Patent Publication Number: US-2023151593-A1

Title: Faucet and spout thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a faucet and, more particularly, to a faucet and a spout for a drinking water dispenser. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     Conventional under-cabinet drinking water supply system typically includes a cold and hot faucet (such as disclosed in Taiwan Patent I316595), a filter device (such as a water purifier or a R.O. pure water machine) and an instant hot water dispenser. The structures of cold and hot faucet are disclosed in Taiwan Patent M536304, M391016, M242621, and M247742, wherein, the hot and cold faucet includes a base, an outer tube connected to the base, an inner tube disposed in the outer tube and two discharge controllers for controlling the outer tube and the inner tube respectively. 
     The two discharge controllers respectively control the discharging of hot water and cold water. When hot water discharge controller is turned on, cold water filtered by the filter device is introduced into the base and then enters into a hot water tank of the instant hot water dispenser so that hot water in the tank is discharged from the inner tube till hot water discharge controller is turned off. On the other hand, when cold water discharge controller is turned on, cold water is introduced into the base and then is discharged from the outer tube till cold water discharge controller is turned off. 
     The tank of the instant hot water dispenser usually connects with an expansion chamber and a Venturi effect orifice block which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,782, also disclosed in Taiwan Patent I632334, I532959B and I384191. With the function of the Venturi effect orifice block, the expansion chamber sucks a little water back into the tank right after the hot water discharge controller is turned off. According to this, hot water in the inner tube returns so as to avoid leaking. 
     However, in a specific case that the cold water discharge controller is turned on right after the hot water discharge controller is turned off, cold water discharged from the outer tube will be sucked into the inner tube because cold water is too close to the inner tube. The expansion chamber, therefore, is filled with water, and then the suction ability is lowered or lost so that hot water leaks again. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a faucet and a spout thereof to solve the above-mentioned problem. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a faucet including a base introducing hot water and cold water, an outer tube for cold water to flow through, an inner tube for hot water to flow through, a cold water discharge controller determining whether cold water flows out of the outer tube, a hot water discharge controller determining whether hot water flows out of the inner tube, and a spout. The outer tube includes an outer tube inlet connected to the base and an outer tube outlet in communication with the outer tube inlet. The inner tube is disposed within the outer tube and includes an inner tube inlet connected to the base and an inner tube outlet in communication with the inner tube inlet. Both the cold water discharge controller and the hot water discharge controller are disposed in the base. The spout includes an upper portion connected to the outer tube outlet and a lower portion extending downward from the upper portion. The lower portion has a first channel that is only in communication with the outer tube, a second channel that is only in communication with the inner tube, and a spacer portion separating the first and second channels. 
     In one embodiment, both the first and second channels extend vertically. Or in another embodiment, both the first and second channels extend obliquely. Or in another embodiment, one of the first and second channels extends vertically, while the other extends obliquely. 
     Furthermore, the upper portion of the spout has a slot receiving the outer tube outlet. The lower portion of the spout has an enlarged space with an inner diameter greater than that of the slot. The enlarged space is in communication with the slot. The enlarged space connects with an upper opening of the first channel. The inner tube outlet passes through the enlarged space and is connected to an upper groove of the second channel. 
     A hollow connector and an O-ring are provided at the inner tube outlet. The hollow connector includes a first section and a second section having a greater diameter than the first section. The first section is engaged in the inner tube outlet. The second section is engaged in the upper groove. The O-ring is tightly engaged with the second section and the upper groove. 
     The present invention further provides a spout of a faucet including an upper portion and a lower portion extending downward from the upper portion. The upper portion has a slot. The lower portion includes a first channel and a second channel that are in communication with the slot, and a spacer portion separating the first and second channels. 
     In one embodiment, both the first and second channels extend vertically. Or in another embodiment, both the first and second channels extend obliquely. Or in another embodiment, one of the first and second channels extends vertically, while the other extends obliquely. 
     Furthermore, the lower portion has an enlarged space with an inner diameter greater than that of the slot. The enlarged space is in communication with the slot. The enlarged space is in communication with an upper opening of the first channel. The enlarged space is in communication with an upper groove of the second channel. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective exploded view of the present invention; 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view of the tubes and the spout which are disassembled; 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional view of the tubes and the spout which are assembled; 
         FIGS.  5 ( a ) to  5 ( c )  illustrate cross-sectional views of various spouts in the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIGS.  1  and  2    show a preferred embodiment of a faucet of the present invention including a base  1 , a cold water discharge controller  21 , a hot water discharge controller  22 , an outer tube  31 , an inner tube  32  and a spout  4 . 
     The base  1  is provided with appropriate channels (not shown in the figures) for introducing cold water into the outer tube  31  and introducing hot water into the inner tube  32 . In a case that the base  1  is connected to a drinking water dispenser with an expansion chamber and a Venturi effect orifice block, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,782, cold water filtered by a filter is controlled by the cold water discharge controller  21  to be discharged via the outer tube  31  while hot water heated by a heater is controlled by the hot water discharge controller  22  to be discharged via the inner tube  32 . 
     The cold and hot water discharge controllers  21 ,  22  are both disposed in the base  1 . In this embodiment, mechanical controllers driven by handles are used. A cold water switch handle  211  is configured to control cold water to be discharged via the outer tube  31 , and a hot water switch handle  221  is configured to control hot water to be discharged via the inner tube  32 . However, electrical controllers with touch or infrared sensor may be used. 
     The outer tube  31  has an outer tube inlet  311  and an outer tube outlet  312  in communication with the outer tube inlet  311 . The outer tube inlet  311  is connected to the base  1  for cold water to pass through. The inner tube  32  is disposed within the outer tube  31  and has an inner tube inlet  321  and an inner tube outlet  322  in communication with the inner tube inlet  321 . The inner tube inlet  321  is connected to the base  1  for hot water to pass through. In this embodiment, the outer tube  31  is a hard metal tube made of copper or stainless steel while the inner tube  32  is a soft tube made of plastic, rubber or silicone. However, the inner tube  32  may be harder than the above-mentioned soft tubes. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  3  and  4   , the spout includes an upper portion  41  and a lower portion  42  extending downward from the upper portion  41 . 
     The upper portion  41  is connected to the outer tube outlet  312 . The lower portion  42  including a first channel  43 , a second channel  44  and a spacer portion  423 . The first channel  43  is only in communication with the outer tube  31  via the outer tube outlet  312 . The second channel  44  is only in communication with the inner tube  32  via the inner tube outlet  322 . The spacer portion  423  separates the first channel  43  and the second channel  44  to ensure independence therebetween. 
     In a case that the hot water discharge controller  22  is turned on, hot water  920  introduced by the base  1  passes through the inner tube  32  and the second channel  44 , and then flows out of the spout  4 . Conversely, the hot water  920  is stopped from being discharged. In a case that the cold water discharge controller  21  is turned on, cold water  910  introduced by the base  1  passes through the outer tube  31  and the first channel  43 , and then flows out of the spout  4 . Conversely, cold water  910  is stopped from being discharged. 
     With the spacer portion  423  separating the first channel  43  and the second channel  44 , it is noted that cold water  910  and hot water  920  are spaced apart by a gap G after being discharged. Although the expansion chamber and the Venturi effect orifice block generate suction for hot water  920  in the second channel  44  when the hot water discharge controller  22  is turned off, cold water  910  still will not be sucked into the second channel  44  as a result of the gap G, keeping cold water  910  away from hot water  920 , in a specific case that the cold water discharge controller  21  is turned on right after the hot water discharge controller  22  is turned off. Cold water  910 , therefore, will not flow back to the inner tube  32  and the hot water tank along with hot water  920 , avoiding the expansion chamber to be filled with water. Accordingly, problem of lowering or losing of suction ability of the expansion chamber is solved. 
     In this embodiment, as shown in  FIG.  4   , the second channel  44  extends vertically while the first channel  43  extends obliquely with an outlet  431  being closer to the second channel  44 . Moreover, various configurations of the first channel and the second channel in the spout are provided. Referring to  FIG.  5 ( a ) , the first channel  43  extends vertically while the second channel  44  extends obliquely with an outlet  441  being closer to the first channel  43 . Referring to  FIG.  5 ( b ) , the first channel  43  extends obliquely with an outlet  431  being closer to the second channel  44  while the second channel  44  extends obliquely with an outlet  441  being closer to the first channel  43 . Referring to  FIG.  5 ( c ) , both of the first channel  43  and the second channel  44  extend vertically. 
     With any one of the spout structures above-mentioned, cold water  910  and hot water  920  are always spaced apart by the gap G after being discharged due to the spacer portion  423  so that cold water  910  will not be sucked into the second channel  44 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  3  and  4   , a slot  411  and an enlarged space  412  with an inner diameter greater than that of the slot  411  are further provided in the upper portion  41 of the spout  4 . The slot  411  receives the outer tube outlet  312 . In this embodiment, both of the outer tube outlet  312  and the slot  411  have threads  310 ,  410  so that the outer tube outlet  312  is screwed into the slot  411 . But connection between the outer tube outlet  312  and the slot  411  is not limited as thread. 
     The enlarged space  412  is in communication with the slot  411 . On the other hand, the enlarged space  412  is in communication with the first channel  43  via an upper opening  432 . The enlarged space  412 , accordingly, gathers cold water discharged from the outer tube outlet  312  and discharges through the first channel  43 . The inner tube outlet  322  penetrates the enlarged space  412  from top to bottom and connects to an upper groove  442  of the second channel  44  (with a hollow connector  34  described as following) so that the inner tube  32  is positioned in the outer tube  31 . An annular passage  30  is formed between the inner tube  32  and the outer tube  31  for water flowing. 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , the hollow connector  34  with a first section  341  and a second section  342  is secured to the inner tube outlet  322 . The first section  341  is inserted into and is engaged with the inner tube outlet  322 . The second section  342  is inserted into and is engaged with the upper groove  442  of the second channel  44 . An O-ring  343  is provided around the second section  342  to be tightly engaged with the second section  342  and the upper groove  442  for sealing. The hollow connector  34  is preferably but not limited to be made of copper or stainless steel.