Articulating faucet and joint therefor
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsPerry D. Erickson, Christopher M. Shay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Articulating faucets have segments connected by a plurality of movable joints. Each joint includes a pair of ceramic mating disks arranged in face to face contact, but able to rotate relative to each other when sufficient force is applied. A wave spring helps keep the disks in constant contact, and rubber spheres press against opposing surfaces of the ceramic disks to produce shear forces to keep the joint stable. In the faucet water passes through the joint by means of a tube or a hollow banjo bolt sealed from the joint. The faucet can therefore direct water to a wide variety of positions, without the need for a side spray, and while reducing the risk of joint leakage.
Claims13
An articulating faucet comprising:
- a vertical support;
- a plurality of swing arms;
- a spray head;
- and
- a plurality of joints interconnecting the spray head to the support via the swing arms and allowing for movement of the spray head with respect to the support, wherein the plurality of joints effect internal rotational resistance such that the spray head is maintained in a fixed position until at least one of the plurality of joints is overcome by an external force other than gravity;
- at least one of the joints comprising:
- first and second joint parts rotatable with respect to one another and configured to allow fluid to pass from the first joint part to the second joint part;
- first and second disk friction members, the first disk friction member being associated with the first joint part and the second disk friction member being associated with the second joint part, the first and second disk friction members being matable in face to face relation;
- and
- a spring member applying a force biasing the disk friction members in contact with one another such that the first and second disk friction members maintain a relative position of the first and second joint parts up to a threshold rotational force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.