Limiter for water faucets equipped with lever-type handles

A limiter detachably associated with a water faucet having a lever-type handle, enabling to prevent the rotational movement range of the lever-type handle. The limiter comprises a body and a limiting-handle where the limiting-handle is rotatably connected to the body. The limiter may be installed to the faucet at one of its hot or cold sides, where the limiter enables a user to rotate the limiting-handle towards and away from the lever-type handle of the faucet to physically limit the rotational movement of the lever-type handle. The limiter may be installed near the side of the faucet where hot water are controlled to serve as a safety device enabling to prevent the flow of hot water when the limiter's limiting-handle is locked in a limiting position that prevents rotating of the lever-type handle of the faucet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bathing a baby in a sink or bathtub, under the water faucet is quite convenient. By setting the baby right under the water spout, one does not need to carry the clean bath water anywhere or empty a tub full of dirty water afterwards. Furthermore, bathing the baby right at the faucet ensures that fresh, warm water is readily available.

However, the hot water flowing from a water faucet may also be hazardous. If the water is too hot, there is a danger, to anyone who comes in contact with the hot water, of being burned or scalded. Burns from hot water often result in third degree burns, and can even lead to death.

The danger is especially significant to an infant's delicate skin, which may be more easily damaged by hot water than may be an adult's skin. According to some sources, thousands of children a year are burned while being bathed. In fact, when bathing infants or young children, it is strongly recommended to use only tepid or lukewarm water.

Furthermore, if the water flowing from the water faucet is too hot, the water spout itself may be heated to a temperature hot enough to produce a burn on contact.

Sinks and bathtubs equipped with water faucet assemblies operated by lever-type handles make bathing a baby especially convenient. The handle, or handles, of such a water faucet swivels left and right to adjust the mix of hot and cold water, and up and down to adjust the pressure of the water flow. The lever-type handle of a water faucet allows the water to be quickly and easily mixed with one hand, which leaves the other hand free to hold the baby, reach for the soap, etc.

However, the same facility with which the lever-type handle of a water faucet can be moved intentionally also means that an unintentional movement can just as easily remixed or open the water. For example, one might accidentally bump the lever-type faucet handle when reaching for the soap. Such an unintentional movement may cause the lever-type handle to increase the flow of hot water. Or the baby might reach out to play with the lever-type handle, and unknowingly turn the water on. In either case, if too much hot water flows, even for a moment, there is a risk that the delicate skin of the baby will be burned.

Therefore, there is a need for a means to limit the flow of water from a water faucet operated by at least one lever-type handle, in order to protect against the risk of accidental burns and scalding that can result from using water that is too hot.

A patent application number WO8504233, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a limiting arrangement for controlling the maximum temperature of the mixed water in a single-grip mixing valve. A cover of the valve's control unit is provided with pockets or equivalent to receive a limiter body. Each of the pockets enables blocking the rotation movement of the valve limiting it to a predefined position (locking predefined percentages of the water flow).

A patent number GB2312490, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a valve actuator cover that comprises a body having a cavity in which the actuator is received in use to prevent access to the actuator. The body is secured to a valve by elements, which may be traversed to increase the available opening for receiving the actuator when fitting the cover. The elements may be secured by coupling arrangements to prevent elements traversing laterally when a force is applied to the body.

A patent number U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,880, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a hot/cold water mixing faucet that includes a conical bonnet fastened to the faucet body thereof at the top and fixed in position by a flush bolt, which has a longitudinal stop edge on the outside to limit the turning angle of the handle of the faucet. The bonnet also includes a spring-supported stop member mounted on the handle and having a front stop bar stopped against the a low-level surface on the conical bonnet at one side of the longitudinal stop edge, whereby the conical bonnet can be set at the desired position closer to the hot water inlet or the cold water inlet, by means of controlling the flush bolt, so as to limit the maximum output water temperature within the desired range.

All the above-mentioned patents and patent applications require sophisticated plumbing and integrating of the limiting means in the faucets and valves assemblies. These solutions mainly require the valve/faucet to be especially designed to receive the limiting means. This may require the customer to buy a new faucet in order to have these water-flow limiting means.

SUMMARY OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, provides a limiter, which is a device enabling to a user to control the temperature of water exiting a water faucet by preventing the rotational movement range of a lever-type handle of a water faucet having that lever-type handle. The limiter may be detachably associated with the water faucet.

A lever-type handle is known in the art and commonly used in water faucets enabling to control the intensity of the water flow by rotating the lever-type handle along a vertical axis and to control the ratios between hot and cold water (meaning the temperature of the water) by the rotating the lever-type handle along a horizontal plane (around the vertical axis). Additionally, rotating the lever-type handle along a vertical axis enables controlling and limiting the water flow.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the limiter may enable a user to rotate said limiting-handle towards the lever-type handle of the faucet to physically limit the rotational movement of said lever-type handle.

The limiter may either be installed near said faucet or to the faucet in a removable manner.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the rotational movement of said limiting-handle may enable limiting the hot water flow resulting from the rotation of said lever-type handle, thereby enable the user to control the water temperature.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the faucet may further comprise a waterspout, installation means and two water inlets (hot and cold). Each said inlet may be connected to a water type piping (hot or cold), which enables directing one of: cold or hot water towards the waterspout. The inlets may be threaded through openings in said installation means, which may enable installing the faucet to a wall therefrom.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the limiter may be installed near the inlet of the hot water to enable limiting the user in rotating the lever-type handle towards the hot water inlet, thereby limiting the flow rate of the hot water.

Additionally, the limiter may further comprise a connector that may be a hinge member enabling to rotatably connect the limiting-handle to the body.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the body of the limiter may comprise a first opening to enable threading said connector therethrough and a second opening enabling to thread one of the faucet's inlets (e.g. the hot water inlet) therethrough to install said limiter to said faucet.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the connector additionally comprises at least one locking means enabling to lock and unlock the ability to rotate the limiting-handle of said limiter in one or more locking positions.

For example, the connector may comprise a button, operatively associated with said locking means, wherein said button enables locking and unlocking the ability to rotate the limiting-handle by pressing said button. The button and locking means may enable locking the limiting-handle in one of two positions: (i) one positions may enable completely blocking the rotation ability of the lever-type handle in the direction of one of the inlets where the limiter is installed, which is referred to as “the limiting position”; and (ii) another position, which is “the unlimiting position”, where the limiting-handle is locked away from the lever-type handle and enables to freely rotate the lever-type handle.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the front part of the limiter's body may additionally include at least one indicator operatively associated with the connector's locking means, wherein said indicator enables indicating whether the button is pressed or un-pressed therefore whether the rotation of the limiting-handle is locked or unlocked.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the body of the limiter may comprise at least two parts that enable connecting to one another, where said limiting-handle may be an angular shaped member comprising a protruding first member and a second member, which are integrally connected to one another, creating an angle between them which is one of: smaller or equal to 90° degrees. The body's parts may create a niche when connected to one another, for inserting of the edge part of the second member of the limiting-handle therein, where said limiting-handle is connected to those parts through said connector in a rotatable manner to one another.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the limiter may be installed near one of the lever-type handle of the faucet, externally from the faucet, where said limiting-handle's length may be adapted to enable limiting the rotation movement of the lever-type handle.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the rotating of the lever-type handle110in a horizontal plane determines the ratios between the hot and the cold water flow and rotating the lever-type handle along a vertical axis determines the general flow intensity of the water, where said limiting-handle enables limiting the rotation movement of the lever-type handle in the horizontal plane to allow controlling the ratio between the hot and cold water flow.

According to some embodiments of the invention, allowing the user to control the temperature of water exiting a faucet using the limiter, may be carried out by (i) rotating the limiting-handle towards the lever-type handle to physically limit the rotation range of the lever-type handle; and (ii) rotating the limiting-handle away from the lever-type handle to allow full rotation range of the lever-type handle.

The figures together with the description make apparent to those skilled in the art how the invention may be embodied in practice.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, provides a limiter300, which is a safety device that can be installed to a lever-type faucet100to enable a user to control the temperature of water exiting a water faucet100by limiting the rotational and vertical movement of a lever-type handle110of the water faucet100.

A lever-type faucet100is a water tap or valve that allows controlling the water flow level and the ratios between hot and cold water flows by rotating the lever-type handle110of the faucet100sideways in a horizontal rotational movement in a horizontal plane10(meaning around a vertical axis20, where the vertical axis20is the center of rotation) as well as in a vertical rotational movement along a vertical axis20, as illustrated inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B.

Usually, the vertical rotational movement determines the general water flow intensity while the sideways horizontal rotational movement determines the ratios between hot water flow and cold water flow, where each side usually represents the extreme (hot/or cold).

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the left side will present the hot water inlet of the faucet100and the right side the cold water inlet of the faucet100, but of course it can be the other way around.

The limiter300, provided herein, according to some embodiments of the invention, may enable limiting the range of movement available to the faucet's100lever-type handle110. The limiter300may be detachably associated with the faucet100and may be either completely externally and separately adjacent to the faucet100, or removably mounted through or on some parts of the faucet100, where the faucet100and the limiter300are two separated parts. The limiter300may enable a user to rotate a limiting-handle310of the limiter310towards the lever-type handle110of the faucet100to limit the rotational movement of said lever-type handle110thereby limiting the water flow resulting from the rotation of said lever-type handle110.

Implementation of the present invention successfully addresses the problems discussed above, including preventing the accidental movement of a lever-type handle110, limiting the flow of the hot water, and thereby preventing a waterspout150from becoming dangerously hot.

The limiter300may enable completely locking into two or more positions enabling to: (i) allow a user to carry out the full horizontal rotation of the handle110as originally designed according to the faucet100design (referred to hereinafter as the “unlimiting position”); and (ii) completely lock the horizontal rotation range of the handle110preventing the user from rotating the handle110towards the side of the inlet120where the limiter300is installed (referred to hereinafter as the “limiting position”).

A “user” may be any person who either locks/unlocks the limiter300(e.g. an adult) or any person from which the rotation of the faucet's100lever-type handle110is prevented by the limiter300(e.g. children or elderly persons).

It is to be understood that an embodiment is an example or implementation of the invention. The various appearances of “one embodiment,” “an embodiment” or “some embodiments” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “some embodiments” or “other embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the inventions.

It is understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is not to be construed as limiting and is for descriptive purpose only.

It is to be understood that the details set forth herein should not be construed as limiting any applications of the invention.

It is to be understood that the terms “including”, “comprising”, “consisting” and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps, integers or groups thereof and that the terms are not to be construed as specifying components, features, steps or integers.

The phrase “consisting essentially of”, and grammatical variants thereof, when used herein, is not to be construed as excluding additional components, steps, features, integers or groups thereof but rather that the additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition, device or method.

It is to be understood that where the claims or specification refer to “a” or “an” element, such reference is not to be construed as there being only one of that element.

The term “method” refers to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but is not limited to those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the invention belongs.

The present invention can be implemented in the testing or practice with methods and materials equivalent or similar to those described herein.

The terms “bottom”, “below”, “top” and “above” as used herein do not necessarily indicate that a “bottom” component is below a “top” component, or that a component that is “below” is indeed “below” another component or that a component that is “above” is indeed “above” another component. As such, directions, components or both may be flipped, rotated, moved in space, placed in a diagonal orientation or position, placed horizontally or vertically or similarly modified. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the terms “bottom”, “below”, “top” and “above” may be used herein for exemplary purposes only, to illustrate the relative positioning or placement of certain components, to indicate a first and a second component or to do both.

Any publications, including patents, patent applications and articles, referenced or mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in the description of some embodiments of the invention shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention.

FIG. 1AandFIG. 1Bare side views of a water faucet100with a lever-type handle110comprising a limiter300in a locked and unlimiting positions, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

According to these embodiments, the faucet100may comprise:the lever-type handle110;a water spout150, which is a tube from which the water flow toward the waterspout150;hot water and cold water inlets120where each inlet120is connected to a pipeline that is associated with its respective water type (hot or cold); andinstallation means130enabling to install each of the inlets120to a wall thereby to install the faucet100to the wall (where the “wall” may be any means for holding the faucet100as known in the art).

The hot water inlet120may be connected to a hot water pipeline enabling channeling water from a boiler tank where the water can be heated.

As illustrated inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B, the installation means130may be cylindrically shaped members with openings that are designed to receive the inlets120therethrough.

According to some embodiments of the invention, as illustrated inFIG. 1AandFIG. 1B, the limiter300may comprise limiting-handle310and a body320. The limiting-handle310may be rotatable installed into the body310to allow the limiting-handle310to rotate around a connector311connecting the body320and the limiting-handle310in a rotatable manner.

The body320may be coupled to a selected inlet120(e.g. the hot water inlet120) where the limiting-handle310may enable blocking the rotational movement of the lever-type handle110of the faucet100when in the limiting position, as illustrated inFIG. 1A.

Once rotated away from the lever-type handle110of the faucet100, the limiting-handle310may be in an unlimiting position allowing a user to freely rotate the lever-type handle100to allow flow of hot water, for example (or the water type of the outlet120where the limiter300is installed).

FIG. 2andFIG. 3schematically illustrate the limiter300, according to some embodiments of the invention.

According to these embodiments, the limiting handle310may be an angular shaped member comprising a protruding first member315A and a second member315B, which may be integrally connected to one another, creating an angle between them which is smaller or equal to 90° degrees; and the body320may comprise at least two parts325A and325B that can be connected to one another once the limiting-handle310is inserted into those parts325A and325B.

The two parts325A and325B may create a niche327for inserting of the edge part of the second member315therein.

According to some embodiments of the invention, as illustrated inFIG. 3, the body320may comprise a first opening321to allow receiving of the connector311that can rotatably connect the limiting-handle310and the body320; and a second opening322enabling to receive the selected inlet120therethrough.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the connector311may additionally comprise locking means enabling to lock and unlock the ability to rotate the limiting-handle310by, for example, comprising a button that allows executing the locking/unlocking operation.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the limiter300may be installed near the side of the faucet300where hot water are controlled to serve as a safety device enabling to prevent the flow of hot water when the limiter's300limiting-handle310is locked in a limiting position that prevents rotating of the lever-type handle110of the faucet100.

This invention may enable users to install the limiter300in an already existing faucet100without having to buy a new faucet100with the limiter300installed thereto.

To install the limiter300of the present invention, the user may merely be required to remove the faucet100from the wall, thread the limiter's300second opening322through a selected inlet120(e.g. the hot water inlet120), and then install the assembly of faucet100and limiter300onto the wall again using the installation means130.

To bring the limiting handle310to the limiting position (seeFIG. 1A) the user may turn the limiting-handle310towards the lever-type handle110thereby physically preventing the user from rotationally turning the lever-type handle110towards the selected inlet120in the horizontal plane10. To lock the limiting-handle310in the limiting position, the user may be required to press the button connector311. This locking may prevent the limiting-handle310from rotating, thereby locking it in the selected position.

To bring the limiting handle310to the unlimiting position (seeFIG. 1B) the user may turn the limiting-handle310away from the lever-type handle110thereby physically allowing the user to rotationally turn the lever-type handle110towards the selected inlet120in the horizontal plane10, thereby to open the water type of the inlet120where the limiter300is installed. To lock the limiting-handle310in the unlimiting position, the user may be required to press the button connector311. This locking may prevent the limiting-handle310from rotating, thereby locking it in the selected position.

Unlocking the button connector311may enable the user to freely rotate the limiting-handle310towards and away from the lever-type handle110.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the limiter300may comprise several locking positions (more than the two specified above) enabling to prevent the lever-type handle110from rotating its full rotation range in the horizontal plane10, thereby enabling the user to control the water from exceeding specified temperature levels and rates of flow, to prevent the dangers discussed previously.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, additional coupling mechanisms may be provided to operatively connect the limiter300to the water faucet100. For example, the coupling mechanism may comprise a collar mounted on a bonnet of the water faucet100, under the lever-type handle110. Alternatively, the coupling mechanism may enable disposing the limiter300on, for example, the hot water inlet120.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the coupling mechanism may be further equipped with adapters, thereby enabling the coupling mechanism to be affixed to the water faucet100of different sizes and configurations.

It should be understood that the limiter300may also comprise other mechanisms and devices, and may be mounted elsewhere on or near a water faucet100without departing from the scope of the invention.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the limiter300may be installed near the faucet100and not necessarily attached to the faucet's100inlet120or any other part of the faucet100. For example, the limiter300may be attached to the wall adjacent to the faucet100, where the size (e.g. length) of the limiting-handle310may be adapted to reach the lever-type handle110rotation-range in the horizontal plane10.

According to some embodiments of the invention, as illustrated inFIG. 2, the front part of the body320may additionally include one or more indicators301operatively associated with the connector's311locking means that can indicate whether the button is pressed or un-pressed therefore whether the rotation of the limiting-handle310is locked or unlocked.

The limiting-handle310and/or the body320may be made from any one or more solid materials such as, for example, plastic, metal, alloys, wood, ceramics or any other solid material known in the art.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of some of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other possible variations, modifications, and applications that are also within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has thus far been described, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Therefore, it is to be understood that alternatives, modifications, and variations of the present invention are to be construed as being within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.