Abstract:
A folding handle for attachment to a rotatable shaft element. The handle includes a handle body  10  having a cavity  17  within which a mounting block  20  is engaged. The mounting block  20  has oppositely projecting pivot members  21  slidingly engaged in recesses  19  in the walls  18  of the cavity  17.  The pivot members  21  therefore engage with bearing surfaces  19   a  to facilitate pivotal movement of the handle body  10  relative to the mounting block  20.  A clip  24  retains the mounting block  20  in cavity  17.  No pivot pin is therefore visible.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Discussion of the Background 
     This invention relates to a handle and more particularly a handle which is useful in connection with the operation of a window operator. 
     While the present invention is particularly directed toward a handle which is intended for use with a window operator, the handle can have other applications where a handle is fitted to a rotatable shaft so as to facilitate operation of some mechanism, eg a fishing reel or any other rotatable mechanism. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     With a window operator, it is typical for the window operator to comprise a housing which incorporates a link adapted for connection to a window sash movably mounted within a window frame. Within the housing is a mechanism for operating the link. The mechanism is actuated via a shaft (the free end of which is usually splined) which projects from the housing. A handle is attachable to the splined shaft so as to facilitate rotation of the shaft. 
     Typically with known operators, the handle projects out from the housing and therefore can be intrusive when it is not required for actual operation of the operator. It is therefore known to provide a handle which can be moved from an in-use position to a stored position where it does not unnecessarily project from the housing. When stored in the “non-use” position, the handle is therefore not as intrusive as when in the “use” position. 
     Known handles of this type have suffered from drawbacks. For example, it is usual that the handle be pivotally (see U.S. Pat. No. specifications 5,560,082 of Vetter and U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,770 of Ellis) coupled to a mounting block by a pivot pin. This pin extends through the handle and the block and therefore is readily visible externally of the handle. As there is a greater move toward improving the aesthetic appearance of window hardware, especially that which is readily visible, the visual impact of the ends of the pivot pin can detract from the overall appearance of the handle and its associated operator. 
     Also, known handles have suffered from the drawback of comprising a number of elements which need to be assembled sometimes in very fiddly assembly operations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a foldable handle which does not suffer from some or all of the aforementioned disadvantages or at least provides the public with a useful choice. 
     Broadly, according to the present invention, there is provided a handle including a mounting block adapted for attachment to a rotatable shaft element, a handle body having a cavity within which the block is engaged, the mounting block including pivot members slidingly engaged in recesses in the cavity to engage with bearing journals to facilitate pivotal movement of the handle relative to the mounting block. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following more detailed description of the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred form of the handle, 
     FIG. 2 is a sectioned side elevation view taken on the central longitudinal axis of symmetry of a slightly modified form of the handle shown in FIG. 1 with the handle in the “use” position, and 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the handle folded to a stored or “non-use” position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the present specification, reference will be made to the handle being movable or foldable between stored or “non-use” and “in-use” positions. This does not necessarily mean that the handle when in the stored position is incapable of being used to apply at least a part rotation of the shaft means to which the handle can be attached. Generally, however, in such a stored or non-use position it is impractical or difficult to apply a rotational movement in whole or in part to the shaft means. 
     Referring firstly to FIG. 1, the handle comprises a handle body  10  having a base end  11  and a distal end  12 . A knob  13  is rotatably attached to the distal end  12  by, for example, a splined fastener  14  which extends through an opening  16  in the distal end  12  to engage with the knob  13  in a known manner. Washers  15  separate the head of the fastener  14  and the knob  13  from direct contact with surfaces of the distal end  12 . 
     The base end  11  includes a recess or cavity  17 . This cavity  17  includes a pair of opposed surfaces  18 , each of which has an elongate recess or channel  19  extending into the cavity. The inner end of each channel/recess  19  is preferably formed with a curved end or bearing surface  19   a,  the reason for which will hereinafter become apparent. 
     The mounting block  20  includes a pair of oppositely projecting spigots  21 . These spigots  21  are dimensioned so that they slidingly fit in a reasonably snug manner within respective of the elongate recesses  19 . The curved peripheral surface of the spigot  21  is of a diameter which is slightly less than the distance between the opposing side walls of the channel/recess  19  and also the diameter of the curved end wall  19   a  of the recess  19 . 
     The mounting block  20  is installed into the cavity  17  so that side walls  22  of block  20  locate opposite respective walls  18 . To achieve installation the spigots  21  slide along recesses  19 . The spigots  21  thus engage against or at least locate adjacent the curved end walls  19   a  of the recesses  19 . The handle body  10  can thus be pivotally moved substantially about a central axis passing through the aligned but oppositely projecting spigots  21 . 
     A bore  29  (preferably a blind bore) is formed in the mounting block  20  and has a central longitudinal axis at right angles to the aforementioned pivot axis passing through the spigots  21 . In use, the splined shaft of a window operator is engaged within bore  29 . 
     A second bore  23  is provided in mounting block  20  and is at mutual right angles to bore  29 . A fastener can thus extend through bore  23  (which extends into bore  29 ) to engage with the splined shaft when in bore  29  so as to fix the mounting block  20  to the splined shaft of the window operator. 
     To retain the mounting block  20  in its operative position within the cavity  17 , a clip  24  is provided. A contact surface  25  (in the form shown of arcuate cross-section) is formed toward one end of the clip  24  while toward the other end of the clip  24  is an opening  26 . Preferably, the portion of the clip  24  in which opening  26  is located is at a slight angle to the remainder of the length of the clip  24  as can be seen, for example, in FIG.  1 . 
     A projection  30  is formed in a portion  31  within the handle body  10  (see FIGS.  2  and  3 ). This projection  30  engages within opening  26  thereby locating the clip  24  within the handle body  10 . 
     The contact surface  25  engages with the mounting block  20 . It can engage in a detent  27  or a detent  28  depending on whether or not the handle is in the “in-use” or stored positions. The contact surface  25  rides over surface  32  of the mounting block  20  as the handle is moved between its two extreme positions. Thus, the engagement of the contact surface  25  in either of detents  27  and  28  ensures that the handle is held firmly at its “use” or “non-use” positions as the case may be. 
     In an alternative arrangement as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, only detent  27  is provided. Thus the contact surface  25  engages in the detent  27  when the handle is in the “use” position. This ensures that the handle does not tend to pivot toward its stored position when it is being used. The need to hold the handle firmly in the stored position is, however, not as great therefore it is simply maintained in the “non-use” position by the effective spring pressure or friction resulting from the contact surface  25  making contact with surface  32 . 
     The side of the mounting block  20  opposite to that having surface  32  is provided with a flat surface  34  and an inclined surface  29  leading to top surface  37 . A lip  35  extends outwardly from surface  34 . When the handle is in the “in-use” position, lip  35  locates within rebate  36  thereby further locating the handle body  10  with the mounting block so that the handle does not tend to move relative to the mounting block as a winding operation is carried out via rotation of the knob  13 . 
     The inclined surface  39  provides a clearance enabling the handle body  10  to pivot relative to the mounting block  20 . When the handle has been moved to its stored or “non-use” position, the top surface  37  engages with flat internal surface  38  of the handle body  10 . The rebate  36  and the surface  28  therefore provide end stops to limit the extent of movement of the handle body  10  relative to the mounting block  20 . 
     The handle according to the present invention thus provides a construction whereby a separate pivot pin is not required. Therefore, there is no need for opposing bores to be drilled or otherwise formed through the mounting end  11  of the handle body  10  for the passage of a pivot pin nor indeed the ends of the pivot pin being externally visible. The pivot arrangement is totally located within the cavity  17  and therefore is not readily visible, hence improving the aesthetic appeal of the handle. 
     The use of the clip  24  to not only retain the mounting block  20  in its operative position within the cavity  17  but also to provide at least one detent results in a minimum of componentry and very simple assembly procedures.