Fountain Faucet

Abstract

A faucet for producing a water-fountain for drinking or rinsing a person's mouth. The fountain-faucet comprises a main body and a valve. The main body defines an exterior surface and an outlet water passage located inside the main body. The outlet water passage is in communication with a water outlet. The valve produces a fountain of water when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, which creates a back-pressure sufficient to cause a fountain of water to pass through the valve. The valve is located in the main body and is in operable communication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts a finger under the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through the valve to produce a fountain of water. In another embodiment the valve is preplaced with a conical shaped funnel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/348,003, filed May 25, 2010. The entire content of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/348,003 is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drinking and oral hygiene devices. More specifically, the invention is a fountain-faucet for producing a fountain of water for drinking or rinsing a person's mouth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,144, water faucets of the type commonly used in households provide a stream of water directed downwardly towards the sink. To get a drink of water, a container such as a cup or glass must be filled. In households with multiple people, this can require numerous glasses being used on a daily basis. A water fountain like device could help eliminate the need for washing numerous glasses, and makes getting a drink of water more convenient.

A bathroom faucet capable of producing a fountain of water would likewise save on cups and also enable a person who has just brushed their teeth to rinse their mouth without having to cup their hands under the faucet. Similarly, at a dental office a patient could wash out their mouth after dental work on their teeth and/or mouth without requiring a cup.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,088, discloses a fountain attachment for faucets. The '088 attachment converts an ordinary water faucet into a drinking fountain. The '088 inventive device comprises a housing containing a rotatable disc with a boss on one surface thereof which provides a valve control for selectively causing water from the faucet either to flow through a down stream spout or through a fountain channel, as desired.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,775, discloses a drinking fountain attachment for a faucet, such as a kitchen or bathroom faucet, the attachment having a tubular body portion threaded at the upper end for attachment to a downwardly extending faucet and having an orifice opening in the tubular side wall, a spigot element fixed to the exterior of the tubular body communicating with the orifice, providing means for discharging water therefrom in an upward direction to provide a fountain drinking stream. A tubular control member is rotatably supported to the tubular body lower end. A tubular elastomeric member is received within the body and control member and secured at each end in tension whereby the control member is retained in rotatable axial alignment with the body member, the elastomeric member serving to restrict flow of water through the tubular body and control member when the control member is rotated to thereby direct water out the orifice and the spigot to produce a drinking fountain.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,320,530 discloses a fountain device. The '530 fountain device is fitted to a faucet to provide a user with a drinking fountain. The '530 device comprises a spout and a pull knob.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A faucet for producing a water-fountain for drinking or rinsing a person's mouth. The fountain-faucet comprises a main body and a valve. The main body defines an exterior surface and an outlet water passage located inside the main body. The outlet water passage is in communication with a water outlet. The valve produces a fountain of water when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, which creates a back-pressure sufficient to cause a fountain of water to pass through the valve. The valve is located in the main body and is in operable communication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts a finger under the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through the valve to produce a fountain of water. In another embodiment the valve is preplaced with a conical shaped funnel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a perspective environmental view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 1B shows a perspective environmental view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a close up view of a tip according to the invention.

FIG. 2B shows a close up view of a threaded tip according to the invention.

FIG. 2C shows a close up view of a tip with a nozzle according to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a prior art device.

FIG. 5A shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 5B shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 5C shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 5D shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 6A shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 6B shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 6C shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a partially cutaway view of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 8 shows a Table of parts.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to drinking and oral hygiene devices. More specifically, the invention is a fountain-faucet for producing a fountain of water for drinking or rinsing a person's mouth. The fountain-faucet of the present invention is denoted by the reference numeral 100 as a whole. A summary of component parts are listed in Table 1 (see FIG. 8).

The fountain-faucet 100 comprises a main body 120. The main body 120 defines a main body exterior surface 140. An outlet water passage 160 is located inside the main body 120. The outlet water passage 160 is in communication with a water outlet 180. During normal operation water W travels through the outlet water passage 160 and exits out of the water outlet 180.

The main body 120 defines an aperture 200 located between the exterior surface 140 and the outlet water passage 160. The aperture 200 encloses a mechanism such as a tip 260 or valve 280 which in default mode does not allow water from the outlet water passage 160 to exit through the aperture 200, but when a person restricts the flow of water W exiting the water outlet 180 back-pressure results and the mechanism responds to the resulting water back-pressure by allowing water to travel through the aperture 200 to produce a fountain of water 240. A person using the fountain-faucet 100 of the present invention can drink or rinse their mouth using the fountain of water 240.

The mechanism can be a valve 280. In one embodiment the mechanism is a tip 260 in the form of a conical funnel with open opposite ends; FIG. 2 shows a close up view of tip 260. The tip 260 can be provided with an external thread 270. A tip 260 having an external thread 270 is shown in FIG. 2B).

In one embodiment the tip 260 has a nozzle 263 with a nozzle inlet opening 264 as shown in FIG. 2C; this embodiment the tip 260 is particularly useful for use with respect to high pressure faucets. More specifically, FIG. 2C shows a tip 260 in the form of a conical shaped funnel comprising a nozzle 263, wherein the nozzle 263 is fitted with an inlet opening 264 to allow water from the outlet water passage 160 to pass through the conical shaped funnel when a person presses a hand or finger under the water outlet 180.

The tip 260 can be any tip having a through-funnel that allows water to flow through the tip. A non-limiting example of such a tip provided with writing instruments such as pens, e.g., a Zebra G301 pen such as the Zebra G301 gel retractable black ink pen.

The inventor discovered that even though the tip 260 is open both ends, water does not travel through the tip 260 until the inventor obstructs the flow of water out of outlet 180 by, for example, putting his/her finger F, thumb, palm, or hand up against the water outlet 180 (see, e.g., FIGS. 1A and 1B).

In one embodiment, the mechanism for producing a water fountain 240 is a valve 280. The valve 280 can be any suitable valve able to produce a fountain of water 240. The valve 280 is fitted into aperture 200 of main body 120 (see FIG. 3A). The valve works by being responsive to water back-pressure created when a user obstructs the flow of water out of outlet 180. For example, when a user of the fountain-faucet 100 puts a finger F across outlet 180 the backpressure causes the valve 280 to open to produce a water fountain 240.

The valve 280 can be any suitable valve. For example, in FIG. 6A the valve is a Schrader valve (represented by alpha-numeric label 280a) with an elongated valve stem 300. The valve stem 300 includes stem-end 310. The stem-end 310 is located proximate to the water outlet 180 such that a person's hand or part thereof can easily access the stem-end 310 to push the stem-end 310 upwards. The valve stem 300 is coupled to a spring 320. A person can activate the valve 280 to produce a fountain of water 240 by placing, for example, a finger F up against water outlet 180 and pushing the stem 300 upwards against the spring 320 thereby allowing water in the outlet water passage 160 to pass through the valve 280a to produce a water fountain 240.

A person can adjust the height of the water fountain 240. For example, if a finger is pressed firmly against the water outlet 180 and seals the water outlet 180 to the extent that water can not exit through the water outlet 180 then the height of the water fountain 240 is maximized. The water fountain 240 disappears when a faucet user stops obstructing the flow of water out of water outlet 180 and/or lets the valve stem 300 return to its default position causing the valve 280a to close.

It should be understood that the fountain-faucet and the various elements described herein are set forth merely to facilitate a complete understanding of the device 100, and should not be read as limiting the invention.

Claims

1. A fountain-faucet, comprising:

a main body having an exterior surface and an outlet water passage located inside the main body, wherein the outlet water passage is in communication with a water outlet; and

a valve for producing a fountain of water when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, said valve being located in the main body,

wherein said valve is in operable communication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts a finger under the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through said valve to produce a fountain of water.

2. A fountain-faucet, comprising:

a main body having an exterior surface and an outlet water passage located inside the main body, wherein the outlet water passage is in communication with a water outlet; and

a conical shaped funnel for producing a fountain of water when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, said funnel being located in the main body,

wherein said funnel is in operable communication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts a finger under the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through said funnel to produce a fountain of water.

3. A fountain-faucet, comprising:

a main body having an exterior surface and an outlet water passage located inside the main body, wherein the outlet water passage is in communication with a water outlet; and

a means for producing a fountain of water when a user puts a finger under the water outlet, said means for producing a fountain of water being located in the main body,

wherein said means for producing a fountain of water is in operable communication with the outlet water passage and the exterior surface of the main body such that when a person puts a finger under the water outlet a back-pressure causes water to pass through said means for producing a fountain of water.

4. The fountain-faucet of claim 3, wherein the means for producing a fountain of water is a valve, the valve functioning by being responsive to back-pressure caused when a person presses their hand or finger under the water outlet whereupon the valve opens to produce a fountain of water.

5. The fountain-faucet of claim 3, wherein the means for producing a fountain of water is a conical shaped funnel, the funnel functioning by being responsive to back-pressure caused when a person presses their hand or finger under the water outlet whereupon the funnel opens to produce a fountain of water.

6. The fountain-faucet of claim 5, wherein conical shaped funnel comprises a nozzle, wherein the nozzle is fitted with an inlet opening to allow water from the outlet water passage to pass through the conical shaped funnel when a person presses a hand or finger under the water outlet of the faucet.