Child-resistant door handle
AssigneeSchlage Lock Company LLC
InventorsDrake Lunday, Nathanael Taylor, Paul J. Meisel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary handle assembly including a handle and a coupling mechanism. The handle includes a shank and a manually graspable portion extending from the shank. The coupling mechanism includes a coupling member and a cam sleeve. The coupling member is mounted to the shank for movement between a coupling position and a decoupling position. The cam sleeve is movably mounted to the shank and covers the coupling member. A radially-inner portion of the cam sleeve includes a cam surface operable to engage the coupling member. The cam surface is configured to drive the coupling member from the decoupling position to the coupling position as the cam sleeve is displaced from a home position to a displaced position.
Claims26
A handle assembly, comprising:
- a handle comprising a shank and a manually graspable portion extending from the shank;
- and
- a coupling mechanism, comprising:
- at least one coupling member mounted to the shank for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the at least one coupling member projects beyond a radially-inner surface of the shank when in the first position;
- and
- a cam sleeve movably mounted to the shank and covering the at least one coupling member, a radially-inner portion of the cam sleeve including at least one cam surface operable to engage the at least one coupling member, wherein the at least one cam surface is configured to drive the at least one coupling member from the second position to the first position as the cam sleeve is displaced from a home position to a displaced position;
- and
- a spring engaged between the handle and the cam sleeve, wherein the spring urges the cam sleeve toward the home position when the cam sleeve is in the displaced position.
A handleset, comprising:
- a housing configured for mounting to a door;
- a support spindle rotatably mounted to the housing and biased toward a support spindle home position;
- a drive spindle rotatably mounted to the housing, wherein the support spindle and the drive spindle are rotatable relative to one another;
- a handle mounted to the support spindle;
- and
- a coupling mechanism operable to selectively couple the handle with the drive spindle, the coupling mechanism comprising:
- a coupling member movably mounted to the handle, the coupling member having a coupling position in which the coupling member rotationally couples the handle with the drive spindle, the coupling member having a decoupling position in which the handle is rotatable relative to the drive spindle;
- and
- a cam sleeve movably mounted to the handle for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the cam sleeve is configured to retain the coupling member in the coupling position when in the first position, and to permit the coupling member to move toward the decoupling position when in the second position;
- and
- a bias mechanism biasing the cam sleeve toward the first position.
A handle assembly, comprising:
- a shank extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the shank comprises a central opening and a pair of radial apertures communicating with the central opening;
- a manually graspable portion coupled with the shank;
- a pair of coupling members slidably seated in the pair of radial apertures for movement between a radially-inward first position and a radially-outward second position;
- a cam sleeve movably mounted to the shank and comprising a pair of recesses operable to partially receive the pair of coupling members, wherein the cam sleeve has a home position in which the recesses are aligned with the coupling members to permit the coupling members to move from the radially-inward first position to the radially-outward second position, and wherein the cam sleeve has a displaced position in which the recesses are misaligned with the pair of coupling members and the cam sleeve retains the coupling members in the radially-inward first position;
- and
- a spring urging the cam sleeve toward the home position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.