which is hidden from external view
by the escutcheon plate.
8. A door handle mounting comprising:
a fixing plate having means for location or securement of the mounting on a door,
and defining an arcuate recess about a central aperture to receive a door handle shaft;
means on said fixing plate defining an internal bearing surface and an annular shoulder
adjacent said bearing surface;
a disc member rotatably seated on said shoulder with its rim on said bearing surface,
and having means for engagement with said handle shaft;
respective stop surfaces on said plate and said disc member, both disposed transversely
in said recess;
and
elongate spring means housed in said recess with its respective ends in engagement
with said stop surfaces, whereby, on rotation of the disc member in one direction
from a rest position, said spring means is resiliently compressed or tensioned, thereby
facilitating return of the disc member to said rest position; and
means defining said rest position of the disc member.
9. A door handle mounting according to claim 8 further comprising a lever handle and
a shaft associated with the handle, which shaft projects through the central aperture
of the fixing plate and engages said disc member.
10. A door handle mounring according to claim 8 wherein said spring means is under
compression in said recess when the disc member is in said rest position, and is further
resiliently compressed when the disc member rotates from said rest position.