HANDLE ARRANGEMENT WITH AN INTERNAL LOCK

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handle arrangement (100) for arrangement to a door comprising a body (1), a handle (2) rotatably arranged to the body (1) and movable between closed and an open position, and a latch mechanism (6) for latching a door to a door frame. The latch mechanism (6) being maneuverable between a latching position and an unlatching position by rotating the handle (2) round a first rotational axis (A), The latch mechanism further comprises a lock arrangement (4) rotationally movable around its central axis (C) and comprises a moveable locking element (7) configured to be moved between an unlocked position and a locked position upon rotation of the lock arrangement (4), wherein the locking element (7) comprises a flange (8) and the handle (2) comprises a stopping surface (9), wherein said flange (8) in the locked position is configured to abut the stopping surface (9) to prevent rotation of the gripping portion (3) around said first rotational axis (A).

Claims

1. A handle arrangement (100) for arrangement to a door comprising a body (1), a handle (2) rotatably arranged to the body (1) and movable between a closed position and an open position, a latch mechanism (6) for latching a door to a door frame, said latch mechanism (6) being maneuverable between a latching position and an unlatching position by rotating the handle (2) round a first rotational axis (A), a lock arrangement (4) rotationally movable around its central axis (C) and comprising a moveable locking element (7) configured to be moved between an unlocked position and a locked position upon rotation of the lock arrangement (4), wherein the locking element (7) comprises a flange (8) having a bottom surface (81), wherein the handle (2) comprises a stopping surface (9), and wherein said flange (8) in the locked position is configured for the bottom surface (81) to abut the stopping surface (9) to prevent rotation of the handle (2) around said first rotational axis (A).

2. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the handle (2) further comprises an inclined surface (10) configured such that when the flange (8) is in an unlocked position, the bottom surface (81) is arranged opposite to the inclined surface (10) at an angle (α) such as to admit the handle (2) to rotate around the first rotational axis (A) in order to bring the latch mechanism (6) in an unlatching position, wherein the rotation is limited by the bottom surface (81) abutting the inclined surface (8).

3. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the lock arrangement (4) is rotatable around a central axis (C) perpendicular to the first rotational axis (A).

4. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the handle (2) comprises a gripping portion (3), and wherein the stopping surface (9) is arranged between the gripping portion (3) and the first rotational axis (A).

5. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 4, wherein the body (1) comprises a gripping portion receiving area (5) in which the gripping portion (3) is located in a closed position.

6. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 5, wherein the body (1) comprises an internal lock cavity (51) adjacently located to the gripping portion receiving area (5), in which internal lock cavity (51) the locking element (7) and the stopping surface (9) are located.

7. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 6, wherein the gripping portion receiving area (5) and the internal lock cavity (51) are in direct fluid connection with each other.

8. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 6, wherein the handle (2) further comprises a visor (32), attached to the gripping part (3) and configured to, in a closed position, cover the lock arrangement (4) in the internal lock cavity (51).

9. Handle arrangement (100) according to claim 6, wherein the first rotational axis (A) extends across said internal lock cavity (51).

10. Handle arrangement (100) according claim 1, wherein the lock arrangement (4) is located along a longitudinal centre line (X) of the body (1) between the gripping portion (3) and the latching mechanism (6).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The invention will in the following be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

[0029] FIG. 1 is a top view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0030] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0031] FIG. 3 is a perspective section view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0032] FIG. 4 is a side section view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0033] FIG. 5 is a detailed section view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0034] FIG. 6 is a detailed section view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0035] FIG. 7 is a detailed section view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0036] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a single handle according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0037] FIG. 9 is a detailed side view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0038] FIG. 10 is a detailed side view of a handle arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0039] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a handle arrangement 100. The handle arrangement 100 comprises a body 1, which is configured to be arranged on a door, such as a cabinet door or a vehicle door. The body has a length L, a width W, a depth (not shown), and an outer surface 11. The handle arrangement may, when mounted, be arranged in the same plane as the door, such that when viewing the door from the front, the handle arrangement may be substantially integrated in the door, and the outer surface 11 substantially parallel to the same plane as the door front surface. The handle arrangement 100 may be mounted with its depth arranged inside a corresponding cut out in the door. Outward is the direction on the outside of the door, which faces the room, in which the cabinet stands. The handle arrangement 100 in FIG. 1 has a handle 2. The handle 2 is located on the handle arrangement and is configured to maneuver a latching mechanism (see FIG. 2). The handle 2 comprises a gripping portion 3, which in this embodiment is slightly curved. The gripping portion 3 is the utmost part of the handle 2 where a user grips with his/her fingers for opening the door. The gripping portion may be of any shape suitable. It may be straight, curved, shaped for fingers, or similar. It may also be covered with a liner in order to provide good gripping capabilities.

[0041] The body 1 is inwardly dished in a gripping portion receiving area 5, which is arranged to fit a user's hand when gripping the gripping portion 3. The handle arrangement 100 in FIG. 1 has a lock arrangement 4 placed next to the handle 2 on the body 1. The lock arrangement 4 is placed along a longitudinal centre line X that runs across the entire length of the body 1. The lock arrangement 4 is configured to lock the handle arrangement 100 from unauthorized opening of the door. The lock arrangement 4 has a central axis C, around which it is rotatable.

[0042] The body 1 has a front edge 15. The lock arrangement 4 is located between the gripping portion 3 and the front edge 15. The lock arrangement 4 is located on the body 1 in an area separated from the gripping portion 3.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the handle arrangement 100. Here it is shown that the body 1 has a depth in order to be mounted in a corresponding cut out in a door with fasteners 12. It is further shown a latch mechanism 6 which is configured to engage a corresponding door frame to prevent undesirable opening of the door. The latch mechanism 6 is located at the front edge 15 of the body 1.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a partial section view of the internal of the body 1. FIG. 3 shows the gripping portion receiving area 5. The gripping portion receiving area 5 is a larger recess located just under the gripping portion 3 of the handle 2 when the handle 2 is in a closed position. That is when no force acts upon the handle 2 when the handle is folded down. The gripping portion receiving area 5 is connected to a smaller space, the internal lock cavity 51, which is located in the body 1 in a space that houses the lock arrangement 4. The internal lock cavity 51 is located towards the front of the handle arrangement, between the front edge 15 and the gripping portion receiving area 5. The internal lock cavity 51 houses the lock arrangement 4 and a part of the handle 2 which is connected to the body 1 via a first rotational axis A. The handle 2 is provided with arms 31 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) that extend into the internal lock cavity 51, towards the front of the body. The arms 31 are attached to the first rotational axis in order to admit rotation of the handle 2 relative to the body 1. The handle further comprises a visor 32, which provides cover for the lock arrangement 4 since the lock arrangement 4 may be caused to fail if dirt and debris contaminates the mechanism in the lock arrangement 4. The visor 32 is a static part of the handle 2 which is curved in a semicircle around the lock arrangement 4. The visor 32 may further prevent manipulation of the lock arrangement 4 when the lock arrangement 4 is in the locked position.

[0045] The latch mechanism 6 comprises a latching element 22 and a pushing element 21. In FIGS. 2 and 3, it is shown that the first rotational axis A as well provides rotation for the pushing element 21. The pushing element 21 and the handle 2 are thus coupled to each other at the rotational axis A. The handle 2 is placed inside the body 1, and the pushing element 21 is placed outside the body and connected to the body 1 in the first rotational axis A by pushing element fastener 13. The pushing element 21 is connected to the body 1 on the outside of the body 1 and is arranged to push the latching element 22 to move between an unlatched and a latched position.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a detailed section side view of the lock arrangement 4 and the moving parts of the handle arrangement 100 when in a locked position. The lock arrangement 4 comprises a locking cylinder 41 and a locking element 7 which is surroundingly coupled to the locking cylinder 41. When turning the locking cylinder 41 with for instance a key, the locking element 7 rotates with the locking cylinder 41. The locking element 7 comprises a flange 8 which is arranged to move as the locking cylinder 41 is turned. In FIG. 4, it is shown that the flange 8 has a bottom surface 81, and the flange 8 is placed as to abut against a stopping surface 9 which is a part of the handle 2. The flange's bottom surface's 81 position against the stopping surface 9 in FIG. 4 prevents the handle to lift, and thus move in order to maneuver the latch mechanism 6. Hence the lock arrangement 4 is in a locked position, locking the handle 2. In FIG. 4, the visor 32 is shown covering the lock arrangement when the handle 2 is in a closed position.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a more detailed section side view of a handle arrangement 100 showing the stopping surface 9 and the flange 8 in a locked position as a bottom surface 81 of the flange 8 are in contact with each other and the handle 2 is folded down in a closed position.

[0048] In FIG. 6, it is shown a detailed side section view taken from the opposite side than of that in FIG. 5. In FIG. 6, the lock mechanism 4 is shown in an unlocked position, wherein the flange 8 is located above an inclined surface 10 of the handle 2. The lock mechanism 4 is thus turned in order to unlock the lock mechanism 4 and the bottom surface 81 of the flange 8 is instead facing towards an inclined surface 10 of the handle 2. Because of the space between the bottom side of the flange 8 and the inclined surface 10, the handle 2 can be lifted in order to unlatch the latch mechanism 6. As shown, the inclined surface 10 is set at an angle α which may determine the maximum rotation of the handle 2 until the inclined surface 10 abuts the flange 8. In FIG. 6, it is also shown that the handle 2 is rotationally connected around rotational axis A by an arm 31. The handle 2 comprises two arms 31. Each arm 31 located on either side of the lock arrangement 4. The arms 31 extend from the gripping portion 3 towards the rotational axis A, and the rotational axis A penetrates the arms 31, allowing the arms 31 to rotate around the rotational axis A. FIG. 6 shows the visor 32 of the handle 2 which is located between the gripping portion receiving area 5 and the internal lock cavity 51, and may serve as a cover between the gripping part receiving area 5 and the internal lock cavity 51 in order to prevent dirt and debris from entering the internal lock cavity 51.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows a detailed side section view of a handle arrangement 100. In FIG. 7, the handle 2 is lifted in order to unlatch the latch mechanism 6. It is shown in FIG. 7 that the handle 2 is lifted at a maximum rotation by an angle α since any further rotation is prevented by the bottom surface of the flange 81 hitting against the inclined surface 10.

[0050] In FIG. 8 a handle 2 is shown in full. It is shown that the stopping surface 9 is centrally placed on the handle 2. The stopping surface 2 is a horizontal surface located in between the arms 31, substantially flat as to allow as much contact as possible between the bottom surface 81 of the flange 8 and the stopping surface 9, when in a locked position. Further it is illustrated the location of the inclined surface 10 relative to the stopping surface 9. The inclined surface 10 is shaped as an angled recess, as shown as angle α in FIG. 6, in an arm 31a. In this embodiment, the inclined surface is placed in one of the arms 31a. However, in other embodiments, there may be an inclined surface in the other arm 31, or both arms, whichever may be suitable in the specific installation. In FIG. 6, the inclination extends from a point below the stopping surface 9, and extends along the arm 31a upwards at an angle. The angle of the inclined surface corresponds to the maximum rotation of the handle 2 around the rotational axis C, as illustrated in FIG. 10.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 9, and with further reference to FIG. 2, the latching mechanism comprises a pushing element 21 and a latching element 22 is in a latching position when the latching element 22 is in latching engagement with a lock element. The lock element may be a lock pin 30 fixed to a door frame to which the door handle latching arrangement is arranged to be latched. The pushing element 21 is rotatable around the rotational axis A. The handle 2 is rotatable around the same rotational axis A. A rotation of the handle 2 causes a rotational movement of the pushing element 21.

[0052] The latching element 22 is rotatable relative to the body 1 around rotational axis B. The latching element 22 comprises a pin receiving slot 28 for receiving the lock pin 30. The latching element 22 further comprises a sliding plane 27.

[0053] The pushing element 21 comprises at least one push arm 29 extending from the rotational attachment point to the body 1 at the rotational axis A to an arm end portion at which a sliding member 26 is arranged (see FIG. 2). The sliding member 26 may be a sliding bolt 26. The pushing element 21 is via the sliding bolt 26 in slidable connection with the latching element 22. In FIG. 9 is the sliding bolt 26 in contact with the sliding surface 27 at a first position of the sliding surface 27. The pushing element 21 is rotatable in the first direction D around the rotational axis A. When rotated in the first direction D, the pushing element 21 pushes the latching element 22 from the latching position as in FIG. 9 to the open position as shown in FIG. 10.

[0054] The body 1 comprises a back side surface 14 configured to extend along an outer door surface when the handle arrangement 100 is arranged to a door. The pushing element 21 extends, when in the latching position, substantially perpendicular relative to the back side surface 14. In an embodiment wherein the pushing element 21 comprises at least one push arm 29, said at least one push arm may extend substantially perpendicular to said back side surface 14.

[0055] In FIG. 10, the latching element's 22 latching engagement with the lock pin 30 is released. Thereby is opening of a door on which the handle arrangement 100 is arranged enabled. When the pushing element 21 is rotated, by rotation of the handle 2 which causes the rotation of the pushing element 21, an accelerated rotational movement is provided to the latching element 22. This is due to the slidable connection between the pushing element 21 and the latching element 22. When the latching element 22 is in the open position as in FIG. 10, the sliding bolt 26 of the pushing element 21 is in contact at a second position of the sliding surface 27 on the latching element 22.

[0056] As seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the pushing element 21 is rotatable an angle ε from the latching position to the open position. The handle 2 is rotatable at the same angle when rotating the pushing element 21. At the same time as the pushing element 21 has been rotated an angle ε, the latching element 22 has been rotated an angle β, wherein angle β is larger than angle ε. In the embodiment described in FIGS. 6 and 7, the angle ε shown in FIG. 10 is the same as the angle α. Angle α is in FIGS. 6 and 7 described as the maximum angle which the handle 2 can be rotated before abutment between the flange 8 and the inclined surface 10. Given the same conditions as in FIGS. 6 and 7, the maximum angle ε is equal to angle α. However, given that the design of the handle 2 may vary and the connection between the handle 2 and the pushing element 21 may differ in different embodiments of the invention, the angle ε and the angle α may substantially differ from each other.

[0057] The latching element 22 is in one embodiment resiliently suspended relative the body 1. The latching element 22 is resiliently suspended towards the latching position. The latching element 22 may be spring suspended. When the latching element 22 is pushed towards the open position by the pushing element 21, the resilient suspension will force the latching element 22 back towards the latching position. The latching element 22 may further be pushed towards the open position by for instance the lock pin 30. When the door onto which the handle arrangement 100 is arranged is closed, the lock pin 30 will push the latching element 22 towards the open position in order to move the latching element 22 into latching engagement with the lock pin 30, i.e. such that the lock pin 30 is arranged in the pin receiving slot 28.

[0058] In one embodiment, when the latching element 22 is pushed by the lock pin 30 may the pushing element 21 remain in a non-rotated position. Hence, the latching element 22 may be rotated without the pushing element 21 rotating.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment may the latching element 22 and the pushing element 21 be so linked that when the latching element 22 is pushed by the lock pin 30, the pushing element 21 is rotated in the first direction D. Such rotation may further cause the handle gripping portion 3 to be rotated.

[0060] As seen in FIGS. 2 and 8, the latching element 22 comprises a groove 24. The groove 24 extends through the latching element 22. At the sliding bolt 26 on the pushing element 21, a push pin 23 may extend into the groove 24. The groove 24 extends such that it enables the same sliding connection between the pushing element 21 and the latching element 22 as the sliding surface 27.

[0061] In one embodiment is the sliding surface 27 provided by the groove 24. An edge of the groove 24 then provides the sliding surface 27 in slidable connection with the sliding bolt 26 and/or the push pin 23 on the pushing element 21.

[0062] When the push pin 23 is provided on the pushing element 21 and extends into the groove 24, a rotational movement of the latching element 22 not provided by the pushing element 21, but e.g. by the lock pin 30, will cause a rotational movement of the pushing element 21.

[0063] As further seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, in one embodiment the pin receiving slot 28 extends along a pin axis E. The pin axis E and the rotational axis B are, when the latching element 22 is in the latching position, arranged along a line R, wherein the line R is substantially perpendicular to a back side surface 14 of the body 1. The back side surface 14 is configured to extend along an outer door surface when the door handle latching arrangement is arranged to a door.

[0064] According to one aspect of the invention a handle arrangement 100 is provided comprising a body 1 for arrangement to a door, wherein the body, when arranged to a door, extends substantially in parallel with an outer surface of said door, a latching element 22 for, in a latching position, latching engagement with a lock pin 30 arranged to a corresponding door frame, wherein the latching element 22 is rotatably arranged to the body 1 around a rotational axis B for rotation between an unlatching position and the latching position, wherein the latching element 22 comprises a pin receiving slot 28 for receiving said lock pin 30, the pin receiving slot 28 extending along a pin axis E in parallel with the rotational axis B, wherein the rotational axis B and the pin axis E, when the latching element 22 is in the latching position, are arranged relative each other along a line R which is substantially perpendicular to said extension of the body 1.

[0065] By providing the pin axis E and the rotational axis B along a line R which is perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to the extension of the body 1, a strong latching arrangement may be provided. When the door handle latching arrangement is arranged to a door, and the latching element 22 is in the latching position in which it receives a lock pin 30 in the pin receiving slot 28, a force trying to open the door, i.e. a force directed in parallel with the line R connecting the pin axis E and the rotational axis B, may not provide a risk of pushing the latching element 22 towards the open position. In a case wherein the line connecting the pin axis E and the rotational axis B provides an angle towards the line R perpendicular to the extension of the body 1, such that the pin receiving slot 28 is located further away from a door frame than the rotational axis B, a force trying to open the door when the latching element 22 is in the latching position receiving the lock pin 30 may cause the latching element 22 to rotate towards the open position and thereby cause an undesired opening of the latching arrangement. This is due to a small partial force occurring directed in the rotational direction D of the latching element 22 towards the open position.

[0066] Besides being arranged such that the line R connecting the pin axis E and the rotational axis B is perpendicular to the extension of the body, said line R may be directed with an angle towards an axis perpendicular to the extension of the body, such that the pin receiving slot 28 is located closer to a door frame than the rotational axis B. The partial force occurring when a force trying to open the door is applied may be directed towards the latching position of the latching element 22. Hence, such partial force would make the latching engagement even stronger.

[0067] The arrangement of the pin axis E and the rotational axis B relative to each other may alternatively be defined using a door opening axis perpendicular to the rotational axis B which defines a direction in which a door on which the body 1 can be arranged is opened, and wherein the rotational axis B and the pin axis E, when the latching element 22 is in the latching position, are arranged relative each other along a line R which is substantially parallel to said door opening axis.

[0068] In one embodiment, the latching element 22 may be hook shaped to form the pin receiving slot.

[0069] According to one aspect of the invention a handle arrangement is provided comprising a body 1 for arrangement to a door, a handle 2 for rotational movement relative to the body 1 to open a latching arrangement, an latching element 22 for latching engagement with corresponding lock element 30 arranged on a door frame, wherein the latching element is rotatable relative to the body 1 between an unlatching position and a latching position, and a pushing element 21 in rotationally fixed connection with the handle 2, wherein the pushing element 21 is arranged to, when rotated in a first direction, push the latching element 22 from the latching position to the open position, wherein the pushing element 21 comprises a sliding member 26 in slidable connection to a sliding surface 27 on the latching element 22, such that a rotational movement in the first direction of the pushing element 21 provides an accelerated rotational movement of the latching element 22.

[0070] By accelerated rotational movement it may be meant that a rotational movement of the pushing element 21 of a first amount around its rotational axis A may cause a rotational movement of the latching element 22 around its rotational axis B of an amount that is larger than said first amount. As an example, a 15 degrees rotational movement of the pushing element 21 around its rotational axis A may cause a 25 degrees rotational movement of the latching element 22 around its rotational axis B. Both rotational movements of the two elements 21, 22 may be in the same direction around their respective rotational axes A, B.

[0071] By providing an accelerated rotational movement of the latching element 22, i.e. the element that provides a latching engagement with a lock element on a corresponding door frame, the handle gripping portion 3 needs to be rotated/raised to a lower degree for providing an unlatching of the latching element. I.e. when opening the door on which the door handle latching arrangement may be arranged, a user may need to lift the handle gripping portion only to a low extent in order to open the door. This may provide a user friendly function of the door handle.

[0072] The sliding member 26 on the pushing element 21 may be a sliding bolt 26, and the sliding surface 27 on the latching element 22 may be a sliding plane 27, wherein the sliding bolt 26 may push the latching element 22 such that it abuts the sliding plane 27 and slides along the sliding plane 27 when being rotated in the first direction. When sliding along the sliding surface 27, the sliding member 26 may slide from a first position on the sliding surface 27 towards a second position on the sliding surface 27 when pushing the latching element 22 from the latching position towards the open position. The first position on the sliding surface 27 may be closer to the body 1 than the second position, and/or the first position on the sliding surface 27 may be closer to the rotational axis A of the pushing element 21 than the second position.

[0073] By pushing the latching element 22 by abutting the sliding surface 27 of the latching element 22, the pushing element 21 may be in releasable contact with the latching element 22. As a consequence, the latching element may be rotated from the latching position towards the open position, i.e. in the first direction, without being pushed by the pushing element 21, and without the pushing element 21 being moved. Such function may enable a closure of the door, on which the door handle latching arrangement is arranged, such that the latching element 22 becomes in latching engagement with a lock element on the door frame, without the pushing element 21 or the handle gripping portion 3 being moved. Such function may be desired by a user slamming a door to closure without using the handle gripping portion 3, in which situation it is not desired that the handle gripping portion is pushed open by the latching element 22 being rotated to latching engagement with the lock element 30 on the door frame.

[0074] The latching element 22 may comprise a groove 24 extending along the sliding surface 27, or constituting the sliding surface 27, and the pushing element 21 may comprise a push pin 23 extending into said groove 24. The pushing element 21 may thereby be connected to the latching element 22 such that the pushing element 21 is configured to both push the latching element 22 when rotated in the first direction, and pull the latching element 22 when rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction. In such embodiment, a rotational movement of the latching element 22 may cause a rotational movement of the pushing element 21 in any direction.

[0075] The handle gripping portion 3 and the pushing element 21 may both be rotatable relative to the body 1 around the same rotational axis A.

[0076] The pushing element 21 may comprise a first and a second push arm, each in slidable connection with the latching element 22. The groove 24 of the latching element 22 may extend through the latching element 22, such that the push pin may extend from the first push arm to the second push arm through the latching element 22. The first and second push arms may be rotationally fixed relative to each other.

[0077] In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed preferred embodiments and examples of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.