Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including supply holder for material – To be mixed – dissolved or entrained in a flowing liquid...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-24
2001-07-24
Scherbel, David A. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including supply holder for material
To be mixed, dissolved or entrained in a flowing liquid...
C239S317000, C239S575000, C239S530000, C015S029000, C601S165000, C401S042000, C433S088000, C433S089000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264119
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for use in cleaning objects using a fluid-based solution. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing a stream of water through the use of a filtering nozzle assembly that can be attached to a faucet.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the area of personal care, as well as in many other areas including, but not limited to, the cleaning of small parts, the ability to provide and to maneuver a small jet of water is desirable. This ability to maneuver a small jet, or stream, of water generally enables the water to be accurately directed at a specific location. By way of example, a small, maneuverable jet of water may be readily directed at a specific target area, thereby enabling the target area to receive the water without wetting surrounding areas.
A maneuverable jet of water is the particularly useful in the area of personal care, e.g., as it pertains to dental hygiene. While personal care products which provide maneuverable jets of water are available, these products typically involve the use or either, or both, electricity and an associated mechanism arranged to pump water. One personal care product intended for dental use is the Water Pik® Personal Dental System, which is a dental appliance that is available commercially from Teledyne Water Pik of Fort Collins, Colo. The Water Pik® Personal Dental System is designed to enable a user to direct a jet of water at his or her teeth in order to dislodge any food particles which may have become lodged around or between his or her teeth. In order to use a Water Pik® Personal Dental System, or a similar system, a user is required add water to a reservoir, which is a part of the system, then provide power, i.e., electricity, to the system in order to activate a pump which pumps water from the reservoir through a hand-held nozzle mechanism. A stream of water is then discharged through the hand-held nozzle mechanism.
While a system such as the Water Pik® Personal Dental System provides a stream of water which a user can maneuver, the use such a system typically involves a large amount of set-up time and effort in order to ready the system for use. Among other set-up tasks, a user must locate an electrical outlet which may be used to power the system. The fact that an electrical outlet must be present in order for the system to be used serves to reduce the portability of the system, thereby limiting the use of the system.
Further, the user must transfer water to the system reservoir from a water source, e.g., a faucet. As the water in the reservoir is used, i.e., as the water in the reservoir empties, the user must add more water to the reservoir in order to continue using the system. Having a supply of water which must repeatedly be replenished increases the overall set-up time, and maintenance time, required to prepare the system for use.
Adjusting the temperature of water used in a system such as the Water Pik® Personal Dental System is also time-consuming. Such a system typically does not provide either a heating mechanism or a cooling mechanism which may be used to vary the temperature of water that is through a hand-held nozzle mechanism of the system. In other words, the system does not provide a user with the ability to vary the temperature of the water in the system. The temperature of water discharged through the hand-held nozzle mechanism is dependent upon the temperature of the water in the system reservoir. Typically, the temperature of the water discharged from the nozzle mechanism is approximately the same as the temperature of the water in the system reservoir. Due to the inability to vary the temperature of the water, it follows that if a user discovers that the temperature of the water in the system reservoir is unsatisfactory, e.g, too hot, in order to correct the situation, the user must either add water of a different temperature to the system reservoir to change the overall temperature of the water in the system reservoir, completely purge and replace the water in the reservoir, or wait until enough time elapses for the water in the system reservoir to be sufficiently cooled. Clearly, the process of achieving a satisfactory water temperature often proves to be rather inefficient.
Since most systems like the Water Pik® Personal Dental System include a pump, some fluids, e.g., salt water, may not be used in the systems due to reliability issues with the pump. Additionally, particulate matter that may be present in water or any other fluid made cause the pump to wear out or otherwise malfunction.
In addition to being useful in the area of personal hygiene, a maneuverable jet of water is also useful in applications involving the cleaning of small tools, as for example jewelry making tools, and small parts, as for example the delicate parts used in making watches. Being able to control a small jet of water provides a user with the ability to clean small tools and parts with some measure of precision. Small, maneuverable jets of water are also typically used in laboratory applications and horticultural applications, as well as many other applications. However, as small, maneuverable jets of water are typically generated by electrical appliances, the use of the small, maneuverable jets of water is somewhat limited in that they may only be used in the proximity of a power source.
In view of the foregoing, there are desired improved methods and apparatus for use in efficiently producing a maneuverable stream of water without requiring a power source or an associated mechanism for pumping water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a filtering spray nozzle assembly which is suitable for coupling to a faucet. According to one aspect of the present invention, a spray nozzle apparatus for dispensing a maneuverable stream of fluid, that originates from a fluid source at a first pressure includes an adapter assembly, a nozzle subassembly, and a flexible tubing. The adapter assembly is mechanically coupled to the fluid source, and is arranged to allow the fluid to flow from the fluid source through the adapter assembly. The nozzle subassembly dispenses the fluid at a second pressure, and includes a fluid intake end and a fluid dispensing end. The fluid dispensing end allows the fluid to flow therethrough in a small, stream-like configuration at the second pressure, and is in fluid communication with the adapter assembly. The flexible tubing allows the fluid to flow through, and is coupled to the fluid intake end of the nozzle subassembly.
In one embodiment, the spray nozzle apparatus includes a filter that is in fluid communication with the flexible tubing and the adapter assembly. The filter allows the fluid to flow therethrough, and also filters particulate matter from the fluid when the fluid flows therethrough. In another embodiment, the adapter assembly includes an outlet coupler, the outlet coupler that is arranged to be coupled to the fluid source, an inlet that is in fluid communication with the nozzle subassembly, a bypass outlet being that permits the fluid to flow through, and a valve that controls the flow of the fluid through the inlet and through the bypass outlet.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for providing a small, maneuverable stream of fluid includes providing fluid originating from a fluid source, providing a nozzle assembly, and providing an adapter assembly. The nozzle assembly includes a body and a fluid dispensing extension that is coupled to the body. The nozzle assembly is arranged to dispense the stream of fluid through the fluid dispensing extension. The adapter assembly is arranged to mechanically couple the fluid source faucet with the nozzle assembly. In one embodiment, the method includes filtering the fluid removes at least some undesirable particles from the fluid.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed desc
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
International Business & Technology Corporation
Nguyen Dinh Q.
Scherbel David A.
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