Casement patent

A casement operator crank comprising:

• a base member configured to connect to a casement operator;
• a handle having a main body portion defining an internal cavity, the main body portion pivotally connected to the base member for rotation about a handle axis between an open orientation and a closed orientation;
• a hinged detent pivotally engaged with the base member for rotation about a detent axis between a first orientation relative to the main body portion and a second orientation relative to the main body portion, the hinged detent being in the first orientation when the main body portion is in the open orientation, the hinged detent being in the second orientation when the main body portion is in the closed orientation, the hinged detent having a neutral orientation through which the hinged detent passes as it transitions between the first and second orientations;
• a resilient biasing member acting between the hinged detent and the handle, the resilient biasing member and hinged detent acting to:
• a) generate torque on the main body portion in a first direction about the handle axis biasing the main body portion toward the open orientation when the hinged detent is offset from the neutral orientation towards the first orientation;
• and
• b) generate torque on the main body portion in a second direction about the handle axis biasing the main body portion toward the closed orientation when the hinged detent is offset from the neutral orientation towards the second orientation.