Abstract:
A handle for a shower valve has a fixed portion having a first bearing surface and a movable portion having a second bearing surface. A spring biases the first and second surfaces into engagement. The fixed portion includes a chassis that is threadedly attached to a valve body. The chassis mounts an interchangeable lower shell that has a decorative finish or shape. Rotation of the lower shell causes rotation of the chassis for installation or removal of the handle on the valve body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to handles and escutcheons for water control valves. Such valves are used, for example, for controlling the flow rate and temperature of a shower, tub, or the like. The escutcheon is a plate that covers an opening in a wall through which the valves extend. The escutcheon and handles typically have a decorative appearance, both as to shape and finish. It is desirable to coordinate the decorative appearance of the escutcheon and handles, not only with each other but with other fixtures such as faucets, shower heads, tub spouts, drain covers, towel bars, towel racks, soap dishes, tissue holders and toothbrush holders. Furthermore, it is preferable to be able to coordinate and/or change the decorative appearance of these items without having to alter or replace the functional components underlying the decorative exteriors. Given these concerns regarding aesthetics, the further desirability of mounting the handles and escutcheon without the use of exposed or visible fasteners will be understandable. At the same time, the handle must provide a predictable, repeatable tactile response without wobble or play to convey a sense of quality. In other words, it has to feel right to the user. The need for replaceable decorative elements without visible fasteners significantly complicates the design of the handles and escutcheons. U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,645 assigned to the present assignee addresses some of these issues. The present invention is an extension of that work. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns handles for flow control and temperature control valves, such as those used in a shower. It is particularly directed to handles of the type that has interchangeable decorative elements while using common functional components. The handles also permit mounting and centering of a base escutcheon plate with no visible fasteners. Similarly, the handles themselves have no visible fasteners. This makes it straightforward to change the handles&#39; decorative elements and/or the base escutcheon plate without having to change the functional components of the control valves. 
     The handle of the present invention has a chassis with a first bearing surface. The chassis is removably attached to a valve body. The handle further includes an actuating member connectable to a valve cartridge mounted in the valve body. The actuating member has a second bearing surface. A spring is disposed between the chassis and the actuating member for biasing the first and second bearing surfaces into contact with one another. Controlling the compression of the spring allows control of the pressure on the respective bearing surfaces. The handle parts are designed such that the compression of the spring is not related to the tightness of the any screws or fasteners. An interchangeable lower shell connects to the chassis and is rotatable therewith for installation of the handle. A retaining ring holds the lower shell in place prior to installation. 
     In another aspect the flow handle is attached to a retaining nut which is sized to reinforce a valve cartridge stop member. The nut prevents radial movement of the stop, thereby increasing its load to failure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the flow handle, temperature knob and base escutcheon, with a portion of the valve body also visible. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the valve body assembly with the base escutcheon and handles removed. 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the entire valve assembly. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the flow handle. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of the flow handle assembly. 
     FIG. 6 is an interior or bottom plan view of the flow handle elbow. 
     FIG. 7 is an exterior or top plan view of the lever adapter. 
     FIG. 8 is an interior or bottom plan view of the flow handle lever adapter. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the shoulder screw. 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the temperature knob. 
     FIG. 11 is an interior or bottom plan view of the temperature knob chassis. 
     FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on line  12 — 12  of FIG.  11 . 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged vertical section of the temperature knob assembly. 
     FIG. 14 is an exterior or plan view of the spline shaft of the temperature knob. 
     FIG. 15 is a longitudinal section through the spline shaft taken on line  15 — 15  of FIG.  14 . 
     FIG. 16 is a section through the end cap. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The water valve assembly of the present invention is shown generally at  10  in FIG.  1 . The assembly includes a valve body  12 , a flow handle  14 , a temperature knob  16  and a base escutcheon  18 . The valve assembly as shown is typically used to control flow of water in a shower or tub. It will be understood that the valve body  12  is behind a wall with portions extending through an opening in the wall. That opening is covered by the base escutcheon  18 . The valve body is supported by a bracket (not shown) which is connected both to the body and to the adjacent studs in the wall. 
     Details of the valve body assembly  12  are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The valve body includes a housing  20  having hot and cold water inlets  22  and upper and lower water outlets  24 A,  24 B. One of the inlets is visible at  22  and the other inlet is similarly horizontally arranged on the other side of the housing. It will be understood that the inlets  22  are connected to suitable hot and cold water supply pipes and the outlets  24 A and  24 B are connected to pipes extending to, for example, a shower head and tub spout, respectively. The valve housing  20  further includes upper and lower cartridge chambers  26 ,  28  and two central check valve chambers  30 . These chambers are in fluid communication with one another by means of various passages formed in the housing. These passages include: hot and cold water transfer passages (one of which is shown at  32 ) connecting the check valve chambers  30  to the upper cartridge chamber  26 ; a mixed water transfer passage  34  connecting the upper cartridge chamber  26  to the lower cartridge chamber  28 ; an exit passage  36  connecting the lower cartridge chamber  28  to an aspirator  37 ; and a riser passage  38  connecting the aspirator  37  to the upper outlet  24 A. 
     The two check valve chambers  30  each mount a check valve insert  40 . The position of the check valves is controlled by a check stop assembly  42  and a check stop screw  44 . The check valve inserts  40  prevent cross flow between the hot and cold water supplies as well as any siphoning into those supplies. 
     The upper cartridge chamber  26  has a hot and cold water mixing valve  46  mounted therein. Rotation of this valve varies the proportions of hot and cold water flowing to the transfer passage  34  and thus to the valve controlled by the flow handle  14  and to the outlets  24 . The mixing valve has a rotatable stem terminating at a nut  48 . A cup-shaped spindle  50  fits over the end of the mixing valve. The interior of the spindle  50  has a hexagonal socket which receives the nut  48  so the valve stem and spindle rotate together. The outer end of the spindle  50  is splined to engage internal splines of a spindle extension  52 . The spindle extension has external splines  54  which terminate at a flange  56 . A stop  58  protrudes from the flange  56 . The spindle extension has a central web with an opening therein for receiving a spindle extension screw  59 . The screw extends through the web as well as the end face of the spindle  50  and into the stem of the mixing valve  46 . This connects the stem, spindle and spindle extension together. Both the spindle  50  and spindle extension  52  may be made from nylon. 
     A brass retaining nut  60  is threaded into the upper cartridge chamber  26 . The retaining nut has a central bore which receives both the mixing valve  46  and the spindle  50 . The retaining nut  60  has a shoulder on which external threads  62  are formed. The shoulder provides a wall in which a stop pin  64  is disposed. The shoulder of the retaining nut also defines an annular groove which receives the flange  56  of the spindle extension and allows rotation of the spindle extension within the retaining nut  62  to the extent permitted by engagement of the stop  58  with the stop pin  64 . 
     The lower cartridge chamber  28  receives a flow control valve cartridge  66 . This may be a conventional cartridge such as that sold by Moen Incorporated of North Olmsted, OH under their trademark “1248”. The cartridge has a fixed outer sleeve with a stop member  68  formed thereon. A rotatable stem  70  is connected by screw  72  to a stem extension  74 . The stem extension  74  has splines  76  at its outer end and a stop member  78  at its inner end. The stem extension rotates to the extent permitted by engagement of the stop  78  with the stop  68  on the cartridge sleeve. 
     The flow control cartridge  66  and stem extension  74  are held fixed in the lower cartridge chamber  28  by a brass retaining nut  80  which is threaded onto the external threads of the chamber. The retaining nut has external threads  82  similar to those at  62  on the retaining nut  60 . The retaining nut also has an internal bore  84  whose internal diameter closely matches the external diameter of the stop member  68 . This provides radial support for the stop member  68 . It can be seen that over-torquing of the stem extension  74  by a user would cause the stop  78  to tend to force stop  68  radially outwardly. The surface of the bore  84  on the retaining nut  80  prevents that from happening and increases the load to failure of the stop member  68 . 
     Having described the valve body assembly  12 , attention will now be turned to the flow handle  14 . Details of the flow handle are shown in FIGS. 3-9. The flow handle  14  includes a fixed portion and a movable portion or actuating member. The terms fixed and movable refer to the post-installation condition of the components as normally encountered by a user and this terminology allows for the fact that the fixed portion is rotatable during the installation process. The fixed portion includes a chassis  86 , a lower shell  88  and a retaining ring  90 . The movable portion or actuating member of the handle includes a flow handle elbow  92 , an operating handle  94 , a lever adapter  96 , a shoulder screw  98 , a compression spring  100  and a washer  102 . Various details of these components will now be described. 
     Looking first at the chassis  86 , it has a generally cylindrical wall  103  with internal threads  105  and a radially extending flange at one end. The flange surface facing the elbow  92  forms a first bearing surface  104 . The portion of the flange extending inwardly of the wall  103  and facing the valve body forms a third bearing surface  106 . Spaced around the external surface of the chassis wall at the joint with the flange are a series of protrusions  108  (FIG.  4 ). 
     The lower shell  88  has a bulb portion  110  and a generally radial face  112 . The radial face has a central opening. Arcuately spaced notches  114  are formed in face  112  at the central opening. The opening is sized to receive the wall  103  of the chassis  86  but not the flange portion of the chassis. Thus, when installed the radial face  112  abuts the flange of the chassis. The chassis&#39; protrusions  108  fit closely into the notches  114  to rotationally lock the lower shell  88  to the chassis  86 . 
     The inner end of the bulb portion  110  joins the retaining ring  90 . The retaining ring has a hub  116  from which extend a series of fingers  118 . The fingers  118  press against the wall  103  of the chassis to hold the retaining ring  90  and the lower shell  88  in position prior to installation of the complete handle  14  on the valve body. The hub also has an annular groove that receives the inner end of the bulb  110  and provides support therefor. 
     Turning now to the movable portion or actuating member of the handle  14 , the flow handle elbow  92  has a central socket  120  with internal splines  122  formed therein. A central bore  124  is threaded to receive the shoulder screw  98 . The outer radius of the elbow&#39;s bell portion has a flat portion which defines a second bearing surface  126  (FIG.  6 ). The bell portion further includes a threaded receptacle  128  for receiving the operating handle  94 . 
     Details of the lever adapter  96  are shown in FIGS. 4,  7  and  8 . The lever adapter has a generally cylindrical wall  130  with a central flange  132  and external splines  134  at one end and internal splines  136  at the other end. One end of the lever adapter is closed by an end face  138 . The surface of the flange  132  toward the end face  138  defines a fourth bearing surface  140 . The closed end of the lever adapter fits into the socket  120  of the flow handle elbow  92  with the elbow&#39;s splines  122  engaging the lever adapter&#39;s splines  134  to rotationally lock the elbow and lever adapter together while allowing some longitudinal movement between them. As seen in FIG. 5, the shoulder screw  98  fits through an opening in the end face  138  of the lever adapter and threads into the elbow&#39;s bore  124 . 
     The shoulder screw&#39;s construction is important to the proper functioning of the flow handle  14 . looking at FIG. 9, the screw  98  has a head  131 , a first boss  133  a second boss  135  and a threaded end portion  137 . The end portion  137  fits into the bore  124  of the elbow  92  with second boss  135  abutting the wall surrounding the bore. The length of the screw between the first and second bosses  133  and  135  is slightly greater than the combined thickness of the lever adapter end face  138  and the washer  102 . This prevents the first boss  133  from being able to lock the lever adapter end face  138  against the interior of the elbow socket  120 . Thus, while the shoulder screw  98  and the elbow  92  are locked together, these components float with respect to the lever adapter  96 . The amount of float depends on the amount of compression of the spring  100  and this can be controlled by the length of the spring and the length of the space between the washer  102  and the head  131  of the shoulder screw. That compression is important because it governs the pressure of the mating bearing surfaces. It can be seen that the compression spring  100  tends to urge the lever adapter  96  to the right in FIG.  5  and the shoulder screw  98  and elbow  92  combination to the left, thus clamping the flange of the chassis  86  between the bell of the elbow and the flange  132  of the lever adapter  96 . Thus, first and second bearing surfaces  104  and  126  are in engagement, as are the third and fourth bearing surfaces  106  and  140 . The amount of clamping pressure at these bearing surfaces is controlled by the compression of spring  100  and not by the amount of torque applied when installing the shoulder screw. This governs the “feel” of the handle as experienced by a user. The spring also eliminates any play or wobble in the movable portions of the handle. 
     Assembly and installation of the flow handle  14  are as follows. The compression spring  100  is placed over the shoulder screw  98  along with the washer  102 . This subassembly is then placed inside the lever adapter  96  with the shoulder screw end portion  137  protruding through the end face  138 . The lever adapter slides into the chassis  86  with the flange  132  engaging the flange of the chassis. The socket  120  of elbow  92  then receives the lever adapter&#39;s closed end with splines  122  and  134  engaging one another. The shoulder screw is threaded into bore  124 . Tightening the screw will draw the first and second bearing surfaces  104 ,  126  and third and fourth bearing surfaces  106 ,  140  into engagement. Next the lower shell  88  is placed on the chassis and arranged so the protrusions  108  fit in notches  114 . Finally the retaining ring  90  slides on to hold the lower shell in place until such time as the handle is installed on the valve body. Such installation entails rotating the lower shell, and the chassis  86  with it, so the chassis threads  105  engage threads  82  of the retaining nut  80 . 
     Details of the temperature knob  16  will now be described in conjunction with FIGS.  3  and  10 - 16 . As with the flow handle  14 , the temperature knob  16  includes a fixed portion and a movable portion or actuating member. The fixed portion includes a retaining ring  142 , a lower shell  144  and a chassis  146 . The movable portion of the temperature knob includes a capture screw  148 , a spline shaft  150 , a grip ring  152 , an O-ring  154 , an upper shell  156 , a retaining disk  158 , an end cap gasket  160  and an end cap  162 . 
     Looking now at the details of the fixed portion, the retaining ring  142  is similar to the retaining ring  90  of the flow handle. The retaining ring has a hub  164  and a plurality of spaced fingers  166 . The fingers are arranged to press resiliently against the outer surface of the chassis and hold the lower shell  144  in position on the chassis prior to installation of the temperature knob on the valve body. 
     The lower shell  144  has a bulb portion  168  which terminates at one end in a radial face  170 . The radial face has a plurality of notches  172  formed therein. The notches receive protrusions in the chassis to rotationally lock the lower shell and chassis together. The lower shell can have different shapes, or it can be made of different materials, e.g., brass or ceramic, or have a variety of finishes to accommodate specific ornamental or aesthetic considerations. 
     The chassis  146  includes two concentric cylindrical walls defining a major tube  174  and a minor tube  176 . The major and minor tubes are joined at a shoulder  178 . Extending radially from the exterior surface of the major tube  174  is a flange  180 . Extending axially from the shoulder is a rim  182 . On the side of the flange opposite the rim  182  are a series of protrusions  184  (FIG.  11 ). The protrusions extend into the notches  172  of the lower shell  144  as described above. Extending radially inwardly from the outer end of the chassis minor tube  176  are a plurality of spring members  186 . The spring members are resiliently molded into the minor tube  176 . In their natural, unstressed position the spring members  186  angle toward the major tube  174 . 
     Looking now at the movable portion of the temperature knob, details of the spline shaft  150  are shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. The spline shaft has a cylindrical wall  188  having internal splines  190  and a radial flange  192  at one end. The other end of the spline shaft has an end face  194 . The end face is connected to the wall  188  by three tabs  196 . The tabs  196  are designed to fail in the event of over-torquing. They will break before the cartridge does. This protects the cartridge from failure. The end face  194  includes a circular race  198  which provides a bearing surface for the spring members  186 . Located interiorly of the race are four extensions or prongs  200 . The center of the end face has an aperture  202 . The capture screw  148  fits through this aperture. It will be noted in FIG. 13 that the capture screw has a head  204  at one end and self-tapping threads  206  at the other and an intervening unthreaded shank portion  208 . It is the unthreaded shank portion that resides in the aperture  202  so there is no threaded connection between the capture screw and the end face  194 . 
     FIG. 10 illustrates details of the retaining disk  158 . It has a central opening  210  through which the capture screw  148  extends. The opening  210  is sized so that the self-tapping threads of the capture screw must thread their way through the opening but once they do the unthreaded shank portion  208  is adjacent the opening  210 . As the trailing thread of the capture screw breaks through the disk  158  it cuts a groove in the outer face of the disk, creating a fit which is snug and custom to that assembly. Other features of the retaining disk include four oval-shaped passages  212 . These passages receive the prongs  200  of the spline shaft to rotationally lock the spline shaft and retaining disk together. Completing the retaining disk are six radially directed tabs  214  around the external periphery. These tabs engage notches in the upper shell  156  to rotationally lock the upper shell and retaining disk together. 
     In this regard the upper shell  156  has a bulb portion  216  bounded at its lower or interior end by six tabs  218 . The outer or exterior end has a turned over edge  220  in which notches  222  are formed for receiving the tabs  214  of the retaining disk. 
     The grip ring  152  has an annular body member  224  with six notches  226  formed in its exterior or outer face. The notches  226  receive the tabs  218  of the upper shell to rotationally lock the upper shell and grip ring together. The body member  224  also has a seat for receiving the O-ring  154 . The interior edge of the grip ring body member  224  is separated into inner and outer legs  228  and  230  (FIG.  13 ). The outer leg  230  surrounds the circumferential surface of the flange  180  of the chassis. The inner leg  228  engages the corner formed by the radial face of the flange  180  and the rim  182 . The outer periphery of the grip ring body member has a bead  232  with a series of depressions  234  therein. The bead is made of material which is easy to grip when wet. The depressions  234  aid a user&#39;s ability to grasp and rotate the grip ring  152 . 
     Completing the movable portion of the temperature knob are the end cap gasket  160  and the end cap  162 . FIG. 16 shows a section through the end cap. It has a groove  236  for making the cap lighter if it is made of metal. There are four sockets, two of which are shown at  238  for receiving the prongs  200  of the spline shaft. A central bore  240  has threads for receiving the threads of the capture screw. If the end cap is made of ceramic material, an insert can be placed in the bore to provide the threaded surface. The end cap can have a decorative outer surface matching that of the lower shell  144 . 
     The assembly procedure for the temperature knob is as follows. The O-ring  154  is placed on the seat of the grip ring  152 . The upper shell  156  is placed onto the grip ring with the tabs  218  fitting into notches  226 . Next the retaining disk  158  is mounted on an assembly fixture. And the upper shell/grip ring combination is placed on the disk with tabs  214  placed in notches  222 . Then the chassis is slipped into the upper shell with the minor tube  176  fitting inside the turned over edge  220 . This is followed by placement of the spline shaft  150  into the chassis. Next the capture screw  148  is placed through the aperture  202  of the spline shaft and the central opening  210  in the retaining disk. Once the capture screw threads pop through the retaining disk, the screw can turn freely in the spline shaft end face and retaining disk. The capture screw threads do engage those of the bore  240  in the end cap, drawing the end cap and retaining disk against the spline shaft end face. This compresses the spring members  186  of the chassis. The compressed spring members engage the race  198 , urging the spline shaft, retaining disk, end cap, upper shell and grip ring toward the valve body. This presses the end face of the inner leg  228  of the grip ring against the outer surface of the flange  180 . Thus, the inner leg and flange form second and first, respectively, bearing surfaces for the movable portion of the temperature knob against the fixed portion. The temperature knob assembly is completed by placing the lower shell  168  onto the major tube  174  of the chassis. The chassis protrusions  184  extend into the notches  172  of the lower shell, locking them together. Finally, the retaining ring  142  is pressed onto the major tube portion of the chassis to hold the lower shell in place until such time as the chassis is screwed onto the valve body. 
     Installation of the temperature knob on the valve body is achieved by taking the assembled temperature knob and placing the major tube portion  174  of the chassis over the retaining nut  60 . Rotation of the lower shell  144  and chassis  146  causes the internal threads of the chassis to engage the external threads of the nut. Internal splines  190  of the spline shaft engage external splines  54  of the spindle extension  52  as the temperature knob is installed. The splines allow for some variation in the relative axial positions of the knob and valve body. 
     It will be noted that the handle position of both the temperature knob and flow handle is fixed regardless of the wall thickness. The splines of the spline shaft or lever adapter are engaged with those of the stem extension  74  or spindle extension  52  to allow for variation of the valve body position. 
     As the temperature knob and flow handle are screwed into place, the lower edge of the lower shells engage a ring escutcheon  242 . The ring escutcheon includes an outer seat which receives a compression ring  244 . The inner surface of the ring escutcheon has a groove that receives an O-ring  246 . The ring escutcheon can have a decorative exterior that will match that of the lower shell and end cap. It will also be noted in FIG. 3 that the inner end of the temperature knob chassis, that is the inner end of the major tube  174  fits within an indentation  248  in the base escutcheon  18 . The engagement of the major tube  174  with the indentation  248  centers and aligns the base escutcheon  18  with respect to the center lines of the valve body cartridge chambers  26 ,  28 . With the base escutcheon thus centered, tightening of the flow handle and temperature knob chassis onto the retaining nuts will clamp the base escutcheon against the wall, holding it firmly in place even through there are no external fasteners on the base escutcheon. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that all of the parts are common to the various designs except the lower shell and handles. Thus, changes to decorative elements can be made without having to alter the basic construction of the valve body, cartridges and handles. 
     While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it will be realized that alterations and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the following claims. For example, while the handles are shown oriented as they would be for a shower, the orientation could be otherwise. Also, certain aspects of the invention are applicable to a single handle and need not necessarily be used in installations having both a flow valve and a temperature valve. Also, as used herein, controlling water flow means controlling either its flow rate, temperature or both.