Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMBINATION SPOUT STOP/BOTTOM BUSHING
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention.
The present invention relates to faucets, and, more particularly, to a
combination spout stop and bottom bushing for use with a faucet.
2. Description of the related art.
A typical faucet, such as a kitchen faucet, has a movable spout that can be
rotated to supply water to a desired location, such as for example, to either
of two sink
bowls. One problem associated with such a design, however, that the spout may
be
rotated too far, resulting in water being sprayed onto the countertop behind
the sink.
Also, in some configurations the spout may be rotated in a f-ull 360 rotation
and
beyond, which may result in the tangling of a pull-out hose located in the
spout.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a limit stop arrangement for the spout, so that
the spout can only rotate by a fixed amount, such as for example approximately
150
degrees, instead of 360 degrees.
The present invention, in form thereof, is directed to a faucet assembly. The
faucet assembly includes a faucet housing including at least one rotational
limit
feature positioned with respect to an axis. A spout assembly includes a spout,
the
spout having attached thereto a stop member positioned to engage the
rotational limit
feature when the spout is rotated about the axis.
The present invention, in another form thereof, is directed to a bushing for a
faucet assembly. The bushing includes a cylindrical bushing body having an
inner
side surface and an outer side surface. An axis passes through the cylindrical
body.
At least one cantilever spring member is formed in the cylindrical bushing
body.
Each cantilever spring meinber has at its free end a tab that extends inwardly
toward
the axis beyond the imier side surface. A stop member is formed as an annular
lip that
extends outwardly away from the axis beyond the outer side surface.
The present invention, in another form thereof, is directed to a method for
assembling a faucet assembly, including attaching a bushing having a stop
member to
a spout; inserting the bushing into a cylindrical member of a faucet housing;
and
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positioning the stop member between a pair of rotational limit features
located on the
cylindrical member.
The present invention, in another form thereof, is directed to a method for
assembling a faucet assembly, including inserting an upper bushing into an
upper
opening of a spout housing; passing an end of a spout down through the upper
bushing in the spout housing; installing a lower bushing over the end of the
spout; and
sliding the lower bushing over an elongate portion of the spout until a spring
tab of
the bushing engages a corresponding annular slot of the spout.
One advantage of the present invention is that it helps to avoid tangling a
pull-
out hose located inside the spout by over rotation of the spout.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the limit stop also serves
as
the bottom bushing for the spout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and
the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will
be
better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment
of the
invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wlierein:
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a faucet assembly embodying the
present invention.
Fig. 2 is a top view of the bushing having a limit stop that is inserted into
the
bushing housing of the faucet assembly of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a method for assembling the faucet assembly of Fig.
1.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout
the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate an
embodiment of the
invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the
scope of
the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a
faucet assembly 10 embodying the present invention.
Faucet assembly 10 includes a faucet housing 12 and a spout assembly 14.
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Faucet housing 12 has installed therein a hot water valve assembly 16 and a
cold water valve assembly 18. Faucet housing 12 includes a body 20 for
rotatably
mounting spout assembly 14. Body 20 includes a cylindrical member 22 having an
axis 23.
Referring also to Fig. 2, cylindrical member 22 includes an inner surface 24,
an outer surface 26, and a circumferential channel 28 defining a pair of
rotational
limit features 30, 32. Circuinferential channel 28 and rotational limit
features 30, 32
may be formed in cylindrical member 22, for example, by removing an annular
portion of cylindrical member 22, thereby forming a cut-out having a
predetermined
depth D and providing a predetermined angular separation of rotational limit
features
30, 32 at an angle 33 (see Fig. 2) with respect to axis 23. Each of rotational
limit
features 30, 32 formed in cylindrical member 22 radially extend from inner
surface 24
to outer surface 26.
Spout assembly 14 includes a spout 34, a spout housing 36, an upper bushing
38, and a lower bushing 40. Axis 23 also forms the axis of spout 34, spout
housing
36, upper bushing 38, and lower bushing 40
Spout 34 includes a first end 42, a second end 44, and an elongate portion 45.
A spray head (not shown) extends from first end 42. Annular slots 46, 48 are
formed
through elongate portion 45 near second end 44.
Spout housing 36 includes an upper opening 50 and a lower opening 52.
Upper bushing 38 may be, for example, a split ring having outer shoulders 54,
56. When compressed, upper bushing 38 is inserted into upper opening 50 of
spout
housing 36, and then when released is held in position in spout housing 36 by
outer
shoulders 54, 56.
Lower bushing 40 includes a cylindrical bushing body 58, a cantilever spring
member 60, a cantilever spring member 62, and a stop member 64. Cylindrical
bushing body 58 has an inner side surface 66 and an outer side surface 68.
Cantilever
spring member 60 and cantilever spring member 62 may be formed, respectively,
by a
pair of axial slits passing from outer side surface 68 to inner side surface
66.
Cantilever spring member 60 has at its free end a tab 70 that extends inwardly
toward
axis 23 beyond inner side surface 66. Cantilever spring member 62 has at its
free end
a tab 72 that extends inwardly toward axis 23. Thus, tabs 70, 72 are sometimes
referred to herein for convenience as spring tabs 70, 72, due to their
presence on
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respective cantilever spring members 60, 62. Tab 70 and tab 72 are sized to be
received in annular slots 46, 48 of spout 34, respectively.
Stop member 64 is formed as an annular lip that extends outwardly away from
axis 23 beyond outer side surface 68. Stop member 64 is arranged to be
received in
circumferential channel 28 of cylindrical member 22 of faucet housing 12. Stop
member 64 includes a stop surface 74 and a stop surface 76 which respectively
engage rotational limit features 30, 32 formed in cylindrical member 22 of
faucet
housing 12 when spout 34 is rotated about axis 23, depending on the direction
of
rotation.
A method for assembling faucet assembly 10 will now be described with
fu.rther reference to the flowchart of Fig. 3, including steps S 100-S 112. In
general,
spout asseinbly 14 is formed by steps S 100-S 106, a.nd the spout assembly 14
is
mounted to faucet housing 12 by steps S 108-S 112.
At step S100, upper bushing 38 is inserted into upper opening 50 of spout
housing 36.
At step S102, second end 44 of spout 34 is passed down through upper
bushing 38 in spout housing 36.
At step S 104, lower bushing 40 is then installed over second end 44 of spout
34.
At step S 106, lower bushing 40 is slid over elongate portion 45 of spout 34
until spring tabs 70, 72 engage annular slots 46, 48 of spout 34,
respectively.
At step S 108, lower bushing 40 is inserted into cylindrical member 22 of
body 20 of faucet housing 12.
At step S 110, stop member 64 is positioned in circuinferential channel 28 of
cylindrical member 22 of faucet housing 12.
At step S 112, spout housing 36 of spout assembly 14 is attached to faucet
housing 12, such as for example, by using a plurality of fasteners 78, such as
screws.
During operation, spout 34 may be rotated about axis 23, but the extent of the
rotation is limited by the interaction of stop member 64 of lower bushing 40
with the
rotational limit features 30, 32 defined by the ends of circumferential
channel 28
formed in cylindrical member 22 of faucet housing 12. Referring to Fig. 1,
stop
surface 74 of stop member 64 engages rotational limit feature 30 of faucet
housing 12
when spout 34 is rotated around axis 23 in a counterclockwise rotational
direction.
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Likewise, stop surface 76 of stop member 64 engages rotational limit feature
32 of
faucet housing 12 when spout 34 is rotated around axis 23 in a clockwise
rotational
direction.
Referring again to Fig. 2, the extent of the rotation of spout 34 about axis
23 is
determined by the width W of stop member 64, i.e., the distance, or angular
separation at angle 80, between stop surfaces 74, 76 of stop member 64, and
also by
the angular separation by angle 33 of rotational limit features 30, 32 of
circumferential channel 28 formed in cylindrical member 22 of faucet housing
12.
Accordingly, the angular extent to which spout 34 may be rotated about axis 23
may
be selected, for example, based on a selection of an appropriate combination
of the
width W of stop member 64 and the angular separation by angle 33 of rotational
limit
features 30, 32. In one embodiment, for example, the combination of the width
W of
stop member 64 and the angular separation by angle 33 of rotational limit
features 30,
32 may be selected to limit the angular extent to which spout 34 may be
rotated about
axis 23 to about 150 degrees.
While this invention has been described with respect to embodiments of the
invention, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and
scope of
this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any
variations, uses, or
adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this
application is
intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within
known
or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which
fall within
the limits of the appended claims.
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