FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a door handle assembly that is intended to be fitted onto a square-section bar that coacts with a lock mechanism, and more specifically to a door handle assembly of the kind defined in the preamble of Claim 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART

Many different types of door handle assemblies that are intended for coaction with a lock mechanism in a lock housing through the medium of a square-section bar are known to the art. In many cases, it is not possible to interchange between commercially available door handles, among other things because of the orientation of the square-section bar in its initial, inactive position, i.e. when not subjected to a rotaional force. Thus, the choice of handle assembly, or unit, is greatly limited when wishing to change the door handle of a lock mechanism accommodated in a door lock housing.

This constitutes a serious drawback, not least because the purposeful and aesthetic design of door handles has become increasingly more dominant. It places the consumer at a serious disadvantage when he/she is forced to replace a fully serviceable lock housing and lock mechanism simply in order to replace a door handle.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a door handle assembly that can be adapted for use

with different lock mechanisms, therewith giving the door handle assembly practically unlimited use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door handle assembly that will enable a door handle to be readily replaced, so as to enable a customer to try different handles before deciding upon the handle that he/she finds most attractive from an aesthetic point of view or from some other aspect.

In addition to the orientation of the square-section bar in its rest position, the pattern of holes that receive screws inserted through the lock housing for securing respective rosettes of the door handle are also significant in relation to the aforesaid problems, i.e. the fact that a very limited number of handles can be used individually in conjunction with commercially available lock mechanisms.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects are fulfilled with an inventive door handle assembly of the aforesaid kind and having the features set forth in the characterizing clause of Claim 1.

Because the lock washer and the spring holder are configured and coact in the manner described, the handle mechanism can be readily adapted to suit existing lock mechanisms, so as to guarantee a much wider choice between handles for use with different lock mechanisms than has hitherto been possible. This enables a given handle to be used also with types of lock mechanisms other than the lock mechanism or lock mechanisms for which the handle was originally intended.

The members disposed circumferentially around the lock washer and the members on the spring holder coacting therewith can

be constructed in different ways. For instance, the lock washer may be provided with outwardly projecting tongues instead of notches, and the spring holder provided with notches that coact with said tongues.

It is preferred in practice that the lock washer includes a larger number of coacting members than the spring holder. The lock washer - which includes a central opening for accommo¬ dating the square-section bar - can therewith be set to several different positions in accordance with existing circumstances and coact correctly with the spring holder irrespective of its set position. The invention also includes the possibility of turning, or reversing, the lock washer and therewith increase the number of possible washer positions.

In the case of an embodiment preferred in practice, the lock washer includes twelve notches disposed around the circumfer¬ ence of the washer at an angular spacing of 30°.

The spring holder may therewith include four axially project¬ ing tongues, preferably disposed at an angular spacing of 90°.

This enables an inventive handle assembly to be adapted for coaction with the majority of commercially available lock mechanisms, particularly in view of the possibility of turning around, or reversing, the lock washer.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the hole in the lock washer for receiving the square-section bar is configured to enable the bar to be accommodated in at least five, preferably eight or more different positions of rotation.

A hole profile of this nature can be readily formed in the lock washer, by punching out the hole with a square-section punch and rotating the washer through a number of degrees between two mutually sequential punching operations.

The blind hole that receives the square-section bar in the shaft part of the handle will preferably have a corresponding profile.

Further characteristic features of the invention and other advantages afforded thereby will be evident from the follow¬ ing description of a preferred embodiment thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an inventive door handle assembly that coacts with a square-section bar.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the square-section bar taken in the region of the lock washer, and shows the spring holder mounted in a first position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2 and shows the handle assembly subsequent to dismantling and rotating the lock washer through 30° and renewed engagement of the tongues projecting out from the spring holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Fig. 1 is a perspective, exploded view of a door handle assembly 1 which includes a door handle 2, a handle shaft 3, a blind hole 5 in the exposed end of the shaft 3, and a square-section bar 14 that fits into the hole 5. The shaft 3

is rotatably mounted in a rosette 4 that includes a stop 4a for one end-part 8a of a coil spring or torsion spring 8.

Although not shown, the rosette 4 includes holes 6 for receiving screws that are passed through a lock mechanism

(not shown) and screwed into a similar rosette on the other side of a door (not shown) for which the handle assembly is intended.

The other end 8b of the spring 8 is adapted for coaction with an outwardly bent projection 9a on a spring holder 9, which also includes a number of tongues 9b that project out axially in a direction opposite to the direction of the projection 9a.

The tongues 9b can be inserted selectively into corresponding notches 12a disposed circumferentially around a lock washer 12 that includes a central hole 13 whose profile or configur¬ ation corresponds to the square-section bar 14.

When fitting the door handle assembly, the spring holder 9 and the lock washer 12 are rotated relative to one another and relative to other assembly components in a manner to guarantee satisfactory function of the door handle irrespec- tive of the orientation of the square-section bar 14 and the holes 6.

A door handle is changed by releasing the various components from the bar 14 and rotating the lock washer 12 and the spring holder 9 in an appropriate way for renewed engagement of the tongues 9b in the notches 12a and, at the same time, adapting the assembly to the stop element 4a and the spring 8 of the new rosette.

In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the lock washer 12 has twelve notches 12a disposed around its circumference, at a mutual angular distance of 30°. The spring holder 9 has four resilient tongues 9b.

With the intention of increasing the possibilities of adapting the door handle assembly to different lock mechan¬ isms, the bar receiving hole 13 in the lock washer 12 is configured to enable the bar to be received in eight differ- ent positions of rotation.

The blind hole 5 in the shaft portion 3 of the handle 1 has a corresponding configuration.

The possibility of adapting the handle assembly to suit different lock mechanisms is further enhanced by the possi¬ bility of reversing the lock washer 12, i.e. turning the lock washer through 180° about a vertical axis.

A lock ring 11 is provided between the lock washer 12 and the spring holder 9.

A door handle assembly constructed in accordance with the invention can be used together with essentially all commer- cially available lock mechanisms.