Pullout spray head with single-button mode selector

• US 7,000,854 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tucker, W. Randall, Rohatgi, Gaurav, Malek, Michael L., Bates, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNEY, SETH E
• Application Number:
  US10/291,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20040112985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 239/530, 239/525, 239/443, 239/445, 239/447, 239/448, 239/449, 239/569, 137/867, 137/868, 137/871, 137/878, 137/625.48, 251/613, 251/230
• US Class Current: 239/445
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1618 where said valve is a double-seat lift valve
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/18 Roses; Shower heads with means for adding soap or the like E03C1/046; jet regulators E03C1/08
• 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 1/0404 Constructional or functional features of the spout
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/08 Jet regulators or jet guides, e.g. anti-splash devices
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0415 having an extendable water outlet
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2201/30 Diverter valves in faucets or taps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86879 Reciprocating valve unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8778 Spring biased

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 first and second outlets, the body defining a water flow path including a main path and at least one branch path, the main path being in fluid communication with the inlet and one of the first and second outlets, the branch path being in fluid communication with the main path and the other of the first and second outlets;

a diverter disposed in the body and selectively movable between at least first and second positions, in one of which the diverter directs water to the branch path;

a trigger connected to the body and selectively movable between a rest position and an actuated position, the trigger being engageable with the diverter upon movement of the trigger from the rest position to the actuated position to move the diverter from whichever one of said first and second positions the diverter is in at the start of trigger movement to the other of said first and second positions;

wherein a movement of the trigger at a single point of actuation moves the diverter from said first position to said second position, and wherein an identical subsequent movement of the trigger at said single point of actuation moves the diverter from said second position to said first position.

2. The spray head of claim 1 further comprising a trigger spring mounted in the body and biasing the trigger to the rest position.

3. The spray head of claim 1 wherein the diverter further comprises a toggle engageable with the trigger upon actuation of the trigger, the toggle being movable between at least first and second states, the state of the toggle governing the movement of the diverter upon actuation of the trigger, the state of the toggle being changed by one of engagement of the trigger and toggle or engagement of the trigger and toggle followed by a release of the trigger from the toggle.

5. The spray head of claim 1 wherein the main path and diverter are arranged such that water pressure in the main path holds the diverter in the past position the diverter obtained under actuation of the trigger.

6. The spray head of claim 5 wherein one the first and second diverter positions is designated the home position and further comprising a return spring biasing the diverter to the home position, the return spring having a spring rate that is sufficient to move the diverter to the home position only in the absence of water pressure in the main path.

7. The spray head of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second diverter positions is designated the home position and further comprising a return spring biasing the diverter to the home position, the return spring having a spring rate that is sufficient to move the diverter to the home position only in the absence of water pressure in the main path.

4. A spray head for discharging water, comprising:

a body having an inlet and at least first and second outlets, the body defining a water flow path including a main path and at least one branch path, the main path being in fluid communication with the inlet and one of the first and second outlets, the branch path being in fluid communication with the main path and the other of the first and second outlets;

a diverter disposed in the body and selectively movable between at least first and second positions, in one of which the diverter directs water to the branch path;

a trigger connected to the body and selectively movable between a rest position and an actuated position, the trigger being engageable with the diverter upon movement of the trigger from the rest position to the actuated position to move the diverter from whichever one of said first and second positions the diverter is in at the start of trigger movement to the other of said first and second positions;

wherein the diverter further comprises a toggle engageable with the trigger upon actuation of the trigger, the toggle being movable between at least first and second states, the state of the toggle governing the movement of the diverter upon actuation of the trigger, the state of the toggle being changed by one of engagement of the trigger and toggle or engagement of the trigger and toggle followed by a release of the trigger from the toggle; and

an over-center spring engageable with the toggle to define said first and second states on either side of the center of the over-center spring, one of engagement or engagement followed by release of the trigger and toggle causing the toggle to move through the center position of the over-center spring to change the state of the toggle.

8. A spray head for discharging fluid having a plurality of spray modes, comprising:

a body having an inlet and a plurality of outlets, the body defining a plurality of flow paths, each flow path being in fluid communication with the inlet and at least one outlet, each spray mode corresponding to at least one flow path;

a diverter assembly selectively movable between a plurality of discrete positions, in each discrete position, the diverter assembly directs fluid to at least one flow path; and

an actuating device operable to change between each spray mode by a same action at a single point of actuation, wherein the same action is a downward pressing of the actuating device.

9. A spray head for discharging fluid having a plurality of spray modes, comprising:

a body having an inlet and a plurality of outlets, the body defining a plurality of flow paths, each flow path being in fluid communication with the inlet and at least one outlet, each spray mode corresponding to at least one flow path;

a diverter assembly selectively movable between a plurality of discrete positions, in each discrete position, the diverter assembly directs fluid to at least one flow path; and

an actuating device operable to change between each spray mode by a same action at a single point of actuation, wherein the actuating device includes a dome and the single point of actuation is the dome.

10. The spray head of claim 9, wherein the diverter assembly includes a toggle that is operable to selectively move the diverter assembly between each discrete position.

11. The spray head of claim 10, wherein the actuating device includes a trigger that is operable to selectively move the toggle between a plurality of discrete positions, which correspond to the discrete positions of the diverter assembly.

12. The spray head of claim 11, wherein the actuating device includes a spring that is operable to bias the trigger away from the toggle.