Sanitary tri-clamp cap with integrated telescoping slide hammer
OwnerTimothy D. Reuterinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A removable closure assembly has a cap making a liquid-tight seal with a tri-clamp assembly to the open end of a filter assembly body. The closure assembly has a filter which fits within the filter body. To aid in separating the closure assembly from the body, the cap has an outwardly extending shaft fixed thereto. The shaft is terminated by a radially protruding stop block. A handle is slidable on the shaft and functions as a slide hammer weight with an end wall facing the cap through which the shaft extends. The handle is movable to strike the shaft stop block and apply a force to the stop block and shaft for separating the cap from the body. The stop block has axial channels allowing a clean out of place system to exchange cleaning fluid with an interior volume of the handle.
Claims19
A removable closure assembly for attachment to a filter assembly body with an opening therein, the closure assembly comprising:
- a cap which is configured for removable attachment to the filter assembly body to close the opening therein in a liquid-tight seal;
- a filter member fixed to the cap and extending upwardly therefrom;
- a shaft permanently fixed to the cap and extending downwardly therefrom, with the cap positioned between the filter member and the shaft, the shaft being terminated at an outer end thereof by a stop block which protrudes radially outwardly of the shaft, wherein the stop block comprises at least one axially extending channel therein which opens to an exterior of the removable closure assembly, the at least one axially extending channel for the passage of cleaning fluid therethrough;
- and
- a handle having a tubular outer wall, the handle being slidably positioned on the shaft and movable downwardly along the shaft, the handle having a handle base with an upper cap facing surface, and a lower impact surface which faces the stop block, wherein the handle base extends radially inwardly from the tubular outer wall, the handle base having a shaft opening therein, the shaft extending through the shaft opening, wherein the handle is movable between a first position in which the handle base is closer to the cap, and a second position in which the handle base strikes the shaft stop block to thereby apply a force to the stop block and shaft which facilitates the separation of the cap from the body.
A filter assembly comprising:
- a body with an opening therein;
- a cap having a filter member extending upwardly therefrom, wherein the cap is removably fitted to the body to close the opening therein;
- a shaft having a first end permanently fixed to the cap and extending downwardly from the cap to a second end, the shaft having a first diameter;
- a stop block having a second diameter and fixed to the second end of the shaft, the stop block positioned on the shaft to extend radially outwardly of the shaft;
- and
- a handle having a handle base with an upper cap, wherein an outer wall extends downwardly from the handle base, an interior surface which extends downwardly from the handle base on an interior of the handle, the interior surface defining an interior volume of the handle, wherein the handle base has a lower impact surface positioned within the interior of the handle, and wherein the handle is positioned such that the shaft extends through a shaft opening in the handle base and through the handle interior volume, the handle being slidably positioned on the shaft and movable downwardly along the shaft, wherein the interior surface has a third diameter which is greater than the first diameter of the shaft and the second diameter of the stop block, wherein the stop block has portions defining at least one axially extending channel which runs between an outwardmost portion of the stop block which communicates with an exterior of the filter assembly and an inwardmost portion of the stop block, thereby facilitating the exchange of cleaning fluid from the exterior of the filter assembly into and out of the interior volume of the handle;
- and
- wherein the handle is movable between a first position in which the handle base is closer to the cap, and a second position in which the handle base strikes the shaft stop block to thereby apply a force to the stop block and shaft which facilitates the separation of the cap from the body.
A removable closure assembly for a filter assembly having a body with an opening therein which receives a filter member and for use within a cleaning system exterior to the removable closure assembly configured for discharging cleaning fluid towards the closure assembly, the closure assembly comprising:
- a cap configured to be removably fitted to the filter assembly to close the opening therein;
- a filter member extending upwardly from the cap;
- a shaft having a first end permanently fixed to and extending downwardly from the cap to a second end;
- a stop block fixed to the second end of the shaft, the stop block positioned on the shaft to extend radially outwardly of the shaft and having at least one axially extending channel which extends from an outwardmost portion of the stop block to an inwardmost portion of the stop block;
- and
- a handle having a handle base with an upper cap facing surface, wherein an outer wall extends downwardly from the handle base, an interior surface which extends downwardly from the handle base on an interior of the handle, the interior surface defining an interior volume of the handle, wherein the handle base has a lower impact surface positioned within the interior of the handle, and wherein the handle is positioned such that the shaft extends through a shaft opening in the handle base of the handle and through the handle interior volume, the handle being slidably positioned on the shaft and movable downwardly along the shaft;
- and
- wherein the handle is movable between a first position in which the handle base is closer to the cap, and a second position in which the handle base strikes the shaft stop block to thereby apply a force to the stop block and shaft which facilitates the separation of the cap from the body, and wherein the stop block at least one axially extending channel extends along the stop block to communicate between an exterior of the handle and the interior volume of the handle, thereby facilitating the exchange of cleaning fluid discharged by the cleaning system into and out of the interior volume of the handle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.