BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a screwless handle unit for a door, in particular for a sliding door.

PRIOR ART Currently, the sliding doors are provided with a handle unit, to be coupled with a lock, and comprising a drive handle, to be associated with the side of the door facing the inside of the room, and a screw element (for unlocking the door from the outside in emergency situations) or a button element to be applied to the outer side of the door. The handle unit, more precisely, consists of a, rather large, number of distinct pieces that are supplied as a kit to an installer.

The installer, thus has to assemble the various pieces and at the same time mount the various pieces in the appropriate seats obtained on the two side of the door. More precisely, the aforesaid kit comprises, in addition to the aforesaid actuating handle and screw or button element, a pair of shell elements, in the form of a washer or cup, intended for be inserted into the milled seats of the door, a square spindle, intended to be coupled with a corresponding square hole of the lock, a circlip and a grubscrew for fixing the actuating handle to the square spindle, and a further circlip and grubscrew for fixing the screw or button element to the aforesaid square spindle, and of the appropriate washing elements that are interposed between the actuating handle and the corresponding shell element and between the screw or button element and the other shell element. It is clear how much the complexity and number of pieces that make up the known handle unit disclosed above on the one hand adversely affect manufacturing and logistics costs for the manufacturers and on the other hand make assembly and mounting operations more laborious. The installer, once the lock has been inserted into the cavity obtained in the door and has been fixed with screws, inserts the square spindle through the through holes obtained on the two opposite faces of the door to couple the square spindle with the aforesaid lock. The length of the square spindle must be appropriate to the thickness of the door. Naturally, the thickness of the doors is not constant, but can also vary within rather a considerable range, for example from about 34 mm to about 50 mm.

The installer thus very often finds himself, if he does not have a square spindle of the ideal length at his disposal, having to perform in situ an operation of cutting the square spindle to shorten the square spindle to the desired length, with an obvious waste of time and complication of the mounting work.

Alternatively, it is necessary to have at one’s disposal a range of square spindles of different lengths that are suitable for various door thicknesses. This choice obviously, if on the one hand it facilitates installation operations, on the other hand makes the manufacture and logistics of the various pieces more onerous. It must also be emphasized that selecting a given length of square spindle between the various set dimensions does not always perfectly match the thickness of the door, for example because of door machining errors or in the case of doors made to measure that do not respect typical dimensional standards, once again forcing the installer to have to intervene with a cutting machining task to“correct” the length of the square spindle.

Further, unfortunately, the handle unit disclosed above, because of the inherent structural configuration, cannot be mounted on doors with a thickness below a given minimum value, because of the spaces necessary for being able to connect mutually the various parts.

From EP1398435, another handle unit is known, comprising a pair of shell elements, a square spindle that is insertable into a sleeve element, a handle and a screw head that are respectively fixable to the handle and to the screw head with respective ring fixing elements. On the square spindle, ramp or protrusion zones are obtained that are used to establish, in the configuration inserted into the sleeve element, a joint connection by a mechanical interference. In other words, the square spindle is forced inside the sleeve element, which undergoes locally the deformation imposed by the aforesaid protrusions. Then, the square spindle and the sleeve element are held together by interference, i.e. with force coupling. In the zone that then remains in a deformed state, there is a generation of attrition forces that the square spindle and sleeve element exchange and by virtue of which they remain mutually connected.

On the connection zone, between the square spindle and sleeve element an additional annular safety body is further fitted, having a through opening that nevertheless has to minimize play to avoid a connection of the two elements that is not appropriately stable.

Also for this known handle unit, the defect of the great number of pieces of which it consists is emphasized, which adversely affects the logistics aspect and complicates the required assembly and installation operations.

Further, as the additional annular safety body has to always be in the position that is substantially equidistant between the two shell elements (in other words in a central zone of the unit consisting of a square spindle and sleeve element, where the protrusions acts), there are limits to the adaptations to the various door thicknesses. For example, in a door of reduced thickness, the aforesaid protrusions will be off-set with respect to the thickness, and moved nearer the handle side; in other words, in this configuration, the additional annular safety body, placed in an intermediate position in the thickness of the door, cannot be positioned at the zone of coupling by interference that links the square spindle to the sleeve element.

The type of connection by mechanical interference that has just been disclosed has additional drawbacks. One necessary condition for establishing a stable connection is that the friction forces that are generated in the aforesaid coupling are high; this naturally requires a certain effort from the installer. If this effort has to be repeated numerous times, (think for example of the installations required for all the doors of a flat or even of a block of flats), it can be imagined that installation operations risk being rather tiring for an installer. On the other hand, reducing the degree of mechanical interference between the aforesaid pieces to facilitate the mutual coupling thereof would entail the risk of reducing the efficacy and stability of the connection. Further, external factors like humidity, temperature fluctuations, vibrations etc, affect the interference fit and may compromise the stability thereof over time.

Another embodiment of a handle unit is known from EP3249140.

In consideration of what has been disclosed, it would be desirable to have at one’s disposal a handle unit provided with improved technical features that are able to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and limits.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a screwless handle unit configured with a much reduced number of components, thus having a structurally and functionally simplified configuration, and which is easier and faster to build and mount and is also advantageous from the point of view of the logistic management thereof. In particular, one object of the present invention is to provide a highly versatile screwless handle unit that is able to adapt, during mounting, automatically, rapidly and in a self-looking manner to any thickness of door without requiring the installer to perform any adaptation task, for example cutting etc. SHORT DESCRQPTIQN OF THE INVENTION

These objects and other advantages of the invention are achievable with a screwless handle unit according to claim 1. In particular, according to the invention a screwless handle unit is provided that is suitable for being coupled with a lock of a door, comprising

— a pair of shell elements, suitable for being applied to respective opposite faces of said door, — drive means that is activatable from the exterior to control said lock,

— connecting means configured for mutually connecting said shell elements, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said connecting means is incorporated into said drive means and comprises a male oblong element, coupled with one of said shell elements, and a female tubular portion coupled with the other of said shell elements and suitable for engaging with said lock, said female tubular portion being configured for slidingly receiving said male oblong element by an amount that is adjustable according to the thickness of said door, on said connecting means there being obtained ridge portions and hooking recess zones configured for snap-coupling of said male oblong element with said female tubular portion in a plurality of possible locking positions to adapt to different door thicknesses.

Owing to the screwless handle unit according to the invention, the stated objects are achieved.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention, and a preferential embodiment, is disclosed below, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the screwless handle unit according to the present invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a frontal view and a lateral view of the screwless handle unit according to the present invention in an assembled configuration;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken along the plane IV-IV in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section view of the screwless handle unit coupled with a lock mounted on a door;

Figures 7 and 8 show two possible assembly positions of the screwless handle unit adapted to two different thicknesses of the door.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A handle unit 1 of the screwless type is disclosed below that is suitable for being coupled with a lock 2 of a door 3, in particular, but not in a restricting manner, with a door 3 of the sliding type.

The handle unit 1 comprises a pair of shell elements 4 A, 4B, suitable for being applied to respective opposite faces 5 A, 5B of the door 3. More precisely, the shell elements 4 A, 4B are configured for being applied for pressure mounting in respective seats S _A , S _B obtained on the two faces 5 A, 5B of the door 3.

In each shell element 4A, 4B a through opening 17 is obtained.

Each shell element 4A, 4B is defined by a cup part 20, intended to be received in the respective seat S _A , S _B of the door 3, and by a flat part 21, suitable for being positioned visibly on the outer surface of the door 3.

On a side wall of the cup part 20, a knurled surface 22 or equivalent means is obtained to be anchored, by friction and/or penetration, to the surface that bounds the corresponding seat S _A , S _B of the door 3. The aforesaid knurled surface 22 can be obtained by a knurling process.

The cup part 20 can be made as several pieces that are mutually fixed, for example by fixing a bottom part to the cylindrical side wall. Alternatively, the cup part 20 can be made as a single piece, by drawing a sheet material. More precisely, the cup part can be obtained by deep drawing of sheet steel.

This constructional process, in addition to permitting reduced manufacturing times for the shell elements 4A, 4B, is also cheap, ensuring at the same time very high qualitative levels of the finished product. The shell elements 4A, 4B are subjected to a galvanic finishing treatment that gives the shell elements 4A, 4B scratch-resistance and a distinguished aesthetic appearance.

According to another possible manufacturing process, the shell elements 4A, 4B can be made by zamak die-casting, i.e. a non-ferrous alloy with high zinc content of considerable purity, together with small percentages of aluminium, magnesium and copper.

The handle unit 1 further comprises drive means 6, 7 that is activatable from the exterior to control the lock 2 and connecting means 8, 9 configured for mutually connecting the aforesaid shell elements 4A, 4B.

More precisely, the drive means comprises a gripping element 6, of the bar, lever, knob, pawl or equivalent type, associable with one of the shell elements 4A or 4B, shaped for being grasped and rotated by a user to operate the lock 2 from the inside of a room. The drive means comprises a release screw head 7, associable with the other shell element 4B or 4A and suitable for being rotated by a tool (such as a screwdriver) to unlock and open the door 3 from the exterior in emergency situations.

Alternatively to the screw head 7, a smooth head or button element, without notches, or another element that is otherwise configured on the basis of specific needs can be provided.

The aforesaid connecting means 8, 9 is incorporated into the drive means 6, 7 and comprises a male oblong element 8, couplable with the shell element 4 A, and a female tubular portion 9 that is couplable with the other shell element 4B and suitable for engaging with the lock 2.

The female tubular portion 9 thus acts as a sleeve element to receive internally the male oblong element 8 that on the other hand acts as a pin element.

The male oblong element 8 and the female tubular portion 9 are insertable through the respective through holes 17 of the shell elements 4A, 4B.

The male oblong element 8 extends with a longitudinal axis X intended, in the mounting configuration, to be orthogonal to the opposite faces 5 A, 5B of the door 3. The fact that the drive means 6, 7 also acts as a connecting means 8, 9 or vice versa, is advantageously, a significant structural and functional simplification of the handle unit.

More precisely, the gripping element 6 and the male oblong element 8 are integral with one another. In particular, the gripping element 6 and the male oblong element 8 are obtained as one piece.

The female tubular portion 9 and the screw head 7, (or button element or another element), are integral with one another, in particular, are made as one piece.

According to one possible embodiment, (not shown), a reversed position of the gripping element 6 and of the screw head 7 with respect to the male oblong element 8 and to the female tubular portion 9 is provided. Precisely, the gripping element 6 can be made as one piece with the female tubular portion 9 whereas the screw head 7 (or button element or another element) define a single piece with the male oblong element 8.

The female tubular portion 9 is configured for slidingly receiving, telescopically, the male oblong element 8 by an amount that is adjustable according to the thickness T of the door 3.

On the connecting means 8, 9, ridge portions lOa, lOb and hooking recess zones l la, 1 lb are obtained that are configured for snap-coupling of the male oblong element 8 with the female tubular portion 9 in a plurality of possible locking positions to adapt to different door thicknesses 3.

More precisely, the ridge portions lOa, lOb and the hooking recess zones 1 la, 1 lb are configured for mutual snap-coupling, of self-locking type.

The male oblong element 8 has a polygonal cross section and the female tubular portion 9 has an internal cavity the cross section of which is also of a polygonal shape corresponding to that of the male oblong element 8. In this manner, between the male oblong element 8 and the female tubular portion 9 a telescopically adjustable and rotatably integral coupling is established that enables a rotation to be transmitted from the one to the other element.

The external transverse profile of the female tubular portion 9 is of polygonal shape for engaging, through a shape coupling, with a drive hole of the lock 2.

In particular, the male oblong element 8 and the female tubular portion 9 have cross sections with a square profile, and the female tubular portion 9 is shaped for engaging with a square hole of the lock 2.

The aforesaid ridge portions are defined by one or more toothed hooking surfaces lOa that are obtained integrally, as one piece, on said male oblong element 8 or on said female tubular portion 9.

In the embodiment disclosed with reference to the non-limiting attached figures, the toothed hooking surfaces lOa are obtained on the male oblong element 8, and have a rack-like conformation. In particular, on the male oblong element 8 two toothed surfaces lOa are obtained, which are arranged on opposite faces thereof. It is nevertheless possible to provide the toothed surfaces lOa on a single face or on several faces or on all the faces of the male oblong element 8.

The aforesaid ridge portions further comprise one or more retaining protrusions lOb that are obtained integrally, as one piece, on the female tubular portion 9 or on the male oblong element 8.

In the embodiment disclosed with reference to the non-limiting attached figures, the one or more retaining protrusions lOb are obtained in the female tubular portion 9 and are configured for cooperating with the corresponding toothed hooking surfaces lOa obtained on the male oblong element 8. In particular, in the embodiment shown by way of example in the figures, on opposite sides of the female tubular portion 9, two opposite retaining protrusions lOb are obtained, each arranged for interacting with a respective toothed hooking surface lOa of the male oblong element 8. Nevertheless, it is possible, similarly to what has been seen above for the toothed surfaces lOa, to provide a different number and position of retaining protrusions lOb in the female tubular portion 9. The aforesaid recess zones, in addition to the valleys between the teeth lOa of the male oblong element 8, also comprise window zones l lb obtained on the female tubular portion 9. Such window zones l lb are obtained in a non-limiting manner on the two opposite faces of the female tubular portion 9 intended to face the toothed surfaces lOa of the male oblong element 8.

The window zones l lb are obtained nearer a free end E’ of the female tubular portion 9 and the aforesaid retaining protrusions lOb project from an edge of the respective window zones l lb inside the inner cavity of the female tubular portion 9. To be precise, the retaining protrusions lOb project from the edges of the window zones 1 lb, which are nearer the free end E’ .

The advantage of positioning the retaining protrusions lOb as near as possible to the free end E’ of the female tubular portion 9 ensures maximum adjusting scope of the coupling between the female tubular portion 9 and the male oblong element 8. In other words, the telescopic extent of the two pieces is exploited to the full, ensuring mutual locking also in the position in which the male oblong element 8 is only minimally housed in the female tubular portion 9.

According to one possible variant, it is possible to obtain the retaining protrusions lOb even on the free edges of the free end E’ of the female tubular portion 9, on elastically flexible shelf zones notched on the tubular portion 9.

The retaining protrusions lOb and the toothed hooking surfaces lOa are configured for cooperating mutually with a ratchet type interaction, so as to enable the male oblong element 8 to penetrate into the female tubular portion 9 but on the other hand prevent an extracting movement from the latter. In other words, during mounting, the male oblong element 8 is made to penetrate inside the female tubular portion 9 until the handle 6 and the screw head 7 are brought towards the final proximity positions in the respective recess cavities bounded by the shell elements 4A, 4B.

Each aforesaid toothed hooking surface comprises a plurality of teeth lOa intervalled by recess zones l la. In other words, the teeth lOa and the recess zones l la alternate with one another as peaks and valleys.

The teeth lOa have sliding ramp surfaces l2a, which are convergingly tilted towards a free end E of the male oblong element 8 and shaped to slide on further ramp surfaces l2b provided on the corresponding retaining protrusions lOb.

The teeth lOa have transverse locking surfaces 13 a, lying on planes transverse to the longitudinal axis X of the male oblong element 8, and shaped for abutting with transverse stop surfaces l3b provided on the corresponding retaining protrusions lOb to prevent the male oblong element 8 separating from the female tubular portion 9.

In particular, the transverse locking surfaces l3a are orthogonal surfaces, i.e. lie on planes that are orthogonal to the aforesaid longitudinal axis X.

Similarly, the transverse stop surfaces l3b are in one embodiment surfaces lying orthogonally to the longitudinal axis along which the female tubular portion 9 extends.

The series of teeth lOa of the two upper and lower toothed surfaces are according to one embodiment longitudinally displaced by an amount O that is such that a tooth of the upper surface, at the same longitudinal position (i.e. abscissa according to a reference system in which the axis of the abscissas coincides with the aforesaid longitudinal axis X) is matched by a recess on the lower surface, as shown in figure 5. This longitudinally staggered configuration between the two toothed surfaces enables the locking pitch to be reduced, i.e. coupling precision to be increased. The slight clearance between the male oblong element 8 and female tubular portion 9 permits locking of the male oblong element 8 at the upper face thereof with the upper retaining protrusion lOb or at the lower face thereof with the corresponding lower retaining protrusion lOb. Alternatively, it is possible to provide upper and lower toothed surfaces lOa that are “in phase” with one another but upper and lower retaining protrusions lOb that are placed on“abscissa” values that are slightly different from one another to obtain the similar effect of increasing locking precision.

During mounting, during the insertion of the male oblong element 8 into the female tubular portion 9, the retaining protrusions lOb are deformed elastically temporarily at each passage of the teeth lOa, through the action of the peak zones of the latter, to then be released at each recess zone lOb.

Once the reciprocal final position between the male oblong element 8 and female tubular portion 9 is reached, the retaining protrusions lOb are substantially in a non deformed position, with the transverse stop surface/s l3b abutting with the transverse locking surface/s l3a respectively.

It is thus clear that the coupling system between the male oblong element 8 and female tubular portion 9 that is thus defined adapts automatically to the thickness of the door, and is of self-locking snap type. This coupling system thus operates according to a snap-locking principle, but is substantially devoid of mechanical interference. In other words, the male oblong element 8 and the female tubular portion 9 are kept together by shape coupling (the teeth lOa and the retaining protrusions lOb that snap-connect mutually) and not by force coupling with mechanical interference.

It is possible to configure the teeth lOa and/or the retaining protrusions lOb with corners that are not very accentuated, not very acute, i.e. slightly rounded to make dismantling of the handle unit possible without an excessive separating force being required. For example, the toothed surfaces lOa can be made according to a slightly undulating profile. Alternatively, the transverse stop surfaces l3b and/or the transverse locking surfaces l3a can lie on a plane that is not orthogonal but slightly tilted in a divergent manner with respect to the free end E of the male oblong element 8, such that sliding by tilted planes can be established through the action of a given pulling force used to extract the male oblong element 8 from the female tubular portion 8.

The screwless handle unit 1 comprises a spacer element 23 interposed between the gripping element 6 and the shell element 4A. The spacer element 23 is provided with a hole or through opening 24 by which the spacer element 23 is fitted to the male oblong element 8. The gripping element 6 is provided with a cavity 25 shaped for housing a part of the spacer element 23. The spacer element 23 is configured for avoiding contact between the gripping element 6 and the outer visible surface of the shell element 4A to avoid damage thereto by contact and rubbing during rotation of the gripping element 6. The spacer element 23 also acts as an element for guiding and centring the male oblong element 8 with respect to the shell element 4A.

The spacer element 23 thus functions as a buffer or friction-reducing element and protects the shell element 4A from undesired scratches, thus preserving the surface finish thereof. The spacer element 23 comprises a discoid zone 30 on which an abutment step is obtained on the perimeter owing to which it can abut with and rotatably couple with the through opening 17 of the shell element 4B. The so configured spacer element 23 thus also acts as a centring element that reduces the mechanical clearance between the drive handle 6 (and thus also the male oblong element 8 and the shell element 4B).

Similarly, the release screw head 7 is so shaped as to have an annular portion 31 that acts as a washer element - which is fully integral with the female tubular portion 9 - for coupling with the through opening 17 of the corresponding shell element 4B. In this manner, the annular portion 31 acts as an element for guiding and centring the female tubular portion 9 with respect to the shell element 4B.

From what has just been disclosed, it is clear that the number of distinct pieces of which the handle unit 1 is made up is substantially at least halved with respect to prior art handle units. In fact, the handle unit 1 according to the invention does not need fixing grubscrews or circlips, screws or separate washers. Owing to the configuration according to which the toothed hooking surfaces lOa are obtained integrally, as one piece, on the male oblong element 8 or on the female tubular portion 9, and according to which the retaining protrusion/s (lOb) is/are obtained integrally, as one piece, on the female tubular portion 9 or on the male oblong element 8, a significant structural simplification is obtained for the handle unit.

Owing to the solution according to the invention, the handle unit is provided with a self-locking coupling mechanism (between the male element 8 and the female tubular portion 9) made totally integrally on the two coupling parts, that thus does not need distinct and additional further elements such as spring elements hinged on or fixed to one of the two aforesaid male-female coupling parts.

In one embodiment, the male oblong element 8 is made of zamak, or another metal material, and the female tubular portion 9 is made of plastics.

Owing to the configuration disclosed above, the handle unit 1 is able to adapt with extreme facility and immediacy to a wide range of possible door widths, starting from a minimum thickness SMIN of about 30 mm to a maximum thickness SMAX of about 55 mm.

From what has been disclosed and shown in the drawings, it is clear that the handle unit 1 according to the invention reaches the stated objectives.

Owing to the invention, a kit is thus proposed for a sliding door that makes a handle unit consisting of a very small number of components, provided with a snap self locking telescopic adjusting system that does not require any screwing operation or additional machining (cutting etc). Significant advantages are clear from the point of view of the associated logistic and manufacturing costs and also the significant facilitation of mounting from which the installer benefits. As mentioned, the shell elements 4 A, 4B, and the male oblong element 8 with the handle 7 can be made of metal or a metal alloy, for example ZAMAK, and the spacer element 23 and the female tubular portion 9 with the screw head 7 can be made of plastics. In all cases, the materials, inasmuch as they are compatible with the specific use and with the respective single components for which they are intended, can be chosen appropriately in function of requested requirements and the available prior art.

What has been said and shown in the attached drawings has been provided by way of illustration of the innovative features of the screwless handle unit 1 for a sliding door according to certain possible embodiments.

Modifications can be made to the screwless handle unit 1, or to parts thereof without thereby falling outside the scope of the claims.

It is further possible to configure and size the handle unit 1 and use materials according to need and variants on and/or additions to what has been disclosed above and illustrated in the attached drawings are possible.