Faucet handle with angled interface

• US 9,567,734 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Davidson, Kyle R., Thomas, Kurt J., Brown, Derek A., Shaw, Ryan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US14/446,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20140338118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/02 electric F16K31/004 takes precedence; magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/60 Handles form, features or function of taps or faucet handles for domestic plumbing installations E03C1/04
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1306 for liquids G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86823 Rotary valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87684 Valve in each inlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

A faucet assembly including a handle that rotates about a rotational axis extending perpendicular to an angled interface for adjusting a water parameter.

Claims

1. A faucet comprising:

a handle attachment base having a longitudinal base axis; and

a handle coupled to the handle attachment base and having a longitudinal handle axis, the handle supported for rotation about a rotational axis;

a liquid pathway where flow therein is at least partially controlled by operation of the handle;

wherein the handle fails to provide any portion of the liquid pathway and the handle fails to permit flow within the handle;

wherein the rotational axis is fixed and angularly offset from the longitudinal base axis and the longitudinal handle axis, such that the angular position of the longitudinal handle axis relative to the longitudinal base axis varies as the handle is rotated about the rotational axis.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein:

the handle attachment base defines a handle movement plane angularly offset from the longitudinal base axis; and

the rotational axis extends perpendicular to the handle movement plane.

3. The faucet of claim 2, wherein the longitudinal handle axis is oriented at a first angle relative to the rotational axis, and the longitudinal handle axis is oriented at a second angle relative to the longitudinal base axis, the first angle being substantially constant and the second angle varying as the handle is rotated about the rotational axis.

4. The faucet of claim 2, wherein in a first angular position of the handle the longitudinal handle axis extends in a vertical direction, and in a second angular position of the handle the longitudinal handle axis extends substantially perpendicular to the first angular position in a horizontal direction.

5. The faucet of claim 1, further comprising:

a position sensor operably coupled to the handle to detect the position of the handle relative to the handle attachment base;

a controller electrically coupled to the position sensor; and

an electrically operable valve operably coupled to the controller and configured to control water flow through an outlet in response to the position of the handle detected by the position sensor.

6. The faucet of claim 5, wherein the controller directs the electrically operable valve to control at least one of water temperature and water flow rate through the outlet.

7. The faucet of claim 5, wherein movement of the handle from a first position to a second position rotates gears located within the faucet, at least one of the gears operably coupled to the position sensor.

8. The faucet of claim 1, further including a spout assembly of which the handle attachment base is a part, the spout assembly further including a hub defining a vertical hub axis and the liquid pathway is within the hub.

9. The faucet of claim 8, wherein the longitudinal base axis extends perpendicular to the vertical hub axis, the longitudinal base axis being horizontal.

10. The faucet of claim 9, wherein the handle attachment base includes an end having a first mounting surface and the handle includes an end having a second mounting surface;

the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface define a handle movement plane angularly oriented intermediate the vertical hub axis of the spout assembly and the horizontal axis of the handle attachment base of the spout assembly.

11. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the handle is a temperature control handle.

12. The faucet of claim 11, wherein the handle is coupled to the handle attachment base for rotation from a first position defining a first temperature setting to a second position defining a second temperature setting.

13. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the handle attachment base includes an end having a first mounting surface and the handle includes an end having a second mounting surface;

the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface define a handle movement plane angularly oriented intermediate a vertical hub axis of a spout assembly and the horizontal axis of the handle attachment base of the spout assembly.

14. The faucet of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the faucet is electrically conductive such that a user'"'"'s touch of the faucet is electrically communicated to circuitry coupled to the faucet.

15. The faucet of claim 1, wherein rotation of the handle causes altering of the setting of a potentiometer.

16. The faucet of claim 1, further including circuitry coupled to a LED that is externally perceivable by a user of the faucet.

17. The faucet of claim 16, wherein the LED is configured to output multiple colors and the outputted color is indicative of the temperature of water being delivered by the faucet.

18. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the handle has a first position in which the longitudinal base axis of the handle attachment base is perpendicular to the longitudinal handle axis of the handle, the handle having a second position in which the longitudinal base axis is co-linear with the longitudinal handle axis.

19. The faucet of claim 18, wherein the first position of the handle provides a “

flow off”

setting for the faucet assembly and the second position of the handle provides a “

full hot”

setting for the faucet assembly.

20. The faucet of claim 18, wherein the handle is electrically isolated from the spout assembly.