Abstract:
According to one embodiment a gas distribution assembly is provided that includes a gas distribution duct and at least one gas regulating valve mounted on the gas distribution duct. The valve is secured to the duct by use of a support supported on the duct and attachment means for attaching the valve to the support. According to one embodiment the attachment means comprises a screw threaded into a threaded sleeve and also into a threaded hole in the body of the valve. The support includes a through hole through which the sleeve passes and the sleeve includes a flange at one end that rests on the support in an area that surrounds the through hole. An end of the sleeve opposite the flange resides adjacent the threaded hole in the body of the valve.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application relates to and claims the benefit and priority to Spanish Patent Application No. P201630540, file Apr. 27, 2016. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to gas distribution assemblies comprising gas regulating valves mounted on a gas distribution duct, and gas cooking appliances incorporating said gas distribution assemblies. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Gas distribution assemblies for gas cooking appliances are known, and they are equipped with rotary-type manually operated gas valves and a duct distributing the gas. The valves are mounted in the duct in fluid communication with said duct, and they are fixed to the duct being attached to a support. 
         [0004]    Safety issues due to gas leaks occurring because the attachment means have sustained some sort of mishap, such as breaking, for example, are known. 
         [0005]    ES1077154U describes a gas distribution assembly suitable for being mounted in a gas cooking appliance, comprising a gas distribution duct suitable for being connected to a gas connection, at least one gas regulating valve mounted on said gas distribution duct, a support which is associated with said gas regulating valve and supported on said gas distribution duct, and attachment means for attaching each gas regulating valve with the support, the attachment means comprising at least one screw. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    According to some embodiments a gas distribution assembly is provided that comprises a gas distribution duct suitable for being connected to a gas connection, at least one gas regulating valve mounted on said gas distribution duct, a support which is associated with said gas regulating valve and supported on said gas distribution duct, and attachment means for attaching at least one attachment area of each gas regulating valve with at least one attachment area of the respective support. The attachment means comprises at least one screw, one of the attachment areas comprising a through hole which the screw goes through, the other attachment area comprising a threaded hole, and the end of the screw being screwed into said threaded hole. 
         [0007]    The attachment means comprises a sleeve with an inner threaded section, the screw being screwed into the inner threaded section of the sleeve, and the sleeve comprising stop means that is supported on the contour of the through hole, that is, an area that surrounds or partially surrounds the through hole. 
         [0008]    If for any reason the screw breaks in any area of its length comprised between the gas regulating valve and the support, said valve and said support will continue to be attached and maintain the tightening torque since the threaded section attaching the screw and the sleeve is maintained, and the sleeve cooperates with the contour of the through hole by means of the stop means. The contour being an area that surrounds or partially surrounds the through hole. The safety issues due to gas leaks occurring because one of the screws has broken are thereby prevented. It is a simple, easy-to-implement and low-cost solution. 
         [0009]    These and other advantages and features will become evident in view of the drawings and detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a gas distribution assembly of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows an elevational view of the gas distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows an exploded perspective view of the parts of the gas distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a partial section view of the distribution assembly of  FIG. 1  according to line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 , the gas regulating valve being partially shown. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a front exploded view of the parts of the gas distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  shows a front section view of the screw and of the sleeve of the attachment means of the gas distribution assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a gas distribution assembly  200  according to one embodiment.  FIG. 2  shows an elevational view of the gas distribution assembly  200  of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3  shows an exploded perspective view of the parts of the gas distribution assembly  200  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0017]    The gas distribution assembly  200  comprises a gas distribution duct  50  which is elongated tube having a circular section, suitable for being connected to a gas connection, not shown in the drawings. In other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly, not shown in the drawings, the gas distribution assembly can have other configurations, with square sections or other shapes. 
         [0018]    As many gas regulating valves as required are mounted in a linear manner on the gas distribution duct  50  in the gas cooking appliance, only one gas regulating valve  20  being shown in the drawings. In other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly, not shown in the drawings, instead of gas regulating valves they can be gas regulating cocks. Each valve has an associated support  10  which is supported on the gas distribution duct  50 . The gas distribution assembly  200  also comprises attachment means  100  which allow attaching an attachment area A of the gas regulating valve  20  with an attachment area B of the support  10 , the gas distribution duct  50  being arranged between the gas regulating valve  20  and the support  10 . In other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly, not shown in the drawings, the gas regulating valves  20  can be associated with a single support. 
         [0019]    In this embodiment of the gas distribution assembly  200 , the attachment means  100  comprise a screw  30  and a sleeve  40 . The screw  30  comprises a head  31  and a shank  32  with a diameter  35  comprising a threaded section  33  projecting from the diameter  35  of the shank  32 , the threaded section  33  starting at one end  34  of said screw  30  and ending before the head  31 . The sleeve  40  is a hollow plastic cylinder but it can be made of other materials, such as metal, for example, with a body  45  and a side wall  46 , comprising an inner threaded section  41  running along the entire length of the side wall  46 , but in other embodiments of the sleeve it can run partially along the length of the side wall  46 . An upper end  43  of the sleeve  40  comprises stop means comprising a flange  44  along a portion or the entire perimeter, extending outwardly from the side wall  46  of the body  45  at an angle. In other embodiments of the sleeve  40 , not shown in the drawings, the flange  44  extends radially outwards, that is, perpendicular to the side wall  46 . 
         [0020]    When each gas regulating valve  20  is attached with each support  10 , first each screw  30  is attached with each sleeve  40  by screwing the threaded section  33  of the screw  30  all the way into the inner threaded section  41  of the sleeve  40 , and one end of the screw  30  projecting from the sleeve  40 . 
         [0021]    Then, with the screw  30  incorporating the sleeve  40 , the gas regulating valve  20  and the support  10  are attached, the flange  44  of the upper end  43  of the sleeve  40  being supported on the support  10 . In other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly, not shown in the drawings, the sleeve  40  can be supported on the gas regulating valve  20 . 
         [0022]    In the embodiment of the gas distribution assembly  200  shown, the support  10  is a flexible tie comprising a hole  13  at a first end, and at a second end it comprises the attachment area B comprising a through hole  11 , with a diameter greater than the outer diameter of the body  45  of the sleeve  40 , the rest being a surface  12 . In this embodiment of the support  10 , said surface  12  comprises a chamfer  14  around the through hole  11 . The gas regulating valve  20  comprises an arcuate mounting seat for being superimposed on the gas distribution duct  50 , said mounting seat comprising two ends laterally projecting from the body of the gas distribution duct  50 , when the gas regulating valve  20  is mounted on the gas distribution duct  50 . One of the ends of the mounting seat comprising the attachment area A of the gas regulating valve  20  has a surface  22  with a threaded hole  21  going through it. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows a partial section view according to line IV-IV of  FIG. 2 , the gas regulating valve  20  being partially shown.  FIG. 5  shows a front exploded view of the parts of the gas distribution assembly  200  of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 6  shows a front section view of the screw  30  and of the sleeve  40  of the attachment means  100  of the gas distribution assembly  200  of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0024]    According to some embodiments the gas distribution duct  50  comprises one hole for each gas regulating valve  20 , and each gas regulating valve  20  also comprises one inlet hole in fluid communication with the corresponding hole of the gas distribution duct  50 , when the gas regulating valve  20  is mounted on the gas distribution duct  50 . The gas distribution assembly  200  also comprises a smooth sleeve  60  usually made of metal and a washer  70  made of elastomer for each attachment of gas regulating valve  20  and gas distribution duct  50 . Before mounting the gas regulating valve  20  and the gas distribution duct  50 , the smooth sleeve  60  is mounted in the inlet hole of the gas regulating valve  20 , and the washer  70  is mounted around the smooth sleeve  60  and is housed in a housing of the gas regulating valve  20  arranged for that purpose. Therefore, when the gas regulating valve  20  is mounted on the gas distribution duct  50 , the assembly formed by the smooth sleeve  60  and the washer  70  allows preventing gas leaks through said attachment area. 
         [0025]    For attaching the gas regulating valve  20  and the support  10  and generating a tightening torque between both parts that assures leak-tightness, first the support  10  engages the gas regulating valve  20  by introducing the end of the mounting seat of the gas regulating valve  20  that does not have the threaded hole  21  into the hole  13  of the first end of the support  10 . The screw  30  with the incorporated sleeve  40  is introduced at the second end of the support  10 , in attachment area B, through the through hole  11  of the support  10 . The lower end  34  of the screw  30  is screwed into the attachment area A in the threaded hole  21  of the gas regulating valve  20 , and as it is being screwed in, the flange  44  of the upper end  43  of the sleeve  40  is supported on the contour of the through hole  11 , said flange  44  being supported at an angle on the chamfer  14  of the surface  12  of the support  10  which is around the through hole  11 , said flange  44  projecting from the chamfer  14 . The inclination of the flange  44  of the sleeve  40  and of the chamfer  14  of the surface  12  of the support  10  are the same, such that said flange  44  with the chamfer  14  are supported on an aligned manner. 
         [0026]    The head  31  of the screw  30  has a contact surface  36  in its lower part, which in this embodiment of the screw  30  is at an angle, but in other embodiments not depicted in the drawings, it is flat. When the contact surface  36  of the screw  30 , since it is threaded, is supported on the flange  44  of the sleeve  40 , which in turn is supported on the surface  12  of the support  10 , a tightening torque between the gas regulating valve  20  and the support  10  is generated. So if for any reason the screw  30  breaks in any area of its length comprised between the gas regulating valve  20  and the support  10 , for example at the level of the head  31  or in an intermediate area of the shank  32 , said valve  20  and said support  10  will continue to be attached and the tightening torque maintained, since the threaded section attaching the screw  30  with the sleeve  40  always maintains a threaded area, and the sleeve  40  remains supported on the support  10 , with the flange  44  acting as the head  31  of the screw  30 . Safety issues due to gas leaks occurring because one of the screws has broken are thereby prevented. 
         [0027]    If the tightening torque is not correctly defined and controlled in the application thereof, it can cause problems relating to deformations, and even one of the parts of the gas distribution assembly  200  could break. To prevent this, the sleeve  40  of the embodiment of the gas distribution assembly  200  shown in the drawings has such a length that the lower end  42  of the sleeve  40 , opposite the upper end  43 , is supported on the surface  22  of the gas regulating valve  20  where the threaded hole  21  is located when the defined tightening torque is reached. Therefore, it is the sleeve  40  itself that exerts a mechanical stop for screwing in the screw  30  between the gas regulating valve  20  and the support  10 . In other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly not shown in the drawings, the sleeve  40  is not long enough to act as a mechanical stop, in which case the tightening torque is limited by other means, such as using screwing tools with torque control, for example. 
         [0028]    In other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly not shown in the drawings, the flange  44  of the sleeve  40  does not project from the chamfer  14  of the surface  12 , and the contact surface  36  of the head  31  of the screw  30  is supported on said surface  12 . In other embodiments, the surface  12  does not present the chamfer  14 , and the flange  44  of the sleeve  40  is radial, the flange  44  being supported in this case on the surface  12 , and the contact surface  36  of the screw  30  is supported on the flange  44 . In this final embodiment, the contact surface  36  of the screw  30  is an outer annular surface, the inside being hollow, such that said hollow space frees up the flange  44 , and the contact surface  36  of the screw  30  is supported on the surface  12 . Even in other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly not shown in the drawings, the surface  12  of the support  10  has a recess and the flange  44  of the sleeve  40  is housed in said recess. Therefore, the head  31  of the screw  30  may also be housed in the recess, in which case the contact surface  36  is supported on the flange  44 , or it may not be housed therein, in which case the contact surface  36  is supported on the surface  12  of the support  10 . 
         [0029]    In other embodiments of the gas distribution assembly not shown in the drawings, the two ends of the mounting seat of the gas regulating valve  20  each comprise an attachment area A comprising the threaded hole  20 . In that case, the support  10  also comprises at the first end an attachment area B, with a through hole  11  like that of the second end. The attachment means  100  for attaching the gas regulating valve  20  and the support  10  comprise two screws  20  and two sleeves  40 , each screw  30  being housed screwed into each sleeve  40 , each screw  30  and sleeve  40  assembly being inserted into the respective through hole  11 , each screw  30  being screwed into the respective threaded hole  21 , and the flange  44  of each sleeve  40  being supported on the contour of the respective through hole  11 . The contour being an area that surrounds or partially surrounds the through hole.