AU725366B2 - A tap handle assembly - Google Patents

Description

V

S F Ref: 399996

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Caroma Industries Limited Market Street Brisbane Queensland 4000

AUSTRALIA

Branko Klicek and Howard Schultz Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia A Tap Handle Assembly ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [31] Application No(s) [33] Country P04681 AU [32] Application Date 20 January 1997 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815 -1 -1- A TAP HANDLE ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a tap handle assembly.

Fluid flow through most taps is controlled by a handle. The handle is generally turned counter-clockwise to increase fluid flow and clockwise to decrease fluid flow. The valve of the tap is connected to, and controlled by, a shaft to which the handle is attached. It is common for the shaft to have an out-of-round portion, produced by machining or casting parallel flat surfaces on an otherwise round threaded shaft or spigot, that passes through a correspondingly shaped hole in the tap handle.

Rotation of the handle therefore causes corresponding rotation in the shaft and valve.

A lock nut is generally screwed onto the threaded portion of the spigot to retain the handle.

An example of such a known arrangement is shown in Fig. 1. In particular, Fig. 1 shows a tap handle 10 having an out-of-round hore 12 through which passes a correspondingly shaped threaded spigot 14 forming part of a valve actuation shaft 16.

A nut 18 is tightened along the shaft 14 to retain the handle.

To conceal the nut 18 and improve the aesthetics of the handle there is provided a bezel 20 of which the upper surface 22 contains an indicator as to whether ooool the water supply is hot or cold. The bezel can include an O-ring 24 to assist in retaining it within the handle.

20 There are disadvantages with this known arrangement. Firstly, the bezel 20 is i retained in place by the O-ring only and, as such, may be easily prised off by a thief or vandal using a nail file, screw driver, pen knife or similar. This is particularly common in hotels and public facilities. Secondly, the continuous rotation and counter rotation of the handle 10 serves to loosen the nut 18 over time. Attempts to ameliorate this problem by providing star or split washers between the nut and the handle or the handle and the shaft have proved unsuccessful. Further, if the bezel 20 is prised off and it is seen that the nut 18 is loose then the nut can be removed and handle 10 can be stolen or vandalised.

[N:\Iibd]00088:DMB It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the above deficiencies of the prior art.

Accordingly, the present invention discloses a tap handle assembly, the assembly includes: a tap handle having a cylindrical bore portion opening into an out-of-round hole adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped threaded spigot therethrough; and a lock nut having a cylindrical shaft portion and a threaded blind hole to threadably engage the spigot, wherein one of the cylindrical bore portion or the cylindrical shaft portion includes an O-ring seated within a groove or recess, the O-ring being adapted to provide a frictional locking force between the cylindrical bore portion of the tap handle and the shaft portion of the lock nut.

.oo..i r In an embodiment, the cylindrical bore portion includes a circumferential recess or groove within which is seated the O-ring. In another embodiment, the cylindrical shaft portion includes a circumferential recess or groove within which is seated the O-ring.

The lock nut preferably includes an upper hexagonal or octagonal portion adapted for gripping and subsequent rotation by a wrench, spanner or similar.

a In a particularly preferred embodiment, the upper portion includes a bezel visually indicative of water supply temperature.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a prior art tap handle assembly; Figure 2 is a plan view of a tap handle; Figure 3 is an exploded partial sectional side view of the embodiment; and Figure 4 is an assembled sectional side view of the embodiment shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Fig's. 2 to 4 there is shown an embodiment of a tap handle assembly 30. The assembly 30 includes a tap handle 32 having a cylindrical bore IN:\IibdIOOO88:DMB portion 34 opening into an out-of-round hole 36. The hole 36 is adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped threaded spigot 38, of known construction, therethrough. The assembly 30 also includes a lock nut 40 having a cylindrical shaft portion 42 and a threaded blind hole 44 for threadably engaging the spigot 38. The lock nut 40 includes an upper portion 46 which is hexagonal or octagonal, when viewed in plan, to facilitate engagement and subsequent rotation of the lock nut 40 by a wrench, spanner or like tool. A bezel 48 is provided above the top portion 46 to provide a visual indicator of the temperature of the water supply controlled by the tap actuated by handle 32 (ie. hot or cold).

The cylindrical bore portion 42 includes an O-ring 50 seated within a circumferential recess or groove 52. The cylindrical bore portion 34 and cylindrical shaft portion 42 are sized to provide a clearance fit between adjacent surfaces. The Ooaoo° ring is compressed when disposed between the shaft portion 34 and the cylindrical portion 42 upon assembly and thereby provides a frictional locking force therebetween.

Accordingly, when the locking nut 40 is installed, as shown in Fig. 4, by screwing it along threaded the spigot 38, the O-ring provides a frictional locking force which prevents loosening of the lock nut The tap handle assembly 30 possesses several advantages over that of the prior art. Firstly, as discussed above, the O-ring 50 provides a frictional locking force between the cylindrical shaft portion 50 of the lock nut 40 and cylindrical bore portion **34 of the handle 32, thereby reducing the likelihood that the lock nut 40 will come loose. Secondly, as the bezel is incorporated into the locknut it cannot be prised off and must be removed with a appropriate tool, thereby reducing the likelihood of theft or damage to the tap handle assembly 30. Thirdly, the locknut 40 obviates the need for a separate locknut and bezel thereby reducing stock inventory and simplifying installation.

In light of the above, the tap handle assembly 30 represents a commercially significant improvement over the prior art.

[N:\IibdjO0088:DMB -4- The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the present invention.

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Claims (6)

1. A tap handle assembly, the assembly includes: a tap handle having a cylindrical bore portion opening into an out-of-round hole adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped threaded spigot therethrough; and a lock nut having a cylindrical shaft portion and a threaded blind hole to threadably engage the spigot, wherein one of the cylindrical bore portion or the cylindrical shaft portion includes an O-ring seated within a groove or recess, the O-ring being adapted to provide a frictional locking force between the cylindrical bore portion of the tap handle 1 o and the shaft portion of the lock nut.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical bore o portion includes a circumferential recess or groove within which is seated the O-ring.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cylindrical shaft portion includes a circumferential recess or groove within which is seated the O-ring.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the lock nut includes an upper hexagonal or octagonal portion adapted for gripping and subsequent rotation by a wrench, spanner or similar.

5. An assembly as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein .*or the upper portion includes a bezel visually indicative of water supply temperature. 20

6. A tap handle assembly substantially as described herein with reference °O to Figs. 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this Seventh Day of January 1998 Caroma Industries Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON [N:\IibdIO0088:DMB