Pullout spray head with pause button

• US 6,738,996 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 05/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FB Global Plumbing Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tucker, W. Randall, Malek, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kokabi, Azadeh
• Application Number:
  US10/291,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 467/7, 467/5, 467/6, 467/8, 239/441, 239/548, 239/553.5, 239/586, 251/282, 251/321, 251/322, 251/323
• US Class Current: 4/677
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1618 where said valve is a double-seat lift valve
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0404 Constructional or functional features of the spout
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0409 Shower handles
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0415 having an extendable water outlet

Abstract

A spray head for a faucet or the like has a wand body defining a flow path from an inlet to first and second outlets. Diverter seats are provided so a face seal on a diverter spool can direct flow to the first or second outlet. The spool is positioned by a trigger acting on cam surfaces formed on a toggle. A spring biases the toggle to one of two stable states. Movement of the spool by the trigger causes the toggle to change states so subsequent actuation of the trigger causes the spool to move in the opposite direction. The wand body also has a pause button that reciprocates in a chamber that is part of the flow path. The chamber includes a valve seat and the pause button has a spool having a face seal that is engageable with the valve seat to shut off flow through the spray head. A return spring causes separation of the pause button'"'"'s face seal upon release of pressure on the pause button. The pause button'"'"'s seals in the chamber are arranged to have equal diameters and thus provide balanced hydraulic forces on the spool.

Claims

1. A spray head for discharging water, comprising:

a body having an inlet and at least one outlet, the body having walls which define a water flow path from the inlet to the outlet and including a main path and pause chamber;

a valve seat formed in the pause chamber;

a spool movably mounted in the pause chamber and actuatable between an open position and a closed position, the spool being pressure balanced so that actuation force is independent of water pressure;

a face seal attached to the spool, the face seal being engageable with the valve seat when the spool is actuated to the closed position to block water flow through the water flow path; and

first and second seals attached to the spool on opposite sides of the face seal, the first and second seals having substantially equal outer diameters to maintain pressure balancing of the spool.

2. The spray head of claim 1 wherein the pause chamber has upper and lower portions, the upper portion having a greater diameter than the lower portion, said upper portion receiving a spool guide in sealing engagement therewith, the spool guide having a central bore of a diameter substantially equal to that of the lower portion, the first seal being engageable with the spool guide bore and the second seal being engageable with the lower portion of the pause chamber.

3. A spray head for discharging water, comprising:

a body having an inlet and at least one outlet, the body having walls which define a water flow path from the inlet to the outlet and including a main path and pause chamber, said pause chamber being in fluid communication with the inlet and the main path, the pause chamber further having upper and lower portions which are vented to atmosphere;

a valve seat formed in the pause chamber between the inlet and the main path;

a spool movably mounted in the pause chamber and actuatable between an open position and a closed position;

a face seal attached to the spool, the face seal being engageable with the valve seat when the spool is actuated to the closed position to block water flow through the water flow path; and

first and second seals attached to the spool on opposite sides of the face seal, the first seal being engageable with the upper portion of the pause chamber to prevent water flow through the vented area of the upper portion and the second seal being engageable with the lower portion of the pause chamber to prevent water flow through the vented area of the lower portion, the first and second seals having substantially equal outer diameters to maintain pressure balancing of the spool.

4. The spray head of claim 3 wherein the upper portion of the pause chamber has a greater diameter than the lower portion of the pause chamber, said upper portion receiving a spool guide in sealing engagement therewith, the spool guide having a central bore of a diameter substantially equal to that of the lower portion, the first seal being engageable with the spool guide bore and the second seal being engageable with the lower portion of the pause chamber.

5. The spray head of claim 3 wherein the diameter of the face seal is greater than that of the first and second seals.