Patent Application
20160236330
The present invention relates to wrenches. More specifically, the present invention relates to wrenches adapted for use with various types of plumbing applications, such as with shower valves.
The bonnet nut of a bathtub and shower valve can be extremely difficult to remove. In particular, the threading of the bonnet nut can become locked with the threading of the valve body due to calcium buildup, the nut can be slick and difficult to grip with conventional wrenches, and the valve body must held steady simultaneously as the bonnet nut is turned. Furthermore, if users twist the valve body too much when attempting to remove the bonnet nut, it can potentially result in hundreds of dollars' worth of damage to the plumbing system that must be fixed by a professional. Bathtub and shower valves that utilize smooth, circular bonnet nuts are even more difficult to remove because of the difficulty associated with gripping the bonnet nut without causing damage to the body of the shower valve.
One technique to remove a bonnet nut from a valve body is by locking the valve body in place with one wrench and then using a second wrench to apply torque to the bonnet nut. However, it can be challenging to simultaneously hold both wrenches while ensuring that the valve body does not twist too much. Another technique to remove a bonnet nut is to apply heat, often using a rag laden with hot water, to the bonnet nut in order to loosen it. However, this is unreliable and can be very time consuming. Still yet another technique to remove a bonnet nut is to apply WD-40 or another such penetrating fluid to the threading between the valve body and the bonnet nut. However, penetrating fluid may not be sufficient to break the nut-body connection if there is a substantial amount of calcium buildup. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a device specifically adapted to remove bonnet nuts from bathtub and shower valve bodies, without causing damage to the valves.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of wrenches now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a fastener-tightened bonnet nut wrench wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when removing smooth, circular bonnet nuts from bathtub and shower valves. The present system comprises a substantially closed end wrench comprising a pair of disconnected distal ends separated by a gap. The distal ends each comprise a threaded aperture and each of the threaded apertures are aligned, thereby allowing a fastener to be inserted therethrough. As the fastener placed through the pair of complementary threaded apertures is tightened, it draws the distal ends together, thereby closing the end of the wrench. The present invention is used by placing the end of the wrench over the bonnet nut and then tightening the fastener in order to close the end of the wrench around the bonnet nut. The frictional engagement between the interior surface of the wrench end and the bonnet nut around which the closed end is tightened allows the user to apply torque to the wrench to tighten or loosen the bonnet nut.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the fastener-tightened wrench. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for removing bonnet nuts from bathtub or shower valves that utilize smooth, circular bonnet nuts. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to
When the head 19 is in its open configuration, i.e. the distal end 17 and the projection 18 are in a spaced relationship as shown in
The face of the distal end 17 and the face of the projection 18 are adapted to rest flush against each other when the distal end 17 is drawn against the projection 18. The face of the distal end 17 is curved and the face of the projection 18 has a complementary curvature. In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 17 comprises a planar face and the projection 18 comprises a complementary planar face, wherein the angles at which the planar faces are disposed correspond to each other. The ability of the distal ends 17 and the projection 18 to rest flush against each other ensures that the head 19 is fully enclosed when tightened via the fastener 31.
The present invention is adapted for use with Delta R10000, Brizo R60000, Peerless R10000, and other such valves 21 having rounded, smooth-edged bonnet nuts 22. As such, the interior surface 16 of the head 19 is a smooth surface that is free from projections therefrom so that the interior surface 16 conforms to the bonnet nut 22 of the valves 21 and rests flush thereagainst when the head 19 is tightened. In use, the untightened head 19 of the present wrench 11 is placed around a bonnet nut 22 the user wishes to tighten or loosen a valve 21. Once in place, the user then tightens the fastener 31 through the apertures 14, 15 disposed through the distal ends 17 and the projection 18, which closes the head 19 around the bonnet nut 22. When fully tightened, the friction between the interior surface 16 of the head 19 and the peripheral edge of the bonnet nut 22 allows the user to tighten or loosen the bonnet nut 22 by actuating the wrench 11.
The wrench 11 is constructed from a material that is rigid enough to avoid bending when torque is applied thereto during use, but bendable enough such that tightening of the fastener 31 through the apertures 14, 15 is able to alter the shape of the head 19 by drawing the distal end 17 and the projection 18 against each other. In one embodiment of the present invention, the wrench 11 is fabricated from T6 temper 6061 aluminum alloy.
Referring now to
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/116,131 filed on Feb. 13, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62116131 | Feb 2015 | US |
