US 6,704,946 B1 · Sprayer assembly

Abstract

A sprayer assembly adapted for releasable attachment to a water supply line, such as for a conventional toilet, is provided. The sprayer includes a three-way valve housing connected to the water supply line for the toilet, the valve housing including a supply conduit and a diverting conduit. A plunger is slidably disposed within the diverting conduit and is biased to a closed position by a biasing means extending between the supply conduit and the plunger. An attachment member is releasably engageable with the diverting conduit and operates to slide the plunger with respect to the diverting conduit in order to allow fluid flow through both the supply conduit and the diverting conduit. The attachment member is secured to one end of a hose that is attached to a sprayer head opposite the attachment member that enables an individual to manually dispense water flowing from the valve housing and through the attachment member and hose to the sprayer head.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A dispensing assembly releasably attachable to a water supply line, the assembly comprising:

a dispenser including an outlet end, an inlet end and a dispensing mechanism;
a hose connected to the inlet end of the dispenser;
an attachment member secured to the hose opposite the dispenser;
and
a valve housing connectable to the water supply line, the housing including a supply conduit, a diverting conduit that is secured to the supply conduit and is releasably and sealingly engageable with the attachment member, a plunger disposed within the diverting conduit and moveable from a closed position to an open position, and a biasing member disposed between the plunger and the supply conduit to urge the plunger into a closed position, wherein water flows through the supply conduit when the plunger is in the closed position and simultaneously through the supply conduit and through the diverting conduit when the plunger is in the open position.

2 more elements

A method for dispensing water from a sprayer connected to a water supply line without interrupting water flow through the supply line, the method comprising the steps of:

a) attaching a valve housing to the water supply line, the valve housing including a supply conduit attached to the supply line and a selectively operable diverting conduit attached to the supply conduit, a spring-biased plunger disposed within the diverting conduit and moveable from a closed position to an open position, and a biasing member disposed between the plunger and the supply conduit to urge the plunger into a closed position, wherein water flows through the supply conduit when the plunger is in the closed position and simultaneously through the supply conduit and through the diverting conduit when the plunger is in the open position;
b) quickly and releasably engaging an attachment member with the diverting conduit to open the diverting conduit without interrupting water flow through the supply conduit, the attachment member connected to one end of a hose connected at the opposite end to an inlet end of a sprayer including an outlet end opposite the inlet end and a dispensing mechanism;
and
c) actuating the dispensing mechanism to dispense water through the outlet end of the sprayer.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sprayer assembly

Life of this patent

Sprayer assembly

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21