Handwashing valve structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10962139-B2
Application number	US-201916260973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2019
Priority date	Feb 1, 2018
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A handwashing valve structure includes a mounting structure, a dispensing structure, and a control structure. The mounting structure is configured to attach to a liquid vessel. The dispensing structure is configured to dispense a liquid from the liquid vessel and is movable between a closed position and an open position. The control structure is configured to move the dispensing structure between the closed position and the open position. The control structure is configured to be moved by pressure from a portion of a user's body to move the dispensing structure from the closed position to the open position. The dispensing structure is configured to automatically move from the open position to the closed position in the absence of any pressure from the portion of the user's body onto the control structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handwashing valve structure comprising:
a dispenser attachable to a liquid vessel to dispense a liquid from the liquid vessel and movable between a closed position in which liquid cannot flow through the valve structure and an open position in which liquid flows from the liquid vessel and through and out from the valve structure;
a mounting structure attachable to the liquid vessel to attach the dispenser to the liquid vessel and comprising a lower mounting structure through which the at least a portion of the dispenser extends; and
a controller directly rotatably coupled to both the dispenser and the lower mounting structure of the mounting structure to move the dispenser between the closed position and the open position, wherein the controller is movable relative to the dispenser,
wherein the controller is movable by pressure from a portion of a user's body to move the dispenser from the closed position to the open position,
wherein the dispenser is automatically movable from the open position to the closed position in the absence of any pressure from the portion of the user's body onto the controller.

2. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the controller is positioned relative to the dispenser such that movement of the controller is directly correlated to movement of at least one of the user's wrist or foot toward the controller while the user's hands are underneath the dispenser to move the dispenser from the closed position to the open position.

3. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the controller is movable by pressure from a portion of the user's body other than the user's hands while the user's hands are underneath the dispenser to move the dispenser from the closed position to the open position.

4. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is movable between the closed position and the open position by only mechanical mechanisms and without any electrical assistance.

5. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the mounting structure is extendable at least partially through an aperture in a wall of the liquid vessel.

6. The handwashing valve structure of claim 5 , wherein the mounting structure comprises an upper mounting structure, wherein the upper mounting structure and the lower mounting structure sandwich at least a portion of the wall of the liquid vessel and attach to each other.

7. The handwashing valve structure of claim 6 , wherein the mounting structure comprises a filter.

8. The handwashing valve structure of claim 5 , wherein the mounting structure comprises a hole-perforation feature that cuts the aperture in the wall of the liquid vessel.

9. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser comprises a piston that is movable by the controller within the a portion of the valve structure in order to prevent or allow the flow of fluid through the handwashing valve structure.

10. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , further comprising a spring, the spring positioned between the mounting structure and the controller and biasing the dispenser to move from the open position to the closed position.

11. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser comprises a nozzle structure with a horizontal length and a horizontal width, wherein the horizontal length is substantially larger than the horizontal width.

12. The handwashing valve structure of claim 11 , wherein the nozzle structure comprises a plurality of nozzles positioned along the horizontal length of the nozzle structure.

13. The handwashing valve structure of claim 12 , wherein each of the nozzles of the plurality of nozzles are positioned at different angles from adjacent nozzles.

14. The handwashing valve structure of claim 12 , wherein the nozzle structure comprises at least one drip deflector that extends along the horizontal length of the nozzle structure and along all of the plurality of nozzles.

15. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a handle that is liftable upward by the user's wrist to move the dispenser from the closed position to the open position.

16. The handwashing valve structure of claim 15 , wherein the handle includes at least one lift arm and a handle portion, wherein the at least one lift arm horizontally spaces the handle portion out from the dispenser.

17. A handwashing station comprising:
a liquid vessel for containing a liquid; and
a handwashing valve structure attachable to the liquid vessel to dispense the liquid from the liquid vessel, the valve structure comprising
a dispenser attachable to the liquid vessel to dispense a liquid from the liquid vessel and movable between a closed position in which liquid cannot flow through the valve structure and an open position in which liquid flows from the liquid vessel and through and out from the valve structure,
a mounting structure attachable to the liquid vessel to attach the dispenser to the liquid vessel and comprising a lower mounting structure through which the at least a portion of the dispenser extends, and
a controller directly rotatably coupled to both the dispenser and the lower mounting structure of the mounting structure to move the dispenser between the closed position and the open position, wherein the controller is movable relative to the dispenser,
wherein the controller is movable by pressure from a portion of a user's body to move the dispenser from the closed position to the open position,
wherein the dispenser is automatically movable from the open position to the closed position in the absence of any pressure from the portion of the user's body onto the controller.

18. The handwashing station of claim 17 , wherein the controller is movable by pressure from at least one of the user's wrist or foot while the user's hands are underneath the dispenser to move the dispenser from the closed position to the open position.

19. The handwashing station of claim 17 , wherein the controller is movable by pressure from a portion of the user's body other than the user's hands while the user's hands are underneath the dispenser to move the dispenser from the closed position to the open position.

20. The handwashing station of claim 17 , wherein the dispenser is movable between the closed position and the open position by only mechanical mechanisms and without any electrical assistance.

21. The handwashing valve structure of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser continually dispenses the liquid from the liquid vessel in the open position.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Bourne James
• Caldwell Robert
• Perry Thomas Philip
• May Adam Luke

Classifications

• B65D47/248

  the valve being opened or closed by imparting a motion to the valve stem (B65D47/244, B65D47/245 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/9464

  Faucets and spouts · CPC title

• E03C1/046

  Adding soap, disinfectant, or the like in the supply line {or at the water outlet}(preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10) · CPC title

• F16K31/62 Primary

  Pedals or like operating members, e.g. actuated by knee or hip · CPC title

• E03C1/0407

  Spouts for unpressurized outflow of water · CPC title