SIDE MOUNTED SINK WATER SPRAYER

Abstract

A sink includes a basin extending down from a horizontal opening along a substantially constant length and vertical sidewall to a horizontal base. A spout operable to dispense fluid into basin is connected to a faucet valve and a diverter is operably connected to faucet valve. A sidewall sprayer including a spray head is attached to sidewall, a side nozzle of spray head has an unobstructed spray path into basin, spray head is connected to diverter, and diverter is operably disposed between spray head and faucet valve. A hand-held sprayer may be operably connected to diverter operably disposed between hand-held sprayer and faucet valve. A button may be operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to side nozzle. Two or more sidewall sprayers may be attached to sidewall around basin.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to sinks and, more specifically, water sprayers used with such sinks used to rinse dishes and the like.

2. Description of Related Art

It is well known to provide hand-held and operated with water sprayers to help clean dishes. Sinks with a faucet and a hand-held sprayer are known in the art. A diverter valve coupled to the faucet is used for switching water flow between a spout of the faucet and a spray outlet or nozzle of the hand-held sprayer. Hot and cold water supplies are fluidly coupled to at least one control valve of the faucet which controls both the flow rate and the temperature of water delivered from the faucet or the hand-held sprayer, as selected by the diverter valve. This requires the operator to pull the sprayer out from its holder and manually move the sprayer down into the sink to clean items such as dishes. Hands free operation of the sprayer is very desirable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sink assembly includes a sink with a basin extending down from a horizontal opening along a substantially constant length and substantially vertical sidewall to a substantially horizontal base. A faucet assembly includes a faucet valve connected to a spout operable to dispense fluid into the basin. A diverter is operably connected to the faucet valve and a sidewall sprayer including a spray head is fixedly attached to the sidewall. A side nozzle of the spray head has an unobstructed spray path into the basin. The spray head is connected to the diverter and the diverter is operably disposed between the spray head and the faucet valve.

A hand-held sprayer may be operably connected to the diverter wherein the diverter is operably disposed between the hand-held sprayer and the faucet valve.

A button may be operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to the side nozzle.

The sidewall sprayer, the spray head, and the side nozzle may be positioned high enough in the basin to allow a dish to be placed underneath the side nozzle.

Another embodiment of the sink assembly includes two or more sidewall sprayers including two or more spray heads respectively fixedly attached to the sidewall around the basin. Side nozzles of the spray heads have unobstructed spray paths into the basin. The spray heads are connected to the diverter and the diverter is operably disposed between the spray heads and the faucet valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and other features of the invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view diagrammatical illustration of a sink with a sprayer nozzle attached to a sidewall of a basin of the sink.

FIG. 2 is a top looking down view diagrammatical illustration of a sink with sprayer nozzles attached to four sides of a sidewall of a basin of the sink.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view diagrammatical illustration of a sink with sprayer nozzles attached to two sides of a sidewall of a basin of the sink.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a sink assembly 10 including a sink 12 with a basin 14, a faucet assembly 16, and a manually operated water dispenser illustrated herein as a hand-held sprayer 40 supported by a mounting or sink deck 18. The faucet assembly 16 and the hand-held sprayer 40 are configured to supply water to the basin 14 of the sink 12 extending downwardly from the sink deck 18. The basin 14 extends down from a horizontal opening 25 along a constant length vertical sidewall 20 to a horizontal base 22 of the sink 12. The base 22 of the sink 12 has a drain 26 which can be connected to a waste water pipe (not shown). The basin 14 illustrated herein is rectangular and the sidewall 20 includes four sides 21 but may have other shapes such as round or oval. The embodiment of the sidewall 20 illustrated herein is continuous for 360 degrees around the base 22 and the horizontal opening 25 and extends continuously around the base 22 and the horizontal opening 25.

A sidewall sprayer 28 including a spray head 29 is fixedly attached to the sidewall 20. The spray head 29 includes a side nozzle 30 aimed into the basin 14 with an unobstructed spray path 32 into the basin 14. The unobstructed spray path 32 is also further indicated by an unobstructed spray path centerline 34. The side nozzle 30 may be fixed or movable, for example gimballed. The side nozzle 30 is thus operable to spray an unobstructed water spray 38 into the basin 14 and towards the base 22. A button 36 is used to operate the side nozzle 30. The button 36 is operably connected to a side nozzle valve 39 for controlling water flow to the side nozzle 30.

There may be two or more of the sidewall sprayers 28 fixedly attached on the sidewall 20 around the basin 14 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In such an embodiment, the sidewall sprayers 28 may be controlled by one or more buttons 36 and one more side nozzle valves 39. Instead of a T connector 57 or fitting, a multiple connection connector or fitting could be used with one button for each sidewall sprayer 28. The embodiment of the sink assembly 10 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 gangs together the side nozzles 38 to operate off of a single side nozzle valve 39 actuated by a single button 36 for controlling water flow to the side nozzles 30.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the embodiment of the faucet assembly 16 illustrated herein includes a spout 44 operable to flow water into the basin 14. The spout 44 is connected to a faucet valve 56 which in turn is connected to hot and cold water supply valves 23, 24 by hot and cold water supply tubes 48, 50 respectively. The faucet valve 56 is operable to mix hot and cold water from the hot and cold water supply tubes 48, 50 respectively and control flowrate of water through the spout 44. A diverter tube 52 is connected to the faucet valve 56 in a known manner to receive water flowing through the faucet valve 56 when the hand-held sprayer 40 and/or the one or more sidewall sprayers 28 are activated. A diverter 42 is connected to the diverter tube 52 and the faucet valve 56. First and second tubes 46, 47 operably connect the hand-held sprayer 40 and the one or more sidewall sprayers 28 respectively to the diverter 42 through a T connector 57. The diverter 42 is operably disposed between the faucet valve 56 and the hand-held sprayer 40 and the one or more sidewall sprayers 28.

Depression of the button 36 activates and opens the side nozzle valve 39 allowing fluid from the diverter 42 to enter the one or more side nozzles 30 and spray corresponding one or more unobstructed water sprays 38 inside the basin 14. The hand-held sprayer 40 illustrated herein includes a body 45 supporting an actuator button or lever 41, an inlet 43, and an outlet or spray head 49. Depression of lever 41 allows fluid from the diverter 42 to enter the sprayer 40 via the inlet 43 and to exit via the outlet 49. Depression of the lever 41 and the button 36 allows fluid from the faucet valve 56 to flow through the hand-held sprayer 40 and the one or more side nozzles 30.

The unobstructed water spray 38 is useful for cleaning dishes, pans, eating utensils, etc held inside the basin 14. There may be more than one sidewall sprayer 28 fixedly attached on the sidewall 20 around the basin 14.

Typical kitchen sink sprayers have been limited to a separate spray mounted on top of the sink or countertop such as the hand-held sprayer 40 illustrated herein. This requires the operator to pull the spray out from its holder and manually move the spray down into the sink to clean the desired item. The sidewall sprayer 28 disclosed herein permanently mounts a spray head into the sink at one or more locations around the basin to easily clean dishes or the sink itself. This can all be done with a push of a button 36. The sidewall sprayer 28 disclosed herein is positioned in the sink's basin high enough to allow dishes to be placed underneath. It is activated by a push button on top of the counter or sink to allow an operator to activate the sprayer and place dishes/silverware etc under the spray to remove debris. The sidewall sprayer 28 may be connected to any faucet that already has a sprayer connection. The faucet can be turned on to the desired temperature prior to activating the sidewall sprayer 28.

While there have been described herein what are considered to be preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other modifications of the invention shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein and, it is therefore, desired to be secured in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is the invention as defined and differentiated in the following claims.

Claims

1. A sink assembly comprising:

a sink including a basin extending down from a horizontal opening along a substantially constant length and substantially vertical sidewall to a substantially horizontal base,

a faucet assembly including a faucet valve connected to a spout operable to dispense fluid into the basin,

a diverter operably connected to the faucet valve,

a sidewall sprayer including a spray head fixedly attached to the sidewall,

a side nozzle of the spray head having an unobstructed spray path into the basin,

the spray head connected to the diverter, and

the diverter operably disposed between the spray head and the faucet valve.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a hand-held sprayer operably connected to the diverter wherein the diverter is operably disposed between the hand-held sprayer and the faucet valve.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a button operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to the side nozzle.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the sidewall sprayer, the spray head, and the side nozzle being positioned high enough in the basin to allow a dish to be placed underneath the side nozzle.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a button operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to the side nozzle.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the sidewall sprayer, the spray head, and the side nozzle being positioned high enough in the basin to allow a dish to be placed underneath the side nozzle.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the sidewall extending continuously around the base and the horizontal opening.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a hand-held sprayer operably connected to the diverter wherein the diverter is operably disposed between the hand-held sprayer and the faucet valve.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a button operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to the side nozzle.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the sidewall sprayer, the spray head, and the side nozzle being positioned high enough in the basin to allow a dish to be placed underneath the side nozzle.

11. A sink assembly comprising:

a sink including a basin extending down from a horizontal opening along a substantially constant length and substantially vertical sidewall to a substantially horizontal base,

a faucet assembly including a faucet valve connected to a spout operable to dispense fluid into the basin,

a diverter operably connected to the faucet valve,

two or more sidewall sprayers including two or more spray heads respectively fixedly attached to the sidewall around the basin,

side nozzles of the spray heads having unobstructed spray paths into the basin,

the spray heads connected to the diverter, and

the diverter operably disposed between the spray heads and the faucet valve.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a button operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to the side nozzle.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the sidewall sprayer, the spray head, and the side nozzle being positioned high enough in the basin to allow a dish to be placed underneath the side nozzle.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a hand-held sprayer operably connected to the diverter wherein the diverter is operably disposed between the hand-held sprayer and the faucet valve.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a button operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to the side nozzles.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the sidewall sprayers, the spray heads, and the side nozzles being positioned high enough in the basin to allow a dish to be placed underneath the side nozzles.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the sidewall extending continuously around the base and the horizontal opening.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a hand-held sprayer operably connected to the diverter wherein the diverter is operably disposed between the hand-held sprayer and the faucet valve.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a button operably connected to a side nozzle valve for controlling water flow to the side nozzle.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the sidewall sprayer, the spray head, and the side nozzle being positioned high enough in the basin to allow a dish to be placed underneath the side nozzle.