Valve assembly having improved rotational feel
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsDavid H. Ritter, Chad J. Cochart, Douglas J. Brouwer, Christopher M. Shay, Brian S. Core, Michael W. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A valve assembly includes a valve housing having an internal generally cup-shaped bore, a valve control cartridge inserted into the bore and having a rotatable control stem extending upwardly therefrom, and a bonnet nut having a through-bore. The bonnet nut is threaded to the valve housing such that the control stem extends through the through-bore. Flexible fingers are provided along the through-bore to control a level of resistance to a rotation of the rotatable control stem. The stem is positioned to frictionally engage the flexible fingers as the stem is rotated.
Claims20
A valve assembly, comprising:
- a valve housing having an internal generally cup-shaped bore;
- a valve control cartridge inserted into the bore and having a rotatable control stem extending upwardly therefrom;
- and
- a bonnet nut having a through-bore and a counterbore axially aligned with the through-bore, the bonnet nut coupled to the valve housing such that the control stem extends through the through-bore;
- wherein the valve control cartridge is received in the counterbore;
- wherein flexible fingers are provided along the through-bore and along a surface between, and perpendicular to, the counterbore and the through-bore to control a level of resistance to a rotation of the rotatable control stem;
- and
- wherein the control stem is positioned to frictionally engage the flexible fingers as the control stem is rotated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.