EP2100538A1

EP2100538A1 - Handle with exchangeable cover

Info

Publication number: EP2100538A1
Application number: EP09154600A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andrea Giusti
Original assignee: Giusti SpA
Current assignee: Giusti SpA
Priority date: 2008-03-10
Filing date: 2009-03-09
Publication date: 2009-09-16
Also published as: ITVR20080031A1

Abstract

A handle (10), in particular a handle for application to furniture or for similar applications used in the funerary sector, fitted with a quick-fit partial or total back screw cover on the back part of the handle, where the handle (10) has a back groove (11) in which the partial or total back screw cover (13) is inserted and in which the cover (13) remains fixed to the handle by means of magnetic elements or similar.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a handle and in particular to a handle for application to furniture or similar applications in the funerary sector whose advantageous feature is that it has a quick-fit partial or total back screw cover.
In particular the present invention refers to a handle whose partial or total back screw cover is fixed to the handle body by a system of magnets made from neodymium/cadmium/boron or other magnetic materials with a high magnetic power.
This retaining system enables immediate attachment with the maximum ease and precision because the magnets attract the other magnets which have opposite poles and attach themselves precisely and perpendicularly to the seats in which they are inserted.
In addition, this attachment system enables the removal of the partial or total back screw cover without limits and without causing any damage to the cover itself.
The magnetic power must of course be considerably greater than the gravitational weight of the cover in order to prevent any detachment.
The present invention relates to the sector for handles and gripping elements applied to items of furniture, doors, shutters and surfaces also in those cases where the handles act as a decorative element. In particular the present invention relates to the sector for handles made from metallic materials, such as zamak, but also from plastic and similar materials and also to the sector for handles applied and used in the funerary sector.

BACKGROUND ART

Known technology in the furniture industry and in related sectors such as that for funerary articles includes the use of handles made from various materials.
Existing technology also generally includes handles, moulded from metallic, plastic or similar materials comprising a long, generally arc-shaped body which is secured by screw fasteners at its two ends to the base support.
Handles are fixed to their base supports using securing elements of the screw fastener type inserted in seats made for this purpose on the two ends or on the front or on other parts of the handle.
One problem of traditional securing systems is that the screws, or at least the heads of the screws, inserted in seats on the front of the handles remain visible thereby reducing the aesthetic appeal and appearance of the object.
The screw cover inserts are made with a metal pin as the securing element to be inserted in a corresponding seat in the handle. Other fastening systems are used in other cases but all systems share the same problem in that they are difficult to apply.
Specialists in the handle sector have shown much interest in a solution which they believe is also attractive to customers. The solution involves using partial or total back covers which cover part or all of the back of the handle suitably provided with a partial or total lengthways seat.
However, in this case difficulties have always been encountered with the attachment of the back covers and a solution has not yet been found to the problems and technical difficulties related to fixing.
In practice these problems have prevented the development of these applications. Today back covers for furniture or for special uses such as those applicable to funerary design still suffer from the drawbacks that they are difficult to use and are impossible to insert and secure correctly in their seats.
Users in the funerary sector require a rapid, fail-safe method for assembling back covers which does not require tools and which above all does not damage the surface finish of the handles in applications where appearance is of primary importance.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a quick-fit partial or total back screw cover for metallic, plastic or similar handles which is designed to eliminate or at least to reduce the drawbacks described above.
The present invention also proposes a partial or total back screw cover provided with fastening means which ensure fast and easy attachment of the cover and at the same time ensure a secure fixing.
This is achieved by a fastening system for the back screw covers of handles or similar with the characteristics described in the main claim.
The dependent claims of the present invention describe advantageous embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of an example embodiment which follows with reference to the annexed drawings, given purely by way of a non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic rear view of a handle to which a partial or total back screw cover according to the present invention can be applied.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the cover fitted with magnetic ends for fixing it to the handle.
Figure 3 is a view of the handle and the fastening seat for the cover.
Figure 4 is a view of the cover seen from above.
Figure 5 is a view of the handle seen from above and designed to receive the partial or total back screw cover shown in Figure 4.
Figures 6 to 8 show views of a possible embodiment with additional retaining elements and/or a guide for the partial or total back screw cover positioned in the central or other zone of the handles and designed to provide a greater securing action and to ensure perpendicularity with the handle support surface during application and removal of the cover.
Figures 9 and 10 show the use of handles where the screw covers comprise partial inserts or similar.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT

With reference to the annexed drawings, the numeral 10 indicates an entire handle made from a metallic material, such as zamak, from aluminium and also from plastic or other materials of any type, where the handle is generally arc shaped but can also have a substantially linear or other shape.
The back part of the handle 10 has a groove 11, which can be partial or total, which terminates at the two ends with recesses 12 at the zones for fixing the handle to the surface where these zones are to be hidden by the screw covers.
The back groove 11 is closed by a partial or total back screw cover 13 whose characteristic is that it is held in the application seat by magnetic elements 14 positioned at the two ends.
The back cover 13 is inserted in flush stop seats 15 made on the edges of the groove 11 in the handle where it rests and is secured with maximum precision and where it is secured firmly in this position so that it cannot slide out when the handle is gripped by hand.
The recesses 12 in the handle have locations for fixing magnetic elements 16 designed to attract with opposite polarity the magnetic elements 14 on the cover 13.
Clearly, the magnetic elements can be applied to the handle and the covers in any position as required.
Advantageously, the central position of the handle or other positions considered to be suitable can be fitted with additional stop elements, perpendicular anti-twist guides comprising one or more guide walls 17 positioned on the handle body and one or more intermediate guide walls 18 positioned on the inside of the back cover. These guide walls are designed to firmly hold the back cover in position and to prevent it from sliding out due to twisting when the handle is gripped or manipulated. The guide walls 17 and 18 can be of any number and can be located in any position.
In other words, the additional anti-twist stop elements can be applied in any number and in any position on the handle and on the covers.
In effect, these guide walls 17 and 18 ensure that the back cover can only be removed in a direction perpendicular to its base.
The same system is applied to small covers or partial or total covers where the system creates the conditions whereby the cover can only be removed in a direction perpendicular to its base and cannot slide out when subject to sideways forces.
Here it should be noted that the covers can be of any shape including that of the body on which they rest and are fixed and can also comprise the conventional or more traditional screw cover elements with double or multiple inserts held in position with the same method on the back part of the handle.
The example embodiment in Figures 9 and 10 show an example embodiment where the screw cover inserts 19 are designed to be inserted in their recessed seats 20.
Finally, it should be noted that the magnets 14 located on the cover are applied to raised blocks 21 with walls which rest against the walls 22, shown in Figures 5, 7 and 8, present in the seats 12 of the handle, thereby providing additional stops designed to ensure that the covers are inserted perpendicular to the support surface of the handle.
Figures 9 and 10 also show that the inserts 19 have walls 23 and 24 which are inserted in the seats 20 of the handle thereby ensuring in this case also that perpendicularity is maintained during fitting and removal operations and that the part is held correctly in position during use.
The invention as described above refers to a preferred embodiment. Naturally, while the principle of the invention remains the same, the details of construction and the embodiments may widely vary with respect to what has been described and illustrated purely by way of the example, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

A handle, in particular a handle for application to furniture or for similar applications used in the funerary sector, fitted with a quick-fit partial or total back screw cover on the back part of the handle (10) where the handle has a back groove (11) in which the partial or total back screw cover (13) is inserted, characterised in that the cover (13) remains fixed to the handle by means of magnetic elements (14) or similar.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to the foregoing claim, characterised in that the back cover (13) is inserted in flush stop seats (15) made on the edges of the groove (11) in the handle, where it rests and is secured with maximum precision and where it is secured firmly in this position so that it cannot slide out when the handle is gripped by hand.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that there are recesses (12) in the handle for fixing additional magnetic elements (16) designed to attract with opposite polarity the magnetic elements (14) on the cover (13).
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the zones for applying the magnets to the handle and to the covers can be in any position as required.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the central position of the handle or other positions considered to be suitable can be fitted with additional stop elements, perpendicular anti-twist guides comprising one or more guide walls (17) positioned on the handle body and one or more intermediate guide walls (18) positioned on the inside of the back cover.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the guide walls (17, 18) can be of any number and can be located in any position.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the guide walls (17, 18) are designed to firmly hold the back cover in position and to prevent it from sliding out due to twisting when the handle is gripped or manipulated.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that additional anti-twist stop elements can be applied in any number and in any position on the handle and on the covers.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that these guide walls (17, 18) ensure that the back cover can only be removed in a direction perpendicular to its base.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that small covers or partial or total screw covers can employ the same system where the system creates the conditions whereby the cover can only be removed in a direction perpendicular to its base and cannot slide out when subject to sideways forces.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that that the covers can be of any shape including that of the body on which they rest and are fixed and can also comprise the conventional or more traditional screw cover elements with double or multiple inserts held in position with the same method on the back part of the handle.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the screw cover inserts (19) are designed to be inserted in their recessed seats (20).
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the magnets (14) located on the cover are applied to raised blocks (21) with walls which rest against the walls (22) present in the seats (12) of the handle.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the inserts (19) have walls (23, 24) which are inserted in the seats (20) of the handle thereby ensuring in this case also that perpendicularity is maintained during fitting and removal operations and that the part is held correctly in position during use.
The handle for fitting to furniture or similar according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that there are additional stops designed to ensure that the covers are inserted perpendicular to the support surface of the handle.