Auto-alignable knob

• US 8,079,287 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MABE SA de CV (Controladora MABE SA de CV)
• Original Assignee: MABE SA de CV (Controladora MABE SA de CV)
• Inventors: Castillo, Octavio Lugo
• Primary Examiner(s): Pilkington, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAZ, THOMAS C
• Application Number:
  US12/120,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20090151505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 74/10.R, 74/102.2, 74/107, 745/22, 745/25, 745/48, 745/53, 251/207, 126/39.G, 126/39.N, 200/61.86, 200/11.R, 137/315.15, 137/315.35, 403/357, 298/965, 164/41
• US Class Current: 74/553
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 3/126 on ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/12 Means for securing the members on rotatable spindles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20762 Shaft connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2084 Knob or dial

Abstract

An auto-alignable knob for a home appliance includes an offspring box self-connectable with a valve shaft. A mobile box has at least one lateral face including a pin. The mobile box is coupled to the offspring box to allow a free movement relative to one another along a first axis. A fixed box includes an indentation and a groove. The mobile box is insertable to the fixed box by insertion of the pin of the lateral face through the groove. The pin of the mobile box provides a respective degree of freedom to the mobile box relative to the indentation of the fixed box along at least a second axis normal to the first axis. A mechanical coupling established between the indentation of the fixed box and the pin of the mobile box is configured to provide a degree of rotational freedom about one of the axes, and a combined mechanical coupling established between the offspring box, the mobile box and the fixed box is configured to provide a respective degree of freedom along a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes.

Claims

1. An auto-alignable knob assembly for a home appliance comprising:

an offspring box including a furrow configured to receive a shaft of a valve;

a mobile box, wherein one face of the mobile box is open, wherein each lateral face of the mobile box has a pin, wherein the mobile box receives the offspring box through the open face and wherein the offspring box and the mobile box have a free movement relative to one another along a first axis;

a fixed box having a face that defines an hexahedron and a front face positioned mutually opposite to the face with the hexahedron, the front face having at least one extension, wherein each lateral side of the hexahedron includes an indentation and a groove that provides access to the indentation, wherein the mobile box is insertable to the fixed box by insertion of the respective pins of each lateral face through corresponding grooves, and wherein the pins of the mobile box provide a respective free movement to the mobile box relative to the indentations of the fixed box along at least a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

a knob including at least one notch configured to receive the at least one extension of the front face of the fixed box and further including a lever;

a biasing member configured to bias the knob relative to the fixed box;

a housing arranged to house the offspring box, the mobile box, the fixed box and at least part of the knob; and

a cap arranged to enclose the housing and the boxes housed by the housing, and having contact with an end of the biasing member.

2. The knob according to claim 1, wherein the offspring box comprises at least one projection in each lateral face, the at least one projection positioned to contact an internal face of the mobile box, and additionally comprising at least one stop for preventing the insertion of the shaft towards a distal end of the offspring box.

3. The knob according to claim 1, wherein each lateral face of the mobile box comprises a plurality of undulations arranged to contact an internal section of the fixed box.

4. The knob according to claim 1, wherein the indentation has a length R₁ and a width R₂, wherein R₁ is greater than R₂, wherein said groove has a width A₁ and wherein the pin of the offspring box has a diameter D₁, wherein R₂>

R₁>

A₁>

D₁.

5. The knob according to claim 1, wherein the respective indentations on each lateral side of the hexahedron are oval-shaped and are positioned mutually opposite to one another.

6. The knob according to claim 1, wherein the fixed box includes a lateral face that defines a first annular groove that receives a first end of the biasing member and wherein the fixed box includes a periphery that defines a second annular groove that receives a second end of the biasing member.

7. The knob according to claim 1, wherein a back face of the knob is coupled to the front face of the fixed box, and wherein the lever comprises an insert indicative of a state of the knob.

8. The knob according to claim 1, wherein the housing defines an aperture, wherein an external section of the housing includes a plurality of undulations, at least one tongue adapted to receive and fasten the knob assembly with the appliance, and at least one cavity, and further wherein the cap includes at least one hook to be inserted within the at least one cavity of the housing.

9. The knob according to claim 1, wherein the cap includes at least one aperture that allows travel to the offspring box, the mobile box and at least part of the fixed box when the knob is depressed.

10. The knob according to claim 9, wherein a periphery of the knob makes contact with an internal burr of the housing to couple the fixed box and the mobile box to the housing.

11. The knob according to claim 1, wherein a mechanical coupling established between the indentations of the fixed box and the pins of the mobile box is configured to provide a rotational degree of freedom about one of the axes.

12. The knob according to claim 11, wherein a combined mechanical coupling established between the offspring box, the mobile box and the fixed box is configured to provide a respective degree of freedom along a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes.

13. An auto-alignable knob for a home appliance comprising:

an offspring box connected to a valve shaft;

a mobile box having at least one lateral face and including a pin in the lateral face, wherein the mobile box is coupled to the offspring box to allow a free movement relative to one another along a first axis;

a fixed box including an indentation and a groove, wherein the mobile box is insertable to the fixed box by insertion of the pin of the lateral face through the groove, and wherein the pin of the mobile box provides a respective degree of freedom to the mobile box relative to the indentation of the fixed box along at least a second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

a knob including a lever;

a biasing member arranged to bias the knob relative to the fixed box;

a housing arranged to house the offspring box, the mobile box, the fixed box and at least part of the knob; and

a cap arranged to enclose the housing, and having contact with an end of the biasing member.

14. The knob according to claim 13, wherein a mechanical coupling established between the indentation of the fixed box and the pin of the mobile box is configured to provide a degree of rotational freedom about one of the axes, and further wherein a combined mechanical coupling established between the offspring box, the mobile box and the fixed box is configured to provide a respective degree of freedom along a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes.