Having Only One Actuating Means Patents (Class 4/677)
  • Patent number: 5937905
    Abstract: A faucet head having at least two different types of outlets, utilizes a three-way valve which permits on-off operation of the faucet distal end. In conjunction with on-off operation, the three-way valve also controls flow of water through one of the faucet head outlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Robert O. Santos
    Inventor: Robert O. Santos
  • Patent number: 5896601
    Abstract: A mixing valve has a housing holding a fixed valve plate a flat outer surface generally centered on and perpendicular to an axis and formed offset from the axis with a pair of angularly offset and axially throughgoing inlet ports and offset therefrom with a pair of axially throughgoing outlet ports. Hot and cold water is supplied under pressure to the inlet ports and passages in the housing connect the outlet ports to respective users, e.g. a faucet and a shower. A movable valve plate in the housing has an inner surface flatly engaging the outer surface of the fixed valve plate and an opposite outer surface and is formed with an axially throughgoing inlet port alignable with the fixed-plate inlet ports and offset from the respective inlet port an axially throughgoing outlet port alignable with the fixed-plate outlet ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG
    Inventors: Jurgen Humpert, Manfred Pawelzik
  • Patent number: 5813436
    Abstract: A faucet device has a main body, a handle disposed on the main body, a positioning hole formed on the main body, an annular cushion disposed on the main body, a plunger inserted in the positioning hole, a valve seat covering the positioning hole, and a control device connected to the valve seat. The main body has a water outlet, a water passage communicating with the water outlet, a water inlet opening communicating with the water passage, and a water channel communicating with the water inlet opening. The plunger has a threaded end, a packing ring, and a plug packing disposed on a lower end of the plunger. The control device has a control rod which has a cylinder end engaging with the threaded end of the plunger. The plunger is inserted through the valve seat and an upper portion of the plunger is extended out of the valve seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Inventor: Chiao-Lin Chen
  • Patent number: 5797151
    Abstract: An improved assembly structure for a combination faucet of single knob or double knobs comprises a tap body and a water discharging pipe to be mounted to the interior of a housing to which a base plate is further applied at the bottom. The water discharging pipe is provided with a water spout at one end and a locking plate at the other end corresponding to a fixing plate disposed at an engaging seat of the tap body. The fixing plate has a circular hole disposed at the middle section and a protruding flange defining the periphery of the circular hole thereof. Two screw holes are disposed at both side of the circular hole and the protruding flange. The locking plate has a stepped hole defining the middle interior thereof corresponding to the circular hole and protruding flange of the fixing plate. Two through holes are disposed at both sides of the stepped hole matching to the screw holes thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Chung Cheng Faucet Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsi-Chia Ko
  • Patent number: 5685341
    Abstract: The socket member for mounting within a faucet and special fittings for water leads are disclosed which enable the fittings on the water leads to be quickly and easily mounted to the socket member within the faucet without the use of tools is disclosed. The socket member comprises a generally cylindrical or semicylindrical body which mounts a conventional valve assembly in the faucet. The socket member further contains several sockets on one axial end which mount corresponding fittings on a water lead via a resilient locking ring located within an annular groove within each socket which abuts against a shoulder located on each fitting to provide a locking engagement between the water lead and the socket member. A fitting is also disclosed having a polygonal circumference which prevents the installed water leads from rotating within the sockets via the abutment of the polygonal circumference against a fitting on another water lead or against upstanding walls adjacent the sockets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Amerikam, Inc.
    Inventors: Jimmie D. Chrysler, Robert S. Creswell
  • Patent number: 5660203
    Abstract: A mixing faucet adapted to be mounted on a support body having an outside face, an inside face, and a hole extending between the faces has a faucet body adapted to sit on the outside face over the hole, a mixing valve in the body having hot- and cold-water inlet ports and a mixed-water outlet port, and a rigid tubular stem fixed to the body, extending through the hole, formed with a passage connected to one of the ports, having at the outer face an external screwthread, and having an outer end. At least one conduit extends through the hole and is connected to another of the ports. A nut is threaded onto the external screwthread of the stem and bears against the inside face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG
    Inventors: Werner Gnauert, Stefan Steinhoff
  • Patent number: 5577660
    Abstract: An automatic temperature regulating system for a faucet, especially an automatic faucet in which water flow is activated by a touchless switch, is constructed to operate so as to compensate for lag time of hot water arriving from the hot water supply. The apparatus includes at least one temperature sensor, this first sensor being disposed in the hot water supply line upstream of the hot water valve. A more sophisticated apparatus includes a second-temperature sensor disposed for sensing the temperature of the outlet water. Methods of automatically regulating temperature of output water from a remote-activated or touchless-switch-activated outlet to compensate for lag in arrival of hot water from the hot water source, are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Inventor: K. Gene Hansen
  • Patent number: 5575424
    Abstract: A faucet with a vacuum breaker for a pull-out spray head plumbing fixture is provided. The vacuum breaker is placed in the faucet housing immediately under a valve unit and has fluid inlets and an outlet all passing therethrough. The vacuum breaker also has a multiplicity of openings extending through a base portion. A flapper gasket is stretch fitted over the base portion. The vacuum breaker affords ease of installation and removal. A check valve is placed immediately adjacent to the vacuum breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventor: Gary A. Fleischmann
  • Patent number: 5558128
    Abstract: A plumbing fixture has a housing defining a chamber and having a bottom wall forming an upper surface and formed with at least one inlet port opening at the upper surface. A cartridge assembly in the chamber having a bottom surface directly confronting the bottom-wall upper surface is formed with an inlet port opening on the bottom surface in line with the bottom-wall inlet port. An inlet conduit having an end fitting extending through the inlet port and into the inlet port is formed with an outwardly open circumferential groove generally level with the surfaces. A split and spreadable snap ring fitted to the groove bears on the floor. One of the ports closely surrounds the snap ring and prevents it from spreading and a seal ring engages around the end fitting in the inlet port of the cartridge assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Friedrich Grohe Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Manfred Pawelzik, Max Derr, Dieter Kahle
  • Patent number: 5427148
    Abstract: A faucet has a housing defining a cold water chamber, a hot water chamber, a first output chamber, a second output chamber, a first passage between the cold and hot water chambers, and a second passage between the hot water chamber and the second output chamber. A stem is disposed in the housing. First, second and third gaskets are mounted on the stem. The diameter of the first gasket is substantially identical to the diameter of the first output chamber and smaller than the diameter of the cold water chamber, the diameter of the second gasket is substantially identical to the diameter of the first passage and smaller than the diameter of the cold and hot water chambers, and the diameter of the third gasket is substantially identical to the diameter of the second passage and smaller than the diameter of the hot water chamber. In a first position, the first gasket is in the first output chamber, the second gasket is in the first passage, and the third gasket is in the second passage, isolating the chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1995
    Inventor: Chen-Yueh Fan
  • Patent number: 5386600
    Abstract: An assembly with valves (16) and (20) that permits fluid flow through the invention when the foot pedal (13) is depressed. A mechanism engaged by depressing toe kick (11) will latch pedal (13) in a position where fluid flow continues after the foot is removed. Depressing pedal (13) while the latch is engaged, causes the latch to automatically disengage. When pedal (13) is released at this time, fluid flow will stop. The assembly is designed to be installed in the cabinet (3) under a kitchen or lavatory sink (4) with all elements concealed except part of pedal (13) and part of the latch mechanism, The assembly is compact by design and is easily installed by cutting a hole for the pedal (13) in the lowest shelf of cabinet (3), securing it with screws, and routing flexible hoses from the sources of hot and cold water to the invention, and from the invention to the hot and cold water connections of a standard faucet set (5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Inventor: Robert V. Gilbert, Sr.
  • Patent number: 5361431
    Abstract: A faucet with a vacuum breaker for a pull-out spray head plumbing fixture is provided. The vacuum breaker is in the faucet housing and provides a guide for and surrounds an extendible and retractable hose connected to the pull-out spray head. The vacuum breaker has a flapper valve stretch fitted over a body member of the vacuum breaker. The body member also affords pivotal attachment of a spout. A tubular guide for the hose also provides a quick connect or disconnect feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Donald P. Freier, Andrew H. Matznick
  • Patent number: 5213268
    Abstract: A faucet assembly has a housing formed with a vent passage extending between inlet and vent ports and a feed passage extending between an outlet port and a location in the vent passage between the inlet and vent ports. An inner valve body is displaceable in the vent passage between an inner end position sitting in an inner valve seat at the inlet port and blocking flow out of the vent passage through the inlet port and an outer end position sitting in an outer seat and blocking flow from the location toward the vent port. Similarly an outer valve body is displaceable in the vent passage between an outer end position sitting in a vent seat at the vent port and blocking flow out of the vent passage through the vent port and an inner end position permitting flow through the vent port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Friedrich Grohe Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Werner Gnauert, Frank-Thomas Luig
  • Patent number: 5185893
    Abstract: A water tap having a hot water intake hole and a cold water intake hole respectively connected to a water passage and controlled by a knob through two plungers, said water passage having a first water outlet at the top connected to a shower head and a second water outlet at the bottom attached with a water outlet pipe, a water flow direction control to alternatively guide flow of water to flow from said hot or cold water intake hole or from said hot and cold water intake holes through said first or second water outlet, and a shower switching control unit to stop flow of water from said shower head when said shower head is hung on a shower head holder or to let flow of water dishcarge through said shower head when said shower head is removed from said shower head holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Inventor: Kuang-Hui Lin