1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a handle assembly for a lock.
2. Description of the Related Art
The outside handle of a conventional door lock could not be turned when in a locked state. However, the inner parts of the lock may be damaged after frequent turning of the outside handle in the locked state. U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,138 to the Applicant discloses a clutch mechanism for a lock in which the outside handle rotates freely when the lock is in a locked state so that damage to the inner parts of the lock is avoided.
More specifically, as illustrated in
However, it was found that, after the outside handle 31 and the outside spindle 41 had been turned freely through a pre-determined angle (typically 45 degrees or 60 degrees), further free rotation of the outside handle 31 was stopped by a lock housing comprised of an outside hub 33 and an inside hub 13, causing an impact to the outside handle 31 and the outside spindle 41. Hence, stress concentration occurs in the coupling area between the outside handle 31 and the outside spindle 41 that is relatively weak as compared to other parts of the lock, resulting in damage to or breakage of the outside spindle 41.
More specifically, referring to
Formation of the holes 410a and 410b weakens the outside spindle 41. Namely, the weakest portion of the outside spindle 41 is the place to which the engaging plate 48 is engaged. Hence, when the lock is in the locked state and when the outside handle 31 and the outside spindle 41 have been turned through a pre-determined angle, further rotational force applied to the outside handle 31 causes damage to and breakage of the outside spindle 41 at the weakest portion.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a reinforced handle assembly for a lock for preventing damage to the spindle resulting from a torque applied to a handle that has been turned through a pre-determined angle.
A lock in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle, a hub, a spindle rotatably mounted in the hub and coupled to the handle to turn therewith, and a transmission member fixed to the handle to turn therewith. The transmission member is stopped by the hub after the handle has been turned through an angle, transmitting a torque from the handle to the hub via the transmission member.
Thus, impact from the handle can be partly transmitted to the hub and then to a door on which the lock is mounted, instead of completely transmitted to the spindle. Damage to the spindle is thus less likely to occur.
Preferably, the transmission member is a ring mounted around the spindle.
Preferably, the handle comprises a shank with an inner periphery including a groove, and the ring comprises a protrusion engaged with the groove of the handle.
Preferably, a stop ring is fixed in the hub and mounted around the spindle. The stop ring comprises a restraining groove delimited by two end walls. The transmission member comprises a stop that is stopped by one of the end walls delimiting the restraining groove after the handle has been turned through the angle.
Preferably, the stop ring further comprises an engaging groove in an outer periphery thereof, and the hub comprises a protrusion on an inner periphery thereof for securely coupling with the engaging groove of the stop ring.
Preferably, the lock further comprises an elastic element for returning the handle.
Preferably, the handle is an outside handle, the hub is an outside hub, and with the spindle is an outside spindle.
Other objectives, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The inside handle assembly 1 comprises an inside handle 11 coupled to the inside spindle 2 to turn therewith. The inside spindle 2 is mounted in an inside hub 13. The outside handle assembly 3 comprises an outside handle 31. The outside transmission assembly 4 comprises an outside spindle 41 that is coupled to the outside handle 31 to turn therewith. An inner end of the outside spindle 41 is mounted in an outside hub 33. The inside hub 13 and the outside hub 33 together form a lock housing for receiving the latch mechanism 5. The latch mechanism 5 comprises a latch bolt 51 and a retractor 52 that is operably connected to the latch bolt 51 and that is movable between a latching position and an unlatching position.
Referring to
To solve this problem, the outside handle assembly 3 is reinforced to improve the strength between the outside handle 31 and the outside spindle 41.
Referring to
A stop ring 38 is mounted between the inner periphery of the end 331 of the inside hub 33 and the outer periphery of the outside spindle 41 and avoids undesired disengagement of the torsion spring 370. A retainer ring 39 is mounted around the outside spindle 41 to fix the longitudinal position of the stop ring 38. The stop ring 38 includes an engaging groove 381 in an outer periphery thereof for coupling with a protrusion 333 on the inner periphery of the outside hub 33, preventing the stop ring 38 from rotating relative to the outside hub 33. The stop ring 38 further comprises a restraining groove 382 in the outer periphery thereof, which will be described later.
A transmission member 6 is fixedly mounted to a front end of the shank 310 of the outside handle 31 to turn therewith. The transmission member 6 is substantially a ring having a longitudinal hole 61 so as to be mounted around the outside spindle 41. Further, the ring includes an inner side 63 facing the inside hub 33 and an outer side 62 facing the shank 310 of the outside handle 31, with an engaging portion 621 on the outer side 62 of the ring and with a stop 631 on the inner side 63 of the ring. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 621 is a protrusion for coupling with a groove 312 in the inner periphery of the shank 310 of the outside handle 31, allowing joint rotation of the outside handle 31 and the transmission member 6.
The stop 631 may be a protrusion projecting from the inner side 63 of the transmission member 6 and extending along the longitudinal direction of the outside spindle 41. After assembly, the transmission member 6 is mounted around the outside spindle 41 (
When either handle (e.g., the outside handle 31) is turned, the outside spindle 41 and the transmission member 6 are also turned until the stop 631 of the transmission member 6 is stopped by one of the end walls delimiting the restraining groove 382 of the stop ring 38 that is fixed on the outside hub 33, as shown in
In a case that the lock is in a locked state and a rotational force in the same direction is applied to the outside spindle 31 after the outside spindle 31 has been turned freely through the pre-determined angle to a position shown in
The stop 631 of the transmission member 6 can be restrained by the outside hub 33 via another arrangement other than the stop ring 38. Nevertheless, use of the stop ring 38 may cut the cost, as most of the elements of the lock can still be used without modification. In an alternative arrangement, the stop ring 38 may be omitted, and the stop 631 of the transmission member 6 is directly stopped by the outside hub 33.
The reinforced handle assembly in the illustrated embodiment is the outside handle assembly. In an alternative example, the reinforced handle assembly is the inside handle assembly. In this case, the transmission member 6 is fixed to a shank 110 of the inside handle 11 to turn therewith, and the impact from the inside handle 11 can be imparted to the inside hub 33 to avoid damage to the inside spindle 2. In another alternative example, the lock may comprises a reinforced inside handle assembly and a reinforced outside handle assembly.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications and variations are still possible without departing from the essence of the invention. The scope of the invention is limited by the accompanying claims.