Magnetic coupling for sprayheads

• US 20060283511A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Nelson, Alfred Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,909,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/801
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0404 Constructional or functional features of the spout
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0415 having an extendable water outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9029 With coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49817 with other than ancillary treating or assembling

Abstract

A faucet including a faucet head, a body and a magnetic coupling releasably coupling the faucet head to the faucet body.

Claims

1. A faucet comprising:

a faucet head;

a faucet body; and

a magnetic coupling releasably coupling said faucet head to said faucet body.

2. The faucet of claim 1 wherein said magnetic coupling includes a magnet disposed on one of said faucet head and said faucet body, and a magnetically attractive material disposed on the other of said faucet head and said faucet body.

3. The faucet of claim 2 wherein said magnetically attractive material includes iron, steel or mixture thereof.

4. The faucet of claim 2 wherein said magnet has a magnetic field and the other of said faucet head and said faucet body further includes an electromagnet, said electromagnet is switchable between an energized state and a de-energized state, wherein in the energized state said electromagnet exhibits an electromagnetic field oriented in a direction opposite the magnetic field of said magnet and thereby repels said faucet body from said faucet head.

5. The faucet of claim 1 wherein said magnetic coupling includes a head connector disposed on said faucet head and a body connector disposed on said faucet body, and each of said head connector and said body connector includes a magnet.

6. The faucet of claim 5 wherein said magnet of each of said head connector and said body connector includes a single magnetic field oriented in the same direction such that said magnetic coupling exhibits a single mode attracting said head connector to said body connector.

7. The faucet of claim 5 wherein said magnet of each of said head connector and said body connector includes multiple magnetic fields, a number of said multiple magnetic fields are oriented in a first direction and the remaining of said multiple magnetic fields are arranged in a second direction, said second direction is substantially opposite said first direction such that, when said multiple magnetic fields of said head connector magnet are oriented in the same direction as said multiple magnetic fields of said body connector magnet, said magnetic coupling exhibits a first attracting mode and, when said multiple magnetic fields of said head connector magnet are oriented in a direction opposite said multiple magnetic fields of said body connector magnet, said magnetic coupling exhibits a second repelling mode.

8. The faucet of claim 5 wherein said head connector includes one of a female member and a male member and said body connector includes the other of said female member and said male member, said female member configured to mate with said male member.

The faucet of claim 1 wherein said head includes one of a female member and a male member and said body includes the other of said female member and said male member, said female member configured to mate with said male member.

9. The faucet of claim 1 wherein the magnetic coupling includes an attracting mode of operation and a repelling mode of operation.

10. A faucet comprising:

a faucet head;

a faucet body; and

a magnetic coupling releasably coupling said faucet head to said faucet body, said magnetic coupling including a head connector disposed on said faucet head and a body connector disposed on said faucet body, at least one of said head connector and said body connector having a first magnet and the other of said head connector and said body connector having a magnetically attractive member.

11. The faucet of claim 10 wherein said magnetically attractive member is formed of steel, iron or a mixture thereof.

12. The faucet of claim 10 wherein said first magnet includes a first magnetic field and said magnetically attractive member includes a second magnet having a second magnetic field oriented in the same direction as said first magnetic field.

13. The faucet of claim 10 wherein said first magnet includes a first magnetic field and said other of said head connector and said body connector further includes an electromagnet.

14. The faucet of claim 13 wherein said electromagnet is switchable between an energized state and a de-energized state, wherein in the energized state said electromagnet exhibits an electromagnetic field oriented in a direction opposite said first magnetic field of said magnet.

15. The faucet of claim 10 wherein said magnetically attractive member includes a second magnet and each of said first magnet and said second magnet includes a single magnetic field oriented in the same direction such that said magnetic coupling exhibits a single mode attracting said head connector to said body connector.

16. The faucet of claim 10 wherein said magnetically attractive member includes a second magnet and each of said first magnet and said second magnet includes multiple magnetic fields, a number of said multiple magnetic fields are oriented in a first direction and the remaining of said multiple magnetic fields are oriented in a second direction, said first direction is substantially opposite said second direction such that said magnetic coupling is bimodal.

17. The faucet of claim 10 wherein said head connector includes one of a female member and a male member, and said body connector includes the other of said female member and said male member, said female member configured to mate with said male member.

18. A method of coupling and uncoupling a faucet head from a faucet body, the method including the steps of:

providing a head connector on the faucet head;

providing a body connector on the faucet body;

generating a magnetic field attracting the head connector and the body connector, thereby coupling the faucet head to the faucet body.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of providing a magnet on one of the head connector and the body connector, and providing an electromagnet on the other of the head connector and the body connector, the magnet having a magnetic field oriented in a first direction, the electromagnet having an energized state generating an electromagnetic field oriented in a second direction, the second direction being substantially opposite the first direction to uncouple the head connector from the body connector.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of providing a first magnet on the head connector, and providing a second magnet on the body connector, each of the first magnet and the second magnet having a first magnetic field, the first magnetic field of the first magnet being oriented in the same direction as the first magnetic field of the second magnet.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein each of the first magnet and second magnet further includes a second magnetic field opposite the first magnetic field, the second magnetic field of the first magnet being oriented in a direction opposite the second magnetic field of the second magnet.