Self-cleaning knob water faucet

• US 5,711,329 A
• Filed: 05/28/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Min Tet Soon
• Original Assignee: Min Tet Soon
• Inventors: Soon, Min Tet
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US08/654,214
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 134/104.1, 134/115 R, 4/675, 137/238, 137/801, 239/25, 239/26, 239/27, 239/113
• US Class Current: 134/115.00R
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0412 Constructional or functional features of the faucet handle valve actuating members as such F16K31/60
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4245 Cleaning or steam sterilizing

Abstract

A self-cleaning knob water faucet that includes a hollow water faucet housing, a water valve assembly, a knob, and water showering apparatus. The hollow water faucet body has an interior space and a spout from which water can exit. The water valve assembly is disposed in the hollow water faucet housing and has a distal end that extends outwardly therefrom. The water valve further has a closed position in which water does not exit the spout of the hollow water faucet body and an open position in which water exits the spout of the hollow water faucet body. The knob is disposed on the distal end of the water valve and is rotatable by a hand of user for moving the water valve assembly through the closed position of the water valve assembly and the open position of the water valve assembly. And, the water showering apparatus showers water on the knob when the water valve assembly is in the open position of the water valve assembly, so that any contamination deposited on the knob when the knob is rotated by the hand of the user is removed.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning knob water faucet, comprising:

a) a hollow water faucet body having an interior space and a spout from which water can exit;

b) a water valve assembly disposed in said hollow water faucet housing and having a distal end extending outwardly therefrom, said water valve further having a closed position in which water does not exit said spout of said hollow water faucet body and an open position in which water exits said spout of said hollow water faucet body;

c) a knob disposed on said distal end of said water valve and rotatable by a hand of user for moving said water valve assembly through said closed position of said water valve assembly and said open position of said water valve assembly; and

d) water showering means for showering water on said knob when said water valve assembly is in said open position of said water valve assembly, so that any contamination deposited on said knob when said knob is rotated by the hand of the user is removed, wherein said water valve assembly includes said water showering means, wherein said water valve assembly further includes a hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem that has a longitudinal axis, a proximal end disposed in said hollow water faucet body, a distal end disposed outside said hollow water faucet body, and an internally-disposed and longitudinally-oriented channel that extends from said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly to said distal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly, wherein said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly has a laterally-oriented and internally-threaded metering throughbore that passes completely through said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly;

said laterally-oriented and internally-threaded metering throughbore of said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly opens into both said internally-disposed and longitudinally-oriented channel of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly and said interior space of said hollow faucet body, so that there is an amount of direct fluid communication between said internally-disposed and longitudinally-oriented channel of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly and said interior space of said hollow faucet body.

2. The faucet as defined in claim 1, wherein said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly further has a laterally-oriented and externally-threaded metering screw that threadably engages said laterally-oriented and internally-threaded metering throughbore of said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly, so that said amount of direct fluid communication between said internally-disposed and longitudinally-oriented channel of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly and said interior space of said hollow faucet body can be metered.

3. The faucet as defined in claim 2, wherein said laterally-oriented and externally-threaded metering screw of said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly is plastic.

4. The faucet as defined in claim 2, further comprising an allen key that is removably engagable with said laterally-oriented and externally-threaded metering screw of said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly, so that said laterally-oriented and externally-threaded metering screw of said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly can be readily moved relative to said laterally-oriented and internally-threaded metering throughbore of said proximal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly.

5. The faucet as defined in claim 1, wherein said knob has an upper surface with a longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber that has a longitudinal axis and a diameter;

said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber of said upper surface of said knob opens into said upper surface of said knob;

said longitudinal axis of said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber of said upper surface of said knob is collinear with said longitudinal axis of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly.

6. The faucet as defined in claim 5, wherein said knob further has a lower surface with a longitudinally-oriented and centrally-disposed lower chamber that has a longitudinal axis and a diameter;

said longitudinally-oriented and centrally-disposed lower chamber of said lower surface of said knob opens into said lower surface of said knob;

said longitudinal axis of said longitudinally-oriented and centrally-disposed lower chamber of said lower surface of said knob is collinear with said longitudinal axis of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly;

said longitudinally-oriented and centrally-disposed lower chamber of said lower surface of said knob securely receives said distal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly, so that rotation of said knob relative to said water valve assembly is eliminated.

7. The faucet as defined in claim 6, wherein said knob further has a longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped intermediate chamber that has a longitudinal axis and a diameter;

said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped intermediate chamber of said knob opens into both said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber of said upper surface of said knob and said longitudinally-oriented and centrally-disposed lower chamber of said lower surface of said knob;

said longitudinal axis of said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped intermediate chamber of said knob is collinear with said longitudinal axis of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly;

said diameter of said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped intermediate chamber of said knob is less than said diameter of each of said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber of said upper surface of said knob and said longitudinally-oriented and centrally-disposed lower chamber of said lower surface of said knob, so that said distal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly will not pass through said knob.

8. The faucet as defined in claim 7, further comprising a hollow knob mounting bolt for readily removably securing said knob to said distal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly.

9. The faucet as defined in claim 8, wherein said hollow knob mounting bolt has a hollow, open-ended, and octagon-shaped upper portion with a diameter and, an interior space, so that said hollow knob mounting bolt can be readily turned by a conventional tool;

said diameter of said hollow, open-ended, and octagon-shaped upper portion of said hollow knob mounting bolt is greater than said diameter of said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped intermediate chamber of said knob, so that said hollow knob mounting bolt will not pass therethrough.

10. The faucet as defined in claim 9, wherein said hollow, open-ended, and octagon-shaped upper portion of said hollow knob mounting bolt has a plurality of radially-disposed channels that open into both said interior space of said hollow, open-ended, and octagon-shaped upper portion of said hollow knob mounting bolt and said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber of said upper surface of said knob.

11. The faucet as defined in claim 10, wherein said hollow knob mounting bolt further has a hollow, open-ended, externally-threaded, and cylindrically-shaped lower portion with an interior space;

said hollow, open-ended, externally-threaded, and cylindrically-shaped lower portion of said hollow mounting bolt is integral with, and extends downwardly from, said hollow, open-ended, and octagon-shaped upper portion of said knob mounting bolt;

said interior space of said hollow, open-ended, externally-threaded, and cylindrically-shaped lower portion of said hollow knob mounting bolt opens into both said interior space of said hollow, open-ended, and octagon-shaped upper portion of said hollow knob mounting bolt and said internally-disposed and longitudinally-oriented channel of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly.

12. The faucet as defined in claim 11, wherein said hollow, open-ended, externally-threaded, and cylindrically-shaped lower portion of said hollow mounting bolt passes through said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped intermediate chamber of said knob and threadably engages said hollow and internally-threaded distal end of said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly, so that said knob can be readily removably secured to said hollow, longitudinally-oriented, externally-threaded, cylindrically-shaped, and slender valve stem of said water valve assembly.

13. The faucet as defined in claim 10, further comprising a convexo-concave-shaped decorative button that is removably snapingly mounted in said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber of said upper surface of said knob and has a plurality of radially-disposed channels;

said plurality of radially-disposed channels of said convexo-concave-shaped decorative button open into both the ambient and said longitudinally-oriented, centrally-disposed, and cylindrically-shaped upper chamber of said upper surface said knob, so that water passing through the said plurality of radially-disposed channels of said convexo-concave-shaped decorative button shower and clean said knob.

14. The faucet as defined in claim 1, wherein said water showing means is disposed at said hollow water faucet body above said water valve assembly.

15. The faucet as defined in claim 14, wherein said water showering means includes a hollow, open-ended, and cylindrically-shaped sprinkler housing that has an interior space that opens into both said interior space of said hollow water faucet body and the ambient;

said hollow, open-ended, and cylindrically-shaped sprinkler housing of said water showering means is oriented outwardly and downwardly towards said knob.

16. The faucet as defined in claim 15, wherein said water showering means further includes a hollow, open front, substantially closed top and bottom, and internally-disposed enclosure that has a substantially closed top, a substantially closed bottom, an open front, and is disposed internally to said hollow water faucet body;

said hollow, open front, substantially closed top and bottom, and internally-disposed enclosure of said water showering means opens into said hollow, open-ended, and cylindrically-shaped sprinkler housing through said open front of said hollow, open front, substantially closed top and bottom, and internally-disposed enclosure of said water showering means;

said hollow, open front, substantially closed top and bottom, and internally-disposed enclosure of said water showering means further has a longitudinally-oriented and internally-threaded throughbore that passes in longitudinal alignment completely through both said substantially closed top of said hollow, open front, substantially closed top and bottom, and internally-disposed enclosure of said water showering means and said substantially closed bottom of said hollow, open front, substantially closed top and bottom, and internally-disposed enclosure of said water showering means.

17. The faucet as defined in claim 16, wherein said water showering means further includes a longitudinally-oriented and externally-threaded screw that threadably engages said longitudinally-oriented and internally-threaded throughbore of said hollow, open front, substantially closed top and bottom, and internally-disposed enclosure of said water showering means.