Faucets providing additional control for water flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10287761-B2
Application number	US-201815866416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 25, 2015
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A faucet having a faucet base, a water hose, a faucet head, and a chamber is provided. A water valve is provided in the chamber and includes a driving member and a control valve movable between a first position enabling mixing of water and air and a second position enabling shut-off of a water flow. The faucet head further includes a control member rotatably coupled with the faucet head to enable a user to operate the control valve within the water valve by operating the control member from a side of the faucet head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A faucet comprising:
a faucet base having a first and second end, the faucet base being mounted to support the faucet near the first end and to regulate water flow through the faucet;
a water hose coupled with the faucet base by extending through the first end and second end of the faucet base, the water hose being flexible and movable through an opening in the first end and through an opening in the second end;
a faucet head movably coupled to the second end of the faucet base, the faucet head being dismountable from the second end of the faucet base while remaining coupled to the water hose to direct a mixture of water-and-air flow to a location away from the faucet base and to be relocated back to the second end the faucet base to discharge the mixture of water-and-air flow while being coupled to the faucet base;
a chamber within the faucet head having a first end and a second end, the first end of the chamber being coupled with the water hose and being coupled, in a dismountable manner, to the second end of the faucet base, the second end of the chamber providing an outlet to discharge the mixture of water-and-air flow;
a water valve within the chamber and located between the first end and the second end of the chamber, the water valve comprising:
at least one air inlet and a water inlet to enable mixing air from the at least one air inlet with water from the water inlet, the water inlet being coupled with the water hose, the air inlet being coupled with the chamber, and
a control valve movable within the water valve between a first position and a second position, the first position enabling mixing air from the air inlet with water from the water inlet to provide the mixture of water-and-air flow, and the second position enabling shut-off of the mixture of water-and-air flow, a direction of the control valve's movement between the first position and the second position being parallel to a direction of a water flow from the first end of the chamber to the second end of the chamber, the control valve using a water pressure supplied by the water hose to facilitate an operation of the control valve; and
a control member rotatably coupled with the faucet head, the control member being enable an operation of the control valve within the water valve by rotating the control member from a side of the faucet head in at least one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, the rotation of the control member causing the control valve to move between the first position and the second position;
a switch valve near the second end of the chamber to switch a flow of the water-and-air mixture between a stream discharge and a spray discharge.

2. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the control member comprises a knob and a cam coupled with the knob, the knob being used for user operation in the at least one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction with respect to a center axis of the knob perpendicular to a side surface of the faucet head, the cam being engaged with the control valve to move the control valve from the second position to the first position when the knob is rotated.

3. The faucet of claim 2 , wherein the cam is engaged with the control valve to restore the control valve from the first position to the second position when the knob is rotated again in the at least one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction with respect to the center axis.

4. The faucet of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the control member and the control valve is coupled to a spring that returns the control member to an initial position when the control member is not being operated.

5. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is an opening provided within the faucet head, and the faucet head provides the chamber therein through one of a uni-body construction or a multiple-part construction.

6. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the faucet head further comprises a spring that is coupled with the control member to provide a force feedback to a user when the knob is rotated and to provide a first level of force feedback when the control valve is at or near the first position and a second level of force feedback when the control valve is at or near the second position.

7. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the control member is operated to cause the control valve to move from the second position to the first position, and the control valve remains in the first position until the control member is further operated to cause the control valve to move from the first position to the second position.

8. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the chamber includes at least one air inlet at or near a side of the faucet head or the second end of the chamber, the at least one air inlet of the chamber is in communication with the at least one air inlet of the water valve to enable the water valve's mixing of water and air.

9. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the water valve contains a screen coupled with the control valve and located downstream of the control valve, the screen having a plurality of water passageways and being in communication with the at least one air inlet of the water valve to enable the water valve's mixing of water and air.

10. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the faucet base further comprises a water flow control coupled with the water hose, a cold water intake, and a hot water intake to vary, when a water flow is enabled, a mix of cold water and hot water going into the water hose.

11. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the chamber includes a cavity between the first end and the second end of the chamber for receiving the water valve, and the water valve is a pre-assembled assembly with the control valve inside the water valve and with a driving member protruding through one end of the water valve and coupled with the control valve to cause the control valve to move between the first and the second position.

12. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the faucet head comprises a water outlet near the second end of the chamber, the water outlet comprises a center outlet and a plurality of peripheral outlets, and the second end of the chamber provides a stream discharge of the mixture of water and air through the center outlet of the water outlet and a spray discharge of the mixture of water and air through the plurality of peripheral outlets of the water outlet.

Assignees

• Globe Union Ind Corp

Inventors

• Yuan Chiahua
• Lin Yiping
• Chiu Huiling
• Chang Yuanhao

Classifications

• Y02A20/411

  Water saving techniques at user level · CPC title

• E03C1/0404

  Constructional or functional features of the spout · CPC title

• E03C2001/0415

  having an extendable water outlet · CPC title

• E03C1/0412

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

• Y02A20/202

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic