Self-aligning lift knob for plumbing fixture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10190294-B2
Application number	US-201715451953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

Various embodiments provide for a plumbing fixture comprising a spout. The spout comprises a body with a collar on a top surface of the body and a hole extending through the collar and defining an internal surface of the collar. The spout further comprises a first camming surface formed on the internal surface. The plumbing fixture further comprises a lift knob. The lift knob comprises a head. The head comprises a front side, top side, and a bottom side. The lift knob further comprises a shaft. The shaft is axially movable within the hole and has a first end and a second end. The first end is coupled to the bottom side of the head and the second end disposed within the spout. A second camming surface is formed on the bottom side of the head. The second camming surface has a geometrically complementary surface to the first camming surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plumbing fixture, comprising:
a spout, the spout comprising:
a body, with a collar on a top surface of the body, and a hole extending through the collar and defining an internal surface of the collar; and
a first camming surface formed on the internal surface; and

a lift knob, the lift knob comprising:
a head, the head comprising a front side, a top side, and a bottom side;
a shaft, the shaft axially movable within the hole and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the bottom side of the head, the second end disposed within the spout; and
a second camming surface formed on the bottom side of the head, the second camming surface having a geometrically complementary surface to the first camming surface;

the shaft having a first position wherein the second camming surface is spaced from the first camming surface, such that when the shaft moves axially downward toward a second position, the movement causes the head of the lift knob to engage the collar and the second camming surface engages and aligns with the first camming surface to rotate the front side of the head into an aligned position with respect to the collar.

2. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the lift knob further comprises:
a neck, the neck having a first end and a second end, the first end of the neck formed on the bottom side of the head, wherein the second camming surface is formed on the second end of the neck.

3. The plumbing fixture of claim 2 , wherein the neck includes a neck diameter and the collar includes a collar diameter, and wherein the neck diameter is greater than the collar diameter.

4. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the shaft is formed as a single unit with the bottom side of the head.

5. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the shaft comprises a first thread and the bottom side of the head comprises a second thread, and wherein the second thread engages with the first thread to removably couple the shaft and the head.

6. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the head further comprises a back side opposite the front side of the head, wherein when the second camming surface on the head engages and aligns with the first camming surface on the collar of the spout, either the back side of the head or the front side of the head is rotated into the aligned position with respect to the body of the spout.

7. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first camming surface comprises a first hollow cylindrical projection having an inner end surface formed into a first plurality of alternating peaks and valleys, and
wherein the second camming surface comprises a second hollow cylindrical projection having an outer end surface formed into a second plurality of alternating peaks and valleys, and wherein the first plurality of alternating peaks and valleys is complementary to the second plurality of alternating peaks and valleys.

8. A plumbing fixture, comprising:
a collar with a hole extending through the collar, the hole defining an internal surface of the collar and a first camming surface formed on the internal surface of the collar; and
a lift knob, the lift knob comprising:
a head, the head comprising a front side, a top side, and a bottom side;
a shaft, the shaft axially movable within the hole and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the bottom side of the head, the second end disposed within the hole of the collar; and
a second camming surface formed on the bottom side of the head, the second camming surface having a geometrically complementary surface to the first camming surface;

the shaft having a first position wherein the second camming surface is spaced from the first camming surface, such that when the shaft moves axially downward toward a second position, the movement causes the head of the lift knob to engage the collar and the second camming surface engages and aligns with the first camming surface to rotate the front side of the head into an aligned position with respect to the collar.

9. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the lift knob further comprises:
a neck, the neck having a first end and a second end, the first end of the neck formed on the bottom side of the head, wherein the second camming surface is formed on the second end of the neck.

10. The plumbing fixture of claim 9 , wherein the first camming surface includes a first camming surface diameter and the neck includes a neck diameter, and wherein the neck diameter is greater than the first camming surface diameter.

11. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the first end of the shaft is formed as a single unit with the bottom side of the head.

12. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the first end of the shaft comprises a first thread and the bottom side of the head comprises a second thread, and wherein the second thread engages with the first thread to removably couple the shaft and the head.

13. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the head further comprises a back side opposite the front side of the head, wherein when the second camming surface on the head engages and aligns with the first camming surface on the collar of a spout, either the back side of the head or the front side of the head is rotated into the aligned position with respect to a body of the spout.

14. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the first camming surface is a female camming surface and the second camming surface is a male camming surface.

15. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the first camming surface comprises a first hollow cylindrical projection having an inner end surface formed into a first peak and a first valley, and
wherein the second camming surface comprises a second hollow cylindrical projection having an outer end surface formed into a second peak and a second valley, and wherein the first peak is geometrically complementary to the second valley and the second peak is geometrically complementary to the first valley.

16. A lift knob, comprising:
a head, the head comprising a front side, a top side, and a bottom side;
a shaft, the shaft axially movable within a hole and having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the bottom side of the head, the second end disposed within a spout; and
a first camming surface formed on the bottom side of the head, the first camming surface structured to engage a geometrically complementary surface of a second camming surface formed on an internal surface of a body of the spout,
the shaft having a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the first camming surface is spaced away from the second camming surface and in the second position the first camming surface is in contact with the second camming surface, and
wherein the shaft disengages from the first position causing the front side of the head rotates into an aligned position with respect to the body of the spout and the shaft is in the second position.

17. The lift knob of claim 16 , wherein the first camming surface comprises a hollow cylindrical projection having an outer end surface formed into a peak and a valley, and wherein the peak and valley have complementary features formed in the geometrically complementary surface that engages the first camming surface.

18. The lift knob of claim 16 , wherein the head further comprises a back side opposite the front side of the head, wherein when the first camming surface engages the geometrically complementary surface either the back side of the head

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Varma Shashank

Classifications

• E03C1/04

  Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths (valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K) · CPC title

• E03C1/0412

  Constructional or functional features of the faucet handle (valve actuating members as such F16K31/60) · CPC title

• Y10T137/9464

  Faucets and spouts · CPC title

• E03C1/0404 Primary

  Constructional or functional features of the spout · CPC title