Faucet assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10072400-B2
Application number	US-201615389762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	May 7, 2007
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A faucet assembly includes a bushing defining a cutout at a portion of a first end, and a control handle received on the first end of the bushing. The control handle includes an inner wall defining a set screw bore therein, and an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall, the outer wall defining a visible bore therethrough. The control handle further includes a cavity at least partially defined between the inner wall and the outer wall. The cavity is configured to receive at least a portion of the cutout.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A faucet assembly comprising:
a mixing valve including a valve stem;
a control handle connected to the mixing valve and having an inner wall spaced apart from an outer wall to at least partially define a cavity, the control handle including a set screw bore through the inner wall and a visible bore through the outer wall, the set screw bore being separated from the visible bore by the cavity, and the cavity having a volume larger than either the set screw bore or the visible bore;
a cap which removably covers the visible bore; and
an O-ring mounted on the cap to seal an interior of the handle;
wherein the control handle has a lever arm that extends radially outward from a side of the control handle, and the visible bore is positioned at a diametrically opposed side of the control handle from the lever arm; and
wherein the set screw bore includes a central axis, and in a first position of the control handle, the central axis of the set screw bore is vertical and extends through the visible bore and the cavity.

2. The faucet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the visible bore provides access to a set screw within the set screw bore, where the set screw attaches the inner wall of the handle to the valve stem.

3. The faucet assembly of claim 2 , wherein the visible bore is circumferentially aligned with the set screw bore.

4. The faucet assembly of claim 1 , wherein O-ring is disposed in a recess of the cap and is inside the outer wall.

5. The faucet assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bushing mounted at least in part between the control handle and the mixing valve, the bushing defining an aperture extending axially through the bushing and a cutout extending radially through the bushing adjacent the aperture.

6. The faucet assembly of claim 5 , wherein the cutout of the bushing has a continuous contour which provides a clearance access to the set screw at a plurality of angular positions of the valve stem;
wherein in a second position of the control handle, the central axis of the set screw bore is not vertical and extends through the cutout of the bushing, the visible bore, and the cavity; and
wherein in the first and second positions, the outer wall of the control handle is positioned both above and below the bushing.

7. The faucet assembly of claim 6 , wherein the cutout of the bushing is a keyhole-shaped cutout, the bushing being mounted at least in part between the control handle and the mixing valve; wherein the outer wall of the handle does not include an exposed cutaway therethrough.

8. The faucet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the visible bore is axially aligned with the set screw bore to provide access to tighten a set screw within the set screw bore.

9. The faucet of claim 1 , further comprising a bushing with a keyhole-shaped cutout, the bushing being mounted at least in part between the control handle and the mixing valve; wherein the outer wall of the handle does not include an exposed cutaway therethrough.

10. A faucet assembly comprising:
a bushing defining a keyhole shaped cutout at a portion of a first end; and
a control handle received on the first end of the bushing, the control handle comprising:
an inner wall defining a set screw bore therein;
an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall, the outer wall defining a visible bore therethrough; and
a cavity at least partially defined between the inner wall and the outer wall;

wherein the cavity is configured to receive at least a portion of the cutout.

11. The faucet assembly of claim 10 , wherein the control handle is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position, such that in the first position, the portion of the cutout is not received in the cavity, and in the second position, the portion of the cutout is received in the cavity.

12. The faucet assembly of claim 11 , wherein the control handle is configured to receive, directly between the set screw bore and the visible bore, at least a portion of the cutout.

13. The faucet assembly of claim 11 , wherein the control handle is configured to receive, between the first wall and the second wall, at least a portion of the cutout.

14. The faucet assembly of claim 11 , wherein the visible bore is circumferentially aligned with the set screw bore.

15. The faucet assembly of claim 11 , wherein the outer wall of the handle does not include an exposed cutaway therethrough.

16. A faucet assembly comprising:
a bushing defining a keyhole shaped cutout at a portion of a first end; and
a control handle received on the first end of the bushing, the control handle comprising:
an inner wall defining a set screw bore therein, the set screw defining a central axis, and the inner wall extending into the keyhole shaped cutout; and
an outer wall spaced apart from the inner wall, the outer wall defining a visible bore therethrough disposed along the central axis.

17. The faucet assembly of claim 16 , wherein the control handle is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position, such that in the first position, the portion of the cutout does not intersect the central axis, and in the second position, the portion of the cutout intersects the central axis.

18. The faucet assembly of claim 17 , wherein the cutout defines a continuous contour configured to provide a clearance access from the visible bore to the set screw bore when the control handle is in the first position.

19. The faucet assembly of claim 16 , wherein the outer wall of the handle does not include an exposed cutaway therethrough.

20. The faucet assembly of claim 16 , further comprising:
a cap which removably covers the visible bore; and
an O-ring mounted on the cap to provide a water seal between the cap and the handle.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Bares William R
• Erickson Perry D

Classifications

• E03C1/0412

  Constructional or functional features of the faucet handle (valve actuating members as such F16K31/60) · CPC title

• E03C2001/0415

  having an extendable water outlet · CPC title

• E03C1/0403 Primary

  Connecting the supply lines to the tap body · CPC title

• F16K19/006 Primary

  Specially adapted for faucets · CPC title

• Y10T137/9464

  Faucets and spouts · CPC title