U.S. patent application number 09/755491 was filed with the patent office on 2002-02-14 for handle assembly having lock mechanism.
This patent application is currently assigned to Delta Electronics, Inc.. Invention is credited to An, Liu His, Huw-Ching, Fuh.
Application Number | 20020017840 09/755491 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21671140 |
Filed Date | 2002-02-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020017840 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huw-Ching, Fuh ; et
al. |
February 14, 2002 |
Handle assembly having lock mechanism
Abstract
A handle assembly having a lock mechanism is disclosed. The
handle assembly includes a handle grip member movably coupled to
the casing for receiving a first external force and a second
external force, and a lock mechanism installed in the casing and
coupled with the handle grip member for locking the handle grip
member when the handle grip member receives the first external
force and unlocking the handle grip member when the handle grip
member receives the second external force.
Inventors: |
Huw-Ching, Fuh; (Taoyuan
Shien, TW) ; An, Liu His; (Taoyuan Shien,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HAVERSTOCK & OWENS LLP
260 SHERIDAN AVENUE, #420
PALO ALTO
CA
94306
US
|
Assignee: |
Delta Electronics, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
21671140 |
Appl. No.: |
09/755491 |
Filed: |
January 4, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/348.6 ;
312/223.1; 361/727 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B 65/46 20130101;
E05C 1/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/348.6 ;
312/223.1; 361/727 |
International
Class: |
A47B 095/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 1, 2000 |
TW |
089213325 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A handle assembly for using in an appliance, wherein said
appliance has a casing, comprising: a handle grip member movably
coupled to said casing for receiving a first external force and a
second external force; and a lock mechanism installed in said
casing and coupled with said handle grip member for locking said
handle grip member when said handle grip member receives said first
external force and unlocking said handle grip member when said
handle grip member receives said second external force.
2. The handle assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lock
mechanism comprises: a first spring disposed in said casing for
extension and compression responding to said first external force
and said external second force; a second spring disposed in said
casing for extension and compression responding to said first
external force and said external second force; a supporting member
having a slot thereon and positioned in said casing; a sliding
member having one end coupled to said handle grip member and
slidably disposed adjacent to said first spring in said casing for
sliding and lodging in said slot of said supporting member when
said handle grip member receives said first external force and for
leaving said slot of said supporting member when said handle grip
member receives said second external force; and an engaging member
having a cylinder mounted thereon and positioned between said
second spring and said sliding member in said casing for engaging
with said second spring and said sliding member.
3. The handle assembly according to claim 2, wherein said sliding
member has a receptacle thereon for engaging with said cylinder
mounted on said engaging member.
4. The handle assembly according to claim 2, wherein said engaging
member further has a protruding portion which can project from an
aperture in the bottom of said casing for completely locking said
handle grip member when said handle grip member receives said first
external force and draw away from said aperture of said casing for
completely unlocking said handle grip member when said handle grip
member receives said second external force.
5. A lock mechanism, adapted to be used in an appliance having a
casing, to be coupled with an article movably coupled to said
casing for locking said article when said article receives a first
external force and unlocking said article when said article
receives a second external force, comprising: a first spring for
extension and compression responding to said first external force
and said second external force; a second spring for extension and
compression responding to said first external force and said second
external force; a supporting member having a slot thereon; a
sliding member having one end coupled to said article and slidably
disposed adjacent to said first spring for sliding and lodging in
said slot of said supporting member when said article receives said
first external force and for leaving said slot of said supporting
member when said article receives said second external force; and
an engaging member having a cylinder mounted thereon and positioned
between said second spring and said sliding member for engaging
with said second spring and said sliding member.
6. The lock mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said sliding
member has a receptacle thereon for engaging with said cylinder
mounted on said engaging member.
7. The lock mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said engaging
member further has a protruding portion which can project from an
aperture of said article for completely locking said article when
said article receives said first external force and draw away from
said aperture of said article for completely unlocking said article
when said article receives said second external force.
8. The lock mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said article is
a handle grip.
9. An appliance assembly, comprising: a casing having an aperture
thereon; a handle grip member movably coupled to said casing for
receiving a first external force and a second external force; and a
lock mechanism installed in said casing and coupled with said
handle grip member for locking said handle grip member when said
handle grip member receives said first external force and unlocking
said handle grip member when said handle grip member receives said
second external force.
10. The appliance assembly according to claim 9, wherein said lock
mechanism comprises: a first spring disposed in said casing for
extension and compression responding to said first external force
and said second external force; a second spring disposed in said
casing for extension and compression responding to said first
external force and said external second force; a supporting member
having a slot thereon and positioned in said casing; a sliding
member having one end coupled to said handle grip member and
slidably disposed adjacent to said first spring in said casing for
sliding and lodging in said slot of said supporting member when
said handle grip member receives said first external force and for
leaving said slot of said supporting member when said handle grip
member receives said second external force; and an engaging member
having a cylinder mounted thereon and positioned between said
second spring and said sliding member in said casing for engaging
with said second spring and said sliding member.
11. The appliance assembly according to claim 10, wherein said
sliding member has a receptacle thereon for engaging with said
cylinder mounted on said engaging member.
12. The appliance assembly according to claim 10, wherein said
engaging member further has a protruding portion which can project
from said aperture of said casing for completely locking said
handle grip member when said handle grip member receives said first
external force and draw away from said aperture of said casing for
completely unlocking said handle grip member when said handle grip
member receives said second external force.
13. The appliance assembly according to claim 9, wherein said
aperture is in the bottom of said casing.
14. The appliance assembly according to claim 9 is a retractable
power module.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a handle assembly, and more
particularly to a handle assembly including a lock mechanism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The design of a handle assembly applied to a retractable
appliance is needed to facilitate the appliance pulled out of an
equipment assembly. The schematic view of a traditional handle
assembly coupled to an appliance is shown in FIG. 1. The handle
grip member 11 is affixed directly to the panel 12 of the appliance
13 by screws, and the handle grip member 11 is not movable. In
addition, the appliance 13 is affixed to the equipment assembly by
screws. For example, the equipment assembly is a system frame when
the appliance 13 is a power module. There are some drawbacks in the
previous handle assembly coupled to an appliance. One of the
drawbacks is that the panel 12 and the appliance 13 are applied
external force indirectly, so it requires strenuous effort to pull
the appliance 13 out of the equipment assembly, and another
drawback is that the screws affixing the appliance 13 to the
equipment assembly should be removed before pulling the appliance
13 out of the equipment assembly.
[0003] In order to overcome the drawbacks described above in the
prior art, the present invention provides a handle apparatus
including a lock mechanism.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a handle assembly adapted to be used in an appliance,
wherein the appliance has a casing.
[0005] The handle assembly includes a handle grip member movably
coupled to the casing for receiving a first external force and a
second external force, and a lock mechanism installed in the casing
and coupled with the handle grip member for locking the handle grip
member when the handle grip member receives the first external
force and unlocking the handle grip member when the handle grip
member receives the second external force.
[0006] In accordance with the present invention, the lock mechanism
includes a first spring disposed in the casing for extension and
compression responding to the first external force and the second
external force, a second spring disposed in the casing for
extension and compression responding to the first external force
and the external second force, a supporting member having a slot
thereon and positioned in the casing, a sliding member having one
end coupled to the handle grip member and slidably disposed
adjacent to the first spring in the casing for sliding and lodging
in the slot of the supporting member when the handle grip member
receives the first external force and for leaving the slot of the
supporting member when the handle grip member receives the second
external force, and an engaging member having a cylinder mounted
thereon and positioned between the second spring and the sliding
member in the casing for engaging with the second spring and the
sliding member.
[0007] In addition, the sliding member has a receptacle thereon for
engaging with the cylinder mounted on the engaging member. The
engaging member further has a protruding portion which can project
from an aperture in the bottom of the casing for completely locking
the handle grip member when the handle grip member receives the
first external force and draw away from the aperture of the casing
for completely unlocking the handle grip member when the handle
grip member receives the second external force.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
lock mechanism adapted to be used in an appliance having a casing
to be coupled with an article movably coupled to the casing for
locking the object when the article receives a first external force
and unlocking the object when the article receives a second
external force.
[0009] In accordance with the present invention, the lock mechanism
includes a first spring for extension and compression responding to
the first external force and the second external force, a second
spring for extension and compression responding to the first
external force and the second external force, a supporting member
having a slot thereon, a sliding member having one end coupled to
the article and slidably disposed adjacent to the first spring for
sliding and lodging in the slot of the supporting member when the
article receives the first external force and for leaving the slot
of the supporting member when the article receives the second
external force, and an engaging member having a cylinder mounted
thereon and positioned between the second spring and the sliding
member for engaging with the second spring and the sliding
member.
[0010] In addition, the sliding member has a receptacle thereon for
engaging with the cylinder mounted on the engaging member. The
engaging member further has a protruding portion which can project
from an aperture of the article for completely locking the article
when the article receives the first external force and draw away
from the aperture of the article for completely unlocking the
article when the article receives the second external force.
[0011] Preferably, the article is a handle grip.
[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide an
appliance assembly.
[0013] In accordance with the present invention, the appliance
assembly includes a casing having an aperture thereon, a handle
grip member movably coupled to the casing for receiving a first
external force and a second external force, and a lock mechanism
installed in the casing and coupled with the handle grip member for
locking the handle grip member when the handle grip member receives
the first external force and unlocking the handle grip member when
the handle grip member receives the second external force.
[0014] In accordance with the present invention, the lock mechanism
includes a first spring disposed in the casing for extension and
compression responding to the first external force and the second
external force, a second spring disposed in the casing for
extension and compression responding to the first external force
and the external second force, a supporting member having a slot
thereon and positioned in the casing, a sliding member having one
end coupled to the handle grip member and slidably disposed
adjacent to the first spring in the casing for sliding and lodging
in the slot of the supporting member when the handle grip member
receives the first external force and for leaving the slot of the
supporting member when the handle grip member receives the second
external force, and an engaging member having a cylinder mounted
thereon and positioned between the second spring and the sliding
member in the casing for engaging with the second spring and the
sliding member.
[0015] In addition, the sliding member has a receptacle thereon for
engaging with the cylinder mounted on the engaging member. The
engaging member further has a protruding portion which can project
from the aperture of the casing for completely locking the handle
grip member when the handle grip member receives the first external
force and draw away from the aperture of the casing for completely
unlocking the handle grip member when the handle grip member
receives the second external force.
[0016] In addition, the aperture is in the bottom of the
casing.
[0017] Certainly, the appliance assembly could be a retractable
power module.
[0018] The present invention may best be understood through the
following descriptions with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a traditional handle
assembly; and
[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the handle assembly
according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] A handle assembly according to the preferred embodiment of
the present invention is coupled to the appliance 23 and described
with the reference to FIG. 2, which is a schematic view of the
handle assembly.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, the handle assembly 2 includes a handle
grip member 21 and a lock mechanism 22. The handle grip member 21
is retractable because the handle grip member 21 is locked or
unlocked by the lock mechanism 22.
[0023] When the user applies a first external force to push the
handle grip member 21 inward to the appliance, the sliding member
223 slides and the engaging member 226 moves downward subsequently.
In the meanwhile, the first spring 221 and the second spring 225
apply force on the sliding member 223, so the sliding member 223
lodges in the slot of the supporting member 222. Then, the cylinder
228 of the engaging member 226 is limited in the receptacle 224 of
the sliding member; therefore, the handle grip member 21 is
positioned. In addition, a protruding portion 227 of the engaging
member 226 receives the force from the second spring 225 to project
from the aperture of the appliance. Accordingly, the handle grip
member 21 is locked completely.
[0024] When the handle grip member 21 is positioned and locked, the
user applies a second external force to push the handle grip member
22 downward. In the meantime, the sliding member 223 slides upward
owing to leverage, and the sliding member 223 leaves the slot of
the supporting member 222. Subsequently, the first spring 221 makes
the cylinder 328 move along the inclined plane of the receptacle
224. Therefore, the engaging member 226 moves upward, and then the
handle grip member 21 is unlocked.
[0025] Preferably, the appliance 22 according to the present
invention is a retractable power module and the equipment assembly
is a system frame.
[0026] The handle assembly of the present invention is very useful
for retracting the appliance out of an equipment assembly. When the
user pushes the handle grip member inward to the appliance, the
handle grip member is locked and the appliance is engaged with the
equipment assembly. When the user pushes the handle grip member
downward, the handle grip member is unlocked and the appliance
could be pulled out of the equipment assembly. The handle assembly
according to the present invention is integrated with the
appliance, so it dose not require strenuous effort for the users to
pull the appliance out of the equipment assembly. Furthermore, the
handle assembly including a lock mechanism according to the present
invention could be used for preventing the appliance from falling
out of the equipment assembly due to careless collision.
[0027] While the invention has been described in terms of what are
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention need not be
limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is
intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which
are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to
encompass all such modifications and similar structures. Therefore,
the above description and illustration should not be taken as
limiting the scope of the present invention which is defined by the
appended claims.
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