Door-handle

The present invention concerns an integrated door-handle for temporary use on doors. The integrated door-handle is particularly intended used during a building period.

Doors are today normally delivered as a standard with a case, but without a doorhandle. Doors are fitted and are often in place at its location without a door-handle in shorter or longer periods during the building period. Door-handles are normally fitted to the doors at the end of the building period to avoid damage on the handles, to avoid that the handles damage other materials, because door-handles frequently has been objects for theft and because a decision about such interior details frequently not are made until the end of the period.

Furthermore, door-handles are obstructing during storage and transport of doors, and this is also a contributing reason for delivering doors without door-handles.

To open or close doors without door-handles, it must today be used a random object for instance a screw driver, chisel, nails, keys etc. This is clearly irritating for artisans and other that uses the building, and creates unnecessary delay. Use of wrong tools can also harm the door leaf.

An element of risk with doors without door-handles is also that persons can be trapped inside a building if they don't carry suitable equipment to open the doors, and this can both inconvenient and dangerous if fire or other accidents should emerge.

Within the subject area door-handles, there are a number of solutions.

From GB 2 357 797 A it is shown a temporary door-handle for windows and doors. The handle is assumed attached to a Espagnolette-lock mechanism commonly used for instance in Great Britain and Southern Europe, but are less used in the Nordic countries. The handle is shaped such that it do not protrude outside a door

or window frame, such that the window or door can be delivered with the handle without this being obstructing during piling of such doors or windows.

EP 1 398 435 A1 shows a permanent door-handle for a case, where the door- handle is partly integrated in the door. The door-handle can for instance be operated with a screw driver, or by twisting a fixed handle. The door-handle includes a fixed flange part that is secured to the door, and that protrudes somewhat at the outside of this, in addition to a pivotal part for contact with the lock in the case.

US 6 485 069 shows a temporary door-handle for use in door typically of an American type before it is placed a permanent case or locking mechanism in the door.

US 6 874 827 and US 2004/0201228 also shows temporary locking mechanisms to be placed in a door where a case or locking mechanism not has been installed.

DE 1 970 03935 shows a particular door-handle that goes through the case with a fixed flange part with a flange at each side of the door, and an integrated handle for the door. The publication shows a permanent solution for a particular case.

The present invention concerns a door-handle for temporary placement in a case in a door leaf for operating the lock, up to the time when a permanent door-handle is installed. The door-handle includes a lever that can be extended such that the lever easily can be twisted by someone that wishes to open the door, and can be folded in, such that the door-handle is flush or inside the surface of the door leaf.

A case as described in this discussion normally includes a locking mechanism with a dead-bolt or pawl that is pulled inwards by a door-handle, and that is biased towards an extended position. The dead-bolt will in many cases have a face parallel to the door-leaf and a face inclined in relation to the door-leaf, such that the door can click without being opened before the locking mechanism pulls the dead-bolt inwards. The locking mechanism will typically also include a lock for a

key, either for locking the above mentioned dead-bolt, or for operating a second dead-bolt. The locking mechanism will include a pivotal body with a hole going therethrough that contacts the door-handle and that is in connection with the dead- bolt. The case is placed in a recess in the door-leaf.

The door-handle according to the invention includes no additional flange or other elements that are fixed to the door-leaf, but only a door-handle that is pivotally mounted in the boring in the door-leaf for the door-handle. The entire door-handle according to the invention is twisted simultaneously when it has been secured in the door-leaf.

The door-handle may include a body for contact with the mechanism in the case that is recessed in the door-leaf. Access to the mechanism in the case is through a mill out or boring in the door-leaf in an ordinary way. A hinged mechanism between the body for contact with the case and the lever is designed such that the lever can adopt the previously mentioned folded in position where the handle is inside the boring in the door-leaf and is flushed with or inside the surface of the door-leaf, and in the second extended position for twisting the handle and for operating the locking mechanism in the case.

The body for contact with the mechanism in the case is typically a square, bar shaped body with a standard dimension for cases. The bar shaped body is preferably secured in at least one carrying body. In this case the lever is hinged to the carrying body, and the carrying body is dimensioned to fit in the boring in the door-leaf. However it is preferably a carrying body with a lever at both sides of the door, such that the door easily can be operated from both sides. In an alternative embodiment, the lever can be pivotally secured directly in the body for contact with the locking mechanism.

This is also necessary to secure the door-handle to the case.

The body for contact with the locking mechanism in the case, or the bar shaped body, can be fixatedly secured in one of the carrying bodies, and can be adapted

to be releasably secured to the second carrying body. The second carrying body is secured to the bar shaped body when this has been led through the case. The fixing can for instance be by means of a detent mechanism. However, other fixing mechanisms well known within the subject area may be used. Such mechanisms may include adhesives, set screws, friction or pins, but it is an advantage if the mechanism is made such that it is broken when the handle is disassembled to prevent reuse. The handle is not intended to be dimensioned for reuse. Furthermore it is an advantage if the door-handle easily can be dismantled with ordinary tools. The carrying body is preferably circular and includes a diameter that is less than the diameter of the boring in the door-leaf, and such that the carrying body easily can be twisted inside this boring without the carrying body contacting the boring and creates friction. The diameter of the carrying body is typically between 34 mm and 37 mm. A suitable dimension will in many cases be 36 mm. A door-handle with this measure will fit in a standard boring without creating unnecessary friction between the carrying body and the boring in the door-leaf. The carrying body and the lever has preferably a height of less than 8 mm when the lever is folded in, such that the door-handle with the lever installed is smooth, and such that the door-handle not extends beyond the surface of the door-leaf. The placement of cases in doors frequently has coarse tolerances, and it is therefore important that the carrying body has a good clearing to the mill out in the door. A standard mill out in a door has typically a diameter of 40 mm.

One of, or both the carrying bodies may include a central recess for mutually interfitting a contact with the bar shaped body. In conditions where it is used a detent mechanism, a locking pawl may be used for locking contact with a recess in the bar shaped body, and the bar shaped body may have several such recesses such that the door-handle can be used for cases of differing thicknesses.

The carrying body with a central recess may include a groove for a tool for releasing the locking pawl, for disassembly of the door-handle. A typical tool will be a slotted screw driver or another suitable tool for bringing the locking pawl out of contact with the recess in the bar shaped body.

The door-handle is preferably made of plastic, metal or another suitable material.

The invention also concerns a door-leaf with a door-handle according to the invention.

Short description of the enclosed figures:

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a door-handle according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows the door-handle of figure 1 in an assembled position, from the side; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a part of the door-handle shown on figure 1 , with a lever in a folded in position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown on figure 3, with a lever in an extended position;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a part of the apparatus shown on figure 1 ; Figure 6 is a top view of the apparatus shown on figure 1 ;

Figure 7 is a cross section of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown on figure 7.

Detailed description of the embodiments shown on the enclosed figures:

Figure 1 shows a door-handle according to the invention. The door-handle includes a bar body 1 for contact with a locking mechanism in a case recessed into a door-leaf. The bar body 1 normally has a square cross section and includes a dimension common for door-handles. The case includes a corresponding square hole going therethrough that fit together with standard door-handles. The square bar body may typically be 7,85 mm x 7,85 mm ± 0,14 mm. Clearly the bar body do not need to be square, but it is a requirement that the bar body is shaped such that it can operate the locking mechanism in the case when the door-handle is twisted. The bar body 1 do not necessarily need to have the same shape where this is in contact with the locking mechanism, and where it is in contact with the lever or a carrying body 3, 4. The door-handle is shown with two levers 2, with one operating lever at each side of the door-leaf. On figure 1 it is only shown one lever 2 pivotally secured to a carrying body 3. The bar body 1 is rigidly secured in the carrying

body 3 and forms a male part for being led into a carrying body 4 that forms a female part in that this includes a recess or hole 7 for mutual fitting contact with the bar body 1 on the male part. A locking pawl 5 is placed at one side of the recess 7, and the locking pawl 5 is adapted for contact with recesses 6 in the bar body 1 such that locking pawl 5 and the recesses 6 forms a snap mechanism that locks the carrying body 4 to the bar body 1 when this is led into the recess 7 of the carrying body 4, that forms the female part. The bar body 1 is led through the square hole in the case is led into the recess 7 in the female part 4 and is locked in position with the locking pawl 5. The recesses 6 in the male part or the bar body 1 are placed at a distance from each other in a longitudinal direction such that the carrying bodies 3, 4 are locked at a distance apart without too much slack in relation to the case. Slack may be perceived as unpleasant or annoying for someone using the door-handle. Excessive slack will also increase the wear on the door-handle and will increase the mechanical loads. The number of recesses 6 will depend on the number of different types of cases the door-handle shall fit to. If the door-handle only needs to fit to cases of one thickness, one recess 6 is sufficient.

From figure 2 it is shown a side view of the door-handle shown on figure 1 , where the male part 3 and the female part 4 of the carrying body are clearly shown. The lever 2 on the male part 3 is shown in an extended position, and the lever 2 on the female part 4 is shown in a folded in position. In this shown folded in position, the thickness of the carrying body 4 with the lever 2 is preferably such that the carrying body and the lever, not protrudes outside the door-leaf (not shown). The bar body 1 for contact with the case is clearly shown placed between the carrying bodies 3 and 4. (The male part and the female part).

From figure 3 it is shown a female part 4 of a carrying body where it further is shown a recess 9 in the carrying body 4 and a recess 10 in the carrying body 2 to ease operation of the lever 2 between a folded in position as shown on figure 3 and an extended position as shown on figure 4.

A slot 8 for inserting a tool, for instance a slotted screw driver, is provided to release the locking pawl 5 from one of the recesses 6 in the bar body 1.

Figure 4 shows the female part 4 of the carrying body shown on figure 3, but where the lever 2 is in an extended operating position.

From the figures 3 and 4 it is shown how the lever 2 is hinged to the carrying body 4. Furthermore holes or recesses 7 for contact with the bar body 1 is shown.

From figure 5 the underside of the female part of the carrying body 4 is shown where the locking pawl 5 and the recess 7 are clearly shown. Furthermore it is shown two stub shafts 11 for hinging the lever 2 (not shown on figure 5).

Figure 6 shows the male part of the carrying body 3 without the lever 2. Stub shafts 11 for hinging the lever are clearly shown. Furthermore the recesses 9 to ease operation of the lever 2 between a folded in position and an extended operating position are shown.

Figures 7 and 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, where a body 13, for insertion in the case is in two-part, and where this two-parted body 13 is inserted at each side of the carrying bodies 14, 15. Stub shafts 11 hinges the lever 2.

The lever 2 in the shown embodiments is shaped as a semicircle with the recess 10 to ease operation between the folded in and the extended position of the organ. Furthermore the organ includes a curved part that is in contact with the stub shafts 11 such that the lever 2 can be clipped onto the stub shaft. The operating organ can be shaped such that it remains in an extended or folded in position after operation. To achieve this, the stub shafts 11 may be oval, includes notches, or be shaped in any other way such that the lever remains in its outer positions.

The door-handle according to the invention can be mounted on the door-leaf already by the door manufacturer such that the door is delivered with a handle to the customer. In this way it will never be a problem to open the door.