Hydrant nozzle cap spacer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248367-B2
Application number	US-202016807928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2020
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

Example aspects of a nozzle cap spacer for a hydrant nozzle cap, a spaced nozzle cap assembly, and a method for adjusting a rotational indexing of a nozzle cap are disclosed. The nozzle cap spacer for a hydrant nozzle cap can comprise a spacer body defining an outer body edge; and a resilient first spacer spring arm extending from the outer body edge, wherein the first spacer spring arm is biased away from the spacer body in an extended orientation.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A nozzle cap spacer for a hydrant nozzle cap comprising:
a spacer body defining an outer body edge;
a resilient first spacer spring arm extending from the outer body edge, the first spacer spring arm defining a proximal arm end and a distal arm end, the proximal arm end connected to the spacer body, wherein the first spacer spring arm is biased away from the spacer body in an extended orientation, and wherein the first spacer spring arm is substantially coplanar with the spacer body; and
a slot defined between the first spacer spring arm and the outer body edge, wherein a width of the slot between the distal arm end and the outer body edge is greater than a width of the slot between the proximal arm end and the outer body edge.

2. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 1 , wherein:
a joint is formed between the first spacer spring arm and the spacer body;
a notch is formed at the joint and is connected to the slot adjacent to the proximal arm end; and
a width of the notch is greater than the width of the slot between the proximal arm end and the outer body edge.

3. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 1 , wherein:
the spacer body further defines an inner body edge; and
the inner body edge defines a body opening formed through a center of the spacer body.

4. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 1 , wherein the first spacer spring arm extends from the outer body edge at an acute angle.

5. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 1 , wherein:
the first spacer spring arm is configurable in the extended orientation and a compressed orientation;
in the compressed orientation, the first spacer spring arm is compressed towards the spacer body; and
the nozzle cap spacer defines a substantially circular shape in the compressed orientation.

6. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 5 , wherein:
the outer body edge defines a length (L a ) corresponding to the first spacer spring arm;
an inward step is formed at a distal length end of the length (L a ); and
a body recess is formed in the outer body edge along the length (L a ).

7. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 1 , wherein the first spacer spring arm extends from the outer body edge in a radially outward direction.

8. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 1 , further comprising a resilient second spacer spring arm extending from the outer body edge opposite the first spacer spring arm, and wherein the second spacer spring arm is substantially planar with the spacer body.

9. The nozzle cap spacer of claim 1 , wherein the first spacer spring arm defines a proximal arm end connected to the spacer body, a distal arm end spaced from the spacer body, an arcuate inner arm edge extending from the proximal arm end to the distal arm end and an arcuate outer arm edge extending from the proximal arm end to the distal arm end.

10. A spaced nozzle cap assembly comprising:
a nozzle cap comprising a cap body, the cap body comprising an inner wall and a bore sidewall, the bore sidewall defining a bore terminating at the inner wall, the cap body defining a first body end and a second body end, the bore extending from the second body end of the cap body to the inner wall of the cap body, wherein the bore sidewall defines internal threading and an annular recess, the internal threading extends from the second body end towards the inner wall, and the annular recess is oriented between the internal threading and the inner wall; and
a nozzle cap spacer comprising a spacer body and a spacer spring arm extending substantially radially outward from the spacer body, the nozzle cap spacer received within the bore, the spacer spring arm engaging the bore sidewall, a front spacer surface of the nozzle cap spacer abutting the inner wall, wherein the spacer spring arm extends into the annular recess.

11. The spaced nozzle cap assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the nozzle cap comprises an antenna; and
the nozzle cap spacer is configured to adjust a rotational indexing of the nozzle cap to reorient the antenna.

12. The spaced nozzle cap assembly of claim 10 , wherein:
the nozzle cap defines a leak channel; and
the nozzle cap spacer is positioned adjacent to the leak channel but does not extend into the leak channel.

13. The spaced nozzle cap assembly of claim 12 , wherein:
the leak channel defines an L-shape and comprises a first leak channel segment and a second leak channel segment;
the first leak channel segment is formed in the inner wall of the cap body; and
the second leak channel segment is formed in a bore sidewall of the cap body and extends from the first leak channel segment to a second body end of the cap body.

14. The spaced nozzle cap assembly of claim 10 , wherein the spacer spring arm is configurable in an extended orientation and a compressed orientation, and wherein the bore sidewall biases the spacer spring arm radially inward to the compressed orientation.

15. A method for adjusting a rotational indexing of a nozzle cap comprising:
providing a nozzle cap and nozzle connector, the nozzle cap defining a bore sidewall, the bore sidewall defining a threaded bore;
inserting a nozzle cap spacer into the threaded bore to adjust a rotational indexing of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle connector, the nozzle cap spacer comprising a spacer body and a spacer spring arm extending substantially radially outward from the spacer body;
engaging the spacer spring arm with the bore sidewall to bias the spacer spring arm radially inward toward the spacer body; and
connecting the nozzle cap to the nozzle connector.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein connecting the nozzle cap to the nozzle connector comprises mating internal threading of the threaded bore with external threading of the nozzle connector and rotating the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle connector.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising inserting a second nozzle cap spacer into the threaded bore to further adjust the rotational indexing of the nozzle cap relative to the nozzle connector.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising orienting an antenna of the nozzle cap in an upward-facing position.

19. A spaced nozzle cap assembly comprising:
a nozzle cap comprising a cap body, the cap body comprising an inner wall and a bore sidewall, the bore sidewall defining a bore terminating at the inner wall, wherein the nozzle cap comprises an antenna; and
a nozzle cap spacer comprising a spacer body and a spacer spring arm extending substantially radially outward from the spacer body, the nozzle cap spacer received within the bore, the spacer spring arm engaging the bore sidewall, wherein the nozzle cap spacer is configured to adjust a rotational indexing of the nozzle cap to reorient the antenna.

20. A spaced nozzle cap assembly comprising:
a nozzle cap comprising a cap body, the cap body comprising an inner wall and a bore sidewall, the bore sidewall defining a bore terminating at the inner wall, wherein the nozzle cap defines a leak channel; and
a nozzle cap spacer comprising a spacer body and a spacer spring arm extending substantially radially outward from the spacer body, the nozzle cap spacer received within the bore, the spacer spring arm engaging the bore sidewall, wherein the nozzle cap spacer is positioned adjacent to the leak channel but does not extend into the leak channel.

21. The spaced nozzle cap assembly of claim 20 , wherein:
the leak channel defines an L-shape and comprises a first leak channel segment and a second leak channel segment;
the first leak channel segment is

Assignees

• Mueller Int Llc

Inventors

• Gibson Daryl Lee
• Robertson Bruce
• Sobhani Mohammad Hassan

Classifications

• F16F2230/36

  Holes, slots or the like · CPC title

• E03B9/06 Primary

  Covers · CPC title

• F16L55/1152

  fixed by screwing or by means of a screw-threaded ring · CPC title

• F16L15/08

  with supplementary elements (F16L15/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L55/1155

  fixed by rotating a limited amplitude · CPC title