Patent Application
20090257845
The present invention relates generally to a nut for attaching two devices together, wherein the nut provides visual and tactile signals as to the correct rotational direction and methods for providing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a nut for attaching a water device such as a water filter system to a water supply such as a faucet, wherein the nut provides visual and tactile signals as to the rotational direction required to tighten and/or install the nut onto the water supply and methods for providing the same.
Nuts for attaching devices such as a water filter system to a second device such as a water supply (e.g., faucet) are well known in the art. These nuts generally have a hexagonal-shaped body or a body having a plurality of ribs or protrusions (“rib/protrusion” nut) extending from and disposed along a circumference of the body. The hexagonal-shaped nut includes pairs of intersecting faces that form six vertices to form its hexagonal shape. The hexagonal-shaped nut is symmetrical relative to planes that contain either pairs of opposing midpoints of the hexagonal faces or opposing vertices and the longitudinal axis of the nut. With respect to the “rib/protrusion” nut designs, such designs also include a plurality of two intersecting faces that form a plurality of ribs or protrusions. Similar to the hexagonal nut, the “rib/protrusion” nut designs are symmetrical relative to planes that contain a protrusion and the longitudinal axis of the nut.
The portion of the faces near the vertices of the hexagonal nut design and/or the faces of the ribs or protrusions of the rib/protrusion nut design provide a face of equal leverage for a user to grip and/or apply pressure to with his/her hand or fingers no matter which direction the user is rotating the nut (e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise). In other words, the conventional nut designs are bi-directional because they provide a user the same tactile and visual signals in either direction of rotation. This often causes a user confusion as to which direction the nut should be rotated in order to tighten or loosen it.
Accordingly, an improved nut design and method for providing the same are needed in order to inform the user as to the direction that it should be turned to either tighten or loosen it.
The present invention is directed to a nut for attaching two devices, wherein the nut provides visual and tactile signals as to the correct rotational direction of the nut.
One embodiment of the present invention is a nut that includes a body having an aperture disposed within the body, threads located within the aperture of the body, and a plurality of gripping areas disposed along a circumference of the body. The plurality of gripping areas provides visual and tactile directional signals as to the rotational direction required to attach or detach the nut to or from a threaded member.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a nut for attaching a first device to a second device that includes a body having a threaded aperture disposed within the body and a plurality of protrusions circumferentially positioned along and extending from a perimeter of the body. The plurality of protrusions comprises a pressure-bearing face and a non-pressure-bearing face.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is an asymmetrical nut for attaching a water device to a water supply that includes a nut body having a circular aperture disposed within the body and a plurality of unidirectional gripping areas circumferentially positioned along a perimeter of the body. The body is asymmetrical with respect to any plane that contains the longitudinal axis of the nut body.
One embodiment of the present invention is a method for providing a nut with visual and tactile signals for attaching the nut to a threaded member. The method includes providing a nut body and forming a plurality of unidirectional gripping areas along a circumference of the body such that the plurality of gripping areas provides visual and tactile directional signals as to the correct rotational direction required to attach the nut to a threaded member.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed the same will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative in nature and not intended to be limiting of the invention defined by the claims. Moreover, individual features of the drawings and the invention will be more fully apparent and understood in view of the detailed description.
Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals indicate similar elements throughout the views.
As depicted in
As set forth above, plurality of gripping areas 13 may be disposed within body 16 along circumference 11. Gripping areas 13 may comprise a surface 15, a pressure bearing face 12, and a non-pressure bearing face 14. Surface 15 may be fabricated from the same material as the body or a separate material such a low durometer plastic. A low durometer plastic may be desirable for at least a portion of surface 15 in order to provide a soft touch or feel to a user when making contact or gripping nut 10. An exemplary plastic that may be used to partially cover or fabricate surface 15 may comprise a low durometer elastomer.
Pressure bearing face 12 may comprise an angle of leverage α and non-pressure bearing face 14 may comprise an angle of leverage β. Angle of leverage α is measured from a hypothetical line 1 that is tangent to circumference 11 and a hypothetical line 2 that is tangent to the slope of the initial curvature (conic, spherical or linear) defining face 12. Angle of leverage β is measured from a hypothetical line 3 that is tangent to circumference 11 and a hypothetical line 4 that is tangent to the slope of the initial curvature (conic, spherical or linear) defining face 14. In the present invention, angle of leverage α may range from about 10 degrees to about 90 degrees, and angle of leverage β may range from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees. The angle of leverage (α and β) defines the angle of the face (e.g., pressure bearing face 12 or non-pressure bearing face 14) available to make contact with a user's hand or fingers when attempting to grip and turn the nut. For example, the greater the angle of leverage (the closer the angle is to 90 degrees), the greater the slope of the face and thus the more face that is available for the user's hand or fingers to apply pressure against. As used herein, a “non-pressure bearing face” is defined as a face that has an angle of leverage (e.g., angle β) that is less than the angle of leverage (e.g., angle α) of an adjacent pressure bearing face of the same nut.
In the one exemplary embodiment set forth in
It has been discovered that since nut 10 includes gripping areas 13 that comprise a pressure bearing face and a non-pressure bearing face (i.e., angle β is less than angle α), nut 10 provides a user both visual and tactile signals as to which rotational direction is the correct direction such as which rotational direction is required to tighten nut 10 to install a filter system onto a faucet. It is understood that the nut may be alternatively configured to provide visual and tactile signals as to which rotational direction is required to loosen nut 10. A nut of the present invention that provides visual and tactile signals as to which single rotational direction is correct is defined herein as unidirectional This is very beneficial to a user when trying to install a faucet mounted water filter system onto a water faucet because the visual and tactile signals simplify and expedite the installation of the filter system by eliminating uncertainty about correct rotation of the nut. Such visual and tactile signals found in the present invention are absent from conventional nut designs.
Conventional nut designs generally have gripping areas or protrusions/ribs that include two pressure bearing faces adjacent to each other and lack a non-pressure bearing face. Such designs provide conventional nuts with a symmetrical shape. Since the nuts do not have gripping areas with a pressure bearing face and a non-pressure bearing face (having an angle of leverage less than the angle of leverage of the pressure bearing face), conventional nuts do not provide a user visual or tactile signals as to the correct and/or desired rotational direction (e.g., which direction is required to tighten and/or install the nut). If anything, the conventional nut designs provide a user visual and tactile signals that the nut may be rotated in either direction, thus allowing the user to become confused as to which is the correct rotational direction.
In addition, body 16 may be fabricated such that it has a top surface 17 that is configured to be level or linear (i.e., no curvature) such that a user may use the top surface to align the nut in an orientation that permits easy threading of the nut onto the faucet during the installation of the water filter system. As shown in
The plurality of pressure bearing faces 12 may be positioned or spaced-apart from each other at a variety of intervals along circumference 11. For example, each pressure bearing face of the plurality of pressure bearing faces may be spaced from each other at an angle θ of from about 1 degree to about 180 degrees, alternatively from about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
Referring to
As set forth above, nut body 116 may be fabricated using any conventional methods such as compression or injection molding and/or machining from a variety of conventional materials, including but not limited to metals, plastics such as polymers (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyethylene), composite materials, or any combination thereof as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Aperture 118 may also include internal threads 119 located within it. In addition, threads 119 may also comprise any conventional threading and be fabricated from a variety of materials such as metal, plastics (e.g., polymers), composite materials, or any combination thereof as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In the exemplary embodiment shown, threads 119 are a separate unit that is inserted into aperture 118 and attached to body 116.
The exemplary nut shown may be configured to be connected to a conventional faucet mounted water filter system 300 such that nut 100 may be used to attach, connect, or mount the water filter system 300 to a water faucet 400. Threads 119 may be configured to threadingly engage external threads disposed on an end of the water faucet 400 in order to connect the water filter system 300 to the water faucet 400. Nut 100 may include other components such as a gasket described above herein or other components as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. It is understood that nut 100 may be used to connect other devices such as other water devices such as a sprayer to water supplies such as a hose, pump, etc. as known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
As shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, angle of leverage α may range from about 10 degrees to about 90 degrees, and angle of leverage β may range from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees. The angle of leverage (α and β) defines the angle of the face (e.g., pressure bearing face 112 or non-pressure bearing face 114) available to make contact with a user's hand or fingers when attempting to grip and turn the nut. For example, the greater the angle of leverage (the closer the angle is to 90 degrees), the greater the slope of the face and thus the more face that is available for the user's hand or fingers to apply pressure against.
In the exemplary embodiment, angle of leverage α is about 60 degrees and angle of leverage β is about 30 degrees. Since the angle of leverage β of non-pressure bearing face 114 is less than the angle of leverage α of pressure bearing face 112, nut 100 provides a user with both visual and tactile signals as to the correct, required, or desired rotational direction (e.g., which direction is required to tighten and/or install nut 100 onto a device such as a water supply, particularly a faucet). As set forth above, such visual and tactile signals discovered and found in the present invention are absent from conventional nut designs. Pressure bearing faces 112 and non-pressure bearing faces 114 and their corresponding angles of leverage cause nut 100 and gripping areas 113 to have an asymmetrical shape relative to any plane (e.g., R-R′) that contains the longitudinal axis L-L′ of nut 100.
Still referring to
Referring to
As set forth above, nut body 216 may be fabricated using any conventional methods such as compression or injection molding and/or machining from a variety of conventional materials, including but not limited to metals, plastics such as polymers (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate, polyethylene), composite materials, or any combination thereof as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Aperture 218 may also include internal threads 219 located within it. In addition, threads 219 may also comprise any conventional threading and be fabricated from a variety of materials such as metal, plastics (e.g., polymers), composite materials, or any combination thereof as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In the exemplary embodiment shown, threads 219 may be formed within and be integral to aperture 218 or be a separate unit that is inserted into aperture 218 and attached to body 216.
Again, the exemplary nut shown may be configured to be connected to a conventional faucet mounted water filter system 300 such that nut 200 may be used to attach, connect, or mount the water filter system 300 to a water faucet 400. Threads 219 may be configured to threadingly engage external threads disposed on an end of the water faucet 400 in order to connect the water filter system 300 to the water faucet 400. Nut 200 may include other components such as a gasket described above herein or other components as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. It is understood that nut 200 may be used to connect other devices such as other water devices such as a sprayer to water supplies such as a hose, pump, etc. as known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
As shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, angle of leverage α is about 60 degrees and angle of leverage β is about 15 degrees. Since the angle of leverage β of non-pressure bearing face 214 is less than the angle of leverage α of pressure bearing face 212, nut 200 provides a user with both visual and tactile signals as to the correct rotational direction (e.g., which rotational direction is required to tighten and/or install nut 200 onto a device such as a water supply, particularly a faucet). Such visual and tactile signals found in the present invention are absent from conventional nut designs. Pressure bearing faces 212 and non-pressure bearing faces 214 and their corresponding angles of leverage cause nut 200 and gripping areas 213 to have an asymmetrical shape relative to any plane (e.g., Q-Q′) that contains the longitudinal axis L-L′ of nut 200. Unlike the gripping areas of the other exemplary embodiments set forth above herein, gripping areas 213 of this exemplary embodiment do not comprise a smooth, curvilinear shape such as a conic arc. As shown, gripping areas 213 comprise a linear shape.
All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120, this application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/446,580, filed on Jun. 2, 2006, still pending, the substance of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11446580 | Jun 2006 | US |
| Child | 12489628 | US |
