DE20007189U1 - Thermostatic head - Google Patents

Description

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H26641 EN

18 April 2000

company

Honeywell AG Kaiserleistr. 39

63067 Offenbach

"Thermostatic head"

The present invention relates to a thermostat head with a base that can be mounted on the radiator side in a rotationally fixed manner and a handle connected to this base so that it can rotate about a central axis for setting the desired temperature, whereby at least one limiter that can be adjusted to different positions on the circumference is provided to limit the angle of rotation of the handle relative to the base, which limiter can be moved from an initial position by moving it parallel to the axis into the handle into a blocking position in which it limits the angle of rotation. A thermostat head for radiators of the type mentioned at the beginning is known from obvious prior use by the company Metallwerke Neheim Goeke & Co. GmbH and from the brochure dated October 12, 1988 relating to the thermostat head "thera 2" from this company.

In this well-known thermostatic valve, the limiters are small metal pins that are guided axially displaceably in holes in the base and which can be inserted into corresponding holes in the handle when the limiter is set.

0 However, these pins are arranged in the hole in the base in such a way that they are not accessible by hand. Setting the limiter by axial displacement is therefore only possible with the aid of a special tool which partially engages in the hole in the base and reaches behind the pin so that the pin can then be moved into the hole in the handle. This design has various disadvantages. Firstly, it is relatively cumbersome to use if you want to set the limiter using the tool. Furthermore, the special tool for setting the limiters is a separate part, so it can happen that the tool gets lost, meaning the user can no longer set the limiters or cannot remove limiters that have already been set from their set position if a different limitation of the angle of rotation is desired.

Based on this state of the art, there have already been considerations to equip the limiter itself with a radial

to provide a handling part that protrudes from the handle or the base so that the limiter can be grasped by hand in order to move it parallel to the axis into the desired position when setting it. Such a solution is described in the unpublished patent application DE 100 07 929.6. However, there the limiter is designed as a single piece with the radially protruding handling part and the blocking part that is connected in one piece to this and is located inside the base. There are applications in which it is advantageous to make handling less easy when resetting the limiter from the set position to the starting position. This can prevent or at least make it more difficult for unauthorized persons to accidentally change the position of the limiter, e.g. in public buildings.

Based on this idea, the present invention is based on the object of creating a thermostat head of the type mentioned at the beginning, in which the handling when setting the limiter is simple, but resetting it to the starting position requires special knowledge.

The solution to this problem is provided by a thermostat head according to the invention of the type mentioned at the beginning with the

characterizing features of the main claim. According to the invention, the limiter is designed in two parts with a handling part that projects radially relative to the handle or the base and with a blocking part that can be moved parallel to the axis inside the base or handle, whereby the handling part and the blocking part can be detachably connected to one another and, when the limiter is set, the connection between the blocking part and the handling part is released by turning the handle relative to the base. 35

The limiter can therefore be set simply by moving it parallel to the axis, whereby one grips the handling part protruding from the outside.

Removing the set position, on the other hand, is more complicated because it is tied to a specific operating sequence, making it more difficult for unauthorized persons to change the position of the set limiter.

If you want to cancel the set position, you must first push the handling part parallel to the axis towards the handle, then turn the handle as far as it will go so that the connection between the handling part and the internal blocking part is re-established and then move both together parallel to the axis towards the base into the starting position.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the limiter is set, the blocking part is in positive engagement with corresponding parts of the handle and when the handle is rotated about its axis, the blocking part is taken along, whereas the handling part remains in the base, so that the connection between the handling part and the blocking part is released. For the positive engagement with the handle in the set position, the blocking part can, for example, have grooves and/or recesses and/or projections which engage in a positive fit with corresponding grooves, projections and/or teeth of the handle. For example, the handle can have teeth on the inner circumference into which corresponding projections and/or teeth of the blocking part of the limiter engage. There is then a corresponding number of such projections or teeth, preferably distributed at an equal distance around the circumference corresponding to the various selectable positions of the limiter on the circumference of the thermostat head.

A preferred variant of the invention provides that the handling part has a radially extending web for the connection between the handling part and the blocking part which can be detachably connected to it. This radially extending

The web extending over the base can, for example, have a head or a similar part at its radially outer end that projects radially outwards beyond the base and can be grasped by hand. A hammerhead-like design of the handle part of the limiter has proven to be particularly advantageous.

To connect the handling part to the blocking part, for example, the web of the handling part can be made to engage at its radially inner end in a groove of the blocking part that runs transversely to the axially parallel displacement direction of the limiter. This simple preferred design solution makes it possible for the handling part and blocking part to be displaced together axially parallel to set the limiter and then, after the positive connection between the blocking part and the inside of the handle has been established, the handle can be rotated, whereby the blocking part is then rotated relative to the handling part so that the radially inner end of the web leaves the transverse groove of the blocking part.

The handle part, which has been released from the blocking part, can then be pushed back into its original position. The blocking part remains in the set position in the handle and thus determines the desired rotation limit of the handle relative to the base. By using two limiters, the angle of rotation of the handle relative to the base can be limited in both directions, so that a maximum and a minimum temperature can be set on the radiator. The handle can of course still be adjusted between these two limiting positions.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the handle can have a fixed stop that extends so far towards the base that it hits the corresponding stop surfaces of the blocking part even when the limiter is not set. This allows a 360°

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Prevent rotation of the handle relative to the limiter or further rotation.

The blocking part of the limiter preferably has stop surfaces that, when the limiter is set in the limiting position, strike a fixed stop on the base. This variant represents a structurally simple solution for achieving the limiter function.

The features mentioned in the subclaims relate to preferred developments of the solution to the problem according to the invention. Further advantages of the invention emerge from the detailed description below.

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The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment example and the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 a thermostat head according to the invention in partial

Longitudinal section showing a limiter in the initial position;

Fig. 2 a cross-section through the thermostat head of Fig. 1 from above in Fig. 1 from the point of view of the

consumer;

Fig. 3 shows a corresponding longitudinal section through a thermostat head with a limiter in place, the blocking part being separated from the handling part;

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section through the handle at the level of the limiters.

First, reference is made to Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows a thermostat head according to the invention in side view, with the thermostat head 1 partially cut open in the lower area. The thermostat head 1 comprises a rotatable handle 12 which can be rotated relative to a base 11 which is fixedly mounted on the radiator side. This base 11 consists of a nozzle with a union nut and an indicator ring which is snapped onto this in a positionally and rotationally fixed manner. In principle, however, this is known per se and the multi-part construction of the base 11 is of no essential importance for the present invention, so that in the following, for the sake of simplicity, the term base 11 is always used for this part, which includes the indicator ring. It is important in the context of the present invention that the handle 12 can be rotated relative to the indicator ring and the parts firmly connected to it (base 11).

The axis of rotation of the handle 12 of the thermostat head 1 is marked with 9. Inside the base 11 there is a space 115

formed, which serves as a depot for limiter 10, whereby such a limiter is shown on the left in the drawing Fig. 1. As can be seen, such a limiter 10 is formed in two parts and consists of a handling part 110, which partially projects radially outwards and protrudes from the base 11, and of a blocking part 120 connected to the handling part 110, which lies inside the space 115 of the base 11 and partially protrudes into the handle 12. The connection between the blocking part 120 and the handling part 110 can be released when the limiter 10 is in the set position. Fig. 1 shows the limiter 10 in its unset starting position. The limiter 10 is set by moving it parallel to the axis 9 of the thermostat head in the direction of the handle 12 so that the blocking part 120 moves into the interior of the handle 12. By setting the limiter 10 in this way, its blocking part 120 comes into positive engagement with a toothing 121 of the handle 12. This can be seen in Fig. 4, which shows a cross section through the handle 12. It can be seen that the blocking part 120 of the limiter 10 has projections 122 which engage with a toothing 121 of the handle 12. The desired position of the limiter on the circumference of the thermostat head is selected by turning the handle 12 into the appropriate position before setting the limiter 10.

A protruding catch/nose 11a is formed on the indicator ring of the base 11, whereby the limiter is held in the set position. This catch/nose 11a can be seen in Fig. 1 and also in the plan view in Fig. 2 by the ring-shaped double line. In Fig. 3 it can be seen that the blocking part 120 of the set limiter lies above the nose 11a.

Due to the positive engagement of the teeth 122 of the blocking part 120 with the teeth 121 of the handle 12 shown in Fig. 4, the blocking part 120 is taken along with the handle 12 when the handle 12 is subsequently turned.

This movement of the blocking part 122 when the handle 12 is turned with the limiter in place releases the connection between the blocking part 120 and the handling part. Fig. 3 shows the blocking part 120 after this connection has been released and by comparing it with the illustration in Fig. 1 it can be seen that the blocking part 120 is still in the handle 12, i.e. in the set position. The handling part 110 is only shown in thin lines in Fig. 3, where after the connection between the handling part 110 and the blocking part 120 has been released the handling part 110 has been pushed back into the starting position in the direction of the base 11. After the connection between the handling part 110 and the blocking part 120 has been released the handling part 110 naturally does not rotate when the handle is turned about its axis 9. The connection between the handling part 110 and the blocking part can only be restored by moving the handling part 110 in Fig. 3 again in an axis-parallel direction upwards towards the handle 12 and then rotating the handle 12 back into the circumferential position in which the handling part 110 is located, whereby the engagement between the handling part 110 and the blocking part is then restored. If, on the other hand, the handling part 110 is in its lower position in the base 11, as shown in Fig. 3, a connection between the handling part 110 and the blocking part 12 0 cannot be established. Thus, when the limiter is set, i.e. when the blocking part 120 performs its blocking function, as shown in Fig. 3 and will be explained below with reference to Fig. 4, it is not possible to change the set position of the limiter without further ado, because the blocking part 120 (see Fig. 4) cannot be moved in the circumferential direction in the set position due to the engagement with the teeth 121 of the handle 12. Changing the set position is only possible if a sequence of operating steps is followed. First, the handling part 110 must be pushed upwards into the handle parallel to the axis.

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be moved (see Fig. 3), then the handle with the blocking part 12 0 must be turned into the circumferential position of the handling part 110 in order to bring the handling part 110 and the blocking part 12 0 into engagement, then the complete limiter 10 thus restored from the handling part 110 and the blocking part 120 must be pushed back into the unset starting position (see Fig. 1), then the handle 12 must be turned into the new desired blocking position, then the combined limiter 10 is again moved from the position according to Fig. 1 parallel to the axis into the handle 12 so that the blocking part 120 is set again and finally the handle 12 is turned with the blocking part 120 in order to release the connection between the blocking part 120 and the handling part 110 again and only then can the handling part 110 be pushed back into the starting position as shown in shown in Fig. 3.

The engagement between the handling part 110 and the blocking part 120 becomes clear when looking at Fig. 1. The handling part 110 has a somewhat hammerhead-like design with a head 113 which forms the part that protrudes radially outwards over the base 11 and can be grasped by hand. A web 112 of the handling part extends radially inwards from this head 113. At its radially inner end, this web 112 engages in a groove 123 of the blocking part 120 that runs transversely to the axially parallel displacement direction of the limiter 10. If the blocking part 120 is now brought into engagement with the toothing 121 (see Fig. 4), then by turning the handle 12, whereby the blocking part 120 is also turned, and by holding the handling part 110, the web 112 can be unscrewed from the groove 123 of the blocking part 120 and the engagement between the blocking part 120 and the handling part 110 can be released.

5 Accordingly, the connection between the blocking part 120 and the handling part 110 can be restored if both parts are at the same height, so that the web 112 then runs into the groove 123, but not if the

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Blocking part 120 is set and the handling part 110 is in the starting position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The stop function of the limiter 10 can be explained with reference to Figs. 2 and 4. The blocking part 120 of the limiter has lateral stop surfaces 124 and the base 11 has a fixed stop 114 (see Fig. 4), so that when the limiter 10 is set, the blocking part 120 strikes the fixed stop 114 of the base and thus the rotational movement in one direction or the other (when two limiters are set) is limited. A second limiter is shown in thin lines in Fig. 4. If, on the other hand, the two limiters 10 are in the starting position according to Fig. 2, then a fixed stop 13 0 of the handle 12 comes to a stop on one of the stop surfaces 124, since this fixed stop 13 0 projects far enough in the direction of the base 11 that it protrudes a little beyond the outer boundary of the handle 12 and projects into the cavity 115 of the handle 12, 0 as can be clearly seen in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, the maximum rotational position of the handle 12 with the fixed stop 13 0 striking is shown, whereby the handle 12 can be rotated accordingly far in the opposite direction. In Fig. 4, the rotational position is limited by the blocking part 120 of the limiter and the maximum angle of rotation is reduced accordingly, depending on how far the circumferential distance is between the set blocking part 120 and the fixed stop 130 in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows an unset limiter 10 and a limiter in which the blocking part 120 has been pushed into the handle 120. Fig. 2, on the other hand, shows two unset limiters 10 in the starting position in the base, where they lie next to an indicator mark 116. Fig. 1 shows an unset limiter in the starting position, whereas Fig. 3 shows a set limiter with the blocking part 120 pushed into the handle 5, but the handling part 110 of this limiter is in the lower starting position.

Claims (10)

1. Thermostat head with a base that can be mounted on the radiator side in a rotationally fixed manner and a handle that is connected to this base so that it can rotate about a central axis for setting the desired temperature, wherein at least one limiter that can be adjusted in different positions on the circumference is provided to limit the angle of rotation of the handle relative to the base, which limiter can be moved from an initial position into the handle by moving it parallel to the axis into a blocking position in which it limits the angle of rotation, characterized in that the limiter ( 10 ) is designed in two parts with a handling part ( 110 ) that projects radially relative to the handle ( 12 ) or the base ( 11 ) and with a blocking part ( 120 ) that can be moved parallel to the axis inside the base ( 11 ) or handle ( 12 ), wherein the handling part ( 110 ) and the blocking part ( 120 ) can be detachably connected to one another and when the limiter ( 10 ) is set by turning the handle ( 12 ) relative to the base ( 11 ), the connection between the blocking part ( 120 ) and the handling part ( 110 ) is released. 2. Thermostat head according to claim 1, characterized in that when the limiter is set, the blocking part ( 120 ) is in positive engagement with corresponding parts ( 121 ) of the handle ( 12 ) and when the handle ( 12 ) is rotated about its axis, the blocking part ( 120 ) is taken along, whereas the handling part ( 110 ) remains in the base. 3. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the blocking part ( 120 ) has grooves and/or recesses and/or projections which positively engage in corresponding grooves, projections and/or teeth of the handle ( 12 ). 4. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle ( 12 ) has a toothing ( 121 ) on the inner circumference, into which corresponding projections and/or teeth ( 122 ) of the blocking part of the limiter ( 10 ) engage. 5. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the handling part ( 110 ) has a radially extending web ( 112 ) via which the handling part ( 110 ) can be connected to the blocking part ( 120 ). 6. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the handling part ( 110 ) has a part (head) ( 113 ) which can be grasped by hand and projects radially outwards beyond the base ( 11 ) at the radially outer end of the web ( 112 ). 7. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the handling part ( 110 ) of the limiter ( 10 ) is designed approximately like a hammer head. 8. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the web ( 112 ) of the handling part ( 110 ) engages at its radially inner end in a groove ( 123 ) of the blocking part ( 120 ) extending transversely to the axially parallel displacement direction of the limiter ( 10 ). 9. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the handle ( 12 ) has a fixed stop ( 130 ) which projects so far in the direction of the base ( 11 ) that it strikes corresponding stop surfaces of the blocking part ( 120 ) even when the limiter ( 10 ) is not set. 10. Thermostat head according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that when the limiter ( 10 ) is set in the limiting position, stop surfaces ( 124 ) of the blocking part ( 120 ) abut against a fixed stop ( 114 ) of the base ( 11 ).