Note : Les revendications sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A remotely-controlled valve attachable to the
spout of a faucet for the control of water flowing there-
through comprising:
a foot operated control member,
a control valve member having adapting means to
attach it to a faucet, said valve member having a body
enclosing a first chamber for accepting water from said
faucet from a water inlet passage and a second chamber having
a passage for directing exiting water from said control valve
member, said first and second chambers being connected by means
of an aperture said first chamber having a valve ball placed
within it, said valve ball being urged, by the force of water
entering said first chamber from said faucet, against said
aperture thereby preventing water flow from said first chamber
to said second chamber, said control valve member connected
to said foot-operated control member by means of a flexible
conduit, said foot-operated control member, upon activation,
applying fluid under pressure through said flexible conduit,
a cylinder within said control valve member,
a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder,
a piston guide chamber slidably disposed within
said chamber having attached thereto an inlet member about
which said flexible conduit is connected, said inlet member
having a hollow passage for fluid or air under pressure from
said foot-operated control member,
the flexible conduit connected to the end of said
inlet member transmitting the fluid pressure therein to the
end of the piston thereby causing said piston to slide
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within said cylinder in the direction of said valve ball,
the actuating rod attached to said piston thereby moving
said valve ball away from said aperture and allowing water
to flow from said first chamber to said second chamber, and
means for manually urging said piston and its
rigidly attached rod against said valve ball thereby moving
said valve ball away from said aperture and allowing water to
flow from said first chamber to said second chamber, said
manual urging means comprising
a clamp extending about the exterior of the flexible
conduit adjacent to the end of the inlet member of the piston
guide for retaining the conduit to the inlet member, and an
override thumb ring attached to the clamp, said piston guide
chamber undergoing linear movement with respect to said valve
body by means of manual force applied to said override thumb
ring, said linear movement being
transmitted from said piston guide to said piston
and its rigidly attached rod to said valve ball.
2. The remotely controlled valve of claim 1
wherein said manual force provided to said cylindrical member
causing it to undergo a linear movement with respect to said
valve body is a rotational manual force provided to said
threaded cylindrical member.
3. A remotely-controlled valve attachable to the
spout of a faucet for the control of water flowing therethrough
comprising:
a foot-operated control member,
a control valve member having adapting means to
attach it to a faucet, said valve member having a body enclosing
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a first chamber for accepting water from said faucet from a
water inlet passage and a second chamber having a passage for
directing exiting water from said control valve member, said
first and second chamber being connected by means of an
aperture, said first chamber having a valve ball placed within
it, said valve ball being urged, by the force of water entering
said first chamber from said faucet, against said aperture
thereby preventing water flow from said first chamber to said
second chamber, said control valve member connected to said
foot-operated member by means of a flexible conduit, said
foot-operated control member, upon activation, applying fluid
under pressure through said flexible conduit,
a cylinder within said control valve member,
a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder,
an actuating rod rigidly attached to said piston, the flexible
conduit being connected to the end of said cylinder transmitting
the fluid pressure therein to the end of the piston thereby
causing said piston to slide within said cylinder in the direc-
tion of said valve ball, the actuating rod attached to said
piston thereby moving said valve ball away from said aperture
and allowing water to flow from said first chamber to said
second chamber, and
an assistance spring connected between said piston
and said body, said assistance spring providing a mechanical
force against said piston in a direction away from said valve
ball when said foot-operated member is not actuated, thereby
insuring that the activating rod will not obstruct the valve
ball from closing said aperture between said first and second
chambers under the condition of low water pressure in said
first chamber.
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4. A remotely-controlled valve attachable to the
spout of a faucet for the control of water flowing there-
through comprising:
a foot-operated control member,
a control valve member having adapting means to
attach it to a faucet, said valve member having a body enclosing
a first chamber for accepting water from said faucet from a
water inlet passage and a second chamber having a passage
for directing exiting water from said control valve member,
said first and second chambers being connected by means of an
aperture, said first chamber having a valve ball placed within
it, said valve ball being urged, by the force of water entering
said first chamber from said faucet, against said aperture
thereby preventing water flow from said first chamber to said
second chamber, said control valve member connected to said
foot-operated control member by means of a flexible conduit,
said foot-operated control member, upon activation, applying
fluid under pressure through said flexible conduit,
a cylinder within said control valve member,
a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder,
an actuating rod rigidly attached to said piston,
the flexible conduit being connected to the end of
said cylinder transmitting the fluid pressure therein to the
end of the cylinder thereby causing said piston to slide within
said cylinder in the direction of said valve ball, the actuating
rod attached to said piston thereby moving said valve ball
away from said aperture and allowing water to flow from said
first chamber to said second chamber, and
means for withdrawing said rod from contact with
said valve ball when said foot-operated member is deactuated,
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thereby insuring that said valve ball closes said aperture
between said first and second chambers under the condition
of low water pressure in said first chamber, said withdrawing
means including
an assistance spring connected between said piston
and said body, said assistance spring providing a mechanical
force against said piston in a direction away from said ball
when said foot-operated member is not actuated, and
a pressure differential across said piston created
by high water pressure in said second chamber and the absence
of fluid pressure on the end of said cylinder when said foot-
operated member is deactivated.
5. A remotely-controlled valve attachable to
the spout of a faucet for the control of water flowing there-
through comprising:
a foot-operated control member,
a control valve member having adapting means to
attach it to a faucet, said valve member having a body enclosing
a first chamber for accepting water from said faucet from a
water inlet passage and a second chamber having a passage for
directing exiting water from said control valve member, said
first and second chambers being connected by means of an
aperture, said first chamber having a valve ball placed within
it, said valve ball being urged, by the force of water entering
said first chamber from said faucet, against said aperture
thereby preventing water flow from said first chamber to said
second chamber, said control valve member connected to said
foot-operated,control member by means of a flexible conduit,
said foot-operated control member, upon activation, applying
fluid under pressure through said flexible conduit,
a cylinder disposed within said control valve
member, one end of said cylinder being open to said second
chamber, the other end being closed to said second chamber,
a piston slidably disposed within said cylinder,
an actuating rod rigidly attached to said piston,
the flexible conduit being connected to the other
end of said cylinder transmitting the fluid pressure therein
to the end of the cylinder thereby causing said piston to slide
within said cylinder in the direction of said valve ball, the
actuating rod attached to said piston thereby moving said valve
ball away from said aperture and allowing water to flow from
said first chamber to said second chamber,
sealing means between said piston and said cylinder
for isolating the fluid in said flexible conduit from the
water flowing through said valve, and
an assistance spring connected between said piston
and said body, said assistance spring providing a mechanical
force against said piston in a direction away from said valve
ball when said foot-operated member is not actuated, thereby
insuring that the activating rod will not obstruct the valve
ball from closing said aperture between said first and second
chambers under the condition of low water pressure in said
first chamber.
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