Back to results
US 11,686,074 B2Granted
Pulldown kitchen faucet with spring spout
AssigneeDelta Faucet Company
InventorsTerrence Lee Fourman, Jeffrey Lee Moore, Kyle Robert Davidson, Randy L. Schneider, II, Joel D. Sawaski, Alfred Charles Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A faucet including a spring spout supporting a spout nest, and a sprayhead releasably coupled to the spout nest. A docking cradle is supported by the spout base and is configured to releasably couple to the spout nest. The faucet may include a capacitive sensor operably coupled to the spring spout by at least one capacitive coupling.
Claims26
A faucet comprising:
- a spring spout having a first end secured to a spout base and an opposite second end, the second end being vertically and horizontally moveable relative to the first end;
- a flexible tube supported for sliding movement within the spring spout;
- a spout nest coupled to the second end of the spring spout;
- a sprayhead fluidly coupled to the flexible tube and releasably coupled to the spout nest wherein the flexible tube is extendable out of the spring spout to thereby space the sprayhead from the spout nest and allow relative movement between the sprayhead and the spout nest when the sprayhead is released from the spout nest;
- and
- a docking cradle configured to releasably couple to the spout nest;
- a first mode of operation defined when the spout nest is coupled to the docking cradle, and the sprayhead is coupled to the spout nest whereby the sprayhead is held in a fixed position relative to the docking cradle;
- a second mode of operation defined when the spout nest is removed from the docking cradle, and the sprayhead is coupled to the spout nest whereby the spout nest and the sprayhead are moveable together both vertically and horizontally;
- and
- a third mode of operation is defined when the spout nest is coupled to the docking cradle, and the sprayhead is removed from the spout nest whereby the flexible tube is extendable out of the spring spout whereby the sprayhead is spaced from and moveable relative to the spout nest.
7 more elements
A method of operating a kitchen faucet comprising the steps of:
- providing a spring spout having a first end secured to a spout base and an opposite second end, a spout nest coupled to the second end of the spring spout, a sprayhead releasably coupled to the spout nest, a flexible tube coupled to the sprayhead, the flexible tube extending through the spring spout and being slidably extendable from the spring spout, and a docking cradle configured to releasably couple to the spout nest;
- coupling the spout nest to the docking cradle;
- coupling the sprayhead to the spout nest;
- removing the spout nest from the docking cradle whereby the spout nest is movable both vertically and horizontally relative to the spout base;
- and
- removing the sprayhead from the spout nest whereby the flexible tube is extendable out of the spring spout and the sprayhead is spaced from and moveable relative to the spout nest.
3 more elements
A faucet comprising:
- a spout base;
- a spring spout including a helical spring having opposing first and second ends, the first end coupled to the spout base, the second end being both vertically and horizontally moveable relative to the first end;
- a flexible tube supported for sliding movement within the spout base and the spring spout whereby the flexible tube is extendable from the spring spout;
- a spout nest coupled to the second end of the spring spout;
- a sprayhead fluidly coupled to the flexible tube and releasably coupled to the spout nest wherein the flexible tube is extendable out of the spring spout to thereby space the sprayhead from the spout nest and allow relative movement between the sprayhead and the spout nest when the sprayhead is released from the spout nest;
- a docking cradle supported by the spout base and configured to releasably couple to the spout nest;
- and
- a support arm having a first end operably coupled to the spout base separate from the first end of the spring spout, and a second end supporting the docking cradle for movement independent of the spring spout.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.