SIDE SPRAYER WITH PIVOTABLE MAGNETIC DOCKING STATION

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/727,905, filed Dec. 4, 2024, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to water dispensers and, more particularly, to docking systems for side sprayers for use with a faucet and/or sink assembly.

Consumers often desire to use sprayers for a variety of reasons, including loosening and removing debris from dishes, loosening and removing dirt from food, cleaning a variety of products, and other reasons. Sprayers may be built into faucets as part of a delivery spout or may be included as an accessory sprayer, such as a side sprayer. Conventional accessory sprayers either lock into place, creating inefficiency for users who wish to use the sprayer in a quick and/or efficient manner, or require the user to hold down a button to utilize the sprayer. Because of the time needed to lock the sprayer in place, the user may occasionally leave the sprayer undocked when not in use, which may result in the sprayer draining in spaces outside of the sink, and may further result in the drained water collecting in undesired areas.

The present disclosure may provide a mechanism for keeping a side sprayer docked and draining into a sink. In an illustrative embodiment, the sprayer assembly provides a magnetic docking for a side sprayer. The illustrative stand or holder for the side sprayer has a nest to hold the sprayer in place with magnetic docking. The stand allows the sprayer to face downwardly into the sink in order to facilitate the draining of any residual water in the sprayer into the sink. In order to undock the sprayer, the user may pull up on the wand to cause the pivot arm of the nest to pivot upwardly. Then, with a pull in a lateral direction away from the pivot arm, the side sprayer may release from the magnetic docking. The bottom of the side sprayer may have a tapered nut on the supply hose to enable docking to a wall mount holder similar to existing handle showers.

The illustrative stand has a nest that incorporates a magnet and pivot arm. The pivot arm provides ease of docking and undocking the side sprayer while the magnet holds the sprayer in the stand's nest.

According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a sprayer assembly includes a base configured to be mounted on a mounting deck of a sink, and a first magnetic element disposed above the base. A sprayer is configured to emit a liquid therefrom. The sprayer is supported by the base, and includes a second magnetic element magnetically coupled to the first magnetic element.

According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a sprayer assembly includes a base mounted on a mounting deck of a sink. A magnetic fork is pivotably coupled to a fixed structure. The magnetic fork is disposed above the base. A sprayer includes a sprayhead having an outlet for emitting a liquid therefrom. The sprayer includes a body having a bottom end received in the base. The sprayer includes a magnetic neck interconnecting the sprayhead and the body. The magnetic neck is received in and magnetically attracted to the magnetic fork.

According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a sprayer assembly includes a base mounted on a mounting deck of a sink. A magnetic fork is disposed above the base. A sprayer includes a sprayhead having an outlet for emitting a liquid therefrom. A body is supported by the base. The sprayer includes a magnetic neck interconnecting the sprayhead and the body. The magnetic neck is received in and magnetically attracted to the magnetic fork.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a faucet supported by a sink and including the illustrative side sprayer assembly of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an upper, front perspective view of the illustrative side sprayer assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an upper, rear perspective view of the side sprayer assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an upper perspective cross-sectional view of the side sprayer assembly of FIG. 2 taken along line 4-4;

FIG. 5 is a righthand side cross-sectional view of the side sprayer assembly of FIG. 2 taken along line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is an upper, front perspective, partially exploded view of the illustrative side sprayer assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an upper, front perspective, cross-sectional view of the nest and base of the illustrative side sprayer assembly of FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7; and

FIG. 8 is an upper, front perspective, exploded view of the nest and base of the illustrative side sprayer assembly of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an upper perspective cross-sectional view of the side sprayer of the illustrative side sprayer assembly of FIG. 6 taken along line 9-9;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view of the spray head of the side sprayer of the illustrative side sprayer assembly of FIG. 6 taken along line 10-10; and

FIG. 11 is an upper, front perspective, exploded view of the sprayer of the illustrative side sprayer assembly of FIG. 6.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of various features and components according to the present disclosure, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present disclosure. The exemplification set out herein illustrates an embodiment of the invention, and such an exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the disclosure described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Rather, the embodiments described herein enable one skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a sink assembly 12 is shown as including a sink or mounting deck 14 supporting a sink basin 16. An illustrative faucet assembly 20 is supported by the mounting deck 14 above the sink basin 16. The faucet assembly 20 is shown as including an illustrative side sprayer assembly 52 of the present disclosure and a diverter assembly 22.

The illustrative faucet assembly 20 includes a waterway assembly 21 having a hot water supply line or tube 26 and a cold water supply line or tube 28 configured to supply water to a control or mixing valve 30. More particularly, the hot water supply tube 26 is fluidly connected to a hot water supply valve or stop 27, while the cold water supply tube 28 is fluidly connected to a cold water supply valve or stop 29. Operation of the mixing valve 30 regulates the flow of water from the hot water supply tube 26 and the cold water supply tube 28 to a mixed water line or inlet tube 32. A user input, illustratively a handle 33, is operably coupled to the mixing valve 30 to control the flow rate and the temperature of water delivered to the mixed water inlet tube 32.

The illustrative faucet assembly 20 includes a delivery spout 38 supported by a base 39 and configured to receive a spout outlet tube 40 having an outlet 41 positioned above the sink basin 16 and configured to discharge water from the mixed water inlet tube 32 via the diverter assembly 22. In the illustrative embodiment, the hot water supply tube 26, the cold water supply tube 28, the mixed water inlet tube 32, and the spout outlet tube 40 are all formed of a polymer, such as a cross-liked polyethylene (PEX).

An auxiliary fluid dispenser, illustratively the side sprayer assembly 52 of the present disclosure includes a handheld side sprayer 54 fluidly coupled to a flexible dispenser or sprayer outlet tube or hose 56. The side sprayer 54 can provide an alternate or simultaneous fluid outlet relative to the outlet 41 of the spout 38. The sprayer outlet tube 56 may be fluidly connected to the spout outlet tube 40 via the mixed water inlet tube 32 and the diverter assembly 22, such that the same mix of hot and cold water from the mixing valve 30 can be dispensed from both the spout 38 and the side sprayer 54. The diverter assembly 22 may be of conventional design, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,721,761 to Thomas, or U.S. Pat. No. 8,646,476 to Thomas et al., the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Now referring to FIG. 2, the side sprayer 54 is illustrated apart from the sink assembly 12 (FIG. 1). The illustrative side sprayer 54 includes a sprayhead 61 fitted to a body 58 and having a sprayface or spray outlet 55 with a plurality of ejection or dispensing nozzles 59. The side sprayer 54 illustratively includes an activation input or a trigger pushbutton 57 (FIG. 3) supported by the sprayhead 61 and configured to activate water flow through the spray outlet 55 when depressed by a user (in the direction of arrow 63 in FIG. 10).

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the pushbutton 57 of the side sprayer 54 may be operably coupled to a conventional valve 62. The illustrative valve 62 may include a piston 64 slidably received within a sleeve 66 and supporting a plurality of axially spaced apart sealing o-rings 68a, 68b, 68c to control water flow through a passageway 70 in fluid communication with the sprayer outlet tube 56 to the outlet 55 (FIG. 10). A spring 72 may bias the piston 64 from an open position to a closed position (in the direction of arrow 73 in FIG. 10). The pushbutton 57 may also be biased outwardly (in the direction of arrow 73), illustratively by a spring 74. A user may selectively use the side sprayer 54 via operation of the pushbutton 57. The body 58 may serve as a handle by which the user may hold and/or manipulate the sprayer 54 while depressing the pushbutton 57.

A spray nozzle assembly 53 is positioned at the outlet 55 of the side sprayer 54. As illustrated, the spray nozzle assembly 53 is removably coupled to a housing 51 of the sprayhead 61 via threading while maintaining a fluid-tight seal between the spray nozzle assembly 53 and the housing 51 of the sprayhead 61. In other illustrative embodiments, the spray nozzle assembly 53 may be coupled to the housing 51 in other ways, for example, via interference fit with an o-ring, adhesive, mechanical fastener, single-piece manufacturing, overmolding, or other processes known in the art.

The body 58 of the side sprayer 54 illustratively includes a waterway 75 defining the passageway 70 in fluid communication with the sprayer outlet tube 56, and is configured to be removably supported by and selectively seated by a mounting base 80. The body 58 of the side sprayer 54 may be seated on the mounting base 80 when the side sprayer 54 is not in use. The body 58 of the side sprayer 54 may also be seated on the mounting base 80 when the side sprayer 54 is in use, as desired by the user.

The mounting base 80 is coupled to a mount, illustratively an externally threaded shank or post 82, configured to facilitate the coupling of the side sprayer 54 to the sink deck 14 (FIG. 1). More particularly, the mounting base 80 includes the mounting shank or post 82 having an upper end attached to a tilted, annular hose support or guide 83 defining a through-hole or passageway 84 (FIG. 6) to slidably receive the sprayer outlet tube 56. Hose guide 83 may be tilted, or have a longitudinal axis 85 that is nonparallel to a longitudinal axis 87 of mounting shank 82, such that longitudinal axis 85 is oriented generally in the direction in which sprayer 54 is typically pulled away from hose guide 83. Thus, the friction, scratching and wear associated with tube 56 rubbing against hose guide 83 as sprayer 54 is pull away from the hose guide 83 is reduced. An o-ring 86 may be supported on a lower surface of the hose guide 83 to engage with the sink deck 14.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 7 and 8, a mounting nut 88 may threadably engage the mounting post 82 and secure the mounting base 80 to the mounting deck 14 with a washer 90 being disposed between nut 88 and the mounting deck 14. Screws 92 may be used to clamp washer 90 against the bottom surface of mounting deck 14, for final adjustment and securement of the mounting base 80 to the mounting deck 14.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the flexible hose 56 is illustratively stored beneath the sink deck 14 when not in use. The hose 56 enables a user to remove the body 58 of the side sprayer 54 from the base 80 for easier manipulation of the position of the side sprayer 54, and therefore the angle of the spray from the outlet 55 of the side sprayer 54. An optional weight (not shown) may be disposed on the hose 56 of the side sprayer 54 to assist in retracting the hose 56 below the sink deck 14 and facilitate placement of the body 58 of the side sprayer 54 on the base 80 when not in use.

An internally threaded nut 94 (FIG. 4) at the upper end of hose 56 may threadedly receive an externally threaded lower end of the body 58 of the side sprayer 54. Thus, nut 94 may secure hose 56 to the body 58 of the side sprayer 54. The hose guide 83 may include an annular collar 96 (FIG. 8) which receives and engages nut 94 when the side sprayer 54 is received in the base 80.

With reference to FIGS. 6-8 and 11, the side sprayer assembly 52 of the present disclosure further includes a nest assembly 100 that latches onto and magnetically retains a magnetic neck 102 of the side sprayer 54. Nest assembly 100 includes a magnetic holder, illustratively a fork 104 that is pivotably coupled to a lateral mounting arm 106 by a pivot pin 108, such as a bolt 110 secured by a nut 112 and a washer 113 (FIG. 8). The fork 104 illustratively includes a pair of spaced apart tines 114 that may snugly receive the neck 102 of the side sprayer 54 therein. The lateral mounting arm 106 is illustratively attached to a top end 118 of a vertical support post 120 by a fastener, such as a bolt or screw 122. A bottom end 124 of the post 120 is attached by a fastener, such as a bolt or screw 126 (FIG. 8), to an annular mounting bracket or base 128 that is cantilevered outwardly from the hose guide 83.

The fork 104 is illustratively pivotable about the pivot pin 108 between a lowered position, as shown in FIG. 3, and a raised position, as shown in FIG. 6. In the lowered position, the fork 104 may be oriented approximately fifteen degrees below a horizontal plane defined by the lateral mounting arm 106. In the raised position, the fork 104 may be oriented in, or parallel to, the horizontal plane defined by the lateral mounting arm 106.

As shown in FIG. 3, the fork 104 may be in the lowered position to enable the nut 94 of hose 56 to be snugly received in the hose guide 83 while the neck 102 of the side sprayer 54 is received in fork 104. When the user would like to remove the side sprayer 54 from the nest assembly 100, he may grasp the body 58 and lift upwards, which pivots the fork 104 from the lowered position to the raised position. The user may then pull the body 58 away from and out of the fork 104. When the user would like to return the side sprayer 54 to the nest assembly 100, he may insert the body 58 into the fork 104 and then push down on the body 58 such that the fork 104 pivots downward until the nut 94 of hose 56 is again snugly received in the hose guide 83.

The coupling between the fork 104 and the mounting arm 106 may have enough frictional resistance that the fork 104 does not pivot relative to the mounting arm 106 unless the user manually moves the fork 104. That is, the weight of the fork 104 alone may not be enough to move the fork 104 from the raised position to the lowered position. In certain illustrative embodiments, first and second magnets 130 and 132 may secure the fork 104 in the raised position. More particularly, the first magnet 130 may be supported by the fork 104, and the second magnet 132 may be supported by the mounting arm 106. Illustratively, the first and second magnets 130 and 132 are magnetically coupled together when the fork 104 is in the raised position, and are the first and second magnets 130 and 132 are magnetically uncoupled or released from each other when the fork 104 is in the lowered position.

The neck 102 of the side sprayer 54 may include a U-shaped magnet 134 (FIG. 11) that is centered at the point on the neck 102 that is closest to the magnetic fork 104. The fork 104 may include a U-shaped magnet 136 (FIG. 8) that is sized and shaped to minimize the distance, and thereby maximize the force of attraction, between the magnets 134, 136 along their U-shaped lengths. The U-shaped magnet 134 illustratively opens in a same direction, indicated by arrow 138 (FIG. 11), as the nozzles 59 are directed. The fork 104 and the magnet 136 also open in direction 138. Although two magnets 134, 136 are disclosed herein, it is to be understood that either of magnets 134, 136 may be replaced within the scope of the invention by a material that is not a magnet, but that is attracted to a magnet, such as steel or another ferrous metal, for example. A cover 140 may be secured to the fork 104 by screws 142 to retain the magnet 136 within the fork 104.

As used herein, the term “magnetic” encompasses both magnets and materials that are attracted to magnets (i.e., magnetically attractive materials), such as ferrous metals.

A specific illustrative design of the sprayhead 61 is shown in the drawings. However, all the details of sprayhead 61 are not described herein, as the invention can be applied to any sprayhead design. That is, the magnetic fork 104 of the disclosure can retain the magnetic neck 102 of any sprayhead 61 so long as the neck 102 is of suitable size and shape. Illustrative sprayheads are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,721,761 to Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,078 to Jianglin et. al, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,424,781 to Rosko et al., the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.