Patent ID: 7454933
Filing Date: 2008-11-25
Classification: E05B,E05C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A handle and housing assembly, comprising: a) a housing having a front side and a rear side, and a mounting flange that surrounds a border of a forwardly facing recess defined by the housing wherein the recess has a relatively shallow portion in an end region of the recess removed from where a forwardly-rearwardly extending principal axis extends through a relatively deep portion of the recess; b) a shaft extending along the principal axis through the housing and into the relatively deep portion of the recess and being turnable relative to the housing about the forwardly-rearwardly extending principal axis; c) a handle having a relatively wide graspable portion joined to a relatively narrow stem portion that is connected on the front side of the housing to the shaft to permit movement of the handle relative to the shaft between a retracted position nesting in the recess near the housing with the relatively wide graspable portion overlying the relatively shallow portion of the recess, and an extended position projecting forwardly from the housing with the graspable portion extending forwardly from the recess to facilitate grasping and turning of the handle to turn the shaft about the principal axis between first and second orientations, and wherein the stem portion of the handle has spaced portions between which is defined a passage configured to open rearwardly into the forwardly facing recess when the handle is in the retracted position; d) a forwardly extending projection on the front side of the housing configured to extend into the passage between spaced parts of the stem portion of the handle and to thereby be shielded from view when the handle is in the retracted position; e) openings formed through the spaced parts of the stem portion that are configured to align with an opening formed through the forwardly extending projection when the handle is in the retracted position to permit a component of a padlock to be inserted through the openings formed through the spaced parts and the forwardly extending projection to retain the handle in the retracted position; f) a lock bolt on the rear side of the housing and movable relative to the housing along a path of travel between an operated position and a non-operated position; g) first and second housing-carried formations carried on the rear side of the housing and configured to extend rearwardly along opposite sides of the path of travel of the lock bolt to guide movements of the lock bolt along the path of travel; and, h) a first elongate bridging element extending transversely between the first and second housing-carried formations, with opposed end regions of the first bridging element extending into aligned openings defined by the first and second housing-carried formations, and with a central region of the first bridging element overlying a portion of the lock bolt to assist the first and second housing-carried formations to guide movements of the lock bolt along the path of travel.