Masco Corporation of Indiana

Vapor Technologies, Inc.

Delta Faucet Company

Rain Bird Corporation

Morgantown Plastics Company

Douglas Scott Richmond

Patrick Byron Jonte

Richard P Welty

Klaus Brondum

Kurt Judson Thomas

Kevin James Markley

Hans-Christoph Haenlein

Daniel Roger St George

Steven Sharp

Joe L Romack

Alan L Taylor

Wallace G McCray

A component for a faucet includes a substrate including alumina and a first material provided over at least a portion of the substrate. The first material includes titanium and carbon. The component also includes a second material provided over the first material, the second material including carbon and having carbon sp3 bonding of at least 40 percent.

Faucet component with coating

A valve component for a faucet includes a substrate comprising a base material and a strengthening layer provided above the substrate in an amount sufficient to improve abrasion resistance of the substrate, the strengthening layer comprising tantalum. A layer including amorphous diamond is provided above the strengthening layer. The amorphous diamond has spbonding of at least about 40%, a hardness of at least about 45 GPa, and an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa.

Valve component for faucet

A faucet includes a first valve plate comprising a base material and a strengthening layer provided above the base material. An amorphous diamond material is provided above the strengthening layer. The amorphous diamond material has a coefficient of friction that is lower than that of diamond-like carbon and has a hardness that is greater than that of diamond-like carbon.

Faucet

A wear resistant component for a faucet valve includes a substrate comprising a base material and a strengthening layer provided above the substrate in an amount sufficient to improve abrasion resistance of the substrate. The strengthening layer includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, chromium, zirconium, and tungsten. The wear resistant component also includes a layer that includes amorphous diamond provided above the strengthening layer, the amorphous diamond having spbonding of at least about 40%, a hardness of at least about 45 GPa, and an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa.

A rotary sprinkler is provided that includes a housing having a riser assembly and a rotatable nozzle turret on an upper end of the riser assembly. The sprinkler includes an arc setting assembly that enables part-circle operation of the turret and a selector assembly that permits selection of either part-circle or full-circle operation of the nozzle turret where the components of the selector assembly are generally separate from the components of the arc setting assembly.

Arc adjustable rotary sprinkler having full-circle operation

A sprinkler is disclosed for improved flow characteristics. The sprinkler has a sprinkler head rotatably supported for distributing water and defining a flow channel for directing water flow therethrough with reduced head loss. The flow channel has a smoothly tapered portion for receiving water and channeling the water towards an outlet in communication with a first nozzle for distributing the water. The flow channel with reduced head loss produces a greater throw distance at a lower trajectory with a lower flow rate and pressure. The flow channel may be formed within a flow channel member positioned within the sprinkler head. The flow channel member may cooperate with the sprinkler head to define a cavity allowing water to pass through the cavity from the flow channel for emission from a plurality of other nozzles.

Sprinkler nozzle and flow channel

A valve component for a faucet includes a substrate, a first layer of material provided above the substrate in an amount sufficient to improve abrasion resistance of the substrate, and a second layer of material provided above the first layer of material. The second layer of material includes amorphous diamond having spbonding of at least about 40%, a hardness of at least about 45 GPa, and an elastic modulus of at least about 400 GPa.

Valve component with improved wear resistance

A method of forming a wear resistant component includes providing a base material, depositing a strengthening layer on the base material, and vapor depositing an amorphous diamond layer on the strengthening layer.

Method of forming a wear resistant component

A fill valve assembly for a water tank such as a toilet tank. The fill valve assembly includes a head portion containing a valve mounted on top of a vertical water outlet tube and a float which moves vertically along the outlet tube to control the opening and closing of the valve. The float is vertically adjustable without removal or disassembly of the valve assembly in order to adjust the tank water level to a preselected position. The float includes an inverted cup-shaped structure which moves vertically along the outlet tube in response to any change in the water level. The valve contains a flexible main valve disk held in a closed position against a valve seat by water pressure in a control chamber to prevent the flow of water into the tank, and is moved to an open position upon venting of the control chamber. A pilot valve controls the pressure in the control chamber and, therefore, the movement of the main valve disk. The pilot valve is controlled by a lever mechanically connected to the float so that when the float drops with the falling water level the pilot valve is opened, thereby venting the control chamber and allowing the main valve disk to flex upwardly off of the valve seat to allow water to enter the tank. When the float rises with the rising water level to an upper predetermined position, the pilot valve is closed by the lever and the main valve disk is returned to its closed position against the valve seat to block the flow of water into the tank.

Fill valve

A sliding component, particularly a disk valve plate. The sliding component includes a multi-layer surface structure comprising a strengthening layer harder than the substrate material, and an amorphous diamond top layer.

Valve component with multiple surface layers

A fluid control valve for controlling the delivery of water includes a control lever that is movable in two directions by rotation of the lever about two independent axes. The fluid control valve includes a valve body assembly with flow passageways and a housing assembly attached to the valve body assembly to define an interior space. A flow control mechanism positioned in the interior space is constructed to enable movement of the lever about a first axis for translating rotational movement into sliding motion of an upper disk against a lower disk to adjust the water temperature. Rotation of the lever in a second direction translates rotational movement into sliding motion of the upper disk in a second direction to control the water flow rate. A drag spring positioned as part of the control mechanism changes the frictional force or feel between the two directions of lever movement.

Growing community of inventors

Zionsville, IN, United States of America

Douglas Scott Richmond