Fluid handling – With repair – tapping – assembly – or disassembly means – Assembling – disassembling – or removing cartridge type valve
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-13
2001-04-24
Michalsky, Gerald A. (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
With repair, tapping, assembly, or disassembly means
Assembling, disassembling, or removing cartridge type valve
C004S677000, C137S359000, C137S801000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220278
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an assembly for mounting faucets to a sink, countertop or the like without the need for access to the undersink area.
The installation of faucets had typically required that work be performed by lying on one's back in order to reach dark and cramped undercounter areas. As such, mounting systems were developed for attaching faucets to countertops with less need for access to the undersink area. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,557,288 and 4,760,861. Unfortunately, most of these systems left exposed connections visible to the consumer or required the use of additional components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,749 disclosed a number of faucet assemblies which could be installed from the top of the sink deck. In one embodiment a faucet was provided with a pivotable escutcheon. The faucet was clamped in place on the sink deck by rotating screws having upwardly exposed heads to draw hinge arms tight against the underside of the deck. The escutcheon was then pivoted to cover the exposed heads during normal use of the faucet.
While this system had significant advantages, a force exerted on the escutcheon (e.g. bumping against the escutcheon during cleaning) could cause it to move, thus giving the consumer concern that the faucet was not solidly attached. Furthermore, the escutcheon could rattle if jarred (e.g. if there was water hammer or other vibration in the building).
Thus, a need still exists for an improved top mountable faucet, particularly with respect to systems where the escutcheon is pivotable to hide the attachment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form the invention provides a faucet suitable for mounting on a support of the type having a wall with an opening, a supporting surface at one side of the wall, and a clamping surface at an opposite side. The faucet has a base adapted to be positioned on the supporting surface, a body extending from said base and having a lip spaced from said base, and an escutcheon surrounding the body and interposed between the base and the lip. There is also a locking member interposable between said escutcheon and the lip, and a toggle assembly linked to the base and suitable to be inserted through the support opening to abut against the clamping surface and clamp the faucet on the supporting surface.
When the locking member is interposed between the escutcheon and lip, pivoting of the escutcheon is inhibited. When the locking member is not interposed between the escutcheon and lip the escutcheon may pivot from a first position where it covers a portion of the toggle assembly that extends through the base to a second position where a portion of the toggle assembly extending through the base is exposed.
In preferred forms the locking member is a snap clip which snaps around the body between the lip and the escutcheon, and there is a spacer for filling a gap left by said snap clip between the lip and the escutcheon after the snap clip snaps around the body.
The snap clip holds the escutcheon downward to inhibit its pivoting after the faucet is installed. The spacer completes the aesthetics. By removing the spacer and snap clip, one can move the escutcheon up slightly and then pivot it (thereby providing access to the mounting mechanism to remove the faucet).
An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a top mountable faucet (preferably of the single handle type) that has a pivotable escutcheon for hiding the mounting system, yet which does not permit inadvertent exposure of the internal portions of the faucet, and which minimizes unwanted rattle.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description. In this description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of illustration and not limitation, a preferred embodiment of the invention. Thus, the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4557288 (1985-12-01), Botnick
patent: 4760861 (1988-08-01), Botnick
patent: 5232008 (1993-08-01), Jeffress et al.
patent: 5458154 (1995-10-01), Niemann et al.
patent: 5465749 (1995-11-01), Sauter et al.
patent: 5946746 (1999-09-01), Bloom
patent: 2250865 (1973-11-01), None
Sauter Bruce M.
Seum Michael T.
Kohler Co.
Michalsky Gerald A.
Quarles & Brady LLP
LandOfFree
Top mounting faucet assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Top mounting faucet assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Top mounting faucet assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2534295