Friction fit knob with anti-torque capabilities

• US 6,467,131 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Grigoleit Company
• Original Assignee: The Grigoleit Company
• Inventors: Howie, Robert K. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beach, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/865,769
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 164/41, 74/10.R, 362/23
• US Class Current: 16/441
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/10 Details, e.g. of discs, knobs, wheels or handles G05G1/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/12 Means for securing the members on rotatable spindles or the like

Abstract

A molded knob of the type having a knob with a socket located in the knob which socket slips over the end of an irregularly shaped shaft and has fingers which frictionally engage the outer surface of the shaft. The hub has an inner portion surrounded by and separated from the outer portion by a slot with the shaft gripping fingers formed on the inner portion. Complementary meshing ribs and notches are formed in the peripheral walls of the inner and outer core and these ribs and notches engage each other upon rotation of the inner hub portion relative to the outer hub portion to transfer torque forces therebetween.

Claims

1. A molded knob of the type which frictionally engages and slips over the end of a shaft having an outer surface at least a portion of which outer surface is curved and another portion is flat,

said knob having a core,

said core having a front wall, side walls and a hub,

said hub having an inner hub portion and an outer hub portion,

said inner hub portion and said outer hub portion formed integrally with said front wall of said knob and extending axially therefrom with said inner and outer hub portions separated from each other through substantially their entire lengths by a slot,

a shaft receiving, axially extending socket formed in said inner hub portion,

said socket having a shaft receiving portion with a transverse cross section complementary to the transverse cross section of the shaft and having an entrance at one end of said inner hub portion to received said shaft,

a pair elongated fingers formed as part of said inner hub portion and located adjacent each other at a curved portion of said socket,

said fingers extending axially into said socket from the entrance thereof and projecting generally radially into said shaft receiving portion of said socket with each finger terminating in a tip close to but out of contact with the tip of the other finger,

said inner hub portion having an outer peripheral wall and said outer portion having an inner peripheral wall with said walls facing each other across said slot,

complementary ribs and notches formed in said peripheral walls and meshing with one another with said ribs and said notches being engageable with one another upon rotation of said inner hub portion relative to said outer hub portion.

2. The molded knob of claim 1 in which said outer hub portion has a chordal section having a flat wall adjacent said fingers of said inner core portion with said flat wall located parallel to said corresponding flat wall in said socket.

3. The molded knob of claim 2 in which said ribs are formed in said outer hub portion and said chordal section connects said ribs.