Patent Application
20050156439
The present invention generally relates to door handles, and particularly to door handles that are attachable to pre-fabricated doors.
Doors are often manufactured for use with particular handle hardware in mind. These doors can be manufactured to receive standard door handle hardware without adjustment. Likewise, replacement hardware for existing doors can be easily installed if the door and the hardware are manufactured using common standard dimensions. Alternatively, new versions of worn-out hardware can be used to replace the old or worn hardware to assure a proper fit.
However, as is often the case, new door handle hardware is not sized to match previous hardware, or holes drilled in the door are inaccurately positioned making the installation of the door handle hardware difficult.
The present invention generally provides a door handle assembly attachable to a door. The door handle assembly includes a handle coupled to the door and a latch bolt coupled to the handle and movable along a latch bolt axis between an extended position and a retracted position. An attachment member defines an attachment axis. The attachment member is movable relative to the handle between a first position and a second position.
In another construction, the present invention generally provides a door including a panel portion defining a first surface, a second surface, a first aperture, and a second aperture. A closing mechanism is at least partially disposed within the first aperture. The closing mechanism includes a latch bolt movable along a latch bolt axis. A first cover is disposed adjacent the first surface and is positioned to at least partially cover the first aperture. A second cover is disposed adjacent the second surface and is positioned to at least partially cover the first aperture. A mounting assembly is coupled to the first cover and includes an attachment member. The attachment member is movable along an adjustment axis to align the attachment member with the second aperture.
In yet another construction, the present invention generally provides a method of mounting a door handle assembly to a door including a first aperture and a second aperture. The method includes the steps of positioning a closing mechanism at least partially within the first aperture and covering the first aperture with a first cover and a second cover. The method also includes coupling the first cover, the second cover, and the closing mechanism to the door and coupling an adjustable mounting assembly to the first cover. The method further includes adjusting the position of the adjustable mounting assembly to align the adjustable mounting assembly with the second aperture.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “having”, “including”, and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The use of letters to identify elements of a method or process is simply for identification and is not meant to indicate that the elements should be performed in a particular order.
Turning to
The closing mechanism 40 includes a latch bolt 90 that moves along a latch axis 95 between an open position and a closed position. When in the closed position, the latch bolt 90 can engage an aperture in a door frame to maintain the door 10 in a closed position. The first handle 50 and the second handle 55 are mechanically coupled to the closing mechanism 40 to facilitate movement of the latch bolt 90. In the illustrated construction, the first handle 50 includes a thumb actuator 100 that, when actuated, moves the latch bolt 90 to the open position. The second handle 55 includes a lever 105 that is pivoted by the user to move the latch bolt 90 between the opened and the closed position. In the illustrated construction, the second handle 55 and the lever 105 are integrated into a single component. Other constructions may include a lever that attaches to the handle 55. While the present construction illustrates different handle types on the two sides of the door 10, there is no requirement that the handle types be different. In addition, other types of handles (e.g., doorknobs, pull levers, push bars, and the like) may be used with the present invention. Furthermore, in some constructions, the closing mechanism 40 may include a locking mechanism that allows a user to lock the door 10.
The first cover 60 and the second cover 65 are positioned to cover the dead bolt assembly 35 and the closing mechanism 40 after they are installed in the door 10. A first attachment member 110 passes through or partially through the door to interconnect the first cover 60, the second cover 65, and the door 10. In preferred constructions, the first attachment member 110 includes one or more screws 115 that are positioned substantially perpendicular to the latch axis 95. The screws 115 are generally parallel to an attachment axis 117 that is generally perpendicular to the latch axis 95. The screws pass through the covers and thread into the door to hold the covers in place. In addition to the screws 115, a first set of connectors (e.g., bolts, screws, and the like) connect the first cover 60 to the closing mechanism 40 and a second set of connectors connect the second cover 65 to the closing mechanism 40.
The first handle 50 includes a pull member 120 disposed below the thumb actuator 100. The pull member 120 is shaped to allow a user to grasp the pull member 120 and pull open the door 10. One end of the pull member 120 attaches to the first cover 60 and the opposite end attaches to the mounting assembly 45. The mounting assembly 45 attaches to the door 10 to complete the connection between the door 10 and the door handle assembly 30.
The mounting assembly 45, best illustrated in
The base 130, illustrated in
The slider 135 illustrated in
To attach the door handle assembly 30 to the door 10, the user first forms the necessary holes or apertures 25 in the door 10. As discussed, some doors 10 are manufactured with the necessary holes 25, while others require the placement of the holes 25 by the end user. For the handle assembly 30 illustrated herein, three holes 25 in the door 10 are required. Of course other types of handle assemblies may require more than three holes 25 or less than three holes 25 to properly attach to the door 10.
The deadbolt assembly 35 and the closing mechanism 40 are positioned at least partially within two of the holes 25 such that the dead bolt spindle 70 and latch bolt 90 may move in and out of the side surface of the door 10. With the deadbolt assembly 35 and closing mechanism 40 in place, the handles 50, 55 and covers 60, 65 can be attached to the door 10. In the illustrated construction, the screws 115 that attach the covers 60, 65 to the door 10 extend at least part way through the second cover 65 and the door 10 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the dead bolt spindle 70 and the latch bolt 90. The screws 115 may engage the closing mechanism 40 before threadably engaging the first cover 60.
The slider 135 is installed in the slot 170 and is adjusted such that it aligns with the remaining aperture 25 in the door 10. The slider 135 is substantially free to move along the adjustment axis 190, which is substantially perpendicular to the latch axis 95 and to the mounting screws 115. With the slider 135 positioned as desired, the bolt 145 engages the slider 135 and is tightened to complete the attachment of the handle assembly 30 to the door 10.
Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims.
