Patent ID: 6490895
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: E05B,E05C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A flush-mountable handle mechanism capable of being connected to a plurality of elongate links for concurrently moving the links along their lengths to operate latches connected to the links at locations spaced from the mechanism, comprising: a generally rectangular pan-shaped housing having opposed ends and opposed sides that cooperate to define a forwardly facing recess wherein a handle is supported for movement about a handle pivot axis that extends across the recess between a selected one of the opposed sides of the housing and the opposed ends of the housing, with the handle being movable about the handle pivot axis between a normal non-operated position substantially nested within the recess and an operated position projecting from the recess; means for connection to the housing and for defining a rearwardly extending pivot axis at a substantially central location behind the recess; a connection plate having a central portion that pivots about the pivot axis and that extends in a plane that intersects the pivot axis at substantially a right angle, wherein said plane contains a first imaginary axis and a second imaginary axis that intersect at right angles at the pivot axis and extend away from the opposed ends and the opposed sides of the housing; means for drivingly interconnecting the handle and the connection plate for pivoting the connection plate about the pivot axis between a non-operated orientation and an operated orientation in response to movement of the handle from the non-operated position to the operated position; and a plurality of link connection formations defined by the connection plate wherein each of the link connection formations establishes a distinct link connection point where a separate one of the elongate links can be pivotally connected to the connection plate for being moved to operate a separate one of the latches when the connection plate pivots from the non-operated orientation to the operated orientation; wherein the link connection points defined by the plurality of link connection formations include first and second link connection points for connection with first and second ones of the elongate links that connect with first and second ones of the latches which are spaced in opposite directions from the pivot axis at locations substantially along the first imaginary axis, wherein the first and second link connection points are located on opposite sides of the pivot axis along a first imaginary line that intersects the pivot axis, and are located at positions spaced by a distance X from the first imaginary axis; wherein the link connection points defined by the plurality of link connection formations also include third and fourth link connection points for connection with third and fourth ones of the elongate links that connect with third and fourth ones of the latches which are spaced in opposite directions from the pivot axis at locations substantially along the second imaginary axis; wherein the third link connection point is located along a second imaginary line that intersects the pivot axis at right angles to the first imaginary line and at a distance Y from the second imaginary axis for connection with the third of the elongate links for operating the third of the latches; wherein the fourth connection point is located near to but spaced from the second imaginary line and on an opposite side of the second imaginary axis from the third connection point; wherein the connection plate pivots about the pivot axis through a limited range of angular movement in moving from the non-operated orientation to the operated orientation, with said range being limited to about thirty degrees; wherein the first and second imaginary lines are oriented so as to be brought into registry with the first and second imaginary axes at some instant during pivotal movement of the connection plate within said angular range as the connection plate pivots about the pivot axis from the non-operated orientation to the operated orientation; and, wherein the distance of the fourth link connection point from the second imaginary axis equals the distance Y at some instant during pivotal movement of the connection plate within said angular range as the connection plate pivots about the pivot axis from the non-operated orientation to the operated orientation.