Gas control knob that produces vibration and sound during rotation

Abstract

A gas control knob includes a valve body, a valve cap, a rotation lever, a cam, and a spring. Thus, when the rotation lever is rotated to regulate the gas flow rate, the engaging tooth of the cam is axially and reciprocally movable on the toothed face of the track of the valve cap synchronously to produce vibration and sound during rotation of the rotation lever, thereby providing a notification function to the user so as to assure the safety when using the gas stove.

1 . A gas control knob, comprising: 
 a valve body;    a valve cap mounted on the valve body and having an end face formed with an annular track having a toothed face and at least one opening;    a rotation lever rotatably mounted and axially movable in the valve cap;    a cam secured on the rotation lever to rotate and move therewith and having a periphery formed with a protruding engaging tooth; wherein the cam is movable between a first position where the engaging tooth of the cam is limited in the opening of the valve cap so that the cam is secured in the valve cap and a second position where the engaging tooth of the cam is detached from the opening of the valve cap and detachably engaged with the toothed face of the track of the valve cap.    
   
   
       2 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the valve body has an inside formed with a mounting hole, the gas control knob further comprises a throttling cock rotatably mounted in the mounting hole of the valve body and having a distal end formed with an insertion recess, and the rotation lever has a first end formed with an insert that is movable with the rotation lever.  
   
   
       3 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein when the rotation lever is movable toward the valve body, the insert of the rotation lever is inserted into the insertion recess of the throttling cock so that the throttling cock is rotated by the rotation lever, and when the rotation lever is movable outward relative to the valve body, the insert of the rotation lever is detached from the insertion recess of the throttling cock so that the throttling cock is detached from and not rotated by the rotation lever.  
   
   
       4 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the end face of the valve cap is formed with an annular abutting groove.  
   
   
       5 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the first end of the rotation lever is formed with an annular shoulder positioned in the abutting groove of the valve cap, thereby preventing the rotation lever from being detached from the valve cap.  
   
   
       6 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the valve cap has a central portion formed with a rotation hole, and the rotation lever is rotatably mounted in the rotation hole of the valve cap and axially movable in the rotation hole of the valve cap.  
   
   
       7 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the track of the valve cap has a diameter greater than that of the abutting groove.  
   
   
       8 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the end face of the valve cap is juxtaposed to an end face of the mounting hole of the valve body.  
   
   
       9 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the toothed face of the track of the valve cap is substantially arc-shaped.  
   
   
       10 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the track of the valve cap has a protruding block located adjacent to the toothed face.  
   
   
       11 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the protruding block of the track of the valve cap is substantially arc-shaped.  
   
   
       12 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the mounting hole having an end face formed with a first stepped hole and a second stepped hole, and the protruding block of the track of the valve cap is juxtaposed to the second stepped hole of the valve body.  
   
   
       13 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the second stepped hole has a diameter greater than that of the first stepped hole.  
   
   
       14 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the track of the valve cap has two spaced openings located between the toothed face  36  and the protruding block.  
   
   
       15 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the rotation lever has a second end protruding from the valve cap.  
   
   
       16 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , further comprising a spring mounted in the valve body and biased between the valve body and the cam to push the cam toward the valve cap so that the insert of the rotation lever is detached from the insertion recess of the throttling cock and the engaging tooth  44  of the cam is limited in the opening of the valve cap.  
   
   
       17 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the cam is movably and rotatably mounted in the abutting groove of the valve cap.  
   
   
       18 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the insert of the rotation lever is detached from the insertion recess of the throttling cock when the cam is movable to the first position, and the insert of the rotation lever is inserted into the insertion recess of the throttling cock when the cam is movable to the second position.  
   
   
       19 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein when the rotation lever is rotated to drive the throttling cock, the engaging tooth of the cam is axially and reciprocally movable on the toothed face of the track of the valve cap synchronously to produce vibration and sound during rotation of the rotation lever.  
   
   
       20 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the toothed face of the valve cap provides a temporary positioning effect to the engaging tooth of the cam during rotation of the rotation lever, so that the rotation of the rotation lever is controlled step by step.