Securing apparatus for securing a valve lever in a set position

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12070836-B2
Application number	US-202016885528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	May 28, 2019
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

A securing apparatus for securing a valve lever in a set position comprises a base body; a sliding piece; and a screw element, wherein the base body and the sliding piece each have a clamping surface; wherein the sliding piece is displaceably supported at the base body along a longitudinal axis; and wherein the screw element is rotatably supported at the base body and has a thread that is in engagement with a mating thread of the sliding piece so that a position of the sliding piece relative to the base body along the longitudinal axis is restricted to a maximum spacing between the clamping surfaces that can be changed by a rotation of the screw element in order to clamp the valve lever between the clamping surfaces. Depending on a rotational position of the screw element, a blocking receiver formed at the screw element is aligned with a blocking receiver formed at the base body so that a blocking element, in particular a cable, can engage into both blocking receivers in order to block the screw element in this rotational position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A securing apparatus ( 11 ) for securing a valve lever in a set position, comprising a base body ( 13 ); a sliding piece ( 15 ); and a screw element ( 17 ),
wherein the base body ( 13 ) and the sliding piece ( 15 ) each have a clamping surface ( 19 , 27 );
wherein the sliding piece ( 15 ) is displaceably supported at the base body ( 13 ) along a longitudinal axis (L);
wherein the screw element ( 17 ) is rotatably supported at the base body ( 13 ) and has a thread ( 41 ) that is in engagement with a mating thread ( 43 ) of the sliding piece ( 15 ) so that a position of the sliding piece ( 15 ) relative to the base body ( 13 ) along the longitudinal axis (L) is restricted to a maximum spacing between the clamping surfaces ( 19 , 27 ) that can be changed by a rotation of the screw element ( 17 ) in order to clamp the valve lever between the clamping surfaces ( 19 , 27 );
wherein, depending on a rotational position of the screw element ( 17 ), one of at least one blocking receiver ( 45 ) formed at the screw element ( 17 ) is aligned with one of at least one blocking receiver ( 47 , 49 ) formed at the base body ( 13 ) so that a blocking element can engage into both the at least one blocking receiver ( 45 ) of the screw element ( 17 ) and the at least one blocking receiver ( 47 , 49 ) of the base body ( 13 ) in order to block the screw element ( 17 ) in the corresponding rotational position;
wherein the base body ( 13 ) has a rail ( 21 ) which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L) and in which a guide section ( 23 ) of the sliding piece ( 15 ) is received and is displaceable in a guided manner; and
wherein an axis of rotation (D) about which the screw element ( 17 ) is rotatably supported extends through the rail;
wherein the rail includes elongated portions on diametrically opposite sides of the axis of rotation;
wherein the guide section of the sliding piece has protrusions that are received in recesses formed in the rail;
wherein an outer facing surface of at least one of the protrusions is guided along and contacts an inner facing surface of the recess in which the respective protrusion is received, wherein the outer facing surface faces away from the axis of rotation;
wherein the entire outer facing surface of the at least one protrusion is guided along and contacts the inner facing surface of the recess in which the respective protrusion is received.

2. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein one of the clamping surfaces ( 19 ) of the base body ( 13 ) and the sliding piece ( 15 ) comprises a surface composed of a roughened metal and the other of the clamping surfaces ( 27 ) of the base body ( 13 ) and the sliding piece ( 15 ) comprises an elastic mat ( 29 ).

3. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the surface composed of a roughened metal comprises a grooved metal.

4. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the width of the rail ( 21 ) amounts to at least 80% of the width of the clamping surface ( 19 ) of the base body ( 13 ); and/or wherein the depth of the rail ( 21 ) amounts to at least 30% of the depth of the clamping surface ( 19 ) of the base body ( 13 ).

5. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the width of the rail ( 21 ) amounts to at least 90% of the width of the clamping surface ( 19 ) of the base body ( 13 ); and/or wherein the depth of the rail ( 21 ) amounts to at least 50% of the depth of the clamping surface ( 19 ) of the base body ( 13 ).

6. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the clamping surfaces ( 19 , 27 ) are aligned in parallel with one another.

7. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the clamping surfaces ( 19 , 27 ) are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L).

8. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the screw element ( 17 ) is configured as a wing screw or as a wing nut.

9. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the screw element ( 17 ) has a screw head ( 39 ) comprising at least one application surface ( 55 ) that is aligned in parallel with the axis of rotation (D) about which the screw element ( 17 ) is rotatable and that is configured to be acted on by hand in a peripheral direction about the axis of rotation (D) in order to rotate the screw element ( 17 );
and wherein the application surface ( 55 ) has an engagement depression ( 57 ) in a radial end section spaced apart from the axis of rotation (D) in order to prevent a radial slipping off of a finger from the application surface ( 55 ), said finger acting on the application surface ( 55 ) in said end section in the peripheral direction.

10. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 9 , wherein, to form the engagement depression ( 57 ) in the radial end section, the application surface ( 55 ) is concavely arched about an axis that is in parallel with the axis of rotation (D) and that is spaced apart from the axis of rotation (D).

11. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the application surface ( 55 ) is oriented radially to the axis of rotation (D) in the region of the axis of rotation (D), with the engagement depression ( 57 ) in the radial end section being arched, starting from the radial orientation, in the direction of a tangential orientation.

12. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the blocking recess ( 45 ) of the screw element ( 17 ) and the engagement depression ( 57 ) are arranged diametrically opposite one another with respect to the axis of rotation (D).

13. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the screw head ( 39 ) has a further application surface ( 55 ) that is aligned in parallel with the axis of rotation (D) and that is configured to be acted on by hand in the peripheral direction about the axis of rotation (D); wherein the at least one application surface ( 55 ) and the further application surface ( 55 ) face in mutually opposite directions; and wherein the further application surface ( 55 ) also has an engagement depression ( 57 ) in a radial end section spaced apart from the axis of rotation (D).

14. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 13 ,
wherein the application surfaces ( 55 ) form side surfaces of a web ( 53 ) that is formed between the application surfaces ( 55 ) and that extends at least radially to the axis of rotation (D); and
wherein a radial end section of the web ( 53 ) that is formed between said radial end sections of the application surfaces ( 55 ) is widened at both sides in the peripheral direction about the axis of rotation (D).

15. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the radial end section of the web ( 53 ) is widened such that the web ( 53 ) has a Y shape or a T shape from a direction of view in parallel with the axis of rotation (D).

16. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the screw element ( 17 ) has an elongate outline in a normal plane to the axis of rotation (D); wherein the web ( 53 ) extends at an end remote from the widened end section up to the at least one blocking receiver ( 45 ) of the screw element ( 17 ); and wherein the width of the elongate outline corresponds at least to the width of the widened end section of the web ( 53 ).

17. A securing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the screw element ( 17 ) has a screw shaft ( 37 ), at which the thread ( 41 ) is formed, and a screw head ( 39 ) that is widened with respect to the screw shaft ( 37 );
wherein the base body ( 13 ) has a bore ( 33 ) t

Assignees

• Bremicker Soehne Kg A

Inventors

• Müller Thomas

Classifications

• B25B5/102

  with at least one jaw sliding along a bar · CPC title

• Y10T137/7256

  Locks against rotary motion · CPC title

• Y10T70/5624

  Externally mounted locking device · CPC title

• Y10T70/411

  Clamps · CPC title

• F16K35/06 Primary

  using a removable actuating or locking member, e.g. a key (F16K35/10, F16K35/12 take precedence) · CPC title