Patent Application
20190302826
Power equipment, such as lawn mowers, tillers, and snow blowers, are known to have variety of knobs. These knobs are often securely fasten to a control lever and are typically difficult to remove by an operator of the power equipment. If the knob becomes damaged and cannot be removed from the control lever, the operator may need to replace both the knob and the control lever. It would be beneficial for an operator to easily replace a damaged knob with a new knob without having to change out the entire control lever and without the need of additional tools to remove the damaged knob.
According to one aspect, a knob for mounting on a control lever includes a knob body and a cavity formed in the knob body extending from a lower end of the knob body having a lower opening. The knob also includes a cantilever arm within the cavity connected to an interior connection portion of the knob body remote from the lower opening and extending substantial parallel to an interior of the knob body to the lower opening. The cantilever arm includes a projection formed on a side of the cantilever arm to engage a connecting portion of the control lever.
According to another aspect, a knob assembly includes a knob body and a control lever. The knob body includes a cavity formed in the knob body, and the cavity extends from a lower end of the knob body having a lower opening. The knob body also includes a cantilever arm within the cavity that extends substantially parallel to an interior of the knob body. The cantilever arm includes a projection formed on a side of the cantilever arm and an extended section at an end of the cantilever arm. The control lever includes a shaft including an end portion configured to be received the cavity of the knob body, a connecting portion formed on a base of the shaft, and the connecting portion is configured to engage the projection of the cantilever arm.
According to a further aspect, a knob for mounting on a control lever includes a knob body having a lower body part including a lower end having a lower opening, a cavity formed in the lower body part extending from the lower opening, and a cantilever arm. The cantilever arm is connected to an interior connection portion of the lower body part within the cavity and extending along an axial direction of the lower body part to the lower opening. The cantilever arm includes a projection formed on a side of the cantilever arm to engage a connecting portion of the control lever, and an extended section formed on an end of the cantilever arm to selectively engage and disengage the projection of the cantilever arm from the connecting portion of the control lever.
The novel features believed to be characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. In the descriptions that follow, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain figures may be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advances thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Examples will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which example embodiments are shown. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. Some aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.
In one embodiment, the upper body part 200 includes a stopper 210 that extends from a central area of the base portion 204. The stopper 210 may have a U-shaped configuration, but the stopper 210 is not limited to this particular shape and can comprise other shapes or arrangements. The stopper 210 is inserted into the lower body part 300 when the upper body part 200 and the lower body part 300 are joined together.
In one or more embodiments, the upper external rim 312 of the lower body part 300 contains an inner edge 318 and an internal groove 320 located below the inner edge 318. The fastening lips 208 of the upper body part 200 are configured to snap fit into the internal groove 320 of the lower body part 300 when the upper body part 200 and the lower body part 300 are joined together. This arrangement is illustrated in
In one embodiment, the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300 and the stopper 210 of the upper body part 200 have a similar shape configuration allowing for the stopper 210 of the upper body part 200 to fit into the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300. As shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300 also includes a resilient cantilever arm 322 therein. The cantilever arm 322 is connected to an interior connection portion 324 within the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300 remote from the lower opening 304 and extends substantially parallel in the axial direction of the lower body part 300 to the lower opening 304. The cantilever arm 322 also includes a projection 326 located on a side 328 of the cantilever arm 322 opposite of the interior connection portion 324. In one embodiment, the cantilever arm 322 includes an extended section 330 located below the projection at an end 332 of the cantilever arm 322, and the extended section 330 may extend beyond the lower opening 304 of the lower body part 300. The projection 326 is depicted as having a hook-like shape, but the projection 326 is not limited to this particular shape and can comprise other shapes or arrangements. As described below, the projection 326 of the cantilever arm 322 is configured to engage a connecting portion 508 of the control lever 500.
In one or more embodiments, the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300 receives the shaft 502 of the control lever 500, and the projection 326 of the cantilever arm 322 engages the connecting portion 508 of the control lever 500 when the knob body 120 is mounted on the control lever 500. As depicted in
In a further embodiment, the knob body 120 can be removed from the control lever 500 without the need of additional tools by simply utilizing the extended section 330 of the cantilever arm 322 to disengage the projection 326 of the cantilever arm 322 from the connecting portion 508 of the control lever 500. To remove the knob body 120 from the control lever 500, the extended section 330 of the cantilever arm 322 is designed to be lifted or moved away from the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 and toward the lower external rim 306 of the lower body part 300 causing the projection 326 of the cantilever arm 322 to disengage from the connecting portion 508 of the control lever 500.
In one aspect, the cavity 314 also receives the connecting portion 508 of the control lever 500 when the cavity 314 receives the shaft 502, and the projection 326 engages the connecting portion 508 within the cavity 314. As such, the engagement of the projection 326 and the connection portion 508 is protected or guarded by the knob body 120, thereby preventing disengagement from any debris from the surrounding environment or unexpected force on the knob 110.
In another aspect, the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300 and the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 have a similar shape configuration allowing for the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 to fit into the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300. As shown in
In an additional aspect, the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300, the shaft 502 of the control lever 500, and the stopper 210 of the upper body part 200 have a similar shape configuration allowing for the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 to fit into the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300 and to abut against the stopper 210 of the upper body part 200 when the knob body 120 is mounted on the control lever 500. As shown in
In order to form the knob 110, the upper body part 200 is attached to the lower body part 300. The stopper 210 of the upper body part 200 is first aligned with and inserted into the cavity 314 of the lower body part 300, and the upper body part 200 and the lower body part 300 are pressed together until the fastening lips 208 of the upper body part 200 abut the inner edge 318 of the lower body part 300. Then, the fastening lips 208 of the upper body deflect inwardly and slide passed the inner edge 318 into the internal groove 320 of the lower body part 300, thereby enabling the fastening lips 208 of the upper body part 200 to snap fit into the internal groove 320 of the lower body part 300 and forming the knob 110.
The knob 110 is assembled on the control lever 500 by aligning the lower opening 304 of the knob body 120 with the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 and inserting the upper end 504 of the shaft 502 into the corresponding cavity 314 of the knob body 120, such that the cantilever arm 322 of the knob 110 is received between the walls 514 of the control lever 500. Then, the knob body 120 is pressed onto the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 until the shaft 502 abuts the stopper of the knob body 120 and the projection 326 on the cantilever arm 322 of the knob 110 engages the connecting portion 508 on the control lever 500. When the projection 326 of the cantilever arm 322 is engaged with the connecting portion 508 of the control lever 500, the knob body 120 is securely attached on the control lever 500.
The knob 110 is disassembled from the control lever 500 by an operator lifting or moving the extended section 330 of the cantilever arm 322 of the knob in a direction away from the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 and toward the lower external rim of the knob body 120, thereby disengaging the projection 326 on the cantilever arm 322 from the connecting portion 508 of the control lever 500. Then, the knob body 120 is moved toward the end of the shaft 502 of the control lever 500 until the knob 110 is removed from the control lever 500.
It will be appreciated that various implementations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
