Sliding door handle having an integral push button locking mechanism

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6709034
  • Patent Number
    6,709,034
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, July 10, 2002
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 23, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Sandy; Robert J.
    • Melwani; Dinesh N
Abstract
There is provided an improved sliding door handle assembly having a spring operated integral push button locking mechanism. Specifically, the improved sliding door handle assembly is comprised of a handle assembly including an upper handle section and a lower handle section, and a push button assembly. The upper handle section is recessed so as to incorporate the push button assembly and includes an opening for insertion of a cylindrical locking pin. The locking pin is spring-biased so as to move between a first position for locking the handle and a second position for unlocking the handle. The lower handle section is curved to facilitate gripping the door handle. The push button assembly includes a housing member and a push button member. The push button assembly has an opening to receive a push button member that is movable so as to engage and disengage the locking pin for locking and unlocking the handle.
Description




FIELD OF INVENTION




The present invention relates to an improved sliding door handle having an integral push button locking mechanism.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Sliding doors are often locked by complex locking mechanisms that comprise many internal moving parts and thus are subject to disrepair. Also, the frame of sliding doors are not of a sufficient size to receive large and secure locking mechanisms. Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism to lock sliding doors that is secure, ergonomically efficient, simple to use, and requires only a minimal number of internal moving parts to withstand everyday wear and tear.




It is an object of the present invention to provide a sliding door handle having an integrated push button locking mechanism that is secure, efficient, durable, and easy to use.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention provides an improved sliding door handle assembly having a spring operated integral push button locking mechanism. Specifically, the improved sliding door handle assembly is comprised of a handle assembly including an upper handle section and a lower handle section, and a push button assembly. The upper handle section is recessed so as to incorporate the push button assembly and includes an opening for insertion of a cylindrical locking pin. The locking pin is spring-biased so as to move between a first position for locking the handle and a second position for unlocking the handle. The lower handle section is curved to facilitate gripping the door handle.




The push button assembly includes a housing member and a push button member. The housing member has an opening to receive a push button member that is movable so as to engage and disengage the locking pin for locking and unlocking the handle.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of an improved sliding door handle, and sliding doors;





FIG. 2

is a cross sectional view of an improved sliding door handle;





FIG. 3

is a cross sectional view of an improved sliding door handle;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of an improved sliding door handle;





FIG. 5

is an exploded perspective view of an improved sliding door handle;





FIG. 6

is a cross sectional view of the push button assembly of the improved sliding door handle in an unlocked position; and





FIG. 7

is a cross sectional view of the push button assembly of the improved sliding door handle in a locked position.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT





FIGS. 1 through 7

show an improved sliding door handle


50


having a handle assembly


10


and push button assembly


40


.




The handle assembly


10


is comprised of an upper handle section


12


and a lower handle section


14


. The upper handle section


12


is recessed so as to incorporate push button assembly


40


. The upper handle section


12


includes a seat


13


for receiving the push button assembly


40


. The seat


13


has a shape complementary to that of the push button assembly


40


. The seat


13


further includes a first horizontal section


15


and a fist vertical section


17


. The first vertical section


17


has a retaining section


19


and a through-hole opening


20


for securing push button assembly


40


, as shown in

FIG. 5

The upper handle section


12


also includes two equidistant screw holes


16


and


18


vertically above and below through opening


20


for securing the push button assembly


40


to upper handle section


12


of handle assembly


10


.




Push button assembly


40


includes a cylindrical shaft


22


which fits into central hole


20


of upper handle section


12


. Shaft


22


is comprised of an outer section


22




a


which acts as a locking pin and an inner section


22




b


which is enclosed in push button assembly


40


. Spring


24


fits over inner section


22




b


and is compressible onto stop member


26


. Stop member


26


is comprised of an outer section


26




a


that surrounds outer section


22




a


of shaft


22


and an inner section


26




b


that surrounds inner section


22




b


of shaft


22


. The inner section


26




b


is integrally comprised of a vertical plate member


26




c


which is secured to upper handle section


12


by screws being inserted through holes


26




d


and


26




e


of plate member


26




c.






Lower handle section


14


curves out to facilitate the gripping of handle assembly


10


.




Push button assembly


40


is comprised of housing member


42


and push button housing


30


which includes a recess


30




b


for receiving locking member


40




f


. Housing member


42


is rectangularly shaped with an internal cavity


40




a


and screw holes


40




b


and


40




c


so as to secure push button assembly


40


to handle assembly


10


. Housing member


42


has an opening


40




d


to insert push button housing


30


. The top section


46


of housing member


42


, has a rectangular opening


48


which contains a vertically movable, rectangular button


40




e


which acts as the release for unlocking handle assembly


50


when depressed. Integral with rectangular button


40




e


and on the bottom portion


44


of opening


40




d


there is a vertically movable locking member


40




f


which moves upwardly to engage recess


30




b


. This activates the locking of handle assembly


50


when locking member


40




f


is in the upper position. Opening


40




g


is aligned with opening


40




d.






Push button housing


30


has a depression for receiving a person's thumb and is horizontally inserted into opening


40




d


of push button assembly


40


. Housing


30


contains an interior chamber


30




a


and locking slot


30




b


on its bottom section


32


which holds aforementioned locking member


40




f


when push button housing


30


is depressed, thus locking handle assembly


50


.




A latitude of modification, change, and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.



Claims
  • 1. An improved sliding door handle assembly having a spring operated integral push button locking mechanism, comprising:a) a handle assembly including an upper handle section and a lower handle section, and a push button assembly for use with a pair of sliding doors; b) said upper handle section including a seat for receiving said push button assembly; said seat having a shape complementary to that of said push button assembly; said seat further including a first horizontal section and first vertical section; said first vertical section having a retaining section and a first through-hole opening for securing said push button assembly; c) a cylindrical locking pin for insertion into said first through-hole opening; d) said locking pin being spring-biased to a locking position for locking of said handle assembly and an unlocking position for unlocking of said handle assembly; e) said lower handle section being curved to facilitate gripping said door handle; f) said push button assembly including a push button housing and a push button member; g) said push button assembly having a second through-hole opening for receiving said push button member therethrough and having a locking member for engaging said push button housing; h) said push button assembly having a recess for receiving said locking member and said locking member being vertically movable between said locking position and said unlocking position; and i) said locking member having a third through-hole opening; said locking member through-hole opening for receiving said push button member therethrough in said unlocking position for unlocking of said handle assembly.
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