Locking device for the angular position of a control knob

• US 5,906,141 A
• Filed: 02/26/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dosapro-Milton ROY SA (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dosapro-Milton ROY SA (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Abdelmoula, Foued
• Primary Examiner(s): LUONG, VINH
• Application Number:
  US08/806,951
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 74/553, 74/527, 74/10.41, 74/89.15
• US Class Current: 74/553
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 35/022 the locking mechanism being actuated by a separate actuating element
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/06 for holding members in one or a limited number of definite positions only G05G5/005, G05G5/03, G05G5/05, G05G5/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20636 Detents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2084 Knob or dial

Abstract

The device permits locking of a control knob which can rotate around a cylindrical support and includes a lateral face with at least one first locking boss and a lateral face of a ring which has at least one second locking boss. The ring is movable in translation according to the axis between a locked position of the knob, in which the ring is prevented from rotating around the axis when the first and second bosses are engaged, and between a released position in which the first and second bosses are decoupled.

Claims

1. An angular position locking device rotatably mounted at an end of a substantially cylindrical support of a movable device, the locking device comprising:

a knob including a lateral face parallel to an axis of the cylindrical support and provided with a first set of bosses; and

a ring mounted for sliding along the support between a first position removed from the knob and a second position close to the knob, the ring being prevented from rotating relative to the support at least in the second position, the ring provided with a second set of bosses for cooperating with the first set of bosses on the lateral face of the knob, wherein the first set of bosses includes serrations carried by the lateral face of the knob on an angular section of a periphery of the knob and the second set of bosses includes corresponding serrations carried by the ring on a section of a periphery of the ring, the serrations being engaged axially with one another in the second position of the ring.

2. The locking device of claim 1 further including, between the support and the ring, means for locking the ring with respect to the support in the second position of the ring.

3. The locking device of claim 2 further comprising means for determining the angular position of knob around the axis relative to the ring, the means comprising a set of graduations carried by an outer face of the knob and an indicator carried by an outer face of the ring, wherein the graduations and the indicator are arranged adjacently in the second position.

4. The locking device of claim 3 wherein an outer face of the support comprises at least one longitudinal boss which cooperates with a corresponding boss of the ring to prevent the latter from rotating relative to the support.

5. The locking device of claim 2 wherein an outer face of the support comprises at least one longitudinal boss which cooperates with a corresponding boss of the ring to prevent the latter from rotating relative to the support.

6. The locking device of claim 1 further comprising means for determining the angular position of knob around the axis relative to the ring, the means comprising a set of graduations carried by an outer face of the knob and an indicator carried by an outer face of the ring, wherein the graduations and the indicator are arranged adjacently in the second position.

7. The locking device of claim 6 wherein an outer face of the support comprises at least one longitudinal boss which cooperates with a corresponding boss of the ring to prevent the latter from rotating relative to the support.

8. The locking device of claim 1 wherein an outer face of the support comprises at least one longitudinal boss which cooperates with a corresponding boss of the ring to prevent the latter from rotating relative to the support.