Gas control knob that is operated manually or automatically

Abstract

A gas control knob includes a valve body, a valve seat mounted on the valve body, a control lever movably mounted in the valve seat and movable by a pressing action to regulate a gas flow rate of the valve body, a fixing bracket mounted on the valve body, a motor mounted on the fixing bracket, a transmission mechanism mounted on the fixing bracket and driven by the motor, and a linear displacement mechanism mounted on the fixing bracket and driven by the transmission mechanism to perform a linear motion to press the control lever to regulate the gas flow rate of the valve body automatically. Thus, the gas control knob is operated and controlled automatically, thereby facilitating a user operating the gas control knob.

1 . A gas control knob, comprising: 
 a valve body;    a valve seat mounted on the valve body;    a control lever movably mounted in the valve seat and movable by a pressing action to regulate a gas flow rate of the valve body;    a fixing bracket mounted on the valve body and located above the control lever;    a motor mounted on the fixing bracket;    a transmission mechanism mounted on the fixing bracket and driven by the motor;    a linear displacement mechanism mounted on the fixing bracket and driven by the transmission mechanism to perform a linear motion to press the control lever so as to regulate the gas flow rate of the valve body automatically.    
   
   
       2 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the motor has a drive worm protruding from the fixing bracket, and the transmission mechanism includes a shaft mounted on the fixing bracket, and a transmission worm rotatably mounted on the shaft and having an end provided with a transmission wormwheel meshing with and rotated by the drive worm of the motor.  
   
   
       3 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the fixing bracket has a periphery provided with two spaced pivot ears each formed with a pivot hole, and the shaft of the transmission mechanism is mounted between the two pivot ears of the fixing bracket and has two ends each mounted in the respective pivot hole of the fixing bracket.  
   
   
       4 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein when the motor is started, the drive worm is driven to rotate the transmission wormwheel which rotates the transmission worm so that the motor is operated in a wire control manner or a remote control manner to drive and rotate the transmission worm.  
   
   
       5 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the fixing bracket has a top plate provided with a bushing having an upper end formed with a rotation hole and a lower end formed with a limit hole, and the linear displacement mechanism includes: 
 a movable member movably mounted in the limit hole of the fixing bracket and movable to press or release the control lever;    a rotation shaft rotatably mounted in the rotation hole of the fixing bracket and having a lower end provided with a co-axial lead screw screwed into the movable member to drive the movable member to move axially in the limit hole of the fixing bracket by rotation of the rotation shaft;    a driven wormwheel meshing with and rotated by the transmission worm;    a spring mounted on the rotation shaft and having a lower end secured to and driven by the driven wormwheel and an upper end secured to an upper end of the rotation shaft to drive and rotate the rotation shaft.    
   
   
       6 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the upper end of the rotation shaft protrudes from the bushing of the fixing bracket.  
   
   
       7 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the upper end of the rotation shaft is provided with an enlarged cover, and the upper end of the spring is secured to the enlarged cover of the rotation shaft so that the rotation shaft is driven and rotated by the spring.  
   
   
       8 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the upper end of the rotation shaft is provided with a push button located above the enlarged cover.  
   
   
       9 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the driven wormwheel is rested on the bushing of the fixing bracket.  
   
   
       10 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the driven wormwheel has a central portion formed with a through hole rotatably mounted on the rotation shaft.  
   
   
       11 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the movable member has an inside formed with a screw bore screwed onto the lead screw of the rotation shaft.  
   
   
       12 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the limit hole of the fixing bracket has a side formed with an axially extended flattened face, and the movable member has a side formed with an axially extended flattened face rested on the flattened face of the limit hole of the fixing bracket so that the movable member is limited in the limit hole of the fixing bracket without rotation.  
   
   
       13 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the bushing of the fixing bracket is extended to the control lever.  
   
   
       14 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the limit hole of the fixing bracket has a dimension greater than that of the rotation hole.  
   
   
       15 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the fixing bracket has a side formed with a mounting hole, and the motor is mounted in the mounting hole of the fixing bracket.  
   
   
       16 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a protective hood mounted on the top of the fixing bracket to encompass the transmission mechanism and the linear displacement mechanism.  
   
   
       17 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 8 , further comprising a protective hood mounted on the top of the fixing bracket to encompass the transmission mechanism and the linear displacement mechanism.  
   
   
       18 . The gas control knob in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the protective hood has a top plate formed with a passage to allow passage of the push button.