Patent ID: 6220266
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: E03C,Y10T

Abstract:
A faucet assembly associated with a support surface against which a user's hand may be supported, said assembly being capable of controlling valves that are movable between open and closed positions, comprising:valve control handles respectively associated with the valves,the handles being mounted on the support surface for translational movement in the same or opposite directions and in juxtaposed relation along separate substantially parallel paths on the support surface into various positions including congruent juxtaposed positions and first and second positions at opposite ends of their respective paths and while portions of the handles always remain substantially in said juxtaposed relation, the handles together defining a joint handle body, each handle having front, rear and side lower edges closely adjacent to the support surface, the edges together defining a substantially continuous circumferential edge around the joint handle body in all positions of the handles,the clearance between the handles and between the lower edges of each handle and the support surface being just enough to allow their movement relative to each other and to the support surface without touching, the support surface being flat and extending outwardly from the rear and side lower edges of the handles, and the height of the handles off the support surface being greater than the thickness of the user's thumb, andthe handles being connected to their respective valves so that upon movement of each handle between its first and second positions by a user's hand against said support surface engaging both handles, its valve is moved between its open and closed positions, whereby the positions of the handles relative to their respective paths and to each other in their juxtaposed relation indicates, by touch of the user's hand and by observation, the relative positions of the valves without using separate markings to indicate such positions.