GB2183528A - Knobs - Google Patents

Abstract

A knob (1) especially suitable for mounting on lids (15) of hollow ware vessels comprises outer and inner components (2, 3). The inner component (3) is adapted to retain the knob to the lid and comprises a stem (9) which extends from a rear face to a front end wall (10) and engages in a passage extending through the outer component (2). The front end wall (10) of the inner component is exposed at the front of the outer component to form a substantial part of the frontal part of the knob. The inner component may be transparent and form a window in the lid. The outer and inner components may each have outwardly extending flanges (7, 11) at their rear surfaces and the inner component extend through a hole in the lid, the lid being trapped between the two flanges. The flange of the outer component can form a finger guard. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Knobs This invention relates to knobs applicableto sup- ports of various kinds, including lids of hollowware or other articles, doors and drawers It is usual for knobs to be secured to theirsupports for use by fixing means which are concealed from view at least from the fronts of the knobs. The concealmentofthefixing means is normally desirable in order that the fixing means will not detract from the appearance ofthe knobs.Examples of known arrangements are: knobs having blind holes extending into them from their rears into which screws passed through or fixed on the supports are tightened to secure the knobs; the provision of screws or screwthreaded portions rigid with and projecting from the rears ofthe knobs which engage in complementary screw-threaded sockets or nuts at the supports, and sockets in the rears of the knobs with which retaining elements secured to the supports are engaged with bayonet-type connections.

According to the present invention a knob is provided which comprises co-operating outer and inner components, the outercomponentforming asub- stantial part ofthe exterior ofthe knob and having frontand rear surfaces between which a passage ex tendsthroughthat component, and the innercom- ponent having a base by which the component is adapted to be retained to a supportforthe knobfor use and a stem which projects from the base and extends through the passage from the rear surface of the outer component to the front surface where it is exposed and forms a frontal part of the knob, there being retention between the stem and the passage whereby the stem is held in the passage and thetwo components are secured together.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the inner and outer components are made as plastics mouldings and the passage and stem have mating screw-threaded formations to secure the componentstogether. The components may be of differentcolours and/or have differing textures attheir exposed surfaces for decorative effect. One compo nent may be of an opaque material and the other may be of a transparent material. The innercompo nent may be of a transparent material and allow viewingthroughtheknobfromitsfrontal part toe base ofthe inner component. Thus if the base is adapted to be disposed at the opposite side ofthe supportforthe knob from the outer component, the innercomponentmayserveasawindowforseeing through the support.

If desired the inner and outer components may be of other materials, and the material of the one may be different from the material of the other.

Instead ofthe mating screw-threaded formations the passage and the stem may have other co operating formations, for example to provide a bayonet-type connection or a snap connection, or the stem may be of a force fit in the passage so that it is retained in the stem solely by friction. The stem may be bonded in engagement with the passage.

The base may be in the form of a flange around the root ofthe stem. The stem may extend through a hole in the support to which the knob is applied for use, and the base may be arranged to abut against one surface ofthe support whilst the outer compo nentwhen secured to the stem abuts at its rearsurface against the opposite surface ofthe support. A washer, collar or plate may be interposed between the support and the rearsurface ofthe outercom- ponents through which the stem passes.

The outer component may take a variety offorms according totheshape required forthe knob.

Although applicable to supports of various kinds the knob according to the invention is particularly suitable for application to lids of hollow ware vessels such as, for example, saucepans and coffee percolators.

According to a further aspect ofthe invention there is provided a lid for a hollowwarevessel having a knob which comprises co-operating outer and inner components, the outer component forming a so be stantial part of the exterior of the knob and having front and rear surfaces between which a passage extends through that component, and the inner component having a base by which the component is re tained to the lid and a stem which projects from the base and extends through the passage from the rear surface of the outer component to the front surface where it is exposed and forms a frontal part ofthe exterior of the knob, there being retention between the stem and passage whereby the stem is held in the passage and the two com ponents are secu red together.

An embodiment of the invention will now be des- cribed by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a central section through a saucepan lid fitted with a knob in accordance with the invention.

In the accompanying drawing the knob is gener ally indicated at1. ltcomprisesanoutercomponent 2 and an inner component3. Both components are made as mouldings of plastics materials. The outer component 2 is opaque and the inner component 3 is transparent. Opaque and transparent nylon materials, for example, may be used for the respective components.

The outer component 2 has a tubular body 4 ofcir- cular cross-section formed with an internal annular flange 5 at one end having an outer radial surface 6, and an external annularfFange 7 atthe opposite end which forms a finger-guard. Adjacent to the internal annularflange 5 and extending for approximately half the length ofthe interior of the body 4 is an internal screw-thread 8which is moulded in the body and is rounded profile.The innercomponent3is of generally top hat form having a hollow cylindrical stem 9 closed at one end by an end wall 10 and having an external annularflange 11 at its opposite, open, end.The stem 9 is of complementary external diameterto the tubular body 4 of the outercompo- nent and is formed with an external screw-thread 12 which is complementary to the internal screw-thread 8 ofthe body 4. A step 13 is defined between the stem 9 and the end wall 10 which allows the latterto extend into the opening defined bythe radially inner edge ofthe internal flange 5 ofthe outer component until an outerface 14 of the end wall is level with the outerradial surface8 of the internal flange. The inner component is longer than the outer component.

The saucepan lid, generally indicated at 15 in the drawing, to which the knob is fitted is a metal pressing of conventional form provided with a central aperture 16 of complementary diameter to the ex ternal diameter ofthe stem 9 ofthe innercomponent.

In the assembling ofthe knob on the lid 15, the stem ofthe inner component is inserted through the aperture 16 from the underside of the lid until the ex- ternal flange 11 is againstthe underside ofthe lid around the aperture. The outer component is then screwed, by hand, onto the stem from the upperside ofthe lid until the external flange 7 ofthat compo- nent bears on the lid and the lid is clamped between the opposed external flanges of the two components. When the outer component is fullytightenedontheinnercomponenttheouterface 14 the end wall 10 ofthe inner component is level with the outer radial surface 6 ofthe outer component. The end wall thus forms a frontal part ofthe knob. The finger-guard formed by the external flange 7 ofthe outer component shields the fingers of a person hol ding the knobfrom contact with the metal lid so asto protect the fingers from being burned when the lid is hot.

Sincethe innercomponent is moulded from trans- parent plastics material its end wall 10 provides a window for looking through the knob into the interior ofthe saucepan to which the lid is flitted when in use. If desired the end wall may be shaped as a lens.

Whi Ist the screw-th readed connection between the two components holds them secu rely together, they may, if desired, be disconnected without undue difficultyforcleaning purposes.

Claims (16)

1. A knob comprising co-operating outer and inner components, the outer component forming a substantial partofthe exteriorofthe knob and hav ing front and rear surfaces between which a passage extendsthroughthatcomponent,andtheinnercomponent having a base by which it is adapted to be retained to a support forthe knob for use and a stem which projects from the base and extends through the passage from the rear surface ofthe outer componentto the front surface where it is exposed and forms a frontal part ofthe knob, there being retention between the stem and the passage whereby the stem is held i n the passage and the two components a re secured together.

2. A knob according to claim 1 which is adapted to be secured to a support having a hole extending between opposite surfaces of the support,the stem being arranged to pass through the hole, and the base ofthe inner component and the rear surface of the outer component being able to engage with the opposite surfaces of the support.

3. A knob according to claim 2, in which the base comprises a flange extending around a root part of the stem and arranged to abut in use against one of the opposite surfaces of the support.

4. A knob according to any preceding claim in whichtheoutercomponentcomprisesa bodyportion in which the passage is provided, and an outwardly extending rear flange which forms at least part ofthe rear surface of the outer component, the rear flange abutting the support in use.

5. A knob according to claim 4 adapted for retention to a hot support in which the knob is of a material of lowthermal conductivityandthe rearflange forms a guard overthe support in the region ofthe body portion to prevent accidental contact of a user's hand with the hot support.

6. A knob according to any preceding claim in which the passage and the stem are provided with respective mating screw-threaded formations which secure the components together.

7. A knob according to any preceding claim in whichtheinnercomponentistransparentand serves as a window for seeing through the support.

8. A knob according to any preceding claim in which the exposed part ofthe stem forms a substantial portion ofthe frontal part ofthe knob.

9. Alidfora hollowwarevessel having a knob which comprises co-operating outer and innercom ponents, the outer componentforming a substantial part of the exterior of the knob and having front and rear surfaces between which a passage extends throughthatcomponent,andtheinnercomponent having a base by which it is retained to the lid and a stem which projects from the base and extends through the passage from the rear surface ofthe outer component to the front surface where it is exposed and forms a frontal part ofthe exterior ofthe knob, there being retention between the stem and passage whereby the stem is held in the passage and the two components are secured together.

10. A lid according to claim 9 in which the inner component is transparent and in use allows vision through the lid into the hollowwarevessel to which the lid isto befitted.

11. A lid according to claim 9 or claim 10 in which the stem forms a substantial portion ofthe frontal part ofthe knob.

12. A lid according to any one of claims 9to 11 in which the outer component comprises a body portion in which the passage is provided and an outwardly extending rear flange which forms at least part ofthe rear surface ofthe outer component and abuts the upper surface ofthe lid to form a guard around the body portion to prevent a userfrom ac cidentallytouchingthelidwhen holding the knob.

13. A lid according to any one of claims 9to 12 in which the lid has a hole extending between its opposite surfaces through which the stem passes, the base of the inner component and the rear surface of the outer component engaging with the opposite surfaces ofthe lid.

14. A lid according to claim 13 inwhichthe base comprises a flange extending around a root part of the stem and abutting against one of the opposite surfaces.

15. A knob substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

16. Alidfora hollow ware vessel substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.