Information
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Patent Grant
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6641060
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Patent Number
6,641,060
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Date Filed
Thursday, June 28, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, November 4, 200320 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Cook, Alex, McFarron, Manzo, Cummings & Mehler, Ltd.
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CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 239 526
- 239 525
- 239 582
- 239 583
- 239 5871
- 239 600
- 285 319
- 285 321
- 285 305
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A kitchen deck side spray assembly for attachment to a water hose includes a spray body having spray openings. There is a water path in the spray body connecting the spray openings with the hose. A valve member is located in the water path and there is a spring biasing the valve member to a normally closed position. A trigger on the spray body is in operative relationship with the valve member for causing movement thereof to operate the spray. A tube is connected to the water hose and there is a quick connect adapter positioned within the spray body. There are cooperating elements on the tube and the quick connect adapter for locking the tube to the adapter to thereby attach the side spray assembly to the hose. The side spray may be disassembled from the hose, completely from above the sink deck, permitting the exterior of the side spray to be replaced without the necessity of work being done underneath the sink deck.
Description
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a kitchen deck side spray and more specifically to a modular side spray which can be installed and replaced completely from above the sink deck. This enables the user to replace the exterior decorative components of the side spray without the necessity of going beneath the sink deck and disconnecting the side spray hose from the spout nipple.
The modular side spray consists of a housing, a trigger, a spray body and several internal components which provide for easy connection and removal of the side spray elements from the spray hose. The entire side spray mechanism can be easily attached to the spray hose through the use of a quick connect adapter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a modular kitchen deck side spray and more specifically to such a side spray which may be mounted to the hose completely from above the sink deck.
A primary purpose of the invention is to provide a side spray which may be easily disconnected and replaced, from above the sink deck, with a minimum of interlocking components.
Another purpose is a kitchen deck side spray using a quick connect adapter to easily mount the side spray to the hose connected to the spout nipple.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a side spray as described in which there are a minimum of components and in which these components may be easily removed from above the sink deck for replacement by like components of a different exterior appearance.
Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective illustrating the components of the kitchen deck side spray;
FIG. 2
is an axial section through the side spray prior to connection to a hose;
FIG. 3
is a partial axial section illustrating the side spray connected to the spray hose;
FIG. 4
is a perspective of the quick connect adapter; and
FIG. 5
is an axial section through the quick connect adapter, with the clip removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Side sprays are conventionally mounted on a sink deck adjacent to the spout nipple and the faucet volume and temperature control handles, if those are not directly mounted with the spout nipple as in a single lever faucet. The spray is attached to a hose and it is pulled out from the deck and used to direct a spray discharge to the interior of the sink. At times, a homeowner will desire to change the plumbing fixtures which are mounted on the sink deck and this may include not only the spout, but also the control handles. The assignee of the present application, Moen Incorporated, has developed a suite of products, marketed under the trademark M-PACT, which enables the consumer to change the exterior of the products associated with the sink deck, all from above the sink deck and without the necessity of work being performed underneath the deck. The present invention, a side spray, is directed toward the same end and permits the replacement of the side spray from above the sink deck without resort to disconnecting the hose from beneath the deck.
In
FIG. 1
, the principal components of the side spray are indicated to include a spray body
10
, a valve
12
, and a coil spring
14
which biases the valve
12
to a normally closed position. An O-ring
16
extends about the exterior of and seals to a quick connect adapter
18
. The adapter will receive one end of a water tube
20
having shoulder
22
which is one of the elements which connects the hose to the side spray. The tube
20
is connected to a hose
24
by means of a crimped connector
26
. A housing
28
completes the principal components of the side spray which connect it to the hose
24
.
Focusing particularly on
FIG. 2
, the spray body
10
has a plurality of spray openings
30
which communicate with a chamber
32
which is a part of a water path through the spray body. The valve
12
has a head
34
which extends through an opening
36
in the spray body, with the opening
36
being closed by a tapered shoulder
38
on the valve, carrying an O-ring
40
, with the O-ring bearing against a tapered wall
42
of the passage
36
. The passage
36
and the chamber
32
form a part of the water path to the spray openings, which path is normally closed by the valve
12
as it is biased to the closed position of
FIG. 2
by the spring
14
. The valve
12
is operated by a trigger
44
mounted on the side spray body and having a projection
46
which is effective to move the valve
12
away from the closed position of
FIG. 2
when the trigger
44
is pressed inwardly on the spray body. The above-described construction is conventional in side sprays.
The quick connect adapter
18
has an annular groove
47
to receive the O-ring
16
which seals between the adapter and the spray body
10
. Directly below the groove
47
there are outwardly-extending projections
48
which will rest upon an internal shoulder
50
in the housing
28
to support the quick connect adapter within the housing. The housing
28
is secured to the spray body
10
by means of a threaded connection
52
illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. The quick connect adapter
18
has an internal chamber
54
and a pair of upstanding arcuate fingers
56
. The fingers
56
terminate in a shoulder
58
which together with the fingers forms a socket to support the valve shaft
60
, as particularly shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. The spring
14
will bottom on a flange
64
on the exterior of the connector
18
and is in contact with the underside of a flange
65
on the valve
12
.
The tube
20
carries the described shoulder
22
which in the connected position of
FIG. 3
is held against a tapered shoulder
66
formed at the base of the connector chamber
54
. An O-ring
68
is located within the chamber
54
of the connector
18
in a groove
70
, and this O-ring will extend about the tube
20
when the tube is fully inserted into the connector.
The connector includes a spring clip
72
having a pair of arms
74
connected together by a body portion
76
illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. The spring clip is positioned within a chamber
80
of the connector
18
and is movable back and forth within that chamber to effect an interlock with the tube
20
and its shoulder
22
. There is a further portion
82
of the clip
72
which bears directly against the tube
20
in the fully connected position of FIG.
3
. The bottom flange
84
of the connector
18
is supported on a series of spaced ribs
86
formed on the inside of housing
28
.
To disassemble the side spray, the first step is to unthread the spray body from the housing
28
. The adapter
18
may then be pulled out to provide access to the clip
72
which may be pushed outward from the chamber
80
to release the tube
20
and its shoulder
22
from the interior of the adapter. The housing
28
may then be removed from the hose. To replace the housing and the spray body with new components of a similar mechanical configuration and function, the tube
20
may be passed through the housing and re-inserted into the adapter, after the clip
72
has been pushed outward from the chamber
80
to permit such insertion. The clip is then pushed in, locking the tube within the adapter
18
, as the shoulder
22
will bear against the tapered surface
66
and the clip will hold it in this position. The spray body and the associated trigger mechanism may then be threadedly attached to the housing
28
and the side spray is ready for use. All of the above steps are done from above the sink deck without resort to the area beneath the deck. The hose and its associated tube, which are held together by the connector
26
, are easily removed from the connector
18
by manipulation of the clip
72
.
Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there may be many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto.
Claims
- 1. A kitchen deck side spray assembly for attachment to a water hose includes a spray body, spray openings in said spray body, a water path being defined in said spray body and adapted for fluidly connecting said spray openings with the hose, a valve member in said water path, a spring biasing said valve member to a normally closed position, a trigger on said body and in operative relationship with said valve member for causing movement thereof,a water tube, means for connecting said tube to the water hose, a quick connect adapter positioned within said spray body, cooperating means on said tube and quick connect adapter for removably locking said tube to said adapter to thereby attach said side spray assembly to the hose and said adapter having a socket to support said valve member.
- 2. The side spray of claim 1 wherein said cooperating means includes an interlocking element on said tube, and a movable clip located in said quick connect adapter.
- 3. The side spray of claim 2 wherein the interlocking element on said tube includes a shoulder formed thereon.
- 4. The side spray of claim 2 wherein said clip is positioned within and movable within a chamber in said quick connect adapter.
- 5. The side spray of claim 4 wherein said clip has a pair of flexible arms permitting said clip to move inwardly and outwardly of said chamber.
- 6. The side spray of claim 5 wherein said arms are joined by an arcuate portion of said clip, with said clip having an interior locking portion formed and positioned to interlock with a shoulder on the tube.
- 7. The side spray of claim 6 wherein said quick connect adapter has an annular recess, spaced from its chamber, with said shoulder being positioned in said recess to hold said tube within said quick connect adapter.
- 8. The side spray of claim 1 further including a housing extending about said tube and having a support means to mount said quick connect adapter within said tube.
- 9. The side spray of claim 8 wherein said support means includes a plurality of ribs positioned on an interior surface of said housing.
- 10. The side spray of claim 1 wherein said water path extends through said adapter.
US Referenced Citations (19)