A BLANKING MECHANISM FOR A CONTROL CABLE

The invention relates to is a tubular handle for an element closing an object opening, in particular for a door or window wing, comprising a tubular handrail connected to at least one fixing element, an optional masking element in which the fixing element is disposed, and a control cable connecting a first control component disposed in the handrail with a second control component disposed in the closing element or in the object.

Background of the Invention

Various tubular handles of similar design are known from the prior art. Examples are disclosed in publications W02020046150 and US2019178503.

During the assembly of a tubular handle to the closing element, it is necessary to connect the first and second control components via the control cable and then hide it in the tubular masking element. It is also important to be able to access the coupling connecting the sections of the control cable, for example to replace a damaged first component in the handrail element, or the entire handrail element with such a component.

The object of the invention was to provide a tubular handle with a simple and aesthetic structure facilitating access to the control cable when the handrail is disconnected from the fixing element.

Summary of the Invention

The invention provides a tubular handle, of the kind mentioned in the outset, characterized in that, it is provided with a blanking mechanism comprising a blanking flap embedded in an access opening of the handrail, and adjacent to the fixing element, wherein said blanking flap and/or said handrail has/have a cutout(s) for a control cable covered by the fixing element and/or the masking element, a sidewall of said blanking flap, which is distal to the fixing element, and a sidewall of said access opening are at least partially inclined at an obtuse angle with respect to an external surface of said blanking flap, and said blanking flap is pressed against the access opening of the handrail by the fixing element and/or the masking element. The relatively large surface of said blanking flap allows use and access to large couplings joining sections of the control cable.

The term ..control cable” as used herein denotes a tensile force transmitting element that may be used for transmitting information between components disposed at its ends, and in particular single or multi-core electrical cable, optical fiber, liquid or gas- filled tube, line, etc. In particular, the term also refers to a control cable having two sections consisting of a first control cable located in a tubular handrail detachably connected to a second control cable, the end of which exits the fixing element.

The term “object” as used herein denotes both a building and an appliance provided with a closing element, such as an oven or a microwave oven, for example.

A control component disposed in the handrail can be in particular fingerprint reader, light source, button, switch, touch sensor, etc. connected with the control cable.

A control component disposed in the closing element or the object can be in particular an electro-mechanism for opening the door or window sash, power source, bell, alarm, etc. connected with the control cable.

Preferably the remaining sidewalls of said blanking flap and corresponding to them sidewalls of said access opening are at least partially inclined at an acute angle with respect to the external surface of said blanking flap.

Preferably said blanking mechanism comprises a shaped element adjacent to an internal side of the handrail and having an access hole for the control cable.

The shaped element can have a form of a sheet metal section of a predefined thickness, or be a solid body, for example cast ZnAI.

In such a case, preferably said shaped element has a threaded hole, wherein a threaded projection of a fixing pin of the fixing element passes through the handrail and is screwed into said threaded hole, and the fixing element abuts the external surface of the handrail.

The threaded hole is advantageous if the shaped element is a solid body.

In such a case, preferably said threaded hole of said shaped element has a form of a rivet nut embedded in said shaped element. Displacing the rivet nut to the inside of the handrail increases the space for the control cable.

Furthermore, in such a case, preferably said blanking mechanism additionally comprises a plastic supporting element disposed between said shaped element and the internal surface of the handrail.

If the shaped element is displaced from the handrail, the plastic supporting element prevents deformation of the shaped element during screwing the fixing pin.

If the shaped element is provided with a threaded hole, then preferably the shaped element has at least one locking protrusion disposed in a locking cutout of the handrail and is preferably covered by the fixing element and/or the masking element.

The locking protrusion prevents rotations of the shaped element during screwing the fixing pin.

Preferably said blanking flap comprises a connecting element that passes through a connection hole in a wall of said shaped element.

In such a case, said connecting element has a bent section.

The bent section prevents removal of the blanking flap from the bent section mechanism and furthermore generates a preload acting on the blanking flap to ensure that in its neutral position the blanking flap is slightly tilted from the access opening that facilitates its manual further deflection to the uncovered position.

Preferably the fixing element is mounted to the fixing pin by means of a mounting bolt screwed from outside through a threaded hole in the fixing element.

Preferably the fixing element has an opening or a slot for the control cable.

Preferably the handrail has a polygonal cross-section.

In such a case, preferably the fixing element is mounted to the edge of the handrail.

The invention is illustrated below in several embodiments and in the drawings, where:

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a tubular handle after assembly in an axonometric view; Fig. 2 shows the tubular handle shown in Fig. 1 in the back view (Fig. 2a), top view (Fig. 2b), and side view (Fig. 2c);

Fig. 3 shows the blanking mechanism shown in Fig. 1 in a neutral position and in longitudinal cross-section;

Fig. 4 shows the blanking mechanism shown in Fig. 1 after assembling the tubular handle and in the longitudinal cross-section;

Fig. 5 shows the handrail shown in Fig. 1 before connecting a coupling joining sections of the control cable in an axonometric view;

Fig. 6 shows the handrail shown in Fig. 1 after connecting a coupling joining sections of the control cable in an axonometric view;

Fig. 7 shows the handle shown in Fig. 1 during assembly of the fixing element with the masking element to the handrail;

Fig. 8 shows the handle shown in Fig. 1 after assembly of the fixing element with the masking element to the handrail;

Fig. 9 illustrates the geometry of the blanking flap of the blanking mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 illustrates the geometry of the access opening of the blanking mechanism shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 11 shows the handle shown in Fig. 1 in the cross-section along the plane P-P shown in Fig. 2a;

Fig. 12 shows a handrail of a second embodiment of a tubular handle in a covered position and before assembly in a cross-sectional axonometric view;

Fig. 13 shows a variant of a blanking mechanism shown in Fig. 12 in a covered position and before assembly in a cross-sectional axonometric view;

Fig. 14 shows a handrail of a third embodiment of a tubular handle in an uncovered position and before assembly in a cross-sectional axonometric view;

Fig. 15 shows the tubular handle shown in Fig. 14 after assembly of the fixing element along with the masking element to the handrail; and

Fig. 15 shows a handrail a fourth embodiment of a tubular handle in an uncovered position and before assembly in a cross-sectional axonometric view.

Numerical references to the same functional elements are the same throughout the drawings. Where appropriate, they are supplemented with additional suffixes (“a”, “b”, “c”, ... ) to differentiate elements of the same functionality but different construction A tubular handle 1a shown in Fig. 1-11 comprises a tubular handrail 2a made of metal and having a rectangular cross-section connected with two longitudinal fixing elements 3, that are covered by two tubular masking elements 4a made of metal. Fixing elements 3 are used for mounting the handle 1a to a profiled sash (not shown) of the door, in which uniform or multi-chamber glazing units, panes, or elements made of toughened glass, plastic, wood, etc., can be embedded.

Tubular masking elements 4a also cover control cables 5, that in this embodiment have a form of multi-core electrical cables, joining first control components 7, that in this embodiment have a form of LED diodes embedded at the ends of the handrail 2a, with a second control component (not shown in the drawing) disposed in the building, that in this embodiment is a power supply unit.

In order to facilitate the access to the control cable 5 before fixing the handrail 2a to the fixing elements 3, handrail 2a is provided with blanking mechanisms 6a in the vicinity of the fixing elements 3.

Each blanking mechanism 6a comprises a blanking flap 61a, that after fixing the handle 1a is embedded in access opening 62a of the handrail 2a and is flush with the external surface of the handrail 2a. Moreover, the blanking flap 61a has a cutout 614 for the control cable 5, that after fixing the handle 1a is covered by the masking element 4a.

As shown in Fig. 3 and 4, the blanking mechanism 6a comprises a shaped element 63a adjoining the internal side to the handrail 2a and has a positioning hole 631, in which a rivet nut 312 is fixed. A fixing pin 31 is terminated with a threaded projection that passes through the positioning hole 21 in the handrail 2a and is screwed in the rivet nut 312 with the shaped element 63a abutting the external surface of the handrail 2a. To block rotations of the shaped element 63a during this screwing in the fixing pin 31 , the shaped element 63a has two locking protrusions 632 disposed in the locking cutouts 22 of the handrail 2a, that adjoin the access opening 62a. After fixing handle 1a, the locking protrusions 632 and the locking cutouts 22 are covered by the masking element 4a. The access opening 63a further comprises an access hole 634a for the control cable 5, that for clarity was not shown in this drawing. Metal connecting element 64 is soldered to the blanking flap 61a, which passes through a connection hole 633 in the wall of the shaped element 63a and is provided with a bent section 641 that prevents removal of the blanking flap 61a from the z blanking mechanism 6a without an additional force. Furthermore, such a shaping of the connecting element 64 and the bent section 641 ensures that in its neutral position (Fig. 3) the blanking flap 61a is slightly tilted from the access opening 62a, which facilitates its manual further deflection to the uncovered position in order to gain access to a coupling 511 of the section of the first control component 51 of the control cable 5.

Figs. 5-8 illustrate a process of assembling the handle 1a. As shown in Fig. 5 at the first step the blanking flap 61a is manually deflected to uncover the access opening 62a in order to gain access to the coupling 511 of the section of the first control component 51 of the control cable 5. At the subsequent step (Fig. 6) the coupling 511 is electrically connected with the coupling 521 of the section of the second control component 52 of the control cable 5, and the whole is inserted through the access opening 62a and the access hole 634a in the shaped element 63a to the inside of the handrail 2a. Subsequently (Fig. 7) the blanking flap 61a is embedded in the access opening 62a, and the cylindrical fixing element 3 along with the masking element 4a is guided on the fixing pin 31 of the fixing element 3 so that the control cable 5 passes through a longitudinal slot 32 in the wall of the fixing element 3. At the last step (Fig. 8) the fixing element 3 jest fixed to the fixing pin 31 by means of a mounting bolt 33 with a hex socket screwed from outside through an access opening 41 in the masking element 4a and a threaded hole 34 in the fixing element 3 so that it abuts from inside to the internal circumferential groove 311 of the fixing pin 31.

As shown in Figs. 9-11, the sidewall 611 of the blanking flap 61a which is distal to the fixing element 3 is inclined at an obtuse angle a with respect to the external surface of the blanking flap 61a, wherein the sidewall 612 which is proximal to the fixing element 3 and the sidewalls 613 parallel to the handrail 2a are inclined at an acute angle b with respect to the external surface of the blanking flap 61a. Sidewalls 621 , 622 and 623 of the access opening 62a in the handrail 2a are shaped analogously: the sidewall 621 which is distal to the fixing element 3 is inclined at an obtuse angle a with respect to the external surface of the blanking flap 61a, while the sidewall 622 proximal to the fixing element 3 and the sidewalls 623 parallel to the handrail 2a are inclined at an acute angle b with respect to the external surface of the blanking flap 61a. Acute angles (b) of inclinations of the sidewalls 612, 613, and 622, 623 can obviously be different for each pair of sidewalls corresponding to each other.

Thanks to such a shaping of the sidewalls 611-613 of the blanking flap 61a and a corresponding shaping of the sidewalls 621-623 of the access opening 62a, the sidewall 611 of the blanking flap 61a distal to the fixing element 3 611 engages the sidewall 521 of the access opening 62a, whereas the blanking flap 61a is pressed against the access opening 62a by the masking element 4a. This prevents falling the blanking flap 61a to the inside of the handrail 2a, as well as its falling outside after the assembly.

Fig. 12 shows another embodiment of the tubular handle 1b, which comprises a tubular handrail 2b made of metal and having a cylindrical cross-section with a blanking mechanism 6b having a blanking flap 61b with a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the handrail 2b so that after assembly, the blanking flap 61b is flush with the external surface of the tubular handrail 2a. The masking element (not shown in the drawing) obviously has a contact surface corresponding to the surface of the handrail 2b. In this embodiment, a shaped element 63b has only one locking protrusion 632 disposed within a locking cutout 22 of the handrail 2a. Internal curvature of the handrail 2b provides sufficient restrictions to block rotation of the shaped element 63b during screwing the fixing pin 31 in the rivet nut 312.

Fig. 13 shows a blanking mechanism 6b analogous to the blanking mechanism shown in Fig. 12, but comprising an additional plastic supporting element 65b disposed between the shaped element 63b and the internal surface of the handrail 2b. The supporting element 65b prevents deformations of the shaped element 63b during screwing the fixing pin 31 in the rivet nut 312.

Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate yet another embodiment of a tubular handle 1c, which comprises a tubular handrail 2c made of metal and a tubular masking element 4c substantially square in cross-section. In this embodiment, the fixing element 3 is fixed to the longitudinal edge of the handrail 2c, and a masking element 4c has a surface corresponding to the surface of the handrail 2c.

A blanking mechanism 6c comprises a blanking flap 61c having an L-shaped cross- section covering an access opening 62 in the handrail 2c, which includes a fragment of the longitudinal edge of the handrail 2c. In this embodiment, the blanking flap 61c does not have a cutout 614, and the control cable 5 passes solely through a cutout 23 in the handrail 2c.

Fig. 16 illustrates yet another embodiment of a tubular handle 1 d, in which a shaped element 63d has a form of a solid ZnAI cast and is provided with a threaded hole 635.

The blanking flap 61 and the access opening 62 can obviously have an arbitrary cross-section, in particular quadrangular, including rectangular, including square, or rhomboidal, elliptic, including circular, triangular, etc.

The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized. The above embodiments of the present invention are therefore merely exemplary. These and other factors however should not be considered as limiting the spirit of the invention, the intended scope of protection of which is indicated in appended claims.

List of reference numerals a obtuse angle b acute angle

1. tubular handle

2. tubular handrail

21. positioning hole

22. locking cutout

23. cutout

3. fixing element 31. fixing pin

311. circumferential groove

312. rivet nut

32. slot 33. mounting bolt

34. threaded hole

4. masking element

41. access opening

5. control cable

51. section of a first control component 511. coupling

52. section of a second control component 521. coupling

6. blanking mechanism 61. blanking flap

611. sidewall (distal to the fixing element)

612. sidewall (proximal to the fixing element)

613. sidewall (parallel to the handrail)

614. cutout

62 access opening

621. sidewall (distal to the fixing element)

622. sidewall (proximal to the fixing element)

623. sidewall (parallel to the handrail)

63. shaped element

631. positioning hole

632. locking protrusion

633. connection hole

634. access hole

635. threaded hole

64. connecting element 641. bent section

65. supporting element

7. first control component