Patent ID: 7077299

Claim:
A faucet comprising: (A) a valve body having a bore that has axially aligned inlet and outlet ports and having a seat disposed adjacent said outlet port; (B) a shank to which the valve body is connected, said shank having an inlet, an outlet opening into said inlet of said valve body, and an interior passage having at least a downstream portion that terminates at said outlet of said shank and that is radially aligned with and that opens into said inlet port of said valve body; (C) a plunger disposed in said valve body between said inlet port and said outlet port, wherein said plunger has an upstream end and a downstream, free end, and wherein said plunger is moveable axially within said bore, in a direction parallel to fluid flow, from a valve-open position to a valve-closed position, an extension being located on said upstream end of said plunger and having a free upstream end that forms said free end of said plunger and that extends into said downstream portion of said passage in said shank when said plunger is in both said valve-open position and said valve-closed position; and (D) a valve seal mounted on said plunger, wherein said seal seals against said seat when said plunger is in said valve-closed position and is spaced from said seat when said plunger is in said valve-open position, and wherein at least a majority of said plunger is configured to be immersed in fluid in said bore when said plunger is in said valve closed position.