Door Furniture FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to door furniture. A preferred embodiment of the invention relates to door furniture suitable for quick installation. BACKGROUND

Installing door furniture, for example including handles and the like, often involves assembling components on site and fixing them to a door. When furniture has to be applied to many doors the task can be undesirably time consuming or otherwise inefficient.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of preferred embodiments of the invention to go at least some way towards addressing the above problem. While this applies to preferred

embodiments, it should be understood that the object of the invention per se is not so limited and is simply to provide a useful choice. Therefore any objects or benefits applicable to preferred embodiments should not be taken as a limitation on claims expressed more broadly.

DEFINITIONS

The term“comprising” if and when used in this document in relation to a combination of features does not rule out the option of there being further unnamed features. The term is therefore inclusive, not exclusive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the invention there is provided door furniture comprising:

· a pair of door handles;

• transfer means for conveying turning force from the handles to retract a latch; • at least one fastener having a fixing head;

• a first escutcheon comprising:

o a base; and

o a bezel; and

• a second escutcheon comprising:

o a base;

the furniture being such that:

• the transfer means is, or is formed to be, engaged with the handles;

• the fastener passes into a door and connects the two bases, one on either side of the door; and

• the bezel is formed to enable it to be turned with respect to the first

mentioned base to a position where engagement between the bezel and the fastener prevents the bezel from coming free of that base.

Optionally there are at least two of the fasteners.

Optionally the transfer means comprises a pair of spindles.

Optionally the bezel has at least two multi-lobed apertures each comprising a wide lobe and a narrow lobe, wherein each wide lobe is wide enough for a corresponding one of the fastener heads to pass through, and each narrow lobe is not wide enough for this and wherein the bezel is moveable with respect to the first mentioned base so that the fasteners, when passed through that base, can transition from the wider lobes to the narrower lobes when the bezel is moved.

Optionally the bezel can be rotated with respect to the first mentioned base to cause the fasteners to transition into the narrower lobes.

Optionally the bezel is annular.

Optionally there the second mentioned base but it does not have an associated bezel.

Optionally the furniture is substantially in two half-sets, each being substantially preassembled. Optionally one half-set has a first one of the handles and a rose, and the other halfset has the other handle and another rose.

Optionally one half-set has the fasteners extending outwards.

Optionally the fasteners comprise screws.

Optionally the screws extend from female threaded sleeves respectively.

Optionally each half-set has one of the spindles held and extending outwards.

Optionally each spindle is spring biased to a respective forward extending disposition.

Optionally the transfer means is detachable.

Optionally the transfer means is non-detachable.

Optionally the spindle, or each spindle, has a locking portion (eg which may or may not be integral with the spindle) which partially projects from a recess in the spindle, the locking portion arranged to butt against an inner edge of a retainer to secure the spindle.

Optionally the locking portion comprises a spring-loaded ball arranged to overcome the spring-loading to run (eg roll) over the inner edge of the retainer to release the spindle from a corresponding handle if subjected to a sufficient non-destructive release force.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of installing door furniture, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining door furniture as set out above, the furniture being substantially in a first pre-assembled half-set and a second pre-assembled half-set, the first half-set having the first escutcheon, the second half-set having the second escutcheon, and wherein there are two of said fasteners that extend outwardly,

• creating in the door a spindle hole and at least two fastener holes; maneuvering at least one half-set so that the fasteners proceed through the door and through the large lobes of the bezel;

turning the bezel so that the fasteners transition into two smaller lobes of the bezel; and

tightening the fasteners so that the first half-set is functionally held against one side of the door and the second half-set is functionally held against the opposite side of the door with the transfer means between the handles.

DRAWINGS

Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is an end view of part of the door of building with furniture fitted;

Figure 2 is an exploded isometric view showing parts of the furniture;

Figure 3 is exploded view of a half-set of the furniture;

Figure 4 illustrates the manner in which half-sets of the furniture are installed; Figure 5 further illustrates the furniture installation process;

Figure 6 still further illustrates the installation process;

Figure 7 is a face view illustrating detail of a bezel forming part of the furniture during the installation procedure;

Figure 8 is a further face view of the bezel in a more advanced stage of

installation;

Figure 9 is a face view of the bezel when alone;

Figure 10 is an isometric view illustrating a spindle retention feature of the

furniture;

Figure 11 is a side view of the spindle retention feature;

Figure 12 is a further side view of the spindle retention feature as the spindle is being removed; and

Figure 13 is a side cross-section view of a particular dual-spindle embodiment of door furniture; Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the manner in which two spindles are arranged so that rotation of one causes rotation of the other; and

Figure 15 is an isometric cross section of the furniture showing an alternative way of retaining the spindle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to figure 1 , the door 1 of a building is fitted with furniture to enable it to be opened and closed. The furniture incorporates handles 2, 3 positioned on each side of the door. In this case each handle 2, 3 is in the form of a lever but in other embodiments one or other of these may be in the form of a knob or some other suitable item. As is normal; turning the handle 2, 3 causes a latch 4 to retract to free the door. The handles are spring-loaded so that they tend to a horizontal position, where the latch 4 extends out of the door for engagement with the strike plate of a door frame.

Figure 2, illustrates the furniture in exploded form. The handles 2, 3 each receive a separate spindle 5 that transmits the turning force from the respective handle. The arrangement may be that each handle/spindle pair turns without moving the other pair, or so that turning one pair turns the other pair correspondingly.

There is an escutcheon in the form of a rose 6 for one side of the door comprising a circular base plate 7 and a bezel 8. There is also an escutcheon in the form of a rose 9 for the other side of the door also comprising a circular plate 10, but without a bezel. In alternative embodiments the escutcheon may have an alternative shape, for example the base plate may be rectangular. When in use the first rose 6 is set against one side of the door and the other rose 9 is set against the opposite side of the door. In each case resilient rubber rings 1 1 , 12 assist in preventing a respective cover plate 19 from coming free in use. The purpose of the cover plate 19 is to aesthetically hide the working components of the furniture.

With further reference to figure 2, a pair of annular disk like rotors 13, 14 and associated circlips 15, 16 help secure each lever-like handle 2, 3 to its respective rose 6, 9. The rotors 13, 14 also serve to retain the spindles 5 within the levers respectively. Referring again to figure 2, the furniture is held to the door by a pair of screws 20 that pass through each rose 6, 9. The head 21 of each screw can be turned by a screwdriver into correspondingly threaded sleeves 22. More particularly, the sleeves 22 are held in apertures of the circular base plates 7, 10 behind the cover plate 19 at the right hand side so that the leading end of each screw does not need anything further to hide it for good aesthetics.

Figure 3 provides more detail of the furniture, and in particular illustrates a spring 26 for producing a forward pressure on the spindle 5. This enables the spindle to be used on doors of different thickness. For example with a thicker door the spring is allowed to push the spindle to project further out of the handle 3 than for a thinner door. The second cover plate 19 for hiding the rose 6 is also shown.

Referring to figure 4, the lever-like handle 2, rose 6 and spindle 5 are preassembled as a first half-set. The other handle 2, rose 9, screws 20 and sleeves 22 are preassembled as a second half-set. As shown, a large spindle aperture 28 is drilled through the door 1 with two smaller screw apertures 29 either side.

Referring to figure 5, the two half-sets are moved to the door 1 so that the spindles 5 and screws 20 pass into the apertures 28 and 29 respectively. The heads 21 of the screws pass completely through and out the opposite side of the door.

Referring to figure 6, the first half-set of the furniture is manipulated so that the screw heads 21 protrude beyond the base plate 7 and bezel 8. This is possible because the corresponding apertures in the base plate 7 are larger than the diameter of the screw heads 21 . It is also possible because the bezel 8 has dual-lobed apertures, one for each screw 20, and in each case one of the lobes has a diameter larger than that of the screw heads 21 .

Figure 7 shows the way that the screw heads 21 engage with the bezel 8 in more detail. As illustrated, the screw heads 21 are in the wider lobe of each dual lobed aperture. If the screws were tightened while in that position they would pass into, and through, the bezel 8 and base plate 7, and therefore fail to hold the furniture against the door.

Referring to figure 8, rotation of the bezel 8 anti-clockwise causes the screws 20 to pass into smaller lobes of each dual-lobed aperture. They each have a smaller diameter than the screw heads 21 and so when the screws are tightened in that position the screw heads press against the bezel 8 and pull the furniture into a tight fit against the door. The base-circular plates 7, 10 are therefore secured against the door by the bezel 8 and screws. There is no need to use fasteners that bite into the body of the door.

Figure 9 illustrates the bezel 8 without the screws 20. As shown, in each case one lobe 31 is significantly wider than the other 32. The smaller lobes are tapered so that the screw heads 21 can countersink into the bezel 8 for a flush finish. The lobes are curved in this embodiment although in other embodiments they may have an alternative shape, for example they may be square, rectangular or hexagonal, etc.

Referring to figure 15, in the preferred embodiment the spindle 5 is in each case permanently retained in a central bore 33 of the handle 2 by way of a separate lateral extension 34a. In the embodiment depicted the extension is in the form of a separate pin, but in other embodiments it may be an outwardly extending portion of the spindle.

Referring to figures 10 and 1 1 , in an alternative embodiment of the door furniture the spindle 5 is retained in a central bore 33 of the handle 2 by way of a steel ball 34b.

As best seen in figure 1 1 , the ball 34b is biased towards a protruding position by a spring 35 within the body of the spindle. The ball 34b helps keep the spindle 5 within the handle 2. For example, withdrawal of the spindle to the left is blocked by contact between the ball 34b and the inner edge 36 of the retainer 13. In other words the protruding ball 34b butts against the retainer to hold the spindle 5 within the handle 2. However the block can be overcome by applying sufficient hand force to pull the spindle free. In this regard, if the spindle is pulled hard enough then the ball is caused to overcome the pressure exerted by the spring 35 and at least partially recede into the spindle cavity that houses the spring.

Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the movement of the ball 34b against the spring 35 in more detail. In figure 12 an outward pulling force“F++” is exerted on the spindle 5 by hand. As shown in figure 13, this causes the ball to rise up over the inner edge 36 of the retainer 13 so that the spindle can be withdrawn. The spindle is therefore removably retained in the handle 2. When installed it does not fall out under gravity if for example the associated half-set is tipped up before or during installation. But the spindle can be removed if desired by applying a sufficient deliberate hand-force. Some embodiments of the invention have a common spindle so that turning one handle 2 causes the other handle 3 to turn correspondingly. However the use of a separate spindle for each side of the mechanism is preferred; arranged so that motion of one handle may or may not be translated to the other.

The preferred two-spindle arrangement is shown in figure 14. There the two spindles 37 meet at a central hub 38 so that turning one handle 39 cause the other 40 to turn correspondingly. The other components of the furniture are otherwise generally the same as described above. However in still further embodiments the spindles may not be linked, so that one handle can be turned without turning the other.

An advantage of preferred embodiments of the invention is that the process of installing door furniture is simplified and the time required for this is reduced compared with at least some known products. For example previously installation involved drilling holes in a door as described above, feeding screws through and then adjusting them side to side and lengthways to get them to engage female threads of furniture components on the other side of the door. This can be tedious and time consuming particularly when installing furniture on many doors. However with the preferred embodiments the screws 20 come already fitted to a furniture half-set as described above. The screws 20 can simply be feed through the screw apertures 29 and easily engaged with the rose 6 / bezel 8 on the opposite side of the door. There is therefore no need for such precise initial alignment because the bezel 8 can be rotated into a fixing disposition after the screws have passed through its wider lobes 31 . Preferably each half-set is factory assembled so that there is no, or minimal, need to assemble components for installation.

While some preferred forms of the invention have been described by way of example it should be understood that modifications and improvements can occur without departing from the scope of the following claims.