Dual-flow faucet head

• US 6,085,790 A
• Filed: 01/12/1999
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG & Co. KG (LIXIL Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG (LIXIL Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dickel, Harald, Heimann, Bruno, Gransow, Eckhard, Humpert, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Michalsky, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US09/228,743
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 4/678, 137/801, 239/445, 239/447, 239/449
• US Class Current: 137/801
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1618 where said valve is a double-seat lift valve
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/62 Arrangements for supporting spraying apparatus, e.g. suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0404 Constructional or functional features of the spout
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/044 with movable valve members positioned between valve seats
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/602 Pivoting levers, e.g. single-sided F16K31/605 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

A faucet has a tubular faucet arm, a water-pressurizable hose in the arm having an outer end, and a head housing mounted on the hose outer end, extending along an axis, formed with a radially throughgoing slot, and dimensioned to be grasped in one hand. Body structure in the head communicates with the hose outer end and forms first and second valve seats and a nozzle assembly mounted on the body structure forms a first outlet communicating with the first valve seat and a second outlet communicating with the second valve seat. A valve element is displaceable in the body structure between a first end position engaging the first seat and diverting flow from the hose to the first outlet and a second end position engaging the second seat and diverting flow from the hose to the second outlet. A lever partially projecting through the slot from the housing is pivoted on the body structure. This lever is coupled to the valve element for displacing it from the first and position to the second end position on depression of the lever toward the housing. Normally a spring is braced between the body structure and the valve element to urge the valve element into the first end position.

Claims

1. A faucet comprising:

a tubular faucet arm;

a water-pressurizable hose in the arm having an outer end;

a head housing mounted on the hose outer end, extending along an axis, formed with a radially throughgoing slot, and dimensioned to be grasped in one hand;

body structure in the head communicating with the hose outer end and forming first and second valve seats;

a nozzle assembly mounted on the body structure and forming a first outlet communicating with the first valve seat and a second outlet communicating with the second valve seat;

means including a valve element displaceable in the body structure between a first end position engaging the first seat and diverting flow from the hose to the first outlet and a second end position engaging the second seat and diverting flow from the hose to the second outlet;

a V-shaped lever partially projecting through the slot from the housing, having a pair of arms joined at a bight and having outer ends, and pivoted at an outer end of one of the lever arms on the body structure, the bight projecting out through the slot; and

means coupling the outer end of the other lever arm of the lever to the valve element for displacing the valve element from the first end position to the second end position on depression of the lever toward the housing.

2. The faucet defined in claim 1, further comprising

a spring braced between the body structure and the valve element and urging the valve element into the first end position.

3. The faucet defined in claim 1 wherein the one arm is arcuate.

4. The faucet defined in claim 1, further comprising

a flexible membrane covering the head housing at the slot and engaged over the one arm and bight of the lever.

5. The faucet defined in claim 4 wherein the membrane covers the entire head housing and has a raised portion at the slot.

6. The faucet defined in claim 1 wherein the lever is unitarily formed of plastic with a pair of pivot pins, the structure having seats receiving the pins.

7. The faucet defined in claim 1 wherein the body structure includes:

a head body formed with a tubular stem connected to the hose and forming a passage and with a base plate formed with a seat pivotally supporting the other-arm outer end; and

a valve body mounted on the head body and forming the seats, the passage opening between the seats.

8. The faucet defined in claim 7 wherein the tubular stem extends at an angle of about 60°

to a plane of the base plate.

9. The faucet defined in claim 7 wherein the valve body is formed with barbed snap arms that elastically engage and hold the head body.

10. The faucet defined in claim 7 wherein the valve body is formed with a threaded seat and the valve nozzle assembly is threaded into the seat, the first outlet being a central stream outlet and the second outlet being an annular array of nozzles surrounding the central stream outlet.

11. The faucet defined in claim 7 wherein the bodies are formed with an axially throughgoinq sealed hole and the valve element has a stem sealingly engaged in the hole and having an upper end connected to the one-arm outer end and a lower end formed with a valve ring sealingly engageable with the seats.

12. The faucet defined in claim 11 wherein the valve-element upper end is formed with an annular outwardly open groove and the one-arm outer end is forked and engaged in the groove.

13. The faucet defined in claim 1 wherein the head housing flares away from the hose.

14. The faucet defined in claim 13 wherein the structure is formed with a support rib, the faucet further comprising

a nut securing the hose to the structure and retaining the head housing against the support rib.

15. The faucet defined in claim 14 wherein the nut fits snugly in an end of the faucet arm.

16. The faucet defined in claim 1 wherein the head housing has an axial length equal to about twice its largest diameter.

17. The faucet defined in claim 1 wherein the faucet arm and the housing are curved and meet at a region of similar curvature, the housing having at the region a diameter slightly greater than a diameter of the faucet arm at the region and flaring outward from the region, the slot being on an inner side of a curvature of the head housing.