APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EXTENDING SINK FAUCET CONTROLS AND IMPROVING USER INTERACTION

Description

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/738,718, filed on Dec. 26, 2024, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

All patents, patent applications and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

This patent disclosure contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves any and all copyright rights.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of faucet handles, as well as attachments and accessories thereof.

Sink Faucets In Daily Life. Sink faucets control the flow of tap water in various types of sinks, such as kitchen sinks, bathroom sinks, utility sinks, etc. Faucet-delivered water is integral to basic daily needs such as drinking water, personal hygiene and grooming, food preparation, dish washing, etc. As such, faucet-delivered water affects at least two important aspects of daily life: a) health and hygiene, and b) indoor water usage.

Faucet-Delivered Water In Health And Hygiene. According to the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), proper handwashing is the single most effective means of preventing the spread of pathogens, including infectious germs. Germs (e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) can cause everything from the common cold to potentially life-threatening diseases and pandemics, like Covid-19. In addition to handwashing, many other sink activities that use faucet-delivered water affect health and hygiene, such as toothbrushing, shaving, food preparation, dishwashing, etc.

Indoor Water Usage. The Water Research Foundation (WRF), a non-profit organization, has conducted studies on the residential end use of water (REU studies) in North America (USA and Canada) to examine water usage in single-family homes. According to an REU study of 2016 (REU2016), faucet-delivered water constituted nearly 20% of total residential indoor water usage in single-family households. Comparing the REU study in 2016 to the previous one in 1999 (REU1999), faucet-delivered water usage per household averaged 26.7 gphd (gallons per household per day) in 2016 and 26.3 gphd in 1999. On a per capita basis, faucet-delivered water usage averaged 11.1 gallons per capita per day (gpcd) in 2016 and 10.9 gpcd in 1999. WRF concluded “The average faucet use per household and per capita did not change at a statistically significant level from REU1999 to REU2016”, over a 17-year period. In contrast, other categories of indoor water usage per household showed a significant reduction over the same period, e.g., a reduction of: 42.2% for clothes washers, 33.3% for dishwashers, and 26.7% for toilets. Thus, there is a significant need for improved plumbing equipment (e.g., conventional and next-generation faucets and accessories), beyond what is currently available and installed in households, to significantly reduce usage of indoor faucet-delivered water.

Problems to be Addressed

A. Liabilities of Conventional Sink Faucets

Due to their design, most conventional faucets for wash sinks (e.g., bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, etc.) have at least two major liabilities: a) typically, a faucet handle has to be directly touched by user's hand to control the flow of tap water, which can contaminate said faucet handle by any disease-causing agents on said hand; and b) typically, a faucet handle(s) is positioned outside of the sink bowl, which can easily lead to liquid mess. Liquid mess refers to drippings from wet hands or wet items washed in the sink, with said drippings often landing on a faucet handle(s) and/or surrounding areas, or outside of a wash sink. Said liabilities can negatively impact hygiene, water conservation, and sink tidiness, as explained next.

a) Contamination Of Faucet Handle. The first step in hand washing is wetting the hands with tap water, before applying soap. To wet their hands, a user has to touch the faucet handle and turn it on with their unwashed hand. Inevitably, any contaminant materials on the user's hand can be transferred to the faucet handle, including any disease-causing pathogens (e.g., infectious germs). Since faucet handles are typically not sanitized after each use, the pathogens can persist long enough to be transferred back to the same user next time they use the wash sink (self-contamination) or to other users who share the same wash sink (cross contamination). As such, the CDC has classified faucet handles as high-touch surfaces, indicating their potential to spread pathogens. Thus, hygiene and health can be compromised, due to the design of faucets.

b) Contamination Of The Soap Or Dispenser. Like the faucet handle, a bar of soap or a manual dispenser for liquid soap used to wash dirty hands can become contaminated with pathogens; likewise, they are typically not sanitized after each use.

c) Liquid Mess Outside The Sink Bowl. Most conventional wash sinks are designed with the faucet spout and faucet handle(s) positioned outside of the sink bowl. Typically, the faucet system is installed on a sink deck, sink rim, or a wall behind the sink. Thus, each time the sink is used it is very likely that some water drips or splashes outside sink bowl, especially on or around faucet handles. For example, a user who wishes to save water may turn off tap water after wetting the hands and before applying soap during hand washing. Or the user may turn off the water repeatedly during shaving after each rinsing of the razor. Anytime a user has to reach outside the sink with wet hands (e.g., to turn the faucet handle or reach for soap) or with wet objects (e.g., a wet toothbrush), there is potential for drippings to land outside the sink, resulting in liquid mess. Said liquid mess can be from wet hands or objects that are clean, dirty, and/or contaminated with pathogens, soap, or other chemicals. Said liquid mess may take time to air-dry and may get replenished each time the sink is used. Since germs tend to proliferate in stagnant pools of water, said liquid mess can harbor germ growth; more so, if a user's hand is contaminated with pathogens. Furthermore, when said liquid mess has air dried, it can leave behind grime and stains from the contaminant materials in the liquid mess: dirt, oils, pathogens, soap, minerals in tap water, and/or etc. Thus, the design of conventional faucets can result in liquid mess, which in turn can compromise hygiene and sink tidiness.

d) Water Wastage. To avoid the abovementioned liquid mess, users often let tap water run continuously during a sink activity (e.g., handwashing). This is especially true for sink activities that would otherwise require repetitious turning on and off water: face shaving, toothbrushing, handwashing, face washing, manual dish washing, or etc. Keeping tap water running, when it is not needed, can be very wasteful: e.g., the EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) advises that by turning off unneeded water, up to 8 gallons per day can be saved during toothbrushing, up to 10 gallons per shaving during face shaving. Thus, the design of faucet handles can lead to water wastage.

e) Cumbersome Cleaning Of Faucet Systems. Cleaning and sanitation of faucet handles and their surrounding areas can be a difficult, time- and labor-intensive process. This is due to the positioning of faucet handles outside of the sink bowl, the shape of most faucet handles, and the hard-to-access areas around them. More so, if detergent is used for cleaning: the detergent-cleaned surfaces then need to be rinsed with water and dried to prevent germ growth, grime, and stains. This is not practical, which is probably a main reason that faucet handles and their surrounding areas are not cleaned frequently, and certainly not after each use. Thus, the design of conventional faucet systems makes their cleaning difficult, thereby compromising hygiene and sink tidiness.

B. Liabilities of Next Generation Products

Many types of commercial products have been developed as the next generation after conventional faucet systems, to address the aforementioned liabilities of conventional faucet systems, especially with regards to hygiene and water conservation. Example products comprise faucet aerators, sensor-activated faucets, metered faucets, foot-pedal faucets, among others. However, the fact that residential faucet water usage has not been reduced in recent past indicates that these commercial products are either not widely used, and/or have not had the expected impact on faucet water usage. In addition, many next generation products come with their own liabilities:

a) Costs. Many current next-generation products (e.g., sensor-activated faucets) are costly to purchase and to replace. Also, they may require professionals for installation, repair, and replacement, which adds to the costs. In residences and buildings with multiple wash sinks, the costs and problems can multiply proportionately.

b) Failure Rate. Sensor-activated faucets, because of electronic and mechanical components, tend to have a higher failure rate than conventional faucets. And with the more reliable models, it is not just the cost of the replacement unit and the cost of installation by professionals, but also the down time when the wash sink is out of order, until the new unit arrives, and the professionals can install it.

c) Preset Controls. Some commercial products (e.g., sensor-activated faucets; metering faucets) have a preset water flow rate that cannot be easily changed in real time (during use). This is also the case with water temperature. A singular preset flow rate or temperature can be impractical, since sinks are used for various activities where different flow rates or temperatures are desired. Some later models of sensor-activated faucets have an additional lever on the side to change flow rate. Using this lever defeats the purpose of a sensor-activated faucet, as the lever requires direct touching like a conventional faucet.

d) Not Always Practical. Some sink activities (shaving, dishwashing, etc.) require that the tap water be turned on and off repeatedly, to conserve water. Current products (sensor-activated, foot pedal-activated, or metering faucets) are not practical in this regard; e.g., if there is a time delay with each round of turning the water on/off, not to mention that there would be more tear and wear on any electronic or mechanical parts that would cause the product to fail sooner.

e) Requirement For Electricity. Some products (e.g., sensor-activated faucets, etc.) may require an electric outlet for operation. Not every wash sink has an electrical outlet nearby, and installing one would require an electrician and safety considerations. Functioning only with electric outlets means that the faucets are non-functional during power outages. If they run on batteries, they will not function when batteries are depleted, until new batteries are installed.

f) Faucet Aerators. Most aerator models have a screen at the outflow end, which causes air to mix with water. Said screen also tends to catch debris coming from the water line. Also, said screen traps and holds water behind it, so the faucet spout remains filled with water after the faucet is shut off. Over time, this can lead to germ growth. Moreover, aerators may generate aerosols, which can aerosolize and spread any germs growing within the aerator. That is why many medical facilities do not use aerators. The CDC has recommended that aerators are periodically cleaned, to prevent growth of waterborne germs. Aerators may help reduce water wastage by reducing the water flow rate, but they can compromise hygiene by providing opportunity for germ growth. Also, aerators do not help with the faucet problems listed under “Liabilities Of Conventional Sink Faucets” a)-c) above, that also compromise hygiene.

g) Various Other Liabilities. Some products (metering faucets, faucet aerators, etc.) were designed only to reduce water wastage; they were not designed to prevent the spread of germs, as users still have to touch the faucet handle to start the water. Some products (e.g., foot-pedal activated faucets) may be difficult to operate if the user has an impaired foot, leg, or balance. Also, for some groups of users (seniors, toddlers, patients with medical issues that affect hand function, etc.) conventional faucets and next generation products may be difficult to operate, because of reach or because of hand condition.

Unmet Needs

With regard to the aforementioned liabilities of conventional and next generation faucets and their accessories, there are several unmet needs:

a) Reduction of indoor faucet water use. Significantly decrease the daily usage of indoor faucet-delivered water to below ˜20% of total indoor water usage, which means significantly below 26.3 gphd on a household basis and significantly below 11.1 gpcd on a per capita basis (from REU2016).

b) Improvement of hygiene and health practices, as related to wash sink usage. For example, minimize self- and cross-contamination.

c) Improvement of sink tidiness, by averting liquid mess on and around faucet handles and outside of the wash sink in general.

d) Improvement of faucet ergonomics. Facilitate and enhance physical access to faucet handles for users with medical or physical limitations, for example, seniors with advanced arthritis, users with one functional hand, toddlers, etc.

As was described above in “Liabilities Of Conventional Sink Faucets” and in “Liabilities Of Next Generation Products”, no single product by itself can address all unmet needs, and virtually all conventional and next generation products have their own liabilities. Thus, an improved faucet system is needed, as disclosed here.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In certain aspects, described herein is a faucet handle extension (FHE) device comprising a handle, an extension member, wherein the extension member is coupled to the handle, and a connector configured to couple the extension member to a faucet handle, wherein the extension member is oriented with its longitudinal axis at a downward angle relative the position of the connector. In certain aspects, described herein is a faucet handle extension (FHE) device comprising a handle, an extension member comprising a bending point, wherein the extension member is coupled to the handle, and a connector configured to couple the extension member to a faucet handle, wherein the extension member is oriented with its longitudinal axis at a downward angle relative the position of the connector. In some embodiments, the FHE device further comprises an adapter comprising a plate, a connector for the FHE device, a connecting tube, a latch and a lever. In some embodiments, the handle, the extension member and the connector are contiguous.

In some embodiments, the handle and/or the extension member and/or the connector is a rod or a tube. In some embodiments, the rod has a cross section that is a circular, oval, or shaped like a biconvex lens. In some embodiments the tube has a cross section that has a hollow center and that is circular or rhomboid. In some embodiments, the rod or tube comprises metal, alloy or polymeric material.

In some embodiments, the handle is about 1.8 inches long. In some embodiments, the handle is about 1.9 inches long. In some embodiments, the handle is 1.875 inches long. In some embodiments, the handle is 0.5 inches-3 inches long.

In some embodiments, the handle is a straight. In some embodiments, the handle is curved.

In some embodiments, the proximal half of the extension member is 4 inches long. In some embodiments, the proximal half of the extension member is 2 inches-6 inches long.

In some embodiments, the distal half of the extension member is 4 inches long. In some embodiments, the distal half of the extension is 5 inches long. In some embodiments, the distal half of the extension is 4.75 inches long. In some embodiments, the distal half of the extension is 2 inches-6 inches long.

In some embodiments, the bending point of the extension member forms an angle of 150 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the extension member comprises a bending point and the proximal half of the extension member forms an angle of 110-180 degrees relative in the horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the FHE comprises an extension member with a bend (e.g. FIG. 1A). In some embodiments, the FHE extension member is straight (e.g. FIG. 1B). In some embodiments, the bending point of the extension member forms an angle of 240 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the extension member comprises a bending point and the proximal half of the extension member forms an angle of 190-270 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the FHE comprises an extension member with a bend (e.g. FIG. 1A). In some embodiments, the FHE extension member is straight (e.g. FIG. 1B).

In some embodiments, the bending point in the extension member forms an angle of 150 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when viewed in the vertical plane. In some embodiments, the bending point in the extension member forms an angle of 110-180 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when viewed in the vertical plane. In some embodiments, the bending point in the extension member forms an angle of 240 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when viewed in the vertical plane. In some embodiments, the bending point in the extension member forms an angle of 190-270 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when viewed in the vertical plane.

In certain aspects, described herein, is a faucet handle extension device comprising a handle, a rod comprising a bending point, wherein the rod is coupled to the handle; and a connector configured to couple the rod to a faucet handle, wherein the rod is oriented with its longitudinal axis at a downward angle relative to the position of the connecting member. In some embodiments, the bending point of the extension member forms an angle of 150 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the slope of the FHE device ranges from 0.1 degrees to 70 degrees downward relative to the horizontal plane.

In some embodiments, the FHE device is a single rod or tube. In some embodiments, the extension member is formed of a round cross-section member comprising a diameter of about 0.05 inch to 0.3 inch. In some embodiments, the extension member is formed of a round cross-section member comprising a diameter of about 0.106 inch. In some embodiments, the extension member is formed of a round cross-section member comprising a diameter of about 0.14 inch. In some embodiments, the extension member is formed of a round cross-section member comprising a diameter of about 0.28 inch. In some embodiments, the extension member is formed of a round cross-section member comprising a diameter of about 0.05 inch-0.5 inch. In some embodiments, the extension member is formed of a round cross-section member comprising a diameter of about 0.05 inch-0.3 inch. In some embodiments, the FHE device is made of a material comprising metals, metal alloys, plastics or plastic alloys.

In some embodiments, the FHE device is attached to the faucet handle via a connector. In some embodiments, the connector allows a force to be applied to the device to operate the faucet handle. In some embodiments, the connector comprises a rolling pin, an eyelet, a snap-hook-type fastener, a washer fastener, an elastic band, a non-elastic band, a wire, a string, a cable tie, a clamp or a magnet. In some embodiments, the connector is configured to allow rotational movement of the FHE device relative to the faucet handle, thereby providing rotational freedom during use. In some embodiments, the connector is configured to allow rotational movement of the FHE device relative to the faucet handle without causing the faucet handle itself to move. In some embodiments, the connector comprises a rotational coupling or swivel joint that permits angular adjustment of the extension member while maintaining a secure connection to the faucet handle. In some embodiments, horizontal or vertical force applied to the handle of the FHE device is transmitted through the extension member and connector to actuate the faucet handle. In some embodiments, the connector is designed to accommodate multi-directional forces, including lateral, upward, and downward movements, while maintaining stability and preventing unintended disconnection. In some embodiments, the connector allows free rotation of the FHE device so that the device can move in different directions, and, for example, be cleaned, without interrupting the operation of the faucet handle. Connectors that allow such movement are known in the art.

In some embodiments, the member comprises a telescoping tube with a lockable segment or a screw-on extension piece configured to adjust overall length of the FHE device.

In some embodiments, a proximal portion of the extension member is positioned directly over the sink. In some embodiments, the downward angle of the extension member is configured for gravity-induced drainage of liquid into the sink. In some embodiments, the downward angle is less than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector. In some embodiments, the downward angle is about 30 degrees to 60 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector. In some embodiments, the downward angle is about 40 degrees to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector. In some embodiments, the downward angle is 45 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector. In some embodiments, a proximal end of the handle comprises a vertical or declining angle towards the sink. In some embodiments, a proximal end of the handle comprises a declining angle of-0.1 degrees to-70 degrees towards the sink.

In some embodiments, the handle comprises a grip. In some embodiments, the grip comprises a germicidal or antimicrobial coating. In some embodiments, the grip is made of a material that is hydrophobic, or rust-resistant, and includes any of the materials described herein. In some embodiments, the grip comprises a textured surface, ribbed sleeve or O-ring set configured to improve grip when wet.

In certain aspects, described herein is a faucet handle extension (FHE) system comprising the FHE device disclosed herein and a braking system. In some embodiments, the braking system comprises a reversibly attachable dampener. In some embodiments, the reversible attachable dampener comprises a base configured to attach to a counter surface or to a sink rim and a hook connected to the base, wherein the hook is configured to generate friction against the FHE device when the FHE device is actuated by a user. In some embodiments, the braking system further comprises a stopper connected to the extension member of the FHE device, the stopper having a predetermined position on the extension member and being configured to provide a tactile stop when the extension member reaches the predetermined position during use. In some embodiments, the stopper comprises a tick mark, O-ring, or a removable sleeve wrapped around or fitted to the extension member. In some embodiments, the removable sleeve is made of a material comprising an elastic band, a non-elastic band, a rubber, a silicone, or an electrical tape. In some embodiments, the invention comprises a faucet handle extension system that operates without any braking mechanisms.

In certain aspects, described herein is a method of using any of the FHE device described above comprising: a. coupling the connecting member to a faucet handle using the connector; b. orienting the extension member such that a longitudinal axis of the extension member is at a downward angle relative to a position of the connecting member; c. positioning the handle of the FHE device over a sink; and d. displacing the handle of the FHE device to transmit motion through the extension member and the connecting member to the faucet handle. In some embodiments, the coupling of step (a) is reversible. In some embodiments, the connector permits rotational movement of the FHE device relative to the faucet handle while the faucet is in an on or off position.

In some embodiments, the downward angle of step (b) is less than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector. In some embodiments, the downward angle of step (b) is about 30 degrees to 60 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector. In some embodiments, the downward angle of step (b) is about 40 degrees to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector. In some embodiments, the downward angle of step (b) is 45 degrees relative to the horizontal plane at the level of the connector.

In some embodiments, when the handle is displaced to turn the faucet on or off, the handle remains within the sink and does not extend beyond the inner edge of the sink. In some embodiments, when water is running and the handle is displaced to adjust the faucet the FHE device does not swing over or cross the faucet spout.

In some embodiments, the faucet handle is located laterally on a side region of the sink. In some embodiments, the faucet handle is not located behind the faucet spout.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises a step (e) cleaning the handle while the handle remains positioned over the sink.

This disclosed invention constitutes a faucet handle extension system for improving personal hygiene, water conservation, sink tidiness, and faucet access when using wash sinks. The disclosed system comprises a) a faucet handle extension (FHE) device; b) accessory equipment for the FHE device; c) braking mechanisms for finer control of an FHE device; d) faucet handle modifications; and e) Methods of Use for items a)-d).

The disclosed FHE device comprises a handle, an extension member, and a connector. The connector connects the FHE device to a faucet handle. The FHE handle is positioned directly over the sink due to the extension member. The disclosed invention, comprising said disclosed FHE device and items b)-e) listed above, enables a user to:

a) Avert Liquid Mess. A user touches only the FHE handle, which is positioned over the sink bowl, and never the faucet handle(s). Thus, any drippings land directly inside the sink, rather than outside. This improves sink tidiness. Also, since germs can grow in stagnant pools of water, averting liquid mess also averts germ growth and improves hygiene.

b) Minimize Water Wastage. With conventional faucets, users typically keep water running (e.g., during handwashing) even when water is not needed, to avoid said liquid mess. The disclosed invention enables a user to stop or readjust the flow of water at any time, without the penalty of said liquid mess. This improves water conservation.

c) Improve Hygiene. The disclosed invention enables the user to clean (and disinfect) the touched handle easily at any time: before, during, or after use. Any resulting sewage lands in the sink bowl. Cleaning the handle after each use reduces the spread of germs and helps with hygiene.

d) Improve Ergonomics. The FHE extension member places the FHE handle closer to the user, providing an easier access.

A prototype of the FHE device was built, installed, and used with accessories in a wash sink, according to the disclosed Methods of Use. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations showed that the disclosed faucet extension system

a) was enabled; b) addressed the aforementioned liabilities of conventional sink faucets and next generation products; and c) significantly reduced water usage for 4 sink activities that were quantitatively tested.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.

FIGS. 1A-1B Depicts Two Different Embodiments Of The Disclosed FHE Device. FIG. 1A Shows An Embodiment Of The FHE Device With A Bent Extension Member. FIG. 1B Shows An Embodiment Of The FHE Device With A Straight Extension Member.

FIGS. 2A-2D Shows An Example Of Connecting An FHE Device To A Faucet Handle. FIG. 2A Shows How To Make A Two-Clamp Part And Attach It To An FHE Device. FIG. 2B Depicts A Two-Clamp Part Connecting An FHE Device To A Faucet Handle. FIG. 2C Shows A Wash Sink With Two FHE Devices Connected. FIG. 2D Shows A Sink With An FHE Device That Has A Straight Extension Member.

FIGS. 3A-3C Illustrates Turning Water ON/OFF With An FHE Device, With A Dry Or Wet Hand. FIG. 3A Depicts Operating An FHE Device With A Dry Hand. FIG. 3B Depicts Operating An FHE Device With A Wet Hand. FIG. 3C Depicts Operating A Conventional Faucet Handle (no FHE device) With A Wet Hand.

FIGS. 4A-4C Shows The Downward Angle Of An FHE Device With A Bent Extension Member, In Various Views: FIG. 4A, Perspective View; FIG. 4B, Side View; and FIG. 4C, Angled Side Views, With Tap Water OFF; and With Tap Water ON.

FIGS. 5A-5C Shows The Downward Angle Of An FHE Device With A Straight Extension Member. FIGS. 5A-C: Same Description as FIGS. 4A-C, Respectfully.

FIGS. 6A-6D Depicts That Prototype 200 Significantly Reduced Water Usage, In Graphical Data. FIG. 6A Shows That, On A Per Use Basis, Face Shaving Had The Highest Water Usage. FIG. 6B Shows That, On A Per Year Basis, Hand Washing Had The Highest Water Usage. FIG. 6C Shows That Water Usage With Prototype 200 Was Much Less Than US Averages, When Comparing Annual Water Usage For Each Sink Activity. FIG. 6D Shows That Water Usage With Prototype 200 Was Much Less Than US Averages, When Comparing Annual Water Usage For Total Sink Activity.

FIG. 7 Shows That Prototype 200 Significantly Reduced Water Usage, With Tabular Data. Comparison of Annual Water Usage With Prototype 200 vs. US averages.

FIGS. 8A-8G Depicts Different Connections Between An FHE Device And A Faucet Handle: FIG. 8A, Bent FHE Device With A Crossed-Over Band As Connector And No Connection Member. Straight FHE Device With A Crossed-Over Band As Connector And No Connection Member. FIG. 8B, One-Clamp Connector And A Horizontal Connection Member, Which Has No Pin. FIG. 8C, C-Hook Connector And An Eye Bolt In Faucet Handle. FIG. 8D. One-Clamp Connector And A Horizontal Pin. FIG. 8E, One-Clamp Connector And A Vertical Pin. FIG. 8F, Y-Hook Connector And An Elastic Band. FIG. 8G, C-Hook Connector And An Elastic Band.

FIGS. 9A-9C Illustrates Various FHE Devices Made Of Tubes Instead Of Rods. FIG. 9A Depicts An Exterior View Of FHE Devices Made Of Tubes. FIG. 9B Depicts An Interior View Of FHE Devices Made Of Tubes. FIG. 9C Depicts An Interior View Of A Different FHE Device Made Of Tubes.

FIGS. 10A-10C Illustrates The Swinging Of A Bent FHE Device In Different Directions. FIG. 10A Depicts An FHE Device With A Bent Extension Member, In The OFF Position. FIG. 10B Shows The Swinging Of A Bent FHE Device While It is In The ON Position. FIG. 10C Depicts A Front View Of Horizontal Swinging Of A Bent FHE Device.

FIGS. 11A-11C Illustrates The Swinging Of A Straight FHE Device In Different Directions. FIG. 11A Depicts A FHE Device With A Straight Extension Member, In The OFF Position. FIG. 11B Shows The Swinging Of A Straight FHE Device While It is In The ON Position. FIG. 11C Depicts A Front View Of Horizontal Swinging Of A Straight FHE Device.

FIGS. 12A-12D Illustrates Various Ways Of Adjusting The Length Of An FHE Device. FIG. 12A, FHE Device Made In Different Lengths. FIG. 12B, Trimming An FHE Device At The Distal End. FIG. 12C, FHE Devices Made Of Telescope-Type Tubes. FIG. 12D, FHE Device With Screw-On Extension Pieces.

FIGS. 13A-13C Illustrates Various Ties For Connecting An FHE Device To A Faucet Handle. FIG. 13A, A Transom Knot. FIG. 13B, A Zip Tie Crossed Lashing. FIG. 13C, A Round Lashing.

FIGS. 14A-14F Illustrates Modifying A Faucet Handle With Different Attachments, For Connecting To An FHE Device. FIGS. 14A,D, Attached Eye Bolt. FIGS. 14B,E, Attached Eye Plate. FIGS. 14C,E, Attached Half-Eye Plate.

FIGS. 15A-15D Illustrates Various Closed-Loop Connectors At The Distal End Of An FHE Device. FIG. 15A, A Plain Closed-Loop Connector. FIG. 15B, A Bolt Snap Connector. FIG. 15C, A Different Bolt Snap Connector. FIG. 15D, A Trigger Snap Connector.

FIGS. 16A-16D Shows Examples Of Permanent And Semi-Permanent Connections. FIG. 16A Depicts A Permanent Connection Using An Eye Bolt And A Closed Loop Connector. FIG. 16B Depicts A Semi-Permanent Connection With An Eye Plate And A Bolt Snap Connector. FIG. 16C Depicts A Semi-Permanent Connection With A Half-Eye Plate And A Bolt Snap Connector. FIG. 16D Depicts A Semi-Permanent Connection With An Eye Plate And A Trigger Snap Connector.

FIGS. 17A-17C Illustrates More Examples Of Various Connectors, Used In Modified FHE Devices. FIG. 17A, Round-Washer Connector. FIG. 17B, Oval-Washer Connector. FIG. 17C, Rectangle-Washer Connector.

FIGS. 18A-18D Depicts A Modified Faucet Handle With A Round-Washer Docking Unit. FIGS. 18A.B Shows The Assembling Of A Round-Washer Docking Unit. FIG. 18C Depicts The Docking Of A Modified FHE Device Into A Modified Faucet Handle. FIG. 18D Shows A Sink With A Modified Faucet Handle And A Modified FHE Device.

FIG. 19 Depicts A Modified Faucet Handle With A Rectangle-Washer Docking Unit.

FIGS. 20A-20E Shows Various Braking Mechanisms Used For A Finer Control Of An FHE Device. FIG. 20A Shows The Relevant Parts Involved In Braking Mechanisms. FIG. 20B Depicts A Suction Cup Hook As A Braking Mechanism. FIG. 20C Depicts A Dual Braking Mechanism With A Suction Cup Hook And A Tick Mark. FIG. 20D Depicts A Dual Braking Mechanism With A Suction Cup Hook And An O-Ring. FIG. 20E Depicts A Dual Braking Mechanism With A Suction Cup Hook And A Sleeve.

FIGS. 21A-21H Illustrates Different Types Of Faucet Handles And An Example of How They Can Be Connected To FHE Devices. FIG. 21A, A Tube-Shape Lever Handle, Connected By A Round Lashing. FIG. 21B, A Concave Lever Handle, Connected By A Transom Knot. FIG. 21C, A Convex Lever Handle, Connected By A Zip Tie Crossed Lashing. FIG. 21D, An Oval Handle, Connected By Clamps. FIG. 21E, A Rhomboid Handle, Connected By A Hook And An Eye Bolt. FIG. 21F, A Wrist Blade Handle, Connected By A Round Lashing. FIG. 21G, A Cross Handle, Connected By A Zip Tie Crossed Lashing. FIG. 21H, A Cross Handle, Connected By A Hook And An Eye Bolt.

FIGS. 22A-22L Illustrates Additional Types Of Faucet Handles Connected To FHE Devices. FIG. 22A, An Angled Single-Lever Faucet. FIG. 22B, A Horizontal Single-Lever Faucet. FIG. 22C, Another Angled Single-Lever Faucet. FIG. 22D, A Vertical Single-Joystick Faucet. FIG. 22E, A Straight Single-Lever-On-The-Side Faucet. FIG. 22F, A Curved Single-Lever-On-The-Side Faucet. FIG. 22G, Adapter For Single-Handle Faucets. FIG. 22H, Modified FHE Device. FIG. 22I, Example Of Single-Handle Faucet. FIG. 22J, Connection Between A Modified FHE Device, Adapter, And Single-Handle Faucet. FIG. 22K, Latch Assembly in Open Position. FIG. 22L, Positioning The Handle For Rinsing.

FIGS. 23A-23B Illustrates Examples Of FHE Devices For Medical Offices, Hospitals, Laboratories, Or Restaurants. FIG. 23A Depicts An FHE Device For A Medical Office (Smaller Sink). FIG. 23B Depicts An FHE Device For A Hospital, Restaurant, Or Lab (Larger Sink).

FIGS. 24A-24C Lists The Specifications For The one embodiment of The Disclosed FHE Device. FIG. 24A Shows Table 1, Listing The Length Of Constituent Items In FHE Unit 200. FIG. 24B Shows Table 2, Listing The Angle Between Constituent Items In FHE Unit 200. FIG. 24C Shows Table 3, Listing The Diameter Of Constituent Items In FHE Unit 200.

FIG. 25 shows a representative embodiment of the FHE described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “proximal” means closer to a user and “distal” means further from a user, where a user is someone using the present invention.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below. The present invention will now be described by referencing the appended figures representing preferred embodiments.

Various Embodiments of the Disclosed Invention

FIG. 1. Two Different Embodiments of the Disclosed FHE Device.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show two embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, where the first one has a slightly bent extension member and the second one a straight extension member. Each figure presents three different views of the respective embodiment.

FIG. 1A. Embodiment of the FHE Device with a Bent Extension Member.

FIG. 1A shows part 100 (also referred to as FHE unit 100), an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device with a bent extension member, in three different views. Part 100 comprises the 3 members of an FHE device: Handle member 102, extension member 107, and connection member 114. Except for the added rolling pin 110 described below, Part 100 is made of a single metal rod 101 in this embodiment. Said metal rod 101 is round, relatively thin, made of stainless steel, and malleable to bending with a machine or tool (e.g., vice grip). Once the bends are formed in metal rod 101, they are not easily changed in angle or undone with plain hands during use. The specifications of one embodiment, part 200 (a successor part to part 100), are provided in FIG. 24.

Thus, members 102, 107, and 114 are contiguous and formed by bending metal rod 101. In other embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, said members may be separate, individual parts joined in various ways, e.g., by soldering, welding, etc., and one of more members can be a different part made from different materials. In other embodiments, the connecting member may have been removed or replaced with other simpler constituents.

Members 107 and 114 have their own contiguous parts, also made by bends in metal rod 101. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, extension member 107 is comprised of i) part 104, the proximal (closer to user) portion of part 107; ii) part 105, the bending point; and iii) part 106, the distal portion of part 107. Connection member 114 comprises connection hook 108 which created by bending the distal part of part 106, rolling pin 110 (an added component), and end hook 112 which is created by bending the distal part of connection hook 108 and which keeps rolling pin 110 from slipping off of part 108. Parts 108 and 112 are contiguous with each other and with extension member 107. All members and parts described so far, except for rolling pin 110, are shaped from metal rod 101.

Rolling pin 110 is added onto part 108 after forming part 108 and then end hook 112 is formed to keep part 110 in place. Rolling pin 110, has a center hole that is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of metal rod 101. As such, rolling pin 110 can freely rotate about connection hook 108, without slipping off in either direction. As will be shown later, once FHE part 100 is connected to a faucet handle via its connection member 114, said free rotation part 110 allows said FHE part 100 to be rotated in the horizontal plane, with connection hook 108 as its axis of rotation. In other embodiments rolling pin 110 could be substituted with a tube, hollowed cylinder, pipe, or a similar added component, each of which would share the property of free rotation about connection hook 108.

FIG. 1A comprises 3 panels, each showing a different view of part 100. The different views help illustrate the orientation and relative size of the 3 said members of part 100, as well as the parts and the added component of said members. As mentioned, exact specifications for one embodiment are given in FIG. 24. As shown in FIG. 1A, extension member 107 is bent in the horizontal plane to form parts 104-106, with the bending point being part 105. Handle 102 and connection hook 108 are bent downward (vertically) to different degrees. The rolling pin 110 is oriented vertically, with connecting hook 108 running through the center longitudinal hole of pin 110.

FIG. 1B. Embodiment of the FHE Device with a Straight Extension Member.

FIG. 1B shows part 120, an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, with a straight extension member 127, in various views. All labeled parts in FIG. 1B are the same as in FIG. 1A, except each number is increased by 20 and except there is no bend in the extension member 127. Thus, instead of point of bending 105 in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B simply shows midpoint 125 in the middle of the extension member 127. Like part 100, part 120 is also made of a single metal rod, namely rod 121. The only other added component is rolling pin 130.

FIG. 2. Example of Connecting an FHE Device to a Faucet Handle.

FIGS. 2A-C shows the assembly of an interconnected 2-clamp part, an FHE device with a bent extension member, and a faucet handle on a bathroom sink. FIG. 2D shows the same assembly, except using an FHE device with a straight extension member.

FIG. 2A. Making a Two-Clamp Part and Attaching it to an FHE Device.

The left half of FIG. 2A. shows how two units of screw gear hose clamp 202 are interconnected to form part 204. Part 204 attaches to an FHE device with one clamp 202 (right side of FIG. 2A) and allows said FHE device to be connected to a faucet handle with the other clamp 202 (FIG. 2B). Interconnection is achieved by unscrewing one hose clamp 202 completely to free one end of the loop of said clamp 202. Said free loop end is then passed through the closed loop of the other clamp 202. Said free loop end is then screwed back into the screw gear of the first-mentioned clamp 202 to close said loop. Now the two clamps 202 are interconnected, with two loops that can be screwed tight around two items to connect them.

As shown on the right side of FIG. 2a, one loop of part 204 is passed over the connection member 114 of FHE unit 100 and tightened around rolling pin 110. The rolling pin is held up by end hook 112, as is part 204 once said loop is tightened around rolling pin 110. Even after the loop of part 204 is tightened around it, the rolling pin 110 can still rotate about connection hook 108. For clarity, said loop attached to rolling pin 110 is shown loose, so the individual parts and orientations thereof can be seen. Connecting parts 204 and 100, as described above, generates part 200 (also referred to as FHE unit 200): an FHE device embodiment that can now be connected to a faucet handle. This leaves the other loop of part 204 available for connecting to a faucet handle, described next.

FIG. 2B. A Two-Clamp Part Connecting an FHE Device to a Faucet Handle.

FIG. 2B shows the faucet handle-escutcheon assembly 210 for cold tap water, which is the assembly on the right side positioned over sink deck 224 (FIGS. 2B and 2C). Said assembly 210 comprises escutcheon 212 and faucet handle 214.

The upper portion of FIG. 2B shows the connection of FHE unit 200 to said faucet handle 214. Part 200 comprises interconnected 2-clamp part 204 and part 100. Said part 204 serves as the intermediary connector between part 100 and faucet handle 214, with the loop of one clamp 202 connecting to part 100 and the loop of the second clamp 202 connecting to said handle 214. Optionally, before making the latter connection, a protective strip of silicone or other elastic material can be wrapped around faucet handle 214 to prevent any scratching of said handle 214 by part 204. The lower portion of FIG. 2B shows parts 200 and 214 after they have been connected. The wavy line on the right hand of the FIG. 2B indicates that only a segment of deck 224 is shown. For clarity, both units of clamp 202 are shown loose (not fully tightened), so the parts and orientations thereof can be seen.

FIG. 2C. Full View of a Wash Sink with Two FHE Devices Connected.

FIG. 2C shows wash sink 220 in full view after connecting two FHE units, one unit to each faucet handle. Wash sink 220 is a drop-in sink with a sink deck 224, which is fitted with a widespread faucet system. Said faucet system comes with faucet handle-escutcheon assemblies 210 and 250 for cold and hot water, respectively, which are each fitted with a lever-type faucet handle. Faucet spout 216 is fitted between assemblies 210 and 250. For orientation, other parts of sink 220 are also shown: drain hole 222, deck 224, bowl 218, inner edge 226, and overflow holes 228.

This configuration of sink type and faucet system type is common and used as an example configuration. As discussed below, the disclosed FHE device can be made as many alternative embodiments, tailored to a variety of sink configurations and applications. Nonetheless, this particular configuration was used for experimental studies of a prototype of the disclosed device, described in Examples 1-4 below.

In FIG. 2C, FHE unit 240 is the left handed version of FHE 200. Part 230 is the predecessor of part 240, that is, it is equivalent to part 240 minus the part 204, similar to part 100 being the predecessor for part 200 and being equivalent to part 200 minus the part 204. Part 240 is connected to the hot (left) faucet handle 254 and part 200 is connected to the cold (right) faucet handle 214. Part 240 has the same parts and components as part 200; the only difference is that extension member 237 of part 240 is bent in the opposite direction of extension member 107 of part 200. Thus, part 240 is the mirror image of part 200. Part 240 comprises handle 232, extension member 237, connecting member 234, and the interconnected 2-clamp part 204. As shown in this FIG. 2C, the right side of wash sink 220 contains the connected parts 210 and 200; said connected parts are shown magnified in the lower portion of FIG. 2B, as indicated by the bridging dashed lines. The left side of sink 220 shows connected parts 240 and 250, the respective counterparts of parts 200 and 210 but made for the left (hot) faucet water.

Importantly, with both FHE units (200 and 240) the respective handle 102 and 232 are localized directly over sink bowl 218, and within the inner sink edge 226. Said localization is also the case for the proximal portion of the respective extension members 107 and 237. The significance of said localizations is twofold: a) any drippings (water, soapy water, etc.) from FHE parts or a user's wet hands will land in sink bowl 218 and not on said faucet handles and their surrounding areas on deck 224; and b) said FHE parts can be rinsed or washed at any time, with the resultant sewage landing inside the sink bowl 218. Thus, at any time a user can turn on or off or adjust tap water flow, and at any time clean the touched FHE parts, without having to worry about liquid mess landing on faucet handles or their surrounding areas on deck 224. With two FHE units, the user can select the right balance of cold and hot water for the desired temperature; said balance can be changed or fine-tuned by the user at any time. Furthermore, having two independent FHE units enables the user to use each faucet handle by itself.

Another design feature of FHE devices, including FHE unit 200 and 240 in FIG. 2C and also in FHE unit 260 in FIG. 2D, is that all FHE devices have a downward angle going from connection member to handle. This will be better illustrated in later figures below but suffice it to say that an FHE handle is positioned to be lower in height relative to the corresponding FHE connection member (or a faucet handle, for that matter), with the extension member tilted accordingly since it connects said FHE handle and connection member. The rationale for this downward angle is that is induces any liquid on an extension member or handle to flow towards said handle and away from a faucet handle or its surrounding areas, and eventually said liquid will flow down the proximal and vertical segment of said handle and drip off from the very proximal tip of said handle into the sink bowl below. As such, said downward angle of an FHE device aids in preventing liquid mess.

FIG. 2D. A Sink with an FHE Device that has a Straight Extension Member.

FIG. 2D is the equivalent of FIG. 2C, except that FHE unit 260 has a straight extension member 127 instead of the bent extension member 107 with FHE unit 200 shown in FIG. 2C. The FHE unit 260 comprises part 120 (FIG. 1B) and interconnected 2-clamp part 204 (FIG. 2A). Only the right-hand FHE unit 260 designed for faucet handle-escutcheon assembly 210 for cold water is shown in FIG. 2D. As in FIG. 2C with FHE unit 240, a left-hand version (not shown) of FHE unit 260 can also be connected to faucet handle-escutcheon assembly 250 for hot water.

Three important and unique aspects of the disclosed FHE device are introduced with the FHE devices described in FIGS. 1 and 2, and explained further in later figures:

a) The round, smaller-diameter of the FHE body, which can be attributed to the round, narrow metal rod (e.g., part 101 for FHE unit 200) used to build FHE devices. This design aspect prevents any substantial amount of liquid accumulating on an FHE device, instead facilitating the dripping of liquid from any point on an FHE device into bowl 218 below. Said design aspect results in a smaller area that is touched by a user's hand. This translates to a smaller area that needs to be cleaned after use, and a smaller area to disinfect when aseptic conditions are needed.

b) The downward angle of the FHE device, in the direction of faucet handle 214 (higher) to FHE handle 102 (lower) for FHE unit 200. This aspect, better demonstrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 below, effects a gravitational force on any residual liquid on an FHE device. Said gravitational force causes said liquid to flow along the FHE parts in the direction of the downward angle, away from faucet handle 214 and its surrounding area on deck 224. Eventually said liquid flows down the vertical (proximal) segment of handle 102. Since said proximal segment is vertical, an even larger gravitational force is imposed on said liquid, which then drips off from the most proximal tip of handle 102 into bowl 218. Thus, aspect b) synergizes with aspect a) to induce residual liquid to drip off from the FHE device, thereby preventing any accumulation of liquid, and thereby speeding up the air-drying of the FHE parts that were wetted.

c) The direct positioning over sink bowl 218 of handle 102 and the proximal portion of extension member 107. This design aspect favors causes drippings from an FHE device like FHE unit 200, or a user's wet hand(s), to land in sink bowl 218, rather than on and around faucet handles 214 and 254. Liquid mess on and around faucet handles is a common problem with conventional faucets, which is why many users tend to leave tap water running when using the wash sink. Thus, users are motivated to choose water wastage over liquid mess. Also, aspect c) allows FHE parts 102 and 104 to be cleaned by rinsing, washing with soap and water, or disinfecting, at any point without concern about liquid mess landing outside bowl 218. Any liquid sewage from cleaning said FHE parts will land in sink bowl 218, and not on faucet handles or surrounding areas. Because handle 102 and part 104 can be easily cleaned, the user can freely touch handle 102 at any time, with their wet, soapy, or otherwise contaminated hand, to turn off water or reduce the flow rate of water, when water is not needed or a lower flow rate of water is sufficient. As such, water wastage can be significantly reduced. Moreover, said easy cleaning of FHE parts encourages users to clean it after every use, without liquid mess outside sink bowl 218, which improves hygienic practices with using a wash sink. Washing the touched FHE parts with soap and water should render them at the same hygienic level as that for hands that are washed with soap and water. Said hygienic level for washed hands is encouraged by CDC and other health organizations to prevent the spread of pathogens, including disease-causing germs. Aspects a)-c) are true for any embodiment of the disclosed FHE device.

FIG. 3. Turning Water ON/OFF with an FHE Device: Dry Vs. Wet Hand.

The main message of FIG. 3 is that, due to the design features of the disclosed FHE device, liquid mess on or around the faucet handle is averted. FIGS. 3A and 3B show an FHE device operated by a user's hand that is dry (FIG. 3A) or dripping wet (FIG. 3B). In contrast, FIG. 3C shows a conventional faucet handle operated by a user's wet hand. Here, “operated” refers to turning the tap water on and off. Said FHE device is FHE unit 200, but the descriptions and explanations can apply broadly to many other embodiments of the disclosed FHE device; they can apply to embodiments with a straight extension member, and to embodiments connected to the hot water faucet on the left. The droplets and small puddles of water represent the origin, direction, and landing site of drippings from the user's wet hand and/or from an FHE device in use. Said FIGS. 3A and 3B help to demonstrate that i) FHE handle 102 and user's hand 302 are always over sink bowl 218, regardless of whether the FHE device is fully ON, fully OFF, or anywhere in between; and ii) that any drippings from handle 102 or user's hand 302 will always land within sink bowl 218 directly underneath. This is in contrast to conventional faucet handles without an FHE device, where the drippings from the user's hand(s) can land on the faucet handle or surrounding areas, as shown in FIG. 3C. As such, the drippings in FIG. 3C can contribute to liquid mess, which can end up both on and around faucet handles.

FIG. 3A. Operating an FHE Device with a Dry Hand.

The main message of FIG. 3A is that the user's hand 302 and handle 102 are always over sink bowl 218, regardless of whether FHE unit 200 (and hence faucet handle 214) is in the ON position, OFF position, or anywhere in between. In the top portion of FIG. 3A, FHE unit 200 is in the OFF position, faucet handle 214 is turned off, and no tap water is flowing. To turn the tap water on, the user's hand 302, still dry, grabs FHE handle 102 and pulls it proximally (towards user). The pulling direction is represented by the straight arrow on the right side, in front of the dashed line pointing towards handle 102; said arrow is pointing proximally towards user hand 302.

Faucet handle 214 is a lever-type handle attached to escutcheon 212 and is operated by rotating about the vertical axis of escutcheon 212 to turn water on or off. FHE unit 200 is connected at the outer tip of faucet handle 214. Thus, pulling FHE handle 102 translates to clockwise rotation of faucet handle 214, and thereby translates to turning tap water on. The direction of said rotation is represented by the curved arrow on the right side, in front of the dashed line pointing towards faucet handle 214; said curved arrow is pointing inwards towards sink bowl 218. How far handle 102 is pulled determines how much faucet handle 214 is turned and thus, what the flow rate of the tap water is.

The bend 105 in the middle of FHE extension member 107 compensates for the fact that hand 302 and handle 102 are inside of sink bowl 218, while faucet handle 214 and the connection point of FHE 200 to faucet handle 214 are both outside of, and to the right of, sink bowl 218. In other words, handle 102 and faucet handle 214 are not co-linear on a straight horizontal line perpendicular to the wall (no shown) behind sink 220. Thus bend 105 provides an offset along said horizontal line, so that pulling handle 102 in a direction parallel to said horizontal line translates to actuation of the faucet handle more closely parallel to said horizontal line. Given that faucet types come in various shapes and formats, the offset between an FHE handle and the corresponding faucet handle can be larger or smaller than that shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. For faucet types where said offset is negligible or otherwise not desired, an embodiment of the FHE device without a bend in the extension member was designed (e.g., FHE unit 120 in FIG. 1B).

The bottom portion of FIG. 3A shows tap water 304 flowing from spout 216 towards the drain hole 222, after the FHE unit 200 has been actuated into the ON position by hand 302. The flow rate of tap water 304 is dictated by how much the faucet lever 214 is turned (in clockwise direction), which in turn is dictated by how far hand 302 pulls handle 102. The flow rate can be adjusted to any rate between 0 gpm (gallons per minute) to the maximum gpm, as desired, at any time. To reduce the flow rate of the running tap water 304, or to turn it off completely, user hand 302 grabs handle 102 (if not grabbed already) and pushes handle 102 distally (away from user). Said pushing translates to the counterclockwise rotation of faucet handle 214, and thereby translates to reducing the flow rate of tap water. To turn off tap water completely, handle 102 is pushed further until faucet handle 214 is fully in the OFF position. The pushing direction is represented by the straight arrow on the right side, in front of the dashed line pointing towards handle 102; said arrow is pointing away from user hand 302. The resultant rotation is represented by the curved arrow on the right side, in front of the dashed line pointing towards faucet handle 214; said curved arrow is pointing away from sink bowl 218.

FIG. 3B. Operating an FHE Device with a Wet Hand; Drippings Land in Sink.

The main message from FIG. 3B is that, when using an FHE device such as part 200 with a wet dripping hand(s), any drippings will end up in sink bowl 228, rather than on faucet handle 214 or surrounding areas. In FIG. 3B, the actuations of handle 102, the rotation of faucet handle 214, and the resultant effect on tap water flow rate are identical to those in FIG. 3A. The difference is that in FIG. 3B, the user's hand is dripping wet, to illustrate where drippings can end up with an FHE device like FHE unit 200. There are many instances where a user needs to touch a faucet handle with a wet hand. For example, during handwashing, the user may wish to save water by turning off water after wetting the hands and before applying soap to the hands. Another example is shaving, where the water needs to be turned on and off repeatedly, e.g., to briefly rinse the razor blades with after every few strokes of shaving; this rinsing prevents the clogging of razor blades with shaving debris.

The aforementioned drippings comprise: a) drippings 306 from user hand 302 not including fingertips, b) drippings 308 from handle 102 and fingertips of hand 302, and c) drippings 310 from the proximal portion of extension member 107 if touched by wet hand 302. Said drippings land in sink bowl 218 no matter whether water is ON, OFF, or set at a flow rate somewhere in between. Faucet handle 214 is never touched directly when the FHE device is used to change the flow of tap water. Therefore, the FHE device averts a common problem with conventional faucets: liquid mess on faucet handle 214 or the surrounding areas due to drippings from a user's wet hand 302. Just as all drippings (306, 308, and 310) land directly in sink bowl 218 due to positioning of handle 102 over sink bowl 218, in the same way any liquid sewage from washing and rinsing said handle 102 (and proximal portions of extension member 107, if needed) would land in sink bowl 218. This makes it easier and more practical to clean the touched FHE parts whenever needed. Said cleaning can entail rinsing with water, washing with soap and water, or disinfecting. Said cleaning can be performed at any time: before, during, or after use of an FHE device, e.g., part 200. Example disinfection of FHE parts include spraying with disinfectant (e.g., 70% rubbing alcohol) or wiping with disinfectant wipes (e.g., disposable wipes in a roll encased in dispenser containers). Said cleaning of an FHE device can render it at least at the same hygiene level as that of soap-washed hands, and even at a higher hygienic level if disinfection is applied to FHE parts. Given that faucet handles are listed as a high-touch surface by CDC, indicating that faucet handles can be a source of cross contamination with infectious diseases, the disclosed FHE device provides an easy solution to preventing cross contamination, and self-contamination, via faucet handles.

Furthermore, the design features of FHE devices mentioned earlier (round, narrow structure of metal rod 101; downward angle of FHE devices) prevent accumulation of any residual liquid on an FHE device. Rather, any residual liquid drips down the sides of an FHE device due to the narrow round structure, or flows along the FHE device towards handle 102 and finally drips off from the most proximal vertical tip of handle 102 and into sink bowl 218. Said flow of residual liquid is due to the downward angle of an FHE device, and occurs in a direction away from the faucet handle and surrounding areas. As such, said flow helps further to avert liquid mess.

FIG. 3C. Operating a Conventional Faucet Handle with a Wet, Dripping Hand.

The message of FIG. 3C is that without an FHE device, using a conventional faucet handle like part 214 with a wet hand(s) will likely result in liquid mess. If a user chooses to save water during sink activities like handwashing or toothbrushing by turning off the water when it is not needed, drippings from user's wet hand 302 will nearly inevitably land on the faucet handle 214 being used or its surrounding areas on sink deck 224.

In the upper portion of FIG. 3C handle 214 is in the OFF position and no water is running, and user's wet hand 302 is holding said handle 214. This situation can occur when user has turned off water with their wet hand 302, e.g., after wetting the hands during handwashing and before applying soap. Said situation can also occur if user needs to turn on tap water again after hand 302 has gotten wet, e.g., to rinse soap-washed hands during handwashing. As shown, there can be drippings 306 from the palm and fingers, drippings 308 from the outer end of handle 214 and the touching fingertips, and drippings 310 from the rest of faucet handle 214. Drippings 310 can either land on deck 224 and form a small puddle, or flow down faucet handle 214 indicated by the right most spot of liquid on handle 214.

In the lower portion of FIG. 3C. faucet handle 214 is in the ON position and tap water is running, represented by the column of water 304 running from spout 216 to drain hole 222. The same drippings as shown with the faucet handle 214 in OFF position (FIG. 3C, upper portion) can happen with the faucet handle 214 in OFF position (FIG. 3C, lower position), and with handle 214 anywhere between the ON and OFF positions. Said drippings occur because of two major design flaws in conventional faucets: i) the faucet handle(s) have to be touched directly by hand to control the flow of tap water, which results in the drippings 306, 308, and 310; and ii) the entire faucet system, including the faucet handles and the spout, are typically installed on top a sink deck, which results in the small puddles of liquid collected below said drippings. The result is liquid mess on and around faucet handles, which if left alone can harbor germ growth; more so if drippings came from a germ-laden hand, and more so if liquid mess is replenished with next rounds of sink usage. If liquid mess were allowed to air dry, it could leave behind stains and dry chemicals and other materials that were on the user hand. Thus, liquid mess should be avoided or cleaned off frequently.

Cleaning a conventional faucet handle and its surrounding areas is cumbersome: e.g., if using a brush or cleaning pad with detergent, the area below, in front, behind, and on the sides of the faucet handle has to be accessed for cleaning, as well as the surface area all around the faucet handle. Then the detergent-scrubbed areas have to be rinsed thoroughly. Finally, the rinsed areas have to be dried as germs can grow in stagnant puddles of water. Since this cleaning process is tedious, faucet handles are typically not cleaned very frequently, let alone after each use. This is a major reason that many users choose to run tap water continuously during sink activities, even when water is not needed. If a wash sink is used daily, multiple times a day, and worse, with multiple users, a fair amount of water is wasted over time. The EPA estimates that up to 10 gallons of water can be saved per shaving session if water is turned off when not needed, and up to 8 gallons of water per day for toothbrushing. The better option to deal with liquid mess is to avoid it in the first place. This is a major benefit of using the disclosed FHE device, as explained above with FIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIG. 4. Downward Angle of an FHE Device with a Bent Extension Member.

The main point of FIGS. 4A-4C is to better demonstrate the downward or declining angle of the FHE device, with respect to the horizontal plane, in different views. Said angle helps with averting liquid mess by causing residual liquid on an FHE device to flow away from the faucet handle and surrounding areas and towards the handle where it can drip off from the most proximal tip into the sink bowl.

FIG. 4A. Perspective View of an FHE Device, Angled Downwards into Sink.

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of a sink 220 with an FHE device 200 attached to a faucet handle lever 214 (for cold water). Noteworthy is that the connection of FHE 200 at the faucet handle 214, specifically where extension member 107 is joined to connecting hook 108, is at a higher height than that of handle 102. Thus, the longitudinal axis of the FHE device 200 is angled downwards from connecting member 114 to handle 102. With respect to the horizontal plane of the sink deck 224, connecting member 114 is above said plane and handle 102 is below said plane. The declining angle of FHE 200 can be achieved at least by two different ways: i) having an angle of less than 90 degrees between the connection hook 108 and the distal portion 106 of extension member 107, when bending part 106 to form part 108; and ii) when connecting the interconnecting 2-clamp part 204 to faucet handle 214, said part 204 is angled such that the entirety of FHE unit 200 is at a declining angle with respect to the plane of deck 224. The double-headed straight arrow flanked by dashed lines shown below hand 302 indicates the bi-directional actuation of handle 102 by user hand 302, which in turn proportionately rotates faucet handle 214. The latter rotation is indicated by the double-headed curved arrow flanked by dashed lines around part 106.

FIG. 4B. Side View of an FHE Device, Angled Downwards into the Sink.

FIG. 4B shows the declining angle of FHE unit 200 from side view where deck 224 is perfectly horizontal. The downward angle between FHE 200 and deck 224 is represented by the curved double-headed arrow on the right side of connecting member 114, above the plane of deck 224. The same declining angle at the other end of FHE unit 200 is shown below the plane of deck 224, above handle 102; here the curved arrow is shown as a dashed line since it is within sink bowl 218 and therefore hidden from direct view. Similarly, parts 104 and 102 are shown as a dashed line as they are below deck 224 within sink bowl 218, and thus hidden. Said downward angle can be customized for the various models or formats of the disclosed FHE device, or according to user needs or preferences. E.g., a shallower angle may be desirable for families with toddlers, who have a shallower reach into sink bowl 218 than an adult due to shorter arms and hands. The straight horizontal double-headed arrow, shown as a dashed line, represents the movement of FHE unit 200 when handle 102 is actuated by a user's hand 302 to turn on/off the tap water. The wavy line on either end of deck 224 indicates that the entire deck 224 is not shown.

FIG. 4C. Angled Side View of an FHE Device, Angled Downwards.

The view in FIG. 4C is at an angle between those of the perspective view in FIG. 4A and the side view in FIG. 4B, and hence referred to as the “angled side view”. Unlike FIG. 4B, the top rim and opening of sink bowl 218 can be observed, as well as some of the surface area of deck 224. As such, this provides a better view of how deep users hand 302 goes into sink bowl 218 for this embodiment of FHE device. In FIG. 4C. FHE unit 200 is in the OFF position, thus no tap water is flowing from spout 216. Conversely, FIG. 4C shows FHE unit 200 is in the ON position, with tap water 304 flowing from spout 216 towards drain hole 222 in at the bottom of sink bowl 218. In both FIG. 4C, user hand 302 is shown grabbing handle 102 for the bi-directional actuation of FHE 200 in the ON or OFF positions. The direction of actuation, from the current position of handle 102, is indicated by the right and left arrows in front of and at the bottom of handle 102.

In FIG. 4C, the relative positions of user hand 302 and handle 102 are examples, as said positions can depend on several variables such as the dimensions of sink 220, the size of hand 302, and the length of FHE unit 200, among others. Noteworthy between FIG. 4C is the consistently downward angle of FHE unit 200, with respect to deck 224. Said downward angle might not necessarily be identical between the OFF and ON positions of FHE unit 200. However, said angle is always downward or declining, which facilitates the flow of any liquid on proximal portion 104 towards sink bowl 218, and away from faucet handle 214, escutcheon 212, and the areas on deck 224 surrounding faucet handle 214 and escutcheon 212. Said downward angle prevents any liquid mess (clean water, soapy water, dirty water, etc., from user hand 302 and/or part 104) from reaching faucet handle 214, escutcheon 212, or the deck speck space 224 surrounding said two latter parts.

Conversely, conventional faucets are not able to prevent said liquid mess on and around faucet handles, unless the user keeps tap water running during all sink activities to avoid touching faucet handles with their wet hands. Even so, the initial touching of the faucet handle 214 with a dirty, potentially germ-laden hand 302 is unavoidable with conventional faucets. The materials (dirt, germs, etc.) from dirty hand 302 can be transferred to faucet handle 214. Said transferred materials can remain on faucet handle 214 to the end of the current sink activity being performed, e.g., handwashing. Some of said material can be transferred back from faucet handle 214 to washed hand 302 when a user turns off tap water at the end. This is self-contamination. And since faucet handles like handle 214 are typically not washed or sanitized after each use, the said materials on faucet handle 214 can persist or increase with more materials over multiple rounds of sink usage, increasing the likelihood of self-contamination. Thus, faucet handle 214 in a conventional faucet system can be a hot spot for dirt, germs, chemicals, etc. If two or more users share the same sink, the said materials on faucet handle 214 can spread to other users. This would be cross contamination among users. Accordingly, the CDC has classified faucet handles as a high-touch surface, referring to the potential for spread pathogens.

The above-described downward angle of the disclosed FHE device works in concert with other design features of the disclosed FHE device to prevent liquid mess on or around the faucet handle(s). Said design features, as exemplified with FHE unit 200, comprise: a) providing handle 102 so the original faucet handle 214 is never touched directly; b) providing extension member 107 so handle 102 is positioned directly over sink bowl 218 for direct capture of drippings; c) angling the end tip of handle 102 downward towards sink bowl 218 to further facilitate dripping of liquid into bowl 218; d) using a round, small-diameter rod to build FHE unit 200, so residual liquid on FHE unit 200 drips off into sink bowl 228 before said liquid can accumulate; and e) enabling a user to keep their hand 302, and thereby handle 102, always directly over sink bowl 218 regardless of what actuation of handle 102 is conducted by user hand 302. Collectively, said design features also help with a) minimizing water wastage, as a user no longer needs to worry about leaving a liquid mess behind and can change the flow of water at any time; and b) hygienic practices with wash sinks, since the touched FHE parts are easier to clean after each use. In summary, the design features of the disclosed FHE device, as exemplified by FHE unit 200, enable users to avert liquid mess during sink activities, as well as improve on hygienic practices, water conservation, and tidiness with wash sinks.

FIG. 5. Downward Angle of an FHE Device with a Straight Extension Member.

FIGS. 5A-D are identical to FIGS. 4A-D except that FIGS. 5A-D show FHE unit 260 with a straight extension member 127. Also, in FIG. 5B, user hand 302 is not shown. The actuations of the respective FHE units, the localization of the drippings, and the positionings of user hand 302 are the same between FIGS. 4 and 5. Finally, the benefits of using an FHE device embodiment with a straight extension member, as exemplified by FHE unit 260 with straight extension member 127, are identical to those described for FHE unit 200 with a bent extension member 107

Building, Installing, Using, and Testing a Prototype:

Overview. As described in Example 1 below, a prototype of the disclosed FHE invention, referred to as Prototype 200, was built based on the design of FHE unit 200. Prototype 200 was then installed on a bathroom sink, by connecting it to a faucet handle of said bathroom sink. Prototype 200 was then used with various common sink activities for qualitative evaluation of its effectiveness. Example 2 describes the study design and calculations performed for quantitative evaluation of Prototype 200, which was performed with a select group of four sink activities. Example 3 describes the Methods of Use for i) performing said sink activities with Prototype 200; ii) using accessory equipment; iii) using modified faucet handles, iv) using braking systems, and v) auxiliary methods. Finally, the results of quantitatively testing Prototype 200 with said 4 sink activities are described in Example 4.

Said four sink activities in Example 2-4, for which water usage was measured, included handwashing, toothbrushing, face washing, and face shaving. In addition, a “Total” value was also calculated from the sum of water usages of said 4 activities, and a “Total, No FS” value for the sum of the first 3 sink activities (not including face shaving). Said four sink activities were chosen because for these 4 activities there are published data available for comparison. Said published data represented, or were used to calculate, US household averages (simply referred to as “US averages”) for water usage for each of the 4 activities. Said US averages could be directly compared with the respective experimental data for Prototype 200. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show the head-to-head comparison of Prototype 200 experimental data vs. US household averages.

As such, Examples 1˜4 demonstrate the enablement of embodiments of the disclosed invention. Moreover, Prototype 200, when used together with described accessory equipment, braking mechanisms, and according to the disclosed Methods of Use. This is supported by the observed effectiveness of said disclosed invention based on qualitative evaluations and on efficacy data from quantitative studies. It should be qualified that for different types of situations, e.g., for users with medical conditions that hinder the function of one or both hands, a different embodiment may be indicated with regards to embodiment of the FHE device, accessory equipment, braking mechanism, Methods of Use, and auxiliary methods.

Example 1. Prototype 200: Building, Installing, and Qualitative Evaluation

Building Prototype 200.

a) A Metal Rod With Multiple Bends. Prototype 200 was built from 101, which was made of stainless steel rod and which was bent multiple times with a Lineman's pliers and/or a bench vise. Bending part 101 in different locations and at different degrees formed the members and parts of Prototype 200, and provided locations on part 101 for adding components (e.g., rolling pin 110). Once a bend was formed, it was nearly impossible to undo it or alter the angle of the bend with naked hands, during use. The design of Prototype 200 based on the design of part 200 in FIGS. 1A and 2A. Thus, all parts of Prototype 200 will be referred to with the same labels as those of part 200 in said FIGS. 1 and 2.

The building of Prototype 200 started with bending of metal rod 101 at roughly a perpendicular angle to form handle 102, the first and most proximal (closest to user) member formed. The segment of metal rod 101 beyond, and contiguous with, handle 102 was considered to be extension member 107. Said member 107 was slightly bent in the horizontal plane around its middle, thereby forming 3 constituents of said member 107: proximal portion 104, midpoint 105, and distal portion 106. Next, the distal end of part 106 was bent roughly at a perpendicular angle to form connection hook 108. The distal free end of connection hook 108 was passed through the center hole of rolling pin 110. Next, the distal part of connection hook 108, sticking out of the proximal end of rolling pin 110, was bent at near perpendicular angle. Now rolling pin 110 was suspended around connection hook 108 and kept from sliding off of said part 108 by end hook 112 on the proximal side and connection hook 108 on the distal side. The diameter of the center hole of rolling pin 110 was slightly larger than that of connection hook 108 (i.e., that of metal rod 101); this enabled rolling pin 110 to freely rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, while still maintaining sufficient rigidity to operate the faucet. Addition of rolling pin 110 to the multiple-bent metal rod 101 described above made part 100. Next, part 204 was built and attached to connection member 108 of part 100, as described below.

b) Interconnecting 2-Clamp Part 204. Part 204 can be considered the intermediate adapter connector between part 100 and faucet handle 214. Part 204 was built by interlocking two regular screw gear hose clamps 202, as shown in FIG. 2A. The interlocking was achieved by unscrewing the loop of one clamp 202 completely, thus freeing one end of the loop, then sliding the free end of the open loop through the closed loop of the other clamp 202, and finally closing the former loop by screwing the free end of the loop back into the screw gear head. Then the loop of one clamp of part 204 was screwed tight around the rolling pin 110. Once said loop was tightened and parts 100 and 204 were connected, part 100 became Prototype 200 (also referred to as part 200 in previous descriptions), and ready to be connected to cold water faucet handle 214. The left hand companion of Prototype 200 for connection to the hot water faucet handle, called Prototype 240, can be built in the same way as Prototype 200 but based on the design of FHE unit 240 in FIG. 2C. The chief difference in design between said two prototypes is the direction of the bend in the respective extension members: part 107 in FIG. 1A and part 237 in FIG. 2C for prototypes 200 and 240, respectively. Prototype 240 essentially would be the mirror image of Prototype 200. The specifications of Prototype 200 (lengths, angles, and diameters), which is but one embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, are given in FIG. 24.

Installing Prototype 200.

a) Wash Sink. For use and evaluation, Prototype 200 was connected to a pre-existing bathroom wash sink already in use. Said sink comprised a vanity drop-in sink with a widespread faucet system. Structurally, the bathroom sink and the accompanying faucet system were very similar to those in FIG. 2C. For clarity and consistency, all parts of said bathroom sink and faucet system will henceforth be referred to by the same labels as used for the same parts of sink 220 in FIG. 2C. Thus, said bathroom faucet system comprised a faucet handle-escutcheon assembly 210 for cold water, a faucet spout 216, and a faucet handle-escutcheon assembly 250 for hot water. As in FIG. 2C, the faucet handles 214 and 254 for the bathroom sink were lever handles, with a horizontal orientation of the levers. Bathroom sink 220 comprised bowl 218, drain hole 222, deck 224, inner edge 226, and overflow holes 228, as in FIG. 2C. What is not shown in FIG. 2C is the rectangular sink counter that surrounds bathroom sink 220. The bar soap holder with the bar soap on it, or later the foam soap manual dispenser, are placed on the left side of said counter next to bathroom sink 220.

b) Connections. As shown in the upper portion of FIG. 2B, rolling pin 110 of Prototype 200 has a vertical orientation. Thus, when one clamp of interconnecting 2-clamp part 204 was tightened around rolling pin 110, the tightened clamp loop had to adopt a horizontal orientation. As a consequence, the loop of the other clamp, which was interlocked with the first clamp, adopted a vertical orientation, which was the proper orientation for connecting the second clamp loop to the horizontally-oriented faucet handle 214. Thus, said vertical loop of the second clamp of part 204 was screwed tight around the tip of handle lever 214.

As a recommended option, before connecting said second clamp of part 204, a protective silicone strip (not shown) was wrapped around the faucet lever 214 to prevent scratching of said lever 214 and slippage of 2^nd clamp 202 on said lever 214. Said silicone strip was a thin, transparent sheeting, cut with scissors to around 0.5″ in diameter and to a length that would wrap around said faucet lever 214 completely, without the ends of the strip overlapping on each other. Materials other than silicone could be used as a protective strip, examples including but not limited to rubber sheeting, flexible transparent polyethylene sheeting, among others. With the silicone strip wrapped around the outer (right side) end of faucet lever 214, said vertical clamp loop was slid over lever 214 and screwed near-tight directly over the silicone strip. The overall angle of Prototype 200, relative to the plane of deck 224, was then adjusted to a downward declining angle of about negative 45 degrees. Then said vertical loop was screwed to full tightness, securing Prototype 200 to faucet lever 214.

c) Aerator Removal. Upon using Prototype 200 with various sink activities, it soon became apparent that the aerator installed in faucet spout 216 was no longer needed, and in fact had some liabilities. With the aerator on, the maximal flow rate was 1.74+/−0.02 gpm (mean+/−SD; N=5 independent measurements). After opening the aerator for inspection, it was clear that some particulate matter and some dark-colored matter had accumulated on the internal side of the aerator screen. This is typical for aerators: they tend to trap and accumulate particulates from tap water that comes through regular water pipes. Also, aerators are thought to promote germ growth, as they hold the faucet spout filled with tap water after water is turned off. This is a chief reason that many medical facilities, including hospitals, avoid using faucet aerators. The aerator removed from spout 216 was cleaned by washing with detergent and water using a brush. Once the trapped particulates and dark-colored matter were removed and the aerator was re-installed, the flow rate was measured to be 1.82+/−0.02 gpm (mean+/−SD; N=5 independent measurements). This confirmed that the water flow through the dirty aerator was being reduced by the trapped and/or colored materials. Then the cleaned aerator was completely removed from spout 216, and the maximal flow rate was measured at 5.01+/−0.32 gpm (mean+/−SD; N=5 independent measurements). To enable the full range of tap water flow rate, to avoid the accumulation particulates present in tap water, and to avoid harboring germ growth, faucet spout 216 was used without an aerator. Importantly, Prototype 200 made it possible to use tap water at the true, unhindered maximal flow rate of tap water; this meant that filling larger containers (e.g., pitchers) would be 2.75× faster with a spout 216 without an aerator compared to spout 216 with a clean aerator.

In contrast, most next generation products (e.g., sensor-activated faucets) are operated with a pre-set flow rate. Using the same pre-set flow rate of tap water for all sink activities is not ideal, since different sink activities each have a different optimal flow rate. E.g., to rinse of a toothbrush or a razor a lower flow rate of water, which generates a narrower column of tap water, is more optimal than a higher flow rate: the latter generates a wider column of tap water that can be much wider for a toothbrush and waste a lot of water that runs by the side of said toothbrush. Using said lower flow rate for filling a pitcher or tall glass of water is not ideal as it would take longer than it should. To offer users the ability to change the flow rate, some sensor-activated faucets come with a lever on the side of the faucet spout, with the lever controlling water flow rate. However, the user has to directly touch said lever to use it, and the lever is positioned outside the sink bowl; hence using the lever defeats the main purpose of using sensor-activated faucets, which is to avoid touching a faucet directly.

Braking Mechanisms

Overview. A braking mechanism can provide a finer control of an FHE device, such as Prototype 200. Two types of braking mechanisms were installed for Prototype 200: a) a dampener, suction cup hook 2002; and b) a stopper, electrical tape 2008. The dampener braking mechanism, part 2002, prevents the quick, sudden yanking of Prototype 200, which would have resulted in a much higher flow rate of tap water than intended. This overshooting tends to also occur with conventional faucet handles, and can waste a fair amount of water over time. Part 2002 did this by generating friction when Prototype 200 was pulled by user when turning on tap water. Specifically, said friction was the result of part 106 of Prototype 200 dragging across hook 2003 of part 2002. Said friction, in turn, created resistance to the pulling motion of Prototype 200, which dampened or slowed down said motion. The stopper braking mechanism informs the user how far Prototype 200 should be pulled when turning on water to set a user-selected flow rate of tap water. As such, both types of braking mechanisms were used together to better control the flow rate of tap water with Prototype 200: part 2002 dampened the pulling motion of Prototype 200, and part 2008 provided a soft stop (like a shift gear in car) that stopped the pulling of Prototype 200 when a user-selected flow rate was reached. Braking mechanisms are described in more detail below in the description of FIG. 20. optional and can be of various designs and components. For the purpose of evaluating Prototype 200 in Examples 1 to 4, suction cup hook 2002 and electrical tape 2008 were used with each sink activity. Parts 2002 and 2008 are readily commercially available and were used here only as examples. Installing said braking mechanisms, parts 2002 and 2008, are described next.

a) Suction Cup Hook. The dampener braking mechanism used was suction cup hook 2002, which comprises i) a reversibly attaching constituent, suction cup 2001, and ii) and engaging constituent, hook 2003, as shown in FIG. 20A. Said part 2002 was attached via suction cup 2001 to sink deck 224 of bathroom sink 220 as shown in FIG. 20B, about 2 inches in front of faucet lever 214. The free end of the hook 2003 was pointing outward toward right side, ready to engage Prototype 200 through the open portion of hook 2003. Said part 2002 was positioned such that when part 106 of Prototype 200 was engaged by hook 2003, the direction of actuation of part 106 was nearly perpendicular to the plane of hook 2003. When turning on water, handle 102 is pulled towards user, which caused part 106 to drag across hook 2003 and create friction. Said friction resulted in resistance against the pulling motion, dampening down the speed of the pulling motion. The degree of friction between part 106 and hook 2003 could be adjusted: by slightly lifting handle 102 while pulling or pushing handle 102 created more friction and thus Prototype 200 moved even slower due to increased frictional resistance. If said resistance was too high and a faster actuation of Prototype 200 were desired, handle 102 was lowered during actuation to reduce friction between hook 2003 and part 106. Importantly, because hook 2003 was open on the right side, Prototype 200 could be swung counterclockwise and then back clockwise over the hook 2003 to completely disengage part 106 from said hook 2003. Hook 2003 was on a swivel, and thus hook 2003 could be turned to lean down on suction cup 2001; this allowed part 2002 to remain attached in place without engaging Prototype 200, if so desired. With Prototype 200 disengaged from hook 2003, higher flow rates of tap water could be achieved, up to the maximum rate of about 5 gpm. It was just as easy to turn hook 2003 on its swivel so it flipped up and ready to engage, swing Prototype 200 clockwise and engage part 106 in hook 2003 when a slower actuation of Prototype 200 was needed. Thus, this dampener provided a finer control of Prototype 200 in a reversible fashion; i.e., it could be easily engaged or disengaged.

b) Electrical Tape. As a stopper-type braking mechanism, electrical tape 2008 (FIG. 20A) was used. Said tape 2008 was wound several times around part 106 of Prototype 200, resembling a stationary sleeve, as shown in FIG. 20E. The winding of tape 2008 created an elevated lip on each end of tape 2008. The elevated lip on the proximal end of tape 2008 provided a soft stop for Prototype 200 against hook 2003. Thus, when handle 102 was pulled by user hand 302 to turn on tap water, at a pre-determined point during said pulling said proximal lip of tape 2008 encountered the distal side of hook 2003, which acted as a stationary barrier. The exact location of said stop, marked by the proximal lip of tape 2008 and corresponding to the aforementioned pre-determined point during said pulling, was chosen such that a user-selected flow rate was set when said stopper (proximal lip of tape 2008) encountered or collided with said barrier (hook 2003). Said encounter stopped the pulling movement of had grip 102. It was deemed a “soft stop” because the stop created by part 2008 was easily overcome by slightly lifting handle 102 during actuation, and tape 2008 provided very little frictional resistance when part 106 was sliding over hook 2003. Moreover, tape 2008 also offered a visual cue for a user, in that it a user could see said stopper approaching said barrier as handle 102 was pulled to turn on water, which indicated to said user that the preselected flow rate was being approached and then exactly set at the moment said stopper encountered said barrier.

Thus, these two types of braking mechanisms, suction cup hook 2002 as a dampener and electrical tape 2008 as a stopper, worked together to provide a finer control of Prototype 200: the pulling of Prototype 200 was dampened by the former braking mechanism, and the pulling motion came to an exact stop that corresponded to a user-selected flow rate by said stopper. Said stopper also provided a visual cue for when user should stop pulling handle 102 to get the same user-selected flow rate each time.

Qualitative Evaluation of Prototype 200

a) All Sink Activities. For evaluating Prototype 200 as a hygienic tool in preventing self- and cross-contamination, as a water-conserving tool for reducing faucet water consumption, and as tool for improving on faucet usage (e.g., averting liquid mess, access and ergonomics, ease of cleaning, etc.), said Prototype 200 was used in all sink activities performed in the bathroom sink that it was connected to. Sink activities included: handwashing; toothbrushing; face shaving; face washing; washing hair; washing the toothbrush and hairbrush; dying hair; rinsing of hands, mouth, and face with plain tap water; wetting hairbrush for combing hair; dishwashing; laundry of small items (e.g., socks); rinsing of dishware and utensils; washing or rinsing of various objects (e.g., scissors); rinsing of produce; rinsing or filling water containers (e.g., a pitcher); rinsing the bar soap and soap holder; rinsing manual dispensers for liquid soap and for foam soap; rinsing the sink; wetting towels (cloth or paper) to use as wipes; etc.

When needed, handle 102 was cleaned after use by rinsing with tap water or by washing with soap and rinsing with tap water. Similarly, if any portion of part 104 was touched or otherwise contaminated with dirt, germs, etc., it was cleaned the same as handle 102. E.g., at the end of handwashing, handle 102 was soap-scrubbed with soapy hands and then rinsed with tap water. And if Prototype 200 was used for just rinsing hands or objects, e.g., rinsing a cup after drinking soda (water soluble materials) to reuse said cup, then handle 102 was just rinsed with tap water after use.

b) Using GLO Germ Gel for Quality of Handwashing. To assess qualitatively how well the hands were cleaned after washing with soap and water using Prototype 200, a commercially available gel, Glo Germ Gel, was used. Said gel comprises ingredients that are intended to mimic dirt and germs on the hands, plus a UV-fluorescent substance. When hands are covered by said gel and illuminated with a UV flashlight, all areas that are covered by said gel are highlighted by UV fluorescence. For this evaluation, Glow Germ Gel was smeared and spread all over both hands, back and front. A UV flashlight was used to confirm the full coverage of the hands by Glow Germ Gel, including nail beds, finger creases, and palm creases. The hands were washed with soap and water using Prototype 200, as described in Methods of Use, except they were not dried yet. The UV flashlight was used to check all areas on the hands for UV fluorescence, after rinsing the soap-washed hands but before drying them, since wiping with a hand towel to dry could have removed some of the remaining Glow Germ Gel. All hand areas, including nail beds and all creases, showed negligible UV fluorescence, indicating that the hands where thoroughly washed. This test was repeated five times. Nail beds, finer creases, and palm creases constitute known hot spots for germs on the hands. Thus, handwashing with Prototype 200 was deemed thorough and hygienic, even though far less water was consumed during handwashing with Prototype 200 than without (described in Example 4 below).

Example 2. Study Design, Parameters, and Calculations for Quantitative Evaluation of Prototype 200

Study Design

a) Experimental Studies of Four Sink Activities. To determine quantitatively the efficacy of Prototype 200 in conserving water, four sink activities were selected out of the sink activities listed in Example 1 and studied for water faucet usage. Specifically, the volume of faucet water consumed per use (i.e., per instance) of each activity was measured in 30 or more independent trials per activity. The four sink activities included: handwashing, toothbrushing, face shaving, and face washing. In addition to the individual water usage of each of the four sink activities, the total water usage, i.e., the sum of water usage for all four activities, was calculated. Finally, for users who do not shave facial hair (e.g., men with full beards, women, etc.), the total water usage of just the three sink activities and not including face shaving, i.e., total no face shaving or “total no FS” was calculated. Said four activities were chosen because there are corresponding data as averages for US households, “US averages”, available for the same four activities. Thus, the experimental data from the studies with Prototype 200 could be directly compared with US averages. The sources of data for US averages are detailed below under “US Averages”.

b) Volume Measurements. To measure water usage, the original sink pop-up stopper was removed from the sink drain 222, as it was leaky. Instead, a size 7 rubber stopper was used by pushing it firmly into the drain. In this fashion, any tap water that flowed through the faucet spout was captured and stored in the sink. As soon as a sink activity was started, a timer was started to record the length of time, in minutes and seconds, spent on each event of the sink activity. After the event was finished, the timer was stopped, the time was recorded, the volume of captured water in the plugged sink was measured as described below and was recorded together with date and type of sink activity. This constituted one independent trial of a particular sink activity (e.g., toothbrushing), and all recordings were handwritten in a log book. Over 30 independent trials were performed with each of the four sink activities listed above under “a)”.

The volume of water consumed (water usage) for each sink activity was measured as follows. The tap water that was collected in the plugged sink 220 was aspirated and transferred to a graduated cylinder. For aspiration of the captured water, a 60 cc plastic disposable syringe was used. Said syringe was fitted with a 2-inch long piece of aquarium transparent tube on the exit nipple of said syringe. The water aspirated with the syringe was then transferred to a graduated cylinder for volume measurement in milliliters (mL). Later on, during data analysis with MS Excel software, said volume in mL was converted to US gallons.

To confirm that there was no leakage of the captured tap water, the rubber stopper was left untouched in the now empty sink 220, and fresh tap water of a known volume (measured with a graduated cylinder), in multiples of 100 mL and always exceeding the measured volume of said collected water, was poured into the plugged sink. Thus, if said collected volume was less than 100 mL, then 100 mL of fresh tap water was poured into sink 220; if it was more than 100 but less than 200 mL, 200 mL of fresh tap water was poured; and so on. The poured water was left in the plugged sink for at least the same duration of time as that of the event, plus the extra time it took until pouring said fresh water; i.e., for as long as the consumed tap water was sitting in plugged sink 220 until all of it was aspirated with said syringe for measuring the volume. Then the poured water was measured as above to determine it was the same volume as that of the fresh water poured in. Thus, only experimental volumes were recorded where no leakage was detected in this manner.

Parameters: US Household Averages.

a) Residential Indoor Faucet Water Usage. The residential indoor faucet water usage data, per household (gphd) and per capita (gpcd), were obtained from a 2016 WRF study conducted in North America, which included US and Canada. Said study was entitled: “Residential End Uses of Water”, abbreviated as REU2016. In the REU2016 study, water usage data was obtained from 23 participating utilities, with the vast majority (20 sites) being in the US; only 3 sites were in Canada. Indoor water usage data, by category (e.g. faucet, shower, toilet, etc.) were collected and averaged. The water usage data cited in the background section, in terms of indoor faucet water usage per household or per capita, were obtained from the REU2016 report. Other data described below, including “[b) US Averages”, “b.1.) The Daily Frequencies”, “b.2.) Volume Of Water, Per Use”, and “b.3.) Daily Total Water Usage”, were obtained or calculated from public sources that were primarily in the US, since the REU2016 data were primarily from the US.

b) US Averages. The data shown as US averages in FIGS. 6 and 7, for head-to-head comparisons with Prototype 200 experimental data, were calculated from published parameters from various sources. Said published parameters comprised: b.1.) Daily Frequencies; b.2.) Volume Of Water, Per Use; and b.3.) Daily Total Water Usage. The description below includes the definition of each parameter and the source(s) of the published data. The calculations for using said parameters to arrive at US averages is described below under “Calculations”.

b.1.) The Daily Frequencies. The number of repetitions per day, i.e., the daily frequencies, for each of the four sink activities came from the following sources:

• • i) For handwashing, a GALLUP World Poll performed in 2020 with 1000+ subjects from each of 118 countries (including the US) showed that on average, hand washing was performed at least 5× per day. Another source, Bradley Company, has been conducting annual surveys of more than 1000 Americans, and found that before Covid-19 pandemic, American washed their hand 6 times per day on the average, and while this number increased to as high as 10.8 times per day during the pandemic, the daily frequency for handwashing has been gradually decreasing the pre-pandemic frequency. Thus, the daily frequency of at least 5× per day was chosen, since the GALLUP poll included US and it is likely to be more reliable source than a private company.
  • ii) For tooth brushing, the number of tooth brushings per day recommended by dentists was reported to be 2× per day by the American Dental Association (ADA), as well as by other sources such as the MAYO clinic, and etc. Thus, the daily frequency of 2× per day was chosen, since no direct statistics on US daily frequency for toothbrushing could be found through internet search engines (e.g., google).
  • iii) For face washing, the number of face washings per day recommended by dermatologists was reported to be 2× per day, according to AAD (American Academy of Dermatology Association) and to online articles from NBC news and other sources, such as menshealth.com, and etc. Thus, the daily frequency of 2× per day was chosen, since no direct statistics on US daily frequency for face washing could be found through internet search engines (e.g., google).
  • iv) For face shaving, statistics on frequency of face shaving for US males was difficult to find. According to a 2017 report by Statistica based on 1032 US male respondents that were 18 years or older, 29% shave daily, 17% every other day, 24% several times a week, 13% once a week, 5% every 2 weeks, 7% less often, and 5% never. Thus, only 29% shaved daily, and the largest group (17%+24%=41%) shaved multiple times a week. According to 2013 survey by the BlueBeard Revenge company based on 1504 male respondents that were 15 to 78 years old, the largest group (73%) shaved their face 4 times per week on average, which is 0.6 face shavings per day. Said survey also reported that the largest group (81%) of men shave their face at the sink, and a minority (18%) shave in the bath/shower. Thus, the daily frequency of 0.6× per day was chosen, since no direct statistics on US daily frequency for face shaving could be found through internet search engines (e.g., google).

b.2.) Volume Of Water, Per Use. For volume of water consumed per use, expressed as gallons per use (or gallons per instance) of a sink activity, data were obtained primarily from USGS (U.S. Geological Survey, a governmental department) from their website. The US average water usage data represent estimates for US average households, based on surveys. For each of the four sink activities that were compared between US averages and Prototype 200 data, the estimates were 1 gallon per use, i.e., 1 gallon faucet water use per activity. Said estimates seem reasonable, as explained next.

b.3.) Daily Total Water Usage. Given the a) Daily Frequency and the b) Volume of Water Per Use estimates listed above, the total water usage per day for all 4 sink combined would be 9.6 gpcd (gal per capita per day) for a person in a US household. This daily total does not include other water usages, drinking, rinsing, and etc. Based on a 2016 WRF study of US household end water use (see above under Parameters), the average daily faucet water use was reported to be 11.1 gpcd. Since the two totals (9.6 and 11.1 gpcd) are relatively close, given that the first total does not include all sink activities that are included in the second one, it seems that the estimates of Volume Of Water, Per Use (reported by USGS) for each of the four mentioned activities are reasonable.

Calculations.

a) Water Usage, On A Per Use Basis. For each of the four sink activities tested, at least 30 independent trials were performed to determine water usage (i.e., Volume of Water, Per Use) for each activity. Thus, in total more than 120 trials were performed for the 4 sink activities combined. Each trial was performed by one user, thus the volume measured was per capita. In each trial, the volume was measured in milliliters and then later converted to gallons, for comparison with US averages. From the 30+ trials per activity, the mean was calculated for each sink activity, which represents the mean volume of faucet water per use per capita, i.e., the water usage per capita per use (in gallons per capita per use, or gpcu). In addition, two totals were also calculated: i) The “Total”, i.e., the daily total water usage per capita per use (in gpcu), was calculated by taking the sum of daily water usage per capita per use for all 4 sink activities. ii) The “Total No FS” (total not including face shaving; in gpcu), i.e., the total water usage for 3 out of 4 sink activities (not including face shaving), which was representative of users who do not have shave their face (e.g., males with beards, females, etc.). The aforementioned water usage per capita per use values for each sink activity and for the two totals (in gpcu), calculated for Prototype 200 only, are shown in FIG. 6A. Said figure showed which sink activity used the most volume of water on a per use bases.

b) Water Usage, On A Per Year Basis. For each sink activity and for the two totals, the mean water usage per capita per use value was then multiplied by the corresponding Daily Frequency (described above under “Parameters”), which yielded the daily water usage per capita, in gallons per capita per day (gpcd). Next, the daily water usage per capita value was multiplied by 360 to arrive at the water usage per capita per year, expressed as gallons per capita per year (gpcy), for each activity and the 2 totals. Importantly, the same Daily Frequency values (described above under “Parameters”) were used for Prototype 200 and for US average calculations, so the comparisons were as direct as possible. The annual water usage per capita for each sink activity and for the two totals (in gpcy), calculated for Prototype 200 only, are shown in the FIG. 6B. Said figure showed which sink activity used the most volume of water on a per year bases, which took into account the frequencies of each activity (Daily Frequencies above). Finally, the annual water usage per capita for each sink activity and for the two totals (in gpcy), calculated for Prototype 200 vs. US averages, are shown in the graphs of FIGS. 6C and 6D, and in the Table 1 in FIG. 7. Comparing water usage data head-to-head with corresponding US average showed how well Prototype 200 performed to reduce water usage for each sink activity studied.

Example 3. Methods of Use for Prototype 200

Overview. While a set of methods is described below, it is important to note that the methods for using the disclosed invention, in terms of difficulty of use or of learning, can range from beginner level to advanced level. A beginner method for handwashing, for example, would be one where the disclosed invention was used only one purpose. The on purpose could be to conserve water; that is, to turn off the water when not needed, without accessories such as braking mechanisms. Another example of a singular purpose could be just to avoid liquid mess on or around a faucet handle, with little or no concern for water conservation. On the other extreme, using the disclosed invention for multiple purposes advances the level of use or learning. Thus, a new user can start at the beginner level and then progressively learn and practice more methods to advance their skill level. The Methods of Use described below are more advanced, tailored for utmost water conservation, minimal liquid mess, and improved hygienic practices.

The Methods of Use for Prototype 200 comprises General Methods, Specific Methods, and Auxiliary Methods. The General Methods describe methods that are applicable to two or more sink activities, such as setting a lower flow rate of tap water. The Specific Methods are for specific sink activities, such as hand washing. The Auxiliary Methods were developed to enhance the performance of Prototype 200. Several of the described processes are referred to as a “submethod”. That is because, they are typically part of another method that has a specific result. E.g., submethod “Filling the Cupped Left Hand With Water” is a part of handwashing method, as well as a part of the face washing method. All methods described for Prototype 200 can be applied to any embodiment of the disclosed FHE device. All methods are examples, each method can be further modified.

General Methods for Using Prototype 200

1. Turning Water On or Off. The method below describes how Prototype 200 is used to control the flow of cold tap water. (The method would be the same for a left-handed version of Prototype 200, for controlling the flow of hot water.) FIGS. 3A and 4C illustrate, from different angles of perspective view, how Prototype 200 can be actuated manually between ON and OFF positions, when it is connected to faucet handle lever 214. The ON position of Prototype 200 correlates with said lever 214 being fully opened for maximal water flow; the OFF position is the opposite. Most current models of faucet systems require just a quarter turn of each faucet to go from OFF to ON position and vice versa.

Starting with the OFF position for Prototype 200, faucet lever 214 is fully closed and tap water is not running. The user would be standing directly in front of and facing sink 220, as with any conventional wash sink. To start the cold tap water running, user hand 302 reaches for and grabs handle 102 by pinching it between the right thumb and right index finger of hand 302, like grabbing a pencil. This is but one way to grab handle 102, many other ways are possible (e.g., using different fingers or different number of fingers). Then hand 302 pulls handle 102 proximally (towards user), as shown in the top portion of FIG. 3A. There, the straight arrow next to the dashed line pointing towards handle 102 represents the directional actuation (pulling) of Prototype 200 in the horizontal plane parallel to deck 224 and to the floor. Said actuation results in proportional clockwise rotation of faucet lever 214, represented by the curved arrow pointing to faucet lever 214, in the top portion of FIG. 3A. Said rotation of lever 214 starts the flow of tap water. The reverse direction of said actuation (shown in lower portion of FIG. 3A), i.e., hand 302 pushing handle 102 distally to the OFF position of Prototype 200, rotates faucet lever 214 counterclockwise to the OFF position, and thereby stops the flow of cold tap water. Prototype 200 can be also used to set the flow rate of tap water anywhere between the ON and OFF positions, as described next.

2. Flow Rate Adjustment. The flow rate of tap water can be adjusted to any rate between 0 and maximal gallons per minute (gpm), depending on what position along the possible horizontal path between On and OFF positions Prototype 200 is moved to. For the actual faucet system used in experimental studies of Prototype 200, the maximal flow rate for the cold tap water was measured to be 5.01+/−0.32 gpm (mean+/−SD; N=5 independent measurements). This flow rate corresponds to faucet lever 214 being rotated to the fully ON position, with the faucet aerator removed from faucet spout 216. Said maximal flow rate was useful and practical in several instances: e.g., when filling larger containers (e.g., 0.5-gallon water pitchers), which took less time compared to that when using a medium or low flow rate, especially when done in several rounds; e.g., when flushing out the cold water pipe, e.g., when water was temporarily dark colored due to repair work on exterior water pipes by city water department officials. However, for the majority of sink activities (e.g., handwashing), a much lower flow rate was used, in the range of 0.0148+/−0.0028 gpm (mean+/−SD; N=6 measurements) as the lowest flow rate to 0.0256+/−0.0066 gpm (mean+/−SD; N=4 measurements) as the next to lowest flow rate. Thus, with Prototype 200 the cold tap water could be set to a range of flow rates that spanned over 300 fold, from the lowest to the maximal flow rate. “Braking Mechanisms For Prototype 200”, comprising suction cup hook 2002 and electrical tape 2008, were very useful for reliably and consistently setting a lower flow rate for cold tap water with Prototype 200. The Method of Use for said accessories is described next.

3. Using The Braking Mechanisms. The aforementioned suction cup hook 2002 (FIGS. 20A and 20B), a dampener, and electrical tape 2008 (FIGS. 20A and 20E), a stopper, were installed as described in Example 1 as two different braking mechanisms that worked together. Hook 2003 of suction cup hook 2002 formed an open loop, shaped like a “C” (aka C-loop), with the opening of hook 2003 facing the right side of the user. Prototype 200 was easily moved into said C-loop of hook 2003 to engage the first braking mechanism (part 2002), and it could just as easily be moved out of said C-loop for unhindered movement of Prototype 200 when higher flow rates were required. The electrical tape 2008 provided the second braking mechanism: a soft stop for notifying the user when a desired flow rate was achieved. It was deemed a soft stop because it was easy to overcome or bypass, as described in Example 1.

To engage the braking mechanisms, Prototype 200 was moved laterally clockwise until part 106, the distal portion of extension member 107, was inside said C-loop of hook 2003 (FIGS. 20A and 20B). When engaged, said hook 2003 limited the horizontal clockwise movement of Prototype 200; that is, how far to the left Prototype 200 could be moved. Importantly, moving Prototype 200 clockwise all the way until hook 2003 blocked any further clockwise movement resulted in part 106 pressing against said C-loop of hook 2003, which created a point of friction between the two said parts. With part 106 pressed against said C-loop, pulling Prototype 200 proximally (to turn water on) caused part 106 to drag against said C-loop, creating friction between the two. Said friction in turn created resistance to the movement of Prototype 200 along its longitudinal axis (towards and away from user), in effect dampening or slowing said movement. This slowed-down movement prevented quick snappy movement of Prototype 200, which could have overshot the desired flow rate of tap water. Thus, the first braking mechanism (part 2002) provided a finer control of Prototype 200 movement and thereby a finer control of the water flow rate.

The 2^nd braking mechanism, electrical tap 2008, worked in a different way that the 1^st one. During installation, electrical tape 2008 was wound around part 106 several times, which created a sleeve of sufficient thickness to form an elevated lip at both ends of tape 2008. The thickness of said sleeve could be adjusted by the number of times tape 2008 was wound around part 106. When Prototype 200 (and thereby part 106 with tape 2008 wrapped on it) was pulled proximally to turn on water, the elevated lip at the proximal end of tape 2008 would hit against hook 2003 of suction cup hook 2002. This contact between said proximal lip of tape 2008 and hook 2003 provided a “soft stop”: the proximal movement of Prototype 200 came to an abrupt stop, but said stop could be overcome with some effort. That is, the stop could be overcome by slightly moving Prototype up or to the right (depending on what part of hook 2003 was being contacted by said elevated lip), such that said elevated lip was no longer blocked by hook 2003 when Prototype 200 was pulled further proximally. And since electrical tape 2008 formed a smooth-surfaced sleeve along part 106, it took little effort to slide part 106 with said smooth sleeve over said C-shaped hook. Said soft stop also functioned as a visual cue, in that a user to observe said elevated lip getting closer to hook 2003 when Prototype 200 was being pulled. The location of electrical tape 2008 on part 106 was determined empirically, such that a user-selected flow rate of tap water was set when said elevated lip of tape 2008 contacted hook 2003. For Examples 1-3 here, the flow rate was chosen to be a lower flow rate of water, as defined above under “Adjusting The Flow Rate”. When higher flow rates of water were needed, e.g., filling large container with water at maximal flow rate, then Prototype 200 (i.e., part 106) disengaged from hook 2003 as follows. First Prototype 200 was moved counterclockwise so it was outside said hook 2003, then lifted and moved clockwise so it was above said hook 2003. Now Prototype 200 could be pulled or pushed without any significant resistance.

4. Lower Flow Rate Water. Most sink activities were performed with cold tap water at relatively lower flow rates, in the range of 0.015 to 0.026 gpm, as described above under “Flow Rate Adjustment”. The lower flow rate was set by using Prototype 200 in combination with the braking mechanisms described above under “Using The Braking Mechanisms”.

5. Water Conservation: Turning Off Unneeded Water; Reducing Flow Rate.

Rationale. Keeping tap water running, when water is not needed, is wasteful. E.g., The EPA estimates that up to 8 gallons per day can be saved by turning off water when brushing teeth. Water wastage due to sink activities like toothbrushing, handwashing, face shaving, etc., is cumulative: water wastage adds up since the sink is used several times per day by each user, proportionately more if there are multiple users that share a wash sink. Prototype 200 provides a solution to mitigate said cumulative water wastage, by enabling the user(s) to shut off tap water or turn down the flow rate at any time. With Prototype 200 water can be turned off: i) when it is not needed during a sink activity (e.g., during the brushing of teeth); ii) between sink activities (e.g., between handwashing and toothbrushing); iii) after a sink activity (e.g., after rinsing soap-washed hands, before drying them); and iv) etc. Also, With Prototype 200 the flow of tap water can be reduced i) during a sink activity (e.g., user chooses to reduce the flow rate from the starting flow rate, to save water); ii) between sequential sink activities (e.g., setting a higher flow rate to fill a large glass of water, then reducing the flow rate for toothbrushing); iii) etc. This benefit of Prototype 200 (and generally, of the disclosed FHE device) in reducing water wastage is particularly relevant to sink activities that entail multiple brief rinses, which require repeated cycles of turning water on and off (e.g., face shaving, toothbrushing, etc.).

The ability of turn off or reduce the flow of tap water at any time is due to the design features of Prototype 200 (and generally, of the disclosed FHE device), as described in detail elsewhere (e.g., narrow diameter; handle located over sink; etc.). In brief, the design features enable a user to avert liquid mess on and around faucet handles, which is the penalty for using conventional faucet systems and adjusting the flow rate during a sink activity with wet hands. In addition, the ease of cleaning handle 102 (and generally, the handle member of the disclosed FHE device), which could be simply done after or during each use; where said cleaning can entail rinsing with tap water, washing with soap and rinsing, and/or disinfecting. Said ease of cleaning enables a user to touch handle 102 at any time to adjust flow rate, whether it is with a wet hand, soapy hand, dirty hand, or even a pathogen-laden hand; and whether it is before, during, or after sink activity.

By contrast, conventional faucets require direct touching of the faucet handle to adjust the water flow rate, which is the first major design flaw of conventional faucets. The consequence of said direct touching is that inevitably, contaminating materials from a user's hand are transferred to the touched faucet handle anytime said user chooses to change the flow of tap water during a sink activity, even at the start of a sink activity. E.g., if a user decides to wash their hands with soap and water, and said user's hand is contaminated with pathogens, even the first time the faucet handle is touched to turn on water, pathogens from the hands will likely be transferred to the touched faucet handle, before hands have been wetted. In the same scenario, if said user has wets their pathogen-contaminated hands with tap water and then wishes to turn off water before applying soap (to save water), again there is opportunity for said pathogens to be transferred from said user's hand to the faucet handle when it is touched the second time. Now that the hand is wet, it can drip potentially contaminated water from the hand on the faucet handle and the surrounding areas, i.e., results in liquid mess. This is the result of the second major design flaw of conventional faucets, which typically position the faucet handles outside the sink bowl, e.g., on sink decks, sink rims, or a posterior wall. To make matters worse, the contamination that was transferred from the hand to the faucet handle can be transferred back to said user's washed hands when the water is finally turned off.

As mentioned above, cleaning conventional faucet handles and their surrounding areas is cumbersome because of their aforementioned positioning outside the sink, thus said cleaning is typically not done after each use. Consequently, contamination (including pathogens) on the faucet handle that came from said user's hand, as well as the aforementioned liquid mess on and around said faucet handle, can remain in place until they are washed with soap and water and/or disinfected. Due to these two design flaws and their consequences, many users who have conventional faucets tend to keep tap water running during a sink activity to avoid said consequences. Thus, they tend to choose water wastage over liquid mess and contamination of the conventional faucet handle. More so, with sink activities that require repeated cycles of briefly turning on water and then turning it off (e.g., face shaving, toothbrushing, etc.).

Sensor-activated faucets are an example of next generation products that were intended to address the aforementioned liabilities of conventional faucets. However, sensor-activated faucets are not the most practical faucets for said repeated cycles of rinsing, either. There is often a bit of a time delay between the detecting a signal to activating the faucet valve. Also, with electronic sensors and motors, sensor-activated faucets are more prone to wear and tear than conventional faucets, so sink activities involving repeated cycles of rinsing can only hasten the wear and tear. Furthermore, sensor-activated faucets work at pre-set flow rates, and one flow rate is unlikely to be suitable for all sink activities. E.g., filling a large water pitcher would require a higher flow rate, while rinsing the relatively narrow toothbrush or razor blades requires a lower flow rate that generates a narrower column of water.

5.a. Turning Off Water When Not Needed. The flow of tap water was turned off with Prototype 200, at any time when running tap water was not required. Some example instances are the following. i) During handwashing tap water was turned off: after wetting the hands but before applying soap; between each of several rounds of hand rinsing; after rinsing of hands; and after rinsing of touched items. ii) During Toothbrushing, water was turned off: between each of several rounds of mouth rinsing; after rinsing toothbrush to remove used toothpaste. iii) During face washing, water was turned off: between each of several rounds of face wetting; and between each of several rounds of face rinsing. iv) During face shaving: between each of several rounds of face wetting; between each of several rounds of razor rinsing, when pre-heated water in a spray bottle was used instead to rinse the razor blades; and between each of several rounds of face rinsing. v) During manual dishwashing, water was turned off: after each item was wetted and bore dish detergent was applied; between each of several rounds of rinsing each detergent-scrubbed item; during the subsequent handwashing, as described above. vi) During washing of items like a hairbrush, water was turned off: after wetting the item and before applying soap or detergent; and between each of several rounds of rinsing the soap- or detergent-washed item. As such, with Prototype 200 no water was running when it was not needed.

5.b. Reducing Flow Rate. In the same vein of turning off unneeded water, the flow rate of running tap water was reduced with Prototype 200 at any time a lower flow of tap water was sufficient for the next activity. This could be a situation when water flow is stopped between the two activities, and one of the activities requires a lower flow rate of water. Alternatively, it could be a situation where water is left running between two activities, and the flow rate is readjusted because a different flow rate is optimal for the next activity. Some example instances are the following. i) During toothbrushing, a slightly lower flow rate of water was needed for rinsing the relatively narrow toothbrush, than the flow rate of water used for mouth rinsing. ii) During manual dishwashing, a slightly lower flow rate of water was needed for rinsing smaller items like forks than that needed for larger items likes plates. In most cases, however, the same lower flow rate was used with most sink activities, using the aforementioned braking mechanisms to set a pre-selected lower flow rate consistently and fairly accurately. Said pre-selected lower flow rate was described above under “4. Lower Flow Rate Water”.

5.c. Users With Physical Limitations. In some instances, e.g., for medical or physical reasons, a user might not be able to use the disclosed FHE device as often as desired, especially when repeated cycles of turning on and off water are needed for multiple rounds of brief rinses or wettings. In those instances, the disclosed FHE device can be used to run the tap water continuously but at a lower flow rate, one that is just sufficient for the activity at hand, and one that is pre-determined and then targeted with one or more of the braking mechanisms described. It should be noted that the braking mechanisms can have more than one preferred flow rates, so a user would not be restricted to just one preferred flow rate. Compared to the conventional way of using tap water, which often is at a higher flow rate than needed, using the disclosed FHE device to set a lower flow rates can still consume less water than that consumed with conventional ways, even if water is kept running throughout each sink activity.

6. Dripping Close To The Drain. Whenever body extremities (e.g., hands) or any objects (e.g., toothbrush) were washed or rinsed in the wash sink, said items were kept as close as possible to sink drain 222, in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Likewise, whenever any part of the face or head was rinsed or washed in the wash sink, the head was lowered vertically as close to sink drain 222 as possible, and centered horizontally over sink bowl 218, again as close as possible to sink drain 222. This submethod “Dripping Close To The Drain” helped with minimizing drippings, spillings, and splashes (liquid sewage) landing outside sink bowl 218 and contributing to liquid mess. Also, it helped with minimizing the sink bowl area exposed to unclean water. Sometimes liquid that lands in the sink bowl doesn't drain completely; some of it remains on the surface of sink bowl 218 and eventually air dries. This can lead to staining and grime build up in sink bowl 218; thus, the smaller area of bowl 218 is that is exposed to liquid sewage, the less cleaning of sink bowl 218 is required, and the less water is consumed for cleaning. Thus, this submethod helps with sink tidiness (staining), hygiene (germ growth), and water conservation (cleaning).

7. Using Trickling Water. This submethod is intended for situations where water supplies are scarce and water conservation is high priority, where literally every drop of tap water should be used when possible rather than wasted going into the drain. This is applicable to any faucet that tends to trickle water after being completely shut off after each use. The volume of trickled water will vary from faucet to faucet and can depend on several factors, such as shape and dimensions of the particular faucet spout. One factor is the presence of faucet aerators that tend to trap the tap water behind them within faucet spout 216. More trickling is typically observed in faucets without an aerator, but then aerators have liabilities (e.g., trapped particulates, germ growth) as described above. While the volume of trickling water is typically not large, but it is cumulative: over time with all the various sink activities that occur on a daily basis with each user, and proportionately more with more users, the total volume of trickled water keeps getting larger. With the faucet system used for experimental studies of Prototype 200, the aerator was removed from faucet spout 216. This enabled a larger range of flow rate for the cold tap water, up to it true maximal, unhindered flow rate of 5.01 gpm. This also made it unnecessary to periodically uninstall the aerator, clean it, and reinstall it. However, more tickling of water was observed after shutting off water, so the following submethod was used when possible to maximize water conservation.

In anticipation of water trickling after shutting off tap water, and empirically observing roughly what volume of water is trickled from faucet spout 216, the tap water was turned off with Prototype 200 a bit sooner, such that the trickled water was included in the tap water dispensed from spout 216 towards the intended use of said dispensed tap water. For example, if a small cup of water was filled with cold tap water, the water was turned off just before reaching the desired level of water and the collected trickled water brought up the final water to the desired level. As another example, when rinsing a used water cup, some tap water was dispensed the water cup and water was then shut off with Prototype 200, with the cup still below spout 216 to collect trickling water. Then said cup was moved in a circular manner to swirl the water inside said cup to effect rinsing, with the rinse water then discarded. Thus, the trickling water was used together with the dispensed tap water for rinsing said water cup. In this fashion, with Prototype 200 every drop- or nearly every drop-of tap water was used, which helped with water conservation. In a situation when water is scarce, the disclosed invention helps both to minimize water usage and also to stretch the scare supply of water by enabling a user to virtually use every drop of water. This is particularly relevant when water has to be transported to a residence to replenish the source of water, as in done in many residential areas where the plumbing for municipal water is non-functional or absent. Water is relatively heavy to transport: each gallon of water weighs over 8 lbs, so a 5-gallon pail of water weighs over 40 lbs.

8. Filling The Cupped Left Hand With Water. This submethod is common to many methods, where instead of using continuously running tap water, smaller volumes of tap water are collected in a cupped hand and used in one of more rounds of rinsing, wetting, filling, etc. E.g., for rinsing the face after shaving, water is collected one cupped-hand at a time to pour the collected water over the face, spread it around and sweeping it over the face with the same hand to effect rinsing, before doing another round of face rinsing. In this fashion no running water is wasted while the hand is spreading water over the face and sweeping it. Since cold tap water faucet handle 214 is on the right side of a user and therefore Prototype 200 would be connected on the same right side to said faucet handle 214, typically the right hand would operate Prototype 200 for control of water flow and therefore the left hand would be used to collect and dispense smaller volumes of water. The left hand is cupped with palm facing up and the left fingers kept pressed together so no water can seep through the fingers. As such, said cupped hand is akin to a cup or bowl. To collect water, the cupped left hand is held under faucet spigot 216. The right hand uses Prototype 200 to briefly turn on the cold tap water and then off. The tap water should run just enough to fill or partially fill the cupped left hand. Said cupped hand should not be overfilled; ideally, no water should run out of or drip from said cupped hand. After turning off water, said filled or partially filled cupped hand is held a bit longer under spigot 216 until negligible or no water is trickling, according to the submethod “Using The Trickling Water” above.

9. Cup-Rinsing The Hands. Conventionally, when rinsing hands (e.g., after handwashing) users tend to keep the tap water running. This is wasteful and unnecessarily increases water consumption. A more efficient use of water for rinsing would be to do multiple rounds of rinsings, but instead of continuously running water, a small amount of water used in each round of rinsing: e.g., water collected in a cupped hand. The submethod described below, titled “Cup-Rinsing The Hands”, uses the previously described submethod, “Filling The Cupped Left Hand with Water” to rinse both hands for one or more rounds, each time using a smaller volume of water collected in a cupped hand for the rinsing. This increases the rinsing efficiency, minimizes water wastage, and reduces water consumption.

Prototype 200 was used to collect cold tap water in the cupped left hand, as described above in “Filling The Cupped Left Hand with Water”. The latter submethod ended with turning off tap water with Prototype 200. The left cupped hand was held under spout 216 a bit longer to collect any trickling of water, according to submethod “Using The Trickling Water” above. While keeping the left hand under spout 216, the right fingers (including the thumb) were used to spread around the collected water over the left hand, e.g., to the fingertips, beginning of the wrist, etc. In some situations, the right fingers also performed some scrubbing to help remove materials from the hands, that is to increase rinsing efficiency. Said scrubbing was done, for example, when pre-rinsing heavily soiled hands prior to handwashing to remove excess dirt from the hands, or after soap-scrubbing hands during handwashing to rinse off soap, lather, and materials removed from the hand by said soap.

Then, the right hand was cupped, palm facing up, as described for the left hand. The collected water in the cupped left hand was slowly poured into the cupped right hand. Then left fingers were used to do the same tasks as described for the right fingers above: to spread the water on the right hand and to scrub as needed. Once all inner surfaces of both hands were wetted, water from the cupped right hand was poured over the open, uncupped left hand and the water was spread and wiped over the entire inner surfaces of both hands by rubbing the palms and fingers against each other, and then the back of the hands by rubbing the inside of one hand against the back side of the other hand. This spread the rinse water to the back of the hands. Intermittently, fingers of each hand were spread open and interlaced with the fingers of the other hand, to wet the space between the fingers.

Finally, the rinse water was discarded into sink bowl 218, by one or a combination of the following steps: a) by separating the hands and pointing the fingertips towards sink drain 222, to discard any residual rinse water in sink bowl 218 by gravity, as close as possible to said drain 222; b) by using one hand as a squeegee to wipe and squeegee the other hand in the direction of wrist to fingertips, on each side of the other hand, to sweep any residual water towards the fingertips for dripping off into the sink drain 222; c) by handwringing both hands, where one hand wrings the other hand. Wringing hands is akin to wringing wet clothes after manual laundry: water is forced out of small spaces (e.g., the space between fingers) and pushed distally towards the drain; and d) by flicking each hand and the fingers of each hand into the sink bowl 218, to shed off final droplets of residual rinse water into sink bowl 226.

The squeegeeing also provided some scrubbing action, which increased rinsing efficiency, especially in instances where soap or other contaminants were being rinsed off (e.g., during handwashing). All steps described above, through d), constituted one cycle of cup rinsing the hands. This cycle was typically repeated a total of 3-5 times, depending on how much materials needed to be rinsed off the hands.

The method of Cup-Rinsing The Hands effectively reduced water consumption:

• • i) no water was running when not needed; ii) most, if not all, of the water that trickled out of spout 216 after shutting off water in each round was collected and used towards rinsing; iii) in each round of hand rinsing, water had more time to dissolve or resuspend any contaminants, thus increasing the efficiency of removing materials from the hands; iv) in each round of hand rinsing, when fingers were used also to scrub the other hand, the rinsing efficiency was increased by said scrubbing so fewer rounds of rinsing were needed; v) the used rinse water was discarded as thoroughly as possible at the end of each round of hand rinsing (per steps “a)” through “d)” above), so in the next round of cup-rinsing the hands started with a cleaner slate (i.e., less remaining dirt and contaminants to rinse off); and vi) since water was not continuously running during hand rinsing, each round was done without any rush, thus could be performed as thoroughly as possible, again increasing rinsing efficiency.

10. Shaking Off Excess Liquid. Rationale. Liquid mess on or around faucet handles can result in buildup of grime and staining, as well as germ growth. The undesirable results of liquid mess are cumulative and progressive, in at least two ways: i) conventional faucets are not cleaned very often, so liquid mess persisting for some time can progressively promote said undesirable results; ii) each time the wash sink is used, the existing liquid mess is replenished or increased in size with a new batch of liquid mess.

To avert said liquid mess outside the sink bowl 218, any time wet items (e.g., body parts like hands, or items like a toothbrush) are moved from within the sink bowl area 218 to outside of it, i.e., outside the boundary between sink bowl 218 and sink deck 224, any such wet items are shaken first to shed excess liquid inside sink bowl 218. Said wet items are shaken until no further dripping is observed; then they can be moved outside sink bowl 218. An example of when a wet item should be shaken before moving outside sink bowl 218, is during hand washing: when a wet hand reaches for a bar soap located on the sink deck 224. Another example is after tooth brushing when a rinsed toothbrush is moved to a storage place on the sink counter. In such instances, shaking excess liquid off the wet item(s) averts liquid mess outside sink bowl 218, thereby helping with sink tidiness and with hygienic practices.

Shaking off excess liquid can comprise squeegeeing, wringing, flicking, or any action that facilitates the removal of excess liquid from a wet item or wet hand(s). Said actions are the same whether it is an item or a hand being treated; the submethod is written for actions applied to a hand(s). To minimize splashing and shaking off water that might land outside sink bowl 218, said actions are performed in certain sequence described below. The goal of said sequence is to go from an action that causes the least amount of splashing and spattering of water to an action that can potentially cause the most.

10.a. Hand-squeegeeing is intended to push water from the wrist down towards the fingertips, on either side of each hand. This is akin to using a squeegee tool on a window being cleaned with a cleaning solution or water, to wipe down the cleaning solution or water. Hand-squeegeeing is done by using the inside surface of one hand as a squeegee tool to wipe the other hand, usually on both the front and back of said other hand. The goal with hand-squeegeeing is to cause the bulk of residual water to be pushed to the fingertips to let it gently pour off into sink bowl 218, so it is not likely to cause any splashing or spattering. Once most of the rinse water has been hand-squeegeed off, the next step is hand-wringing.

10.b. Hand-wringing is similar to wringing wet cloth after handwashing them: the wringing in effect squeezes the wet material and forces out any water trapped in said material to gently pour or drip off. Each hand performs hand-wringing to the other hand. To start, the right hand grabs and squeezes the left hand, as the right hand slides from the left wrist to the left fingers. He sliding motion is similar to hand-squeegeeing, except the sliding hand squeezes the other hand during sliding. At the end of said sliding motion, the right hand squeezes the left fingers to force out any water on the fingers or between the fingers into sink bowl 218. The hand-wringing is then done in similar fashion on the right hand, with the left hand doing the wringing. Once most of the water has dripped off by the hand-wringing action, the hand and fingers are flicked to facilitate the removal of residual water.

10.c. The hand-flicking action is similar to that when a sticky tape is stuck to one's hand or finger and said hand and/or finger is flicked quickly in snapping action to get the sticky tape off. Said snapping action is centered around the wrist. Hand-flicking in a directed manner such that any liquid droplets coming off are aimed for sink bowl 218, to minimize splattering outside said bowl 218.

10.d. The finger-flicking action is similar to flicking small, rolled-up paper balls, using the thumb to temporarily stop a finger and build up flexing power in the finger for a more powerful release. Finger-flicking can be done with multiple fingers in the same fashion.

The flicking action propels water droplets off the fingers, in a more forceful way than that with squeegeeing or wringing. With excess water, hand- or finger-licking can lead to substantial splashing, which may lead to liquid mess outside sink bowl 218. Hence hand-squeegeeing and hand-wringing are performed first to remove the bulk of the rinse water before any flicking is done. Also, both hand- and finger-flicking actions are directional such that water droplets are discarded into sink bowl 218 and not outside it. The squeegeeing-wringing-flicking sequence is repeated on each hand until the rinse water dripping from the hand is negligible. This method of shaking off excess liquid leaves behind a cleaner sink, particularly in the sink area surrounding the faucet handles (e.g., faucet handle 214). The intended results are fewer water stains and less germ growth, and therefore less frequent washing of sink areas subject to liquid mess; this is in contrast to conventionally used wash sinks where said stains and germ growth occur more frequently and necessitate more cleaning and thereby more water usage and labor. Thus, this method of shaking off excess liquid helps with sink tidiness (less stains), hygiene (less germs), and water conservation (less water used for cleaning the sink areas subject to liquid mess).

11. Rinsing Prototype 200. After use, if Prototype 200 came in contact with water-soluble materials (e.g., soda; soapy hand; or etc.) during use, then it was rinsed with cold tap water by starting a lower flow rate of water (see “Lower Flow Rate Water” above) using Prototype 200. As shown on the left side of FIG. 10B (top view) and the middle of FIG. 10C (front view), Prototype 200 can be swung horizontally clockwise in the ON position when tap water is flowing, such that handle 102 can be positioned directly under faucet spout 216 for rinsing with tap water 304. The left side of FIGS. 10A (top view) and 10C (front view) show that Prototype 200 can be similarly swung clockwise from the OFF position, and therefore from any position between ON and OFF. This means that the tap water can be set at a lower flow rate to rinse handle 102 when it is moved to below spout 216.

For rinsing handle 102, with one motion the right user hand 302 (in FIG. 3A) can gently pull handle 102, set a lower flow rate of cold tap water (see “Lower Flow Rate Water” above), swing Prototype 200 by handle 102 to position the latter below spout 216, and let tap water 304 slowly flow over and rinse said handle 102. The end result of said motion can be seen in middle panel of FIG. 10C (front view; hand 302 not shown) and in the left panel of FIG. 10A (top view; hand 302 not shown). With tap water 304 flowing, the fingers of right hand 302 that were initially holding handle 102 were used to scrub handle 102 as tap water 304 was flowing over it and the fingertips of said hand 302, to facilitate the rinsing of handle 102. After a brief period of rinsing and scrubbing, tap water was turned off with Prototype 200: the fingers of right hand 302 grabbed handle 102 and pushed it distally until Prototype 200 was in the OFF position. During or after said pushing, Prototype 200 was swung horizontally counterclockwise and placed back within hook 2003 of suction cup hook 2002 as its resting place. Thus, from the start to end of rinsing Prototype 200, handle 102 was always directly over sink bowl 218 and as such, all rinse water landed directly in bowl 218. In addition, Prototype 200 was in a downward angle (FIG. 4C) so any residual rinse water on it would flow by gravity toward handle 102 and then down the vertical segment of hand rip 102 to its end tip, from which water would drip into the sink bowl 218. Also, due to the relatively narrow structure of Prototype 200, as described in detail in Example 1 above, any water remaining on said prototype could also drip vertically into sink bowl 218 below. Finally, if disposable hand towels were used for drying hands, one hand towel was used to wipe any excess water from Prototype 200, but only in areas that were rinsed.

12. Washing Prototype 200. When using Prototype 200 (e.g., for handwashing), typically only handle 102 would be touched by an unclean hand. Thus, typically only handle 102 would require washing with soap and water, if user hand 302 were unclean. By chance, and almost always by accident, the most proximal (closest to user) portion of part 104 (see FIG. 1A) might also be touched by an unclean hand; in that case, said touched portion would be washed with soap and water together with handle 102. The intent with soap-washing any parts of Prototype 200 was to render any touched parts clean, at least to the same hygienic level as soap-washed hands. The method below for soap-washing Prototype 200 parts was written for when Prototype 200 was used for handwashing, which usually happened with dirty, potentially germ-laden hands. However, the steps of soap-washing Prototype 200 parts could apply to other methods and situations, as well.

During handwashing, after soap-scrubbing the hands but before rinsing them, handle 102 was also scrubbed with the still soapy fingers of the right hand. If the proximal portion of part 104 (see FIG. 1A) had also been accidentally touched, then said touched portion would also be scrubbed with soapy fingers. After scrubbing the touched parts of Prototype 200, tap water was turned on at lower flow rate (see “Lower Flow Rate Water” above) with the right hand by using Prototype 200. Next, the soap-scrubbed hands were rinsed in several rounds, as described below under “Method For Handwashing With Prototype 200”. Tap water was always turned off in between hand rinsing rounds with the right hand using Prototype 200. After each round of rinsing the hands, handle 102 was also finger-squeegeed by grabbing handle 102 between the right thumb and index finger at the distal end of handle 102 and pulling the grabbing fingers along handle 102 to its proximal end. Said pulling was akin to a sweeping action that pushed the soapy material towards the proximal end of handle 102, and then wiped some of the soapy material off once the grabbing fingers had moved past handle 102 and then said fingers were rinsed with the rest of the hand(s) in the next round of hand rinsing. The repetition of said finger-squeegeeing of handle 102 served to clean it more efficiently by the scrubbing action, and to dilute the soap on handle 102 by the squeegeeing action. Thus, as soap-scrubbed hands were progressively cleaner after each round of rinsing, so was handle 102 due to the finger-squeegeeing.

After the last round of hand rinsing, excess water was shaken off from the hands, as described under in the method below for “Method For Handwashing With Prototype 200”. Tap water was turned on again at lower flow rate, using at most two clean fingers from the right hand for grabbing the proximal portion of part 104, beyond the handle 102. Grabbing the clean part of Prototype 200 with clean fingers avoided said fingers being exposed to any residual soap on handle 102, which had been finger-squeegeed but not directly rinsed with water yet. This avoided having to rinse said fingers after touching handle 102. And since the clean part of Prototype 200 was grabbed by soap-washed and rinsed fingers, there was no further need to wash or rinse said part. Next, handle 102 was rinsed as described above under the method “Rinsing Prototype 200”.

13. Disinfecting Prototype 200. In some situations where extreme caution is required (e.g., when there is a prevalent, contagious, potentially lethal pathogen present), it may be necessary to disinfect Prototype 200 before use. There are multiple ways of disinfecting Prototype 200 parts. One example is described below, entailing disposable, individually-wrapped disinfectant wipes; this is one of the easier ways of disinfection. Other examples might be to spray handle 102 with a disinfectant spray, or to pour disinfectant solution over handle 102, then wait the appropriate time for disinfectant to be in contact with Prototype 200 (per manufacturer), and then rinse with water. Since handle 102 is positioned over sink bowl 218, any excess disinfect spray or solution would land in said bowl 218.

To prevent the contaminant materials on Prototype 200, as well as the chemicals from the disinfectant, from getting transferred to a user's hand(s), the hand(s) were first donned with disposable plastic gloves. Before disinfecting any parts of Prototype 200, said parts were first washed with soap and water, as described above under “Washing Prototype 200”, except hands were donned with disposable gloves. Also, the fingers or parts of the gloved hand(s) that came into contact with Prototype 200 parts were soap-washed and rinsed, to avert spreading any pathogen with contaminated gloves. Washing with soap removed any substantial dirt or other materials from Prototype 200 parts, that might hinder the access of a disinfectant to said parts. After soap-washing, said parts were dried with a disposable paper towel. Said parts were then wiped with a freshly-unwrapped disinfectant wipe, which was subsequently discarded into a trash bin. Sufficient contact time (per manufacturer) was allowed for the disinfectant to have its germicidal effect. Next, handle 102, and as needed, the proximal portion of part 104 were rinsed with tap water as described under “Rinsing Prototype 200” above, to remove water-soluble chemicals in disinfectants. Finally, the disposable gloves were discarded into a nearby trash bin. Now Prototype 200 was disinfected and ready for use.

Specific Methods of Use for Prototype 200

Method for Handwashing with Prototype 200.

While simpler methods are possible, the method below was designed for utmost hygiene, water conservation, and sink tidiness. Some additional submethods were developed to achieve the intended goals, as described below.

Wetting The Hands. As described under “Filling the Cupped Left Hand with Water” above, the cupped left hand was filled with a smaller volume of tap water. With the tap water turned off, the right thumb and other right fingers were used to spread the collected water over the inside surface of the left hand, doing a bit of scrubbing to help remove any dirt or other materials from the left hand, while being careful not to spill any of the collected water. Then the right hand formed a cup, palm up, over and close to the sink hole. The water in the cupped left hand was then poured into the cupped right hand. Then the left thumb and fingers were used to spread the water over the inside of the right hand, with some gentle scrubbing as before. If the inner surface of each hand was not sufficiently wetted, or if more scrubbing was needed to remove dirt or other materials, the water collected in the right cupped hand could be poured back into the left cupped hand and back to the right cupped hand, with more spreading of water and scrubbing as needed. In the end, the residual rinse water was in the right cupped hand. Next, the back of the hands and the space between the fingers needed to be wetted and scrubbed.

The left hand, facing palm down, was swiped across the right hand, which was facing palm up and was cupped. The left hand swiped from the right palm to the right fingers, sweeping rinse water across the right hand. Continuing the swiping motion, the left hand pivoted around the right fingertips and turned over as it moved to below the right hand. The left hand continued the swiping until it was directly under the right palm. This swept rinse water across the back of the right hand. Then the right hand was turned over and moved in the same swiping motion across the front of the left hand and the back of the left hand, pivoting around the left fingertips and turning over. This swept rinse water across the back of the left hand. This constituted one round of sweeping, where the back of both hands were swept with rinse water. A total of 2-4 rounds of sweeping were performed, with the sweeping also effecting some scrubbing of the back of the hands. Intermittently the fingers were interlaced so that the space between the fingers could also be wetted and scrubbed.

The next step depended on whether the hands were either plain dirty, or 1.a.2.) heavily soiled and dirty. Plain dirty hands were treated as described under 1.a.1.) below, and entailed a total of 1 round of hand wetting. Heavily soiled and dirty hands were treated as described under 1.a.2.) below, and entailed a total of 3 rounds of hand wetting. An example of heavily soiled and dirty hands would be if naked hands were used to do gardening, which included digging holes by hand in the soil. In contrast, if hands were a bit greasy or sticky after eating a meal, or if the hands had a bit of dirt on them from handling dirty items (e.g., dirty shoes), then hands were considered plain dirty. With regards to the experimental data for Prototype 200 shown in Example 4 below, the handwashing trials were performed with plain dirty hands and thus entailed a total of 1 round of hand-wetting.

Plain Dirty Hands. With plain dirty hands, now wetted (one round only), the right hand and fingers were flicked towards the left hand (facing up) to transfer excess residual rinse water from the right hand to the left hand. The goal was to remove enough rinse water from said right hand so that when reaching for the soap that was stored next to sink 220 (outside bowl 218), there would be no dripping on or around the spot where the soap was stored. The goal was not to totally remove all rinse water, as if to dry the right hand. By transferring the excess rinse water from the right to the left hand, said rinse water could be used towards lathering the hands with soap. The soap was applied, as described below under “Applying Hand Soap”.

Heavily Soiled and Dirty Hands. The approach with heavily soiled and dirty hands was to remove as much of the materials from the hands by rinsing and scrubbing with water as possible, before applying soap. This would give the soap-scrubbing a better chance of efficiently removing virtually all materials from the hands. Thus, in total 2-4 rounds of wetting and scrubbing the hands were performed, instead of the 1 round for plain dirty hands. In addition, after each round the rinse water on the hands was discarded as described under “Shaking Off Excess Water”, in sink bowl 218, as close to drain 222 as possible. The rinse water in the first round of wetting and scrubbing was often mercy and dark-colored, better observed when the rinse water was discarded into sink bowl 218 that was white. The dark color was due to the substantial dirt and other materials that came off the hands. With each round of wetting and scrubbing, the rinse water became progressively clearer; by the third round it was fairly clear. At the last round of wetting and scrubbing the hands, instead of discarding the rinse water, the last step described above for plain dirty hands was followed: the right hand and fingers were flicked towards the left hand (palm up) to transfer excess rinse water from the right hand to the left hand, before applying soap as described below under “Applying Hand Soap”.

Applying Hand Soap. Prototype 200 worked well with various types of soap tested, including bar soap, liquid soap from a manual dispenser, foaming soap from a dispenser, among others. “Worked well” means that no significant liquid mess was made, Prototype 200 cleaning was fairly easy, significantly less water was consumed compared to conventional handwashing, and hands were thoroughly cleaned. After testing several types of soap for handwashing, foaming soap from a manual dispenser was found to be the best choice: it was easier to estimate how much was needed; it could be added in small aliquots, which helped with avoiding excessive lathering; less water was needed, as it was already in foam state; and unlike the bar soap and its soap holder, it did not require cleaning anything other than the pump head, a relatively small area to clean with soap and water, as part of the handwashing method.

A manual dispenser for foaming hand soap was stored on the left side on sink deck 224, in front of hot water faucet handle 254, close to the boundary between deck 224 and bowl 218. The tip of the pump head was pointed leftwards towards the sink. To dispense foaming soap, said pump head was pressed by the right thumb with the other 4 right fingers below the pump head and in position to receive the dispensed dab of foaming soap. With this positioning of said dispenser, said pumping head, and said right fingers, any liquid (whether it was drippings from the right hand or dispensed foaming soap) landed in sink bowl 218 and helped to avert any liquid mess on the sink edge or deck. If the wetted right hand (from section 1.a. above) was still dripping right before applying soap, said right hand was quickly shaken and flicked into the left hand, to prevent dripping of water on or around the soap dispenser. Typically, 1 to 2 rounds of pumping of the dispenser produced sufficient foaming soap for handwashing. Care was taken not to use excessive amounts of foaming soap, as this would lead to excess foam being present after scrubbing the hands with foaming soap, which in turn would require more rinsing of the hands to remove said foam, thereby unnecessarily increasing water usage. Therefore, foaming soap was applied one dab at a time, which was used to lather and scrub the hands as described below. If the lather was insufficient, i.e., the layer of lather was too thin during scrubbing, then another dab was applied as above.

Lathering and Scrubbing Hands. Here, for the most part the handwashing protocol published by the CDC or WHO (World Health Organization) was followed, except for the following two modifications. Firstly, the water was turned off with Prototype 200 when water was not needed: i) right after wetting hands, throughout applying soap, lathering the hands, and scrubbing the hands; ii) right after rinsing the hands and any touched items, throughout drying the hands. (According to some online instructional videos on YouTube from WHO and CDC, the water is kept running from start to finish.) Secondly, the fingernails and the cuticles (i.e., nail beds) were thoroughly scrubbed from the top using fingers of the other hand. The nail beds are hot spots for germs, because they are harder to access, so more active, forceful scrubbing was indicated. And since tap water was not running, there was no rush to complete this stage of handwashing. Next, any parts and surfaces that were touched by the hands during handwashing needed to be scrubbed with soapy fingers, as described below.

Soap-Scrubbing Touched Items. During handwashing some items were unavoidably touched by an unwashed hand; these items comprised handle grip 102, any touched areas of part 104, and the pump head on the foaming soap dispenser. If instead of the latter dispenser a bar soap was used, it was rinsed before storage as described below; if a dispenser for liquid soap was used, the pump head was scrubbed as described for the foaming soap dispenser. The experimental data for Prototype 200 in shown in Example 4, with respect to handwashing data, were obtained with the foaming soap dispenser. Without soap-scrubbing said touched items, they might be left contaminated with potential pathogens from the unwashed hand after the handwashing method was completed. The following describes the soap-scrubbing process for each touched item; the order of the items does not matter.

i) The Pump Head Of The Soap Dispenser: If the soap-scrubbed hands were still dripping at this stage, they were first hand-flicked and finger-flicked towards the sink to remove excess liquid, as described in the method “10. Shaking Off Excess Liquid” above. In this fashion, no dripping occurred on the soap dispenser or the surrounding areas. The dispenser pump head was soap-scrubbed, on the top of the pump head only, with one to three still-soapy fingers of either hand or both hands: the thumb, index finger, and/or middle finger.

ii) Prototype 200 Parts: In the vast majority of sink activities performed, only handle 102 was touched by user hand 302 to operate Prototype 200. Therefore, only handle 102 needed to be soap-scrubbed. On occasion, and usually by accident, the proximal portion of part 104 might also have been touched by user hand 302 before said hand was soap-washed and rinsed. In those occasions, the touched areas of part 104 would be soap-scrubbed, as well. Two or three soapy fingers (e.g., thumb, index finger, and/or middle finger) from either hand or both hands were used to soap-scrub handle 102 and any touched areas of part 104, with said parts held directly over sink bowl 218 to catch any drippings. Next the hands are rinsed with water, followed by rinsing the touched items.

Rinsing the Scrubbed Hands. Here, the method “Cup-Rinsing The Hands” under General Methods was used, as it was much more efficient in water consumption compared to other methods, especially the conventional method of rinsing the hands under continuously running tap water. At the end of each round of cup-rinsing the hands, handle 102 was wiped from its distal end to its proximal end with the rinsed, wet fingers of either or both hands. In this manner, with each round of hand rinsing the hands became progressively cleaner, as did handle 102. Typically, 3 to 6 rounds of rinsings were used; the more soap was applied, the more rounds of rinsings were required to rinse off all soap. For Prototype experimental data shown in Example 4, 3 rounds were performed. Thus, it was important to avoid applying too much soap to the hands before scrubbing. Each user will need to determine empirically how much soap is optimal, which depends on several variables (e.g., size of hands, type of soap, etc.). Since water was turned off right after collecting tap water for rinsing, there was no need to rush through hand rinsing. (One conventional way of handwashing entails running the tap water continuously, and users tend to rush the washing and rinsing to save water, which can compromise handwashing efficiency and therefore hand hygiene.) Also, because each round of hand rinsing in submethod 1.e. entailed wiping and squeegeeing of both hands, this helped to get a more thorough soap-scrubbing with the residual soap and a more efficient removal of soap and materials from the hands during each round. While this method of handwashing took a bit more time and effort than the conventional method (e.g., the WHO or CDC protocols for handwashing), the benefits here were better hand hygiene, reduced water consumption, reduced risk of spreading germs, and averted liquid mess.

Soap-washed hands were considered sufficiently rinsed, and residual soap was considered sufficiently rinsed off, when the following were observed: i) No visible foam, lather, or suds. Lathering and scrubbing the hands would progressively cover them with a fair bit of white material comprising foam, lather, and suds, on both the front and back of the hands. With each round of rinsing, said white material became thinner and more transparent, until it was no longer visible. ii) No more bubbles. When squeegeeing the insides of the hands, some small bubbles formed due to residual soap being swept over the skin, hand creases, and fingers. With each round of rinsing, said squeegee-induced bubbles became fewer in number and eventually no further bubbles were formed. iii) Used rinse water is clear. This refers to the used rinse water remaining in right cupped hand after rinsing it as described, which was the same rinse water used first for rinsing the left hand as described and then transferred to the right hand. Specifically, this “used rinse water” would be the end result of collecting fresh tap water in left cupped hand for rinsing, scrubbing the inside of left hand with the right fingers, transferring the rinse water to the right cupped hand and scrubbing the inside of the right hand with the left fingers. In the first round of rinsing, said used rinse water was mercy and colored grayish-white from dissolved soap, foam, suds, and materials from the hands. With each round of rinsing, said used rinse water became progressively clearer, until it became and stayed clear. iv) Friction on hands. During hand-wringing and hand-squeegeeing (to remove excess rinse water), soapy hands felt very slippery after the first round of rinsing. With each additional round the hands become less slippery and more friction can be felt. V) No soap taste. If, after hand rinsing is finished and before drying the hands, some water is introduced in the mouth by hand (e.g., from mouth rinsing right after handwashing), hands that were sufficiently rinsed would have no soap taste during mouth rinsing.

Rinsing the Touched Items After Soap-Scrubbing. The most water efficient method to rinse all soap-scrubbed items, without water being wasted, was the following. The left hand was shaken and flicked over sink bowl 218 to remove any residual rinse water to prevent any dripping. Then the soap dispenser was grabbed in the middle with the left hand (still wet but not dripping) and positioned such that the pump head was directly under the faucet spout 216. Next, the right hand was shaken and flicked over sink bowl 218 to remove any residual rinse water. The right fingers (thumb, index, and ring fingers) grabbed Prototype 200, not at handle 102 which is still soapy and not rinsed yet, but at part 104 at a location that was distally beyond any location that was touched and/or soap-scrubbed; i.e., at a clean location on part 104. By not touching soap-scrubbed handle 102 or any soap-scrubbed area of part 104, the right fingers were not re-exposed to soap and possibly other materials from user hand 302; this saved an additional round of rinsing the right fingers to remove said soap and materials. With the right hand, Prototype 200 was used to turn on tap water a lower flow rate (per “Lower Flow Rate Water” above). Since the pump head was under spout 216, any tap water immediately flowing out of spout 216 poured over the soap-scrubbed pump head and therefore started to rinse it. Shortly and quickly after starting the flow of tap water, the right hand (still holding extension member 107) maneuvered Prototype 200 to position handle 102 under spout 216, simultaneously moving said pump head out of the way with the left hand as right before handle 102 arrived at the location directly below the spigot. Maneuvering Prototype 200 entailed disengaging from hook 2003 or suction cup hook 2002 (if engaged at that time), which in turn entailed first swinging Prototype 200 counterclockwise to take it out of hook 2003 and then swinging Prototype 200 back clockwise and over hook 2003 so it would be disengaged; otherwise hook 2003 would block the clockwise swinging of Prototype and not allow handle 102 to be positioned below spout 216. Handle 102, and if needed, any scrubbed areas of part 104, were scrubbed with the fingers of the right hand as tap water flowed over it, to facilitate the rinsing off of any residual soap. Once handle 102 (and if necessary, part 104) was thoroughly rinsed, in one move it was moved out of the way with the right hand and said pump head was placed under spout 216 with the left hand, to finish rinsing the pump head. When rinsing was finished, the right hand pushed handle 102 distally to turn off tap water. It is noteworthy that during the entire time handle 102 (and proximal portion of part 104) was soap-scrubbed and rinsed, it was always located directly above sink bowl 218 so sewage and dripping landed in said bowl 218. The soap dispenser was held with both hands and was shaken or flicked over bowl 218 to remove residual rinse water. Then the dispenser was placed back on its original storage space on sink deck 224. This completed the method for rinsing the touched items after soap-scrubbing.

Drying Hands. After handwashing, hands were thoroughly dried with reusable cloth hand towels or with disposable paper towels, as commonly done in residences.

Rinsing The Sink Bowl. Unless additional sink activities were planned (within half an hour), sink bowl 218 was rinsed as described below under “Rinsing The Sink Bowl”.

Advantages of Prototype 200. By the handwashing method described above, the dirty hands, as well as any parts or surfaces that came in contact with unwashed hands, were washed with soap and water; everything was washed in the same setting as part of one method. Any hand-touched items were rendered clean, at the same hygienic level as that of soap-washed hands. The hygienic level of hands, after proper washing with soap and water, is considered by the CDC and the WHO to be an effective protective measure against many disease-causing pathogens. Using Prototype 200 made it easier to include the soap-washing of touched items, particularly handle 102, as part of any sink activity like handwashing. This was due to design features of Prototype 200 described in detail above. Since conventional faucets and their surrounding areas of the faucets are typically not cleaned with detergent every day, let alone after every single use, the use of an FHE device, such as Prototype 200, improves sink tidiness and elevates the standards of hygiene and health with regards to wash sinks. Furthermore, Prototype 200 and the related methods helped to minimize water wastage, boosting water conservation with common sink activities like handwashing that are used several times per day per user.

Method for Toothbrushing with Prototype 200.

Brushing Teeth. As an optional precaution, hands were washed with soap and water and then dried prior to toothbrushing, as detailed above under “Method for Handwashing With Prototype 200”. Per ADA's recommendation the teeth were brushed with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, for a minimum of 2 min per toothbrushing. Rinsing the mouth prior to toothbrushing is not required, and therefore left out of this method. Care was taken to minimize toothpaste foam coming out of the mouth and pouring over the lips and chin, as this would have required more rinsing. If too much foam was built up in the mouth during toothbrushing, in was expelled into sink bowl 218 as close to sink drain 222 as possible.

With dry hands, the toothbrush was picked up with the right hand and the toothpaste tube with the left hand. The left hand flipped the cap of toothpaste tube open and squeezed out a dab of toothpaste on the bristle head of the toothbrush held by the right hand. The left hand closed the cap of the toothpaste tube and put it down on the counter. The right hand was brought close to the mouth and the dab of toothpaste was placed in the mouth. The dab of toothpaste in the mouth was swirled around until it was fully resuspended and until all teeth were exposed to the resuspended toothpaste. The teeth were then brushed for 2 minutes with the toothbrush held by the right hand. Next, the right hand passed the toothbrush to the left hand, which held it at the proximal end of the toothbrush handle. The toothbrush was held with bristle head down and directly over drain hole 222, which also placed the bristle head directly in line with any water flowing from spout 216 directly above the bristle head, with the toothbrush tilted downwards so the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush was nearly vertical. The right hand, now free, used Prototype 200 to start a slower, narrow column of running tap water (described above under “Slower Flow Rate Water”). As water started to slowly flow over the bristles, the left hand passed the toothbrush back to the right hand, which held it in the same position as the left hand. The right hand began moving the toothbrush slightly back and forth such that the rinsing went from proximal end of toothbrush to its bristles and back. The toothbrush was then turned over and the back was rinsed longitudinally in the same way. Occasionally some toothpaste or toothpaste foam may have been trapped in between the bristles. In that case, the left fingers scrubbed the bristles. As many rounds of rinsings were performed as needed to remove any toothpaste and foam from the toothbrush. Finally, water was turned off with Prototype 200 using the right hand. If the left fingers were used to scrub the bristles free of toothpaste, the left fingers were rinsed while being rubbed against each other. The toothbrush and any wet hands and fingers were flicked directly over sink bowl 218 to remove excess rinse water. The toothbrush was placed in storage, in an upright position.

Mouth Rinsing. Rinsing the mouth is not recommended after toothbrushing, as it washes out fluoride and thereby the benefits of fluoride towards preventing tooth decay. Nonetheless, many people still rinse their mouths after toothbrushing, which consumes tap water. Thus, mouth rinsing was incorporated into the toothbrushing method below.

Using Prototype 200 with the right hand, tap water was turned on at a lower flow rate and collected in the left cupped hand as described above under “Filling the Cupped Left Hand with Water”, which ended with the tap water shut off. The face was lowered vertically and centered horizontally to be as close as possible to skin drain 222, as explained above under “Dripping Close To the Drain”. This minimized dripping and splashing outside sink bowl 218 during mouth rinsing. The left cupped hand containing water was brought close to the mouth and the collected water was aspirated into the mouth. The water was swished around inside the mouth and then expelled into the sink, as close as possible to sink drain 222. During the swishing, the left hand cup was refilled with water as described above, and held there until all (or most) trickling water after shutting off was collected. This minimized water wastage due to trickling. All steps so far constituted one round of mouth rinsing. As many rounds were performed as needed to thoroughly rinse the mouth; 3-4 rounds typically sufficed. For Prototype experimental data shown in Example 4, 3 rounds were performed. Finally, the mouth, any parts of the face (if needed), and the hands were dried with a reusable cloth towel or disposable paper towels.

Rinsing The Sink Bowl. Unless additional sink activities were planned (within half an hour), sink bowl 218 was rinsed as described below under “Rinsing The Sink Bowl”.

Method for Face Washing with Prototype 200.

As with the previous method, as an optional precaution the hands were washed with soap and water prior to face washing, as described above under “Method For Handwashing With Prototype 200”.

Wetting The Face. Water was collected in the left cupped hand as described above under “Filling The Cupped Left Hand With Water”, which ended with the water shut off. The right hand let go of handle 102. The free right hand was then cupped, facing palm up, and held below the chin to catch any dripping from the face after the next step. The left hand gently poured or splashed the collected water on the face, at the highest vertical position of the facial area to be wetted. The same left hand was used to spread and sweep said water over a larger area of the face: the left fingers and palm gently patted on the face and were moved in a gentle sweeping motions to spread the water. The intent was not to effect any scrubbing or cleaning; rather, just to increase the wetted area with each splash. As water was being spread over the face with the left hand, the right cupped hand, which had been held under the chin up to now, collected as much of the water dripping from the face as possible. The collected water in the right cupped hand was intended to be reused towards wetting the face. Then the hands were switched: the right hand gently poured, splashed, and spread the collected water on the face in the same manner as the left hand; at the same time the cupped left hand was held below the chin to collect any dripping water. Then the hands were switched again to reuse the captured water. This hand switching was repeated until very little water dripped from the face when it was being reused. All described steps so far, from the first filling the cupped left hand with tap water to repeatedly switching hands, constituted one round of face wetting. A new round was started with the next filling of the cupped left hand with fresh tap water, as described in previous round. As many rounds were performed as necessary to get the entire face fully wetted. Typically, a total of 2-4 rounds were sufficient. For Prototype experimental data shown in Example 4, 2 rounds were performed.

Lathering And Scrubbing The Face. This method of face washing works with virtually any type of face cleanser or soap. As with handwashing and for the same reasons, the most practical type was found to be a foaming face cleanser dispensed out of a manual dispenser, used here as described below. The bottle of face cleanser was placed next to the sink, close to the sink edge on sink deck 224, before face washing started. Before reaching for said cleaner, the wet hands and fingers are shaken to remove any excess water, as described above under “Shaking Off Excess Liquid”.

The face was lathered with foaming cleaner, as follows. The right thumb or index finger pressed the pump head of the dispenser to deliver a dab of foaming cleanser to the left fingertips. With the left fingertips, the dab of foaming cleanser was spotted on the face at several spots, more or less equidistant to each other. Then the same left fingertips brushed the spotted foaming cleanser over the face to effect spreading the cleanser. Then, some gentle scrubbing was done with the left fingertips to effect cleaning the entire face, including forehead and temples. Finally, the left fingertips were rinsed under a narrow, low flow rate column of tap water, started by the right hand using Prototype 200 as described above under “Lower Flow Rate Water”. If needed, fingertips of the right hand were used to scrub the fingertips of the left hand during rinsing, to help with removing residual cleanser. Water was turned off with the right hand using Prototype 200, and the hands and fingers were shaken as described in “Shaking Off Excess Liquid”. Next, the face was rinsed.

Rinsing The Face. The face was rinsed in way similar to that for wetting the face (see above): one hand cup of water per round of rinsing. The main differences between wetting the face and rinsing the face were: a) during the round of rinsing, the fingers and palms of the hands were used to do some scrubbing as the water was being spread over the face, to help with washing off cleanser; b) at the end of the rinsing round, the hands were used as squeegees to squeegee off used rinse water from the face into sink bowl 218 below, and the squeegeeing hands and fingers were flicked over sink bowl 218 to shake off rinse water; and c) at the end of the rinsing round, the hands and fingers were shaken as described in “Shaking Off Excess Liquid”, to remove as much of the used rinsed water from the hands and fingers as possible.

Several cycles of squeegeeing were done per round of rinsing. The squeegeeing was considered finished when little or no more rinse water is extracted from the face. By thoroughly discarding used rinse water from the face and hands, and replacing it with freshly collected clean water, the next round of rinsing started with a cleaner slate and less cleanser material needed to be rinsed away. This increased the efficiency of rinsing. Typically, 3-6 rounds of face rinsing were sufficient. For the experimental data for Prototype 200 shown in Example 4, 4 rounds were performed. After the last round of rinsing, when the face was squeegeed and the hands and fingers were shaken to remove excess liquid, the face and hands were dried as described next.

Drying The Face And Hands. Before drying with a towel, the face had been thoroughly squeegeed, and the hands had been thoroughly shaken, to have as little rinse water on them as possible. The residual rinse water on the hands and face were dried with a reusable cloth towel. Although disposable paper towels are an acceptable alternative for drying, they are not ideal: i) paper towels typically have a harsher surface than that of a cloth towel, and therefore be more damaging to the skin; ii) as consumables, they add to residential trash, and they have to be continuously replenished.

The drying was done over as large an area on the cloth towel as possible, and only on the front side of the towel. With the towel hanging over a towel bar, the back side of the towel was facing the wall and getting less air circulation than the front, which was always fully exposed to air. Also, by spreading the rinse water over a larger towel area, instead of using just one or two spots that would get very wet, air-drying of the towel occurred at a faster rate. This is significant in that germs tend to grow in moist or wet environments, such as in wet areas of cloth towels. More germ growth results in a dirtier, smellier towel, which translates to more frequent laundry and therefore more water usage.

To use only the front side of the towel, the towel was sandwiched between two wet hands such that the towel was folded along a vertical line and the inner halves of the towel were in contact with each other. One wet hand held the folded towel stationary, and the other hand was blotted with the towel. Then hands were switched so the other hand could be blotted dry. In the same fashion, the towel was held folded with one hand and the face was blotted with the towel. Again, it was important to spread the rinse water from the hands and face over as large an area of the towel as possible. For example, if both hands and the face required drying, the lower front half of the towel was used to blot the hands, and the upper half was used to blot the face. After several uses of the front of the towel for drying, it was turned over, so the other side became the front, to be used in the same manner. Moreover, two cloth towels were always hanging over the towel bar, to be used interchangeably for drying. Thus, when one towel was used, the second towel was used for the next round of drying, to give more time for the first towel to air dry. Using two cloth towels, as described above, results in less frequent laundry of said towels.

Rinsing The Sink Bowl. Unless additional sink activities were planned (within half an hour), sink bowl 218 was rinsed as described below under “Rinsing The Sink Bowl”.

Method for Face Shaving with Prototype 200.

As an optional precaution, hands were washed with soap and water prior to toothbrushing, as detailed above under “Method for Handwashing With Prototype 200”. In addition to Prototype 200, some accessories were procured that helped with reducing water usage for face shaving, comprising: a glass spray bottle, and a regular microwave (as used for warming up food). The microwave was used to pre-heat water in the glass spray bottle, which was used for rinsing the razor blades during shaving. Alternatively, water could be pre-heated in an electric kettle, on an electric burner, or even a kettle on a cooking stove. The microwave was found to be the better option for heating, as it required less time for heating than the other devices, and since the length of heating time could be set precisely with the timer on the microwave. Optional accessories comprised a bottle of rubbing alcohol (70%), equipped with spray head for spraying the alcohol over razor blades for disinfection before storage.

Pre-Heating Water. Razor blades need to be cleaned frequently with water during shaving to prevent blades getting clogged with shaving debris, which can comprise shaving creme, cut facial hair, etc. There are two problems with conventional methods of cleaning razor blades during shaving, which works better with running water that is: i) higher flow rate and ii) higher temperature.

• • i) A higher flow rate of water, which would have more impact for dislodging shaving debris from the razor blades, also consumes more water. Moreover, a higher flow rate also generates a wider column of tap water flowing out of the faucet spigot, which generally ends up being wider in diameter than the width of the razor head that is housing the blades. Thus, a significant amount of water flows by either side of said razor head, at a higher flow rate, without cleaning the blades. Some users run cold running tap water in spurts, by quickly turning on tap water a high flow rate and then turning it off with the faucet handle, to avoid wasting a lot of water. Unfortunately, even in short spurts a higher flow rate of tap water coming out of the spigot generates a relatively wide column of running water, which is wasteful as explained above. Also, if the user's hand gets wet or foamy from the shaving crème, there is a good chance of liquid mess ending up on the faucet handle and/or the surrounding areas. As another attempt to save water, in some conventional methods the water is first collected in a bowl or in a stoppered sink, and then the razor head is repeatedly submerged and agitated in the collected water to clean the blades during shaving. This conventional method is not efficient, since the pre-collected water gets progressively dirtier with each round of rinsing the blades. Also, the agitation of the submerged razor blades is not likely to result in strong water movement across the blades to dislodge shaving debris. The agitation motion is limited by the sides of the bowl or sink bowl. If a user attempts stronger agitation motion to increase cleaning efficiency, this can result in splashing of water out of the bowl or sink bowl. Said conventional method is also not hygienic: the bowl used to collect tap water is usually dedicated for shaving and thus reused. Said bowl, or the sink bowl for that matter, is typically not sanitized prior to shaving. Thus, any contaminating materials (including germs) in said re-used bowl or said sink bowl can end up in the collected tap water and dragged across the user's face on sharp razor blades.
  • ii) A higher-temperature water (i.e., hot or at least warm water) is known to be more effective than cold or room-temperature water for dislodging shaving debris from blades. However, when turning on the hot water faucet, initially the water is cold and said hot faucet has to be pre-run for some time until the water is hot enough. More so, if the water heater is further away from the sink. Since the pre-run water is generally not used and just allowed to run down the sink drain, it is wasted water. Over time and proportionate to the number of users who shave with hot tap water, said wasted water can be a substantial volume of water. Thus, the use of hot or cold running tap water is not a good way to clean razor blades.

A more water-efficient way is to pre-heat a smaller volume of cold tap water in a regular microwave, and to use that pre-heated water in a glass spray bottle with an adjustable nozzle. Using a smaller volume of pre-heated cold tap water, rather than using hot running tap water, avoids wasting water due to pre-running the hot water faucet. Said smaller volume of pre-heated water was the minimal volume of water needed for rinsing the razor blades with a sprayer bottle during a face shaving. Said minimal volume was determined empirically, as user-dependent variables were involved (e.g., razor type; shaving crème type; size of facial area to be shaved; etc.). Moreover, the ideal length of time for heating said ideal volume of water was also empirically determined, due to user-dependent variables (e.g., volume of water; type of microwave or heating device; etc.). Using a sprayer bottle with an adjustable nozzle, which was adjusted for emitting a narrow stream of water, had the advantage of generating a higher-pressure stream of water that had more impact and thus more effective towards dislodging shaving debris. Also, compared to the hot water faucet run at higher flow rate, the heated water stream coming out of a spray nozzle was narrower, thus virtually all of the water could be aimed at the razor blades. Furthermore, the sprayer head was equipped with a trigger. Said trigger allowed emitting high-pressure water in brief spurts, in contrast to running tap water coming out of the faucet spigot. With brief bursts it was easier to target the razor blades and to target specific locations on the razor blades, which was nearly impossible to do with running tap water. Thus, as razor blades become progressively cleaner, the spurts of heated higher-pressure water could be targeted to only clogged locations on the razor blades rather than the entire length. This resulted in consuming less water for cleaning said razor blades.

The water in the glass spray bottle was heated in the microwave immediately before face shaving. Any leftover water in the sprayer could be used either towards rinsing sink bowl 218 or stored in a container to be used for other purposes later (e.g., watering plants).

A commercially available 8-ounce (250-mL) capacity spray bottle, with a glass body and a plastic sprayer head, was used for this purpose. However, any spray bottle that can perform the method can be used. The sprayer head comprised both a nozzle and a trigger. Said sprayer head could be unscrewed from the glass body prior to pre-heating the water, and could be reattached after said pre-heating. The glass body (without the plastic sprayer head) was filled with a predetermined, smaller volume of cold tap water. Said smaller volume was 120 mL (˜4 ounces) for the experimental data for Prototype 200 shown in Example 4. For said filling, the glass bottle was held with the left hand in a way that the bottle opening was positioned directly below faucet spout 216. The right hand slowly pulled handle 102 of Prototype 200 to start and slowly increase the flow rate, such that the column of flowing tap water would be small enough to easily fit within the relatively narrow opening of the glass bottle (˜¾ inch inner diameter). The right hand held on to handle 102 throughout the bottle filling process, so the water flow rate could be readjusted at any time as needed. The glass bottle was made of transparent glass and was calibrated with labels on the side during manufacturing. As such, during the filling process the raising water level could be monitored with respect to the target volume of 120 mL, and the flow rate could be adjusted with Prototype 200 accordingly. As the water level approached the 120 mL label, the flow rate was progressively reduced by the right hand pushing handle 102 distally, to ensure that the collected volume would not exceed the 120 mL label. The water was turned off with Prototype 200 when the 120 mL label was reached.

The described process of carefully filling the glass bottle with the narrow opening illustrates how well the flow of tap water can be controlled when using Prototype 200. With a narrow bottle opening it would be easy for a sensor-activated faucet, which has a pre-set singular flow rate for all sink activities, to start the tap water at too high of a flow rate. The higher flow rate of water would result in a column of water that is wider than the opening of said glass bottle, resulting in water pouring over the sides. That is also true for other next generation products like metered, touch-activated, foot pedal-activated, or knee pedal-activated faucets, among other products. Furthermore, with next generation products that have an extra lever on the faucet for adjusting flow rate, e.g., motion-activated faucets with a side lever, it is not easy to adjust the flow rate in small increments to the same slower flow rate, since they are not steppered and do not have a braking mechanism. In contrast, with Prototype 200 the flow rate could be repeatedly adjusted in real time at any time; the braking mechanisms used provided resistance for a slower, smoother movement of handle 102, and the soft stop (e.g., as described for Prototype 200) make it possible to reproducibly and accurately set the flow rate to a predetermined lower flow rate.

The glass body with 120 mL of cold water was then directly pre-heated in a conventional microwave for 60-65 seconds to achieve the desired temperature in the range of 60-70 degrees Celsius. The temperature was verified with a glass thermometer. The relatively thick glass wall of the glass bottle helped with maintaining water temperature during shaving. Said heating of water was done immediately before shaving started. Then the spray head was re-attached, and the spray bottle was ready for use. The adjustable sprayer nozzle was pre-set for spraying a narrower, stronger stream of water, as explained above. When cleaning the razor blades with said sprayer bottle during shaving, the trigger was used to aim short spurts of heated, high-pressure water at the razor blades. As some locations on said blades became visibly clean, other locations that still showed shaving debris could be targeted with spurts of water from said spray bottle. After shaving, any remaining, unused water in the glass spray bottle was used towards rinsing the sink or stored in a container (e.g., a 1-gallon plastic water pitcher) for other uses (e.g., watering plants).

Wetting The Face. Here the same sub-method was followed as described above under “3.a. Wetting The Face” for face washing, with one exception. Here, the face wetting was extended to the throat area, for shaving the beard.

Lathering The Face With Shaving Crème. Care was taken to avoid excessive lathering of the face, as this would unnecessarily and wastefully lead to more rinsing of the razor blades during shaving and of the face after shaving; i.e., it would result in more water consumption. The face was covered with a relatively thin lather of shaving creme, only on the facial areas to be shaved. Thus, rather than applying shaving cream over the whole face in one step, it was applied incrementally in steps to avoid over-lathering. For each step, a small dab of shaving cream was applied on the left middle finger, which then smeared the dab over the face for lathering. Once sufficient shaving creme was applied, the smearing was continued to achieve a homogeneous lather over all areas that required shaving. For smearing, only the tips of the middle and index fingers of the left hand were used, and not the whole hand. Thus, less rinsing of the lathered fingers was required prior to the actual shaving. If there were excess lather, it was wiped off with the said fingers, which in turn were wiped off with a disposable paper towel or rinsed under cold tap water set with Prototype 200 to a lower flow rate as in “Lower Flow Rate Water” above.

Cleaning The Fingers After Lathering. After lathering the face with shaving cream, the left fingers used for lathering needed to be cleaned before grabbing the spray bottle with the heated water. Said cleaning was done by either i) wiping with a cloth towel or a disposable paper towel, or by ii) rinsing with tap water. For the latter option, the left fingers were held under faucet spout 216, the cold tap water was turned on and set at a lower flow rate (as in “Lower Flow Rate Water” above), with the right hand using Prototype 200. As water was flowing, the left fingers were rubbed against each other to facilitate the rinsing off of lather. Only the areas on the left fingers that had come in contact with lather were rinsed and rubbed, not the whole left hand or even all left fingers, to avoid using more water than necessary for cleaning the left fingers. Then the right hand stopped the tap water by pushing handle 102 distally to the OFF position. The left fingers were finger-flicked over the sink bowl 218 to remove excess rinse water and prevent any dripping outside bowl 218 in the next steps.

Pre-Spraying The Razor Blades. Prior to shaving the face, the razor blades were pre-sprayed with heated water (60-70 degrees Celsius) from the glass spray bottle, which was prepared as described above under “Pre-Heating Water”. Said pre-spraying heated the razor blades to help prevent clogging up of said blades with shaving debris (lather, cut facial hair, etc.), which seemed to be harder to rinse off with cold water (even from a sprayer) and from cold razor blades. Both the back and the front of the razor blades were sprayed, to ensure the razor is thoroughly exposed to heated water. As mentioned earlier, the nozzle on the sprayer bottle had been set to emit a fairly narrow stream of water. Pre-rinsing was done as follows.

The right hand held the razor at the end of the razor handle, turned the razor upside down, and positioned it within sink bowl 218. The razor blades were positioned close to sink drain 222. The left hand held the spray bottle with the pre-heated water above the plane of deck 224, aiming the sprayer nozzle downwards at the razor blades. Thus, the water stream coming out of the sprayer was always directed downwards towards drain hole 222. The positioning of the sprayer bottle and the razor blades helped to prevent spraying, splashing, splattering, and dripping outside of sink bowl 218. The razor blades were sprayed with several brief bursts of heated water, first from the rear and then from the front. This constituted one round of pre-spraying. To sufficiently pre-heat the razor blades for shaving, a total of 3-4 rounds of pre-spraying with heated water were performed. This pre-spraying submethod was performed immediately before shaving the face, described next.

Shaving The Face. The lathered face was positioned directly over sink bowl 218, as close to drain 222 as possible. This was necessary to prevent, or at least minimize, any liquid mess outside bowl 218. Throughout shaving, the spray bottle containing the pre-heated water was held with the left hand and the razor with the right hand. Shaving was performed with unidirectional strokes of the razor. After every few shaving strokes, the razor blades were cleaned by dislodging the shaving debris between and around the razor blades with triggered brief bursts of streaming hot water from the spray bottle. Brief bursts were generated by quickly and sharply pulling the finger trigger on the spray bottle. Said blades were treated with several brief bursts from the rear, forcing the shaving debris between and around the blades to come out from the front of the razor. Then, said blades were sprayed with several brief bursts from the front, to remove shaving debris located more on the front of the blades than between them. Spraying the back and the front of the razor in this manner constituted one round of spraying. The razor blades typically required 2-4 rounds of spraying to be sufficiently cleared of shaving debris before resuming shaving with the next round of razor strokes.

Once shaving was finished, the razor was prepared for storage, as follows. The razor blades were thoroughly cleaned with as many rounds of rinsing as needed with the spray bottle containing heated water; this last step typically required 6-10 rounds of rinsing. Then the razor was shaken over sink bowl 218 to remove excess rinse water, as described above under “Shaking off Excess Water”. Then, as an optional precaution, the razor blades were sprayed with rubbing alcohol (70% alcohol) and left wet with said alcohol for a few minutes, to prevent germ growth. The razor was then shaken again over bowl 218 to remove any residual drops of alcohol, as described above under “Shaking off Excess Water”. Finally, the protective cap was put on the razor head and the razor was stored in a cabinet above sink 220.

During shaving and rinsing the razor blades, it was important to limit the spread of rinse water containing shaving debris to within a small an area of sink bowl 218 as possible. Materials (e.g., cut facial hair) in shaving debris can cling to the surface of sink bowl 218 and require more rinsing than, for example, plain shaving crème lather. Thus, the smaller the area of sink bowl 218 that is covered with shaving debris, the lower the water consumption for rinsing. As such, rinsing the razor blades as close to and directly over sink drain 222 was essential, so the dirty rinse water containing shaving debris was directed into said drain 222 as closely as possible.

As an alternative way for preventing shaving debris from spreading over sink bowl 218, the dirty rinse water containing shaving debris could be collected in a container (e.g., reusable plastic cup or bowl) and then discarded properly after face shaving was finished. It was easier to slowly and carefully pour the dirty rinse water from a cup or bowl directly into drain 222 than the procedure above, which rinsed the razor blades within sink bowl 218 and attempted to minimize the spread of the rinsed materials within said bowl 218. However, given that, over time, shaving debris can cumulatively contribute to clogging drain 222, the preferred method of discarding the dirty rinse water containing shaving debris was to slowly pour it into a toilet or shower drain, which have wider drain pipes.

Rinsing The Face. After shaving and rinsing off the razor blades, the face was rinsed by the same submethod as that used for face washing above, titled “3.a. Rinsing The Face”. The only exception being that rinsing was extended to include the throat area that was shaved. Excess rinse water was removed from all rinsed facial areas, as well as the hands and fingers, as described for face washing.

Drying The Face And Hands. This submethod was performed the same way as described for face washing above, under “Drying The Face And Hands”.

Rinsing The Sink Bowl. Unless additional sink activities were planned (within half an hour), sink bowl 218 was rinsed as described below under “Rinsing The Sink Bowl”.

Auxiliary Methods

Rinsing the Sink Bowl with Fresh or Stored Water.

Overview. After using wash sink 220, especially when soap, detergent, or other treatment materials were used, sink bowl 218 was routinely rinsed with unused water to rinse residual materials off the sink bowl and discard them into drain 222. This helped with tidiness of sink 220, as well as with hygienic practices regarding sink 220. The term “unused water” refers to clear, clean water that had not been used for rinsing any dirty surfaces or items. One source of unused water for rinsing sink bowl 218 was cold tap water, however this contributed to water consumption. Other sources of unused water were preferred, as they were wasted otherwise, so using them for said rinsing helped to reduce water consumption. An example would be hot water in the shower: when turning on a hot water faucet, initially the water is cold and needs to pre-run some time for water to get hot. Said pre-run water is usually wasted by just running it down the drain, when in fact it is unused, clear, and clean enough for rinsing a dirty sink bowl. The relevant rationales and procedures are described below.

Rationale For Rinsing The Sink Bowl. Items that were washed in sink 220 were routinely rinsed with tap water to remove materials such as soap or detergent, dirt or other contaminant materials that were intended to be washed off. As such, the used rinse water contained said materials, which could comprise any of the following, depending on which sink activity was performed: a) soap, dirt, and/or potential pathogens after handwashing; b) toothpaste, food particles, saliva and mouth germs after toothbrushing; detergent, food particles, and oils after dishwashing; and etc. While most of the rinse water containing said materials flowed into sink drain 222, some of it may have remained on the surface of the sink bowl 218. Overtime, some of the residual contaminated rinse water would air dry, leaving stains, grime, and/or spots of germ growth. Generally, this is a main reason that a wash sink requires periodic cleaning with detergent. However, it would help to reduce the frequency of cleaning if sink bowl 218 were rinsed with clean water after use, to wash down said residual rinse water with said materials into sink drain 222. Less frequent cleaning of sink bowl 218 results in lower water consumption.

Rinsing The Sink Bowl. After any sink activities that entailed washing off or rinsing off materials such as soap, dirt, chemical, pathogens, etc., then sink bowl 218 was rinsed with unused water after any such activity was finished. Unused water could either come fresh from cold tap water, or from stored unused water that was collected from various sources such as water from the hot water faucet that was pre-run until water was hot. The procedure for rinsing sink bowl 218 was the same with any source of unused water.

It was determined empirically that a 16-oz reusable plastic cup, when filled, provided sufficient to water to rinse the entire inner surface of sink bowl 218. A glass cup was not chosen because it could have been broken if dropped. The manner in which the plastic reusable cup was filled with water differed depending on the source of the water that was used for rinsing sink bowl 218.

• • i) Fresh Tap Water. If the water was just cold tap water, collected fresh from faucet, the following procedure was performed. The plastic cup was held with the left hand directly below faucet spout 216. The right hand used handle 102 of Prototype 200 to turn on the cold tap water, which flowed into the cup. Once the cup was full, the right hand, still holding handle 102, turned off the cold tap water. The cup was held below spout 216 a bit longer after shutting off water to collect any trickling water and use it towards rinsing bowl 218.
  • ii) Other Sources. There are many such sources of unused water that are clean enough for rinsing sink bowl 218, described below under “1.c. Sources Of Unused Water That Can Be Repurposed.” In more detail. Tus, a fair amount of unused water from such sources can be pooled and stored for repurposing, such as rinsing sink bowl 218. Said pooled water was stored in containers of larger capacities: e.g., 1-gallon water pitcher, a 5-gal pail, or even one or more 35-50 gallon water barrels. All containers were made of plastic material, so they would not break if accidentally dropped. Also, plastic containers are lighter than, for example, metal or glass containers, and thus easier to handle and to clean. Since sink bowl 218 was rinsed several times a day after various sink activities, the more practical procedure was to have a 1-gallon water pitcher close by the sink or on the sink counter, continuously refilled with stored unused water from a 5-gallon pail stored nearby. The 1-gallon pitcher was used to fill the plastic cup with water for rinsing sink bowl 218 as follows. One hand lifted and tilted said 1-gallon pitcher while the other hand held said plastic cup under the outflowing tip of said pitcher to receive the outpouring water in the pitcher. This was done directly over sink bowl 218 so any accidental overflows or drippings from the plastic cup or pitcher would land in said bowl 218. When said cup was filled, the pitcher was stored away and bowl 218 was rinsed with said filled cup as described next.

To rinse bowl 218, one hand (either hand) positioned the water-filled cup inside and close to the top of sink bowl 218, such that the upper lip of the cup was at the same height as the upper lip of bowl 218. The latter upper lip was the border between bowl 218 and sink deck 224. The cup was then tilted to slowly pour water down the inner wall of bowl 218, while moving the cup along the entire circumference of the upper lip of bowl 218 in a circular motion. Half-way through or thereabouts, the cup was passed to the other hand to finish said circular motion, purely for ergonomic reasons. As such, rinse water flowed from the upper lip downwards, over the inner wall of bowl 218, and into the draining hole 222. In this manner, the entire surface of bowl 218 was rinsed in a circular, top-to-bottom motion, and all rinseable materials on the inner surface of bowl 218 ended up in drain 222. If necessary, Prototype 200 was moved out of the way of this circumferential motion by being lifted vertically with either hand, whichever was free. Typically, one round of circumferential rinsing sufficed to rinse the entire surface of sink bowl 218. If any areas were missed, the cup was refilled as necessary to rinse the missed areas. Once rinsing was completed, the plastic cup was shaken upside down into sink bowl 218 to remove residual unused water and stored.

Sources Of Unused Water That Can Be Repurposed. There are several sources of unused water that could be collected and repurposed, instead of going to waste. The following are several examples of said sources.

i) Flush-Out Water. When a sink faucet or a shower faucet has not been used for some time, chemicals from the pipes and waterborne germs can build up in the stagnant water lines. Accordingly, the CDC recommends flushing faucets by first running cold water for 2 min, and then running hot water until the water feels hot. And if a user is planning to use that faucet right after flushing, the cold water may need to be run again until it feels cold enough. This type of “flushing-out water” can amount to many gallons of water, which typically just ends up in sewage. Optionally, flush-out water could be disinfected with bleach, per CDC protocols, to destroy or inactivate any waterborne germs.

ii) Pre-Run Water. To use hot faucet water, typically the water has to pre-run for some time to get hot. The more distance there is between the hot water faucet and the water heater, the greater the volume of pre-run water. Said pre-run water is typically just allowed to run into the drain and therefore wasted.

iii) HVAC Condensation. Central air equipment, as well as other equipment like portable air conditioning (ac) units, window ac units, dehumidifiers, etc., can generate a fair amount of condensation: e.g., air-conditioning units in the summer and gas furnace heaters in the winter. Depending on the size and capacity of said equipment, said condensations can amount to many gallons of water per week, typically directed to sewage.

While the sources of unused water above generally do not generate potable water that is safe for human internal consumption (e.g., drinking, cooking, rinsing produce, etc.), said sources provide water that is clear and clean enough for other purposes. In the context of the disclosed invention, one such purpose is rinsing sink bowl 218 after use, as described above under “1.b. Rinsing The Sink Bowl.” in detail. If there were concerns about waterborne germs in the collected water, then the water could be easily treated with a disinfectant (e.g., bleach) after collection. The resultant disinfected water was still clear and clean enough for rinsing a sink bowl, e.g., after washing heavily soiled and dirty hands.

Collecting Unused Water From Different Sources. The above mentioned types of unused water, comprising flush-out water, pre-run water, and HVAC condensations, were routinely collected in 5-gallon pails with lids. For disinfection, household bleach was added to the collected water when a pail was full, at the amount recommended by the CDC. For bathroom sink 220, where a pail would not fit on the sink counter, a smaller water container (0.5-1 gallon water pitcher) with a handle was used to collect flush-out or pre-run water. When the pitcher was full, the collected water was transferred to a 5-gallon pail for storage. The storage of unused water is detailed below under 1.e.

Here, an advantage of using embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, such as Prototype 200, became manifest. Prototype 200 made it possible to remove the faucet aerator, since even lower flow rates of tap water could be achieved with Prototype 200. At the same time, without an aerator the water flow rate could be set at its unhindered maximum of about 5 gal/min. Running water at maximal flow rate made it much faster to collect flush-out water or pre-run water from sink faucets, both hot and cold. With the aerator on, the maximum flow rate was about 1.8 gal/min, so collecting water would take more than 2.5 times longer, every time.

1.e. Unused Water In and Out of Storage. To store the types of unused water mentioned above, 5-gal pails were used as they are not too heavy to transport, could be treated with disinfectant and closed with tight-fitting lids, and could be stacked on top of each other. If too many pails were accumulating, some could be transferred to 30-50 gal barrels, dedicated to just collecting unused water. Said barrels were stored at a height of about 2-3 feet above ground and were equipped with spigots. Said spigots made it easy to retrieve water in pails, when needed. For retrieval of stored unused water, the reverse order of the above water containers was used.

Variations in Methods for Handling Prototype 200.

Overview. Due to the design of handle 102, and the localization of handle 102 over sink bowl 218, Prototype 200 offers more options to users for handling and operating Prototype 200 to control the flow of tap water. This is true especially for users with just one functional hand.

Different Hands and Fingers.

Virtually all methods described so far involve the right hand grabbing handle 102 for actuating Prototype 200. However, there are many other ways that would be appreciated by a user, as exemplified below.

Actuating Prototype 200 With The Left Hand. Handle 102 is designed such that either hand can grab it to actuate Prototype 200 and thereby faucet handle 214, for controlling water flow. If only the right hand needs to be rinsed, for example, handle 102 can be grabbed with the left hand to turn water on and off, and to adjust the flow rate, while the right hand is held below faucet spout 216 for rinsing.

Grabbing The Handle With Different Fingers Of The Same Hand. Handle 102 can be grabbed between different sets of fingers of the same hand, in such a way that it is still possible to both pull and push on handle 102. For example, it can be grabbed between: i) the thumb, index, and middle fingers of one hand, which is the preferred method; ii) the thumb and any one finger, e.g., for when the other fingers are damaged or too weak; iii) between small and ring fingers, e.g., for when the thumb, index, and/or middle fingers need to hold an object; iv) between ring and middle fingers, e.g., for when the thumb and index finger need to hold an object; vii) between middle and index fingers, e.g., for when the ring and little fingers need to hold an object; and viii) other combinations of fingers.

Using The Same Hand To Hold An Object And The Handle. In some instances, an item needed to be held with some right fingers while handle 102 was grabbed and actuated by other right fingers. For example, some right fingers can hold the toothbrush with toothpaste already on it, while other free right fingers can grab and actuate Prototype 200, as described in option iii) in the previous section. First, the object was held between the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the right hand. Next, handle 102 of Prototype 200 was grabbed by and held between the small and ring fingers of the right hand, ready to turn on water. Thus, the right hand performed two functions: holding the toothbrush and holding handle 102.

Users With Just One Functional Hand. Some users may have lost the function of the fingers of one hand or the whole hand, e.g., due to medical issues. Said loss of function could be temporary (e.g., accidental injury) or permanent (e.g., advanced arthritis). Since conventional faucets require direct touching of the faucet handle for controlling tap water, it is virtually impossible to perform a sink activity (e.g., face washing) to with one hand, without leaving a liquid mess on the used faucet handle and surrounding areas. The only way to avert said liquid mess is to keep tap water running continuously throughout any given sink activity, then dry the hand, and then turn off tap water. This method can consume a fair amount of water over time, with a lot of the water wasted just running down the drain, unused. Even so, if a one-handed user's hand is contaminated with pathogens, just turning on the faucet to start handwashing will transfer pathogens (and other materials) from the user's hand to the faucet handle and will remain there until said handle is cleaned (e.g., by washing with soap and water or disinfecting), which is not likely to be done after each use. Thus, in addition to water conservation, hygiene can be compromised. In situations where potable water is expensive or scarce, a one-handed user may not have the option of keeping tap water running continuously during sink activities. Rather, said user may have to repeatedly turn water on and off frequently with a wet hand, to use tap water only when needed. The resultant liquid mess would require the one handed user to wash the faucet handle and surrounding areas more frequently. While next generation automated faucets could be helpful for one-handed users, such products have their own liabilities, including high cost. The disclosed invention can help one-handed users with all aforementioned problems.

The disclosed invention can help disabled users with one functional hand with the following. (For illustration, the same set up as for Prototype 200 is used for said disabled user.) i) Sink tidiness. The aforementioned liquid mess can be averted, as handle 102 is located over sink bowl 218 and drippings from the one functional hand or handle 102 would land within sink bowl 218. Also, only handle 102 would need to be washed, as there are no surrounding areas like there are for conventional faucet handles. Moreover, any resultant sewage would land directly in sink bowl 218. The difficult to access faucet handle and surrounding areas no longer need cleaning. ii) Hygiene. Handle 102 is easy and practical to clean (by rinsing, washing with soap, or disinfecting) for the following reasons. Extension member 107 brings handle 102 closer to a user and easier to reach. The washing area is much smaller on handle 102 (with no surrounding areas) compared to a conventional faucet handle and surrounding areas (e.g., on sink deck 224), so cleaning handle 102 is less labor- and time-intensive. Thus, it is practical to clean handle 102 after each use, which improves hand hygiene. iii) Water Conservation. With an FHE device (e.g., Prototype 200), tap water can be turned off when it is not needed, even with a wet or soapy hand. This is because the drippings from a wet hand or handle 102 land in sink bowl 218. Also, as explained above, it is practical to clean handle 102 after each use. iv) Ergonomics. With Prototype 200, extension member 107 positions handle 102 significantly closer to the user than a conventional faucet handle or other next-generation automated faucets. Thus, Prototype 200 provides easier, more ergonomic access for both cleaning Prototype 200 (as explained above), and also for controlling tap water flow.

Example 4. Prototype 200: Quantitative Evaluation with Experimental Studies

Overview. The goal of Example 4 was to illustrate how well Prototype 200 could perform, with quantifiable data such as water usage metrics; in other words, how much difference Prototype 200 could make with water conservation. To that end, Prototype 200 was built and installed as described in Example 1. In experimental studies, water usage data were calculated as described in Example 2, when Prototype 200 was used with sink activities while using the Methods of Use described in Example 3. Example 4 shows the results of the experimental studies, in graphical format (FIG. 6) as in tabular format (FIG. 7). Furthermore, said figures in Example 4 showed head-to-head comparison of data from Prototype 200 vs. US household averages, to illustrate the effectiveness of Prototype 200 in relative terms.

FIG. 6. Prototype 200 Significantly Reduced Water Usage: Graphical Data.

Overview. FIGS. 6A and 6B show experimental data generated with Prototype 200 only. Said experimental data represent water usage for 4 different sink activities, which were performed with Prototype 200. In addition to the individual water usage data, two types of total values were calculated: i) “Total” represents the sum of water usages for all 4 sink activities combined; ii) “Total No FS” represents the sum of water usages for 3 of the 4 sink activities combined, excluding face shaving. The “Total No FS” value is representative of users who do not shave their facial hair (women, men with beards, etc.).

FIG. 6A shows water usage per instance (in gallons per use). FIG. 6B shows water usage per year, where the calculated values also took into account the daily frequency of each sink activity and extrapolated to 1 year. For each sink activity, at least 30 independent trials were done (N=30+), and the average of those trials are shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. The error bars represent standard deviations.

FIGS. 6C and 6D show a head-to-head comparison between Prototype 200 experimental data vs. US household averages (“US averages”) for the 4 sink activities on a yearly basis. For said comparison, the same daily frequency (number of times per day) for each sink activity was used with Prototype 200 and the US averages to calculate the water usage per year. The US household averages were calculated from published sources, as described in Example 2. The error bars for Prototype 200 data represent standard deviations. For US averages, there were no standard deviations published, hence no error bars.

FIG. 6A. On a Per Use Basis, Face Shaving had the Highest Water Usage.

The value directly over each bar in the graph represents the absolute value for water usage, in gallons per capita per use. The percentage value above each absolute value represents the percent of Total (i.e., the sum of all 4 activities, which is 100%). By this analysis, face shaving showed the highest water usage (in gallons per capita per use), or nearly 50% of Total. Accordingly, the “Total No FS” value (sum of 3 sink activity, excluding face shaving), was about half of Total. Total No FS is the more representative value of water usage for those users who don't shave their face (e.g., men who don't shave their face; females, pre-pubescent males, etc.).

FIG. 6B. On a Per Year Basis, Hand Washing had the Highest Water Usage.

The annual water usage of each sink activity (gallons per capita per year) is derived by multiplying the water usage per use (i.e., per instance) by the corresponding daily frequency (number of uses per day, or times/day) and then by 365 days/year. The daily frequencies represent estimated national averages, obtained from various published sources, as detailed in Example 2. The daily frequencies are listed in Table 1, 2nd column, in FIG. 7A. As in FIG. 6A, the value directly over each bar in the graph in FIG. 6B represents the absolute value for water usage per year (in gallons per capita per year). Similarly, the percentage value above each absolute value represents the percent of Total (i.e., the sum of all 4 activities, which is 100%)). By this analysis, hand washing showed the highest water usage per year (in gallons per capita per year), or nearly 40% of Total. That is because hand washing has the highest daily frequency. On a yearly basis (FIG. 6B), Total No FS was closer to Total than on a per use basis (FIG. 6A). This simply reflects that, on a yearly basis, hand washing used more water relative to the other sink activities than that on a per use basis.

FIG. 6C. Water Usage with Prototype 200 was Much Less than US Averages, when Comparing Annual Water Usage for Each Sink Activity.

In FIG. 6C, two bars are shown side by side for each sink activity: the black bar is for Prototype 200 (“P”) and the white bar is for US averages (“US”), both expressed in gallons per capita per year. As such, for each sink activity it is shown how well Prototype 200 performs relative to the corresponding US average. Again, the value directly over each bar in the graph represents the absolute value for water usage per year (in gallons per capita per year). The value above each horizontal parentheses represents the fold difference between the value for US averages (US) vs. Prototype 200 (P). In other words, the fold difference is simply the ratio US/P.

By this analysis, annual water usage was significantly less for each of the 4 sink activities when Prototype 200 was used, relative to corresponding US averages. Reductions in water usage ranged from 31 fold (face shaving) to 108 fold (hand washing). Indeed, the difference between the Prototype 200 value and the corresponding US average value for each sink activity was so large that the Y-axis had to be cropped so the Prototype 200 values could be shown.

FIG. 6D. Water Usage with Prototype 200 was Much Less than US Averages, when Comparing Annual Water Usage for Total Sink Activity.

In FIG. 6D, two bars are shown side by side for Total (4 sink activities combined) and for Total No FS (3 of 4 activities combined, excluding face shaving): the black bar is for Prototype 200 (“P”) and the white bar is for US averages (“US”), both expressed in gallons per capita per year. As in FIG. 6C, in FIG. 6D the value directly over each bar in the graph represents the absolute value for water usage per year (in gallons per capita per year). Similarly, the value above the horizontal parentheses represents the fold difference between the value for US averages (US) vs. Prototype 200 (P).

The “Total” water usage was significantly reduced (86-fold) with Prototype 200 compared to that for US average. The “Total, No FS” water usage was even further reduced (96-fold) compared to that for US average. Again, the difference between the Prototype 200 value and the corresponding US average value for each total value was so large that the Y-axis had to be cropped so the Prototype 200 values could be shown.

FIG. 7. Prototype 200 Significantly Reduced Water Usage: Tabular Data.

The columns in Table 1. of FIG. 7 sequentially show the following, starting from the 1st column on the left and proceeding to the last column on the right:

• • i) In the column titled “Sink Activities”, each of the four sink activities investigated. This column also includes “Total”, which represents the sum of water usage for all 4 sink activities. Said column also includes “Total, no FS”, which represents “Total” minus face shaving (FS) water usage. The Total, no FS values are for users that don't shave their face: females, males with full beards, males that use electrical shavers, etc.
  • ii) The column titled “Frequency” represents the frequency (or repetitions per day) for each sink activity, expressed as times/day. Said frequencies were obtained from published data cited in Example 2. The same frequency data were used for both Prototype 200 and US averages to calculate the annual water usages.
  • iii) The subcolumn titled “(N)” under the column “P” shows the number of trials (N) that were performed with Prototype 200. As seen in said column, more than 30 independent experimental trials were conducted with each of the four sink activities to determine the respective water usage.
  • iv) The subcolumn titled “(gal/yr)” under the column “P” shows the annual water usage for each sink activity when using Prototype 200. The values in said column represent the mean of the more than 30 trials for each sink activity, expressed as gallons per capita year (“gal/yr”).
  • v) The subcolumn titled “(SD)” under the column “P” shows standard deviation for the corresponding mean shown in the preceding column described in “iv)”.
  • vi) The column titled “US” shows the US averages for annual water usage for each sink activity, expressed as gallons per capita year (“gal/yr”). The values in said column were calculated from the frequencies shown as the 2nd column in Table 1, and the water usage data per instance (in gal/use), from published sources. Said sources and the calculations are detailed in Example 2, under “US Averages” and “Calculations”.
  • vii) The column titled “% of US” indicates the percentage of the US average water usage (US) that Prototype 200 water usage represents, for each sink activity. For most activities, Prototype 200 water usage was only about 1% of US averages water usage. The only exception was face shaving, where Prototype 200 water usage was about 3% of US averages water usage.
  • viii) The column titled “US-P” is the difference in water usage between US average and Prototype 200, for each sink activity. As such, US-P represents the volume of water saved annually (in gallons per capita per year) when using Prototype 200. All US-P values are fairly close to the values in the US column, which means that the vast majority (more than 96%) of the water used on average by US users for each of the 4 sink activities is saved when using Prototype 200.
  • ix) The column titled “US/P” is the ratio of US average water usage to Prototype 200 water usage, for each activity. In other words, US/P represents how many fold less water is used with Prototype 200, compared to the corresponding US average, for each sink activity. Prototype 200 reduced annual water usage by a minimum of 29-fold (for face shaving) and a maximum of 108-fold (for hand washing). Compared to US averages, The Total water usage was reduced 84-fold, and Total no FS was reduced 96-fold, when using Prototype 200.

While only 4 common sink activities were quantified for faucet water usage with Prototype 200, it is likely that Prototype 200 would reduce faucet water usage for any and all sink activity, if tested. Assuming that for all sink activities combined, the reduction in faucet water usage by Prototype 200 was 84-fold, then this would mean that by using Prototype 200, the residential indoor water usage per household per day (reported by WRF) would potentially be reduced:

• • a) in absolute terms, from 26.3 gphd to about 0.3 gphd, saving about 26 gphd; and
  • b) in relative terms, from about 20% of total indoor water usage to about 0.3%.

It should be noted that the methods used in experimental studies of Prototype 200 with the 4 sink activities were designed for utmost water conservation, to show the potential of Prototype 200. Said methods can be adapted for users who might not have an urgent need for water conservation, or for users with a medical condition that would not be able to perform all steps of each method. The disclosed invention is versatile in that it can be adapted for any level of use, e.g., from beginner to advanced level, or from fully healthy to severely impaired users. That said, the current methods can be modified further to increase water conservation even more than reported here.

In summary, the data in Table 1. (FIG. 7) show that Prototype 200 significantly and quantitatively reduced water usage across all four sink activities measured. Collectively, the aforementioned qualitative and quantitative evaluations of Prototype 200 demonstrate that the disclosed invention is enabled, in that a prototype, namely Prototype 200, was built and shown to be fully functional in regard to the purposes it was designed for. Said purposes included, among other things: increased water conservation; improved hygiene with common sink activities; improved sink tidiness (i.e., minimized liquid mess); improved ergonomics of turning tap water on or off; etc.

Alternative Embodiments of the Disclosed Invention

Overview. Alternative embodiments where designs, aspects, or components, or intended uses of the invention are altered, as discussed. E.g., the aforementioned Prototype 200 was but one embodiment of the disclosed FHE device. Said alternative embodiments are illustrated with, but not limited to, the examples shown below.

FIG. 8. Different Connections Between an FHE Device and a Faucet Handle.

Overview. FIGS. 8A-G show examples of other embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, with different types of connections to faucet handle 214. Said figures present several examples of a) modification of the distal end of the disclosed FHE unit, b) different materials and mechanisms used for connecting an FHE device to faucet handle 214, and c) modification of faucet handle 214. The wavy line on the left of each figure panel indicates that the drawing was truncated on that side.

FIG. 8. Crossed-Over Band as Connector; No Connection Member.

FIG. 8A each show a simplified embodiment of an FHE device which does not have a connection member like FHE unit 200 or 240. In FIG. 8A, FHE unit 800 is comprised of handle 802 and straight extension member 804. FHE unit 810 is comprised of handle 812 and bent extension member 815. Extension member 815 is comprised of a proximal half 814 and a distal half 816. Both FHE units 800 and 810 are connected to faucet handle 214 with a crossed-over band 806. Said band 806 can be a rubber band, or a band made of different elastic or non-elastic materials, including but not limited to silicone, nylon, plastics, metals, or etc. If a metal band or other tough material is chosen that may scratch faucet handle 214, a protective strip made of silicone, rubber, plastics, etc. can be wrapped around faucet handle 214 first before putting crossed-over band.

The reason for providing two versions of an FHE unit, with either a straight or bent extension member, is that there are several variables that affect how well an FHE device fits to any given wash sink and how well it is handled by a user(s). Said variables include, among others, a) the size and shape of the sink; b) size of user's hand; c) the presence of any medical condition affecting user's hand; etc. Thus, with a given set of variables a straight extension member like part 804 may work better, whereas with another set of variables may work better with a bent extension member like part 815.

The simplified design of FHE units 800 and 810, as well as crossed-over band 806 for connecting to faucet handle 214, are suitable for quick and temporary installation of said FHE units, as no tools are needed for the connection. The units can be disassembled just as quickly when not needed. A rubber band used as band 806 is not likely to last long term, however it is fairly inexpensive to replace and easy to use. Also, by putting rubber bands of different widths and lengths, or using different numbers of rubber bands, the stiffness of connection can be adjusted which affects how easily said FHE units can be swung or tilted. Should a more durable band be desired, a silicone or even metal band can be used for crossed-over band 806. With a metal band, faucet handle 214 can be protected against scratching by first wrapping it with a protective strip (not shown in FIG. 8) made of silicone, rubber, or other slip-resistant, non-scratching material.

FIG. 8B. One-Clamp Connector; Horizontal Connection Member; No Pin.

FIG. 8B shows an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 820, that is similar to FHE unit 200 (FIG. 2) but connects to faucet handle 214 with a simpler mechanism. FHE unit 820 comprises handle 822, extension member 824, and connection member 825. Connection member 825 has no rolling pin, unlike connection member 114 of FHE unit 100, which has rolling pin 110. Connection member 825 together with its substituent parts, connection hook 826 and end hook 828, are all in horizontal orientation. This is in contrast to connection member 114 of FHE unit 100, where the corresponding orientations were vertical.

Connection member 825, and thereby FHE unit 820, is connected to faucet handle 214 by a one-clamp connector, which comprised one unit of hose clamp 202. The loop of clamp 202 can be tightened or loosened with the gear screw on clamp 202. As shown in the left panel of FIG. 8B (perspective view), FHE unit 820 was connected by holding connection hook 826 parallel against faucet handle 214 and then tightening the loop of clamp 202 around both parts. End hook 828 prevents clamp 202 from sliding to the left and off of connection hook 826; extension member 828 prevents clamp 202 from sliding to the right. Prior to fully tightening clamp 202, FHE unit 820 is oriented with its longitudinal axis at a declining angle with respect to the horizontal plane of deck 224. Optionally, one or two more units of clamp 202 can be added to make the connection between connection hook 826 and faucet handle 214 more stable. As an additional option, a protective strip (e.g., made of silicone sheeting) can be wrapped around faucet handle 214 before applying any clamps, to protect against scratching of faucet handle 214 by any metal clamps. Extension member 824 of FHE unit 820 is straight; an alternative embodiment (not shown) can be built that is identical to FHE unit 820 except that the extension member is bent. Due to the simpler design of FHE unit 820 (no rolling pin, one-clamp connector), this design should prove simpler, faster, and cheaper to manufacture, as well as easier and faster to install.

FIG. 8C. C-Hook Connector; Eye Bolt in Faucet Handle.

FIG. 8C shows an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 830, which does not have a connection member like FHE unit 200 or 240 but is comprised of handle 832 and extension member 834. Instead of a connection member, there is a C-shaped hook 836 (“C-hook”) at the distal end of unit 830. Faucet handle 214 has an eye bolt 838, which is screwed into said handle 214. FHE unit 830 is connected to faucet handle 214 by hooking or engaging C-hook 836 with eye bolt 838. Conversely, in instances where FHE unit 830 is not needed, it can be disengaged from faucet handle 214 and eye bolt 838 can be unscrewed from faucet handle 214 for storage. Thus, FHE unit 830 can be considered a temporary, removable device. While extension member 836 is straight, an alternative embodiment can be built that is identical to FHE unit 830 except that the extension member is bent (not shown).

FIG. 8D. One-Clamp Connector; Horizontal Pin.

FIG. 8D shows an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 840, that comprises handle 842, an extension member 845, and a connection member 843. Latter part 843 comprises a connection hook 847, rolling pin 848, and end hook 849. Notably, connecting member 843 and its constituent parts are all oriented in the horizontal plane, parallel to faucet handle 214. Extension member 845 is bent, with a proximal portion 844 and a distal portion 846. FHE unit 840 is connected to faucet handle 214 by holding connection hook 847 and rolling pin 848 parallel against faucet handle 214 and then tightening the loop of clamp 202 around both faucet handle 214 and rolling pin 848.

Connection member 843, where connection hook 847 passes through rolling pin 848, makes it possible for FHE unit 840 to easily rotate up and down in a vertical plane perpendicular to the faucet handle, with the axis of rotation being connection hook 847, by lifting or lowering handle 102 to effect said rotation. End hook 849 prevents rolling pin 848 from sliding to the left and off of connection hook 847. Extension member 845 prevents rolling pin 848 from sliding to the right. The parallel orientations of the rolling pin 848 and faucet handle 214 allows for a wider area of connection that can provide more stability to the connection. Because of said wider area, the connection can entail two or more units of hose clamp 202, elastic bands (e.g., rubber or silicone bands), or etc.

As with embodiment 830, embodiment 840 can also have at least two alternate versions: with a bent extension member (i.e., FHE unit 840) or a straight one (not shown). As mentioned in the description for FIGS. 8A and 8B, as an option, an elastic strip can be wrapped around faucet handle 214 before connecting the hose clamp to prevent any scratching of said faucet handle 214.

FIG. 8E: One-Clamp Connector; Vertical Pin.

FIG. 8E shows an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 850, that comprises handle 852, extension member 855, and connection member 853. Said part 853 comprises a connection hook 857, rolling pin 858, and end hook 859. Notably, rolling pin 858, as well as connection hook 857, are each oriented in the vertical plane, perpendicular to faucet handle 214. One distinguishing feature of this embodiment is that the loop of hose clamp 202 is fed through rolling pin 857. Clamp 202 is customized to have a narrower width so it can fit through the center hole of rolling pin 857, a wider loop so it has enough length to span the entire rolling pin 857; as such, said loop will be oriented vertically and therefore horizontal faucet handle 214 can be slid through said loop. Clamp 202, which has been passed through rolling pin 857 and thus attached to FHE unit 850, is then tightened around faucet handle 214 using the screw gear on clamp 202. Prior to fully tightening clamp 202, FHE unit 850 is oriented with its longitudinal axis at a downward angle with respect to the horizontal plane of deck 224. Extension member 855 is bent, with a proximal portion 854 and a distal portion 856. As with embodiment 830, embodiment 850 can also have at least two alternate versions: with bent extension member 855 or with a straight extension member (not shown).

As mentioned in the description for FIG. 8A, a protective elastic strip can be wrapped around faucet handle 214 before connecting the hose clamp 202 to prevent any scratching of said faucet handle 214. Connection member 853, where connection hook 857 passes through rolling pin 858, makes it possible for FHE unit to easily rotate side to side horizontally, in a horizontal plane parallel to deck 224, with connection hook 857 as the axis of rotation. End hook 859 prevents rolling pin 858 to slide own over connection hook 857 and slip off. Extension member 855 prevents rolling pin 858 to slide up and off connection hook 857.

FIG. 8F. Y-Hook Connector; Connected with an Elastic Band.

FIG. 8F shows an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 860, which has no connection member but comprises handle 862, extension member 865, Y-hook 867 with two units of small catch hook 868 at its two ends, and an elastic band 869. Extension member 865 is bent and comprises proximal portion 864, distal portion 866, and an end portion 863. Part 863 is straight, perpendicular to faucet handle 214, and is located distal to part 866. Part 863, to which Y-hook 867 is attached in the same vertical plane as that of part 863, ensures that said Y-hook 867 is also perpendicular to faucet handle 214. As with FHE unit 830, at least two alternate embodiments can be built with this design: one with a bent extension member (FHE unit 860) and one with a straight extension member (not shown).

To connect the FHE unit 860 to faucet handle 214, Y-hook 867 is held against faucet handle 214 such that said handle 214 is lodged between the two prongs of Y-hook 867. Then elastic band 869 is attached to and stretched between the two units of small catch hook 868, to keep FHE unit 860 attached to faucet handle 214 from then on. Optionally, elastic band 869 can be attached to one catch hook 868, wrapped one or more times around faucet handle 214, then attached to the other catch hook 868. In this manner, elastic band 869 provides a stronger grip on faucet handle 214 and prevents Y-hook 867 from rotating around or sliding sideways on faucet handle 214. If deemed necessary, two elastic bands can be used. Prior to attaching and fully tensioning band 869, FHE unit 860 is oriented with its longitudinal axis at a downward angle with respect to the horizontal plane of deck 224.

Y-hook 867 can be of various materials, including but not limited to metals, metals covered with elastic sheeting, plastic sheeting, or etc. If Y-hook 867 is metal or any material that can scratch faucet handle 214, a protective strip can be first wrapped around faucet handle 214 before connecting Y-hook 867 to prevent any scratching. Also, Y-hook 867 can be of various designs, for example the middle portion of Y-hook 867 where the two prongs meet can be curved part that is similar in curvature to that of faucet handle 214, instead of a pointed middle section as in FIG. 8F. Said curved part would allow a smoother rotation of the curved Y-hook over said handle 214. In the same vein, the middle part can be straight for a faucet handle that is rectangular rather than curved, or any other shape that matches the shape of the faucet handle it will be attached to. Elastic band 869 can be of various materials, including but not limited to: rubber, silicone, plastics, metal springs, or etc. In FIG. 8F Y-hook 867 appears as a separate piece attached to part 863 of extension member 865, however a Y-hook 867 can also be a contiguous segment of extension member 865, by bending the distal end of said member 865 such that each prong of Y-hook 867 is comprised of two contiguous parallel rods connected by a bend, and then bending the tip of each prong to form catch hooks 868. Thus, a shape similar to that of Y-hook 867 in FIG. 8F is formed except that each prong of hook 867 is made of two rods rather than one. With an embodiment like FHE unit 860, it is fairly easy and fast to disconnect the given FHE device (e.g., FHE unit 860) from faucet handle 214, by simply detaching elastic band 869. Thus, an embodiment like FHE unit 860 is well suited for situations where it is desirable to have the ability to quickly connect the given FHE device (e.g., FHE unit 860) or to quickly disconnect and store the given FHE device (e.g., FHE unit 860) when not needed.

FIG. 8G. C-Hook Connector; Connected with an Elastic Band.

FIG. 8G shows an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 870, which has no connection member but comprises handle 872, extension member 875, C-hook 877 with two units of small catch hook 868 at its two distal tips, and an elastic band 879. Extension member 875 is bent and comprises proximal portion 874, distal portion 876, an end portion 873. Part 873 is straight, perpendicular to faucet handle 214, and is located distal to part 876. Part 873, to which C-hook 877 is attached in the same vertical plane as that of part 873, ensures that said C-hook 877 is also perpendicular to faucet handle 214. As with FHE unit 830, at least two alternate embodiments can be built with this design: one with a bent extension member (FHE unit 870) and one with a straight extension member (not shown).

To connect the FHE unit 870 to faucet handle 214, C-hook 877 is held against faucet handle 214 such that said handle 214 is lodged between the two prongs of C-hook 877. Then elastic band 879 is attached to and stretched between the two units of small catch hook 878, to keep FHE unit 870 attached to faucet handle 214 from then on. Optionally, elastic band 879 can be attached to one catch hook 878, wrapped one or more times around faucet handle 214, then attached to the other catch hook 878. In this manner, elastic band 879 provides a stronger grip on faucet handle 214 and prevents C-hook 877 from rotating around or sliding sideways on faucet handle 214. Optionally, two or more elastic bands can be used. Prior to attaching and fully tensioning band 879, FHE unit 870 is oriented with its longitudinal axis at a downward angle with respect to the horizontal plane of deck 224.

C-hook 877 can be of various materials, including but not limited to metals, metals covered with elastic sheeting, plastics, or etc. If needed, a protective strip can be first wrapped around faucet handle 214 before connecting C-hook 877, to prevent any scratching of said handle 214. Elastic band 879 can be of various materials, including but not limited to: rubber, silicone, plastics, metal springs, or etc. In FIG. 8G C-hook 877 appears as a separate piece attached to part 873 at the distal end of extension member 875, however a C-hook 877 can also be a contiguous segment of extension member 875, by bending the distal end of said member 875 such that each prong of C-hook 877 is comprised of two curved, contiguous, parallel rods connected by a bend, and then bending the tip of each prong to form catch hooks 878. Thus, a shape similar to that of C-hook 877 in FIG. 8G is formed except that each prong of hook 877 is made of two rods rather than one rod per prong. With an embodiment like FHE unit 870, it is fairly easy and fast to disconnect the given FHE device (e.g., FHE unit 870) from faucet handle 214, by simply detaching elastic band 879. Thus, an embodiment like FHE unit 870 is well suited for situations where it is desirable to have the ability to quickly connect the given FHE device (e.g., FHE unit 870) or to quickly disconnect and store the given FHE device (e.g., FHE unit 870) when not needed.

FIG. 9. FHE Devices Made of Tubes Instead of Rods.

Overview. FIGS. 9A-C show examples of embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, where the embodiments are constructed from tubes rather than rods. The tubes can be either hollow, or partially hollow and partially solid. The advantage of using hollow or partially hollow tubes is that wires or bands can be passed through them for connecting them to other parts, which might also be hollow or solid tubes, or to the faucet handle that a given FHE device is connected to. Also, hollow or partially hollow tubes can provide more width, which might be preferable or helpful to a user who benefits from a larger grabbing surface. At the same, hollow or partially hollow tubes can be lighter than a solid tube, which would essentially be a rod. The embodiments shown can be generated in multiple versions: a) with a straight extension member (e.g., FHE unit 900) or a bent one (e.g., FHE unit 930); with a customized ribbed grip (e.g., FHE unit 910) or without; without a handle (e.g., FHE unit 900) or with (e.g., FHE unit 920); with a customized eye bolt or hook bolt at the distal end of extension member (e.g., FHE unit 940) or without (e.g., FHE unit 900). The wires or bands in the inside of hollow or partially hollow tubes can be of various materials, including but not limited to metal, rubber, silicone, plastic, etc. The tubes can be of various materials, as well, including but not limited to metal, rubber, silicone, plastic, etc.

FIG. 9A. Exterior View of FHE Devices Made of Tubes.

As shown in perspective view in FIG. 9A, an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 900, has the simplest design made of hollow or partially hollow tubes. FHE unit 900 comprises extension member 904, which is straight and has a proximal end 902. Part 902 is essentially the handle of FHE unit 900 that a user grabs to actuate FHE unit 900. At the distal end of FHE unit 900 is a multitude of short tube 906 that collectively form connecting member 908. Said member 908 connects FHE unit 900 to a faucet handle 214 (not shown), which passes through the opening of connection member 908. The tube used for part 906 can be made of the same material or a different material than the tube for part 904. E.g., part 906 can be of a softer, more flexible material (e.g., rubber) so connecting member 908 can provide a tighter fit to faucet handle 214, as well as provide some friction for a more stable fit. Parts 904 and 908 can be connected to each other in various ways, including but not limited to: i) with a wire or band (described below in FIG. 9B); ii) by being glued or welded to each other; iii) generated as one piece (e.g., by injection molding); or iv) etc. The fitting of connecting member 908 to the tensioning around faucet handle 214 can be adjustable (e.g., by pulling the connecting wire tighter), or it can be accomplished by using flexible material tube 906 so the formed opening in member 908 can expand a little to let faucet handle 214 pass through it but not slide off. For the latter type of fitting, a material like rubber would be suitable as it can provide some flexibility and some friction.

To the right of FHE unit 900 in FIG. 9A is shown another embodiment, FHE unit 910. Said unit 910 comprises proximal end 912, ribbed grip 913, extension member 914, and connecting member 918. Part 918 comprises a multitude of short tube 916. FHE unit 910 is nearly identical to FHE unit 900 except for the addition of a ribbed grip 913 over part 912, a bit upstream of the very proximal end of 912. Said grip 913 is intended to provide more friction when grabbed by a user, which can prevent part 913 from slipping out of a user's wet or soapy hands. The ribbed profile of ribbed grip 913 can be made in various ways, including but not limited to: i) a set of separate, parallel ring grooves perpendicular to part 914; ii) a ribbed sheeting wrapped around or encompassing part 914; iii) a set of O-rings placed on part 914 and spaced apart as shown in FHE unit 910; or iv) etc. Said ribbed sheeting and O-rings can be of various materials including but not limited to rubber, silicone, plastics, etc.

To the right of FHE unit 910 in FIG. 9A is shown another embodiment, FHE unit 920. The latter comprises handle 922, extension member 924, and connecting member 928. Said member 928 comprises a multitude of short tube 926. FHE unit 920 is nearly identical to FHE unit 900 except for the addition of a handle 922 at the proximal end of extension member 924. Said handle 922 can be plain and of same material as extension member 924, or it can be ribbed as described for ribbed grip 913 in FHE unit 910 and subject to all the same possible variations as those of grip 913. Same possible variations apply to FHE unit 920 as those described for FHE unit 900.

To the right of FHE unit 920 in FIG. 9A is shown another embodiment, FHE unit 930. The latter comprises handle 932, bent extension member 934, and connecting member 938. Said member 934 comprises proximal portion 933 and distal portion 935. FHE unit 930 is nearly identical to FHE unit 920 except that the extension member 934 is bent. Handle 932 can be plain and of same material as extension member 934, or it can be ribbed as described for ribbed grip 913 in FHE unit 910 with all the same possible variations. Same possible variations apply to FHE unit 930 as those described for FHE unit 900.

FIG. 9B. Interior View of FHE Devices Made of Tubes.

The see-through perspective view in FIG. 9B shows examples of how one or more wires or bands can be used in the embodiments shown in FIG. 9A, to connect an extension member to a connecting member, and to tighten the fit of a connecting member onto a faucet handle. Notably, all tubes are hollow in these examples, but it is possible to also build other embodiments where some portions of the tubes are partially hollow or fully solid. The dashed lines on the tubes indicate the tubes are hollow, and the interior content of the tubes is shown.

The left side of FIG. 9B shows FHE unit 900, which is made of hollow tubes. In the see-through view of FIG. 9B, band 901 can be observed inside said hollow tubes, from the proximal to the distal end of FHE unit 900. Band 901 attaches extension member 904 to connecting member 908, and also serves to control the opening size of connecting member 908. At its distal end, band 901 has a non-cinching loop 903 which is positioned between extension member 904 and connecting member 908. To run band 901 through FHE unit 900, band 901 is fed through the multitude of short tubes 906. Once band 901 navigates the full circumference of connecting member 908, and before said band 901 enters extension member 904, the free proximal end of band 901 is fed through non-cinching loop 903 at the distal end of band 901. Then the free end of band 901 is fed through extension member 904, from its distal end to its proximal end (closest to user). In this fashion, said loop 903 creates an internal adjustable loop with band 901, which in turn provides an adjustable tension asserted on the circle formed by connecting member 908, which in turn adjusts the size of the opening and the tightness of the fit of connecting member 908 around faucet handle 214. The harder band 901 is pulled at the proximal end of extension member 904, the tighter the loop formed by connecting member 908, and the tighter the fit of said member 908 on said handle 214. Thus, to connect FHE unit 900 to faucet handle 214, connecting member 908 in its loose configuration is fit around the right outer end of faucet handle 214. Then band 901 is pulled at the proximal end, until sufficient tension is generated to close the opening of connecting member 908 tightly around faucet handle 214. Finally, the end of band 901 is secured to maintain its tension as described further below. Band 901 can be made of various materials, including but not limited to: rubber, silicone, various plastics, various metals, etc.

Once the proper tension in band 901 is set, the proximal end of band 901 is secured by one of several ways, including but not limited to:

• • a) Band 901 is made at a longer length, such that it exceeds the interior length of the FHE device embodiment that it is designed for. The excess segment of properly tensioned band 901, protruding out of the proximal end of extension member 904, is bent backwards over the top of part 904, such that the end (proximal) segment of band 901 now laying on top of part 904 is parallel to part 904 and pointing towards the faucet handle 214. Then a sleeve (not shown) is pulled over the end of part 904, covering 0.5-2 inches up from the bend in band 901. Said sleeve can serve at least 4 mechanical functions: i) to pin down the excess proximal segment of band 901; ii) to keep the bend in 901 stationary; iii) to provide a frictioned handle; and iv) to close off the opening at the proximal end of extension member 904. The now stationary bend in band 901 prevents band 901 from sliding back into part 904, and the tension in band 901 prevents it from sliding out of part 904.
  • b) Same mechanism as described in a), except the excess segment of band 901 comes out of a hole drilled in the extension member 904, at or distal to the midpoint of extension member 904, either on the right side or on the underside of part 904. If a braking mechanism (e.g., suction cup hook 2002) is used, said hole for band 901 is drilled on the right side. This way, band 901 would not come in contact with and hinder any braking mechanism (e.g., suction cup hook 2002). If a braking mechanism is used where the point of contact with an FHE device is on its left or right side, then the hole for band 901 is drilled on the underside of part 904. Being on the underside also prevents water from dripping into it by gravity. Optionally, a 2^nd hole can also be drilled at or close to the proximal end of part 904, again on the underside. This 2^nd hole will allow any water that opportunistically gets inside part 904, from the 1^st hole (whichever side the hole is) that is further distal on part 904 and therefore at a higher vertical position, to drain out of the 2^nd drilled hole so water doesn't pool inside part 904. The excess proximal segment of band 901, that is pulled through the 1^st hole and tensioned in this manner, is then pinned down with a band or strip, which can be plain or resealable. A plain strip, for example, can be a strip resembling an O-ring. A resealable strip, for example, can be a strip made of tiny hooks and loops that allow the strip ends to reversibly bind to each other.
  • c) A small winding rod (not shown) with a turning knob, similar to a tuning peg for a violin which tensions a violin string, can be inserted into the body of extension member 904, at an angle perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of part 904. Said rod is slid through two pre-drilled holes, on opposing sides of part 904, at or a bit more proximal to the midpoint of part 904. The position of the drilled holes is chosen such that said rod would not collide with a braking mechanism like suction cup hook 2002. The FHE unit is built with said winding rod already in place, band 901 already fed through extension member 904 and connecting ring 908. The proximal end of band 901 is pre-attached to the winding rod. Initially, said rod is wound just a few times, so there is only low tension in band 901, and therefore the opening of connecting member 908 is relatively wide. For securing the FHE device to faucet handle 214, the connecting member 908 is fit over faucet handle 214, then the knob on the winding rod is turned to progressively increase the tension in band 901, until connecting member 908 fits tightly around faucet handle 214. Then the knob can be locked in place by various mechanisms. E.g., the knob has small holes along its periphery, spaced equidistant from each other. A small U-shaped rod can fit through two holes on said know, such that one prong of the U-shaped rod goes into a hole above part 904 and the other prong goes into a hole below part 904, after band 901 is tensioned. The tension in band 901 forces the knob to turn a little in the direction of unwinding, until both prongs of the U-shaped rod are pressed against part 904 (from opposite sides) and lock the knob in position. The residual tension in band 901 maintains said locking in position of the knob.

The middle portion of FIG. 9B shows alternative configuration of the band passing through the hollow tubes of FHE unit 900. Here, band 905 does not form a closed circle within connecting member 908. Rather, there is a gap 907 in band 905. The material of band 905 must be strong enough to hold the circular shape of member 908, and to impose a tight fit of member 908 around faucet handle 214. However, band 905 is malleable enough to be bent back and forth with some effort by the user. This malleability allows the user to manually open or close connection member 908, and thereby manually adjust the tightness of its fit around faucet handle 214. This type of manual fitting, and manual opening and closing, allows for a faster mode of assembling and disassembling this particular embodiment 900. In FIG. 9B, band 905 is shown as one contiguous band. Optionally, one of more segments of the same material as band 905 can be added for just fitting inside member 908, to add more gripping strength. Any additional segments can be welded to the first piece of band 905, which passes through the entire FHE unit 900 as shown in FIG. 9B.

The right portion of FIG. 9B shows still another version of the band passing through the hollow tubes of FHE unit 900. Here, band 909 is passed twice through FHE unit 900. In the first pass, one end of band 909 is inserted at the proximal end of extension member 904 and fed all the way though, passing through the entire connecting member 908, and then back through said member 904 and finally exiting through the proximal end of member 904. Thus, it appears that a double set of band 904 spans extension member 904, but in fact it is one contiguous band 909. Optionally, band 909 can be passed through member 908 one (or more) additional time before passing back though part 904, so within member 908 two or more circles are formed by band 909. Passing band 909 two or more times through member 908 would increase the grip strength of member 908 when it is tightened around faucet handle 214. By pulling on the two ends of band 909 at the proximal end of extension member 904, increasing tension is imposed on band 909 and the circles formed by band 909 within connecting member 908. This in turn shrinks the opening of connecting member 908 and thereby tightens its fit around faucet handle 214. Finally, said ends of band 909 are secured to maintain said tension, by one of the mechanisms described above, when addressing the left portion of FIG. 9B.

FIG. 9C. Interior View of a Different FHE Device Made of Tubes.

FIG. 9C shows another embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 940. The latter is comprised of extension member 944, eye bolt 945, and connecting member 948. Extension member 944 can be hollow, partially hollow, or solid. No band passes through member 944. Eye bolt 945 is attached to member 944 by screwing it into a pre-drilled hole in member 944. Connecting member 948 is comprised of a multitude of hollow short tubes 946. Band 947 comprises a single contiguous band that forms a closed circle within connecting member 948, after said band passes through the following. Band 947 passes through eye bolt 945, each unit of short tube 946, and is also wound around a short tightening rod 949. Said rod 949 can be positioned between any set of two short tubes 946. By repeatedly turning said rod 949, more and more of band 947 winds around rod 949, which shortens band 947. This, in turn, increases tension within the circle formed by band 947 within connecting member 948 and further shrinks the opening from by said member 948, which in turn tightens its fit around faucet handle 214. Alternatively, two or more circles can be formed with one or more units of band 947, with each circle passing through eye bolt 945; additional circles increase strength of the fit of connecting member 948 around faucet handle 214.

FIG. 10. Swinging a Bent FHE Device in Different Directions.

Overview. The main point of FIG. 10 is to show in which directions FHE unit 200 can be moved and for what purpose. Thus, FIGS. 10A-C show examples of FHE unit 200, which has a bent extension member 107, being swung horizontally in different directions to different locations, within a horizontal plane parallel to deck 224. Some locations have special functions: e.g., moving FHE unit 200 horizontally inward such that handle 102 is directly below faucet spout 216; this allows rinsing of handle 102 with tap water. FIGS. 10A-C all entail FHE unit 200. Said horizontal swinging is made possible by rolling pin 110 in FIGS. 1A and 2A-C, which loosely catches connection hook 108 in a way that allows said hook 108 to swing or rotate around the vertical axis of rolling pin 110; this in turn translates to horizontal swinging of FHE unit 200 and similar embodiments.

FIG. 10A. FHE Device with a Bent Extension Member, in the OFF Position.

FIG. 10A shows a top view of THE unit 200, while it is in the OFF position. In the middle portion of FIG. 10A, FHE unit 200 is in the resting, closed (“OFF”) position, i.e., faucet handle 214 is shut off and no tap water is running. As shown in the right portion of FIG. 10A, FHE unit 200 can be swung counterclockwise, while remaining in the OFF position, to the right. Here the dashed line represents the position of FHE unit 200 before the swinging, and the solid line represents the position after the swinging. The small, curved arrow below handle 102 represents the direction and distance of said swinging. As such, there was no longitudinal force applied, either pulling or pushing handle 102, thus faucet handle 214 was never moved. However, if needed said swinging motion of FHE unit 200 can be combined with pulling or pushing of handle 102, to also re-adjust the flow rate during said swinging. After the horizontal swinging, FHE unit 200 can be rested on sink deck 224, which positions handle 102 and extension member 107 outside of sink bowl 218. Positioning FHE unit 200 out of the way in this fashion is helpful with certain activities, e.g., i) cleaning bowl 218; ii) washing large bulky items in bowl 218; or iii) etc. FHE unit 200 can be moved even further to the right if needed, e.g., to be placed on a sink counter beyond deck 224. The left portion of FIG. 10A shows clockwise horizontal swinging of FHE unit 200, while it remains in the OFF position. The curved arrow (solid line) to left of handle 102 (dashed line) shows the direction and possible distance of said swinging. Thus, handle 102 can be anywhere along a circular path from the right inner edge of bowl 218 (OFF position) to a spot on deck 224 directly in front of spout 216. An important position is reached when handle 102 is directly underneath spout 216 within bowl 218, where it can be rinsed with tap water. This rinsing position is used in many sink activities. When handle 102 is on deck 224 in front of spout 216, it is outside of bowl 218 and therefore out of the way. Again, this position is helpful with certain activities, e.g., i) cleaning bowl 218; ii) washing large bulky items in bowl 218; or iii) etc. As described for the right portion of FIG. 10A, said swinging in the left portion can be performed alone (without affecting faucet handle 214) or in combination with pushing or pulling of handle 102, which then also rotates said handle 214 to re-adjust the flow rate of tap water as needed during said swinging.

FIG. 10B. Swinging a Bent FHE Device while it is in the ON Position.

FIG. 10B shows a top view of the horizontal swinging of FHE device 200 from the ON position. In the middle portion of FIG. 10B, FHE unit 200 is in the open (“ON”) position, i.e., faucet handle 214 is turned on and cold tap water 304 is running (shown in the middle panel of FIG. 10C). Here, the dashed lines represent the position of FHE unit 200 and faucet handle 214 in the OFF position, and the solid lines represent said unit 200 and said handle 214 in the ON position after user hand 302 (not shown) pulls handle 102. The small arrows next to handle 102 and faucet handle 214 represent the direction and possible distance of said pulling motion. The small arrow next to faucet handle 214 is curved since pulling handle 102 translates to clockwise rotation of said handle 214. Here, faucet handle 214 is fully opened for maximal flow rate, for illustration. However, “ON” could also mean minimal flow rate or anywhere in between minimal and maximal flow rates of tap water. As shown in the right portion of FIG. 10B, FHE unit 200 can be swung counterclockwise, while remaining in said ON position. Said swinging motion can be done without causing any rotation in faucet handle 214, or can be done while also pulling or pushing handle 102 to rotate said handle 214 to re-adjust flow rate, as needed. After said horizontal swinging, FHE unit 200 can be rested on sink deck 224; this keeps FHE unit 200 outside of sink bowl 218 area and can help with certain sink activities: e.g., cleaning sink bowl 218. FHE unit 200 can be moved even further to the right if needed, e.g., to be placed on a sink counter beyond deck 224. The left portion of FIG. 10B shows the horizontal swinging of FHE unit 200 clockwise from the ON position. The curved arrow next to handle 102 shows the direction and possible distance of said swinging. Thus, handle 102 can be positioned anywhere along a circular path from the right edge of bowl 218 to a spot on deck 224 directly in front of spout 216. Again, said swinging motion can be done without causing any rotation in faucet handle 214, or it can be done while also pulling or pushing handle 102 to rotate said handle 214 to re-adjust flow rate, as needed. When handle 102 is underneath the outlet of spout 216 within bowl 218, it is in position for being rinsed from above with running tap water 304 (FIG. 10C, middle panel). If FHE unit 200 is swung clockwise further until handle 102 is positioned on deck 224 in front of spout 216, said part 102 is out of bowl 218 and out of the way. Again, having FHE unit 200 out of the way in this fashion is helpful with certain sink activities, e.g., cleaning bowl 218.

FIG. 10C. Front View of Horizontal Swinging of a Bent FHE Device.

The chief message from FIG. 10C is that, regardless of the flow rate, handle 102 can be placed underneath faucet sprout 216. FIG. 10C presents a front view of FHE device 200 attached to faucet handle 214, in 3 different cases distinguished by the tap water flow rate. In each of the 3 cases, handle 102 can be positioned directly underneath sprout 216. i) In the 1st case shown in the left portion of FIG. 10C, FHE unit 200 is in the OFF position. ii) In the 2nd case shown in the middle portion of FIG. 10C, FHE unit 200 is in the ON position at a lower (or even lowest) flow rate of running tap water 304. iii) In the 3rd case shown in the right portion of FIG. 10C, FHE unit 200 is in the ON position at a higher (or even highest) flow rate of tap water 304. Thus, handle 102 can be positioned underneath sprout 216 (e.g., for rinsing) under any flow rate.

FIG. 11. Swinging a Straight FHE Device in Different Directions.

Overview. The main point of FIG. 11 is to show in which directions FHE unit 260 can be moved and for what purpose. Thus, FIGS. 11A-C show examples of FHE device 260, which has a straight extension member 127, being swung horizontally in different directions to different locations, within a horizontal plane parallel to deck 224. The direction and purpose of each horizontal swinging motion is the same as those described in FIG. 10. The only difference is that FIG. 10 shows FHE unit 200, which has a bent extension member 107, whereas FIG. 11 shows FHE unit 260, which has a straight extension member 125 (see FIG. 1). As such, the descriptions for FIGS. 11A-C are the same as those for FIGS. 10A-C, respectively, except FHE unit 260 and its parts (FIG. 11) are substituted for FHE unit 200 and its parts (FIG. 10).

FIG. 11A. FHE Device with a Straight Extension Member, in OFF Position.

FIG. 11A shows a top view of FHE device 260, which has a straight extension member 127, while it is in the OFF position. The description for the three portions of FIG. 11A (left, middle, and right) are the same as those for FIG. 10A, in terms of the direction and purpose of the swinging motions.

FIG. 11B. Swinging a Straight FHE Device while it is in the ON Position.

FIG. 11B shows a top view of the horizontal swinging of THE device 260, while it is in the ON position. The description for the three portions of FIG. 11B (left, middle, and right) are the same as those for FIG. 10B, in terms of the direction and purpose of the swinging motions.

FIG. 11C. Front View of Horizontal Swinging of a Straight FHE Device.

FIG. 11C shows a front view of FHE device 260, attached to faucet handle 214. The description for the three portions of FIG. 11C (left, middle, and right) are the same as those for FIG. 10C, in terms of the position of handle 102 and the position of faucet handle 214 (and the corresponding water flow rate).

FIG. 12. Adjusting the Length of an FHE Device.

Overview. Since wash sinks come in different dimensions and shapes, and since users may have different preferences, needs, or limitations, it may become necessary to adjust the length of an FHE device. Factors that determine optimal length of an FHE device include, but are not limited to sink dimensions, size of user's hands, medical or physical limitations that are mitigated by handle 102 being closer to user, etc. Various methods for length adjustment are possible, not limited to the examples below.

FIG. 12A. FHE Device Made in Different Lengths.

For instance, where the preferred total or longitudinal length of an FHE device is known, the FHE device can be built with the appropriate length of rod as starting material. FIG. 12A shows a simple example entailing FHE unit 800, which does not have a connecting member. FHE unit 800 is shown in different lengths, which can be attributed to different lengths of extension member 804. Handle 802 was identical among the different versions of FHE unit 800. Basically, metal rods of various length were bent once to shape the same size handle 802, and thereby extension member 804 came out in different lengths. The same method of generating different lengths can be applied to FHE unit 810, which has a bent extension member 815 (see FIG. 8A). With bent extension member 815, either the proximal portion 814, distal portion 816, or both can be varied in lengths.

FIG. 12B. Trimming an FHE Device at the Distal End.

FIG. 12B shows a method of adjusting the length of FHE unit 800 (as an example FHE device) that entails cutting off a piece of extension member 804 at its distal end. Cutting can be performed with various tools, e.g., a wire cutter 1202 in FIG. 12B. This step is irreversible, so it is a one-time adjustment. For this method, FHE unit 800 can be built extra-long, such that there is excess length that can be cut off to achieve the right fit for FHE unit 800 with respect to given wash sink. Again, the same method of length adjustment can be applied to FHE unit 810, which has a bent extension member 815.

FIG. 12C. FHE Devices Made of Telescope-Type Tubes.

FIG. 12C shows a method of adjusting overall length of FHE unit 1200 (as an example FHE an device made of hollow tubes) that entails a multitude of telescope-type extendable piece 1206, where each piece can slide over the proximal, preceding piece and under the distal, succeeding piece. Further, each piece can be turned clockwise or counterclockwise, which will lock or unlock a piece with respect to its preceding piece, similar to the mechanism of an extendable, telescopic, lockable handle for brooms or mops. To install FHE unit 1200 in a particular wash sink, the entire multitude of piece 1206 is turned to unlock all and to allow each piece 1206 to freely slide over or under neighboring piece 1206 on either side. The most distal piece 1206 is connected to faucet handle 214, e.g., by an elastic band 806 as in FIG. 8A. Then the length of FHE unit 1200 is adjusted by appropriate spacing of each piece 1206, such that handle 1202 is in a suitable location within sink bowl 218 and relatively close to user hand 302. Then the entire multitude of piece 1206 is turned the other way to lock every piece 1206 to its neighboring piece 1206 on either side. FHE unit 1200 is then ready for use.

FIG. 12D. FHE Device with Screw-on Extension Pieces.

FIG. 12D shows a method of adjusting the length of FHE unit 1210 (as another example FHE device made of tubes) that entails a multitude of smaller extension piece 1212, where each piece 1212 has a bolt-like threaded male end and a compatible nut-like threaded female end. Thus, a new piece 1212 (A) can be sequentially added on to a preceding piece 1212 (B) by screwing the male end of the new piece (A) into the female end of the preceding piece (B). Additional units of extension piece 1212 can be added as needed. In this fashion, the length of FHE unit 1210 can be reversibly changed as needed. This method would also work for an embodiment similar to FHE unit 1210 but with a bent extension member (not shown). In that case, a special middle piece adjoining the proximal and distal portions of said extension member is used, where the middle piece has the bend in it.

FIG. 13. Various Ties for Connecting an FHE Device to a Faucet Handle.

Overview. The point of FIG. 13 is to show, with some examples, that there are many ways to tie an FHE device to a faucet handle for connection. If said FHE device were connected to said handle with a band, many types of knots and lashings can be applied to said band for said connection. A band can be useful in situations where it is desirable to easily, quickly, inexpensively, and reversibly connect an FHE device to faucet handle 214. Said band can be of various elastic material (e.g., rubber band), non-elastic non-metallic material (e.g., nylon string), or malleable metallic material (e.g., a thin metallic wire). A couple of examples of a band used for said connection are shown in FIGS. 13A and B and described below. In said examples, an embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 800, is shown. FHE unit 800 does not have an extension member, but is comprised of handle 802 and extension member 804. As such, said unit 800 can be quickly connected or disconnected as no clamps are used for the connection to faucet handle 214; rather, a band is used for a quick, reversible connection.

Knots and lashings, as well as other ways of tying a band, can also be used for slightly more complex type of FHE devices, as exemplified by an embodiment like FHE unit 820. Said unit 820 comprises handle 822, extension member 824, and connecting member 825. It is the latter member 825 that makes FHE unit slightly more complex than FHE unit 800. Connection member 825 comprises connecting hook 826 and connecting end 828. Connecting hook 826 is oriented horizontally so it can be attached to faucet handle 214 in a parallel connection, such as that made with a band in FIG. 13c. The knots and lashings shown in FIG. 13 are but a few examples; there are many other ways to tie a band for forming a connection between faucet handle 214 and an FHE device.

FIG. 13A. A Transom Knot.

As FIG. 13A shows, a band can be tied using the well-known “Transom Knot” 1302. Said knot 1302 connects FHE unit 800 to faucet handle 214. The transom knot is a simple, quick, reversible knot. If needed, more than one transom knot can be applied in the same fashion, over the previous transom knot, to make a stronger connection between FHE unit 800 and faucet handle 214. The FHE device in FIG. 13A, FHE unit 800, has a straight extension member 804. The same kind of connection with a transom knot can be applied to an embodiment of the FHE device with a bent extension member, e.g., FHE unit 810 (not shown).

FIG. 13B. A Zip Tie Crossed Lashing.

As FIG. 13B shows, a band can be tied with the well-known “Zip Tie Crossed Lashing” 1312, to connect FHE unit 800 to faucet handle 214. Said lashing 1312 is a simple, quick, reversible lashing. As the name implies, normally zip ties are used for this type of lashing, however, other material listed above for a band can also be used. If needed, additional units of lashing 1312 can be applied in the same fashion, with each new lashing placed over the previous lashing, to strengthen the connection. The FHE device in FIG. 13B, FHE unit 800, has a straight extension member 804. The same kind of connection with a Zip Tie Crossed Lashing can be applied to an embodiment of the FHE device with a bent extension member, e.g., FHE unit 810 (not shown).

FIG. 13C. A Round Lashing.

As FIG. 13C shows, a band can be tied with the well-known “Round Lashing” 1322, to connect FHE unit 820 to faucet handle 214. Said lashing 1322, by virtue of its many rounds of circling around faucet handle 214 and FHE unit 820 will be a stronger tie, and for the same reason it will likely take more time to install compared to the other knot and lashing described above. The FHE device in FIG. 13C, FHE unit 820, has a straight extension member 804. The same kind of connection with a round lashing can be applied to an embodiment of the FHE device with a bent extension member (not shown).

FIG. 14. Faucet Handle Modifications, for Connecting to an FHE Device.

Overview. There are many ways to connect an FHE device to a faucet handle. One such way is the modification a faucet handle. E.g., modification of a faucet handle with the addition of an eye bolt allows the connection of an FHE device with a hook at its distal end. One benefit would be that said connection would not require any clamps or bands. In later FIGS., the corresponding modifications in FHE device (e.g., the addition of a hook) is described, plus some examples of how such modified FHE devices and modified faucet handles are then connected. The modifications of the faucet handle and FHE devices, as exemplified in FIGS. 14 and 15, respectfully, result in connections that are permanent or semi-permanent. A semi-permanent connection is a connection that is maintained until it is reversibly undone by a trigger button, e.g., a trigger on a connector that functions as a snap hook (see FIGS. 15 and 16). As illustrated in FIG. 14, modification of faucet handle 214 can be performed in many ways, including but not limited to the examples below. Said handle modification (e.g., an eye bolt) can be made of various materials, including but not limited to metals, metals alloys, plastics, etc.

FIGS. 14A, D. Eye Bolt, Attached to Faucet Handle.

FIGS. 14A and 14D show two alternate embodiments of a modified faucet handle, modified handles 1406 and 1408, respectively, where an eye bolt 1402 is attached to faucet handle 214. Modified handles 1406 and 1408 both comprise handle 214, eye bolt 1402 and pre-drilled hole 1404, except said hole 1404 is located at different positions on said modified handles. As shown in FIG. 14A, hole 1404 is located at the outer right end of modified handle 1406. As shown in FIG. 14D, hole 1404 is located below the right end of modified handle 1408. With both modified handles 1406 and 1408, said hole 1404 is threaded to fit the bolt part of eye bolt 1402, such that part 1402 can be reversibly attached to said modified handles. Thus, part 1402 can be attached by simply screwing it into hole 1404; conversely it can be removed by unscrewing it. When eye bolt 1402 is not attached, hole 1404 can be covered to prevent water seeping into modified faucet handles 1406 and 1408. A bolt with threading that fits hole 1404 and a flat head that can be twisted with a regular screwdriver, would be one option for reversibly covering hole 1404. In FIG. 14A, the horizontal orientation and the location of hole 1404 positions the eye part of eye bolt 1402 to the right of handle 1406 and at the same height. In A. 14d, the vertical orientation and the location of hole 1404 positions the eye part of eye bolt 1402 below handle 1408 at the right end. Besides these two locations, many other locations are possible on a modified faucet handle for connecting an FHE device.

As alternatives to eye bolt 1402 there are other ways of attaching the eye part of eye bolt 1402 to a modified version of faucet handle 214, without using a bolt part, either reversibly or permanently. As an example of a reversible connection without said bolt part, a smooth rod pin without threading is attached to the eye part (e.g., by welding) to generate a “pin eye” (not shown). Said pin eye is similar in shape and function to a hitch pin with a round fixed handle, which is a type of pin fastener used for car hitches. The round handle and the pin of the hitch pin correspond to the eye and the pin of the pin eye, respectively. To use said pin eye, first a hole is pre-drilled into faucet handle 214. Said pre-drilled hole (not shown) is similar to hole 1404, except without any threading, and has a diameter slightly larger than the pin diameter of the pin eye. Thus, the pin eye can slip into the predrilled hole without much friction, with little force. A hitch pin is typically secured in place with a bridging pin so it doesn't slide out of the hitch. Similarly, a pin eye is secured in place in the 1^st pre-drilled hole, by pre-drilling a 2^nd hole for a bridging clip (“clip hole”). With the pin eye in place in the 1^st pre-drilled hole of handle 214, the clip hole is pre-drilled perpendicular to handle 214. Said clip hole goes through both the modified faucet handle and the center of the pin of said pin eye. A small bridging clip can then be pushed through the clip hole to secure said pin eye to the modified faucet handle. Alternatively, instead of a bridging clip, a snap bail can be used, similar to a snap pin used for hitches. In a snap pin, the bail is attached at one end to the head of the pin, and the other end of the bail snaps on and off the end of the pin part of the snap pin.

As an example of a more permanent connection of an eye part without a bolt part to a modified faucet handle (not shown), the eye part can be welded at the right end of faucet handle 214, either by itself or with the eye part pre-attached to a plate (“eye plate”). An example of an eye plate is described below under FIGS. 14B and 14E.

FIG. 14B, E. Eye Plate, Attached to Faucet Handle.

FIGS. 14B and 14E show two alternate embodiments of a modified faucet handle, modified faucet handles 1416 and 1418, where an eye plate 1412 is attached. Part 1412 comprises an eye part (a closed loop) that is attached to a small plate. In FIG. 14B, the eye part of eye plate 1412 is facing outward from the outer right end of modified handle 1416. In FIG. 14E the eye of eye plate 1412 is facing downwards and is attached below the right end of modified handle 1418. The attachment of the eye part to the plate part in eye plate 1412, and the attachment of eye plate 1412 to faucet handle 214 can be achieved in various ways, including but not limited to: welding, glueing, formed as one piece, etc.

FIGS. 14C, F. Half-Eye Plate, Attached to Faucet Handle.

FIGS. 14C and 14F show two alternate embodiments of a modified faucet handle, modified faucet handles 1426 and 1428, where a half-eye plate 1422 is attached. Part 1422 comprises a half-eye (half a circle) component that is connected to a small plate component. In FIG. 14C, the half-eye component of part 1422 is facing outward from the outer right end of modified handle 1426. In FIG. 14F, the half-eye component of part 1422 is facing downwards and is attached below the right end of modified handle 1428. The attachment of the half-eye component to the plate component in part 1422, and the attachment of part 1422 to faucet handle 214 can be achieved in various ways, including but not limited to: welding, glueing, formed as one piece, etc.

FIG. 15. Closed-Loop Connectors at the Distal End of an FHE Device.

Overview. In accordance with the modifications of faucet handle 214 described in FIG. 14, the distal end of an FHE device needs corresponding modifications that are compatible with the modified faucet handles. Modification of an FHE device can be performed in many ways, including but not limited to the examples below. Said examples feature a permanently-closed loop connector (FIG. 15A) and reversibly-closed loop connectors (FIGS. 15B-D). The latter connectors entail a spring-loaded gate, which can be propped open with a trigger button; when said trigger is released, the gate is snapped close by the spring. This mechanism is akin to snap hooks that operate with a spring-loaded gate and trigger: in the resting, untriggered state the gate is closed; anything hooked to the connector loop is trapped within the connector loop, until said trigger is pressed to prop open the gate.

In addition to closed-loop connectors, open-loop connectors (e.g., hooks) are also possible, where the loops are partially open on a permanent basis. FHE unit 830 is an example of an FHE device embodiment with an open-loop connector, where the open loop is represented by hook 836 (FIG. 8C). In open-loop connections, an FHE device can be connected to a modified faucet handle with an eye part (e.g., FIGS. 14A,B,D,E) or half-eye part (e.g., FIG. 14C,F) attachment. Open-loop connections are suitable for situations where FHE devices need to be quickly connected and disconnected: e.g., situations where FHE devices are needed on occasion, or when FHE devices need to be detached and put away frequently after use. An example of the latter instance is a pandemic situation with a known threat of an infectious disease, and each of several users that share the same bathroom sink are assigned their own FHE device to prevent cross-contamination. In that instance, once a user has used the sink they quickly remove and safely store their assigned FHE device, so the next user can quickly attach their own assigned FHE device before using the same sink. As such, every user uses an FHE device instead of directly touching a faucet handle for the control of water flow, and every user has their own FHE device. Thus, cross contamination among users is minimized.

The examples below entail alternative embodiments of an FHE device that has a straight extension member; however, they can be equally applied to embodiments of an FHE device with a bent extension member.

FIG. 15A. A Closed-Loop Connector.

FIG. 15A shows an alternative embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 1500, which has a permanently-closed loop connector 1509. Said part 1509 comprises stem 1505 and closed loop 1506. Stem 1505 attaches to the distal end of extension member 1504.

Extension member 1504 is straight; as mentioned, this type of connector can be also used with an FHE unit that has a bent extension member (not shown). The set of diagonal double lines through the middle of extension member 1504 simply indicates that a portion has been cropped out graphically and not shown. The attachment between stem 1505 and extension member 1504 can occur in many ways, including but not limited to the following: i) both parts are threaded, with the stem being the female version (like a nut) and the extension member being the male version (like a bolt); ii) the parts can be glued together; iii) the parts can be welded together; or iv) etc. An FHE unit modified with a closed-loop connector like 1509 can be used in instances where the modified FHE unit is permanently connected to a modified faucet handle, unlike all other examples of FHE devices described so far that were designed to be reversibly connected. For such permanent connections, the closed loop of a modified FHE unit is interconnected with the eye part or half-eye part of a modified faucet handle exemplified in FIG. 14 beforehand. For example, eye bolt 1402 is first interconnected with closed-loop connector 1509 before said part 1402 is attached to a faucet handle; subsequently, extension member 1504 (contiguous with handle 1502) is attached to part 1509.

FIG. 15B. A Bolt Snap Connector.

FIG. 15B shows an alternative embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 1510. Said unit 1510 has a snap hook-type, closed-loop connector 1519, which is attached to extension member 1514. Said member 1514 is contiguous with handle 1512. Extension member 1514 is straight; this type of connector can be also used with an FHE unit that has a bent extension member. The set of double lines through the middle of extension member 1514 simply indicates that a portion has been cropped out graphically and not shown. Said connector 1519 is a kind of snap hook that is similar to a bolt snap. Said connector 1519 comprises stem 1515, loop 1516, trigger button 1517, and gate 1518. Stem 1515 attaches connector 1519 to extension member 1514 of FHE unit 1510; this attachment can be made in various ways, as described in FIG. 15A. Connector 1519 is used to connect FHE device 1510 to faucet handle 214 as follows.

Trigger 1517 is attached to gate 1518 and keeps it closed by a spring loaded mechanism (not shown) housed within stem 1515, as is the case in common bolt snap connectors. By pulling trigger 1517 proximally (towards user) and against said spring, gate 1518 slides proximally into a cylindrical hole within stem 1515, thereby opening gate 1518. This in turn creates an opening into loop 1516. As such, the partially opened loop 1516 becomes a hook (hook 1516). Said hook 1516 can be hooked into other loop-like components, e.g., the eye part of eye bolt 1402 that is attached to modified faucet handle 1406. Subsequently, releasing trigger 1517 causes it to move distally by action of said internal spring, which results in gate 1518 sliding to the close position. Said closing converts hook 1516 into closed loop 1516. From then on the connection between closed loop 1516 and eye bolt 1402 is secured, which means the connection between modified FHE unit 1510 and modified faucet handle 1406 is secured. The connections can be undone by opening gate 1518 with trigger 1517 as described above and then unhooking hook 1516 from eye bolt 1402. In this fashion, FHE unit 1510 can be connected to faucet handle 1406 by a reversible connecting mechanism that is controlled by trigger 1517.

FIG. 15C. Another Bolt Snap Connector.

FIG. 15C shows an alternative embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 1520, which has another kind of a snap hook-type, closing-loop connector 1529. Here, the kind of snap hook that is used with connector 1529 is similar to a bolt snap, but different from the kind used in connector 1519 above. Said connector 1529 comprises stem 1525, loop 1526, trigger button 1527, and gate 1528. Stem 1525 attaches connector 1529 to extension member 1524 of FHE unit 1520; this attachment can be made in various ways, as described in FIG. 15A. Extension member 1524 is contiguous with handle 1522. Extension member 1524 is straight; this type of connector can be also used with an FHE unit that has a bent extension member. The set of double lines through the middle of extension member 1524 simply indicates that a portion has been cropped out graphically and not shown. Connector 1529 is used to connect FHE device 1520 to faucet handle 214 as follows.

The operation of connector 1529 is similar to that of connector 1519 described above. Pulling trigger 1527 proximally opens gate 1528, thereby creating an opening into loop 1526. As such, the partially opened loop 1526 becomes a hook (hook 1526). Said hook 1526 can be hooked into other loop-like components, e.g., the eye part of eye bolt 1402 that is attached to modified faucet handle 1406. Subsequently, releasing trigger 1527 closes gate 1528 by action of an internal spring (not shown) within part 1529. Said closing converts hook 1526 into closed loop 1526. From then on the connection between closed loop 1526 and eye bolt 1402 is secured, which means the connection between modified FHE unit 1520 and modified faucet handle 1406 is secured. The connections can be undone by opening gate 1528 with trigger 1527 and then unhooking hook 1526 from eye bolt 1402. In this fashion, FHE unit 1520 can be connected to faucet handle 1406 by a reversible connecting mechanism that is controlled by trigger 1527.

FIG. 15D. A Trigger Snap Connector.

FIG. 15D shows an alternative embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 1530, which has yet another kind of snap hook-type, closing-loop connector 1539. Here, the kind of snap hook that is used with connector 1539 is similar to a trigger snap hook. Said connector 1539 comprises swivel pin 1531, stem 1535, loop 1536, trigger button 1537, and gate 1538. Swivel pin 1531 allows gate 1538 to rotate counter clockwise when trigger 1537 is pulled proximally; when trigger 1537 is released, an internal spring mechanism (not shown) forces gate 1538 to rotate back clock wise to the closed position. Stem 1535 attaches connector 1539 to extension member 1534 of FHE unit 1530; this attachment can be made in various ways, as described in FIG. 15A. Extension member 1534 is straight; this type of connector can be also used with an FHE unit that has a bent extension member. The set of double lines through the middle of extension member 1534 simply indicates that a portion has been cropped out graphically and not shown. Connector 1539 is used to connect FHE device 1530 to faucet handle 214 as follows.

Pulling trigger 1537 proximally rotates gate 1538 counterclockwise to the open position, thereby creating an opening into loop 1536. As such, the partially opened loop 1536 becomes a hook (hook 1526). Said hook 1536 can be hooked into other loop-like components, e.g., the eye part of eye bolt 1402 that is attached to modified faucet handle 1406. Subsequently, releasing trigger 1537 closes gate 1538 by action of an internal spring (not shown). Said closing converts hook 1536 back into closed loop 1536. From then on the connection between closed loop 1536 and eye bolt 1402 is secured, which means the connection between modified FHE unit 1530 and modified faucet handle 1406 is secured. The connections can be undone by opening gate 1538 with trigger 1537 and then unhooking hook 1536 from eye bolt 1402. In this fashion, FHE unit 1530 can be connected to faucet handle 1406 by a reversible connecting mechanism that is controlled by trigger 1537.

FIG. 16. Examples of Permanent and Semi-Permanent Connections.

Overview. Modifications of a faucet handle and of an FHE device were shown in the embodiments in FIGS. 14 and 15, respectively. FIG. 16 shows some examples of how said modified parts can be connected to each other to form a permanent or a semi-permanent connection. As mentioned above, the semi-permanent connections hold until they can be easily and reversibly undone, e.g., by using a trigger button. Permanent connections cannot be easily undone; when they can be undone, it takes more effort to undo the connection, and typically, not every component or part can be separated from others.

FIG. 16A. Permanent Connection: Eye Bolt & Closed-Loop Connector.

FIG. 16A shows an example of a permanent connection, entailing modified faucet handle 1406 and modified FHE device 1500. The inset on the top right shows higher magnifications of the relevant parts directly involved in said connection, eye bolt 1402 and closed-loop connector 1509. Since there is no trigger button, this connection cannot be undone, unless eye bolt 1402 is unscrewed from handle 1406. In that case, eye bolt 1402 would remain attached to connector 1509 of modified FHE unit 1500; thus, not all parts and components can be separated from others. That would leave just the modified faucet handle 1406 with an open pre-drilled hole 1404, which could then be covered with a bolt with a nail head as described above under FIG. 14A. If, instead of having a threaded bolt for screwing into handle 1406, eye bolt 1402 had been welded to handle 1406 (as one of the other ways of attaching the two parts), and connector 1509 was similarly welded to FHE device 1500, then the connection between eye bolt 1402 and connector 1509, and hence the connection between modified handle 1406 and modified FHE device 1500, could not be undone.

FIG. 16B. Semi-Permanent Connection: Eye Plate & Bolt Snap Connector.

FIG. 16B shows an example of a semi-permanent connection, entailing modified faucet handle 1416 and modified FHE device 1510. The inset on the top right shows higher magnifications of the relevant parts directly involved in said connection, eye plate 1412 and connecting member 1519. This connection is maintained semi-permanently in that it is securely held until it is undone with trigger button 1517, as explained under FIG. 15B. Eye plate 1412 is but one example and can be replaced with parts that have other types of loops, e.g., half-eye plate 1422.

FIG. 16C. Semi-Permanent Connection: Half-Eye Plate & Bolt Snap Connector.

FIG. 16C shows another example of a semi-permanent connection, entailing modified faucet handle 1426 and modified FHE device 1520. The inset on the top right shows higher magnifications of the relevant parts directly involved in said connection, half-eye plate 1422 and connecting member 1529. This connection is maintained semi-permanently in that it is securely held until it is undone with trigger button 1527, as explained under FIG. 15C. Half-eye plate 1422 is but one example and can be replaced with parts that have other types of loops, e.g., eye plate 1412.

FIG. 16D. Semi-Permanent Connection: Eye Plate & Trigger Snap Connector.

FIG. 16D shows yet another example of a semi-permanent connection, entailing modified faucet handle 1418 and modified FHE device 1530. The inset on the top right shows higher magnifications of the relevant parts directly involved in said connection, eye plate 1412 and connecting member 1539. Here, eye plate 1412 is positioned below faucet handle 1418, to illustrate that a part like eye plate 1412 can be placed in many locations on a modified faucet handle and is not restricted to be positioned at the outer right end, as in modified faucet handle 1426. This connection is maintained semi-permanently in that it is securely held until it is undone with trigger button 1537, as explained under FIG. 15D. Eye plate 1412 is but one example and can be replaced with parts that have other types of loops, e.g., half-eye plate 1422.

FIG. 17. More Examples of Modified FHE Devices.

Overview. The connectors exemplified below are used in alternate embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, and are modifications of an FHE device that are intended for semi-permanent connections with a counterpart modified faucet handle. However, said connectors are different from the ones described previously (in FIGS. 14 to 16) in that they restrict the movements of an FHE device further. That is, the previously mentioned connectors have a fair amount of empty space inside connector loops and faucet handle loops after the loops are interconnected; the connectors described below do not.

As FIG. 17 shows, said connectors are attached at the distal end of a modified FHE device. Said connectors comprise washer-like shapes (round, oval, or rectangular washers), a hole in the center of the washer, and a stem for attaching the washer to an FHE device. The washer-like shapes in the connectors shown in FIG. 17 have smaller openings than the loop-like shapes in aforementioned connectors (e.g., closed-loop connector 1509 in FIG. 15A). As mentioned in the previous paragraph, said smaller openings allow less freedom of movement of a modified FHE device. The restricted movement of a modified FHE device (FIG. 17) is better illustrated in FIGS. 18D and 19, where said modified device is attached to a counterpart modified faucet handle. The stem attaches to the distal end of an extension member of an FHE device; this attachment can be made in various ways, as described in FIG. 15A. As before, said connectors with washer-like shapes in FIG. 17 can be applied to FHE units with either a straight or bent extension member. FIGS. 18 and 19 show examples of modified faucet handles that would be compatible with the modified FHE devices in FIG. 17. In addition, FIGS. 18 and 19 each illustrate how a modified FHE unit in FIG. 17 can be connected to a compatible modified faucet handle.

FIG. 17A. Round-Washer Connector in a Modified FHE Device.

FIG. 17A shows an alternate embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, modified FHE unit 1700, in different views. Said unit 1700 is comprised of handle 1702, extension member 1705, and a round-washer connector 1701. Extension member 1705 is bent and is comprised of a proximal portion 1704 and a distal portion 1706. Connector 1701 comprises stem 1707, round washer 1708, and center hole 1709. Stem 1707 connects round washer 1708 to the distal end of extension member 1705. As will be shown below in FIG. 18, connector 1701 will dock into round-washer docking unit 1800, thereby connecting modified FHE unit 1700 with modified faucet handle 1810.

FIG. 17B. Oval-Washer Connector in a Modified FHE Device.

FIG. 17B shows another alternate embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 1710, in different views. Said unit 1710 is comprised of handle 1712, extension member 1715, and oval-washer connector 1711. Extension member 1715 is comprised of a proximal portion 1714 and a distal portion 1716. Connector 1711 comprises stem 1717, oval washer 1718, and center hole 1719. Stem 1717 connects oval washer 1718 to the distal end of extension member 1715.

FIG. 17C. Rectangle-Washer Connector in a Modified FHE Device.

FIG. 17C shows yet another alternate embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, FHE unit 1720, in different views. Said unit 1720 is comprised of handle 1722, extension member 1725, and rectangle-washer connector 1721. Extension member 1725 is comprised of a proximal portion 1724 and a distal portion 1726. Connector 1721 comprises stem 1727, rectangle washer 1728, and center hole 1729. Stem 1727 connects rectangle washer 1728 to the distal end of extension member 1725. As will be shown below in FIG. 19, connector 1721 will dock into rectangle-washer docking unit 1900, thereby connecting modified FHE unit 1720 with modified faucet handle 1910.

FIG. 18. A Modified Faucet Handle with a Round-Washer Docking Unit.

Overview. FIG. 17 presented examples of modifications of an FHE device that entailed washer-like connectors. One of said examples comprised modified FHE unit 1700 with round-washer connector 1701, as seen in FIG. 17A. Accordingly, FIG. 18 shows an example of a counterpart faucet handle, modified faucet handle 1810 with a round-washer docking unit 1800, that is compatible with said modified FHE unit 1700. A docking unit generally comprises two or more washers, held parallel to each other and separated from each other by a U-shaped joint (called “U-joint”), i.e., a union piece. Said union is attached to a stem, which attaches to the outer right end of a faucet handle. The distance between washers is such that the washer-like connector of a modified FHE device, plus a thin spacer washer on either side of said connector, can fit inside the docking unit (e.g., FIG. 18C). Once the center holes of all washers are aligned, a bolt is pushed through all washers to secure the connection. Just as the examples of modified FHE units could have different washer-like connectors (e.g., with round, oval, and rectangle washers), a counterpart docking unit can have different shapes of washers (e.g., round, oval, and rectangle) to match its counterpart modified FHE unit.

FIGS. 18A,B. Assembly of a Round-Washer Docking Unit.

FIG. 18A shows an example of a round-washer docking unit, namely docking unit 1800. The parts of docking unit 1800 are shown before they are assembled. The dashed lines represent the sites of attachment between adjoining parts. Said unit 1800 comprises stem 1802, U-shaped joint (U-joint) 1804, and two units of round washer 1806. Each unit of washer 1806 has a threaded center hole, with the threading being compatible with that of bolt 1808 in FIG. 18C. Each prong of U-joint 1804 is attached to a unit of washer 1806, such that the two units of washer 1806 are parallel to and separated from each other. U-joint 1804 is attached to stem 1802. Once all aforementioned parts in FIG. 18A are attached to each other, the assembled part becomes docking unit 1800 shown in FIG. 18B in different views (perspective, top, and side views). The attachment of faucet handle 214 to stem 1802 (FIG. 18C), of stem 1802 to U-joint 1804 (FIG. 18B), and of U-joint 1804 to each unit of washer 1806 (FIG. 18B), can be achieved in various ways, including but not limited to the following: the adjoining parts are i) generated as one piece during manufacturing; ii) are welded to each other; iii) are glued to each other; iv) or etc. As described next, docking unit 1800 will be incorporated into modified faucet handle 1810.

FIG. 18C. Docking a Modified FHE Device into a Modified Faucet Handle.

The left side of FIG. 18C shows modified faucet handle 1810, right before connecting (docking) modified FHE unit 1700. Modified faucet handle 1810 is comprised of handle 214, docking unit 1800, bolt 1808, and two units of spacer washer 1809. Docking unit 1800 is attached to modified faucet handle 1810 by attaching stem 1802 to faucet handle 214. Said attachment can be accomplished in various ways, as described above. Also shown is modified FHE unit 1700 with a round-washer connector 1701, right before being docked into docking unit 1800 with similar round-washer attachment points. One spacer washer 1809 (not threaded) is placed on either side of connector 1701, as it is inserted into docking unit 1800. The left arrows indicate the direction of moving connector 1701 and the two units of spacer washer 1809 for docking. Once all washers are aligned at their center hole, bolt 1808 is inserted from the top of docking unit 1800, first being screwed into the top round washer 1806. The center hole of each of the two units of round washer 1806 is threaded, such that it is compatible with the threading of bolt 1808. Bolt 1808 is threaded only at the top and the bottom. The middle portion of bolt 1808 is similar to a rod with a smooth profile that has no threading. As such, round washer 1708 of connector 1701 can rotate freely around bolt 1808, without encountering any threading that might interfere with said rotation, while still maintaining sufficient rigidity to operate the faucet. Once the bottom threaded part of bolt 1808 has passed the top washer 1806, bolt 1808 can be slipped sequentially through 3 unthreaded washers: the top spacer washer 1809, round washer 1708 of connector 1701, and the bottom spacer washer 1809. Finally, bolt 1808 is screwed into the lower, threaded washer 1806 of docking unit 1800. The down arrow indicates the direction of bolt 1808 moving through all washer holes to secure the connection. The threading in top and bottom units of round washer 1806 has at least three functions: to prevent bolt 1808 from slipping out of docking unit 1800 when operating modified FHE unit 1700; to provide stability to U-joint 1804 so the distance between the two prongs is kept constant during operation of modified FHE unit 1700; and to provide support for the two units of round washer 1806 so they don't bend of snap off at the point of attachment to U-joint 1804.

The right side of FIG. 18C shows modified FHE unit 1700 fully docked into (connected with) modified faucet handle 1810, with the docking secured by bolt 1808. The threading at the top and bottom of bolt 1808 is represented by dashed curved lines, since they are internal to the threaded round washers 1806. The curved arrows on either side of FHE unit 1700 indicate the directions of rotation of FHE unit 1700, clockwise or counterclockwise in the horizontal plane. The wavy lines in FIG. 18C indicate graphical cropping of a part, to allow a better fit in the figure.

FIG. 18D. A Sink with a Modified Faucet Handle and a Modified FHE Device.

FIG. 18D shows what a wash sink looks like, after assembling a modified faucet handle 1810 for cold tap water and docking it with a modified FHE device 1700. The straight double arrow represents the pulling and pushing motions on FHE unit 1700 to turn on and off the cold tap water, respectively. The curved double arrow represents the freedom of horizontal movement for FHE unit 1700, that is, clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. Said freedom of rotation is possible by the round-washer connector 1701 of FHE unit 1700, rotating around bolt 1808 of modified faucet handle 1810. Bolt 1808 passes through the entire docking unit 1800. The FHE device can rotate freely while still maintaining sufficient rigidity to operate the faucet.

FIG. 19. A Modified Faucet Handle with a Rectangle-Washer Docking Unit.

Overview. FIG. 19 is similar to FIG. 18, in that it shows an example of a modified FHE device connected to a modified faucet handle installed on a wash sink. The difference is that in FIG. 19, the docking unit 1900 and the connector 1721 have rectangular washers, in contrast to the round washers in FIG. 18. Yet another example (not shown) of a modified FHE device connected to a modified faucet handle could entail oval washers, as illustrated with modified FHE unit 1710 and a counterpart oval-washer docking unit (not shown). FIG. 19 should be viewed from right to left, showing sequentially: i) assembled docking unit 1900 and modified FHE unit 1720, right before docking (right portion of FIG. 19); ii) assembled modified faucet handle with docking unit 1900 attached and modified FHE unit 1720 docked (middle portion of FIG. 19); and iii) a wash sink with the connected parts listed in ii) installed for the cold tap water (left portion of FIG. 19). The wavy line in FIG. 19 indicates graphical cropping of a part, to allow a better fit in the figure.

The right side of FIG. 19 shows an exploded view of docking unit 1900 and FHE unit 1720 before the docking. FHE unit 1720 comprises connector 1721, extension member 1725, and handle 1722 (not shown). Connector 1721 contains rectangular washer 1728 with an unthreaded center hole. Docking unit 1900 comprises stem 1902, U-shaped joint (U-joint) 1904, and two units of rectangle washer 1906; the aforementioned 3 parts of unit 1900 are attached to each other as described for docking unit 1800. Each prong of U-joint 1904 is attached to a washer 1906, such that the two units of washer 1906 are parallel to and separated from each other. Each unit of the washer 1906 has a threaded center hole, with the threading being compatible with that of bolt 1908. The left arrows indicate the direction of moving FHE unit 1720 for docking into docking unit 1900. Optionally, FHE unit 1720 is sandwiched between two or more units of spacer washer 1909, for a tighter fit of connector 1721 between the two units of rectangular connector washer 1906 of docking unit 1900. Spacer washer 1909 can be either round or rectangle in shape.

The middle portion of FIG. 19 shows modified faucet handle 1910, with docking unit 1900 attached via stem 1902. FHE unit 1720 is docked into docking unit 1900, and the docking is secured with bolt 1908. As with bolt 1808, only the top and bottom ends of bolt 1908 are threaded; the middle portion is smooth and unthreaded. The threaded ends of bolt 1908 are represented by dashed curvy lines, as they are internal to each corresponding unit of washer 1906 after docking.

The left side of FIG. 19 shows what a wash sink looks like, after assembling a modified faucet handle 1910 for cold tap water and docking it with a modified FHE device 1720. The straight double arrow represents the pulling and pushing motions on FHE unit 1720 to turn on and off the cold tap water, respectively. The curved double arrow represents the freedom of horizontal movement for FHE unit 1720, that is, clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. Said freedom of rotation is possible by the rectangle-washer connector 1721 of FHE unit 1720, rotating around bolt 1908 of modified faucet handle 1910. Bolt 1908 passes through the entire docking unit 1900. The FHE device can rotate freely while still maintaining sufficient rigidity to operate the faucet

FIG. 20. Braking Mechanisms for a Finer Control of an FHE Device.

Overview. In some instances, the maximal flow rate of tap water may be needed, e.g., when filling a large pitcher of water. However, in most instances, a much lower flow rate of water is sufficient, e.g., with common sink activities like toothbrushing. For utmost water conservation, it is important not only to turn off water when not needed (e.g., during toothbrushing), but also to run water at the lowest flow rate that can still accomplish the task at hand. By analogy, washing a car with water from a fire hydrant, running at high flow rate through a fire hose, can be exceedingly wasteful: much of the water just splashes away and/or has minimal time to be as effective in rinsing as it could be. Similarly, running tap water at maximal flow rate during toothbrushing or shaving is wasteful; the column of water coming out of the faucet spout is wider than a toothbrush head or razor head, so much of the water is wasted without doing any rinsing. To consistently and accurately set a lower flow rate of tap water with the disclosed FHE device, a user requires a finer control over the FHE device. There a multiple ways of achieving said finer control; one way is to use braking mechanisms, some examples of which are described below.

A braking mechanism can be of at least two types: a) dampeners, which dampen or slow the movement of the FHE device, to prevent unintended, jerky movements that result in unnecessarily high flow rates of tap water, and thereby in water wastage; and b) stoppers, which stop the movement of the FHE device at a pre-determined position(s) that corresponds to a user-selected flow rate for the tap water. The stoppers can be used in soft stops or hard stops, where a soft stop is easy to overcome when aiming for a higher flow rate, and hard stops pose a bigger hindrance and therefore take more effort to overcome to get to higher flow rates.

An example of one type of dampener is a suction cup hook (e.g., in FIG. 20A), among other types. This type of dampener comprises a reversible attaching constituent, suction cup 2001, and an engaging constituent, hook 2003. The reversible attaching constituent attaches said suction cup hook to a sink surface, which can be a sink deck, sink rim, or sink counter.

If said sink rim does not have any flat surface, an adapter can be fashioned that attaches to the sink rim and provides a horizontal flat surface for attaching a suction cup hook. Said adapter can be a U-shaped clamp that is placed over said sink rim with the two prongs facing down (like an upside down U), and then clamp to hold it in place. In that position, at the top of the clamp, there can be an attached small horizontal plate to which said suction cup hook can reversibly attach. Alternatively, for a sink rim without a flat surface, a clamp hook can be fashioned where the clamp is the reversible attaching constituent and the hook is the engaging constituent. The clamp is attached as described for the aforementioned adapter, i.e., one prong on either side of the sink rim and the U shape of the clamp facing upside down. The hook would be attached to the top of said clamp when it is upside down, i.e., at the top of an upside down U.

The engaging constituent engages the FHE extension member, such that during movement of the FHE device, the extension member slides against the engaging constituent (hook), which creates friction. Said friction translates to resistance against movement of the FHE device, dampening it. In this fashion, said device moves slower and with more control, avoiding unintended, sudden thrusts. This would be similar to billiard player holding a billiard stick with both hands, where one hand grabs the end of the stick to push or pull the stick, and the fingers other the hand form a kind of hook around the front end of the stick for dampened, finer control of the stick movement. Said suction cup hook can also serve as a stationary barrier for soft and hard stops, as explained below. Said reversible attaching constituent can be a suction cup, a magnet (with counterpart iron plate or magnet attached to a sink surface for anchoring the former magnet), a hook and loop type sheeting, an adapter clamp (e.g., as described above), among other types of attachment mechanisms. Said engaging constituent can have the shape of the character “C”, “<”, “[”, or a shape in between the aforementioned characters, that both restricts the sideways movement of an FHE device and creates friction when said FHE device slides against it.

Another type of braking mechanism is a stopper, which is an adjustable physical barrier attached to the extension member of an FHE device. Thus, as the FHE device is moved, the stopper moves in the same direction and by the same distance as said FHE device. The stopper can work in conjunction with a stationary physical barrier attached to the sink. The stationary is located directly in the path of stopper as the FHE device is moved. Said stationary barrier can be presented by a dampener braking mechanism; an example (FIG. 20D) is given below. The function of the stopper is to stop the movement of the FHE device, when the stopper encounters the stationary barrier. Typically, the stopper is positioned such that a user-preferred flow rate of tap water is achieved when the stopper encounters the stationary barrier, when pulling the FHE device proximally to turn on tap water. The user-preferred flow rate is typically a lower flow rate that is adequate for most sink activities.

FIG. 20D shows an example of a stopper braking mechanism (O-ring 2006) and a dampener braking mechanism (suction cup hook 2002) working together to provide a finer control of FHE unit 200. Here, O-ring 2006 is attached to part 106, the distal portion of the extension member. Suction cup hook 2002 is attached to sink deck 224, with FHE unit 200 engaged with hook 2003, the engaging constituent of said part 2002. The two braking mechanism work together: suction cup hook 2002 dampens the movement of FHE unit 200 to prevent unintended jerky movements, and O-ring 2006 creates a stop such that the pulling movement of FHE unit 200 is stopped at specific location that corresponds to a user-selected flow rate for the tap water. This dual braking mechanism is described in more detail below.

In the majority of instances, the stopper does not go beyond the stationary barrier, since the user-selected, lower flow rate of tap water provides sufficient water flow for most sink activities. However, occasionally a higher flow rate of tap water may be required, where an FHE device needs to be pulled past the stopper. At least two kinds of stoppers can be used for those instances: a) a soft stop, where the stopper is overcome relatively easily, and b) a hard stop, where the stopper poses a bigger hindrance and takes more effort to overcome. The hard stop can be useful with users with medical or physical limitations that don't have a steady, adequate control over the movement of the FHE device; e.g., a user with advanced arthritis in both hands. The soft stop can be used for users who do not have said limitations. The goal with both soft and hard stops is to set the flow of tap water accurately and reproducibly to the same user-selected flow rate, and to avoid unnecessarily high flow rates of tap water, which would waste water each time it occurred. Said stops can also help with avoiding splashing of higher flow rate of water out of the sink. Both stops can also serve as visual cues for the user, so said user can see when the FHE device is approaching the preferred flow rate as the stopper is getting closer and closer to the stationary barrier. Should a user have two or more preferred flow rates, more stops can be added distal to the first one. Some examples of a soft stop a described below. A soft stop can be converted to a hard stop by using a bigger barrier for the same type of stopper.

FIG. 20A. Main Parts in Braking Mechanisms.

FIG. 20A shows the main parts, by themselves, at higher magnification. Not all parts are used for a particular braking mechanism. Braking mechanisms are not limited to the shown parts in FIG. 20A; shown parts are only examples. From top to bottom, the parts are: FHE unit 200; suction cup hook 2002 comprising suction cup 2001 and hook 2003, a type of dampener; tick mark 2004 on part 106 (distal portion of extension member 107; part 106 is drawn in white), a type of soft stop; O-ring 2006, a type of soft stop; and sleeve 2008, a type of soft stop, that fits snugly on part 106 but can still be adjusted in position. The wavy line above and below part 106 indicate that said part 106 is graphically cropped to fit in the drawing.

FIG. 20B. Braking Mechanism: Suction Cup Hook.

Suction cup hook 2002 in FIG. 20B serves as an example of a dampener-type braking mechanism for FHE unit 200. Said figure shows suction cup hook 2002 attached to sink deck 224, in front of faucet handle 214 and in the horizontal path of FHE unit 200. Said horizontal path, for turning water on or off, is represented by the straight double arrow line to the left of part 106. The ideal position on deck 224 for attaching part 2002 is determined empirically by each user, as it is affected by several variables, including but not limited to the actual flow rate preferred, and the dimensions of faucet handle 214, of sink bowl 218, and of deck 224, among other variables. Typically, hook 2003 of part 2002 is engaged with part 106, preventing further clockwise movement of FHE unit 200 towards the middle of bowl 218. The wavy line on the left side of sink 220 indicates that part of sink 220 was graphically cropped out.

The following explains how suction cup hook 2002 works as a dampener to provide a finer control over FHE unit 200. This braking mechanism becomes engaged when a user pulls on handle 102, which then rotates faucet handle 214 clockwise and thereby starts the cold tap water running. Starting with hook 2003 engaged with part 106, as handle 102 is pulled, part 106 slides against stationary hook 2003. Said sliding translates to friction, which in turn translates to resistance against the pulling motion exerted on handle 102. Said resistance dampens (i.e., slows down) the movement of FHE unit 200. Said resistance can be increased: e.g., by wrapping either hook 2003 or part 106 with materials that create more friction (e.g., a silicone sleeve); e.g., by using a “<” shape hook instead of a “c” shape hook, such that pushing FHE unit 200 harder against said “<” hook (when pulling handle 102) increases the pinching effect on part 106 by the narrowing end of said “<” hook and thus presents increasingly greater resistance against movement of part 106; e.g., other resistance-generating dampening mechanisms. The braking mechanism in FIG. 20B entails only suction cup hook 2002, which dampens the movement of FHE unit 200; no soft or hard stops are implemented.

When said braking mechanism with suction cup hook 2002 is not needed, FHE unit 200 can be disengaged from hook 2003 by first moving FHE unit counterclockwise (to the right) so part 106 is outside hook 2003, and then moving the FHE unit 200 back clockwise (to the left) but over hook 2003. For longer term disengagement of part 106 from part 2003, hook 2003 can be rotated downwards so it is laying on its side on the suction cup 2001. Furthermore, suction cup hook 2002 can be detached and removed from deck 224, as the attachment to sink deck 224 via suction cup 2001 is reversible.

Suction cup hook 2002 is chosen because it is reversibly attached to sink deck 224, via the attaching constituent (suction cup) of part 2002. In other embodiments the attaching constituent can be made of two or more parts, where at least one part is a base attached to the sink and the at least one other part reversibly attaches to said base part(s), where the latter part(s) are either the engaging constituent that engages an FHE device for dampening, or where the latter part attach to an engaging constituent. An example of said embodiment would be an iron base glued or screwed to the surface of the sink, and a hook on a magnet plate as the engaging constituent. This embodiment is still a reversible one as the magnet is strong enough to withstand pulling or pushing by the FHE device when it is moved, but still removable with some effort or with a tool; alternatively, it can be a kind of magnet mechanism that can be engaged or disengaged with a toggle button. The iron base can be covered by a thin protective layer (e.g., made of plastic, silicone, or etc.) to prevent rust and scratching. As another embodiment with a more permanent dampener could be a hinge plate attached permanently to deck 224 (by glue, welding, screws, or etc.). The engaging constituent could be a hook similar to hook 2003, attached permanently to said plate in a way that it could swivel (as in part 2002) or be stationary. There can be other types of dampeners with reversibly or permanently attached engaging constituents and bases attached reversibly or permanently to a sink surface. Some embodiments can be designed for serving also as a barrier for soft or hard stops, described next.

FIG. 20C. Braking Mechanisms: Suction Cup Hook and a Tick Mark.

FIG. 20C is an alternative embodiment of a braking mechanism combination, entailing two different braking mechanisms working together: a dampener and a soft stop. In said figure, the dampener is suction cup hook 2002 depicted in FIG. 20B. In FIG. 20C, the soft stop is a tick mark 2004, marked horizontally (e.g., with a marking pen) across part 106 of FHE unit 200, perpendicular to the long axis of part 106. Here, part 106 is drawn in white rather than the usual black color, so tick mark 2004 can be better visualized. The marked position of tick mark 2004 is such that, when tick mark 2004 is visually aligned with hook 2003 during the pulling of handle 102 (to turn on tap water), a user-selected lower flow rate of tap water is set. Thus, tick mark 2004 represents a visual cue or a visual stop, and therefore a type of soft stop in that it is easily overcome to get to higher flow rates.

The two braking mechanisms work together as follows: part 2002 slows down the movement of part 106 when pulling handle 102 towards user (to turn on water), and part 2004 provides a visual cue as to how far FHE unit 200 is pulled to achieve the user-selected flow rate. The dampening effect of part 2002 also helps to avoid passing over part 2004, as can easily happen with an undampened FHE device during the pulling motion. The position of tick mark 2004 is determined empirically by each user, as it is affected by several variables, e.g., what the preferred flow rate is. If a marking pen is chosen that is water resistant but erasable by a solvent like alcohol, then the position of tick mark 2004 can be readjusted when needed, but then tick mark 2004 persists for some time as it is water resistant. If the user has two or more preferred flow rates for tap water, e.g., low and medium by their own judgement, than a multitude of tick mark 2004 can be marked on part 106 accordingly. Tick mark 2004 can be created in many ways, including but not limited to: i) marking with a marking pen; ii) adding a piece of narrow tape (e.g., electrical tape) that creates a narrow band wrapped around part 106; iii) etching a tick mark into part 106; iv) or etc. Tick mark 2004 can only be a soft stop; it cannot be converted into a hard stop. The straight double arrow to the left of part 106 represents the horizontal path of FHE unit 200, for turning water on or off. The wavy line on the left side of sink 220 indicates that part of sink 220 was graphically cropped out.

FIG. 20D. Braking Mechanisms: Suction Cup Hook and an O-Ring.

FIG. 20D shows an alternative embodiment of a braking mechanism combination, again involving two different braking mechanisms working together: a dampener and a different type of soft stop. In said figure, the dampener is again represented by suction cup hook 2002 depicted in FIG. 20B. Here, the soft stop is represented by O-ring 2006 which is a thin, snug-fitting O-ring that is positioned on part 106. In FIG. 20D, part 106 is again drawn with white color instead of the usual black color so part 2006 can be visualized. O-ring 2006 acts both as a visual and physical soft stop, as explained next.

The two braking mechanisms work together as follows: part 2002 dampens (i.e., slows down) the movement of part 106 when pulling handle 102 proximally to turn on water; part 2006 provides a soft stop, which indicates to the user how far FHE unit 200 should be pulled to achieve the user-selected flow rate. As the FHE device is pulled to turn on water, the user can observe O-ring 2006 approaching hook 2003 all the way until said parts are aligned; this is the visual cue of the soft stop. Said visual cue allows a user to slow down the pulling of handle 102 shortly before the soft stop occurs, to avoid pulling handle 102 past said soft stop. In addition, the dampening effect of part 2002 helps the user to avoid going past the soft stop, by averting unintentional jerky movements of handle 102. Moreover, when said two parts come in contact with each other, the resulting soft stop abruptly stops the pulling motion of handle 102, which is at the point where the user-selected flow rate is set by the FHE device; this is the physical attribute of the soft stop. If the user finishes the intended sink activity with the flow rate set by the soft stop, then tap water can be turned off by pushing the FHE device back (distally). If a higher flow rate of tap water is needed, the user can overcome the soft stop, simply by slightly moving handle 102 so the O-ring can surpass hook 2003 without colliding with it. Said movement can be either upwards or counterclockwise, depending on where the O-ring 2006 encounters hook 2003. Thereafter, the FHE device is pushed back to the OFF position with care to have the distal side of O-ring 2006 bypass the proximal side of hook 2003. As such, O-ring 2006 is not a hard stop.

Furthermore, the fitting of O-ring 2006 on part 106 is fairly snug so it doesn't move easily during use, but not too snug: this way O-ring 2006 can still be re-adjusted to correspond to a different flow rate, if needed. The position of O-ring 2006 on part 106 is determined empirically by each user according to their selected flow rate of tap water, which would typically be a lower flow rate that works from most sink activities. If a user has two or more preferred flow rates, additional units of O-ring 2006 can be added to part 106 accordingly. Optionally, O-ring 2006 can be converted into a hard stop, a barrier that takes more directed effort to overcome, if needed: O-ring 2006 can be made of thicker material so it presents a more elevated hindrance for hook 2003. In FIG. 20D, the straight double arrow to the left of part 106 represents the horizontal path of FHE unit 200, for turning water on or off. The wavy line on the left side of sink 220 indicates that part of sink 220 was graphically cropped out.

FIG. 20E. Braking Mechanisms: a Suction Cup Hook and a Sleeve.

FIG. 20E shows an alternative embodiment of a braking mechanism combination, again involving two different braking mechanisms working together: a dampener and yet a different type of soft stop. In said figure, the dampener is represented again by suction cup hook 2002 depicted in FIG. 20B. Here, the soft stop is represented by sleeve 2008 positioned on part 106, which again is drawn in white color instead of black color so part 2008 can be better visualized. Said sleeve 2008 can be made from various materials, including but not limited to: i) electrical tape wound several times around part 106 to form a lip that serves as a stop; ii) synthetic elastic materials (e.g., rubber, silicone, etc.); iii) or other materials. Like O-ring 2006 in FIG. 20D, sleeve 2008 acts both as a visual cue and a physical stop. Said latter stop is due to the fact that sleeve 2008 provides a slightly elevated “lip” or barrier at its proximal and distal ends.

The two braking mechanisms work together as follows: part 2002 dampens (i.e., slows) down the movement of part 106 when pulling handle 102 towards user (to turn on water), and sleeve 2008 provides a soft stop, which indicates to the user how far FHE unit 200 is pulled to achieve the user-selected flow rate. As the FHE device is pulled to turn on water, the user observes slightly elevated proximal lip of sleeve 2008 approaching hook 2003 all the way until said parts are aligned; this is the visual cue of the soft stop. The dampening effect of part 2002 helps the user to avoid going past the soft stop, by averting unintentional jerky movements of handle 102. When said two parts align (i.e., come in contact with each other), said lip of sleeve 2008 stops the movement of the FHE device, which is at the point where the user-selected flow rate is set by the FHE device; this is the physical stop of the soft stop. If the user finishes the intended sink activity with the flow rate set with the soft stop, then water can be turned off by pushing back (distally) the FHE device. If a higher flow rate of tap water is needed, the user can overcome the soft stop, simply by slightly moving handle 102 so said lip of sleeve 2008 can surpass hook 2003 without colling with it. Said movement can be either upwards or counterclockwise, depending on where said lip of sleeve 2008 encounters hook 2003. Thereafter, the FHE device is pushed back to the OFF position with care to have the distal lip of sleeve 2008 bypass the proximal side of hook 2003. As such, sleeve 2008 is not a hard stop.

Furthermore, the fitting of sleeve 2008 on part 106 is fairly snug so it doesn't move easily during use, but not so snug that it can't be moved with effort to re-adjust it to a different flow rate. This is the case if sleeve 2008 is made of some elastic material (e.g., rubber, silicone, etc.) without any adhesive. If sleeve 2008 is made of an adhesive tape or wrapping, such as electrical tape, it is easiest to first unwrap sleeve 2008 and start with a new strip of adhesive tape or wrapping to form sleeve 2008 at a different location on part 106. The position of sleeve 2008 on part 106 is determined empirically by each user according to their selected flow rate of tap water, which would typically be a lower flow rate that works from most sink activities. If a user has two or more preferred flow rates, additional pieces of sleeve 2008 can be added, with each piece positioned distally in tandem over the previous sleeve 2008 or added piece, to create another slightly elevated lip past the previous one. Optionally, sleeve 2008 can be converted into a hard stop, a barrier that takes more directed effort to overcome, if needed: sleeve 2008 can be made thicker, e.g., by wrapping the electrical tape around part 106 more times or by using thicker material for wrapping around part 106 or to generate a thicker, single-ply sleeve 2008, to elevate the lip of sleeve 2008 higher. The straight double arrow to the left of part 106 represents the horizontal path of FHE unit 200, for turning water on or off. The wavy line on the left side of sink 220 indicates that part of sink 220 was graphically cropped out.

FIG. 21. Different Types of Faucet Handles Connected to FHE Devices.

Overview. FIG. 21 shows 8 common types of faucet handles, connected to different embodiments of the disclosed FHE device. The 8 examples in FIG. 21 represent double handle faucets (one handle for cold and one handle for hot. In each example, the relevant faucet handle controls the cold tap water and is located on the right of the sink, as exemplified in FIG. 21A. (Examples of single handle faucets are shown in FIG. 22 below.) In FIG. 21 each type of faucet handle can connect with several different embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, but only one embodiment is shown as an example. The inset in each figure shows a magnified version of the parts and components involved in connecting an FHE device to a particular faucet type. Furthermore, for both FIGS. 21 and 22, only two types of ties for connecting an FHE unit to a faucet handle are shown: the zip tie crossed lashing and the round lashing. However, these ties are just examples; other types of fastening mechanisms such as, for example, ties, knots, and clamps can be used.

FIG. 21A. Tube-Shape Lever Handle: Connection with a Round Lashing.

FIG. 21A shows FHE unit 820 connected with round lashing to a lever handle 214, which has the same diameter throughout and therefore resembles a tube. Said round lashing can be made with various materials, including band 1322, which represents a non-elastic nylon string. Other non-elastic materials can comprise wire metal, plastic string, twine string, or a hook and loop strip, or etc. Other elastic materials for band 1322 can comprise a band made of rubber, silicone, plastics, or etc. Said band 1322 is shown magnified and by itself, forming a round lashing, in the inset on the top right of FIG. 21A. Said round lashing forms a reversible connection.

FIG. 21B. Concave Lever Handle: Connection with a Transom Knot.

FIG. 21B shows FHE unit 800 connected with a transom knot to concave lever handle 2114. Said handle 2114, shown by itself on the left of the figure, has a larger diameter in the middle that tapers down towards both of its ends; hence it has a concave contour. Said transom knot is made with band 1302, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said band 1302 is shown magnified and by itself, forming a transom knot, in the inset on the top right of FIG. 21B. Said Transom knot forms a reversible connection.

FIG. 21C. Convex Lever Handle: Connection with a Zip Tie Crossed Lashing.

FIG. 21C shows FHE unit 800 connected with a zip tie crossed lashing to a convex lever handle 2124. Said handle 2124, shown by itself on the left of the figure, has a smaller diameter in the middle that ramps up towards both of its ends; hence it has a convex contour. Said zip tie crossed lashing is made by band 1312, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said band 1312 is shown magnified and by itself in the inset on the top right of FIG. 21C. Said lashing forms a reversible connection.

FIG. 21D. Oval Handle: Connection with Clamps.

FIG. 21D shows FHE unit 820 connected with two units of clamp 204 to an oval handle 2134. Said oval handle 2134 is shown by itself on the left of said figure. The horizontally-oriented connection member 825 of FHE unit 820 (as in FIG. 8B) rests on, and parallel to, oval handle 2134 as shown in the FIG. 21D. Then, two units of clamp 204 are tightened around both member 825 and handle 2134. Said clamp 204 has a screw gear that be used for tightening, similar to the mechanism of a hose clamp. A unit of said clamp 204 is shown magnified and by itself in the inset at the bottom left of FIG. 21D. Said clamp 204 can be made of various materials, including metals, plastics, etc. Said clamp 204 can be reversibly tightened, e.g., with a screwdriver. Said connection between FHE unit 820 and oval handle 2134 is reversible.

FIG. 21E. Rhomboid Handle: Connection with a Hook and an Eye Bolt.

FIG. 21E shows FHE unit 830 with connector hook 836, connected to a rhomboid lever handle 2144. Said handle 2144 has an attached eye bolt 838. Said handle 2144, shown by itself on the left of the figure, has a rectangular shape. Said rectangular shape has a larger base at its right end that tapers down towards the left end; hence it has a rhomboid contour. The connection is made by way of hook 836 engaging with eye bolt 838. The attachment of hook 836 to FHE unit 830, and of eye bolt 838 to a faucet handle, is described under FIG. 8C. Hook 836 and eye bolt 838 are shown magnified and by themselves in the inset on the top right of FIG. 21E. Said connection between hook 836 and eye bolt 838 is reversible.

FIG. 21F. Wrist Blade Handle: Connection with a Round Lashing.

FIG. 21F shows FHE unit 820 connected with a round lashing to wrist blade handle 2154. Said handle 2154 is shown by itself on the left side of the figure. Said round lashing is formed with band 1322, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said band 1322 is shown magnified and by itself, forming a round lashing, in the inset at the bottom left of FIG. 21F. Said round lashing forms a reversible connection.

FIG. 21G. Cross Handle: Connection with a Zip Tie Crossed Lashing.

FIG. 21G shows FHE unit 1500 with a closed-loop connector 1509 (from FIG. 15A) connected with a zip tie crossed lashing to a cross handle 2164. Attachment of said connector 1509 to FHE unit 1500 is described under FIG. 15a. The connection is made by way of connector 1509 engaging a lever on cross handle 2164 on the outer tip of said lever, secured with a zip tie crossed lashing. Said zip tie crossed lashing is formed with band 1312, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said band 1312, as well as said connector 1509, are shown magnified and by themselves in the inset at the bottom left of FIG. 21G. Said lashing forms a reversible connection.

FIG. 21H. Cross Handle: Connection with a Hook and an Eye Bolt.

FIG. 21H shows FHE unit 830 with hook 836 connected to eye bolt 838 on cross handle faucet 2174. Cross handle 2174 has its own spout 2180 for cold tap water, and thus is different from cross handle 2164. Said handle 2164 is for cold tap water and shares a common spout with the cross handle for hot water (not shown) and therefore can produce a mixture of hot and cold tap water. Said connection is made by way of hook 836 engaging eye bolt 838. The attachment of hook 836 to FHE unit 830, and of eye bolt 838 to a faucet handle, is described under FIG. 8C. Said hook 836 and eye bolt 838 are shown magnified and by themselves in the inset at the bottom left of FIG. 21H. Said connection between hook 836 and eye bolt 838 is reversible.

FIG. 22. Additional Types of Faucet Handles Connected to FHE Devices.

Overview. FIGS. 22A-F show 6 additional common types of faucets and faucet handles connected to different embodiments of the disclosed FHE device. Each type of faucet and faucet handle can connect with several different embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, but only one embodiment is shown as an example. FIG. 22 shows only two types of ties for connecting an FHE unit to a faucet handle: the zip tie crossed lashing and the round lashing. However, these are just examples; other types of ties, knots, clamps and other fastening mechanisms can be used. FIGS. 22G-L illustrate an example of an adapter, which connects a modified FHE device to a common type of single-handle faucet in a way that allows for another way to rinse the handle of the FHE under the faucet spout. A hinge at the distal end of the adapter allows for horizontal and vertical rotation of the modified FHE device, with the axis of rotations being the hinge assembly that tethers said device at the distal end of the adapter. A latch assembly embedded in the adapter toggles between said device being a) bound and not being rotatable relative to the adapter and b) free and rotatable relative to the adapter.

FIG. 22A. Connection to an Angled Single-Lever Faucet.

The left side of FIG. 22A shows a common type of faucet, single-lever handle faucet 2210, which comprises spout 2216 and angled lever 2214. Said lever 2214 is oriented at an upwards angle when in the off position. The right side of FIG. 22A shows faucet 2210 connected to FHE unit 800 with two units of zip tie crossed lashing, which are formed with band 1312. To form the connection, handle 802 is placed on top of, and parallel to, angled lever 2214. Said connection is then secured with two units of zip tie crossed lashing, each formed with band 1312. Said band 1312 is shown magnified and by itself in the inset on the top left of FIG. 22A. FHE unit 800 can be made with various materials, also comprising a malleable metal like aluminum or stainless steel. Said malleable material can be bent with some effort entailing a tool like a vice but the bent material is strong enough to hold the angle of the bend during operation. By bending said malleable FHE unit 800 at the joint of handle 102 and extension member 804, the angle of handle 802 relative to extension member 804 can be adjusted according to the angle of lever 2214, with the intent of pointing extension member 804 downwards towards the sink bowl (not shown). Said band 1312 can be made with various materials, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said lashings form a reversible connection. Other types of connectors besides a rubber band can be used, e.g., zip ties or hose clamps.

FIG. 22B. Connection to a Horizontal Single-Lever Faucet.

The left side of FIG. 22B shows another common type of faucet handle, single-lever faucet 2220, which comprises spout 2226 and lever 2224. Said lever 2224 is orientated horizontally when in the off position. The right side of FIG. 22B shows lever 2224 connected to FHE unit 800 with two units of zip tie crossed lashing, each formed with band 1312. To form the connection, handle 802 is placed on top of, and parallel to, lever 2224. Said connection is then secured with two units of zip tie crossed lashing, each formed with band 1312. Said band 1312 is shown magnified and by itself in the inset on the top left of FIG. 22A. Said band 1312 can be made with various materials, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A.

FIG. 22C. Connection to Another Angled Single-Lever Faucet.

The left side of FIG. 22C shows another common type of faucet, single-lever faucet 2230, which comprises spout 2236 and lever 2234. In the off position, said lever 2234 is oriented at an upwards angle, and it is also relatively wider (e.g., compared to lever 2214 in FIG. 20A). The right side of FIG. 22C shows faucet 2230 connected to FHE unit 800 with two units of zip tie crossed lashing. To form the connection, handle 802 is placed on top of, and parallel to, lever 2234. Said connection is then secured with two units of zip tie crossed lashing, each formed with band 1312. Said band 1312 can be made with various materials, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. The inset on the top left shows band 1312 magnified and by itself.

FIG. 22D. Connection to a Vertical Single-Joystick Faucet.

The left side of FIG. 22D shows another common type of faucet, single-handle faucet 2240, comprising joystick 2244 and spout 2246. The right side of FIG. 22D shows faucet 2240 connected to FHE unit 800 with one unit of round lashing, formed with band 1322. To form the connection, handle 802 is placed parallel to joystick 2244. Said connection is then secured with one unit of round lashing, formed with band 1322. Said band 1322 can be made with various materials, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said band 1322 is shown magnified and by itself, forming a round lashing, in the inset on the bottom left of FIG. 22D. Said round lashing forms a reversible connection.

FIG. 22E. Connection to a Straight Single-Lever-On-the-Side Faucet.

The left side of FIG. 22E shows another common type of faucet, single-handle faucet 2250, comprising spout 2256 and a single lever 2254. Said lever 2254 is positioned on the side of said spout 2256, and is oriented vertically in the off position. The right side of FIG. 22E shows faucet 2250 connected to FHE unit 800 with one unit of round lashing, formed with band 1322. To form the connection, handle 802 is placed parallel to lever 2254. Said connection is then secured with one unit of round lashing, formed with band 1322. Said band 1322 can be made with various materials, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said band 1322 is shown magnified and by itself, forming a round lashing, in the inset on the bottom left of FIG. 22D. Said round lashing forms a reversible connection.

FIG. 22F. Connection to a Curved Single-Lever-On-the-Side Faucet.

The left side of FIG. 22F shows another common type of faucet, single-handle faucet 2260 comprising spout 2266 and curved single lever 2264. Said lever 2264 is positioned on the side of spout 2266. The right side of FIG. 22F shows faucet 2260 connected to FHE unit 800 with one unit of round lashing, formed with band 1322. To form the connection, handle 802 is placed parallel to lever 2264. Said connection is then secured with one unit of round lashing, formed with band 1322. Said band 1322 can be made with various materials, which can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said band 1322 is shown magnified and by itself, forming a round lashing, in the inset on the bottom left of FIG. 22D. Said round lashing forms a reversible connection.

As mentioned in the description for FIG. 20 above, a magnet can be used as the attaching constituent or the engaging constituent for braking mechanisms. As it relates to FIGS. 21 and 22 above, in a similar fashion a magnet can be used for reversibly connecting an FHE embodiment to a modified faucet handle. The magnet can be either on the FHE device as a connector, or on the modified faucet handle, or on both.

There are several advantages to having a magnetic connection between the FHE device and the faucet handle. First, it makes it easier, faster, and more practical to fit an FHE device to various types of faucet handles that were shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, compared to using ties, fasteners, etc., which take longer and more effort. Second, the magnetic connection is less visible (more aesthetic) than the previous connections discussed. Third, because the magnetic connection is faster and more practical, it can be used in situations where a larger number of users share the same wash sink, for example students living in a dorm with one large bathroom for the whole floor. Each user can have their own FHE device, which can be easily disconnected after use and stored. This helps to minimize cross contamination, especially during flu season or pandemics.

Many models of automatic faucets have a faucet handle on the top or on the side of the faucet, typically for manually adjusting the temperature or the flow rate of the faucet water. Any manual handle, in principle, defeats the purpose of automatic faucets, which is: no contact with user hand. As such, embodiments of the FHE device disclosed here can be connected to the manual faucet handles of automatic faucets, so the manual faucet handles are no longer touched by user. Thus, the benefits of the FHE device are transferred to the automatic faucet, with respect to its manual faucet handle: a) the user can still actuate the manual faucet handle of the automatic faucet, but without leaving any liquid mess or other hand contaminants; b) since the handle of the FHE device is over the sink bowl, it can be cleaned easily; c) easy cleaning means more frequent cleaning, which means less likelihood of germ hot spots, grime, and stains on the handle; the handle on the FHE device is closer to the user, which can be assistive for users with physical limitations (e.g., children) or medical issues (advanced arthritis). Thus, the FHE device can be considered an upgrade accessory for automatic faucets with manual faucet handles.

The descriptions below for modified faucet handle and modified FHE device, and any added components (e.g., joint, magnet, etc.) are meant as examples not as limits or restrictions; other examples are possible. For instance, rather than attaching a magnet to either an FHE device or a faucet handle, instead an elastic, self-closing wrapping band can be wrapped around the magnet when it is held next to the faucet handle. Commercially available formats of such wraps are already in the market, e.g., self-sealing elastic silicone strip, sometimes used for temporarily sealing water pipes that are leaking. Such silicone strips are easy to attach or detach, and they can be used to wrap a magnet around an FHE device or a faucet handle, depending on the embodiment.

Modified Faucet Handle. Because faucet handles are typically not made with ferromagnetic or magnetic materials, for the aforementioned magnetic connection to work the faucet handle has to be modified by, for example: a) making the handle with ferromagnetic materials; b) embedding a piece of ferromagnetic material in the handle where the magnet on the counterpart FHE device connects (towards the outer tip of the faucet handle); c) attaching a ferromagnetic piece externally to the faucet handle; d) embedding a magnetic piece in the faucet handle, close to the outer tip of the faucet handle; or e) attaching a magnetic piece externally to the faucet handle, close to the outer tip of the faucet handle.

For the modifications a), b), and d) above, the original faucet handle can be replaced with a similar model of faucet handle that has been modified to be ferromagnetic or magnetic, as described. For example, if the faucet handle is comprised of a single lever type (e.g., FIG. 2A), the lever can be replaced by unscrewing it and screwing in a modified lever that is ferromagnetic or magnetic, constructed as described.

In some instances, the faucet handle may have a removable decorative piece(s) attached to the end of the handle, sometimes referred to as “handle cap” or “end cap”. Such decorative pieces are often attached to the handle by virtue of a bolt on the decorative piece screwed into the counterpart nut shaped end of the handle, or by other reversible means (e.g., friction fit, etc.). In such instances, the handle cap (or end cap) can be replaced with either a ferromagnetic or magnetic cap, of a similar shape and style of the original decorative piece, or a shape and style optimized for magnetic connection. As an example of the latter, the decorative piece can have a more flattened surface where it attaches to the FHE device, to provide a larger contact area and hence a stronger connection.

Modified FHE Device. For the FHE device to have freedom of rotation in the vertical and horizontal axes, a connector can be used that provides such freedoms of rotation. The FHE device can rotate freely while still maintaining sufficient rigidity to operate the faucet. For example, a universal joint (similar to the commercially available ones) can be used, where the opposite ends can rotate both vertically and horizontally with respect to each other. As an example of attaching a joint to an FHE device, an FHE device with a free end on the side connecting to a faucet handle (e.g., part #800 and 810 in FIG. 8) can be attached to one end of a universal joint. The latter attachment can be permanent (e.g., by welding, gluing, or the whole modified FHE device being generated as one piece) or reversible (e.g., held with side screw). Then a magnet is attached to the other end of the universal joint. The latter attachment can be reversible (e.g., if the joint is ferromagnetic so the attachment is magnetic, or the magnet has a center hole where a small screw can fit through to attach it to the universal joint with a counterpart nut-shaped end). Alternatively, the attachment can be permanent (e.g. the magnet is glued or welded to the joint, or the universal joint is generated with one end having a permanent magnet attached).

The modified FHE device (comprising an FHE device, a joint, and a magnet) can be attached magnetically to a modified faucet handle which has been rendered ferromagnetic or magnetic, as described directly above under “Modified Faucet Handle”. If the modified faucet handle is equipped with a strong-enough magnet to maintain the connection between the modified FHE device and the modified faucet handle, the modified FHE device can have just the ferromagnetic universal joint attached, without a magnet. In that instance, the two respective connecting surfaces (on faucet handle, and on universal joint) can be optimized for better fitting, or for reducing the freedom of rotation of the FHE device in certain directions.

Magnet Characteristics. Whether the magnet(s) is used on just a modified FHE device, just a modified faucet handle, or on both, it has to abide by certain requirements, as follows. The magnet has to be strong enough (in pull force, magnetic field, other relevant parameters) for a stable but reversible connection between a modified FHE device and a modified faucet handle. Specifically, the magnet should maintain the connection between the modified FHE device and the modified faucet handle not just at rest, but also when the modified FHE device is pulled or pushed to rotate the faucet handle to turn faucet water on or off or to adjust the flow rate. And yet the magnetic force is such that the connection is still reversible, so a modified FHE device can be disconnected from a modified faucet handle. Since different faucet handles may require different amounts of torque force to be rotated, the magnetic force can be fashioned to be adjustable and customizable. For example, the magnetic force can be adjusted by incrementally adding or subtracting magnets, as needed for a stable but reversible connection for a particular faucet handle. The magnet shape can be either round, rectangular, or other, depending on the shape of the connecting surfaces or other factors (cost of manufacturing).

Limited Freedom Of Rotation. A modified FHE device, for example when it is connected with a universal joint, has at least 3 possible axes of rotation: a) vertical rotation-handle moving up or down); b) horizontal rotation-handle moving sideways, left or right; and c) longitudinal or axial rotation-handle is twisted so it moves from vertically orientation (pointing to 6 o'clock) to an angled orientation (e.g. pointing to 8 o'clock). Having free rotation in all 3 axes may not always be desirable, and there are ways to restrict some or all.

If it is desirable to limit the freedom of rotation of the FHE device in the vertical axis. Imposing a limit on the vertical rotation can keep the FHE device “floating” slightly above the sink edge so it never touches the edge (for hygienic purposes). In some instances, it may be desirable to limit the horizontal rotation, for example, to prevent the tip of the handle of the FHE device from going past the sink edge. This limitation can be desirable for wash sinks without a counter, like a wash sink on a pedestal. If the horizontal rotation stops when the tip of the handle is on the sink edge, then the point of contact with the sink edge is just the tip of the vertically oriented handle. If the horizontal rotation goes past that point, then the point of contact with the sink edge could be a longer stretch of the extension member. The larger the point of contact, and the further up the extension member it is, the more laborious and/or difficult it would be to clean it. The handle is relatively small, and importantly, easy to position under the faucet spout for rinsing after washing. Hence it is easy and fast to wash.

In one embodiment, limits on the freedom of rotation are imposed by modifying the universal joint that connects the FHE device to the faucet handle. By narrowing the spaces between the two ends of the universal joint, where the two ends make contact, the extent of rotational movement can be limited. In another embodiment movement is limited by adding wrapping material around one or both ends of the universal joint, where the two ends contact each other.

In another embodiment where no universal joint was used, there are limits on rotation in one axes or both. For example, if a modified FHE device with the basic structure of part 820 (FIG. 8B) were used, where the connecting element 826 were magnetic and the faucet handle were ferromagnetic, the horizontal aspect of 826 would allow freedom of rotation vertically (moving the handle 822 up or down), but not horizontally (side to side), with respect to the faucet handle 214 (FIG. 8B). In other words, the handle 822 cannot be rotated CW or CCW without rotating faucet handle 214 with it, unless the magnetic connection was severed. Hence, the structure of an FHE device like 820 would impose a limit to the rotation of the device in the horizontal axis. In such a scenario handle 822 cannot be easily rinsed by horizontal rotation so position it below the faucet spout. If it were still desirable to have the ability to rinse the handle under the spout, a hinge could be introduced in extension member 824. Said hinge could be positioned somewhere between the middle of extension member 824 and the junction where member 824 is bent for connection hook 826. Said hinge could be similar to the hinges on eyeglasses which allow limited horizontal rotation and no vertical rotation. The modification of the universal joint and the structure of the FHE device are but two examples of how limits can be imposed on the freedom of rotation of an FHE device. Other examples and embodiments are possible.

Since magnets typically have smooth surfaces, they can provide axial rotation for a modified FHE device while still maintaining its magnetic connection to a modified faucet handle. In some instances, this axial rotation can be beneficial: if the FHE device has a bend in the middle of the extension member (e.g., part 810 in FIG. 8A), rather than having a straight extension member (e.g. part 800 in FIG. 8A), rotating the FHE device 810 clockwise tends to force it to rest closer to the edge of the sink, while rotating it counterclockwise forces it to rest closer to middle of the sink. Thus, axial rotation enables a user to select, reversibly, where the modified FHE device comes to a rest after shutting off water, for example. Having the FHE device close to the sink edge provides more workable space inside the sink bowl. Having the FHE device closer to the sink center means easier access to the handle and less likelihood of accidentally touching the sink edge when reaching for the handle. On the other hand, some users may prefer that there is no axial rotation at all. This can be accomplished in several ways; an example is to put a light coat of plastic or silicone over the magnet to impose friction.

Storage Stations. A reversibly connectable FHE device, with magnetic connection, can be useful for situations where a larger number of users share the same wash sink. For example, a large-family household, students living in a dorm, soldiers living in barracks, etc. For utmost hygiene, e.g., during a pandemic, each user can be assigned their own modified FHE device, so there is no chance of cross contamination when using the same faucet. In such a situation each modified FHE device needs to be stored away after use, once they are disconnected and preferably placed in a plastic bag for further protection.

In one embodiment, the magnet is on a modified FHE device, and the modified faucet handle is rendered ferromagnetic by one of the mechanisms described above.

In another embodiment the magnet can be on the modified faucet handle, with the counterpart modified FHE device being rendered ferromagnetic as described above. In another embodiment, the two previous embodiments can be combined so there is a magnet on each the modified FHE device and the modified faucet handle, as described for the respective embodiments. In some embodiments, a universal joint can be added to a modified faucet handle to provide freedom of rotation in both vertical and horizontal axes. In some embodiments, the universal joint can be modified during production or post-production to limit the freedom of rotation in one axis or both axes. In some embodiments the freedom of rotation (in one or both axes) can be limited without using a universal joint, as exemplified above. In some embodiments, a hinge-like mechanism can be added to modified FHE devices that do not have a universal joint. In some embodiments, the number of magnets can be changed by the user to adjust the strength of the magnetic pull force (or other parameters of magnetism).

Methods For Magnet-Connected FHE Devices. Regardless of whether the magnet is on the modified FHE device, modified faucet handle, or both, the first step is to connect the modified FHE device to the modified faucet handle if they are not already connected.

If the modified FHE device is stored in a plastic bag, individually wrapped, or in similar protective storage material, it needs to be first taken out so the device is free.

Usage. Once magnetically connected, the modified, magnetically connected FHE device may be used according to the Methods of Use (e.g. Prototype 200 described above). When the modified FHE device is no longer needed, it can be dried, disconnected, and stored as follows. Optionally, it can be disinfected first using an alcohol wipe or a stronger and broader disinfectant wipe.

Drying. The modified FHE needs to be dry to avert germ growth (e.g., mold) during storage. Either it can be left to air dry while still connected to the modified FHE device, or it can be dried by, for example, blotting it with a disposable paper towel or similar drying material.

In a preferred embodiment, the modified FHE is dried before disconnection to prevent water droplets from splattering.

FIG. 22G. Adapter For Single-Handle Faucets.

FIG. 22G shows adapter 2270, which is an intermediary part that connects an FHE device such as device 2280 (FIG. 22H) and common single handle faucets such faucet 2292 (FIG. 22I). In some embodiments, said adapter 2270 comprises eyelet screw 2272, which is screwed into the distal end of plate 2273. Plate 2273 comprises a groove 2274 at its proximal end. To the left of groove 2274 is latch assembly 2278 comprising connecting tube 2276, latch 2275, and lever 2277. Connecting tube 2276 connects lever 2277 to latch 2275. Through a pre-drilled hole in plate 2273, connecting tube 2275 passes through plate 2273, such that lever 2277 is below plate 2273 and latch 2275 is above plate 2273 (FIG. 22G, SIDE VIEW panel). Connecting tube 2275 is slightly narrower in diameter compared to the aforementioned pre-drilled hole, such that connecting tube 2275 can rotate within said hole. In the Top View panel of FIG. 22G, latch assembly 2278 is in the open position, i.e., latch 2275 does not cross over groove 2274. To put latch assembly 2278 in the closed position, lever 2277 is turned clockwise to turn latch 2275 clockwise until it is perpendicular to and over groove 2274. The open and closed positions of latch assembly 2278 are shown also in the Perspective View panels on the left and right in FIG. 22G, respectively. The inset in the Perspective View panels shows the latch assembly 2278 by itself, in the open and closed position, respectively.

FIG. 22H. Modified FHE Device.

FIG. 22H shows modified FHE device 2280 in perspective, top, and side views. In some embodiments, said device 2280 is designed to work with adapter 2270 (FIG. 22G). Device 2280 comprises handle 2282, extension member 2287, and hinge assembly 2289. Extension member 2287 comprises proximal part 2284 and distal part 2286, which are separated by bending point 2285. Hinge assembly 2289 comprises eyelet 2288 and eyelet screw 2272, which are interconnected with each other via the eyelet parts. Eyelet screw 2272 is then screwed into plate 2273 at its distal end, as shown in FIG. 22G. In this fashion, modified FHE device 2280 is connected to adapter 2270, via hinge assembly 2289 (as shown in FIG. 22L).

In some embodiments a simpler adapter can be used, where said adapter prevents the FHE device from unintended rotation along its longitudinal axis. One example of such an adapter (not shown) would be a plate, similar in shape to plate 2273 above, that can rest on the handle of a single-handle faucet and be attached to it as indicated for plate 2273 above. However, said simpler plate has no hinge assembly or latch assembly, but instead is able to hold steady an FHE device. For example, said FHE device can be embedded longitudinally in said plate, such that FHE device has no freedom of rotation independent of the simpler adapter.

FIG. 22I. Example of Single-Handle Faucet.

FIG. 22I shows a common type of single-handle faucets, faucet 2290. In some embodiments, said faucet 2290 comprises faucet handle 2292 and faucet spout 2294. Said handle 2292 comprises a flat top. Adapter 2270 (FIG. 22G), which has a flat bottom, can stably be situated over handle 2292, without any wobbling. For single-handle faucets that have a curved handle, either an adapter can be built that is similar to adapter 2270 but has a curved plate, or appropriately curved rubber (or silicone) sheets can be used to compensate for the curvature of said handle.

FIG. 22J. Connection Between a Modified FHE Device, Adapter, and Single-Handle Faucet.

FIG. 22J shows adapter 2270, which is an intermediary part that connects an FHE device such as device 2280 (FIG. 22H) and common single handle faucets such faucet 2292 (FIG. 22I). The purpose of adapter 2270 is to provide another way for the handle of device 2280 to be rinsed directly below the faucet spout. In other words, it provides additional freedom of movement to device 2280, such that it can be rotated independent of the faucet handle to position the handle below the spout.

As can be seen, for example, with FIG. 22C, in some embodiments of the disclosed FHE device attached to single-handle faucets, it can be difficult to directly position the handle below the spout.

To resolve this, additional adapters can be used to allow rotation. For example, adapter 2270 comprises eyelet plate 2273, groove 2274, and latch assembly 2278. Eyelet screw 2272 is only shown for reference; it is part of the hinge assembly 2289 (FIG. 22H). Latch assembly 2278 comprises connecting tube 2276, latch 2275, and lever 2277. Connecting tube 2276 connects lever 2277 to latch 2275. Through a pre-drilled hole in plate 2273, connecting tube 2275 passes through plate 2273, such that lever 2277 is below plate 2273 and latch 2275 is above plate 2273 (FIG. 22G, SIDE VIEW panel). Groove 2274 is at the proximal end of plate 2273. Latch assembly 2278 is also at the proximal end of plate 2273, and to the left of groove 2274.

Connecting tube 2275 is slightly narrower in diameter compared to the aforementioned pre-drilled hole, such that connecting tube 2275 can rotate within said hole. In the Top View panel of FIG. 22G, latch assembly 2278 is in the open position, i.e., latch 2275 does not cross over groove 2274. To put latch assembly 2278 in the closed position, lever 2277 is turned clockwise to turn latch 2275 clockwise until it is perpendicular to and over groove 2274. The open and closed positions of latch assembly 2278 are shown also in the Perspective View panels on the left and right in FIG. 22G, respectively. The inset in the Perspective View panels shows the latch assembly 2278 by itself, in the open and closed position, respectively.

FIG. 22H. Modified FHE Device.

FIG. 22H shows modified FHE device 2280 in perspective, top, and side views. Said device 2280 is designed to work with adapter 2270 (FIG. 22G). Device 2280 comprises handle 2282, extension member 2287, and hinge assembly 2289. Extension member 2287 comprises proximal part 2284 and distal part 2286, which are separated by bending point 2285. Hinge assembly 2289 comprises eyelet 2288 and eyelet screw 2272, which are interconnected with each other via the eyelet parts. Eyelet screw 2272 is then screwed into plate 2273 at its distal end, as shown in FIG. 22G. In this fashion, modified FHE device 2280 is connected to adapter 2270, via hinge assembly 2289 (as shown in FIG. 22L).

FIG. 22I. Example of Single-Handle Faucet.

FIG. 22I shows a common type of single-handle faucets, faucet 2290. Said faucet 2290 comprises faucet handle 2292 and faucet spout 2294. Faucet 2290 is depicted in the On position, meaning that handle 2292 is lifted to start water running. Accordingly, faucet water 2296 is shown flowing from the outlet of spout 2294.

Said handle 2292 has a flat top. Adapter 2270 (FIG. 22G), which has a flat bottom, can stably be situated over handle 2292, without any wobbling. For single-handle faucets that have a curved handle, either an adapter can be built that is similar to adapter 2270 but has a curved plate, or appropriately curved rubber (or silicone) sheets can be used to compensate for the curvature of said handle.

FIG. 22J. Connection Between Modified FHE Device, Adapter, and Single-Handle Faucet.

FIG. 22J shows modified FHE device 2280, connected to adapter 2270, which is connected to faucet 2290. Said device 2280 is oriented with handle 2282 positioned proximally and hinge assembly 2289 positioned distally. Adapter 2270 is positioned on top of, and parallel to, faucet handle 2292. Adapter 2270 is oriented with hinge assembly 2289 at the distal end of handle 2292, and latch assembly 2278 at the proximal end of handle 2292.

Said device 2280 is connected to plate 2273 of adapter 2270 via hinge assembly 2289, positioned distally on plate 2273. Eyelet screw 2272 of hinge assembly 2289 is screwed into plate 2273. The interconnected eyelets of parts 2272 and 2288 (FIG. 22H) account for the hinge action of assembly 2289, such that device 2280 can be rotated horizontally and vertically with respected to plate 2273. This freedom of rotation allows handle 2282 to be positioned directly below the outlet of spout 2294, for example to rinse handle 2282 with faucet water turned on by device 2280.

Hinge assembly 2289 is intentionally placed off-center, on the right side of plate 2273. This makes it easier for modified FHE device 2280 to swing over the right side of adapter 2270, for rinsing handle 2282 (details below). in other embodiments, hinge assembly 2289 can be placed on the left side of plate 2273, if its desirable to swing device 2280 over the left side of adapter 2270.

In FIG. 22J device 2280 is positioned with distal part 2286 resting in groove 2274 of plate 2273, with latch assembly 2278 in the closed position. This secures device 2280 to adapter 2270, such that any vertical or horizontal rotation of device 2280 translates to the same rotational movement of handle 2292.

The connection between adapter 2270 and handle 2292 can be accomplished by various methods (not shown), for example by re-closable zip ties (not shown) securely attached to the bottom of plate 2273. Optionally, a think sheet of silicone (not shown), as wide and as long as plate 2273, can be placed between plate 2273 and handle 2292, to prevent the slipping of adapter 2270 relative to handle 2292. Optionally, a second think strip of silicone (not shown) of same dimensions as those of the first strip can be added below handle 2292 and parallel to the first strip, to prevent slipping of the zip ties or other kinds of wrapping materials across the bottom of handle 2292.

Groove 2274 of adapter 2270 (better seen in FIGS. 22G and 22K) is hidden since device 2280 is securely and snuggly nested in it. The dimensions of the proximal end of groove 2274 are such modified FHE device 2280 (FIG. 22H) can be snuggly nested inside groove 2274, and latch assembly 2278 can be rotated into the closed position with latch 2275 placed perpendicular to and directly above modified FHE device 2280. Thus, at its proximal end, the height and width of groove 2274 is similar to those of device 2280. As such, when latch assembly 2278 is in closed position, latch 2275 is flush with the surface of plate 2273 and perpendicular to device 2280, holding device 2280 securely in groove 2274. Moving distally from the proximal end of groove 2274, the width remains the same but the height is gradually reduced according to the angle of device 2280.

That is because said device 2280 is positioned at a small vertical angle, since hinge assembly 2289 lifts the distal end of device 2280 above plate 2273. Thus there is a small declining angle from the distal end of device 2280 to position in the distal part 2286 directly at the proximal end of groove 2274.

Thus, when viewed from the side (FIG. 22G, Side View panel), groove 2274 has a triangular profile.

With device 2280 resting in groove 2274 and latch assembly 2278 in closed position, any horizontal or vertical rotation of device 2280 translates to an equal rotation of adapter 2270 and hence handle 2292. In this position, device 2280 cannot be moved independently of handle 2292 to allow positioning of handle 2282 below spout 2294 for rinsing. For said rinsing to be possible, first device 2280 has to be moved out of groove 2274, as explained in FIG. 22K.

FIG. 22K. Latch Assembly in Open Position.

FIG. 22K shows the same parts in same orientations as FIG. 22J, except that latch assembly 2278 is in open position. This in turn allows modified FHE device 2280 to be lifted with handle 2282 out of groove 2274. As such, device 2280 can be moved independently of adapter 2270 and hence handle 2292. Due to the hinge action of assembly 2289, device 2280 can now be rotated horizontally and vertically, relative to handle 2292, such that handle 2282 can be positioned below spout 2294. Said positioning is illustrated in FIG. 22L.

FIG. 22L. Positioning the Handle for Rinsing.

FIG. 22L shows the same parts in same orientations as FIG. 22K, except that device 2280 is now rotated horizontally counter clockwise, and vertically downwards, to position handle 2282 below the outlet of faucet spout 2294. In this position, handle 2282 can be rinsed with faucet water. To accomplish said rinsing, device 2280 (in the orientation described in FIG. 22J) is used to turn on cold faucet water 2296 at the minimal flow rate sufficient to rinse handle 2282. Then lever 2277 is turned counter clockwise with the left hand to open latch 2275, allowing device 2280 to be moved out of groove 2274. Once out of groove 2274, device 2280 is rotated counter clockwise (horizontally) and downwards such that handle 2282 is below spout 2294, directly in the path of the flowing faucet water 2296.

Said rinsing is especially useful after washing hands that are potentially contaminated with germs. In that instance, the initial grabbing of handle 2282 to turn on water would have transferred some of the hand germs to handle 2282. After wetting the hands with water, device 2280 is used to turn water off. Then the hands are scrubbed thoroughly and patiently with soap. Before rinsing the hands with water, the soapy fingers either hand are used to also scrub handle 2282 for germ disposal.

Then water is turned on with device 2280 and hands are rinsed. If needed, the flow rate can be reduced with device 2280 (using right hand) for rinsing handle 2282. The washed and rinsed left fingers are used to turn lever 2277 and hence latch 2275 counter clockwise. Device 2280 is lifted out of groove 2274 with the right hand grabbing handle 2282. In the same motion, device 2280 is rotated horizontally and vertically (with the right hand) to position handle 2282 in the path of water flowing 2296 from outlet of spout 2294. This results in rinsing handle 2282. If needed, handle 2282 can be slightly moved back and forth or side-to-side to ensure all areas of handle are rinsed. In the same process, the right fingers holding handle 2282, still soapy, can also be rinsed. When rinsing handle 2282 and the right fingers is finished, device 2280 is swiftly put back in groove 2274 and device 2280 is rotated downwards, forcing handle 2292 to close and thus turning off water 2296. With the clean left fingers, lever 2277 is turned clockwise to turn latch 2275 in the same direction, locking in device 2280 in groove 2274. Now handle 2282 is at the same hygienic level as that of soap-washed hands.

FIG. 23. FHE Devices for Medical Offices, Hospitals, Labs, or Restaurants.

Overview. The main message of FIG. 23 is that the disclosed invention can also be applied in medical offices, hospitals, restaurant kitchens, and other settings where safeguarding against disease-causing germs is a priority. In such settings, often wrist blade faucet handles are used to avoid direct touching of faucet handles with hands. The wrist blade handles can be turned on and off with elbows or wrists, instead of hands. FIG. 23 shows two common types of sinks and corresponding faucets used in the aforementioned settings. FIG. 23A shows a smaller type of sink commonly used in medical exam rooms, such as a physician's office. FIG. 23B shows a larger type of sink commonly used in surgery rooms of hospitals. Either sink type might be also used in restaurant kitchens, as well as in other settings. As explained below, these type of sinks can benefit from the disclosed invention.

FIG. 23A. An FHE Device for a Medical Office (Smaller Sink).

FIG. 23A shows a relatively smaller wash sink 2320 with wrist blade handles, common in many medical exam rooms. Sink 2320 is comprised of bowl 2318, drain 2322, and deck 2324. The attached faucet system is comprised of cold water faucet 2310 with wrist blade 2314, faucet spout 2316, and hot water faucet 2330 with wrist blade 2344. FHE unit 840, shown in the left top inset of FIG. 23A, is comprised of handle 842, extension member 845, and connecting member 843. Said member 843 is comprised of connecting hook 847, rolling pin 848, and end hook 849. Said hook 849 keeps rolling pin 848 from sliding left and off connecting hook 847, and extension member 845 keeps it from sliding right. Despite the limits of sliding to the left or right, rolling pin 848 can still freely spin around the axis of connecting hook 847. Said freedom of spinning when FHE unit 840 to lowered or lifted in the vertical plane, as explained below. The straight double arrow on the left side of extension member 845 represents the directions of pulling and pushing of FHE unit 840, to turn water on and off, respectively.

Two or more units of band 1312 are used to connect FHE unit 840 to wrist blade 2314, by tying a zip tie cross lashing around rolling pin 848 and wrist blade 2314. Band 1312, shown in the top right inset of FIG. 23A, can comprise various elastic or non-elastic materials, as listed for band 1322 under FIG. 20A. Said lashing forms a stable, reversible connection, and is but one example of the many ways that FHE unit 840 can be connected to wrist blade 2314. Other examples include, but are not limited to: reversible zip ties; hose clamps or other types of clamps; other material bands (e.g., rubber bands); or etc. Rolling pin 848 allows FHE unit 840 to be lowered or lifted in the vertical plane, parallel to spout 2316 and perpendicular to the plane of deck 2324. If needed, a left-handed version of FHE unit 840 (not shown) can be connected to the hot water faucet 2330, in the same way it was connected to cold water faucet 2310. Because the faucet system for sink 2320 is mounted on deck 2324, the option is available to add a braking mechanism, such as in the examples described in FIG. 20 above. Instead of FHE unit 840, other embodiments of the disclosed FHE device can also be used for connecting to a wrist blade handle 2314: e.g., FHE unit 820. Furthermore, the connection of FHE unit 840 to wrist blade handle 2314 in FIG. 23A is a retrofit connection, in the attempt of adapting an FHE device to an existing sink used in medical offices. Another option would be to swap out the wrist blades with ones that already have a connection mechanism built in (not shown), optionally together with a permanently connected FHE device.

FIG. 23B. An FHE Device for a Hospital, Restaurant, or Lab (Larger Sink).

FIG. 23B shows a larger sink 2370 with wrist blade handles, a common type of sink in many hospital surgery rooms and restaurant kitchens. This type of sink is often used by surgeons for scrubbing in prior to surgeries, and by staff in restaurant kitchens for washing dishes or food prep. It would be also suitable for laboratories, where potentially dangerous chemicals and biologics are handled. Said sink 2370 is comprised of bowl 2368, drain 2372, and deck 2374. The attached faucet system is comprised of cold water faucet 2360 with wrist blade 2364; faucet spout 2366; and hot water faucet 2380 with wrist blade 2384. Said faucet system is mounted to wall 2376, rather than deck 2374. The straight double arrow on the left side of extension member 845 represents the pulling and pushing motion of FHE unit 840, to turn water on and off, respectively.

FHE unit 840 (also shown by itself in the top left inset) is comprised of components described above. A multitude of clamp 204 (also shown in top right inset) can be used to connect FHE unit 840 to wrist blade 2364, by clamping on both rolling pin 848 and wrist blade 2314. Said connection is strong, stable, and reversible, and is but one example of many ways that FHE unit 840 can be connected to wrist blade 2314. Other examples include, but are not limited to, the examples written above in the description for FIG. 23A. Rolling pin 848 allows FHE unit 840 to be lowered or lifted in the vertical plane, parallel to spout 2316 and perpendicular to the plane of deck 2324. If needed, a second FHE unit 840 can be connected to the hot water faucet 2330, in the same way it was connected to cold water faucet 2310. FHE unit 840 can be substituted with other embodiments of the disclosed FHE device, and wrist blade 2314 can be swapped out with modified ones, as described above for FIG. 23A.

Benefits. With the two types of sink described above (sinks 2320 and 2370), attaching FHE unit(s) provides the following benefits:

i) Minimized Liquid Mess. If hands are dripping wet, no liquid mess is dripped over faucets 2310 and 2330, spout 2316, or deck 2324. ii) Minimized Contamination. When using an FHE device, the wrist blades will not get dirty or contaminated, as only the handle is ever touched. Conventional wrist blade faucets rely on the assumption that the wrists or elbows are not dirty or contaminated; this is not always the case. iii) Easier Cleaning. Handles are much easier to clean (e.g., wash with soap, disinfect, etc.), whereas conventional wrist blades and their surrounding areas are cumbersome to clean. iv) Clean After Each Use. Since cleaning of FHE handles is easy, it can be done after every sink activity. This greatly minimizes chances of cross contamination. Conventional wrist blades are generally cleaned once a day or less often. v) Medical Use. Because FHE handles have a smaller area, and because they are easier to access than wrist-blade handles, they are much easier to disinfect (e.g., with disposable disinfectant wipes) before and after use, especially for medical purposes like scrubbing in. Disinfecting after use is a good practice to prevent cross contamination when other users share the same sink, or if one user (e.g., a physician) examines multiple patients per day. vi) Ergonomics. Turning faucets on and off is more ergonomic with an FHE device, since the handle(s) is closer to a user's hand than are conventional wrist blades. Also, with an FHE device it is not necessary to use wrists or elbows, which is not a preferred way of operating faucet handles. vii) Repetition-Friendly. If there is need to turn on and off the tap water several times (e.g., for hand washing), using a wrist blade is relatively cumbersome compared to just pulling and pushing an FHE handle. viii) Water Wastage. Because FHE devices make it easy and practical to turn off water whenever it is not needed, less water is wasted. With conventional wrist blade faucets, it is common to leave water running throughout a sink activity to avoid liquid mess on or around the faucet handle, as well as contamination of the faucet handle. ix) Versatility. With FHE unit(s) attached, a user can still use the wrist blade by itself if desired. Also, an FHE device can be connected to a wrist blade with many types of connectors. It would be simple to use a connector that is easy to engage or disengage. Thus, a connection of an FHE device can be connected temporarily and easily disconnected. As such, with sinks used for medical purposes where multiple users share the same sink, each use can have their own dedicated FHE device, or there can be a batch of sterilized, individually wrapped, disposable, one-time use FHE devices for each user. Ith disposable FHE devices, there would be no need for cleaning the FHE device before and after use in most cases, saving time and labor. x) More Options for Medical Use. Beyond disinfecting FHE handles before and after use, other options can be used to ensure aseptic conditions, including but not limited to using disposable disinfectant wipes each time said handle needs to be held by user to control water flow, using disposable grabbers for FHE handles. Said grabber can have a handle at one other end, similar to the FHE handle, and a grabbing constituent at the other end for grabbing said FHE handle. Said grabbing constituent can be a clamp with a reversible trigger, a washer-like or cylinder-like component with a center hole where the vertical segment of an FHE handle can fit through, a horizontally oriented hook that can hook around the vertical segment of an FHE handle, among other types of grabbing mechanisms. The gabbers can be made of plastic or other materials, pre-disinfected, and stored individually and aseptically in wraps.

What If? What happens if a user with germ-laden hands neglects to wash an FHE device with soap and water, or disinfect it, after use? Clearly the FHE handle would be contaminated with germs, which means that in the next round of using the wash sink, either the same user or another user could get the germs from the handle onto their hands. This situation is similar to that with a conventional faucet, where the faucet handle is not routinely washed or disinfected after each use. However, with an FHE device the area of potential contamination is much smaller: the handle is made of a small-diameter rod, compared to the typical conventional faucet handles that are both wider and longer, and thus provide a larger area for germ contamination. As such, less contamination would be transferred back to the hand with an FHE device compared to a conventional faucet handle. In addition, as soon as one the future users wash the FHE handle with soap and water (e.g., after handwashing), the contamination is reduced to that of a soap-washed hands. This could even be the next round of use. Conversely, with conventional faucets, the faucet handles are washed, sanitized, or disinfected typically once a day, sometimes less often than that. Thus, the probability of cross-contamination is much lower with FHE devices than with conventional faucet handles.

And What If? What happens if a user is unable, or neglects, to use an FHE device in such a way that it can save a lot of water, as described in the disclosed Methods of Use? Firstly, the disclosed invention is very versatile in that a user can use the disclosed FHE device and braking mechanisms in any manner that they deem fit. For example, the disclosed FHE device can be used at a beginner's level, where only one purpose (e.g., avoiding liquid mess) is pursued. Or it can be used at advanced level, where multiple purposes are pursued: e.g., in addition to avoiding liquid mess, more water conservation and better hygiene. The disclosed Methods of Use were written for the purposes of utmost water conservation, hygiene, and sink tidiness. However, a user may find even better methods that improve the performance of the invention for said purposes, or the user may choose to use easier, more forgiving methods. Hence the high versatility of the disclosed invention. With regards to water conservation, addressed in the previous question: what if, for medical reasons or physical limitations, the hands are not able to repeatedly turn water on and off during activities like toothbrushing or face shaving? The disclosed FHE device can still use less water than conventional faucets. If it is difficult or not possible to repeatedly turn water on and off, the user can still set the flowing tap water at a lower flower rate with the disclosed FHE device, especially in conjunction with one of the disclosed braking mechanisms help with robustly targeting a preferred lower flow rate. For medical conditions (e.g., Parkinson's disease) or physical limitations (e.g., short height and extremities, as with toddlers) which don't allow the operating hand to set the tap water flow rate to a suitable lower rate, the combination of an FHE device and braking mechanism can be very helpful. Also, the members (e.g., the handle) or the overall shape of an FHE device, as well as parts of the braking mechanisms (e.g., switching from a soft stop to a hard stop), can be altered to better assist a particular medical condition or physical condition. Finally, said combination provides additional benefits: reducing liquid mess, reducing the spread of germs, and providing more ergonomic access.

Using the Disclosed Invention with Portable Water Containers.

Rationale. In situations, water is transported to the location of use (e.g., a residence, an outdoor camping site, or etc.). This could be due to lack of potable water from a municipal source, a water well, or harvested and filtered rain water. The disclosed invention can be modified (e.g., with alternative embodiments of the disclosed FHE device) for use with portable water containers that have a spigot. Said spigot performs the same role on a portable water container as a sink faucet does with a wash sink connected to a municipal tap water: controlling the flow of water. A conventional spigot on a portable container has liabilities similar to those of conventional faucets: potential to spread pathogens amongst users; cumbersome to clean after each use; etc. The disclosed invention can address said liabilities. There a various ways of using the disclosed invention system, with some modifications, on a portable water container; the following is one example.

First, said portable water container can be a plain 5-gallon pail with a lid, ideally made of food safe plastic if it is to be used for potable water, equipped with a spigot. Said spigot can be added after procuring said pail. A hole can be drilled on the side of said pail for said spigot, with the hole being close to the bottom of said pail. A second hole can be drilled on side and closer to the top of said pail, for return air as the water level goes lower in said pail during use. Said second hole can be covered with shield mesh to prevent insects from entering said container. Said lid keeps dust and insects out of said pail. Second, said spigot should be compatible with whichever embodiment of the disclosed FHE device is selected. For example, from the many forms of commercially available spigots, a lever-handle spigot can be selected that is similar to lever-type faucet handle 214 in FIG. 2C. Said lever on the spigot would rotate in the horizontal plane that is parallel to the ground, rotating clockwise or counterclockwise to turn the water on or off, respectively, like faucet handle 214. Then an FHE device handle, similar to Prototype 200, can be connected to said spigot handle, in the same way Prototype 200 was connected with interconnected 2-clamp part 204 to faucet handle 214 in FIGS. 2A-C. Said portable container can be set up on a table for easier access, as a wash sink is set up on a bathroom sink counter. On said table, said potable container can be propped up on a custom-made stand so the spigot handle is at about the same height on said table as a conventional faucet handle is on a sink counter. Said table can be equipped with a bowl to collect any sewage temporarily until the collected sewage is discarded. Alternatively, said table can have a circular hole cut out and a bowl with a drain hole, similar to drop-in sink bowl 220 with drain hole 222 in FIG. 2C, can be dropped in over the cut out hole in said table. Said drain hole of said bowl can be connected to a pipe that leads to a portable sewage container below said table. Said sewage container can be a regular 5-gallon pail. Alternatively, said drain hole can be connected to sewage plumbing, like a conventional wash sink is connected to sewage plumbing. Eventually said portable container needs to be refilled with water. In the case of using a 5-gallon pail with a lid, the lid can be lifted off and water from another portable container can be poured into said pail, perhaps with the help of a large funnel. Alternatively, a two-jug system can be used, where the lower jug is a commercially-available dispenser base with a spigot and the upper jug is regular 5-gallon water jug positioned upside down on the dispenser jug. Said dispenser base has a wide opening on top, such that a 5-gallon water jug can be placed inverted on top of said dispenser base to fill it with water. In that set up, when water runs out, a filled 5-gallon water jug can be substituted for the empty jug, as is done with office water coolers. An extension hose can be attached to the spigot such that the water can flow out closer to the bowl, to avoid splashing

The advantages of adding the disclosed invention to the set up for a portable water container described above comprise the following. i) No Direct Touching: the spigot handle, which otherwise could be classified as a high-touch surface and thus a hot spot for pathogens, is never touched directly. ii) Easy Cleaning After Use: handle 102 of Prototype 200, which in this set up functions as duplicate spigot handle but one that is positioned over the bowl, can be easy cleaned (rinse with water, washed with soap and water, and/or disinfected) after each use: handle 102 is closer to the user, it can be positioned directly below said spigot for rinsing, it is smaller in area than most types of spigots and spigot handles, and any resulting sewage from cleaning handle 102 goes into the bowl below it. iii) No Liquid Mess: handle 102 is directly over the bowl so any drippings from user's wet hand 302 or from wetted handle 102 land in the bowl. The above items i) to iii) result in better hygiene and sink tidiness, compared to a portable water container without the disclosed invention.

Embodiments of the Disclosed Invention

While the foregoing and following written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be one embodiment thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above or below described embodiments, methods, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

The embodiment of the disclosed invention can vary depending on application and situation (e.g., a wash sink in a residential bathroom vs. in a hospital surgery room). For example, a wash sink residential bathroom would be: i) as an FHE device: Prototype 200 connected with part 204 to the cold tap water faucet handle 214, which is a lever-type handle; ii) as faucet handle modifications: none; iii) as accessory equipment: foaming soap manual dispenser, glass spray bottle, regular microwave, plastic water cup, 1-gallon plastic water pitcher; 5-gallon pails; to enhance the performance of an FHE device; iv) for braking mechanisms: dual braking mechanism combination comprising suction cup hook 2002 as dampener and electrical tape 2008 as soft stop; v) for Methods of Use, the methods and submethods described under “Methods of Use” above. The specifications for prototype 200 are described next.

FIG. 24. Specifications for One Embodiment of the Disclosed FHE Device.

Overview. The specifications of the embodiment are shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 in FIG. 24, as described below. The specifications were based on the design of one embodiment of the disclosed FHE device, specifically FHE unit 200 (described under FIG. 2). Said specifications were also used to build Prototype 200, as described in Example 1. Prototype 200 was used for qualitative and quantitative evaluations, as described in Examples 2-4, which showed that the disclosed invention was a) enabled, and b) effective and efficacious for the intended purposes of the disclosed invention.

FIG. 24A. Table 1: Length of Constituent Items in FHE Unit 200.

In FIG. 24A, Table 1, entitled “Table 1. Lengths”, shows the length, in inches, of various constituent items of said embodiment. The items comprise the members, parts, and components of said embodiment, identified by item name and item number (label used in above figures) in the first two columns of Table 1. The length of each item is shown in the 3^rd column.

FIG. 24B. Table 2: Angles Between Constituent Items in FHE Unit 200.

In FIG. 24B, Table 2, entitled “Table 2. Angles”, shows the angular specifications, in degrees, of various constituent items of said embodiment. As an angle occurs between two lines, each specified angle is referred to by the two lines that subtend the angle, as referred to in the 1^st column of Table 2. The 2^nd column lists the corresponding angles, in degrees. The structural relationship of each angle and the two corresponding subtending lines are described in the 3^rd column.

FIG. 24C. Table 3: Diameter of Constituent Items in FHE Unit 200.

In FIG. 24C, Table 3, entitled “Table 3. Diameters”, shows the diameters, in inches, of various constituent items of said embodiment. The items are described in the first column, the corresponding diameters are listed in the 2^nd column, and the structural purpose of each items is described in the 3^rd column of Table 3. The items comprise the metal rod, used to make all 3 members of part 100, as well as hose clamp 202. Two units of hose clamp 202 were interconnected to form part 204, which served to connect the FHE device to a faucet handle, as described in Example 1.