Patent Application
20060006664
Door handles, such as those used on vehicles, including ingress and egress doors as well as compartment doors, such as on an RV, typically include a housing with a paddle pivotally mounted on the housing, and a pivot plate pivotally mounted on the rear of the housing for actuation by the paddle. A plunger is mounted on the housing for movement between a normally extended position to hold the door closed and a retracted position to allow opening of the door. Actuation of the handle causes the pivot plate to slide the plunger from the extended position to the retracted position. The frame surrounding the door handle typically includes a striker plate or surface which is struck by a beveled edge on the plunger as the door moves from the opened position to the closed position, with the plunger extending into a recess or behind the striker plate to retain the door in the closed position.
Prior art plungers have a one-piece construction, and have been made of both metal and plastic. A metal plunger has increased friction, which increases the release efforts required to open the door. Also, a metal plunger has increased wear with the pivot plate, which is normally made of steel, so that the plunger has a reduced life expectancy. In comparison, a plastic plunger has a reduced coefficient of friction, as compared to a metal plunger, so as to minimize the release efforts required to open the door, but has poor wear caused by repeated engagement with the striker plate so as to reduce the life of the plastic plunger.
Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved plunger assembly for a door handle which has reduced friction and increased life.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a composite plunger for a door handle which reduces release efforts and increases wear.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved door handle having a metal plunger with a plastic link.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved plunger assembly with a plunger made from a wear-resistant material and a link made from a low-coefficient of friction material.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved plunger assembly for a door handle which is economical to manufacture and durable in use.
The composite plunger assembly of the present invention provides an improved door handle. The assembly includes a metal plunger and a plastic link. The plunger includes a recess to receive a finger on the link such that the plunger and link are connected for movement between an extended position and a retracted position. The link includes a recess defining a shoulder for engagement by a pivot plate on the door handle. Actuation of the door handle pivots the plate so as to slide the link and plunger assembly to a retracted position from the normally biased extended position. The plastic link provides for reduced friction between the link and the housing, thereby minimizing the release effort required by a user of the handle. The plastic link also provides increased wear resistance between the pivot plate and the link for longer life and reduced effort. The metallic plunger has a hardness which minimizes wear when engaging the striker plate in the frame surrounding the door in which the handle is mounted.
A pivot plate 20 is pivotally mounted on the rear of the housing 14. The paddle 16 engages and drives a pivot arm 22 on an axle (not shown). The axle extends through a hole in the housing 14 so that the arm 22 engages a first arm 24 on the pivot plate 20.
The present invention is directed towards the plunger assembly 12. As seen in
The plunger assembly 12 has a composite construction of a metallic plunger 26 and a plastic link 28. The plunger 26 is preferably made of zinc. The metallic plunger 26 has a hardness which provides wear-resistance to the repeated engagement with a striker plate or frame surrounding the door. The plastic link 28 provides for reduced friction, which reduces the release effort required by a person actuating the paddle 16. Also, the plastic material of the link 28 minimizes wear from engagement with the second arm 38 of the pivot plate 20. Therefore, the overall life of the plunger assembly 12 is extended. The plunger assembly 12 is biased to the extended position by a spring 39 mounted in the rear end of the plunger tunnel 18, and as seen in
The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.
