SANITARY SINGLE-HANDLE WATER FAUCET

ROBINET SANITAIRE MITIGEUR

English Abstract

A single-handle water faucet comprises a hollow base which mounts on the top-back portion of a sink, a valve assembly, a handle for controlling the flow rate of water and the temperature mix of water, a spout securely attached to the valve assembly and extending upwardly from the top end of the valve assembly, and a nozzle for discharging water. The handle is positioned below the nozzle so that the water discharged from the nozzle can be directed to the handle and sprayed onto the handle by hand in order to facilitate the cleaning of the handle during a hand-wash session. In one embodiment of the invention, the handle is axially rotatable. In another embodiment of the invention, the handle is pivotally movable. This invention relates to water faucets, and the principal use of the invention is for bathrooms, kitchens and lavatories.

French Abstract

Un robinet mitigeur comprend une base creuse qui s'installe sur la partie supérieure arrière d'un évier, un robinet, une poignée pour contrôler le débit de l'eau et la combinaison de température de l'eau, un bec solidement fixé au robinet et se prolongeant vers le haut à partir de l'extrémité supérieure du robinet et une buse pour évacuer l'eau. La poignée est positionnée sous la buse afin que l'eau évacuée par la buse puisse être dirigée vers la poignée et projetée sur la poignée à la main afin de faciliter le nettoyage de la poignée durant une séance de lavage des mains. Dans une réalisation de l'invention, la poignée est rotative sur le plan axial. Dans une autre réalisation de l'invention, la poignée est mobile par pivotement. Cette invention porte sur des robinets d'eau, et l'utilisation principale de l'invention est pour les salles de bain, les cuisines et les toilettes.

Claims

Claims
.cndot. The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A single-handle water faucet, comprising:
~ a hollow base which mounts on the top-back portion of a
sink;
~ a valve assembly for setting the flow rate of water and
the temperature mix of water, the valve assembly
securely mounted on the hollow base, the valve assembly
comprising:
~ an inlet port for hot water;
~ an inlet port for cold water; and
~ an outlet port for mixed water;
~ a handle for controlling the flow rate of water and the
temperature mix of water, the handle having a proximate
end and a distal end, the proximate end of the handle
operably attached to the valve assembly;
~ a spout securely attached to the valve assembly and
extending upwardly from the top end of the valve
assembly, the spout having fluid communication with the
outlet port of the valve assembly; and
~ a nozzle for discharging water, the nozzle securely
attached to the distal end of the spout, the nozzle
having fluid communication with the spout;
the hollow base forwardly inclined toward the front portion
of the sink at an angle substantially between pi/3 radian (30
degrees) and 2pi/3 radian (60 degrees) in order for the
splashed water on the surface of the hollow base to escape
directly into the sink, the handle positioned below the
nozzle so that the water discharged from the nozzle can be
re-directed to the handle and sprayed onto the handle by hand
in order to allow the cleaning of the handle with the amount
of re-directed water during a hand-wash session.
2. A single-handle water faucet as defined in claim 1, further
comprising:
~ an aerator securely attached to the interior of the
nozzle.
3. A single-handle water faucet as defined in claim 1, in which
the handle is axially rotatable in order to control the flow
rate of water, and the handle is rotatable around the valve

assembly in order to control the temperature mix of water.
4. A single-handle water faucet as defined in claim 1, in which
the handle is axially rotatable in order to control the
temperature mix of water, and the handle is rotatable around
the valve assembly in order to control the flow rate of
water.
5. A single-handle water faucet as defined in claim 1, in which
the handle is pivotally movable around the valve assembly in
order to control the flow rate of water and the temperature
mix of water.
6. A single-handle water faucet as defined in claim 5, in which
the handle is U-shaped and spans from the left side of the
valve assembly to the right side of the valve assembly.
6

Description

CA 02310194 2005-09-28
Description
Title
= Sanitary Single-Handle Water Faucet
Technical Field
= This invention relates to water faucets, more particularly to
a single-handle water faucet for bathrooms, kitchens and
lavatories.
Background Art
= There are many instances where it would be desirable to be
able to easily wash the handle of a single-handle water
faucet during a hand-wash session in order to remove
contaminants such as chemicals, dirt, germs and microbes from
the handle, and to avoid re-contamination by touching the
handle at the end of a hand-wash session.
= A number of utility and design patents disclose sanitary
water faucets.
= Both a push-button type self-closing water faucet and a foot-
operated water faucet allow a person to wash his/her hands
without touching the handle at the end of a hand-wash
session. However, they generally do not have control over the
timing of the water flow or the temperature mix of water.
= An electronic water faucet with an infrared sensor for on/off
control also allows a person to wash his/her hands without
touching the handle at the end of a hand-wash session.
However, it does not have control over the flow rate of
water, and it requires an electrical power source.
= U.S. Patent 5 711 329 discloses "Self-cleaning knob water
faucet". This prior art has a water showering apparatus which
showers water on the knob when the water valve assembly is in
the open position of the water valve assembly. However, it
requires separate water flows for cleaning the knobs.
= These prior art arrangements do not have a handle positioned
below a nozzle so that the water discharged from the nozzle
can be directed to the handle and sprayed onto the handle by
hand in order to facilitate the cleaning of the handle during
a hand-wash session.
Description of the Invention
= It is a primary object of the invention to provide a sanitary
single-handle water faucet for bathrooms, kitchens and
1

CA 02310194 2005-09-28
lavatories.
= It is another object of the invention to provide a single-
handle water faucet that facilitates the cleaning of the
handle during a hand-wash session.
= It is another object of the invention to provide a single-
handle water faucet that does not require electrical power or
separate water flows.
= A single-handle water faucet comprises a hollow base which
mounts on the top-back portion of a sink, a valve assembly, a
handle for controlling the flow rate of water and the
temperature mix of water, a spout securely attached to the
valve assembly and extending upwardly from the top end of the
valve assembly, and a nozzle for discharging water. The
handle is positioned below the nozzle so that the water
discharged from the nozzle can be directed to the handle and
sprayed onto the handle by hand in order to facilitate the
cleaning of the handle during a hand-wash session. In one
embodiment of the invention, the handle is axially rotatable.
In another embodiment of the invention, the handle is
pivotally movable.
Brief Description of the Figures in the Drawings
= In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention:
o Figure 1 marked "Prior Art" is a side view of a
conventional single-handle water faucet;
o Figure 2 marked "Prior Art" is a front view of the
conventional single-handle water faucet of Figure 1;
o Figure 3 is a side view of one embodiment of a single-
handle water faucet according to the invention;
o Figure 4 is a front view of the single-handle water
faucet of Figure 3;
o Figure 5 is a side view of another embodiment of a
single-handle water faucet according to the invention;
o Figure 6 is a front view of the single-handle water
faucet of Figure 5;
o Figure 7 is a side view of another embodiment of a
single-handle water faucet according to the invention;
and
o Figure 8 is a front view of the single-handle water
faucet of Figure 7.
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
2

CA 02310194 2005-09-28
= In one conventional single-handle water faucet shown in
Figure 1 and Figure 2 marked "Prior Art", a hollow base 1-0
mounts on the top-back portion of a sink. A spout 4-0 extends
upwardly from the top end of the hollow base 1-0. A nozzle 5-
0 is securely attached to the distal end of the spout 4-0. A
valve assembly 2-0 for setting the flow rate of water and the
temperature mix of water is securely mounted on the spout 4-
0. A handle 3-0 for controlling the flow rate of water and
the temperature mix of water is operably attached to the top
of the valve assembly 2-0.
= The single-handle water faucet may further comprise an
aerator, securely attached to the interior of the nozzle 5-0.
= According to the prior art, the handle 3-0 is positioned
above the nozzle 5-0 so that the water discharged from the
nozzle 5-0 can not be easily directed to the handle 3-0.
= In one embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3 and
Figure 4, a single-handle water faucet comprises a hollow
base 1-1, a valve assembly 2-1 for setting the flow rate of
water and the temperature mix of water, a handle 3-1 for
controlling the flow rate of water and the temperature mix of
water, a spout 4-1, and a nozzle 5-1 for discharging water.
= The hollow base 1-1 mounts on the top-back portion of a sink.
The valve assembly 2-1 is securely mounted on the hollow base
1-1, and comprises an inlet port for hot water, an inlet port
for cold water, and an outlet port for mixed water. The
proximate end of the handle 3-1 is operably attached to the
valve assembly 2-1. The spout 4-1 is securely attached to the
valve assembly 2-1 and extends upwardly from the top end of
the valve assembly 2-1. The spout 4-1 has fluid communication
with the outlet port of the valve assembly 2-1. The nozzle 5-
1 is securely attached to the distal end of the spout 4-1,
and has fluid communication with the spout 4-1.
= The single-handle water faucet may further comprise an
aerator, securely attached to the interior of the nozzle 5-1.
= According to the present invention, the handle 3-1 is
positioned below the nozzle 5-1 so that the water discharged
from the nozzle 5-1 can be directed to the handle 3-1 and
sprayed onto the handle 3-1 by hand in order to facilitate
the cleaning of the handle 3-1 during a hand-wash session, as
shown in the figures.
= The hollow base 1-1 may be forwardly inclined toward the
front portion of the sink at an angle substantially between
pi/3 radian (30 degrees) and 2pi/3 radian (60 degrees) in
order for the splashed water on the surface of the hollow
base 1-1 to escape directly into the sink.
= The spout 4-1 may be J-shaped. The cross section of the spout
3

CA 02310194 2005-09-28
4-1 may be circular or elliptical.
= The handle 3-1 is axially rotatable in order to control the
flow rate of water or the temperature mix of water, as
indicated by the arrow in Figure 3. The distal end of the
handle 3-1 is rotatable around the valve assembly in order to
control the temperature mix of water or the flow rate of
water, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 4.
= The distal end of the handle 3-1 may be of any shape, i.e.,
ellipsoidal, semi-spherical, circular disc, hexagonal disc,
triangular disc, etc. The position of the handle 3-1 provides
memory of the temperature mix of water.
= In another embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 5 and
Figure 6, the handle 3-2 is pivotally movable around the
valve assembly in order to control the flow rate of water and
the temperature mix of water, as indicated by the arrows in
the figures.
= The distal end of the handle 3-2 may be of any shape, i.e.,
ellipsoidal, semi-spherical, circular disc, hexagonal disc,
triangular disc, etc. The position of the handle 3-2 provides
memory of the temperature mix of water.
= In another embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 7 and
Figure 8, the handle 3-3 is pivotally movable around the
valve assembly in order to control the flow rate of water and
the temperature mix of water, as indicated by the arrows in
the figures.
= The handle 3-3 is U-shaped and spans from the left side of
the valve assembly 2-1 to the right side of the valve
assembly 2-1. The position of the handle 3-3 provides memory
of the temperature mix of water.
4

Representative Drawing