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US 12,702,988 B2Granted
Spray assembly
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorPerry D. Erickson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spray assembly includes an inner chamber, an outer chamber, a spray face, a plurality of shafts, a lever, a moving fulcrum, and a plurality of sleeves. The inner chamber provides a fluid in a first spray mode of a plurality of spray modes. The spray face is fluidly coupled to the outer chamber and includes one or more nozzles that are movable between a plurality of nozzle positions such that the spray face provides the fluid in a second spray mode and a third spray mode. The plurality of shafts are movable for directing the fluid within the spray assembly. The lever operates the plurality of shafts. The moving fulcrum changes a location of a fulcrum of the lever such that the fulcrum changes as the lever is operated. A first sleeve is configured to move the one or more nozzles of the spray face.
Claims20
A spray assembly comprising:
- a first spray outlet configured to dispense fluid in a first spray mode;
- a second spray outlet;
- a spray face coupled to the second spray outlet and comprising at least one nozzle, wherein the at least one nozzle is configured to dispense the fluid in a second spray mode in a first nozzle position and in a third spray mode in a second nozzle position;
- a valve configured to direct the fluid toward the first spray outlet in a first valve position and toward the second spray outlet in a second valve position;
- and
- an actuator operable between a first actuator position, a second actuator position, and a third actuator position,
- wherein operation of the actuator between the first actuator position and the second actuator position adjusts the valve between the first valve position and the second valve position while the at least one nozzle remains in the first nozzle position, and
- wherein operation of the actuator between the second actuator position and the third actuator position adjusts the at least one nozzle between the first nozzle position and the second nozzle position while the valve remains in the second valve position.
5 more elements
A spray assembly comprising:
- a spray outlet;
- a spray face coupled to the spray outlet and comprising at least one nozzle, wherein the at least one nozzle is configured to dispense fluid in a first spray mode in a first nozzle position and in a second spray mode in a second nozzle position;
- a valve operable between a first valve position and a second valve position, wherein the valve allows flow of the fluid to the spray outlet in the second valve position, and wherein the valve is biased to the first valve position via a first biasing member;
- a sleeve operably coupled to the at least one nozzle, wherein the sleeve is movable between a first sleeve position associated with the first nozzle position of the at least one nozzle and a second sleeve position associated with the second nozzle position of the at least one nozzle, and wherein the sleeve is biased to the first sleeve position via a second biasing member;
- an actuator operable between a first actuator position, a second actuator position, and a third actuator position,
- wherein operation of the actuator between the first actuator position and the second actuator position adjusts the valve to the second valve position,
- wherein operation of the actuator between the second actuator position and the third actuator position adjusts the sleeve to the first sleeve position, and
- wherein the first biasing member has a different resistance from the second biasing member.
5 more elements
A spray assembly comprising:
- a spray outlet;
- a spray face coupled to the spray outlet and comprising at least one nozzle, wherein the at least one nozzle is configured to dispense fluid in a first spray mode in a first nozzle position and in a second spray mode in a second nozzle position;
- a valve operable between a first valve position and a second valve position, wherein the valve allows flow of the fluid to the spray outlet in the second valve position;
- a shaft surrounding the valve and configured to adjust the valve between the first valve position and the second valve position;
- a sleeve surrounding the shaft and configured to move the at least one nozzle between the first nozzle position and the second nozzle position, wherein the at least one nozzle is deflected inwardly toward a central axis of the spray assembly when the at least one nozzle is adjusted from the first nozzle position to the second nozzle position;
- and
- an actuator operable between a first actuator position, a second actuator position, and a third actuator position, wherein operation of the actuator between the first actuator position and the second actuator position causes the shaft to adjust the valve between the first valve position and the second valve position, and wherein operation of the actuator between the second actuator position and the third actuator position causes the sleeve to move the at least one nozzle between the first nozzle position and the second nozzle position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.