# US 5,699,587 A · Handle for a sanitary fitting

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- Number: US 5,699,587 A
- Document ID: US5699587A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/585,667
- Filed: 1996-01-16
- Granted: 1997-12-23
- Earliest claimed: 1996-01-16
- Assignees: American Standard Inc.
- Inventors: Alfons Thul
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5699587A

## CPC

- F16K 31/605: {for single handle mixing valves}
- F16B 21/09: Releasable fastening devices with a stud engaging a keyhole slot
- Y10S 16/904: Handle means having sanitary characteristic, e.g. to prevent transmission of germs
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a handle for a sanitary fitting, and particularly to a single-lever sanitary fitting, having a base and a cap, whereby the base of the handle has a handle section and an attachment section. The handle cap can be engaged with and disengaged from the handle base in an area to be covered on the top of the handle section and/or of the attachment section. In order to be able to repeatedly disengage the cap of the handle from the base without there being any risk of damage or without necessitating the use of a tool, there are corresponding locking devices on the base and cap of the handle, which act jointly to combine the base and cap of the handle in such a manner that the cap can placed in mounting direction A onto the area of the base which has to be covered. It is then slid perpendicular to mounting direction A in sliding direction B, establishing a clamping effect between the locking devices, whereby the cap is pushed inward until it covers the entire designated area.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process of engaging a cap to a base in a sanitary fitting wherein said base comprises a handle section and an attachment section, said handle section comprises an uncovered handle area to be covered by said cap wherein said cap can be engaged with and disengaged from said base at said handle area, said base and said cap both comprising a locking means, said base locking means corresponding to said cap locking means when said cap is engaged in said base, comprising:
placing said cap onto said handle area in a first mounting direction perpendicular to said handle area, subsequently sliding said cap into a second mounting direction perpendicular to said first mounting direction to a point whereat it completely covers said uncovered handle area whereby a clamping effect occurs between the base locking means and the cap locking means.

### Claim 2

A handle for a sanitary fitting comprising:
a base; and
a cap;
said base comprising a handle section and an attachment section;
said handle section comprising an uncovered handle area to be covered by said cap, wherein said cap can be engaged with and disengaged from said base at said area;
said base and said cap each comprising a locking means, said base locking means corresponding to said cap locking means, wherein said base locking means and said cap locking means lock together to clamp said cap to said handle area;
said cap locking means comprising at least one limb having a cross-sectional width and said base locking means comprising at least a first opening, wherein said first opening comprises a first section having a cross-section having a cross-sectional width larger than said cross-sectional width of said limb, said first opening further comprising a second section which connects to said first section and whereby said limb is frictionally engaged with an edge of said second section, said limb comprising a projection, said projection locked under an edge of said second section, said projection frictionally engaged with an underside of said edge, said first opening in said handle further comprising a first slanted edge proximate and between said first section and said second section, said projection comprising a second slanted edge, said first slanted edge corresponding to said second slanted edge when said cap is engaged in said base.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The handle in accordance with claim 2 wherein said limb has a width and said second section has a width, the width of said limb marginally greater than the width of said second section.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The handle in accordance with claim 3 comprising two limbs disposed a first distance apart and two openings disposed a second distance apart.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The handle in accordance with claim 4 wherein said base includes a relief section and said cap is in contact with said relief section when said cap is fully pushed against said base.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The handle in accordance with claim 5 whereby the cap is flush with the handle such that there is no noticeable discrepancy when passing from said cap to said handle section.