Importance

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Abstract

A door handle assembly comprises an interior handle connected to the interior face of a door, a latch mechanism which is operable between latched and unlatched positions to secure the door, an operator mounted to the door and rotatable with respect to the handle, and a rack and pinion assembly to transfer the rotary motion of the operator to the latch mechanism. The operator includes a tumbler assembly. The rack and pinion assembly may include a rack and two pinions one located at each end of the rack. However, other arrangements are possible including gear trains comprising two or three gears driven by the rack. The rack and pinion assembly may be mounted between a pair of planar members which form part of a housing which is proportioned to fit between the latch mechanism and an interior surface of a stile of a door. The rack and pinion assembly permits the latch mechanism and the operator, which have usually been coaxial, to be vertically offset from each other.

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First Claim