Patent Application
20140083539
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to faucets and more particularly to a faucet with improved characteristics including extendable aerator.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional faucet having a one-piece spout tube comprises upper and lower shells, the upper and lower shells adapted to form a spout body; a cartridge seat; a spout tube adapted to be secured to the upper shell; and an aerator adapted to interface with the upper shell, the aerator including a threaded portion for interfacing with a complementary threaded portion in the upper shell. The spout tube is adapted to interface with the cartridge seat so that the spout tube and the cartridge seat are in fluid communication. Interfacing the spout tube with the cartridge seat is adapted to secure the spout tube to the upper shell. Interfacing the aerator with the upper shell is adapted to further secure the spout tube to the upper shell.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a faucet comprising an aerator comprising a projection; a hollow coupling member comprising a protrusion at one end, a cavity for complimentarily engaging the projection, and a stud distal both the protrusion and the cavity; a spout comprising a well at one end for complimentarily receiving the protrusion, and an aperture for complimentarily receiving the stud; a hollow mounting component releasably secured to the other end of the spout and comprising a hollow side extension, a thermostatic mixing valve disposed in the side extension, a fastening member secured to the thermostatic mixing valve, and a handle releasably secured to the fastening member for controlling the thermostatic mixing valve; a hot and cold water passages pipe partially disposed in the mounting component by securing to the side extension of the mounting component, the hot and cold water passages pipe being further releasably secured to a deck and comprising an outlet passage in fluid communication with the thermostatic mixing valve, and two inlet passages each in fluid communication with the thermostatic mixing valve; cold and hot water tubes connected to the inlet passages respectively; a tube member having one end in fluid communication with the outlet passage; a check valve disposed in the other end of the tube member; and a spout tube having one end in fluid communication with the other end of the tube member and the other end in fluid communication with the aerator by passing the hot and cold water passages pipe and passing through both the mounting component and the spout; wherein both hot water flows through the hot water tube and cold water flows through the cold water tube to arrive at the thermostatic mixing valve for blending prior to flowing to the aerator via the outlet passage, the tube member, the check valve, and the spout tube.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
An aerator 3A comprises a projection 3A1. A hollow coupling member 3 comprises a protrusion 31 at one end, a cavity 34 opposing the protrusion 31 adapted to complimentarily engaged with the projection 3A1, and a stud 32 distal both the protrusion 31 and the cavity 34. A spout 23 comprises a well 231 at one end adapted to complimentarily receive the protrusion 31, and an aperture 232 distal the well 231 adapted to complimentarily receive the stud 32. Thus, the aerator 3A can be attached to one end of the flexible spout 23 by engaging the projection 3A1 with the cavity 34, engaging the protrusion 31 with the well 231, and inserting the stud 32 into the aperture 232.
A first mounting component 21 is a hollow body and comprises a top externally threaded extension 211, a horizontal extension 212, a thermostatic mixing valve 24 having one end disposed in the extension 212, an internally threaded sleeve 25 partially disposed around the other end of the thermostatic mixing valve 24, a threaded nut 26 tightly put on the other end of the thermostatic mixing valve 24 and secured to the sleeve 25, a fastening member 27 secured to the other end of the thermostatic mixing valve 24 and partially put on the sleeve 25, and a handle 28 threaded secured to the fastening member 27.
An internally threaded second mounting component 22 is provided to fasten the extension 211 and an externally threaded portion at the other end of the spout 23 together. An oval escutcheon 1A comprises a central hole 1A1 aligned with a through hole 1B1 on a deck 1B. On the bottom of the deck 1B there are provided two internally threaded holes 1D. Two threaded fasteners 1C are driven through the deck 1B to threadedly secure to the threaded holes 1D so as to fasten the escutcheon 1A on the deck 1B. A hollow, elongated hot and cold water passages pipe 4 is disposed through the hole 1A1 and the hole 1B1 and comprises a horizontal externally threaded extension 41 at one end and having an opening 411, a groove 45 of curved cross-section along the main body of the hot and cold water passages pipe 4, intermediate external threads 44 of C shaped cross-section, an outlet passage 43 having one end connected to the thermostatic mixing valve 24, two inlet passages 42 each having one end connected to the thermostatic mixing valve 24, and two through holes 46 at the other end of the hot and cold water passages pipe 4 in which one through hole 46 communicates with the outlet passage 43 and the other through hole 46 communicates with the inlet passages 42.
Cold and hot water tubes 9 are connected to the other ends of the inlet passages 42 respectively. A tube member 6 comprises a blind hole 61 proximate one end and external threads 62 at the other end. A check valve 7 is mounted in the other end of the tube member 6. A first pin fastener 4A is inserted through one through hole 46 into the blind hole 61 to fasten the tube member 6 and the hot and cold water passages pipe 4 together. A second pin fastener 4B is inserted through the other through hole 46 beween one ends of the cold and hot water tubes 9 into the hot and cold water passages pipe 4 and the tube member 6 to fasten the cold and hot water tubes 9 and the hot and cold water passages pipe 4 together. A spout tube 8 comprises an internally threaded connector 81 at one end threadedly secured to the external threads 62 and an enlargement 8A proximate the connector 81. A C-shaped, internally threaded fastener 5 has its opening 51 put on the spout tube 8 and is secured to the threads 44 to fasten the spout tube 8 and the hot and cold water passages pipe 4 together. A portion of the spout tube 8 extends from the position of the fastener 51 to connect to the aerator 3A after passing through the groove 45 and the hollow spout 23.
Hot water from a hot water source may flow through the hot one of the cold and hot water tubes 9 and one of the inlet passages 42 to arrive at the thermostatic mixing valve 24. Also, cold water from a cold water source may flow through the cold one of the cold and hot water tubes 9 and the other one of the inlet passages 42 to arrive at the thermostatic mixing valve 24. A person may manipulate the handle 28 to adjust the thermostatic mixing valve 24 which in turn can blend hot water with cold water to let mixed water flow to the outlet passage 43. The outlet passage 3 communicates with the tube member 6 which in turn communicates with the spout tube 8 via the check valve 7. Finally, water having a desired temperature leaves the aerator 3A.
It is envisaged by the invention that the person may disengage the coupling member 3 from the spout 23 by inserting a pointing tool into the aperture 232 to disengage the stud 32 from the aperture 232. Thereafter, the person may pull the aerator 3A a short distance. This enables the person to conveniently use water leaving the aerator 3A to, for example, clean portions of a sink farther from the normal position of the aerator 3A (i.e., at the opening of the spout 23).
While the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
