CLOSER

The present invention relates to a tubular profile closer, in particular to a tubular handrail closer, comprising a retaining body fitted to the radially internal surface of the tubular profile and provided with fastening means apt for blocking the closer inside the profile.

Background of the Invention

Various closers and sealing plugs of the above construction are known in the state of art in a form of uniform solid elements made of plastic or metal. They are commonly used for closing metal tubular door handrails and handles of doors or window sashes, containing profiled frames.

Such uniform solid closers made of metal, generally the same as the one that the closed profile is made of, are highly aesthetic, and provide an impression of continuity of a surface of the closed profile. They also feature high mechanical strength. However a drawback of such closers is a relatively high cost of its production resulting from a necessity of special machining. By contrast, uniform solid closers made of a plastic feature a relatively low cost of production but their aesthetics and mechanical strength may be inadequate.

An object of the present invention has been to provide a tubular profile closer, in particular a tubular handrail closer, featuring a simple and economic construction enabling simple, solid and aesthetic closing of a handrail or handle opening.

Summary of the Invention

The invention provides a closer of the kind mentioned in the outset which is characterized in that it comprises at least two clamping segments made of plastic and defining said retaining body, wherein a lid, preferably made of metal, is seated between said clamping segments.

Preferably said fastening means have a form of, preferably, circumferential clamping projections that are deformed during positioning said closer in its assembled state in said tubular profile. Preferably the radial heights of said clamping projections increase from an axially internal side of the closer toward said lid.

Preferably the wall of said clamping segment is provided with at least one positioning projection matched to a corresponding positioning recess arranged in the wall of an 5 adjacent clamping segment.

Said retaining body is preferably terminated at its axially external side with a circumferential resisting projection.

The radially external surface of said circumferential resisting projection preferably corresponds substantially to the radially external surface of the tubular profile. P Preferably the closer comprises, at its axially internal side, preferably above said circumferential resisting projection, a circumferential groove apt for embedding a locking edge of said lid.

Preferably said lid is provided with a peripheral bend.

Preferably the closer further comprises a fingerprint detector module having a5 fingerprint sensor secured by the clamping segments and available through an opening in the lid.

|n such a case preferably the closers comprises a processing circuit board connected with the fingerprint detector module and secured in a support fitted to the radially internal surface of the tubular profile and preferably connected with at least one ofQ said clamping segments to form a compact module.

Brief description of drawings

The invention shall be described and explained below in reference to its preferred embodiments and in connection with the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a fragment of a door handrail with a closer according to a first5 embodiment of the present invention before assemblage, in an axonometric view;

Fig. 2 shows a fragment of the closer from Fig. 1 in an axial cross-sectional view in a state before (Fig. 2a) and after embedment (Fig. 2b) in the handrail;

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the closer according to the present invention before its assemblage in an axonometric view; Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of the closer according to the present invention after its assemblage in an axonometric view;

Fig. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the closer according to the present invention after assemblage and embedment in a handrail in a top view;

Fig. 6 shows a fifth embodiment of the closer according to the present invention after assemblage and embedment in a handrail in an axonometric view; and

Fig. 7 shows a sixth embodiment of the closer according to the present invention provided with a fingerprint detector module, before assemblage and in an axonometric view. Description of preferred embodiments

Mumerical references of elements performing the same functions remain the same in all of the drawings, wherein suffixes (a-f) were added, where appropriate, to additionally distinct closers having different constructions.

Fig. 1 shows a fragment of a handrail of a door, comprising a metal cylindrical tubular handrail 1 mounted by means of a support 2 to a profiled door frame (not shown) that may support uniform or multi-chamber glass pane assemblies, sheets of glass or elements made of tempered glass, plastic, wood, etc. The ends of the handrail 1 shall be firmly closed by means of closers 3a.

|n this embodiment, the closer 3a has a form of a body of rotation and comprises two, substantially semi-cylindrical, clamping segments 31 made of plastic and embracing a metal lid 32. As shown in Fig. 2 each clamping segment 31 comprises a retaining body 311 fitted in shape to an axially internal surface of the profile 1. In this embodiment, the retaining body 311 has a radius that is slightly smaller than the internal radius r of the cylindrical handrail 1. Four circumferential clamping projections 313 are arranged on the retaining body 311 , wherein the radii of the clamping projections are greater than the internal radius r of the handrail 1 and increase linearly from the axially internal side of the closer 3a towards the metal lid 32. During embedment of the assembled closer 3a, the clamping projections 313 deform (cf. Fig. 2b), and thus lock the closer in the handrail in a tightening manner. The retaining body 311 is terminated with a resisting projection 316 at the axially external side of the body, wherein the resisting projection 316 reflects the shape of the radially external surface of the handrail 1 , which in this embodiment is cylindrical. The resisting projection 316 prevents pushing the closer 3a entirely into the interior of the handrail during embedding the closer 3a.

At the radially internal side the closer 3a comprises a circumferential groove 312, which in this embodiment is positioned above the resisting projection 316. During 5 assembling the closer 3a, a locking edge 322 of the lid 32 is embedded in the circumferential groove 312. In this embodiment the lid 32 is also provided with a peripheral bend 321 which increases its stiffness and enables arranging axially external side of the lid 32 in flush relative to axially external surface of the closer 3a to improve aesthetics.

ΊR The closer 3b shown in Fig. 3 before its assemblage and embedment comprises two clamping segments 31 and a metal lid 32 of a rectangular outline with rounded corners. One of the front walls of the clamping segment 31 is provided with three positioning pin-shaped projections 315 matching the corresponding positioning recesses 314 formed in the second front wall of the adjacent clamping segment 31 ,

15 which adheres to the wall with the projections 315. Thanks to that, during assembling the closer 3b the lid is placed in the circumferential groove 312 of one of the clamping segments 31 and subsequently the second clamping segment 31 is juxtaposed by inserting its positioning projections 315 into the positioning recesses 314 to form a stable form of the closer 3b prepared for embedding it into

2Q the handrail.

The closer 3c presented in Fig. 4 is adapted for closing a handrail of a substantially square cross-section. This form of the closer lacks any clamping projections, and a fastening means for locking the closer in the handrail profile is an adhesive substance.

25 An embodiment of the closer 3d shown in Fig. 5 has a circular cross-section and comprises three clamping segments 31 , each having an opening angle of 120°.

An embodiment of the closer 3e shown in Fig. 6 after its embedment in a door handrail 1 has an oval cross-section. As shown, a circumferential resisting projection 316 is flushed with an axially external surface of a handrail 1.

3Q Fig- 7 illustrates an embodiment of the closer 3f for a door handrail 1 provided with a fingerprint detector module 4. The module 4 comprises a fingerprint sensor 41 in a form of a scanner connected via a ribbon connector 42 with a processing circuit board 44 (PCB). The PCB 44 processes images of fingerprints of users requesting the door to be opened and sends them via a cable (not shown) or wirelessly to an external fingerprint authentication system that releases the electromagnetic door lock 5 mechanism (not shown) if the authentication is granted. To facilitate fingerprint acquisition the handrail 1 is slanted with respect to its longitudinal axis. The fingerprint sensor 41 is secured in fixing recesses 317 between the clamping segments 31 and behind the lid 32. It is available via an opening 323 in the lid 32. The PCB 44 is secured in a support 43 fitted to the radially internal surface of the 1 P tubular profile 1 . The support 43 comprises a first cylindrical part 431 , a second cylindrical part 432, and a top part 433 fixed with each other. After assemblage, the closer 3f is fixed with the circuit board support 43 and the whole compact unit is embedded in the profile 1. Although in this embodiment a fingerprint scanner 41 is used it shall be obvious to those skilled in the art that a whole fingerprint sensor, non- Ί 5 contact or touchless 3D fingerprint scanner, etc. may be used instead.

The closer according to the present invention may obviously have any arbitrary cross-section, in particular a quadrangular cross-section, such as for example a rectangular, square or rhomboid cross-section, an elliptical cross-section, including a circular cross-section, a triangular cross-section, etc.

2P The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized, in order to provide better an invention illustration. 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 the appended claims. Therefore the presented embodiments should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection 25 defined in the patent claims. List of reference numerals

1. tubular profile (handrail)

2. support of the tubular profile (handrail)

3. closer (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f)

31. clamping segment

311. retaining body

312. circumferential groove

313. circumferential clamping projection

314. positioning recess

315. positioning projection

316. resisting projection

317. fixing recess

32. lid

321. peripheral bend

322. locking edge

323. opening

4. fingerprint detector module

41. fingerprint sensor

42. ribbon connector

43. circuit board support (internal bearing element)

431. first cylindrical part

432. second cylindrical part

433. top part

44. circuit board