Hydrant nozzle cap spacer
AssigneeMueller International, LLC
InventorsDaryl Lee Gibson, Bruce Robertson, Mohammad Hassan Sobhani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nozzle cap spacer for a hydrant nozzle cap includes a substantially planar spacer body defining an outer body edge; and a resilient spacer spring arm extending from the outer body edge at a proximal arm end, the spacer spring arm configurable in an extended orientation and a compressed orientation, the spacer spring arm biased to the extended orientation; wherein, in the extended orientation, the nozzle cap spacer defines a substantially oblong shape, and in the compressed orientation, the nozzle cap spacer defines a substantially circular shape.
Claims17
A nozzle cap spacer for a hydrant nozzle cap comprising:
- a substantially planar spacer body defining an outer body edge;
- and
- a resilient spacer spring arm extending from the outer body edge at a proximal arm end, the spacer spring arm configurable in an extended orientation and a compressed orientation, the spacer spring arm biased to the extended orientation;
- wherein, in the extended orientation, the nozzle cap spacer defines a spacer length that is greater than a spacer width of the nozzle cap spacer, and in the compressed orientation, the nozzle cap spacer defines a substantially circular shape wherein the spacer length is about equal to the spacer width;
- and
- wherein:
- the outer body edge defines a length (La) corresponding to the spacer spring arm;
- an inward step is formed in the outer body edge at a distal length end of the length (La);
- a body recess is formed in the outer body edge along the length (La);
- and
- the spacer spring arm is received in the body recess in the compressed orientation.
A nozzle cap spacer for a hydrant nozzle cap comprising:
- a substantially planar spacer body defining an outer body edge;
- and
- a resilient spacer spring arm extending from the outer body edge at a proximal arm end, the spacer spring arm configurable in an extended orientation and a compressed orientation, the spacer spring arm biased to the extended orientation;
- wherein, in the extended orientation, the nozzle cap spacer defines a spacer length that is greater than a spacer width of the nozzle cap spacer, and in the compressed orientation, the nozzle cap spacer defines a substantially circular shape wherein the spacer length is about equal to the spacer width;
- and
- wherein:
- a slot is defined between the spacer spring arm and the outer body edge;
- in the extended orientation, a width of the slot increases towards a distal arm end of the spacer spring arm;
- the distal arm end is opposite the proximal arm end;
- a joint is formed between the spacer spring arm and the spacer body;
- a notch is formed at the joint;
- and
- a width of the notch is greater than the width of the slot between the proximal arm end and the outer body edge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.