MAGNETIC COUPLING FOR SPRAYHEADS

• US 20080185060A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• 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 7,753,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/801
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/65 Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• 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 137/0402 Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/598 With repair, tapping, assembly, or disassembly means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

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 body;

a supply line adapted to provide a liquid;

a head fluidly connected to the supply line; and

a magnetic coupling having a magnetic attracting force for releasably coupling the head and the body, the magnetic coupling including a coupling surface supported by one of the head and the body, a first backing element to increase the magnetic attracting force being positioned on one side of the coupling surface, a first connecting element being positioned between the coupling surface and the first backing element, and a magnetically attractive member being positioned on the other side of the coupling surface.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the backing element includes a metal.

3. The faucet of claim 2, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of iron, steel and stainless steel.

4. The faucet of claim 1, further including a first connector coupled to the first connecting element to secure the first connecting element to one of the head and the body of the faucet.

5. The faucet of claim 4, wherein the first connector is at least partially overmolded over the first connecting element.

6. The faucet of claim 4, wherein the first connector encapsulates the first connecting element and the first backing element to prevent corrosion thereof.

7. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the first connecting element includes a magnet.

8. The faucet of claim 7, wherein the magnet is a dipolar magnet.

9. The faucet of claim 7, wherein the magnet is a multi-polar magnet.

10. The faucet of claim 7, wherein the connecting element comprises more than one magnet.

11. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the magnetically attractive member is a second connecting element.

12. The faucet of claim 11, wherein the second connecting element includes a magnet.

13. The faucet of claim 11, further including a second backing element, the second connecting element being positioned between the coupling surface and the second backing element.

14. The faucet of claim 13, wherein the second connecting element is substantially identical to the first connecting element and the second backing element is substantially identical to the first backing element.

15. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the first connecting element includes a magnetic field oriented in a first direction.

16. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the first connecting element further includes a second magnetic field oriented in a second direction, the first direction being substantially opposite the second direction.

17. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the first connecting element includes an electromagnet being switchable between an energized state and a de-energized state, the electromagnet producing an electromagnetic field in the energized state to reduce the attracting force between the head and the body.

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

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

20. A method of coupling and uncoupling a faucet head from a faucet body comprising the steps of:

providing a head;

providing a body;

providing a first connecting element and a first backing element in one of the body and the head;

providing a magnetically attractive member in the other of the body and the head; and

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

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the magnetically attractive member is an electromagnet, the first connector magnet has a magnetic field oriented in a first direction, the electromagnet has an energized state generating an electromagnetic field oriented in a second direction, and the second direction is substantially opposite the first direction to reduce the magnetic force coupling the head and the body.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first connecting element includes a magnet, the magnetically attractive member includes a second magnet, each of the first magnet and the second magnet have a first magnetic field, and the first magnetic field of the first magnet is oriented in the same direction as the first magnetic field of the second magnet.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the first magnet and second magnet further includes a second magnetic field, the second magnetic field being oriented substantially opposite the first magnetic field, further including the step of rotating the faucet head to reduce the magnetic force coupling the head connector and the body connector.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the head includes one of a female member and a male member and the body includes the other of the female member and the male member, the female member mating with the male member, further including the step of rotating the faucet head to reduce the magnetic force coupling the head and the body.

25. A faucet comprising:

a body;

a supply line adapted to provide a liquid;

a head fluidly connected to the supply line; and

a magnetic coupling having a magnetic attracting force for releasably coupling the head and the body, the magnetic coupling including a coupling surface supported by one of the head and the body, a magnetically attractive member being positioned on one side of the coupling surface, a first connector being coupled to one of the head and the body and being positioned on the other side of the coupling surface, and a first connecting element also being positioned on the other side of the coupling surface, the first connector being at least partially overmolded over the first connecting element to couple the first connecting element to one of the head and the body.

26. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the first connector encapsulates the first connecting element to prevent corrosion thereof.

27. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the first connecting element includes a magnet.

28. The faucet of claim 25, wherein the magnetically attractive member is a second connecting element.

29. The faucet of claim 28, wherein the second connecting element includes a magnet.

30. The faucet of claim 28, further including a second connector being at least partially overmolded over the second connecting element to couple the second connecting element to the other of the head and the body of the faucet.