VERTICAL LOCKING DEVICE FOR KNOBS OF APPARATUSES USING FUEL GAS

Abstract

The present invention seeks to provide a device made of relatively simple mechanical elements, intended to lock and unlock the knobs used for opening the flow of gas for stoves, heaters or similar equipment, which is used as a safety system to prevent accidental intoxication, explosions or fires. The device of the invention basically consists of a main rod, made of metal or any other type of resistant material, the movement of which releases or presses the knobs, preventing the rotation thereof and the subsequent flow of gas, which also has springs that have the function of pressing the main rod and maintaining it in the locked position; since the rod of the knob controlling the flow of gas is designed to act with the locking tabs of the main rod, until a cord, made of metal or another resistant material, pulls the main rod, sliding over a fixed pulley, when the actuating knob is located in the unlocked position, said knob has an interlock, preventing a possible locking while the stove, heater or similar equipment is functioning in a normal manner.

Claims

1. A vertical locking device for knobs of gas apparatuses, comprising: a main rod located in the front part of the device and which has one or more tabs; one or more springs located on top of the main rod and connected to the same, wherein the other end of the springs is connected to the surface where the burners of the heating apparatus are located; one or more knobs located below a main rod and which on the rear part thereof have a knob shaft on which they rotate, wherein said knob shaft coincides with the tabs in number and complements the shape of the same. a joining cord which connects the main rod to the element that locks the operation of the heating apparatus; a pulley through which the joining cord passes and creates the connection between the elements to lock the rotation of the knobs; and a locking knob or lever located in the rear part of the apparatus and joined by means of the joining cord and the pulley to the main rod.

2. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the number of tabs of the main rod coincide with the amount of knobs to control.

3. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein each one of the tabs is made up of two projections that form an angle between the same.

4. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the locking lever or knob is made up of an actuating lever, a shaft on which the actuating lever rotates, and an interlock that rotates to place itself on the actuating lever, locking it.

5. The locking device according to claim 4, wherein the interlocking is made up of a pin that rotates on the horizontal plane, and a detention element located at the end of the rotation of said pin and which locks it when reaching the position thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0019] The present invention may be understood more clearly based on the following figures wherein the different components, parts or steps associated with the present device, apparatus, system or method are shown, as well as the novel elements with respect to the state of the art, wherein the figures do not aim to limit the scope of the invention, which is only determined by the attached claims, wherein:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of the device of the present invention with the knobs for controlling the flow of gas in an unlocked position.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of the device of the present invention with the knobs for controlling the flow of gas in a locked position.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the knob for actuating the interlock system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The previously described figures are not drawn to scale. The current dimensions of each of the components of the device can vary according to the user's needs. The most significant details of the device of the invention are highlighted for the purposes of providing a clear concept of the invention for a person who is not an expert in the field.

[0024] The present invention seeks to provide a device for vertically blocking the knobs of a cooking apparatus or an apparatus using gas as fuel, such as a heater, which is based on the use of pulleys and a respective an actuation line, which allows a main rod which has projections or locking elements that fit with the shaft of each gas-supplying knob to be elevated or lowered, wherein the rod is also actuated by means of the use of springs which push it downwards, thus ensuring the proper functioning of the device and locking said knobs. Thus, the device of the present invention comprises the following components and/or parts, wherein the function and interaction of each one of the same is defined below: [0025] A main rod 1a which is located in the front part of the device and from which a plurality of tabs 1b extends, made up of two tabs that have an angle defined between the two, wherein the number of said tabs 1b directly depends on the amount of knobs to be controlled by the device; [0026] Springs 2 located on top of the main rod 1a and connected to the same, wherein the springs 2 are in charge of exerting a downward force on said rod 1a, wherein the other end of the springs 2 is connected to the surface where the burners of the apparatus are located, meaning the heater or similar heating element; [0027] One or more knobs 3a that rotate on the shaft thereof and control the flow of gas to the burners of the heating apparatus, wherein said one or more knobs 3a is located below a main rod 1a and, on the rear part thereof, have a knob shaft 3b, wherein said knob shaft 3b coincides with the tabs 1b in number and complements the shape of the same, with aim of being inserted therein; [0028] A joining cord 4 which allows a connection to be created between the main rod 1a and the element that locks the operation of the heating apparatus, as will be defined below; [0029] A pulley 5, through which the joining cord 4 passes and allows the connection to be created between the elements of the device of the present invention for locking the rotation of the knobs 3a; and [0030] A locking knob or lever 6 located in the rear part of the apparatus and which is joined by means of the joining cord 4 and the pulley 5 to the main rod 1a.

[0031] This being so, with regard to FIG. 1, said illustration corresponds to a front perspective view of the device in the unlocked position, wherein the main rod 1a is shown, which has a tab 1b made up of two projections per knob 3a, and the springs 2 are shown in their compressed configuration, in other words, they are directly pressed by the main rod 1a. Each knob of the stove 3a has a shaft 3b such that it coincides with the locking knobs 1b. In the same way, the joining cord 4, which slides on the pulley 5 is in charge of maintaining the main rod 1a in an unlocked position of the knob or lever 6 during normal use of the stove or heater, with the aim that the rod 1a does not come into contact with the knobs 3a or the shafts 3b thereof and therefore does not lock and the same can rotate freely with out restrictions to their use.

[0032] With regard to FIG. 2, said illustration corresponds to a front perspective view of the device, similar to the one shown in FIG. 1, but wherein the device is in the locking position, and wherein the actuation of the knob or lever 6 is shown, thus locking the movement of the knobs of the gas flow 3a, due to the fact that the springs 2 push the main rod 1a (by their nature) on the shaft 3b of the knob 3a of the stove or heater, restricting the possible rotation of said shaft 3b, by means of the opposition of the projections of each tab 1b.

[0033] With regard to FIG. 3, this drawing corresponds to the interlocking 6c of the knob or actuating lever 6a that rotates on the shaft 6b thereof. This being so, this lever or knob 6a has the function of ensuring the locking or unlocking of the knobs 3a controlling the gas flow of the stove or heater, to maintain a normal functioning when it is necessary to heat the area or cook food. This way, when one wants to unlock the knobs 3a of the heating apparatus, one moves the actuating knob or lever 6a such that it is located completely horizontal, making it rotate on the shaft 6b thereof, and then said lever 6a is in the desired position, and it is then locked by means of the interlock 6c that corresponds to a pin that rotates on the horizontal plane and blocks or locks the detention element located at the end of the rotation when said pin is located directly on the actuation lever or knob 6a. Given that the actuating knob or lever 6a is connected at the rear end thereof by means of the cord 4 and the pulley 5 to the main rod 1a which is pushed by the springs 2, the natural movement of said actuating lever 6a is that of tilting towards the rear part, in other words, being pulled by the cord 4, which would take make it block the knobs 3a and, as a result, block the flow of gas towards the heating device (burners). Thus, the function of the interlock 6c is that of blocking said natural movement of the actuating knob or lever 6a, thereby achieving that the same does not move and allowing the device to be used without restrictions.

[0034] Thus, the movement of the interlock 6c to one side or the other, in other words blocking the actuation knob 6a or allowing it to move or tilt on the pivot point (shaft 6b), is done manually by the user, although in the present disclosure the movement of said actuating lever or knob 6a by any mechanical means, such as a motor or similar, is also envisaged.