Faucet assembly with friction ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305372-B2
Application number	US-202318531576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2023
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is a friction ring including a body and a contact member. The body is configured to couple the friction ring to at least one of a faucet assembly or a faucet valve assembly. The contact member is disposed on the body. The contact member is configured to slidably engage with a valve stem of the faucet valve assembly. The contact member is further configured to press against the valve stem to increase a frictional force between the contact member and the valve stem over a full range of movement of the valve stem.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly, comprising:
a friction ring including:
a body having a planar surface and defining an opening configured to receive a valve stem of a faucet valve assembly; and

a pair of contact members extending substantially vertically from the planar surface of the body,
wherein the pair of contact members is configured to apply lateral contact forces to the valve stem.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each contact member is configured to apply a lateral contact force to the valve stem in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to a central axis of the valve stem.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the friction ring is configured to prevent self-movement of the valve stem under an applied force resulting from a weight of a faucet handle that is coupled to the valve stem.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a latch disposed on the body and extending radially outward from a central axis of the body, and wherein the latch is configured to rotatably couple the friction ring to the faucet valve assembly.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pair of contact members is integrally formed with the body as a single unitary structure.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a faucet, including:
a faucet body;
the faucet valve assembly disposed substantially within the faucet body, the faucet valve assembly comprising the valve stem extending through a body opening in the faucet body, the valve stem pivotably coupled to the faucet valve assembly; and
a faucet handle coupled to the valve stem.

7. An assembly, comprising:
a friction ring including:
a body configured to couple the friction ring to a faucet valve assembly;
a latch extending at least partially radially outwardly beyond an outer perimeter of the body, wherein the latch is configured to ratably couple the friction ring to the faucet valve assembly; and
a contact members disposed on the body, the contact member configured to slidably engage with a valve stem of the faucet valve assembly, wherein the contact member is configured to press against the valve stem to increase a frictional force between the contact member and the valve stem over a full range of movement of the valve stem.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the contact member is one of a plurality of contact members disposed on the body, and wherein two of the contact members are configured to slidably engage with the valve stem on opposing sides of the valve stem, the two contact members together define a gap, and wherein a width of the gap between the contact members increases with increasing distance from a central axis of the body.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the body defines an opening configured to receive the valve stem, and wherein the contact member is configured to apply a contact force to the valve stem in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to a central axis of the valve stem.

10. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the friction ring is configured to prevent self-movement of the valve stem under an applied force resulting from a weight of a faucet handle that is coupled to the valve stem.

11. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the latch is one of a plurality of latches, each latch disposed on the body and extending radially outward from a central axis of the body to secure an axial position of the friction ring relative to the faucet valve assembly.

12. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the contact member and the latch are integrally formed with the body as a single unitary structure.

13. The assembly of claim 7 , further comprising:
a faucet, including:
a faucet body;
a faucet valve assembly disposed substantially within the faucet body, the faucet valve assembly comprising a valve stem extending through a body opening in the faucet body, the valve stem pivotably coupled to the faucet valve assembly; and
a faucet handle coupled to the valve stem.

14. A faucet assembly, comprising:
a faucet body;
a faucet valve assembly coupled to the faucet body and comprising a movable valve stem;
a faucet handle coupled to the valve stem; and
a friction ring including a body having a planar surface and defining an opening configured to receive a valve stem of a faucet valve assembly; and
a pair of contact members extending substantially vertically from a planar surface of the body, wherein the pair of contact members is configured to apply lateral contact forces to the valve stem.

15. The faucet assembly of claim 14 , wherein each of the contact members includes an arcuate wall is engaged with the valve stem over a full range of movement of the valve stem.

16. The faucet assembly of claim 14 , wherein the body defines an opening, wherein the valve stem is received within the opening and extends through the opening, and wherein each of the contact members applies a contact force to the valve stem in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to a central axis of the valve stem.

17. The faucet assembly of claim 14 , wherein the pair of contact members together define a gap, and wherein a width of the gap between the pair of contact members increases with increasing distance from a central axis of the body.

18. The faucet assembly of claim 15 , wherein the arcuate wall is curved inward toward the valve stem.

19. The faucet assembly of claim 14 , wherein the contact member defines an aperture, and wherein a size of the aperture decreases in response to a contact force between the contact member and the valve stem.

20. The faucet assembly of claim 19 , wherein the size of the aperture is approximately constant throughout a full range of motion of the valve stem.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Hadfield Brad R
• Erickson Perry D
• Hansen David E

Classifications

• F16K31/602

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

• E03C1/0412

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

• F16K11/074

  with flat sealing faces · CPC title

• E03C1/04

  Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths (valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K) · CPC title

• F16K35/04

  yieldingly resisting the actuation · CPC title