Patent Abstract:
An accessory is easily attached to a faucet and is easily manipulated to increase the pressure of water flowing from the faucet. The accessory includes two plates, one of which is movable relative to the other one. Each plate has a plurality of water flow holes through which water from the faucet can flow. In one position, water from the faucet will flow through only one hole, thereby having a high pressure; while in a second position, water can flow through a plurality of holes thereby having a lower pressure. A handle is provided to move one plate with respect to the other plate.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the general art of sinks, and to the particular field of accessories for sink faucets. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   After using a sink to shave, to brush teeth, or the like, many people like to clean either the sink itself or the device used. A stream of water is generally used to effect this cleaning. 
   However, in order to efficiently clean a razor, or a toothbrush or the sink, the stream of water should be more powerful than the normal stream of water. To this end, many people either turn the water flow up or place their finger over the faucet to increase the pressure of the water flowing out of the faucet. While this is somewhat effective, it is not entirely satisfactory. 
   Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that can be used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet. 
   While some kitchen sinks have spray nozzles, such devices are not satisfactory for use with a bathroom sink. Still further, such devices are not designed to be used for the cleaning process described above. 
   Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that can be used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   While such an accessory is desirable, it should be easily attached and retro-fit onto an existing faucet to be most effective. If the accessory is difficult or expensive to install, it will not be commercially successful. 
   Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that can be easily installed and used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   Still further, once installed, the accessory should be easy to use. Since the accessory will be used by young children as well as older people who may not have full control of their hands, if the device is difficult to use, it will not be successful. 
   Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that can be easily installed and easily used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   Some accessories associated with kitchen sinks may be messy if they are not properly used. For example, if a spray nozzle is mis-directed, it can spray water in undesired directions. Since a bathroom sink may be used by people with impaired manual dexterity, such a situation is possible. 
   Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that can be easily installed and easily, precisely and accurately used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   Still further, when a person wishes to clean a razor, or a toothbrush, or the sink or the like, that person often simply turns the faucet up as high as it will go. This increases the volume of water flowing through the faucet. However, this may waste water since it is the pressure of the water that is being used to effect the cleaning and not the volume of water. Thus, it is not volume that is desired for this procedure, but water pressure. 
   Therefore, there is a need for an accessory that can be used to increase water pressure without the need of increasing the flow volume of water flowing from a faucet. 
   PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a main object of the present invention to provide an accessory that can be used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory that can be used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory that can be easily installed and used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory that can be easily installed and easily used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory that can be easily installed and easily, precisely and accurately used to increase the pressure of water flowing from a faucet of a bathroom sink. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide an accessory that can be used to increase water pressure without the need of increasing the flow volume of water flowing from a faucet. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   These, and other, objects are achieved by an accessory for use on a bathroom faucet. The accessory includes two plates, one of which is movable relative to the other one. Each plate has a plurality of water flow holes through which water from the faucet can flow. In one position, water from the faucet will flow through only one hole, thereby having a high pressure; while in a second position, water can flow through a plurality of holes thereby having a lower pressure. A handle is used to move one plate with respect to the other plate. 
   Using the accessory embodying the present invention will permit a person to easily increase the pressure of water flowing out of the faucet of a bathroom sink to clean devices as well as to clean the sink itself. The accessory is easily installed and easy and accurate to use so it can be used by nearly anyone. A power flow can also be effected without increasing the flow volume of fluid through the faucet thereby conserving water or the like. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a faucet adapter unit embodying the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of two plate elements used in the faucet adapter unit shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3A  is a top plan view of one of the two plate elements shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 3B  is a top plan view of one of the two plate elements shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a plan view of the two plate elements in a power flow position. 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of the two plates in a soft flow position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
   Referring to the Figures, it can be understood that the present invention is embodied in an accessory  10  that can be used on a faucet of a bathroom sink to modify the flow rate and flow pressure of water flowing out of the faucet to achieve the above-stated objectives. 
   Accessory  10  comprises tubular housing  12  which is attached to an outlet end of a faucet F and which includes a first end  14  which is a proximal end when tubular housing  12  is mounted on a faucet, a second end  16  which is a distal end and which is an outlet end when tubular housing  12  is mounted on a faucet, a cylindrical wall  18  which connects first end  14  to second end  16 , and a longitudinal axis  20  which extends between first end  14  and second end  16 . Housing  12  is cylindrical and is sized according to the size of the outlet end of a faucet. 
   A bore  30  is defined between first end  14  and second end  16  with fluid from the faucet flowing through bore  30  when accessory  10  is in use. 
   Housing  12  further includes an outside surface  32  on wall  18  and an inside surface  34  on the wall  18 . 
   A threaded area  36  is located on inside surface  34  and extends from adjacent to first end  14  toward second end  16 . The threaded area  36  is designed to threadably couple housing  12  to the exit end of a faucet in a manner known to those skilled in the art. 
   A slot  40  is defined through wall  18  adjacent to threaded area  36 . 
   A handle mount  42  is located on outside surface  32  of wall  18  adjacent to slot  40 . 
   A first plate  50  includes a first surface  52  which is an upstream surface when first plate  50  is in use, a second surface  54  which is a downstream surface when first plate  50  is in use, and an outer perimeter  56  connecting first surface  52  to second surface  54 . 
   First plate  50  includes a plurality of flow holes, such as flow hole  60 , defined therethrough and which fluidically connect first surface  52  to second surface  54 . The plurality of holes defined through first plate  50  further include one centrally located flow hole  62 . 
   A handle  70  is attached to the outer perimeter  56  of the first plate  50  and includes a first arm  72  having a first end  74  attached to outer perimeter  56  of first plate  50 , a second end  76  spaced apart from first end  74 , and a pivot pin  78  attached to the first arm  72  and pivotally mounted in handle mount  42  of tubular housing  12 . 
   Handle  70  further includes a second arm  80  having a first end  82  attached to outer perimeter  56  of first plate  50 , a second end  84  spaced apart from first end  82 . A pivot pin  86  is attached to second arm  80  to be co-linear with pivot pin  78  and is pivotally mounted in handle mount  42  of tubular housing  12 . 
   Second arm  80  is spaced apart from first arm  72 . 
   A connecting section  90  connects second end  76  of first arm  72  to second end  84  of second arm  80 . 
   It is to be understood that handle  70  can be one-piece if desired. 
   Handle  70  is pivotally mounted on handle mount  42  to move in the direction of longitudinal axis  20  of tubular housing  12  as indicated by double-headed arrow  92  between a first position and a second position, with the second position being closer to second end  16  of tubular housing  12  than the first position. 
   First plate  50  is movably mounted on tubular housing  12  to extend across bore  30  and to move in association with handle  70  between a first position shown in  FIG. 5  with the flow holes and the centrally located flow hole  62  in a first location, and a second position shown in  FIG. 4  with the flow holes and centrally located flow hole  62  in a second position which is spaced apart from the first position. 
   Accessory  10  further includes a second plate  100  which includes a first surface  102  which is an upstream surface when second plate  100  is in use, a second surface  104  which is a downstream surface when second plate  100  is in use, and an outer perimeter  106  which connects first surface  102  to second surface  104 . 
   Second plate  100  further includes a plurality of flow holes, such as flow hole  110 , defined therethrough and which fluidically connect first surface  102  to second surface  104 . Second plate  100  further includes one centrally located flow hole  112 . 
   Second plate  100  is mounted on tubular housing  12  to extend across bore  30  and is located adjacent to first plate  50 . 
   As can be understood from  FIGS. 4 and 5 , flow holes  60  defined through first plate  50  are aligned with flow holes  110  defined through second plate  100  to fluidically connect first surface  52  of first plate  50  to second surface  104  of second plate  100  via the aligned flow holes when first plate  50  is in the first position shown in  FIG. 5 . In the first position, centrally located flow hole  62  of first plate  50  is spaced from centrally located flow hole  112  of second plate  100 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , flow holes  60  defined through first plate  50  are spaced apart from flow holes  110  defined through second plate  100  when first plate  50  is in the second position, and centrally located flow hole  62  of first plate  50  is aligned with centrally located flow hole  112  of second plate  100  to fluidically connect first surface  52  of first plate  50  to second surface  104  of second plate  100  via the aligned centrally located holes when first plate  50  is in the second position. 
   Since the first position has more flow holes aligned than in the second position of first plate  50 , flow pressure of fluid flowing out of a faucet will be lower than when the first plate is in the second position with only two flow holes aligned. For this reason, the first position of first plate  50  can be referred to as the soft flow position and the second position of first plate  50  can be referred to as the power flow position. 
   Use of accessory  10  can be understood from the teaching of the foregoing disclosure and thus will not be discussed in detail. During normal use of a faucet, handle  70  is placed in a position to orient first plate  50  in the soft flow position shown in  FIG. 5  whereby fluid flowing from the faucet flows at a low water pressure. However, if a sink or an element is to be cleaned, handle  70  is moved to move first plate  50  into the power flow position shown in  FIG. 4  in which fluid flowing from the faucet must all pass through the aligned central flow holes  62  and  112 . Since only two holes are aligned, all of the water that would normally flow through all of the aligned flow holes  60  and  110  must now pass through only two aligned holes. This will increase the water pressure and permit a power cleaning to be effected. 
   The handle  70  can be locked in either position if desired, and the accessory can be mounted on a swivel so it can be moved with respect to the outlet end of the faucet if desired. 
   It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4