Patent Publication Number: US-7588272-B2

Title: Door handle assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a door handle assembly and more specifically to an improved door handle assembly having mounting studs capable of being selectively adjusted and securely held at one of the predetermined fixed positions, which enable positioning of mounting studs of the door handle assembly to be installed, in direct alignment with standard positions of holes that are found in different doors. 
   Door handle assemblies are commonly known in the art and are substantially used for installation on different types of doors. The door handle assemblies generally comprise a rotatable handle having a locking mechanism, a handle mount and a faceplate. Door handle assemblies may be used for installation on either newly manufactured doors or currently installed doors which require replacement of an existing door handle assembly. The door handle assemblies are generally installed on doors by aligning the holes in the door handle assembly with the holes in the door and securing the fasteners through aligned holes. 
   The spacing between the holes in the door varies for different types of door handles, but generally the spacing is fixed at one of three standard sizes, namely 1.5″, 1.75″ or 3.0″, located symmetrically about a central spindle aperture. This variation in standard spacing limits the functional adaptability of the door handle assembly for differently prepared types of doors and requires an inventory of door handle assemblies having different size of spacing between the holes. Alternatively, in case of mismatch of spacing between the holes of a door handle assembly to be installed and the spacing between the holes available in the door, new holes must be drilled through the door. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,387, hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a universal latch wherein two mounting studs are provided, which are adjustable relative to the spindle position. These adjustable mounting studs enable installation of the latch assembly in alignment with the existing holes of the door, thereby enhancing the functional adaptability of the door latches and obviating the need for drilling new holes in the door. The mounting studs have square flats at one end, which are positioned in the recess between the track plate and the planar wall of the faceplate of the knob housing subassembly. The shanks of the mounting studs, which extend outwardly through the elongated slots of the track plate, are internally threaded thus permitting fasteners to be fixed in alignment with the holes of the door, for joining knob housing subassembly on one side of the door to the latch subassembly on the other side of the door. 
   However, the latch assembly described in the above cited US patent has the limitation that the mounting studs must be accurately adjusted in the slotted regions of the track plate so as to align the spacing between the mounting studs with the spacing between the holes in the door, which in turn depends upon the type of door used. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable novel door handle assembly. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is made with reference to accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the drawings illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced and are not intended to be taken restrictively to limit the scope of the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The principles and features of the present invention can be embodied in variant embodiments by making equivalent structural changes and adaptations, without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a partially exploded side elevation view of the first door handle assembly of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the positioning structure of the first door handle assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of the handle mount with positioning plate removed; 
       FIG. 4(   a ) is a detail partial elevation view of the locking of a mounting stud into one of the locking regions of the positioning plate of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4(   b ) is a side view of the locking of a mounting stud into one of the locking regions of the positioning plate of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4(   c ) is a magnified perspective view of the locking of the corners of diamond-shaped disc of one of the mounting studs into the corners of one of the locking regions of the positioning plate of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a partially exploded side elevation view of first door handle assembly of  FIG. 1 , positioned to be mounted on one side of a fragmentarily illustrated door in section and second door handle assembly with locking mechanism, on other side of the door; 
       FIG. 6(   a ) is a partially exploded perspective view of the second door handle assembly with mounting bracket and locking mechanism; 
       FIG. 6(   b ) is the knob member of the locking mechanism of the second door handle assembly of  FIG. 6(   a ); and 
       FIG. 7  is the side elevation view of the mounting bracket. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the door handle assembly  1  embodying the present invention includes a handle escutcheon or handle mount  10  having an opening  11  therethrough. A manually engageable handle  20  is seated in the opening  11  of the external planar surface  31  of the handle mount  10 . The handle  20  has also an opening  21  therethrough and is rotatable about an axis, which is aligned with the axis of the opening  11 . The handle escutcheon  10  has a perpendicular wall  30 , which extends around the periphery of its planar surface  31 . The wall  30  together with planar surface  31  form a cavity, wherein a pair of solid cylindrical posts  32  are provided near its two ends, with one post being on one side of the opening  11  and other post being on the other side of the opening  11 . A pair of projecting pins  33  is integrally provided over the surface of the pair of posts  32 . The projecting pins  33  are cylindrical in shape, have their axis aligned with and have smaller diameter than the posts  32  and are capable of being deformed. 
   A pair of mounting studs  51  having a generally T-shaped profile is provided inside the cavity between the wall  30  and planar surface  31 . One member of the pair of mounting studs  51  is positioned on one side of the opening  11  and other member of the pair is positioned on the other side of the opening. As best seen in  FIG. 4(   c ), the head portion of each mounting stud  51  has a generally diamond-shaped locking portion  53  with peripheral size larger than that of the shank portion  49  of the stud. Each stud has also rectangular flats  55 . A pair of springs  57  is operatively connected underneath a respective head portion of each of the mounting studs. When the mounting studs are in locked state in a locking region of positioning structure or plate  40 , the springs  57  maintain the diamond-shaped locking portion  53  of the mounting studs in non-rotating engagement with one of the locking regions of the positioning plate as will be described. 
   A hollow cylindrical spindle  180  is adapted to telescopically interconnect the first door handle assembly with the second door handle assembly which will be described. The spindle has a lock collar member  185  around its external circular periphery having locking pin  179 . The lock collar member is located at about one-fourth of its length, dividing its external periphery into a longer part and a shorter part. The shorter part of spindle surface has a flattened surface  189  on one side, which matches with the flattened surface  12  of the opening  1   b  of the first handle  20  and is dimensionally aligned with the opening  11   b  ( FIG. 3 ). When the spindle  180  is inserted into the opening  11   b , aligning its flattened surface  189  with flattened surface  12 , it becomes well seated into the opening  11   b  and the door handles of the two door handle assemblies rotate only as a unit. 
   Turning to  FIG. 2 , the positioning structure  40 , which in one embodiment may have a plate-like configuration as shown, is cooperatively configured and dimensioned to sit snugly within the cavity formed by wall  30  and planar surface  31 . The positioning plate  40  has a pair of apertures  61  near its two ends. The apertures  61  are so dimensioned that when the positioning plate is placed in the cavity, the pins  33  tightly pass through the apertures  61 . The positioning plate is secured in the cavity by deforming the pins  33 . The positioning plate  40  has a central aperture  65  corresponding to the opening  11  of the handle escutcheon  10 . The positioning plate  40  has elongated planar sides  62  and stiffening flanges  63  along the planar sides  62 . Planer square section  75  separates the flanges  63  near the aperture  65 . 
   The positioning plate  40  has a pair of elongated slots  100 , one on each side of aperture  65  and equidistant from the axis of the aperture  65 . The elongated slots have three pair of locking regions  70 ,  80  and  90 , with a member of each pair being on one side and the other member of each pair being on the other side of the aperture  65 . The locking regions are also equidistant from the axis of the aperture  65 . The locking region pair ( 90 ,  90 ) is spaced apart by a distance of 1.5″, the locking region pair ( 80 ,  80 ) is spaced apart by a distance of 1.75″ and locking region pair ( 70 ,  70 ) is spaced apart by a distance of 3″. The spacing between each of the locking regions corresponds to the standard distance between the pair of holes generally found in different doors. However, by suitably designing the positioning plate, particularly the elongated slots  100  and the locking regions therein, the number of locking regions and distance between any two members of a locking region can be made to any predetermined requirement. 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , two pairs of identical partitioning walls ( 38   a ,  38   b ) and ( 39   a ,  39   b ) are integrally provided on the inner surface of the planar surface  31 , under the positioning plate  40 . These two pair of partitioning walls are perpendicular to the inner side of the planar surface  31 , and are diametrically opposite across the two posts  32 . Another two pairs of parallel partitioning walls,  36  and  37 , which are also integrally provided on the inner surface of the planar surface  31 , are at right angles to the pair of walls ( 38   a ,  38   b ) and ( 39   a ,  39   b ) respectively. The opening  11   b  in handle  20  is cylindrical in shape with a flattened planar surface  12  on one side. 
   Turning to  FIG. 4   a - 4   c , the positioning plate  40  is secured in cavity  30  and the mounting studs  51  are located therebetween. The shanks  49  of the pair of mounting studs  51  extend outwardly through elongated slots  100  or any of the locking regions ( 70 ,  80 ,  90 ) thereof. The shanks  49  are hollow, open at a distal end thereof; and are internally threaded, so as to receive an externally threaded fastener as will be described. The head portion with rectangular flats  55  of the mounting studs being sized larger than the size of the elongated slots and also being sized larger than the internal periphery of the locking regions, remains disposed within the recess between the planer surface  62  of the positioning plate and the planar surface  31  of the handle escutcheon  10 . This makes the mounting studs adjustable in the recess between the positioning plate and the planar surface  31 . 
   The internal surfaces  71 ,  81 ,  91  of any of the locking regions ( 70 ,  80 ,  90 ) of the positioning plate (referred to hereinafter as the locking surfaces of the positioning plate) and the external periphery  54  of locking portion  53  of the mounting stud  51  are complementary in shape. So that when the mounting studs are adjusted and positioned into any of the predetermined locking regions, the locking surface  54  of the mounting studs becomes engaged into locking surface  71 ,  81  or  91  of the locking regions ( 70 ,  80  or  90 ) and is unable to rotate. Thus the mounting studs are capable of being manually engaged with the locking surfaces  71 ,  81  or  91  of the positioning plate and the mounting studs can be secured at the predetermined distance between mounting studs. Once the locking surfaces  54  of the mounting studs and the locking surface  71 ,  81  or  91  of the locking regions are engaged with each other, the springs  57  operatively connected underneath the rectangular flats  55 , maintain the mounting studs in engagement with the locking regions. For example, if the door handle assembly of the present invention is to be installed on a door having existing holes spaced apart by a distance of 1.75″, the mounting studs are adjusted and one mounting studs is positioned at locking region  80  on one side of aperture  65  and other mounting stud is adjusted and positioned at the locking region  80  on other side of the aperture  65 . The engagement of the locking surface of a mounting stud with locking surface of a locking region of the positioning plate is illustrated in  FIG. 4  ( a ) and  FIG. 4(   b ). The corners of the diamond-shaped locking portion  53  of the mounting studs become locked into the corners of the locking region as illustrated in  FIG. 4(   c ). 
   Turning to  FIGS. 5-6 , the first door handle assembly  1 , of construction as per foregoing description, is on one side of the door a fragmented section of which is designated by numeral  110 , and a slotted mounting bracket  140  and a second door handle assembly  2 , as hereinafter described, are provided on the other side of the door. The door has a pair of holes  111 , which correspond to the alignment and spacing between the mounting studs  51 . The aperture  112  in the door is in alignment with the opening  11  of the handle escutcheon and also dimensionally matches with the diameter of the longer portion of spindle  180 . Aperture  112  is smaller than locking collar member  185  ( FIG. 1 ) of the locking mechanism  160  such that the spindle  180  remains with the first handle assembly  1 . 
   The second door handle assembly  2  comprises a handle escutcheon  120  having an aperture  125  therethrough, a manually engageable handle  130  rotatable about an axis and a locking mechanism  160  inside the handle  130 . The locking mechanism  160  has a shape that prevents rotation in the manually engageable handle  130 . The knob member  165  is rotatable through 90° and has an extended rectangular shaft member  190 . The opening  125  is in alignment with the opening in the mounting bracket  140  and is also in alignment with the opening  11  in the first handle escutcheon  10  and opening  21  in the handle  20 . The second handle escutcheon  120  has a pair of apertures  126  near its two ends through which fasteners  128  can be passed for fixing the second handle assembly  2  to the slotted mounting bracket. 
   A pair of externally threaded fasteners  170  pass through elongated slots the  150  in the mounting bracket  140 , cooperating with internally threaded mounting studs  51 . The heads of the cooperating fasteners  170  are unobstructed in the recess available between the surface of the mounting bracket  140  and the inner side of the planar surface  133  of the handle escutcheon  120  of the second door handle assembly. The cooperating fasteners  170  are positioned to be in alignment with the spaced apertures  111  in the door and the threads tightened to secure the first handle assembly  1  and the mounting plate  140  to the door  110 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 7 , the mounting bracket  140  is cooperatively configured and dimensioned to be covered by the cavity formed by the side wall  132  and planar surface  133  of the handle escutcheon  120 . The mounting bracket has a pair of elongated slots  150 , which are equidistant from the axis of aperture  125 . The stiffening flanges  135  are provided on each planar side of the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket  140  has a pair of internally threaded apertures  145  near its two ends, which are in alignment with the pair of aperture  126  of the second handle escutcheon  120 . 
   In installing the door handle assembly of the foregoing embodiment, the diameter and spacing between the holes in a door is first determined and the central aperture in the door  112  corrected if necessary. The main spindle  160  is securely fixed in the first handle assembly  1  with the flattened surface  189  aligned with the flattened surface of the handle aperture  12 . The mounting studs  51  are adjusted and located in the required locking region of the positioning plate  40 , corresponding to the predetermined spacing between the holes in the door where the door handle assembly is to be installed by pressing the stud toward the planer surface  31 , sliding to the proper locking region and allowing the spring  57  to secure the stud in place. The first door handle assembly  1  is placed adjacent to the external side of the door  110  with the mounting studs  51  thus locked, and aligned with the holes  111  of the door and the spindle  160  is aligned with the hole  112  of the door. The mounting bracket  140  is placed over the spindle  160  with the stiffening flanges  135  away from the door surface. The elongated slots  150  in the mounting bracket  140  are aligned with the threaded holes in the mounting studs and the fasteners  170  are tightened to secure the first handle and the mounting bracket in place on opposite sides of the door  110 . The second door handle assembly  2  is placed on the inner side of the door, inserting the shaft member  190  into the hollow portion of spindle  180  of the lock mechanism  160 . The second door handle assembly  2  is then fixed to the mounting bracket  140  by means of fasteners  128  screwed through the aligned holes  126  in handle mount  120  and into internally threaded apertures  145 . 
   In another embodiment of the present invention, the door handle assembly comprises a handle mount  10  having an opening therethrough, a manually engageable handle rotatable about an axis aligned with the opening, and a positioning plate fixed relative to the handle escutcheon. The positioning plate has a plurality of locking regions defined by locking surfaces at predefined distances from the axis. A mounting stud is provided in the recess between the positioning plate and the inner planar surface of the handle mount  10 . The mounting stud has locking surfaces that are capable of being engaged with the locking surface of the positioning plate. The mounting stud is adjustable relative to the positioning plate and can be selectively fixed at any of the locking regions at a desired predetermined distance from the axis. 
   According to still another embodiment, there is provided a door latch assembly comprising first door handle assembly, a second door handle assembly and a locking mechanism. Each door handle assembly has a handle escutcheon having an opening therethrough and a manually engageable handle rotatable about an axis aligned with the axis of opening. The first door handle assembly has a positioning plate fixed to handle mount and plurality of pairs of locking regions, with the first pair of locking region being 1.5″ apart, the second pair of locking region being 1.75″ apart and the third pair of locking region being 3″ apart. In the recess between the positioning plate and inner surface of handle escutcheon  10 , a pair of mounting studs is provided which are internally threaded and are capable of being adjusted and fixed in any of the locking regions. Whereas the second door handle assembly encloses a slotted mounting bracket through which a pair of externally threaded cooperating fasteners extend. The fasteners can be adjusted in the slots of the mounting bracket to bring in alignment with the internally threaded mounting studs of the first door handle assembly and can be threadably engaged with each other, thereby interconnecting the two door handle assemblies. 
   As will be appreciated, various materials may be employed for the fabrication of the door handle assembly of the present invention. Most conveniently, the door handle assemblies are metal castings, which can be cast and can be decoratively textured or patterned on its surface. The springs used in the assembly are made of spring steel and the positioning plates and mounting brackets are fabricated from steel sheet. 
   Thus, it can be seen from the foregoing detailed description and the illustrative accompanying drawings that the door handle assembly of the present invention can be readily aligned with the existing holes in a door, irrespective of the standard spacing between the holes found on different doors. The handle can be conveniently and quickly installed on the door by installing two pair of fasteners, thereby obviating the need for skilled worker for drilling holes in a door.