Geared mixing faucet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767353-B2
Application number	US-201815865084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A faucet that uses a gearing mechanism to allow the faucet handle to be placed much closer to the mixing valve is disclosed. Various embodiments involve geared mechanical operation of a mixing faucet, where the gears transfer motion of a handle to a faucet valve, which may allow for a lower handle (e.g., a handle placed closer to the faucet body). In some embodiments, an upper gear is provided in a faucet handle, and the upper gear may be held in a carrier. A set screw may lock the handle in place. Finally, a lower gear may be pushed onto the top of a valve stem. When the handle is lifted, the upper gear rotates against the lower gear, causing the valve to open. The carrier may rotate within the valve body, thus allowing for temperature control of the valve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A faucet comprising:
a faucet body;
a mixing cartridge, disposed inside the faucet body, comprising a valve stem, wherein the mixing cartridge is configured to receive hot water and cold water and to dispense mixed water to be dispensed by the faucet;
a handle, disposed on the faucet body; and
a plurality of gears, disposed inside the faucet body, configured to transfer motion from the handle to the valve stem in order to actuate the valve stem and adjust flow through the mixing cartridge, wherein the plurality of gears comprises a first gear coupled to the handle and a second gear coupled to the valve stem, and wherein the first gear and the second gear are forced toward one another by one or more springs.

2. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the first gear and second gear are configured to engage one another such that the first gear drives rotation of the second gear.

3. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the first gear is coupled to an underside of the handle by one or more screws.

4. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the second gear is coupled to the valve stem by a press-on connection.

5. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein:
rotating the handle about an axis of rotation of the first gear causes the first gear to rotate about the axis of rotation of the first gear; and
rotating the second gear about an axis of rotation of the second gear causes the valve stem to rotate about the axis of rotation of the second gear.

6. The faucet of claim 5 , wherein causing the valve stem to rotate about the axis of rotation of the second gear adjusts a flow rate of the mixed water dispensed by the faucet.

7. The faucet of claim 5 , wherein the axis of rotation of the first gear and the axis of rotation of the second gear are parallel to one another.

8. The faucet of claim 5 , further comprising a carrier disposed inside the faucet body, wherein the carrier is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation of the carrier perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the second gear.

9. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein the axis of rotation of the carrier intersects one or both of the axis rotation of the first gear and the axis of rotation of the second gear.

10. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein the carrier comprises a cylindrical body portion configured to fit in rotating facing relation with an interior surface of the faucet body.

11. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein:
the carrier comprises a protruding portion extending from an upward-facing surface of the carrier; and
the first gear is mounted on the protruding portion of the carrier.

12. The faucet of claim 11 , wherein the first gear is mounted on the protruding portion of the carrier by one or more pins defining the axis of rotation of the first gear.

13. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein the carrier comprises an opening in an upward-facing surface of the carrier, the opening configured to allow the first gear and the second gear to engage one another through the opening.

14. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein the carrier is configured to be disposed inside the faucet body above the mixing cartridge.

15. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein the handle is configured to be rotatable about the axis of rotation of the carrier to cause the carrier to rotate about the axis of rotation of the carrier.

16. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein the handle is configured to be rotatable about the axis of rotation of the carrier to cause the valve stem to rotate about the axis of rotation of the carrier.

17. The faucet of claim 16 , wherein causing the valve stem to rotate about the axis of rotation of the carrier adjusts a temperature of water dispensed by the faucet.

18. The faucet of claim 8 , wherein rotating the handle about the axis of rotation of the carrier causes the first gear to rotate about the axis of rotation of the carrier.

19. The faucet of claim 5 , wherein the first axis of rotation of the first gear lies within a plane defined by an upward-facing surface of the faucet body.

20. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the handle is mounted to the faucet body at a proximal end of the handle, the proximal end of the handle comprising a rounded portion protruding downward toward and into the faucet body.

21. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein the one or more springs force the valve stem toward a flow plate of the mixing cartridge.

22. The faucet of claim 1 , wherein at least one spring of the one or more springs is disposed in a channel of the valve stem.

23. A faucet comprising:
a faucet body;
a handle, disposed on the faucet body;
a first gear configured to be disposed inside a faucet body;
a second gear configured to be disposed inside the faucet body, wherein the first gear and the second gear are configured to engage with one another to transfer motion from a faucet handle to a valve stem in order to actuate the valve stem, and
one or more springs that force the first gear and the second gear toward one another.

24. The faucet of claim 23 , wherein the first gear and second gear are configured to engage one another such that the first gear drives rotation of the second gear.

25. The faucet of claim 23 , wherein:
the first gear is configured to be coupled the faucet handle; and
the second gear is configured to be coupled to the valve stem.

26. The faucet of claim 25 , wherein:
the first gear is configured such that, when the first gear is coupled to the faucet handle, rotating the handle about axis of rotation of the first gear causes the first gear to rotate about the axis of rotation of the first gear; and
the second gear is configured such that, when the second gear is coupled to the valve stem, rotating the second gear about an axis of rotation of the second gear causes the valve stem to rotate about the axis of rotation of the second gear.

27. The faucet of claim 23 , wherein the faucet is configured such that, when the first gear is coupled to the faucet handle and the second gear is coupled to the valve stem, the one or more springs force the valve stem toward a flow plate of a mixing cartridge to which the valve stem is coupled.

28. The faucet of claim 23 , wherein the faucet is configured such that, when the second gear is coupled to the valve stem, at least one spring of the one or more springs is disposed in a channel of the valve stem.

Assignees

• As America Inc

Inventors

• Ientile Joseph John
• Ye Xiaojing

Classifications

• F16K11/0782

  Single-lever operated mixing valves with closure members having flat sealing faces · CPC title

• F16K31/605

  for single handle mixing valves · CPC title

• F16K31/602

  Pivoting levers, e.g. single-sided (F16K31/605 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E03C1/0404

  Constructional or functional features of the spout · CPC title

• F16K31/53

  with toothed gearing · CPC title