DOOR LOCK WITH HANDLE

Abstract

A door lock for a handle, comprises a housing, a rotatable connector inside the housing, a first elastic element and a second elastic element both arranged inside the housing. The rotatable connector is interacted with the handle. The first elastic element is at least configured to provide a restoring force for the handle to return to its origin position when the handle is rotated upward to lock the door, and the second elastic element is configured to provide a restoring force for the handle to return to its origin position when the handle is rotated downward to unlock and open the door, as well as to provide enough resistance to remain handle at its origin position when the handle is released. The door lock is effort-saving for the users to rotate the handle upward, and also adapted for various handles having different weights, to be remained at the origin position when the handle is released.

Claims

1. A door lock, comprising: a housing; a monolithic connector rotatably mounted in the housing; a handle having a shaft extending into the connector; a first spring mounted in the connector and around the shaft to bias the connector and the handle to a neutral position when the handle pivots upwardly and downwardly; and a second spring engaging a radially extending protrusion on the connector to bias the connector and the handle to the neutral position.

2. The door lock of claim 1 wherein the handle is a lever handle and is pivotal upwardly to lock a door latch and pivotal downwardly to unlock the door latch, and the connector rotating in opposite first and second directions when the handle is pivoted upwardly and downwardly.

3. The door lock of claim 2 wherein the first spring has opposite ends which bias the connector in opposite rotational directions.

4. The door lock of claim 1 wherein a first end of the first spring is stressed against the housing during the upward rotation of the handle and a second end of the first spring is stressed against the housing during the downward rotation of the handle.

5. The door lock of claim 1 wherein the second spring exerts a force biasing the handle toward the neutral position when the handle pivots downwardly.

6. The door lock of claim 1 wherein the connector has a groove for receiving the first spring.

7. The door lock of claim 1 wherein the connector is provided with a first slot and a second slot, wherein the first slot and the second slot are arranged offset from each other and are in communication with the groove.

8. The door lock of claim 6 wherein the first spring has first and second ends which extend radially outwardly from the groove in the connector.

9. The door lock of claim 7 wherein the housing has a block, and the first and second ends of the first spring engage opposite sides of the block.17.

10. The door lock of claim 6 wherein the rotatable connector has a protrusion extending radially outwardly beyond the groove.

11. The door lock of claim 10 wherein the second elastic element is installed offset from the connector and is stressed against the protrusion of the connector to provide a restoring force for the handle to return to its origin position after the handle is released from downward rotation, and to provide enough resistance to maintain the handle at its origin position when the handle is released.

12. A method of restoring a lever type door handle to an original position after actuation of the handle, the handle having a shaft extending through a rotatable monolithic connector mounted in a housing installed in a door, the method comprising: engaging the housing with a first spring mounted in the rotatable monolithic connector and surrounding the shaft to bias the handle to the original position after the handle is pivoted upwardly and released and after the handle is pivoted downwardly and released; and engaging a radially extending protrusion on the rotatable monolithic connector with a second spring mounted in the housing to bias the handle to the original position against gravity.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second spring further biases the handle to the original position after the handle is pivoted downwardly and released.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising engaging opposite ends of the first spring with the housing when the handle is pivoted upwardly and downwardly, respectively.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the connector is biased in opposite rotational directions by the first spring.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising stressing a first end of the first elastic element against the housing during the upward rotation of the handle and stressing a second end of the first elastic element against the housing during the downward rotation of the handle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention will be described hereinafter in details with reference to the figures and the embodiments for the sake of better understanding. Any non-substantive, obvious alterations or improvement by the technician of this technical field according to the present invention may be incorporated into ambit of claims of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door lock for a door handle, with the latch bolt extended and the dead bolt retracted, in an embodiment according to the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an elevation view showing the internal structure of the door lock, and the positions of the connector and the springs when the handle is in an at rest, neutral horizontal orientation, in an embodiment according to the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the structure of the rotatable connector of the door lock, in an embodiment according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first elastic element of the door lock, in an embodiment according to the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the assembly of a first elastic element and a rotatable connector of the door lock, in an embodiment according to the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the door lock with a lever type handle shown in its neutral or at rest horizontal position.

[0031] FIG. 7 is perspective view of the door lock with the handle pivoted upwardly to extend the upper and lower latches of a multi-point door lock.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the door lock with the handle pivoted downwardly to retract the upper and lower latches of the multi-point lock.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0033] Housing [0034] 10 Handle [0035] 11 Block [0036] 2 Rotatable connector [0037] 21 Square hole [0038] 22 Protrusion [0039] 23 Groove for mounting spring [0040] 241 First slot [0041] 242 Second slot [0042] 3 First elastic element/spring [0043] 31 First extending end [0044] 32 Second extending end [0045] 4 Second elastic element/spring [0046] 41 Third extending end

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] The present invention will be described hereinafter in details with reference to the figures and the embodiments for the sake of clarity. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in different embodiments may be combined if they have not conflicted each other. Although certain embodiments are described in detail for a better understanding, it should be understood that there may be more embodiments. A various changes and modifications may be obtained by those skilled in the art on the basis of the present invention without creative works and without departing the scope of the appended claims.

[0048] The technical terms used herein have the general meanings well understood by those skilled in the art unless otherwise defined. The terms in the description of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustrating the embodiments, not limiting the present invention.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a door lock for a door handle is provided according to the present invention, comprising a housing 1, a rotatable connector 2 inside the housing 1, and a first elastic element 3 and a second elastic element 4 arranged inside the housing 1. The rotatable connector 2 is coupled with a handle 10, which preferably is a lever type handle that is pivoted downwardly to open the door and upwardly to lock the deadbolt and, if a multi-point door lock, the upper and lower latch bolts. The first elastic element 3 is at least configured to provide a restoring force for the handle 10 to return to its origin position after the handle is rotated upward to lock the door (i.e. the rotatable connector 2 was rotated in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) and then released, and the second elastic element 4 is configured to provide a restoring force for the handle to return to its origin position after the handle was rotated downward to unlock and open the door (i.e. the rotatable connector 2 was rotated in a clockwise direction in FIG. 2) and then released, as well as to provide enough resistance to remain the handle at its origin position when the handle is released. The rotatable connector 2 is provided with a square hole 21 for fitting with the square shaft of a typical handle, such that the rotation of the handle will make the rotate the connector 2 simultaneously. It should be noted that, the origin position of the handle 10, which is typically in a horizontal direction, depends on the intended usage of the door lock.

[0050] The door lock with handle of this embodiment supplements the second elastic element 4 inside the housing 1 for cooperating with the first elastic element 3. During the operation of the handle 10 for door opening/locking, the first elastic element 3 will restore the handle when the handle was rotated upwardly, and the second elastic element 4 will restore the handle when the handle was rotated downward. The second elastic element 4 can also provide a resistance to the handle when the handle is back to the origin position, preventing the handle from swinging down or sagging due to the weight itself. In this way, even if a heavier replacement handle is substituted for a lighter original handle, in the case that the first elastic element 3 is designed with a typical elastic force, the heavier handle can still remain at the origin position due to the resistance from the second elastic element 4. Thus, the present invention applies to various handles having different weights because the resistance from the second elastic element 4 counteracts the gravity of the handles, regardless of their weights, and allows the handles to be remained at the origin position. As compared with the conventional solution to enhance an elastic force of the reset spring for fitting the handles having different weights, the door lock with handle according to the present invention is more effortless to rotate the handle up with a better operation experience the first elastic element 3 still has a typical elastic force.

[0051] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in an exemplary embodiment, the first elastic element 3 is installed on the rotatable connector 2, and at least one end of the first elastic element 3 is stressed against the housing 1 during the upward rotation of the handle 10.

[0052] In this embodiment, on the basis of the above described structure, one end of the first elastic element 3 will be retained by the housing 1 and thereby deform the spring 3 as the handle 10 rotates upward. Thus, the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring force of the first elastic element 3 when the handle is released. During the upward rotation of the handle, for the handle, only the elastic force of the first elastic element 3 and the gravity of the handle need to be overcome by the operator, and the elastic force of the second elastic element 4 is not involved because the second elastic element 4 is not stressed by the rotatable connector 2 and not deformed. Therefore, it is effort-saving for the users to rotate the handle up.

[0053] Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in another exemplary embodiment, the first elastic element 3 is installed on the rotatable connector 2, wherein one end of the first elastic element 3 is stressed against the housing 1 during the upward rotation of the handle, while the other end of the first elastic element 3 is stressed against the housing 1 during the downward rotation of the handle 10.

[0054] In this embodiment, on the basis of the above described structure, the first elastic element 3 will be retained by the housing 1 and thereby be deformed as the handle 10 rotates either upward or downward. During the upward rotation of the handle, the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring force of the first elastic element 3 when the handle is released. During the downward rotation of the handle, the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring forces of the first elastic element 3 and the second elastic element 4 when the handle is released. In this way, the structure is not only effort-saving for the users to rotate the handle up, but also adapt for various handles having different weights, to be remained at the origin position when the handle is released.

[0055] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in an exemplary embodiment, the housing 1 is provided with a block 11 adjacent to the rotatable connector 2, wherein one end of the first elastic element 3 abuts against one side of the block 11, while the other end of the first elastic element 3 abuts against the other side of the block 11.

[0056] In this embodiment, on the basis of the above described structure, the first elastic element 3 will be retained by the block 11 and thereby be deformed as the handle 10 rotates either upward or downward. During the upward rotation of the handle, the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring force of the first elastic element 3 when the handle is released. During the downward rotation of the handle, the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring forces of the first elastic element 3 and the second elastic element 4 when the handle is released. In this way, this structure is not only effort-saving for the users to rotate the handle up, but also make the first elastic element 3 and the second elastic element 4 working together to prevent the handle from swinging down from its origin position, e.g. a horizontal direction, when the handle is released (where the first elastic element 3 generates an elastic force that counteracts gravity and the downward weight of the handle, and the second elastic element 4 provide a resistance to the rotatable connector 2), such that the various handles having different weights can be thus remained at the origin position.

[0057] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in an exemplary embodiment, the first elastic element 3 is in the form of a spring, the rotatable connector 2 is provided with a groove 23 for receiving the first elastic element 3, a first slot 241 and a second slot 242, wherein the first slot 241 and the second slot 242 are arranged offset from each other and are in communication with the groove 23, respectively. One end of the first elastic element 3 extends outwardly away from its axis to form a first extending end 31, and the other end of the first elastic element 3 also extends outwardly away from its axis to form a second extending end 32, where the first extending end 31 extends across the first slot 241 and abuts against one side of the block 11, and the second extending end 32 extends across the second slot 242 and abuts against the other side of the block 11.

[0058] In this embodiment, on the basis of the above described structure, the first elastic element 3 will be retained by the housing 1 and thereby be deformed as the handle 10 rotates either upward or downward. During the upward rotation of the handle, the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring force of the first elastic element 3 when the handle is released. During the downward rotation of the handle, the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring forces of the first elastic element 3 and the second elastic element 4 when the handle is released. The first elastic element 3 and the second elastic element 4 can work together to prevent the handle from swinging down or sagging from its origin position, e.g., a horizontal direction, when the handle is released or not being actuated, i.e., the handle is at rest in a neutral position. In this way, this structure is not only effort-saving for the users to rotate the handle up, but also adapt for various handles having different weights, to be remained at the origin position when the handle is released.

[0059] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in one exemplary embodiment, the rotatable connector 2 is provided with a protrusion 22 extending away from its axis, and one end of the second elastic element 4 is stressed against the protrusion 22 during the downward rotation of the handle 10 and simultaneous clockwise rotation (in FIG. 2) of the connector.

[0060] In this embodiment, on the basis of the above described structure, the second elastic element 4 will be stressed by the protrusion 22 and thereby be deformed as the handle rotates downward, thus the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring force of the second elastic element 4 when the handle is released.

[0061] Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, in one exemplary embodiment, the second elastic element 4 is in the form of a spring, and one end of the second elastic element 4 extends towards the rotatable connector 2 to form a third extending end 41, where the third extending end 41 is stressed against the protrusion 22.

[0062] In this embodiment, on the basis of the above described structure, the third extending end 41 will be stressed by the protrusion 22 and thereby be deformed as the handle 10 rotates downward, thus the rotatable connector 2 along with the handle can be restored under the restoring force of the second elastic element 4 when the handle is released. Meanwhile, the third extending end 41 is stressed against the protrusion 22 and thereby provide a resistance to prevent the rotatable connector 2 from rotating due to the weight of the handle when the handle was released. So, this structure adapts for various handles having different weights, to be remained at the origin position when the handle is released.

[0063] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in one exemplary embodiment, the third extending end 41 is configured to bend away from the protrusion 22.

[0064] In this embodiment, on the basis of the above described structure, the elastic property of the third extending end 41 in the second elastic element 4 is strengthened in such manner that the resistance from the second elastic element 4 is greater to counteract the gravity of a heavier handle, therefore the present invention applies to various handles having different weights to be remained at the origin position when the handle is released.

[0065] It should be noted that, the rest structure of the door lock with handle according to the present invention may be those disclosed in the cross referenced, co-pending patent applications, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0066] The embodiment described hereinbefore is merely preferred embodiment of the present invention and not for purposes of any restrictions or limitations on the invention. It will be apparent that any non-substantive, obvious alterations or improvement by the technician of this technical field according to the present invention may be incorporated into ambit of claims of the present invention.