Molded control knob

Claim 2

A unitarily molded control knob for mounting a D-shaft of an electrical control or the like, comprising: a front face plate and a peripheral manual gripping portion; a hollow cylindrical hub portion including a rear wall extending rearwardly of said face plate to define a body portion; and an integrally molded D-shaft receiving means within said body, including a generally flat floor portion for engaging the flat of the D-shaft, side guide means for encapsulatingly engaging side portions of the D-shaft, said floor and guide means being supported within the body portion by a plurality of radially directed, longitudinally extending support flanges, and a flexibly resilient cantilever arm projecting from said rear wall and independent of said floor and guide means and spaced from and opposite said flat floor portion for engaging the D-shaft opposite its flat to bias the D-shaft against said floor portion and frictionally maintain the D-shaft longitudinally within the receiving means.

Claim 3

The control knob of claim 1 wherein said side guide means comprises a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely disposed side wall portions formed integrally with at least some of said support flanges at the inner ends thereof and extending longitudinally along said floor portion for engaging the sides of the D-shaft and to hold the D-shaft therebetween in engagement with said floor portion.

Claim 4

The control knob of claim 2 wherein the opposing faces of said side wall portions are arcuately concave for mating with the rounded sides of the D-shaft.

Claim 5

The control knob of claim 1 wherein said body includes a rear wall spaced from said face plate and said shaft receiving means includes a D-shaped aperture in said rear wall through which the D-shaft is inserted, said floor portion, said side guide means being formed integrally with said longitudinally extending support flanges and said cantilever arm extending forwardly of said rear wall from about said aperture and terminating generally in a flush relationship with the front of said face plate.

Claim 6

A unitarily molded control knob for mounting a D-shaft of an electrical control or the like, comprising: a body having a front face plate and a peripheral manual gripping portion; and an integrally molded D-shaft receiving means within said body, including a generally flat floor portion for engaging the flat of the D-shaft, side guide means for engaging the sides of the D-shaft, and a flexibly resilient cantilever arm spaced from and opposite said flat floor portion for engaging the D-shaft opposite its flat to bias the D-shaft against said floor portion and frictionally maintain the D-shaft longitudinally within the receiving means, the face of the cantilever arm on the inside of the free end thereof being feathered axially to a contrasting surface so as to provide an enlarged cross section to reduce the distance between the cantilever arm and said floor portion whereby engagement of the D-shaft with said area increases the biasing force on the D-shaft to thereby provide positive gripping action to increase the holding capabilities of the control knob on the D-shaft.

Claim 7

A unitarily molded control knob for mounting a D-shaft of an electrical control or the like, comprising: a body having a front face plate and a peripheral manual gripping portion; and an integrally molded D-shaft receiving means within said body, including a generally flat floor portion for engaging the flat of the D-shaft, side guide means for engaging the sides of the D-shaft, and a flexibly resilient cantilever arm spaced from and opposite said flat floor portion for engaging the D-shaft opposite its flat to bias the D-shaft against said floor portion and frictionally maintain the D-shaft longitudinally within the receiving means, the face of the cantilever arm on the inside of the free end thereof being feathered axially to a contrasting surface so as to provide an enlarged cross section to reduce the distance between the cantilever arm and said floor portion whereby engagement of the D-shaft with said area increases the biasing force on the D-shaft to thereby provide positive gripping action to increase the holding capabilities of the control knob on the D-shaft.

Claim 8

The control knob of claim 5 wherein the underside of said cantilever arm which faces said floor portion is arcuately concave in cross section for mating with the rounded surface of said D-shaft, and said area on the inside of the cantilever arm at its free end is defined by a flat spanning the concave underside of the cantilever arm.

Claim 9

The control knob of claim 6 wherein said flat on the underside of the free end of the cantilever arm is angularly disposed so as to merge with the concave surface thereof.

Claim 10

A unitarily molded control knob for mounting a D-shaft of an electrical control or the like, comprising: a front face plate, a peripheral manual gripping portion, an integrally molded hollow cylindrical hub portion extending rearwardly of said face plate defining a body portion, a rear wall spaced from and molded integrally with said body portion, and a D-shaped aperture in said rear wall through which the D-shaft is inserted and an integrally molded D-shaft receiving means within said body, including a generally flat floor portion molded integrally with said rear wall and extending forwardly thereof adjacent the flat of said D-shaped aperture for engagement with the flat of the D-shaft, a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely disposed side wall portions formed integrally with and extending longitudinally along said floor portion, the opposing faces of said side wall portions being arcuately concave for mating with the rounded sides of the D-shaft, said floor and side wall portions being strengthened by a plurality of radially directed support flanges formed integrally with said cylindrical hub, and a flexibly resilient cantilever arm spaced from and opposite said flat floor portion and extending forwardly from said rear wall independent of said side wall portions and adjacent said D-shaped aperture for engaging the D-shaft opposite its flat to bias the D-shaft against said floor portion and frictionally maintain the D-shaft longitudinally within the receiving means.

Claim 11

A unitarily molded control knob for mounting a D-shaft of an electrical control or the like, comprising: a front face plate, a peripheral manual gripping portion, an integrally molded hollow cylindrical hub portion extending rearwardly of said face plate defining a body portion, a rear wall spaced from and molded integrally with said body portion, and a D-shaped aperture in said rear wall through which the D-shaft is inserted and an integrally molded D-shaft receiving means within said body, including a generally flat floor portion molded integrally with said rear wall and extending forwardly thereof adjacent the flat of said D-shaped aperture for engagement with the flat of the D-shaft, a pair of upwardly extending, oppositely disposed side wall portions formed integrally with and extending longitudinally along said floor portion, the opposing faces of said side wall portions being arcuately concave for mating with the rounded sides of the D-shaft, said floor and side wall portions being strengthened by a plurality of radially directed support flanges formed integrally with said cylindrical hub, and a flexibly resilient cantilever arm spaced from and opposite said flat floor portion and extending forwardly from said rear wall independent of said side wall portions and adjacent said D-shaped aperture for engaging the D-shaft opposite its flat to bias the D-shaft against said floor portion and frictionally maintain the D-shaft longitudinally within the receiving means.

Claim 12

The control knob of claim 8 wherein the underside of said cantilever arm which faces said floor portion is arcuately concave in cross section for mating with the rounded surface of said D-shaft, and said area on the inside of the cantilever arm at its free end is defined by a flat spanning the concave underside of the cantilever arm.

Claim 13

The control knob of claim 9 wherein said flat on the underside of the free end of the cantilever arm is angularly disposed so as to merge with the concave surface thereof.

Claim 14

A unitarily molded control knob for mounting on a D-shaft of an electrical control or the like, comprising: a body having a front face plate, a peripheral manual gripping portion, and a rear wall spaced from said face plate including a D-shaped aperture in said rear wall through which the D-shaft is inserted; and an integrally molded D-shaft receiving means extending forwardly of said rear wall about said D-shaped aperture, including a generally flat floor portion for engaging the flat of the D-shaft, a pair of upwardly extending, arcuately concave, oppositely disposed side wall portions formed integrally with and extending longitudinally along said floor portion for mating with the rounded sides of the D-shaft, a flexibly resilient cantilever arm spaced from and opposite said flat floor portion for engaging the D-shaft opposite its flat to bias the D-shaft against said floor portion and frictionally maintain the D-shaft longitudinally within the receiving means, and a support rib molded integrally with said cantilever arm and said rear wall at the juncture thereof.

Claim 15

A unitarily molded control knob for mounting on a D-shaft of an electrical control or the like, comprising: a body having a front face plate, a peripheral manual gripping portion, and a rear wall spaced from said face plate including a D-shaped aperture in said rear wall through which the D-shaft is inserted; and an integrally molded D-shaft receiving means extending forwardly of said rear wall about said D-shaped aperture, including a generally flat floor portion for engaging the flat of the D-shaft, a pair of upwardly extending, arcuately concave, oppositely disposed side wall portions formed integrally with and extending longitudinally along said floor portion for mating with the rounded sides of the D-shaft, a flexibly resilient cantilever arm spaced from and opposite said flat floor portion for engaging the D-shaft opposite its flat to bias the D-shaft against said floor portion and frictionally maintain the D-shaft longitudinally within the receiving means, and a support rib molded integrally with said cantilever arm and said rear wall at the juncture thereof.