Pull-out faucet

• US 6,757,921 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Esche, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US10/196,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 467/7, 467/8, 239/588, 239/445, 239/449, 137/801, 137/625.4, 137/625.41
• US Class Current: 4/677
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0415 having an extendable water outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86815 Multiple inlet with single outlet

Abstract

A pull-out faucet has a hollow faucet body with open top and bottom ends and a cylindrical (laterally extending) side opening. A hollow, cane-shaped spout mounts to the top end and seats a spray head at one end. A separate valve block mounts in the housing through the side opening and connects to a mixing valve cartridge lying adjacent thereto on a lateral side. Water supply hoses snap into inlet passages of the valve. One end of a counterweighted spray hose assembly snaps into an outlet passage of the valve block and the other end connects to the spray head. The spray head can be extended from the spout and then retracted. A method of assembling the hoses and valve assembly into the hollow faucet body through the side opening is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A pull-out faucet, comprising:

a hollow body defining a longitudinal cavity opening at a bottom end and at a top end and having a side opening;

a spout having proximal and distal ends and defining a passageway there between, the proximal end being mounted to the top end of the body;

a spray head having discharge orifices and being positioned adjacent the distal end of the spout when the spray head is in a retracted position;

a right angle valve block that is not integral with the hollow body, is disposed in the cavity, has a bottom face with ports in communication with two inlet passages and an outlet passage, has a side face with ports in communication with the inlet and outlet passages, and is sized so as to be able to be inserted through the side opening and at least partially into the longitudinal cavity so that the side face is essentially parallel with the side opening;

a mixing valve cartridge having an end that is positioned adjacent the side face of the valve block and having an opposite end with a control stem;

a valve bonnet disposed about the valve cartridge and mounted to the side opening;

water supply hoses coupled to the valve block inlet passages;

a spray hose having a first end coupled to the valve block outlet passage and a second end coupled to the spray head, the spray hose being of a suitable size to slide within the spout passageway to permit the spray head to be pulled from the spout between the retracted position and an extended position; and

a handle coupled to the control stem for operating the valve cartridge.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the side opening of the body is defined by a laterally extending cylindrical section having an inner end inside the cavity and an outer end outside the cavity.

3. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the valve block inlet passages open in the direction of the bottom opening in the body.

4. The faucet of claim 1, wherein one or more of the hoses is coupled to the valve block by a push-in connection, via a washer projection.

5. The faucet of claim 1, further comprising a counterweight mounted to the spray hose to bias the spray head towards the distal end of the spout.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a handle bonnet about an end of the mixing valve cartridge.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a counterweight to the spray hose to bias the spray head towards a distal end of the spout.

8. A pull-out faucet, comprising:

a hollow body defining a longitudinal cavity opening at a bottom end and at a top end and having internally a threaded side opening;

a spout having proximal and distal ends and defining a passageway there between, the proximal end being mounted to the top end of the body;

a spray head having discharge orifices and being positioned adjacent the distal end of the spout when the spray head is in a retracted position;

a valve block that is not integral with the hollow body, is disposed in the cavity, has two inlet passages, has an outlet passage, and has a side face;

a mixing valve cartridge having an end that is positioned adjacent the side face of the valve block and having an opposite end with a control stem;

an externally threaded valve bonnet disposed about the valve cartridge and threaded into the side opening;

water supply hoses coupled to the valve block inlet passages;

a spray hose having a first end coupled to the valve block outlet passage and a second end coupled to the spray head, the spray hose being of a suitable size to slide within the spout passageway to permit the spray head to be pulled from the spout between the retracted position and an extended position; and

a handle coupled to the control stem for operating the valve cartridge;

wherein the side opening of the body is defined by a laterally extending cylindrical section having an inner end inside the cavity and an outer end outside the cavity; and

wherein the inner end of the cylindrical section has an inwardly directed lip and the valve block has a peripheral flange that engages the lip to help limit movement of the valve block through the body.

9. The faucet of claim 8, wherein a handle bonnet is mounted about the control stem to the outer end of the cylindrical section to rotate with the control stem.

10. A pull-out faucet, comprising:

a hollow body defining a longitudinal cavity opening at a bottom end and at a top end and having internally a threaded side opening;

a spout having proximal and distal ends and defining a passageway there between, the proximal end being mounted to the top end of the body;

a spray head having discharge orifices and being positioned adjacent the distal end of the spout when the spray head is in a retracted position;

a valve block that is not integral with the hollow body, is disposed in the cavity, has two inlet passages, has an outlet passage, and has a side face;

a mixing valve cartridge having an end that is positioned adjacent the side face of the valve block and having an opposite end with a control stem;

an externally threaded valve bonnet disposed about the valve cartridge and threaded into the side opening;

water supply hoses coupled to the valve block inlet passages;

a spray hose having a first end coupled to the valve block outlet passage and a second end coupled to the spray head, the spray hose being of a suitable size to slide within the spout passageway to permit the spray head to be pulled from the spout between the retracted position and an extended position; and

a handle coupled to the control stem for operating the valve cartridge;

wherein the spray head is coupled to the spray hose by a ball and socket connection.

11. A method of assembling a pull-out faucet, comprising the steps of:

providing a faucet body defining a longitudinal cavity opening at bottom and top ends and at a side opening between the bottom and top ends;

assembling hot and cold water supply lines to a valve block having bottom and top faces at essentially a right angle to each other, the hoses being connected to inlet ports at the bottom face and being in communication with associated ports at the side face of the valve block;

assembling a spray hose to an outlet port at the bottom face of the valve block to be in communication with an associated port at the side face;

inserting the hoses through the body side opening, then feeding them down through the body bottom opening;

inserting the valve block into the body side opening such that at least a portion of the valve block extends into the longitudinal cavity and the side face of the valve block is essentially parallel with the body side opening;

positioning a mixing valve cartridge against a the side face of the valve block so that corresponding ports of the mixing valve cartridge align with the side face ports;

mounting a valve bonnet to the body side opening;

feeding a first end of the spray hose up through the body bottom opening, through the cavity, through the body top opening, and into a spout attachable to the top end of the body; and

coupling a spray head to the spray hose.