Door latch assembly

A door latch assembly for unlatching and opening a door in one motion, said door latch assembly comprising:

• a housing adapted to be mounted on such door;
• a handle mounted on said housing and being movable;
• a cam link having a cam driving surface, said cam link being operatively connected to said handle, movement of said handle causing linear motion of said cam link;
• a dish rotatably mounted on said housing, said dish having a cam surface, said cam driving surface of said cam link being operatively connected to said cam surface of said dish such that linear motion of said cam link causes rotational motion of said dish;
• and,
• a latch connecting structure operatively connected to said dish and adapted to be connected to a latch such that rotation of said dish will cause latch actuating motion of the connecting structure.

A door latch assembly for unlatching and opening a door in one motion, said door latch assembly comprising:

• a housing adapted to be mounted on said door;
• a handle pivotally mounted on said housing for pivoting about an axis oriented such that when the assembly is mounted and in use the axis is approximately perpendicular to the direction such door opens;
• a cam driver fixed to said handle, said cam driver having a cam surface, pivotal action of said handle driving said cam surface of said cam driver;
• a cam link operatively connectd with the cam surface of said cam driver so that pivotal motion of said handle causes linear motion of said cam link;
• a dish rotatably mounted on said housing, said dish having a cam surface, said cam link being operatively connected to said cam surface of said dish such that linear motion of said cam link causes rotational motion of said dish;
• and,
• a latch connecting structure operativley connected to said dish such that rotation of said dish will cause latch actuating motion of the connecting structure.

A handle assembly comprising:

• a housing adapted to be mounted on a door;
• a handle pivotably mounted on said housing;
• a cam driver fixed to said handle, said cam driver having a cam surface, pivotal action of said handle driving said cam surface of said cam driver;
• a cam link operatively connected with the cam surface of said cam driver so that pivotal motion of said handle causes linear motion of said cam link;
• and
• a dish rotatably mounted on said housing, said dish having a cam surface, said cam link operatively connected to said cam surface of said dish, linear motion of said cam link causing rotational motion of said dish.

A handle assembly for use in an overhead garage door or the like comprising:

• (a) a molded housing having a main body including peripheral side walls and adapted to be disposed in an opening in a door, the housing including a peripheral lip projecting laterally outwardly of the side walls and adapted to overlie a portion of such door and surround such door opening whereby to obscure the opening and form an essentially fluid tight seal between the housing and a connected door;
• (b) a handle including a gripping portion and a spaced pair of reinforcing flanges projecting from the gripping portion;
• (c) a pivot means interposed between the flanges and the housing and connecting the handle and housing together in relatively pivotal relationship, the housing having an outwardly exposed recess and the handle being disposed in that recess;
• (d) a rotatable dish journaled on the housing and projecting rearwardly from the housing;
• (e) a camming mechanism interposed between the handle and the dish and operative to cause dish rotation when the handle is pivoted from a normal position recessed in the housing to a door unlatching and opening position;
• (f) biasing means biasing the dish and the handle toward their normal positions and into their normal positions at times other than when the handle is pivoted to its door unlatching and opening position;
• and
• (g) a latch actuating mechanism forming a part of the assembly and adapted to interconnect the dish with a door latching mechanism and to transmit dish rotation produced door unlatching forces from the assembly to such door latching mechanism.

A handle assembly for use in an overhead garage door or the like comprising:

• (a) a molded, generally rectangular, housing having a main body including peripheral side walls, the housing being adapted to be disposed in a generally rectangular openino in a door, the housing including a peripheral lip projecting laterally outwardly of the side walls to overlie a portion of the door and surround such a door opening whereby to obscure the opening and provide an essentially fluid tight seal between the housing and a connected door
• (b) a handle including a gripping portion and a spaced pair of reinforcing apertured flanges projecting from the gripping portion;
• (c) a pivot projecting through flange apertures and connected to the housing for connecting the handle and housing together in relatively pivotal relationship, the housing having an outwardly exposed recess and the handle being disposed in that recess;
• (d) a rotatable dish journaled in the housing and projecting rearwardly from the housing;
• (e) a camming mechanism interposed between the handle and the dish including a lineally movable link to cause dish rotation when the handle is pivoted from a normal position recessed in the housing to a door unlatching and elevating position;
• (f) a spring biasing the dish and the handle toward their normal positions and into their normal positions at times other than when the handle is pivoted to its door unlatching and elevating position;
• (g) latch actuating cables connected to the dish, the cables being adapted to interconnect the dish with a door latching mechanism and to transmit dish rotation produced door unlatching forces from the assembly to such door latching mechanism;
• (h) a lock carried by the housing;
• (i) a lock bolt adapted to project into a dish recess in a locking position preventing dish rotation, the lock bolt being operably connected to the lock for lock induced movement from its locking position to an unlocked position;
• and,
• (j) an apertured back plate around the dish and connected to the housing, the back plate including another peripheral lip projecting laterally outwardly of the side walls also to overlie a portion of such a connected door and obscure a door aperture, the back plate and housing coacting to retain the other components of the assembly in their assembled positions.

A handle assembly comprising:

• a housing adapted to be mounted on a door;
• a handle pivotally mounted on said housing;
• a cam driver fixed to said handle, said cam driver having a cam surface, pivotal action of said handle driving said cam surface of said cam driver;
• a cam link operatively connected with the cam surface of said cam driver so that pivotal motion of said handle causes linear motion of said cam link, said cam link having an extension arm;
• and
• a dish rotatably mounted on said housing, said dish having a cam surface and a recessed receiving portion, said cam link operatively connected to said cam surface of said dish, said extension arm of said cam link engaged in said recessed receiving portion of said dish, linear motion of said cam link causing rotational motion of said dish.

In combination an overhead garage door and a handle assembly, the assembly comprising:

• (a) a housing having a main body including side walls disposed in an opening in the door, the housing including a lip projecting laterally overlying a portion of the door opening and partially obscuring the opening and forming a seal between the housing and the door;
• (b) a handle including a gripping portion;
• (c) a pivot means connecting the handle and housing together in relatively pivotal relationship, the housing having an outwardly exposed recess and the handle being disposed in that recess and accessible from one side of the door;
• (d) a rotatable structure journaled on the housing and projecting from the housing oppositely from another side of the door, the rotatable structure being rotatable about an axis which is generally perpendicular to such door;
• (e) a mechanism interposed between the handle and the structure and operative to cause structure rotation when the handle is pivoted from a normal position recessed in the housing to a door unlatching and opening position;
• (f) biasing means biasing the structure and the handle toward their normal positions and into their normal positions at imes other than when the handle is pivoted toward, into or from its door unlatching and opening position;
• (g) a latch actuating mechanism forming a part of the assembly and adapted to interconnect the structure with a door latching mechanism and to transmit structure rotation produced door unlatching forces from the assembly to such door latching mechanism;
• and
• (h) the pivot means being located such that continued application of force to move the handle from its normal to its unlatching and opening position will apply opening forces to the door.