US 8,800,075 B2Granted

Spring loaded docking mechanism

AssigneePrice Pfister, Inc.

InventorsJan Christopher van Leyen, Shoufeng Li

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Abstract

An improved docking assembly for faucets having a pull-down sprayhead extendable from a spout. The docking assembly generally comprises a receptacle fitted into the spout which is formed with chamfered interior walls. A spring-loaded flexible collet is contained within the receptacle with a degree of sliding freedom for spring-biased travel along the chamfered interior walls of the receptacle, from a first position that allows generous radial expansion of the collet to a second position in which radial expansion is restricted. A quick-connect fitting attached to the pull-down sprayhead moves the collet into its first position allowing radial expansion of the collet. Removal of the quick-connect fitting moves the collet to its second position which restricts radial expansion, inhibiting said removal. Consequently, the pulldown sprayhead may be docked to the spout with considerably less insertion force than the opposite removal force needed to undock the pulldown sprayhead from the spout.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A docking assembly for a pull-out sprayhead extendable from an aperture at a distal end of a faucet spout, comprising:

a receptacle fitted within said spout aperture, said receptacle defined as a generally annular member having a longitudinal axis, said receptacle having an interior surface chamfered down to a constricted opening at said spout aperture;
a resilient collet contained within said receptacle and adapted for travel along said longitudinal axis from a first position wherein said interior surface allows radial expansion of said collet to a second position wherein said constricted opening inhibits radial expansion of said collet;
a spring within said receptacle and engaged to said collet, said spring biasing said collet into said second position;
and
a fitting attached to said pull-out sprayhead, said fitting comprising an annular member for cooperative insertion into and removal from said receptacle and a distal end for engagement with said collet, whereby insertion of said distal end with sufficient force to overcome said spring-bias moves said collet to said first position allowing radial expansion of said collet to facilitate said engagement, after which said spring-bias returns said collet to said second position whereby the inhibited radial expansion of said collet requires a relatively greater force to disengage said distal end from said collet and remove said sprayhead from said spout.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.