Accessory for faucet

• US 6,994,277 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger A. Barnes
• Original Assignee: Roger A. Barnes
• Inventors: Barnes, Roger A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORMAN, DARREN W
• Application Number:
  US10/988,134
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 239/436, 239/437, 239/447, 239/391, 239/396, 239/390, 239/392, 239/394, 239/395, 239/445, 239/448, 239/449, 239/455, 239/518, 137/625.3, 137/625.33, 137/625.28, 251/206
• US Class Current: 239/436
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/086 Jet regulators or jet guides, easily mountable on the outlet of taps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86734 With metering feature

Abstract

An accessory is easily attached to a faucet and is easily manipulated to increase the pressure of water flowing from the faucet. The accessory includes two plates, one of which is movable relative to the other one. Each plate has a plurality of water flow holes through which water from the faucet can flow. In one position, water from the faucet will flow through only one hole, thereby having a high pressure; while in a second position, water can flow through a plurality of holes thereby having a lower pressure. A handle is provided to move one plate with respect to the other plate.

Claims

1. An accessory for a faucet of a bathroom sink comprising:

(a) tubular housing which includes

(1) a first end which is a proximal end when said tubular housing is mounted on a faucet,

(2) a second end which is a distal end when said tubular housing is mounted on a faucet,

(3) a cylindrical wall connecting the first end to the second end,

(4) a longitudinal axis which extends between the first end and the second end,

(5) a bore defined between the first end and the second end,

(6) an outside surface on the wall,

(7) an inside surface on the wall,

(8) a threaded area on the inside surface and which extends from adjacent to the first end toward the second end,

(9) a slot defined through the wall adjacent to the threaded area, and

(10) a handle mount on the outside surface of the wall adjacent to the slot;

(b) a first plate which includes

(1) a first surface which is an upstream surface when said first plate is in use,

(2) a second surface which is a downstream surface when said first plate is in use,

(3) an outer perimeter connecting the first surface of said first plate to the second surface of said first plate,

(4) a plurality of flow holes defined through said first plate and which fluidically connect the first surface of said first plate to the second surface of said first plate,

(5) one centrally located flow hole,

(6) a handle attached to the outer perimeter of said first plate and including

(A) a first arm having a first end attached to the outer perimeter of said first plate, a second end spaced apart from the first end of the first arm, and a pivot pin attached to the first arm and pivotally mounted in the handle mount of said tubular housing,

(B) a second arm having a first end attached to the outer perimeter of said first plate, a second end spaced apart from the first end of the first arm, and a pivot pin attached to the second arm to be co-linear with the pivot pin attached to the first arm and pivotally mounted in the handle mount of said tubular housing,

(C) the second arm being spaced apart from the first arm, and

(D) a connecting section connecting the second end of the first arm to the second end of the second arm,

(7) the handle being pivotally mounted on the handle mount of said tubular housing to move in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said tubular housing between a first position and a second position with the second position being closer to the second end of said tubular housing than the first position, and

(8) said first plate being movably mounted on said tubular housing to extend across the bore of said tubular housing and to move in association with the handle between a first position with the flow holes and the centrally located flow hole defined through said first plate in a first location and a second position with the flow holes and the centrally located flow hole defined through said first plate in a second position which is spaced apart from the first position;

(c) a second plate which includes

(1) a first surface which is an upstream surface when said second plate is in use,

(2) a second surface which is a downstream surface when said second plate is in use,

(3) an outer perimeter connecting the first surface of said second plate to the second surface of said second plate,

(4) a plurality of flow holes defined through said second plate and which fluidically connect the first surface of said second plate to the second surface of said second plate,

(5) one centrally located flow hole, and

(6) said second plate being mounted on said tubular housing to extend across the bore of said tubular housing and to be located adjacent to said first plate;

(d) the flow holes defined through said first plate being aligned with the flow holes defined through said second plate to fluidically connect the first surface of said first plate to the second surface of said second plate via the aligned flow holes when said first plate is in the first position, the centrally located flow hole of said first plate being spaced from the centrally located flow hole of said second plate when said first plate is in the first position; and

(e) the flow holes defined through said first plate being spaced apart from the flow holes defined through said second plate when said first plate is in the second position, the centrally located flow hole of said first plate being aligned with the centrally located flow hole of said second plate to fluidically connect the first surface of said first plate to the second surface of said second plate via the aligned centrally located holes when said first plate is in the second position.

2. An accessory for a faucet comprising:

(a) a housing having a flow bore defined therethrough;

(b) a first plate movably mounted on said housing to extend across the flow bore of said housing, said first plate including

(1) a handle,

(2) a plurality of flow holes defined therethrough,

(3) a central flow hole defined therethrough, and

(4) said first plate being movable between a power position and a soft flow position, with the flow holes and the central flow hole of said first plate being in a soft flow position when said first plate is in the soft flow position and the flow holes and the central flow hole of said first plate being in a power flow position when said first plate is in the power flow position;

(c) a second plate mounted on said housing adjacent to said first plate to extend across the flow bore, said second plate including

(1) a plurality of flow holes defined therethrough, and

(2) a central flow hole defined therethrough; and

(d) the flow holes defined through said first plate being aligned with the flow holes defined through said second plate to define a fluid path through said first and second plates via the aligned flow holes when said first plate is in the soft flow position, the central flow hole of said first plate being spaced from the central flow hole of said second plate when said first plate is in the soft flow position; and

(e) the flow holes defined through said first plate being spaced apart from the flow holes defined through said second plate when said first plate is in the power flow position, the central flow hole of said first plate being aligned with the central flow hole of said second plate to define a fluid path through said first and second plates via the aligned central flow holes when said first plate is in the power flow position.