Knob with lock release means
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorAlbert R. Pratt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A push-to-turn knob assembly comprising a fixed race suitably disposed for encircling a rotatable shaft and having therein alternate pairs of resiliently spaced rollers which bindingly engage adjacent projections of an axially disposed cam cylinder, and interposed arcuate portions of a releasing disc which is rotatably maintained in the race by an overlying annular shoulder of the cam cylinder, the releasing disc having an outwardly extending flange wherein a plurality of slots are disposed in alignment with respective keys attached to an enclosing wall of a resiliently positioned knob shell.
Claims11
A knob assembly for mounting on a rotatable shaft and comprising:
- a fixed race having a cylindrical cavity therein and having an outer peripheral wall;
- a rotatable cylinder having a cam-shaped end portion axially disposed in the cavity of the race and having an adjacent radial shoulder, the cam-shaped end portion including a plurality of angularly spaced projections disposed in predetermined spaced relationship with the wall of the race;
- locking means disposed between the projections of the cam-shaped end portion in the cavity of the race for releaseably engaging the cam-shaped end portion of the cylinder;
- a rotatable release disc encircling the cam-shaped end portion of the cylinder and having angularly spaced portions disposed between respective projections of the cam-shaped end portion and the wall of the race, the disc also having an end surface disposed in abutting engagement with the radial shoulder and having overlying the wall of the race a flange provided with a plurality of angularly spaced release slots;
- an enclosing knob shell rotatable about the fixed race and having means for controllably engaging the release means and the cylinder;
- and
- resilient means coupled to the knob shell and the cylinder for positioning the shell with respect to the cylinder and the disc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.