Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an energy saving faucet of the single handle mixing valve type. 
     A conventional single handle mixing valve type faucet has a housing having a valve cartridge located therein. The valve cartridge has an actuating stem movable along a substantially vertical flow-control axis for varying the water flow rate between a no water flow rate (full off) and a maximum water flow rate (full on), and movable along a substantially horizontal temperature-control axis for varying the temperature of the water flow from cold water only to hot water only. A handle is connected to the actuating stem to allow a user to manipulate the stem along its flow-control axis with an up-and-down (vertical) motion of the handle, and to manipulate the stem along its temperature-control axis with a back-and-forth (horizontal) motion of the handle. 
     In use, the user of such a single handle mixing valve type faucet will typically turn off the water flowing from the faucet by vertically lowering the handle at some position intermediate the cold water only and the hot water only positions of the actuating stem. The next time the faucet is used, the user typically will merely raise the handle vertically upwards from the position in which it was left from the prior use thereby causing a mixture of hot and cold water to exit the faucet, which results in drawing unneeded hot water from the hot water heater with a resultant waste of electric energy. 
     It would be desirable to provide a faucet which allows a faucet of the single handle mixing valve type to be turned off and on only when the handle is in the cold water only position to thereby eliminate unneeded usage of hot water with its resultant electric energy wastage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a faucet of the single handle mixing valve type which allows it to be turned off and on only when the handle is in the cold water only position to thereby eliminate unneeded usage of hot water with its resultant electric energy wastage. 
     The energy saving faucet of the present invention includes a housing having a domed housing cap and a valve cartridge located within the housing. 
     The valve cartridge has a valve actuating stem movable along a vertical flow-control axis for varying water flow rate between no water flow rate and a maximum water flow rate. The valve actuating stem is also movable along a horizontal temperature-control axis for varying temperature of the water flow from cold water only to hot water only. 
     A handle assembly is connected to the actuating stem to allow a user to manipulate the stem along its vertical flow-control axis and to manipulate the stem along its horizontal temperature-control axis. The handle assembly has a grip portion and a socket portion. The socket portion slidingly engages the domed housing cap. 
     A recess extends substantially vertically along the outer surface of the domed housing cap. 
     A releasable stop member extends outwardly from the interior of the socket portion of the handle assembly, and is adapted to engage the recess when the grip portion of the handle assembly is moved along the vertical flow-control axis in its cold water only, position. The releasable stop member is adapted to release such engagement only upon application of a force along the horizontal temperature-control axis in the direction of the hot water only position. 
     A ramp is located along the lower periphery of the domed housing cap outside of the cold water only position, and is adapted to contact the releasable stop member to prevent said grip portion from being lowered into a full off position except when the faucet handle is in the cold water only position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a prior art faucet of the single handle mixing valve type; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of a prior art faucet of the single handle mixing valve type; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing various water flow rates and water temperatures that can be selected with a prior art faucet of the single handle mixing valve type; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional partial view of the handle portion of a prior art faucet of the single handle mixing valve type; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional partial view of a preferred embodiment of the handle and upper housing portion of the improved single handle mixing valve type faucet of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional partial view of alternative embodiments of the handle and upper housing portion of the improved single handle mixing valve type faucet of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram showing various water flow rates and water temperatures that can or cannot be selected with the improved single handle mixing valve type faucet of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric view of the upper housing portion of the improved single handle mixing valve type faucet of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a horizontal section taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a vertical section taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show the exterior configuration of a conventional single handle mixing valve type faucet  10 , the exterior configuration of the single handle mixing valve type faucet  110  of the present invention being substantially the same. 
     The single handle mixing valve type-faucet  10  includes a base  12 , a housing  14 , a valve cartridge  16  located within housing  14 , a valve adjustment stem  18  extending upwardly from valve cartridge  16 , a spout  20 , and a handle assembly  30 . Handle assembly  30  includes a grip portion  32  and a socket portion  34 . 
     The upper end of housing  14  is a domed cap  15  having a central circular opening  17  through which stem  18  passes. Socket portion  32  of handle assembly  30  fits over and slidingly engages the outer surface of domed cap  15  in a manner well known in the art. 
     Valve cartridge  16  can be any conventional valve mechanism used with single handle mixing valve type faucets, and has hot and cold water inlet ports (not shown) and a mixed water outlet port (not shown) communicating with the water passageway located within spout  20 . 
     The inner end of valve adjustment stem  18  is connected to valve cartridge  16  in the manner used with the particular type of conventional valve mechanism employed. The outer end of valve adjustment stem  18  is connected to handle  30  in any manner used in the art. 
       FIG. 3  shows schematically the various temperatures and flow rates achievable with the conventional single handle mixing valve type faucet  10  during use, with the various zones corresponding to the position of handle  30 . 
     Zones A, B, and C represent solely cold water flow, with zone A representing a zero cold water flow rate (off), zone C representing a maximum cold water flow rate, and zone B representing solely cold water flow at a rate intermediate zero and maximum cold water flow rates. 
     Zones G, H, and I represent solely hot water flow, with zone G representing zero hot water flow rate, zone I representing maximum hot water flow rate, and zone H representing a solely hot water flow rate intermediate zero and maximum hot water flow rates. 
     Zones D, E, and F represent water flow having a temperature intermediate that of solely hot or solely cold water, i.e., warm water. Zone D represents zero warm water flow rate, zone F represents maximum warm water flow rate, and zone E represents a warm water flow rate intermediate zero and maximum water flow rates. 
     When a user of conventional faucet  10  is finished with his or her use and desires to turn it off, the typical user will merely bring the handle  30  vertically downward until flow stops. Quite often the handle is located in warm water zone E or F or hot water zone H or I during use, and ends up in zone D or G upon shutoff. Thus, the next time faucet  10  is turned on, the handle  30  will be moved vertically upward from its shutoff position in zone D or G into either zone E or H, thereby immediately communicating the faucet with the hot water source even though hot water may not be desired. 
       FIGS. 5-10  illustrate the single handle mixing valve type faucet  110  of the present invention, the reference numbers of parts identical to those of the conventional single handle mixing valve type faucet  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4  being the same but increased by 100 ( FIG. 5 ) or 200 ( FIG. 6 ) or 300 ( FIG. 6 ). 
     The single handle mixing valve type faucet  110  includes a base (not shown but can be identical to base  12  of the conventional faucet shown in  FIG. 1 ), a housing  114 , a valve cartridge  116  located within housing  114 , a valve adjustment stem  118  extending upwardly from valve cartridge  116 , a spout (not shown but can be identical to spout  20  of the conventional faucet shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), and a handle assembly  130 : 
     Handle assembly  130  includes a grip portion  132  and a socket portion  134 . 
     The upper end of housing  114  is a domed cap  115  having a central circular opening  117  through which passes a valve stem  118 . Handle assembly  130  has an outer socket portion  132  which fits over and slidingly engages the outer surface of domed cap  115 . 
     Valve cartridge  116  can be any conventional valve mechanism used with single handle mixing valve type faucets, and has hot and cold water inlet ports (not shown) and a mixed water outlet port (not shown) communicating with the water passageway located within the spout (not shown). 
     The inner end of valve adjustment stem  118  is connected to valve cartridge  116  in the manner used with the particular type of conventional valve mechanism employed. The outer end of valve adjustment stem  118  is connected to handle assembly  130  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , or in any other manner used in the art. 
     A cylindrical opening  140  is located in that part of socket portion  134  of handle assembly  130  adjacent the inner end of grip portion  132 . A releasable stop member is located within opening  140 . Preferably the releasable stop member includes a ball bearing  142  and attached spring  144 . Spring  144  is positioned within cylindrical opening  140 , and urges ball bearing  142  outwardly, as shown. 
     A recess  150  extends vertically upward from the base of domed cap  115  to the centrally located opening  117 , and is positioned so that when the grip portion  132  of handle  130  turned to the cold water only position, and regardless of flow rate, ball bearing  142  is urged into contact with the wall of recess  150  by the force of spring  144 . 
     When grip portion  132  of handle assembly  130  is vertically raised to turn on the water, ball bearing  142 , being urged into contact with the wall of recess  150  by spring  144 , resists grip portion  132  from being inadvertently turned horizontally, thereby preventing hot water from being introduced into valve  116 . 
     If warm or hot water is needed, sufficient horizontal force must be applied to grip portion  132  in the direction of the hot water only zone to overcome the compression resistance of spring  144  and thereby cause ball bearing  142  to retract out of contact with the wall of recess  150 . Recess  150  can be substantially L-shaped in cross-section, as shown, or any other suitable cross-sectional shape, such as semi-circular. 
     A ramp  160  slopes downwardly around the lower peripheral portion of domed cap  115  from the hot water only zone H ( FIG. 7 ) to the intersection of cold water only zone A (no flow) and cold water only zone B (intermediate flow). 
     If during use the grip portion  132  of the handle  130  is positioned outside the cold water only zones A, B, or C, any attempt to turn off the faucet by lowering grip portion will fail as ball bearing  142  will come into contact with ramp  160 , thereby preventing further downward movement of the handle. 
     In order to complete turning off the faucet the user must turn the grip portion  132  to one of the cold water only flow zones B or C to cause ball bearing  142  to come into contact with recess  150  and out of contact with ramp  160 , thereby allowing the grip portion  132  to be vertically lowered into the cold water only no flow zone A and the flow stopped. The slope of ramp  160  is adapted to guide movement of grip portion  132  from an on position in zones H or E to the to the off position in zone A. 
       FIG. 7  schematically illustrates the operation of faucet  110  of the present invention. Since faucet  110  cannot be shut off in any position except zone A (cold water only, no flow), a user desiring to turn the faucet on is forced to raise the grip portion  132  vertically upward into cold water only zones B or C. Ball bearing  142  is in contact with the wall of recess  150  which resists inadvertently turning the grip portion horizontally into a warm water zone. When only cold water is desired, the faucet can be turned off by merely moving grip portion  132  vertically downward into zone A (cold water only, no flow). 
     If warm or hot water is desired the user must apply enough horizontal force in the direction of the hot water zones to cause spring  144  to compress and remove ball bearing  142  from contact with the wall of recess  150 . 
     When the user is finished and desires to turn off the water, downward movement of the grip portion  132  in any zone but cold water only zones B and C will bring ball bearing  142  into contact with ramp  160  and prevent the water from being shut off. In order to complete shutting off the water the user must move the grip portion  132  rightward into one of cold water only zones B or C, and then continue downward movement of the grip portion into cold water only no flow zone A. 
       FIG. 6  shows two alternative embodiments relating to the placement of the releasable stop member (i.e., ball bearing  142  and spring  144 ), recess  150  and ramp  160 . 
     In a first alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 , the releasable stop member is moved 180 degrees around socket portion  234  of handle assembly  230 , as shown by ball bearing  242  and spring  244 . An associated recess and ramp (not shown) located on domed cap  215  would similarly be moved to function in the same manner as recess  150  and ramp  160  function relative to the releasable stop member (i.e., ball bearing  142  and spring  144 ) of  FIG. 5 . 
     In a second alternative embodiment (shown in phantom in  FIG. 6 ), the releasable stop member comprised of ball bearing  342  and spring  344  are located in a cylindrical opening  340  in domed cap  215 , and an associated recess and ramp (not shown) would be located in the underside of socket portion  234  of handle assembly  230  in that area located below grip portion  232  to function in the same manner as recess  150  and ramp  160  function relative to the releasable stop member (i.e., ball bearing  142  and spring  144 ) of  FIG. 5 . 
     It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments of this invention without departing from the underlying principles thereof. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.

Technology Category: 4