Faucets providing water-and-air flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10443219-B2
Application number	US-201815894838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2018
Priority date	Aug 25, 2015
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 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 movably coupled with the faucet head to enable operating the control valve within the water valve using magnets by operating the control member from or near 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 a water flow through the faucet;
a water hose coupled with the faucet base and 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 of the faucet base;
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 coupled to the water hose to direct a mixture of water-and-air flow to a location where the faucet head is directed to, and the faucet head being relocated back to the second end the faucet base to discharge the mixture of water-and-air flow while being coupled to the second end of 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 at least one air inlet being an opening of the chamber or being coupled with the chamber, and
a control valve movable between a first position and a second position within the water valve, the first position enabling mixing the air from the at least one air inlet with the 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 to the second end of the chamber, the control valve being configured to use a water pressure of water in the water hose to facilitate an operation of the control valve in at least one direction of the control valve's movement; and
a control member having a driving portion movably coupled with the faucet head, the control member being configured to actuate the control valve within the water valve to move in a direction parallel to the direction of a water flow from the first end of the chamber to the second end of the chamber, and the control valve is actuated by the control member to move between the first position and the second position;
wherein the control member is operated to cause the control valve to move from the second position to the first position of the control valve, 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 of the control valve;
wherein the control member comprises a knob, a first magnet, and a second magnet, the knob being operable between a second position and a first position in a direction-perpendicular with the direction of the water flow from the first end of the chamber to the second end of the chamber, the first magnet being mechanically coupled to the knob, the second magnet being mechanically coupled to the control valve, and the first magnet magnetically interacting with the second magnet to move the control valve between the first and second positions of the control valve when the knob is operated between its first and second positions;
wherein when the knob moves from the second position to the first position of the knob, the knob pushes the first magnet toward the second magnet so that a repulsive force between the first and second magnets cause the control valve to move toward the first position of the control valve; and
wherein the faucet head comprises a first spring and a second spring, the first spring having one end coupled to the chamber and the other end coupled to the knob and configured to exert a first spring-loaded force on the knob in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the water flow from the first end of the chamber to the second end of the chamber, the second spring having one end coupled to the control valve and the other end coupled to the second magnet and configured to exert a second spring-loaded force on the second magnet in a direction-parallel to the direction of a water flow from the first end of the chamber to the second end of the chamber.

2. A faucet comprising:
a faucet base having a first end and a second end;
a water hose extending within the faucet base and being movable through at least the second end of the faucet base;
a faucet head having a first end, a second end, a chamber between the first and second end of the faucet head and coupled with the water hose, and an outlet coupled with the chamber at or near the second end of the faucet head to discharge a mixture of water-and-air flow, the first end of the faucet head being coupled to the second end of the faucet base, in a dismountable manner and while the faucet head remains coupled to the water hose, so that the faucet head is dismountable from the faucet base to change the direction of discharging the mixture of water-and-air flow;
a water valve within the chamber, the water valve comprising:
one or more air inlets and a water inlet to enable mixing air from the one or more air inlets with water from the water inlet, the water inlet coupled with the water hose, the one or more air inlets being one or more openings in the chamber or 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, the control valve being configured to move between the first position and the second position in a direction parallel to a direction of a water flow from the first end to the second end of the faucet head, the control valve being configured to use a water pressure of water in the water hose to facilitate an operation of the control valve; and
a control member movably coupled with the faucet head from a side of the faucet head, the control member being configured magnetically to operate the control valve to move the control valve between the first position and the second position;
wherein the control member comprises a knob, a first magnet, and a second magnet, the knob being configured to move from a second position to a first position in a direction perpendicular with the direction of the water flow, the first magnet being physically coupled to the knob, the second magnet being physically coupled to the control valve, the first magnet magnetically interacting with the second magnet to move the control valve towards the first position of control valve when the knob is operated to move towards the first position of the knob.

3. The faucet of claim 2 , wherein the first magnet and the second magnet magnetically interact to result in a repulsive force driving the second magnet to move in a direction opposite to a direction of the water flow from the first end to the second end of the faucet head to cause the movement of the control valve when the knob is pressed.

4. The faucet of claim 2 , wherein the control valve comprises a driving member protruding from the water valve, the driving member being coupled with the second magnet to cause the movement of the control valve.

5. A faucet comprising:
a faucet base hav

Assignees

• Global Union Ind Corp
• Globe Union Ind Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• Y10T137/9464

  Faucets and spouts · CPC title

• F16K21/06

  in which the closing movement, either retarded or not, starts immediately after opening · CPC title

• B05B1/1681

  with a selecting mechanism comprising a gate valve, sliding valve or cock and a lift valve · CPC title

• E03C1/1225 Primary

  of air admittance valves (structural details of air admittance valves F16K24/06) · CPC title

• B05B1/16

  having selectively- effective outlets · CPC title