Emhart Inc.

Price Pfister, Inc.

Teodoro J Gonzalez

Matthew G Tarnay

A fluid diverter controls water flow through a faucet assembly which includes a spout and a handspray. The diverter includes a housing and a shaft mounted therein for reciprocal movement, with a piston and a cup valve mounted on opposite ends of the shaft. When water is supplied to the faucet assembly and the handspray is turned off, water pressure builds up within a first compartment of the diverter between the piston and the cup valve such that the cup valve is moved off its seat to establish water flow through a first outlet passageway to the spout. When the handspray is operated, water from the interior of the diverter flows through a second outlet passageway leading to the handspray, and also into a second compartment on the opposite side of the piston. A differential pressure is achieved between the two compartments by providing a notch of a selected size in an annular rim portion of the housing at the second outlet passageway. The size of the notch is made sufficiently large so that particle contaminants pass easily through the diverter.

Fluid diverter

A single control water mixing valve assembly which includes a fixed and a movable ceramic plate mounted within a housing in contact with one another and which serve to control the flow of water from hot and cold inlet ports to an outlet port. Linear and rotary movement is transmitted from a lever through a bushing to the movable plate as the lever is turned on a radial axis within the bushing and rotated about the longitudinal axis of the lever. The fixed plate is spaced from the base and tubular resilient seals are positioned in the space and firmly held in place within the space by radial ribs. The lever is received in a channel in the bushing with the sides of the lever adjacent to the sides of the channel, so that rotation of the lever about its longitudinal axis transmits torque to the bushing which, in turn, transmits the torque to the movable plate.

Single control cartridge valve

A flange assembly (24) includes a cover (26), a base (28) and a compliant gasket (30) all of which are of circular configuration with a central opening. Gasket (30) is assembled within a nest formed by tapered surface (52) and rim (50) of base (28). Cover (26) is assembled with base (28) by the snap fit of inwardly turned edge (38) of the cover into annular groove (56) of the base. In this position, an inwardly turned lip (34) of cover (26) engages a ledge (70) of gasket (28) to retain the gasket within the nest. A section (78) of gasket (28) extends into a central opening of flange assembly (24) and includes a tapered inner side wall (62) which frictionally engages a conduit (20) of a faucet as the flange assembly is slid onto the conduit. Conduit (20) compresses section (78) of gasket (28) which includes side wall (62 ) into the nest where the forces of the compressed gasket retain flange assembly (24) with the conduit.

Flange assembly with retention means

An apparatus for boosting the flow energy of water in a showerhead comprising an air inlet port for providing ambient air; a water conduit for receiving water from a water supply source and at least one mixing chamber being in fluid communication with the water conduit and the air inlet port for receiving the water and the air. The at least one mixing chamber has a rearward opening which tapers towards a forward reduced portion such that the velocity of the water entering the opening is increased and such that the air is mixed with the water within the chamber to provide a turbulent mixture of air and water. The above described apparatus is completely contained within a showerhead or embodied as an adapter unit which may be installed between a water outlet pipe and a typical prior art showerhead.

Flow booster apparatus

A fluid valve includes a valve body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A valve seat formed from the valve body between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet for the passage of fluid therebetween. A movable valve member formed from ceramic material is positioned in the valve body between the valve seat and the fluid outlet for controlling the flow of fluid through the valve seat. The valve member is axially movable relative to the valve seat, with the quantity of fluid flowing through the seat to the fluid outlet being directly proportional to the distance between the valve member and the valve seat.

Fluid valve

In an improved showerhead a bulb portion having a channel for receipt of water therethrough, there is provided and a threaded collar for removeably coupling the bulb portion to a water supply source together with a housing comprising an outer housing portion and an inner housing portion in threadable relationship with one another and having a first O-ring disposed circumferentially about the bulb portion and proximate to the bulb portion channel. The inner housing portion has a front plate portion having a second O-ring disposed peripherally thereabout and between the same and said outer housing portion such that the second O-ring exerts a friction against rotational movement between the front plate portion and the outer housing portion, which is greater than the friction exerted by said first O-ring.

Showerhead apparatus

Wingnut

The present invention provides a flow restricter for use in fluid flow systems, for example, shower head assemblies. The flow restricter comprises a conical member having a plurality of slotted openings along the length thereof. The slotted openings are in fluid communication with an outlet of a size desired to provide a limited flow through the restricter. The conical member in the preferred embodiment is upstream of the outlet opening. The use of a plurality of slotted openings to provide fluid communication to an outlet opening eliminates the possibility of single point failure of the present invention. The conical member is tapered so that, when disposed in a fluid delivery system, a contaminant reservoir is formed around the conical member. In this manner, ever when the reservoir is full of contaminant particles, water will flow through the contaminants without disrupting the flow requirements.

Flow restrictor

Showerhead

A plastic valve cartridge for a plumbing fixture can be installed in and removed from a valve casting without tools. One end of a valve cage has detent means that snaps into a cup of the casting. The cage extends across a cavity in the casting so that its other end fits a cylindrical inlet opening. Valve means carried by the cage include a closure having a stem comprising a pair of leaf spring arms releasably snap-fitted to a non-circular hole in a knob or handle. The cage is locked in position by a sleeve that interferes with the detent means of the cage. Key means allow the sleeve to be removed only when the valve is partly open, thus signalling by spout flow the desirability of shutting off the water supply to the fixture before the cartridge is removed.

Growing community of inventors

Canyon Country, CA, United States of America

Teodoro J Gonzalez