Pull-out water sprayer

[0001] The present invention relates to a pull-out water sprayer.

[0002] Water sprayers are known which are connected to a flexible hose so that they can be pulled out of faucets in order to reach different positions, as occurs for example in kitchen sinks, and in a particular embodiment such sprayers convey water with the possibility to provide the output in the form of a central jet or of a peripheral jet following a simple action on an appropriately provided switching device.

[0003] Known sprayers suffer some drawbacks, such as for example a certain difficulty in providing the ducts that convey water from the switching device toward the outlet ports, or a defective mating that is often noticed between the sprayer and the faucet.

[0004] Therefore the aim of the present invention is to provide a sprayer in which such drawbacks are eliminated.

[0005] The proposed aim is achieved by a pull-out water sprayer, comprising a water conveyance body provided, at its inlet end, with means for coupling to a flexible hose comprised within a faucet and associated, at the output end, with a disk that comprises a central port and peripheral ports for the passage of water, said body comprising a switching device that is adapted to provide the access of the water selectively to a first duct, which is connected to said central port, and to a second duct, which is connected to said peripheral ports, characterized in that said water conveyance body is divided into two interconnected sections, each of which comprises a portion of said first and second ducts.

[0006] Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the pull-out water sprayer according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0007] FIGS. 1 and 2 are two, side and front views of the sprayer;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a view of the sprayer fitted on a faucet, with said faucet partially removed for illustration purposes;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view of the sprayer shown in the faucet of FIG. 3;

[0010] FIG. 5 is a sectional view, taken along the line V-V of FIG. 2;

[0011] FIG. 6 is the same sectional view, taken in a different operational configuration;

[0012] FIG. 7 is a prospective view of the lever of the switching device;

[0013] FIGS. 8 and 9 are views of the water conveyance body, respectively in the disassembled condition and in the assembled condition.

[0014] With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates the sprayer provided with means for coupling, in particular a thread 2 for coupling to the end 3 of a flexible hose 4 comprised within a faucet 5.

[0015] More specifically, the thread 2 protrudes from a water conveyance body, generally designated by the reference numeral 6 and described hereinafter, which is comprised within an external enclosure 7.

[0016] The reference numerals 8 and 9 designate two wings that protrude monolithically from the body 6 and are inclined so as to provide substantially portions of screw threads that are designed to enter, following a translational motion in the direction of the axis of the sprayer, respective notches provided in a bush 10, which is locked at the end of the faucet 5, and to make contact, following a rotary motion imparted by the user to the sprayer, with abutments, such as inclined planes that are adjacent to said notches and are also formed within the bush 10: in this way, the wing 8 is designed to enter a notch 8a and make contact with an adjacent inclined plane 8b, while the wing 9, after entering a notch not shown in the figures, is designed to make contact with an inclined plane 9a.

[0017] It clearly appears that the sprayer assumes, during engagement with the faucet 5, a helical motion that leads it to a stable engagement position, with the assurance of making contact with the terminal rim of the faucet 5, thus protecting at the same time functional and aesthetic requirements.

[0018] Obviously, the inclined planes 8b and 9a can be replaced with different abutments, so long as they are capable of ensuring the condition of helical motion of the sprayer as described above.

[0019] The water conveyance body 6 is now described with particular reference to FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and 9; said body is provided, as mentioned, at the inlet of the threaded portion 2, with a connection to the flexible hose 4 and is associated at its output with a disk 11, which comprises a central port 12, provided with a ring 13 for containing an aerator, not shown in the figures, and peripheral ports such as 14.

[0020] It is indeed the association with the disk 11 that achieves the locking of the body 6 with respect to the external enclosure 7, the protrusion 7a whereof remains indeed closed between the body 6 and the disk 11.

[0021] The body 6 accommodates a switching device, which comprises a flow control element 15 associated with a rod 16, which has, at one end, a button 17, and accommodates a lever 18, which is associated with the button 17 at a first end, is pivoted at the body at the center, and is shaped like a further button at a second end 18a; a hood 19, made of an elastic material such as rubber, covers the button 17 and the end 18a of the lever.

[0022] The switching device is per se known; it is enough to note that the situation of FIG. 5 provides the connection, illustrated by the arrows, of an inlet duct 20 to the second duct that conveys the water to ports such as 14, thus achieving the peripheral jet, while the situation of FIG. 6 provides the connection, also illustrated by the arrows, of the inlet duct 20 to the first duct that conveys the water to the port 12, thus providing the central jet.

[0023] The body 6 is divided into two sections, respectively designated by the reference numerals 6a and 6b, each of which contains a portion of said water conveyance ducts: accordingly, the section 6a contains a portion 21a and the section 6b contains a portion 21b of the second duct that conveys water to the peripheral ports, and the section 6a contains a portion 22a and the section 6b contains a portion 22b of the first duct that conveys water to the central port.

[0024] In this manner it is particularly easy to provide said ducts.

[0025] The two sections 6a and 6b are detachably connected to each other by way of connection means that comprise the L-shaped tabs 23 and 24, which protrude from the section 6b and are adapted to enter with a translational motion a notch provided in the section 6a, such as 23a for a tab 23, and to then make contact, as a consequence of a rotary motion, with an inclined-plane contact region that is adjacent to said notch, such as 23b again for the tab 23, obtaining therefrom a helical relative motion of the two sections that causes their engagement: cavities or seats such as 25 and 26, formed respectively in the section 6b and in the section 6a, are intended to be arranged so that they face each other in the position for engaging the two sections that is shown in FIG. 9, so as to allow accommodation of a pin that is adapted to ensure the stability of the coupling.

[0026] The L-shaped element and the corresponding contact region may of course assume any configuration, so long as it is capable of ensuring the above cited helical motion condition.

[0027] Going back now to the switching device, it is noted that the button 17 is associated with the end of the rod 16 by means of a thread, and that a stud 27 is provided that is inserted in the hood region 19 that lies above the end 18a of the lever, so as to provide an element that allows strong tactile identification.

[0028] Finally, on the lever 18 there are two tabs 18b and 18c, which have good elastic characteristics and which, by making contact with the wall of the duct portion 21a ensure stable placement of said lever in every functional condition.

[0029] The described invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations in addition to the ones already mentioned, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims: thus, for example, the notches for the passage of the wings 8 and 9 or of the tabs 23 and 24 may assume any shape.

[0030] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MN2004A000005 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.