Patent Publication Number: US-7589291-B2

Title: Mounting accessory for the cover plate of a handle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 of Finnish Patent Application No. 20055656 filed Dec. 9, 2005. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of Technology 
   The present invention relates to a mounting accessory for the cover plate of a handle. 
   2. Prior Art 
   The primary purpose of the cover plate for handles such as door handles is to cover the installation opening for the spindle of the handle. The cover plate creates a clean appearance and protects the lock connected to the spindle from impurities in the environment. The cover plate is installed against a mounting base such as a door. It is also known that various elements associated with the operation of the spindle are installed behind the cover plate, such as a spring to bias the handle to a horizontal position. 
   It is also known that a switch can be installed in connection with the spindle in order to indicate the position of the spindle. The switch is connected to conductors through which information regarding the switch position can be transmitted forward. Information regarding the switch position is required, for example, when exit without alarm is allowed under normal circumstances but an alarm is triggered under abnormal circumstances. 
   The space remaining behind a mounted cover plate is small so the installation of elements to be placed there requires precision. Installation is often carried out at the factory but retrofitting is also possible. The object of the invention is to provide a solution to facilitate the installation of a switch to be installed behind a cover plate. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with the invention there is provided a mounting accessory for installation behind the cover plate of a handle to mount a switch device behind the cover plate, wherein the mounting accessory comprises a body having mounting formations using which the switch device can be fastened to the mounting accessory, and a cable clamp for a wire attached to the switch device, and wherein the mounting accessory is formed with an installation hole for fastening the mounting accessory to the cover plate using a screw. 
   A mounting accessory embodying the invention may be used for fastening a switch placed behind a cover plate and for providing a cable clamp for the wire going to the switch. This makes installation easier and faster compared to prior art solutions. 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cable clamp is an extension of the body of the mounting accessory and includes a flexible arm part and an end with a hole. The extension can be bent so that the hole in the end of the extension can be positioned over the installation hole in order to grip the wire going to the switch using the bent arm part utilizing the screw. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following, the invention is described in more detail by reference to the enclosed drawings, where 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a mounting accessory embodying the present invention viewed from the front, 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the mounting accessory of  FIG. 1  viewed from the back, and 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a mounting example of a mounting accessory embodying the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a mounting accessory embodying the invention. The illustrated mounting accessory comprises a body  1  that includes mounting formations  2  using which a switch  35  ( FIG. 3 ) to be mounted behind the cover plate can be fastened to the mounting accessory. The body  1  is formed with an installation hole  4  for fastening the mounting accessory to the cover plate using a screw  38  ( FIG. 3 ). The mounting accessory also comprises a cable clamp  3  for the wire going to the switch. 
   In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the cable clamp  3  is an extension of the body  1  and comprises a flexible arm part or hinge  5  and an end  6  with a hole  7 . The extension can be bent at the hinge  5  so that the hole  7  in the end  6  of the extension can be placed over (aligned with) the installation hole  4  and the screw  38  ( FIG. 3 ) that is used to fasten the mounting accessory to the cover plate passes through both holes  4 ,  7  and serves to clamp the end  6  against the body  1 . The wire going to the switch is gripped in the bent arm part  5 . The flexible arm part  5  can be, for example, a strip of material thinner than the body  1  and the end  6  of the cable clamp. The structure of the cable clamp may also be different from that illustrated in  FIG. 1 . For example, the arm of the cable clamp may be a structure made into a bent form, the end of which can be tightened towards the body of the mounting accessory using a screw. 
   It is preferred that the body has a guiding formation  8  for guiding the wire in the desired direction. The purpose of the guiding formation is to prevent the wire from accidentally getting stuck in the elements installed in connection with the spindle, since such a stuck wire could actually prevent the movement of the handle. The preferred location for the guiding formation  8  is beside the cable clamp  3  on the side from which the wire to the switch is intended to be fed away from the cover plate. The guiding formation shown in  FIG. 1  has a raised edge  12  but the structure of the guiding formation can be different from this. For example, the guiding formation may have a sloping ascending surface. 
     FIG. 2  shows the lower surface of the body  1  of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , which can be mounted against the cover plate. It has a mounting groove  9  for mounting on top of a potential mounting protrusion on the cover plate. Thus the mounting groove facilitates the installation of the mounting accessory. 
   The mounting formations  2  of the mounting accessory are claws  10 . The claws ensure that the switch stays in place. The mounting formations may also include dowel formations  11  that can be placed into holes in the switch. 
     FIG. 3  shows the mounting accessory when installed behind a cover plate  32  that comprises a generally flat member having a peripheral flange that engages the flat mounting surface of the door, whereby the interior surface of the generally flat member is in spaced, generally parallel, confronting relationship with the flat mounting surface of the door. In  FIG. 3  the cover plate is illustrated as viewed from behind, that is, from the side that is towards the mounting surface. The mounting accessory is fastened to the cover plate using the screw  38 . The handle  31  is connected to the spindle  33  installed through the cover plate  32 . The spindle is only partially shown in  FIG. 3 . Elements  34  are installed in connection with the spindle and include, for example, a spring for biasing the handle towards the desired resting position. The resting position refers to the position of the handle when it is not depressed. The elements  34  also include a plate  310  with a slot. The plate  310  turns when the spindle  33  is turned. The plate is utilized when it is desired to know the position of the spindle and the handle. 
   The switch  35  is installed on the mounting formations  10 ,  11  of the mounting accessory. The switch comprises a lever  36  that rests against the plate  310 . The lever  36  has a formation that settles into the slot in the plate  30  when the handle is in the desired resting position. Turning the handle will also turn the plate  310 , making the slot move and deflecting the lever  36  of the switch away from the slot. The rising movement of the lever  36  causes a switching action in the switch, within the electric circuit of the conductors  39  connected to the switch. Correspondingly, when the handle returns to the resting position and the lever  36  settles back into the slot in the plate  310 , this causes another switching action when the slot moves to the position of the lever formation. 
   The conductors  39  connected to the switch form a cable  37  that may have a common sheathing. Clamping for the cable  37  is provided by bending the cable clamp on the mounting accessory to position its end  6  over the installation hole  4  and the cable  37  is then gripped by the bent arm part  5 . The bent arm part  5  forms a fastening surface between the mounting accessory and the cable when the end  6  of the cable clamp is tightened towards the body  1  of the mounting accessory using the screw  38 . 
   The guiding formation  8  of the mounting accessory guides the cable  37  so that it cannot accidentally become stuck between the plate  310  and the peripheral flange of the cover plate  32 .  FIG. 3  shows the cable  37  bent upwards (towards the surface of the door) in an exaggerated manner in order to make the details clearer. 
   The material of the mounting accessory is plastic, rubber or metal suitable for the purpose. It is easier to install the switch when the fastening of the switch to the cover plate and the clamping of the cable to the switch can be done using one screw. Retrofitting in particular is easier. 
   It is evident from the above that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described in this text but can be implemented in many other different embodiments within the scope of the inventive idea.