GB2204383A

GB2204383A - Three way faucet

Info

Publication number: GB2204383A
Application number: GB08710835A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jen Yueh Fan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-05-07
Filing date: 1987-05-07
Publication date: 1988-11-09
Also published as: GB8710835D0

Abstract

A three-way faucet comprises a water housing 1 having a water inlet cavity 12, a faucet outlet cavity 13 and a shower outlet connection 11. A stem 5 with a control head 53 is slideable between the shower connection 11, the water inlet cavity 12 and the faucet cavity 13. The stem control head 53 has two lower water passages 54A and 54B and two upper water passages 55A and 55B which respectively control flow of water into the shower connection 11 and the faucet cavity 13, depending on their vertical position. The upper end of the stem 5 is slidably retained in a sleeve cover 2, 24, which also serves to support and guide a handle 6. The handle 6 is pulled straight up and down, but can also be snapped into the central off position shown by means of two spring-loaded steel balls 22 engaging in two corresponding concavities 52 on the stem 5. In the off position, the stem 5 can be locked by rotating handle 6, a protruberance 25 on the coving then sliding in a horizontal slot on the stem 5, the protruberance 25 sliding in a vertical stem slot 51 during actuation. <IMAGE>

Description

TREE WAY FAUCET This invention relates to a three way faucet wllich can be directly used to control water flow to either a frontal faucet or a shower connection, and which in normal (central) position is OFF between the two abovestated positions. Previous faucets controlled the flow of water to either a frontal faucet or a shower connection, but not to both. Also, previous faucets did not "snap" into the OFF position so as to let the user know that the handle is in optimum position. Also, previous handles could not lock into OFF position so that the e handle could not be inadver tantly knocked out of position.

It is the purpose of this present invention, therefore, to mitigate and/or obviate tiie above- mentioned drawbacks in the manner set forth hereinbelow, witll reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention: FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention, shown in OFF position; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention shown in position 'A', wherein water is flowing to the frontal faucet; and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention shown in position 'B', wherein water is lowing to the shower connectioi.

Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that ttie present invention comprises a water housing 1, a sleeve 2 and a handle 6. The handle 6 is vertically adjustable, and does not require turning, except to be locked into OFF position. There are three positions for the present invention, namely: positions A, B, and OFF. Position A, the frontal faucet ON position, is shown in FIG. 3. Position B, the shower connection ON position, is shown in FIG. 4. The OFF position is shown in, FIG. 2. These three positions will be explained more rigorously below.

Now referring to FIG. 2, the OFF position of the present faucet can be seen. The inside of the water lousing 1 comprises a water inlet cavity 12, a faucet cavity 13, and a threadably engagable (screw-in) shower connection 11. The handle 6 is connected (by a screw) to a stem 5 which in turn has a stem control head 53 slideably adjustable between the shower connection, the water inlet cavity 12 and the frontal faucet cavity 13.

The upper portion of the stem 5 is slideably retained in a sleeve 2. There are two concavities 52 on the stem 5 (however, only one of the concavities can be seen in FIG. 3 and 4) . The concavities 52 are engageable with corresponding spring-loaded steel balls 22. The spring 21 therein is loaded against the sleeve cover 24. The sleeve cover 24 also serves to guide and align the handle 6 as it is urged upwards and downwards. The user can feel the steel balls 22 snap into the concavities 52. At this point, the handle 6 may be rotated counterclockwise (CCW) so as to lock the stem 5 in place on the protruberance 25. The protruberance 25 is stationary, as is the rest of the sleeve cover 24 (and sleeve 2).Since the vertical position of the horizontal stem slot is already properly fixed by the steel balls 22 and the concavities 52, there is no line-up problem to worry about. To unlock, simply turn the handle 6 back in the clockwise (cow) direction until the balls 22 and the concavities 52 reengage. Note that the balls 22 and concavities 52 disengage when the handle 6 is first put in locked position. Therefore, one of the concavities can be seen in FIG. 3 (front faucet ON position) and FIG. 4 (shower connection ON position) . Although the seconci concavity and corresponding spring and steel ball cannot be seen in the drawings, the operating principles therein are exactly the same as those shown in the drawings.

It should be noted that the water inlet could be separated into two compartments (left and right, as seen in FIG. 2). This is useful for presetting the temperature of the water when desired. For example, the hot water knob could control input into the right side and the cold water knob could control input into t0( left side. The first time the user uses this me hod, he would have to first put the handle 6 in position A or B. Then lie could adjust the hot and cold knobs as desired. One improvement of the present invention over the prior art lies in the fact that to turn off the flow of water, the handle need only be put into OFF position. It is not necessary to turn the individual knobs off again.Also, another inherent advantage is the next time the user wants to use the faucet, he does not have to readjust the faucet. In other words, the next time the us er wants to use water of the same temperature, he simply pulls up or pushes down on the handle 6, which is convenient since in that case all adjustment would have been predetermined.

Even the flow rate would have been previously adjusted. These convenient features could be summarized and labeled as presetable one-step temperature and flow adjustment means.

Referring now to FIG. 3r the present invention can be seen in front faucet ON position. In this position, the handle 6 has been pushed down from OFF position by the user. Accordingly, the stem control head 53 is pushed down so that water flows from the water inlet cavity 12 through the upper water passages 55A and 55B to the faucet cavity 13. Obviously, no water can flow through the shower connection 11 in this position.

In FIG. 4, the handle is shown in the shower connection OM position. In this position, water can flow freely from the water inlet cavity 12 through the lower water passages 54A and 54B to the shower connection 11. The passage to the faucet cavity is, of course, cut off completely under these circumstances.

It is significant to note that the stem 5 slides up and down and is kept in line by protruberance 25, which guides the stem slot 51. Only when the present invention is in OFF position (see FIG. 2) can the handle 6 be rotated so as to be locked into place vertically. In all other situations, the movement of the handle 6 and stem 5 is vertical. If, for example, the handle 6 and stem 5 are moved down from the position shown in FIG. 4, then the two concavities 52 will eventually engage with the two steel balls 22, respectively. This, in turn, lets the user know that the stem 5 is in OFF position (since he can feel the engagement of the steel ball) and that he may elect to lock the handle 6 by turning it CCW (to the position seen in FIG. 2). This is the only position in which the handle can be rotated to lock because it is the only position in which the horizontal stem slot 56 and the protruberance 52 line up so as to allow rotation of the stem 5.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention without departing from the scope of the invention, it is t-o be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus it will be appreciated that the drawings are exemplary of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. A three way faucet comprising: A) a water housing, said water housing having a water inlet cavity, a faucet cavity and a threadably engageable shower connection; B) a stem, said stem having a vertical stem slot and a horizontal stem slot, said stem also being connected to a handle; C) a sleeve, said sleeve fitting into the top of said water housing7 said sleeve having at least one spring-loaded steel ball therein for respective engagement with a corresponding number of concavities on said stem; D) a sleeve cover which retains the springs of said spring-loaded steel balls, said sleeve cover also having a prot ruberance whictl slideably fits into said vertical stem slot or horizontal stem slot, said protruberance aligning and guiding the stem;; E) a stem control head, said stem control head having a multiplicity of upper and lower water passages respectively on the upper and lower end thereof, said upper water passages allowing flow of water from said water inlet cavity to said faucet cavity when a handle urges said stem head downwards, and said lower water passages allowing flow of water from said water inlet cavity to said shower connection when said handle urges said stem upwards.

2. A three way faucet, as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that the water inlet cavity therein is divided into a hot compartment and a cold compartment, said compartments being controllable by hot and cold water knobs and also by said handle so as to allow for presettable one-step temperature and flow adjustment.

3. A three way faucet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.