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Self closing faucet with timing mechanism

  • US 5,927,328 A
  • Filed: 04/04/1997
  • Issued: 07/27/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A self closing faucet valve characterized by:

  • a fixed housing assembly having a general cylindrical bore, said housing assembly having a water inlet and water outlet;

    a rotatable arbor connected to a valve element and a manually operable handle, said valve element is rotatably movable by said handle between an open position and closed position in said fixed housing with respect to one of said inlet and outlet;

    a spring mounted within said bore and operably between said valve housing and said arbor such that it exerts a torsional force on said arbor toward the off position when said arbor is rotated to said open position;

    an escapement mechanism positioned within said bore and having a first gear being engaged to a ring gear in said fixed housing assembly and at least one more gear operably engaged to said first gear and a clutter mechanism for controlling rotation of said gears from said bias force of said spring on said arbor;

    a friction clutch assembly and a ratchet being positioned within said bore and being operably interposed between said arbor and said fixed housing assembly;

    said ratchet having pawls positioned and constructed for providing a release of said arbor with respect to said fixed housing assembly when said arbor is manually rotated toward said open position such that said gears in the escapement mechanism are not operated during rotation of said arbor toward the open position; and

    said friction clutch being constructed to provide an adherent static friction force greater than the closing torque force provided by said spring to maintain static engagement of said escapement mechanism with said arbor such that said escapement mechanism retards closing motion of the valve when said spring biases said valve and arbor toward said closed position;

    and said escapement device allowed to slip with respect to one of fixed housing and said arbor upon additional manual closing torque being exerted upon said handle by an operator.

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