Patent Publication Number: US-2016236330-A1

Title: Fastener-Tightened Bonnet Nut Wrench

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/116,131 filed on Feb. 13, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to wrenches. More specifically, the present invention relates to wrenches adapted for use with various types of plumbing applications, such as with shower valves. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The bonnet nut of a bathtub and shower valve can be extremely difficult to remove. In particular, the threading of the bonnet nut can become locked with the threading of the valve body due to calcium buildup, the nut can be slick and difficult to grip with conventional wrenches, and the valve body must held steady simultaneously as the bonnet nut is turned. Furthermore, if users twist the valve body too much when attempting to remove the bonnet nut, it can potentially result in hundreds of dollars&#39; worth of damage to the plumbing system that must be fixed by a professional. Bathtub and shower valves that utilize smooth, circular bonnet nuts are even more difficult to remove because of the difficulty associated with gripping the bonnet nut without causing damage to the body of the shower valve. 
     One technique to remove a bonnet nut from a valve body is by locking the valve body in place with one wrench and then using a second wrench to apply torque to the bonnet nut. However, it can be challenging to simultaneously hold both wrenches while ensuring that the valve body does not twist too much. Another technique to remove a bonnet nut is to apply heat, often using a rag laden with hot water, to the bonnet nut in order to loosen it. However, this is unreliable and can be very time consuming. Still yet another technique to remove a bonnet nut is to apply WD-40 or another such penetrating fluid to the threading between the valve body and the bonnet nut. However, penetrating fluid may not be sufficient to break the nut-body connection if there is a substantial amount of calcium buildup. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a device specifically adapted to remove bonnet nuts from bathtub and shower valve bodies, without causing damage to the valves. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of wrenches now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a fastener-tightened bonnet nut wrench wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when removing smooth, circular bonnet nuts from bathtub and shower valves. The present system comprises a substantially closed end wrench comprising a pair of disconnected distal ends separated by a gap. The distal ends each comprise a threaded aperture and each of the threaded apertures are aligned, thereby allowing a fastener to be inserted therethrough. As the fastener placed through the pair of complementary threaded apertures is tightened, it draws the distal ends together, thereby closing the end of the wrench. The present invention is used by placing the end of the wrench over the bonnet nut and then tightening the fastener in order to close the end of the wrench around the bonnet nut. The frictional engagement between the interior surface of the wrench end and the bonnet nut around which the closed end is tightened allows the user to apply torque to the wrench to tighten or loosen the bonnet nut. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a close up view of the tightening mechanism of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3A  shows a cross-sectional view of the present invention along line  3 A- 3 A with the head open. 
         FIG. 3B  shows a cross-sectional view of the present invention along line  3 B- 3 B with the head closed. 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the present invention secured to a valve. 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional view of the head of an alternative embodiment of the present invention along line  6 - 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the fastener-tightened wrench. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for removing bonnet nuts from bathtub or shower valves that utilize smooth, circular bonnet nuts. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , there are shown various views of an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is a wrench  11  comprising a body  13  and an arcuate member  12  extending around and back to the body  13 , forming a substantially closed head  19  having an open interior. The arcuate member  12  comprises a distal end  17  that is separated by a gap from the body  13  of the wrench  11 . The distal end  17  comprises a first aperture  14  and the body  13  comprises a threaded second aperture  15  extending therethrough. In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the second aperture  15  is disposed through a projection  18  extending from the body  13 . In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the second aperture  15  is disposed directly through the body  13 , lacking a projection  18 . The first and second apertures  14 ,  15  are aligned such that a fastener  31  can be inserted therethrough and engage with the threading of the second aperture  15 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the fastener  31  comprises a fastener having a head adapted to engage with a hex key; however, no claim is made as to the specific fastener utilized by the present invention. 
     When the head  19  is in its open configuration, i.e. the distal end  17  and the projection  18  are in a spaced relationship as shown in  FIG. 3A , the head  19  has a slightly non-circular shape, such that the distance d 1  between a first set of opposing points and the distance d 2  between a second set of opposing points are non-equal. When the fastener  31  is tightened, the threading of the fastener  31  engages with the complementary threading of the second aperture  15  and the head of the fastener  31  bears against the edge  20  extending around the open end of the first aperture  14 . This draws the distal end  17  against the projection  18 , securing the distal end  17  of the arcuate member  12  and the projection  18  extending from the body  13  together and thereby enclosing the head  19 . When the head  19  is in its closed configuration, i.e. the faces of the distal end  17  and the projection  18  rest flush against each other due to the tightened fastener  31 , the head  19  has a circular shape, such that the diameter d 1  is constant. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the wrench  11  lacks a projection  18  extending from the wrench  11  to which the distal end  17  is drawn. Rather, the distal end  17  is drawn directly against the body  13 . Finally, the head  19  may not be perfectly circular but has a rounded profile. 
     The face of the distal end  17  and the face of the projection  18  are adapted to rest flush against each other when the distal end  17  is drawn against the projection  18 . The face of the distal end  17  is curved and the face of the projection  18  has a complementary curvature. In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the distal end  17  comprises a planar face and the projection  18  comprises a complementary planar face, wherein the angles at which the planar faces are disposed correspond to each other. The ability of the distal ends  17  and the projection  18  to rest flush against each other ensures that the head  19  is fully enclosed when tightened via the fastener  31 . 
     The present invention is adapted for use with Delta R10000, Brizo R60000, Peerless R10000, and other such valves  21  having rounded, smooth-edged bonnet nuts  22 . As such, the interior surface  16  of the head  19  is a smooth surface that is free from projections therefrom so that the interior surface  16  conforms to the bonnet nut  22  of the valves  21  and rests flush thereagainst when the head  19  is tightened. In use, the untightened head  19  of the present wrench  11  is placed around a bonnet nut  22  the user wishes to tighten or loosen a valve  21 . Once in place, the user then tightens the fastener  31  through the apertures  14 ,  15  disposed through the distal ends  17  and the projection  18 , which closes the head  19  around the bonnet nut  22 . When fully tightened, the friction between the interior surface  16  of the head  19  and the peripheral edge of the bonnet nut  22  allows the user to tighten or loosen the bonnet nut  22  by actuating the wrench  11 . 
     The wrench  11  is constructed from a material that is rigid enough to avoid bending when torque is applied thereto during use, but bendable enough such that tightening of the fastener  31  through the apertures  14 ,  15  is able to alter the shape of the head  19  by drawing the distal end  17  and the projection  18  against each other. In one embodiment of the present invention, the wrench  11  is fabricated from T6 temper 6061 aluminum alloy. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5-6 , there are shown a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the head of an alternative embodiment of the present invention along line  6 - 6 . In the depicted embodiment of the present invention, the head  19  comprises a first side  19 A having a first diameter d 3  and a second side  19 B having a second diameter d 4 . As the size of bonnet nuts vary from model-to-model of shower valves, the opposing sides  19 A,  19 B of the head  19  allow the wrench  11  to be used with different models of valves. 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.