DIVERTER VALVE

• US 20110030823A1
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TCL Manufacturing Limited (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Triflow Concepts (IP) Limited (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sumsion, Derek, Seal, Michael, Harman, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/603
• 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 2201/30 Diverter valves in faucets or taps
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2201/40 Arrangement of water treatment devices in domestic plumbing installations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2683 Plural outlets control with automatic reset
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86879 Reciprocating valve unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87153 Plural noncommunicating flow paths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multiple outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87579 Faucet attachment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87804 Valve or deflector is tubular passageway

Abstract

A diverter valve which is operable to divert a water supply to a spray includes an undiverted through passage for another water supply, such as filtered water.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A diverter valve for a water supply, the diverter valve having an undiverted flow path through the diverter valve which is not interrupted by operation of the diverter valve.

16. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 15, wherein the undiverted flow path passes in an axial direction through the diverter valve.

17. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 16, wherein the flow path lies on a centre axis of the diverter valve.

18. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 15, comprising a tube having an inlet end and an outlet end and forming the undiverted flow path.

19. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 18, wherein a valve member is slidaby mounted on the tube.

20. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 19 wherein the valve member has a valve head at one end which cooperates with a surrounding valve seat when the valve member is urged in a first direction, to shut off flow of water in the opposite direction.

21. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 20, wherein a flow regulator is mounted on the valve member to control the rate of flow of water to the spray.

22. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 18, wherein an upper end cap is provided at one end of the tubular member for fluidly connecting the tubular member with an outlet spout.

23. A diverter valve as claimed in claim 18, wherein a bottom end cap is provided at another end of the tubular member for fluidly connecting the tubular member with a water supply.

24. A water tap comprising a body, valve means controlling at least two water supplies to the body, spout means connected to the body and forming an outlet for the water supplies, spray means connected to the body, and a diverter valve which is operable to divert one of the water supplies to the spray means when the spray means is actuated and substantially prevent flow of the at least one water supply to the spout, wherein the diverter valve includes a through passage for at least one other of the water supplies.

25. A water tap as claimed in claim 24, wherein the diverter valve includes a tubular member defining the through passage.

26. A water tap comprising a body, valve means controlling a water supply to the body, a spout connected to the body and forming an outlet for the water supply, a spray connected to the body, and a diverter valve which is operable to divert the water supply to the spray when a valve for the spray is actuated and to substantially prevent flow of the one water supply to the spout, wherein the diverter valve includes a through passage which is not interrupted by the operation of the diverter valve.

27. A water tap as claimed in claim 26, wherein the water supply comprise hot and cold water.

28. A water tap as claimed in claim 26, wherein a filtered water supply is provided and the diverter passage is for the filtered water supply.