Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Handle – handle component – or handle adjunct
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-03
2001-01-16
Pollard, Steven (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Handle, handle component, or handle adjunct
C220S573100, C220S763000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173860
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a national stage of PCT/DE97/00878 filed Apr. 26, 1997 and based, in turn, upon German national applications 196 21 524.2 of May 29, 1996 and 196 53 228.0 of Dec. 20, 1996 under the International Convention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a handgrip for a cookware item.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A handgrip for a cookware item, particularly for roasting, baking or boiling purposes, which can be secured to the wall of a cookware item by means of a fastening element, is known from EP 02 47 229A1. The handgrip or a substantial part thereof can be pivoted about a vertical axis from an operating position wherein the handgrip projects transversely from the cookware, into a rest position wherein the handgrip is approximately parallel or tangential to the wall of the cookware item, or wherein it engages over the opening or the surface of the same. The handgrip consists of a base portion and of a handle swingably supported in the base portion, the latter having a guide surface with an annular guide groove or an annular projection, which is centrally traversed by the swivel axis, and the handle has a matching guide surface or a guide projection or guide groove in its end area connecting it to the base portion, whereby the interengaging and mutually contacting guide elements are held together by a connection means forming the swivel axis.
On the manipulating part of the handgrip a tubular projection is arranged and on the fastening element provided on the pot side there is also a projection, the two interengage, whereby their position with respect to each other is secured by the groove and by the snap ring set therein. This design is usable, but in practice creates a considerable problem. Namely to the extent that a wobble-free fit of the handgrip on the fastening element is supposed to be achieved, an extremely tight fit of the projections is required. This translates into high manufacturing costs, and besides the narrow fit impairs the rotatability of the parts with respect to each other.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to provide a handgrip wherein a perfect centering and guidance between the base portion and the swingable handle is insured, even when the cooperating separate parts have manufacturing tolerances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved by the invention which provides a swivel axis consisting of a bearing bushing supported by means of a flange on the outside of the handle, penetrating through the handle and the base portion, and fixed by means of a fastening element supported outside of the base Portion. The fastening element consists of an annular or cylindrical spring element and of a cap screw traversing the assembly axially, whereby the spring element is an arched spring plate whose central area can be firmly pulled against the bottom part of the bearing bushing by means of the cap screw and whose marginal area rests against the bottom part of the base portion when prestressed.
Due to this arrangement, on the one hand an appropriate guidance over the entire swivel path is achieved, whereby already due to the interengaging guide elements the stability of the connection between the handgrip and the cookware parts is insured. Furthermore the bearing bushing can be fixed in an appropriate manner on the base portion and secured thereto by means of the fastening element, whereby the bearing bushing forms the pivot bearing for the handle. This arrangement allows for a simple assembly, whereby in addition it is insured that the separate components can be replaced, especially the bearing bushing or the handle, when one of these parts is damaged or is no longer effective.
Further due to the bearing bushing part a perfect centering and guidance is insured. The axial play in this in this swivel joint is eliminated, especially due to the construction of the spring element as a cup spring, whereby a certain shock absorption effect is achieved. By means of the fastening element the connection is brought to the desired level of preliminary stress, so that in spite of the tolerance. in the fabrication of the separate components, a tight fit can be achieved while thereby insuring the rotatability.
Preferably the vertical axis is parallel to the central axis of the cookware item, or is slightly inclined with respect to the latter.
As a rule cookware items are circular, so that the central axis of this circular shape is practically the central axis of the cookware. The vertical axis which constitutes the swivel axis of the handgrip has to be parallel or sightly inclined with respect to the central axis.
Preferably the handgrip can be arrested in the two possible extreme positions.
Furthermore it is particularly advantageous to insert in the bearing bushing, at its flange end, a spring element and a service part which can be axially displaced in the direction of the bearing bushing under the action of the prestressed spring, and which is transversely penetrated by a locking pin, whereby the locking pin traverses the bearing bushing transversely to its longitudinal axis, through slots running parallel to the longitudinal bearing bushing axis and projects radially beyond the bearing bushing, as well as engages in axial arresting grooves which radially surround the area of the handle, so that when the service part is not under load, the swingability of the handle into the position of use or into the rest position is prevented, and when the service part is axially under load and displaced, the ends of the locking pin are no longer engaged in the axial arresting grooves and the handle and the bearing bushing are swingable.
Thereby the cylindrical service part is advantageously provided with a push button.
Due to the spring-loaded service part (push button with locking pin) the release and the locking of the rotatable handle in the two target positions is safely and simply insured, and the functional elements are easily handled, whereby the service part is preferably arranged on the upper part of the handle assembly, so that the user can actuate the service part with the thumb, while holding the handgrip with his hand.
It is also particularly advantageous when the contacting guide surfaces of the base portion and the handle are coated with friction-reducing material, or when between the surfaces slide disks of such a material are provided.
Advantageously the friction-reducing material is PTFE. For instance by means of two PTFE disks (polytetrafluoroethylene disks), which are arranged in the area of the guide surfaces on the upper and lower side of the handle or on the base portion, a desired easy rotatability of the handle is insured, in spite of the corresponding preliminary stress.
Although in the usual cookware items, for instance pans or the like, the handgrip in the rest position lies advantageously approximately tangentially on the peripheral wall of the cookware item, a displacement of the handgrip is also possible so that the handgrip in the use position projects quasi radially from the corresponding cookware item, while in the rest position the handgrip is swung inwards, so that it is arranged quasi over the opening of the cookware, or in case there is a cover, over the cover surface, so that only unessential radial projections remain. The projections which remain outside the cookware item are not bigger than in the case of the usual bow-type handgrip or the like, so that especially when arranged in a package or the like, these projecting areas are set in the corners of the box, so that no additional space is required inside the package.
In order to achieve a firm fit in the use position also in the presence of manufacturing tolerances, the invention proposes that the base portion and the handgrip be made of a thermosetting material and the bearing bushing of a thermoplastic material, whereby the outer diameter of the bearing bushing in the area where it traverses the central hole of the handle of the handgrip is smaller than the diameter of the central hole, so that the p
Dubno Herbert
Gebr. Dingerkus GmbH & Co. KG
Pollard Steven
LandOfFree
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