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

• Current Assignee: Masco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation
• Inventors: Lumb, Gunther H., Brym, Stanley J., Nelson, Alfred C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KEVIN L
• Application Number:
  US08/825,965
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 137/624.12, 137/624.22, 137/624.11, 137/624.15, 137/624.13, 251/74
• US Class Current: 137/624.12
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/04 Self-closing valves, i.e. closing automatically after operation pneumatic tools B25B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 21/06 in which the closing movement, either retarded or not, starts immediately after opening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86397 With independent valve controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86477 Biased latch, cam operated

Abstract

A faucet 10 includes a self closing faucet handle 16 having an escapement mechanism (77) in series with both a release ratchet (102) and a slip clutch (110) to provide ease in turning on the faucet and the option of a quick manual closing of the faucet valve. The ratchet (102), escapement mechanism (77) and slip clutch 110 are all concealed within the shell (42) of a blade handle (16) that is rotated between the on and off positions.

Claims

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.

2. A faucet valve as defined in claim 1 further characterized by:

said spring being a coil spring coaxially mounted about said arbor within said bore and having an outer end connected to said housing and an inner end connected to said arbor;

said escapement mechanism includes a case coaxially mounted about said arbor;

said ratchet being affixed to said escapement case; and

said friction clutch assembly being interposed between said arbor and said escapement case.

3. A faucet valve as defined in claim 2 further characterized by:

said ratchet includes a plate mounted onto said escapement case for non-rotation therewith;

said plate includes a plurality of circumferentially extending resiliently biased fingers having inclined ends which engage radially extending grooves in one side of a disc that forms part of said friction clutch assembly.

4. A faucet valve as defined in claim 3 further characterized by:

said handle having a cylindrical side wall downwardly extending to define a cavity such that said escapement case, said coil spring, said friction clutch assembly and said housing all fit within and are concealed within said cavity of said handle.

5. A faucet valve as defined in claim 4 further characterized by:

said arbor being non-rotatably affixed to a top cover plate that includes a first stop that abuts open and closed limit shoulders on said fixed housing assembly;

a removable second stop member being mountable on said cover plate for causing a shorter open stroke of said handle when said second stop member abuts said open limit shoulder.

6. A faucet valve timer closure assembly characterized by:

a housing having a central bore;

a rotatable arbor within said housing for movement between an open position and a closed position;

said arbor being affixable to a valve stem and a manually operable handle for moving said arbor and stem between an open position and closed position;

a spring mounted between said housing and said arbor that exerts a torsional force on said arbor toward the off position when said arbor is rotated to said open position;

an escapement mechanism having a clutter mechanism and several gears being engaged in a train to one another and having an end gear being engaged to a ring gear positioned in said bore of said fixed housing for rotating said escapement device with respect to said housing;

a friction clutch assembly and a ratchet being operably interposed between said arbor and said housing, said ratchet having bawls constructed and positioned for providing rotation of said arbor with respect to said housing device when said arbor is manually rotated toward its open position without operation of the escapement gears in the escapement device; 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 and said housing such that said escapement mechanism retards closing motion of the arbor when said spring biases said arbor toward said closed position and said escapement mechanism allowed to slip with respect to one of said arbor and housing upon additional closing torque being manually exerted upon said arbor by an operator.

7. A faucet valve timer closure assembly as defined in claim 6 further characterized by:

said housing assembly having a bottom end constructed to be attachable to an upper end of a faucet valve body and allowing a control stem of said faucet valve to extend into said fixed housing and be operably affixed to said rotatable arbor.

8. A faucet valve timer closure assembly as defined in claim 7 further characterized by:

said arbor having a top end constructed to be affixed to a handle having a cylindrical side wall downwardly extending to define a cavity;

said escapement mechanism, said coil spring, said friction clutch assembly and said housing being constructed to fit and be concealed within said cavity of said handle.

9. A faucet valve timer closure assembly as defined in claim 7 further characterized by:

said spring being a coil spring coaxially mounted about said arbor within said bore and having an outer end connected to said housing and an inner end connected to said arbor;

said escapement mechanism includes a case coaxially mounted about said arbor;

said ratchet affixed to said escapement case; and

said friction clutch assembly being interposed between said arbor and said escapement case.

10. A faucet valve timer closure assembly as defined in claim 9 further characterized by:

said ratchet includes a plate mounted onto said escapement case for non-rotation therewith;

said plate includes a plurality of circumferentially extending resiliently biased fingers having inclined ends which engage radially extending grooves in one side of a disc that forms part of said friction clutch assembly.

11. A faucet valve timer closure assembly as defined in claim 10 further characterized by:

said arbor being non-rotatably affixed to a top cover plate that includes a first stop that abuts open and closed limit shoulders on said housing;

a removable second stop member being mountable on said cover plate for causing a shorter open stroke of said arbor when said second stop member abuts said open limit shoulder on said housing.

12. A self closing faucet valve characterized by:

a faucet valve body including an open ended cylindrical valve chamber and a movable valve element rotatably mounted in said valve chamber for rotation between an open and closed position;

a valve stop and cover member positioned in an open end of said valve chamber and having a central bore for receiving a valve stem that is connected to said movable valve element;

a cover nut engaging said faucet valve body and retaining said valve stop and cover member at said end of said valve chamber;

a timer housing assembly having a generally cylindrical bore affixed onto said valve stop and cover member;

an arbor affixed to said valve stem for rotation therewith and rotatably connected to said timer housing assembly;

a spring mounted within said timer housing assembly and operably positioned between said timer housing assembly 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 timer housing assembly and having a first portion operably connected to said timer housing assembly and a second portion operably connected to said arbor and having a clutter mechanism for controlling closing rotation of said arbor with respect to said timer housing assembly;

a ratchet being positioned within said bore and being operably interposed between said arbor and said timer housing assembly;

said ratchet having pawls constructed and positioned for providing a release of said escapement mechanism from a respective one of said arbor and timer housing assembly when said arbor is manually rotated toward said open position such that the escapement mechanism is not operated during rotation of said arbor toward the open position;

a handle having a top and at least one downwardly depending side wall extending to define a cavity such that said timer housing assembly is concealed within said cavity within said handle; and

said handle being affixed to said arbor and operable to rotate said arbor between an open position and closed position.

13. A self closing faucet as defined in claim 12 further characterized by:

a friction clutch assembly being positioned within said timer housing assembly and being operably interposed between said arbor and said timer housing assembly;

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 to be engaged with one of said arbor and said housing assembly such that said escapement mechanism retards closing motion of the valve when said spring biases said valve and arbor toward said closed position;

said escapement device allowed to slip with respect to said friction clutch upon additional manual closing torque being exerted upon said handle by an operator.

14. A self closing faucet as defined in claim 12 further characterized by:

said timer housing assembly retained onto said valve stop and cover member by a clip which passes through a slot in a bottom section of said timer housing assembly and also engages a slot in said cover nut.

15. A self closing faucet as defined in claim 12 further characterized by:

said arbor being non-rotatably affixed to a top cover plate that includes a first stop that abuts open and closed limit shoulders on said housing;

a removable second stop member being mountable on said cover plate for causing a shorter open stroke of said handle when said second stop member abuts said open limit shoulder on said housing.