FR2761917A1 - Spanner for use in connecting gas domestic appliances to gas bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

The spanner consists of a body of the tool (1) in the form of a longitudinal handle with two ends (2,3) which carry the operating parts of the tool. These parts consist of a first active part of the tool (4) in the form of a hook arrange to prise off the blind cylindrical plug (5) from the outlet of the gas bottle. A second active part (13) with a clamping spanner form for fitting the fixing nut of the pressure regulator fitted to the gas outlet. These two active parts are on placed on two respective sides of the same end (2) of the handle. The second end of the handle (3) contains a third active part of the tool (17) with a clamping spanner form for a hexagonal headed nut (27).

Description

CONNECTION KEY FOR DOMESTIC GAS APPLIANCES
The present invention relates to a specific tool making it possible to fulfill all the functions for connecting a domestic appliance to gas to a gas source such as a bottle.

 A preparation key for a gas cylinder is already known, as described in document FR-A-2 667 927, comprising a tool body in the form of a longitudinal handle with two ends carrying the active tool parts, said parts active tool comprising - a first active part of a hook structure tool adapted to engage on a cylindrical plug blind of a gas bottle orifice, said first active part of tool being disposed on a first end of the body tool, - a second active tool part with a tightening key structure for a gas outlet regulator fixing nut, said second active tool part being arranged at the second end of the tool body.

 If this key actually makes it possible to prepare the gas bottle, it does not however allow other connections such as the connection of a pipe to the appliance itself, because this connection requires the operation of hexagon nuts.

 The problem proposed by the present invention is to design a new structure of connection key for domestic gas appliance, which allows, while remaining simple and inexpensive, to carry out all the operations necessary for the connection of a domestic appliance to the gas to a gas supply source.

 The key structure according to the invention must be particularly inexpensive, and for this it must be able to be produced by molding plastic material to lower its manufacturing cost.

 The same wrench according to the invention must be able to be used to tighten or loosen the adapter nut of the gas regulator on the gas outlet nozzle, to remove the protective cap from the gas outlet orifice of the cylinders. to operate the hexagon nuts connecting the pipe to the gas appliance and the gas pressure regulator.

 To achieve these and other objects, a connection key for domestic gas appliances comprises a tool body in the form of a longitudinal handle with two ends carrying the active tool parts, said active tool parts comprising at least - a first active part of a tool with a hook structure adapted to engage a cylindrical plug with a blind orifice for a gas cylinder, - a second active part of a tool with a structure in a tightening wrench for a regulator fixing nut gas outlet - the first and second active tool parts are arranged on two respective sides of the same first handle end, - the second handle end comprises a third active tool part with a wrench structure for hexagon nut.

 Preferably, the tightening wrench for hexagon nut comprises a nut engagement recess limited by two opposite longitudinal faces connected, at the bottom of the recess, by two facets inclined at 120 degrees respectively with respect to the longitudinal faces. longitudinal faces having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portions being spaced from each other by a first spacing, the distal portions being spaced from each other by a second spacing greater than the first spacing.

 According to an advantageous embodiment, the tool body is made of molded plastic, and the tightening key structure for hexagon nut is provided with a metal insert forming a bearing surface for the nut to be tightened.

 The insert is preferably a plate cut according to a crenellated internal contour forming a discontinuous metal support surface, and according to a crenellated external contour for anchoring in the plastic.

 Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, made in relation to the attached figures, among which: - Figure 1 is a side view of a key according to a mode of embodiment of the present invention - Figure 2 is a cross section along the plane AA of Figure 1; - Figure 3 is a side view of a metal insert for incorporation into the plastic tool body to form a bearing surface for nut - Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the second end tool, showing the metal insert incorporated in the tool body - Figure 5 illustrates the detail of the outer contour of the insert; and - Figure 6 is a partial perspective view illustrating the bearing surface of the structure in tightening wrench for nut.

 In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the connection key for domestic gas appliance according to the invention comprises a tool body 1 in the form of a longitudinal handle with two ends 2 and 3 respectively carrying the active parts of the tool.

The first end 2 of the handle has, on a first side with respect to the mean longitudinal axis II-II of the tool body 1, a first active part of the tool 4 with a hook structure, adapted to engage on a blind cylindrical plug 5 of gas bottle orifice. This first active part of the tool 4 thus makes it possible to remove the plug 5, in the manner of a bottle opener. Such a hook structure of the first active part of the tool 4 comprises a hook 6 and a spoiler 7 spaced apart from one another transversely on either side of the mean longitudinal axis II of the first active part of tool 4. The hook 6 is formed by a longitudinal arm 8, extending substantially parallel to the axis II of the first active part of tool 4, connecting to a transverse return 9 generally perpendicular to the axis
II and terminated by a hook nose 10. The end of the hook nose 10 has a transverse traction facet 11 facing a front support facet 12.

 The longitudinal arm 8 is spaced from the support spoiler 7 by a distance greater than the overall diameter of the body of the plug 5 increased by the thickness of the flange of the plug. The distance between the transverse plane containing the front support facet 12 and the transverse plane containing the transverse traction facet 11 is substantially equal to the height of the plug 5.

 The axis II of the first active tool part 4 is angularly pivoted relative to the mean longitudinal axis II-II of the tool body 1, forming an acute angle B with the first end of the longitudinal axis II-II as shown in figure 1.

 According to its second side opposite to the first active tool part 4, the first end 2 of the tool body 1 comprises a second active tool part 13 shaped as a tightening wrench for tightening or loosening the fastening nut of the regulator on the gas outlet nozzle. This second active part of the tool 13 comprises two branches 14 and 15 spaced from one another to form an arc whose internal contour 16 allows engagement on a traditional valve adaptation nut on the outlet nozzle. gas from a bottle. The branches 14 and 15 are oriented laterally as illustrated in FIG. 1, with respect to the mean longitudinal axis II-II of the tool body 1.

 The second end 3 of the tool body 1 comprises a third active tool part 17, with a tightening wrench structure for a hexagon nut.

 This third active part of tool 17 with a tightening wrench structure for a hexagon nut comprises a nut engagement recess 18 limited by two opposite longitudinal faces 19 and 20 which are connected at the bottom of the recess 18 , by two facets 21 and 22 inclined at 120 degrees respectively with respect to the longitudinal faces 19 and 20 adjacent.

 The longitudinal faces 19 and 20 each have a respective proximal portion 23 and 24 and a respective distal portion 25 and 26.

The proximal portions 23 and 24 are spaced from each other by a first spacing El, for example by 23 millimeters, while the distal portions 25 and 26 are spaced from each other by a second greater spacing E2 at the first spacing El, for example 24 millimeters.

 Thus, the third active part of tool 17 is adapted to tighten either 23 mm hex nuts or 24 mm hex nuts.

 23-millimeter hex nuts are generally suitable for connecting a flexible tube to a gas cylinder, while 24-millimeter nuts are generally used to connect the flexible tube to a domestic gas appliance such as a gas stove .

 Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a dotted hexagon nut 27 with a diameter of 23 millimeters for engaging in the proximal parts 23 and 24 of the longitudinal faces 19 and 20.

 As can be seen in FIG. 2, the tool body 1 is advantageously made of molded plastic material, formed of a central plate 28 the periphery of which is bordered by two perpendicular ribs opposite one another such as the ribs 29 and 30. The cross section of the tool body is thus an H-beam, mechanically rigid and capable of taking up the forces necessary during use.

 The first active tool part 4 and second active tool part 13 are advantageously made of plastic. The strength of the plastic is sufficient for the functions which these two active tool parts must fulfill, and the plastic avoids degrading the gas outlet regulator fixing nut with each change of bottle.

 On the other hand, the third active part of the tool 17 must have a higher mechanical resistance, in order to be functional in the case where the hexagon nuts are blocked.

 For this, the third active part of the tool 17 with a tightening wrench structure for a hexagon nut can advantageously be provided with a metal insert 31, illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6, coming flush with the peripheral surface of the 'recess 18, that is to say at least on the lateral faces 19 and 20, and possibly on the facets 21 and 22. The peripheral surface of the recess 18 constitutes the bearing surface for the nut 27 to be tightened.

 In the illustrated embodiment, the insert 31 is a metal plate, for example of thickness equal to approximately 2 millimeters, covered on either side by two lateral thicknesses 40 and 41 of plastic material forming the tool body 1. Said metal plate is cut according to an internal contour 32 crenellated outcropping, to form a bearing surface whose median zone is discontinuous metal. Said metal plate is cut according to an external contour 33 crenellated for anchoring in the plastic of the tool body 1.

 The recesses 34 of the inner contour make it possible to constitute, as can be seen in FIG. 6, plastic bridges such as the bridges 35 and 36 between metal parts such as the parts 37 and 38 of the insert 31 which come in flush for example on the side face 19 of the third active tool part.

 The plastic bridges 35 and 36 constitute a link between the two lateral parts 40 and 41 made of plastic on either side of the insert 31, preventing the spacing of the lateral parts 40 and 41 when tightening a nut.

 The outer contour 33 preferably comprises, as illustrated in FIG. 5, dovetail notches 39 for better grip in the plastic.

 The insert 31 can advantageously be made of stainless steel.

 The present invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations thereof contained in the field of claims below.

Claims (8)

 1 - Connection key for domestic gas appliance, comprising a tool body (1) in the form of a longitudinal handle with two ends (2, 3) carrying the active tool parts, said active tool parts comprising at least - a first active part of tool (4) with hook structure adapted to engage on a blind cylindrical plug (5) of gas cylinder orifice, - a second active part of tool (13) with structure in tightening key for gas outlet regulator fixing nut, characterized in that - the first (4) and second (13) active tool parts are arranged on two respective sides of the same first end (2) of handle, - the second handle end (3) comprises a third active tool part (17) with a wrench structure for hexagon nut (27).  2 - Connection key according to claim 1, characterized in that the third active tool part (17) with a tightening wrench structure for hexagon nut comprises a nut engagement recess (18) limited by two opposite longitudinal faces (19, 20) connected, at the bottom of the recess (18), by two facets (21, 22) inclined at 120 degrees respectively with respect to the longitudinal faces (19, 20), the longitudinal faces (19, 20 ) having a proximal portion (23, 24) and a distal portion (25, 26), the proximal portions (23, 24) being separated from each other by a first spacing (El), the distal portions (25, 26 ) being separated from each other by a second spacing (E2) greater than the first spacing (El).  3 - Connection key according to claim 2, characterized in that the first spacing (El) is equal to approximately 23 millimeters, while the second spacing (E2) is equal to approximately 24 millimeters.  4 - Connection key according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the tool body (1) is made of molded plastic, the third active part of the tool (17) with a wrench structure for hexagon nut being provided with a metal insert (31) coming flush with the bearing surface (19, 20, 21, 22) for the nut to be tightened (27).  5 - Connection key according to claim 4, characterized in that the insert (31) is a plate cut along an inner contour (32) crenellated forming a discontinuous metal support surface, and an outer contour (33) crenellated for anchoring in the plastic of the tool body (1).  6 - Connection key according to claim 5, characterized in that the internal contour (32) crenellated allows the formation of material bridges (35,36) connecting two lateral parts (40, 41) on either side of the 'insert (31).  7 - Connection key according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the outer contour (33) has notches in dovetail (39).  8 - Connection key according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the tool body (1) is made of molded plastic, formed of a central plate (28) whose periphery is bordered by two perpendicular ribs (29, 30) opposite one another.