IP Library Granted Patent US 11,891,785
Granted Patent B2
US 11,891,785 · App. 17/181,846 · Granted Feb 6, 2024

Faucet apparatus

Inventors: Yutaro Ohara (Kitakyushu, JP); Hiroshi Mizoguchi (Kitakyushu, JP)
Assignee: TOTO LTD.
E03C1/084B01F23/232B01F25/31423B01F23/237611B01F2101/48
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,891,785
App. No.
17/181,846
Granted
Feb 6, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a faucet apparatus in which both the area for the air inlet port and the area for the babble-water flow discharge port are secured, without excessively increasing sizes of a faucet aerator cap and a faucet apparatus. The air inlet port is provided in a lateral surface of the faucet aerator cap. The flow channel of the spout is provided with a communication port for guiding air between the outside wall and the flow channel toward the air inlet port.

Claims (28)

1. A faucet apparatus comprising:

a spout having an outside wall and a flow channel for water; and

a faucet aerator cap installed on an outlet side of the flow channel;

wherein

the faucet aerator cap has:

an inside-space part in which an inside space is defined;

a water inlet port provided at an end on an upstream side of the faucet aerator cap, for taking water into the inside space part of the faucet aerator cap;

an air inlet port for taking air into the inside space part of the faucet aerator cap, by means of flow of the water;

a babble-water flow discharge port provided at an end on a downstream side of the faucet aerator cap, for discharging a babble-water flow formed in the inside space part of the faucet aerator cap;

the air inlet port is provided in a lateral surface of the faucet aerator cap;

a part on the outlet side of the flow channel is provided with a communication port for guiding air between the outside wall and the flow channel toward the air inlet port; and

the air inlet port and the communication port are arranged at positions which are at least partially out of alignment in an axially up-and-down direction such that an upper side of the air inlet port faces the communication port but a lower side of the air inlet port does not face the communication port.

2. The faucet apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the part on the outlet side of the flow channel is formed by a spout fitting member.

3. The faucet apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the faucet aerator cap has a threadedly engaging part through which the faucet aerator cap is installed on the spout fitting member, and

a plurality of air inlet ports is provided in the lateral surface of the faucet aerator cap, discretely in a circumferential direction.

4. The faucet apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the faucet aerator cap has a plurality of columns for defining the plurality of air inlet ports,

the threadedly engaging part has a first cylindrical base and a screw pattern provided on a circumference of the first cylindrical base, and

the plurality of columns are positioned on a more center side in a radial direction than a root diameter of the screw pattern.

5. The faucet apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein

the plurality of columns are connected to the threadedly engaging part on one side thereof and is connected to a second cylindrical part on the other side thereof, and

the second cylindrical part is positioned on a more center side in the radial direction than the root diameter of the screw pattern.

6. The faucet apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the plurality of columns are positioned on a more center side in the radial direction than the second cylindrical part.

7. The faucet apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the plurality of air inlet ports are positioned further away from the babble-water flow discharge port than the threadedly engaging part.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2021
From: OHARA, YUTARO; MIZOGUCHI, HIROSHI
To: TOTO LTD.
Reel/Frame 055363/0382 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-031418 · Feb 27, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210270021A1 · Sep 2, 2021