Tub spout engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494796-B2
Application number	US-201615178042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A spout for a tub. The spout includes a spout shell having opposite first and second sides. The spout further includes an inlet portion extending from the first side. The spout further includes an outlet portion extending from the second side. The outlet portion includes an outlet bore that is in fluid communication with the inlet portion. The spout further includes a plastic engine configured with waterway connection geometry and one or more locking lips, where the plastic engine is installed in the spout shell through the annular inlet portion and is secured in place by the one or more locking lips prior to reaching the annular outlet portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A spout for a tub, the spout comprising:
a spout shell having opposite first and second sides;
an annular inlet portion extending from the first side;
an annular outlet portion extending from the second side, wherein the outlet portion includes an outlet bore that is in fluid communication with the inlet portion; and
a plastic engine configured with waterway connection geometry and one or more locking lips integrally formed with the plastic engine, where the plastic engine is installed in the spout shell through the annular inlet portion and is secured in place by the one or more locking lips prior to reaching the annular outlet portion, where insertion of the plastic engine within the spout shell is configured to cause compression of at least one of the one or more locking lips through an interaction between the at least one of the one or more locking lips and the spout shell, and where the one or more locking lips are located within the spout shell when the plastic engine is installed in the spout shell.

2. The spout of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the spout shell and the plastic engine is configured to receive one or more sealing components.

3. The spout of claim 1 , wherein the plastic engine is configured to receive one or more sealing components prior to installation into the spout shell.

4. The spout of claim 1 , wherein the waterway connection geometry is a slip-fit connection.

5. The spout of claim 1 , wherein the waterway connection geometry is national pipe threading (NPT).

6. The spout of claim 1 , wherein the plastic engine has a cylindrical body.

7. The spout of claim 1 , wherein the plastic engine has a tapered body.

8. The spout of claim 1 , wherein the one or more locking lips surround a circumference of the plastic engine.

9. The spout of claim 1 , further comprising a diverter.

10. A spout for a tub, the spout comprising:
a spout shell having opposite first and second sides;
an inlet portion extending from the first side;
an outlet portion extending from the second side, wherein the outlet portion includes an outlet bore that is in fluid communication with the inlet portion;
an engine configured with waterway connection geometry and configured to be installed within the spout shell such that the engine is entirely located within the spout shell when the engine is installed in the spout shell, the engine comprising a trough and a mating hole, where the engine terminates in an outlet end opposite the first side, and where the trough extends from the outlet end; and
a diverter structured to partially reside in the trough such that the diverter is maintained proximate the outlet end and moveable between an open position and a closed position.

11. The spout of claim 10 , wherein the diverter comprises a post for coupling with the mating hole, creating an axis of rotation for the diverter.

12. The spout of claim 10 , wherein the diverter comprises a depression that prevents the diverter from moving between the closed position and the open position when water is flowing through the engine.

13. The spout of claim 10 , wherein the diverter comprises a knob that when moved in a first direction rotates the diverter in a first direction to an open position and when moved in a second direction rotates the diverter in a second direction to a closed position.

14. The spout of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the engine or the diverter is plastic.

15. The spout of claim 10 , wherein a base of the diverter is teardrop shaped.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Varma Shashank

Classifications

• E03C1/0403

  Connecting the supply lines to the tap body · CPC title

• B22D25/02

  by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art {(cylinders, pistons B22D15/02)} · CPC title

• E03C1/0404 Primary

  Constructional or functional features of the spout · CPC title