Granted Patent B2

US 8,418,992 · App. 12/724,116 · Granted Apr 16, 2013

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. A liquid dispensing faucet comprising:

a body comprising an inlet, an outlet, a liquid flow passage that extends from said inlet to said outlet, a valve chamber in communication with said liquid flow passage between said inlet and said outlet, a valve seat located in said valve chamber, and an access opening that provides access to said valve chamber from outside said body;

a bonnet secured to said body in covering relation with said access opening, said bonnet comprising a catch;

a valve element located in said valve chamber, said valve element adapted to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from said valve seat for controlling flow of liquid from said inlet to said outlet through said valve chamber;

a valve stem that extends through said bonnet, said valve stem comprising an inner end secured to said valve element and an outer end located external to said body;

a handle comprising a base and an upper portion connected to said base, said base of said handle pivotally secured to said outer end of said valve stem and said handle pivotable in a first direction from a first position to a second position, wherein said valve element is engaged with said valve seat and blocks liquid flow from said inlet to said outlet when said handle is located in its first position and said valve element is disengaged from said valve seat and allows liquid flow from said inlet to said outlet when said handle is located in its second position;

said handle further comprising a safety lock that selectively prevents movement of said handle from its first position to its second position, said safety lock comprising:

a latch that that is manually movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, said latch adapted to engage said catch of said bonnet and prevent movement of said handle from its first position to its second position when said latch is in its latched position, and said latch disengaged from said catch of said bonnet when said latch is in its unlatched position,

a latch spring that biases said latch toward its latched position;

a primary lock element that moves between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein said primary lock element prevents movement of said latch from its latched position to its unlatched position when said primary lock element is in its locked position, and wherein said primary lock element allows movement of said latch from its latched position to its unlatched position when said primary lock element is in its unlocked position.

2. The faucet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said latch comprises a hook at its outer end and said hook engages said catch when said latch is in its latched position and said handle is in its first position.

3. The faucet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said valve element comprises a resilient elastomeric seat cup.

4. The faucet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said latch is slidably connected to said handle and slides between its latched and unlatched positions.

5. The faucet as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said latch slides between its latched and unlatched positions on an axis that lies transverse to a longitudinal axis of the valve stem.

6. The faucet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said bonnet comprises:

a ring secured to said body; and,

an insert connected to said ring, wherein said valve stem extends through said insert and wherein said catch is provided as part of said insert.

7. The faucet as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said insert comprises a one-piece construction that defines said catch.

8. The faucet as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said base of said handle comprises first and second parallel spaced-apart cam walls that comprise respective first and second cam surfaces that bear against said bonnet, wherein said first and second cam surfaces are shaped such that movement of said handle from its first position to its second position causes said handle to pull said valve stem outwardly relative to said valve chamber to disengage said valve element from said valve seat.

9. The faucet as set forth in claim 8 , wherein part of said latch is located between and slidably connected to said first and second cam walls.

10. The faucet as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said first and second cam walls comprise respective first and second stop tabs that engage a portion of said bonnet and prevent movement of said handle away from said first position in a direction opposite said first direction.

11. A liquid dispensing faucet comprising:

a body comprising an inlet, an outlet, a liquid flow passage that extends from said inlet to said outlet, a valve chamber in communication with said liquid flow passage between said inlet and said outlet, a valve seat located in said valve chamber, and an access opening that provides access to said valve chamber from outside said body;

a bonnet secured to said body in covering relation with said access opening, said bonnet comprising a catch;

a valve element located in said valve chamber, said valve element adapted to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from said valve seat for controlling flow of liquid from said inlet to said outlet through said valve chamber;

a valve stem that extends through said bonnet, said valve stem comprising an inner end secured to said valve element and an outer end located external to said body;

a handle comprising a base and an upper portion connected to said base, said base of said handle pivotally secured to said outer end of said valve stem and said handle pivotable in a first direction from a first position to a second position, wherein said valve element is engaged with said valve seat and blocks liquid flow from said inlet to said outlet when said handle is located in its first position and said valve element is disengaged from said valve seat and allows liquid flow from said inlet to said outlet when said handle is located in its second position;

said handle further comprising a safety lock that selectively prevents movement of said handle from its first position to its second position, said safety lock comprising:

a latch that is manually movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, said latch comprising a hook at an outer end adapted to engage said catch and prevent movement of said handle from its first position to its second position when said latch is in its latched position, and said latch disengaged from said catch when said latch is in its unlatched position,

a latch spring that biases said latch toward its latched position;

wherein:

said catch comprises a ramped surface that diverges radially outwardly as it extends toward said bonnet; and,

said hook slidably engages said ramped surface and said outer end of said latch resiliently deflects when said handle moves from said second position to said first position when said latch is in its latched position.

12. A liquid dispensing faucet comprising:

a body comprising an inlet, an outlet, a liquid flow passage that extends from said inlet to said outlet, a valve chamber in communication with said liquid flow passage between said inlet and said outlet, a valve seat located in said valve chamber, and an access opening that provides access to said valve chamber from outside said body;

a bonnet secured to said body in covering relation with said access opening, said bonnet comprising a catch;

a valve element located in said valve chamber, said valve element adapted to be selectively engaged with and disengaged from said valve seat for controlling flow of liquid from said inlet to said outlet through said valve chamber;

a valve stem that extends through said bonnet, said valve stem comprising an inner end secured to said valve element and an outer end located external to said body;

a handle comprising a base and an upper portion connected to said base, said base of said handle pivotally secured to said outer end of said valve stem and said handle pivotable in a first direction from a first position to a second position, wherein said valve element is engaged with said valve seat and blocks liquid flow from said inlet to said outlet when said handle is located in its first position and said valve element is disengaged from said valve seat and allows liquid flow from said inlet to said outlet when said handle is located in its second position;

said handle further comprising a safety lock that selectively prevents movement of said handle from its first position to its second position, said safety lock comprising:

a latch that is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, said latch adapted to engage said catch of said bonnet and prevent movement of said handle from its first position to its second position when said latch is in its latched position, and said latch disengaged from said catch of said bonnet when said latch is in its unlatched position,

a latch spring that biases said latch toward its latched position;

wherein said upper portion of said handle comprises an opening and said latch comprises an upper portion that lies adjacent said opening, said latch movable between its latched and unlatched positions by manual force exerted on said upper portion of said latch through said opening.

13. The faucet as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said safety lock further comprises a primary lock element movably connected to said upper portion of said latch and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, said primary lock element registered with said opening when in said unlocked position to permit movement of said latch to its unlatched position, and said primary lock element overlapping an edge of said opening when in said locked position to prevent movement of said latch to its unlatched position.

14. The faucet as set forth in claim 13 , wherein said primary lock element is slidably connected to said upper portion of said latch and slides between its locked and unlocked positions.

15. The faucet as set forth in claim 14 , wherein said safety lock further comprises a primary lock spring that biases said primary lock toward its locked position.

16. A faucet comprising:

a body including an inlet and an outlet;

a valve element located in said body that controls flow of liquid from said inlet to said outlet;

a bonnet connected to said body and capturing said valve element in said body;

a catch fixedly secured relative to said body;

a valve stem including an inner end connected to said valve element and an outer end located external to said body;

a handle connected to said outer end of said valve stem and movable in a first direction from a first position, where said handle and valve stem locate said valve element to block said flow of liquid from said inlet to said outlet, to a second position, where said handle and valve stem locate said valve element to allow said flow of liquid from said inlet to said outlet;

a safety lock provided as part of said handle, said safety lock comprising;

a latch that is manually movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein said safety lock prevents movement of said handle from said first position to said second position when said latch is in its engaged position and engaged with said catch; and,

a primary lock element that moves between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein said primary lock element prevents movement of said latch from its engaged position to its disengaged position when said primary lock element is in its locked position, and wherein said primary lock element allows movement of said latch from its engaged position to its disengaged position when said primary lock element is in its unlocked position, such that dispensing liquid from said faucet requires at least three operations comprising: (i) movement of said primary lock element from its locked position to its unlocked position; (ii) movement of said latch from its engaged position to its disengaged position; and, (iii) movement of said handle from its first position to its second position.

17. The faucet as set forth in claim 16 , wherein:

movement of said handle from its first position to its second position causes linear movement of said valve stem along a longitudinal axis of said valve stem;

said latch is manually movable to its disengaged position by sliding movement of said latch along an axis that is transverse to said longitudinal axis of said valve stem.

18. A faucet handle comprising:

a safety lock comprising:

a latch that is manually movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, said latch adapted to engage an associated catch when said latch is in its engaged position; and,

a primary lock element that moves between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein said primary lock element prevents movement of said latch from its engaged position to its disengaged position when said primary lock element is in its locked position, and wherein said primary lock element allows movement of said latch from its engaged position to its disengaged position when said primary lock element is in its unlocked position.

19. The faucet handle as set forth in claim 18 , wherein said primary lock element is movably connected to said latch and moves relative to said latch between its locked and unlocked positions.

Assignments (12)