EP 1 553 340 A1 Europdisches Patentamt European Patent Office (19) 0) (12) Office européen des brevets, (43) Date of publication 18.07.2005 Bulletin 2005/28 (21) Application number: 04000390.7, (22) Date of fing: 10.01.2004 a EP 1 553 340 A1 EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION (61) Inti. F16K 31/62, F16K 35/02 (84) Designated Contracting States: AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FIFRGBGR HU IEITLILU MC NL PT RO SESISKTR Designated Extension States ALLTLV MK (71) Applicants: + Chien, Hsin-Feng Kaohsiung Hsien (TW) + Hwang, Shuen-Shin (72) Inventors: * Chien, Hsin-Feng Kaohsiung Hslen (TW) + Hwang, Shuen-Shin Talchung City (TW) (74) Representative: Cohausz & Florack Patent- und Rechtsanwaite Bleichstrasse 14 40211 Dsseldort (DE) Taichung City (TW) (54) Water-saving device for a faucet (87) Awater-savingdevice fora faucet 21 includes a hose 11 and a control assembly 13 connected to the hose 11 and adapted to be located upstream of the fauoet 21. The control assembly 13 includes a housing 131, @ plunger 192, an operation unit connected to an ‘end portion 129 ofthe plunger 192, and a biasing unit 134 disposed in the housing 131, The housing 131 has Inlet and outlet ports 135, 138, a passage 1310 in fluid ‘communication with the inlet and outlet ports 135, 136, ‘and a valve seat 1311 disposed in the passage 1310 The plunger 132 has a valve portion 1921 to be seated fon the valve seat 1911. The biasing unit 134 moves the valve portion 1821 to a closing position in which tho valve portion 1921 is seated against the valve seat 1811 ‘and the operation unit moves the valve portion 1321 to ‘an open position in which the valve portion 132t is moved away from the valve seat 1311 138 “ 130 FIG.21 EP 1553 340 A1 2 Description [0001] The invention relates to a water-saving device, ‘more particulary lo @ water-saving device for a faucet. [0002] Generally, running water is obtained and con trolled through a faucet, However, when a user forgot to clase or did not close properly the faucet, wator is Ikly to low continuously, andis thus wasted. As such, many kinds of water-saving faucets have been developed to ‘overcome the aforementioned drawback. One such faucet is mounted with a push button-type stop valve, The user simply presses down the faucet to effect flaw ‘of water, which lasts for about 3 o & seconds. Because the flow of water is limited and short, the user usually has to repeatedly press the faucet to accomplish a task, such as washing of the hands, so that the faucet with the push button-type stop valve is relatively inconven lent and troublesome to use. [0003] Another known water-saving faucet is mount: (ed with @ sensor, such as an infrared sensor. The usar only has to put his hands in front ofthe faucet to effect continuous flow of the water. When the user's hands are removed from the faucet, the water stops flowing, One of the drawbacks associated with this kindof faucet is that the sensitivity ofthe sensor deteriorates, it will do lay flow or stop of the water, which similarly rosults in inconvenience during use of the faucel and wastage of the water when the flow of water cannot be timely stopped. [0004] Therefore, the object of the present invention 's toprovidea wator-saving device with an operation unit that can control water flowing to faucet, and that can save water effectively [0005] According o this invention, a water-saving de- Vieo for @ faucet comprises a hose adapted to supply water to the faucet, and a control assembly connected to the hose and adapted tobe located upstream of the faucel. The control assembly includes a housing, a plunger, an operation unit, anda blasing unit, The hous- Ing has an inlet por, an outet port, apassage extending between and in fluid communication withthe iniet and ‘outlet ports, and a valve seat disposed in the passage. The plunger is mounted movabiy within the housing, and has a valve portion to be seated on the valve seat, and ‘an end portion which is opposite tothe valve portion and Which extends outwardly of the housing, The operation Unit is connected tothe end portion of the plunger. Tho biasing unit is disposed in the housing, and biases the valve portion. The biasing unit moves the valve portion to‘ closing position in which the valve portion is seated ‘against the valve see, and the operation unit moves the valve portion to an open position in which the valve por: tion Is moved away from the valve seat. [0006] Other foatures and advantages ofthe present invention will become apparent inthe fllowing detailed {description of the preferredembodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of whic: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frst preferred ‘embodiment of a water-saving device according to the present invention when applied to afaucet on @ sink; Figure 2is a sectional view o the fist preferred em- ‘bodiment, ilustrating @plungerin a closing postion; Figure 3 is a view substantially similar to Figure 2, but showing the plunger when pushed by an oper- ation unt s0 as fo press against a biasing uni; Figure 4 isa view substantially similar to Figure 2 ‘but showing the plunger in an open position, Figure 5 is a fragmentary party sectional view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating a latch ‘momber of a latch unit extending through a latch hole in a housing; Figure 6 isa viow substantially similar to Figure 5, ‘but showing the latch member when moved away {rom the latch hale Figure 7s aporspoctive viow ofa sink incorporating the second preferred embodiment ofawater-saving device according tothe present invention; and Figure 8 is @ sectional view of the second preferred ‘embodiment [0007] Before the present invention is described in ‘greater detail, it should be noted that ike elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure [0008] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the first preferred ‘embodiment of awater-saving device 1 accordingto the present invention is adapted to control water flow to a faucet 21 of a sink 2, ands shown to comprise aninlat hose 11 adapted to supply water to the faucet 21, an ‘outlet hose 12 that isin fluid communication with the faucet 21, and a control assembly 13 connected to the inlet and outlet hoses 11, 12 and adapted to be located Upstream of the faucet 21 [0009] The control assembly 19, as shown in Figure 2, includes a housing 131, a plunger 132, an operation Unf, and a blasing unit 194. [0010] The housing 131 has an inlet port 125 that is in fluid communication withthe inlot hose 11, an outlet pport 136 that is in fluid communication with the outlet hose 12, apassage 1310 extending between andin fluid ‘communication with the inlet andoutletports 11,12, and a valve seat 1311 disposed in the passage 1910. [0011] The plunger 132 is mounted movably within the housing 131, and has @ valve portion 1321 to be seated on the valve seat 1311, an end portion 1923 \which is opposite to the valve portion 1321 and which ‘extends outwardly of the housing 131, and a stem por- tion 1924 (see Figure 9) connected between the end portion 1328 and the valve portion 1321. The valve port jon 1921 has a tapered section 1922 connected to the stom portion 1924, an enlaryod section 1325 (see Fig- Ure 8) formed at one side of the tapered section 1822 ‘opposite to the stem portion 1324, and a slanted shoul dor 1326 (see Figures 2 and 3) that is connected be-3 EP 1553 340 A1 4 tween the tapered section 1322 and the enlarged sec: tion 1925 and that converges from the enlarged section 1825 tothe tapered section 1322. [0012] The housing 191 further has a through hole 4912 (see Figure 3) communicated with the passage 1810 to receive and permit the end portion 1223 of the plunger 1220 extend out ofthe housing 131, anda wall 1819 (see Figure 3) confining the through hole 1312, The end portion 1828 ofthe plunger 192isin slicing con ‘act withthe wall 1313, and has a sealing ring 1927 (see Figure 3) disposed around the end portion 1323 and.be: tween the end portion 1323 and the wall 1813. [0013] The operation unit ie connectedto the end por: tion 1923 of the plunger 132. In this embodiment, the ‘operation unit includes a lever 133 having a pivot end portion 198 connected pivotally to the housing 131 through a pivot pin 14, a free end 199 opposite to the pivot end portion 138, and a press portion 140 between the pivot end portion 138 and the free end 199 to press tho end portion 1323 ofthe plunger 132. [0014] The biasing unit 134s cisposed inthe housing 131, and biases the valve portion 1321 of the plunger 182. Inthis embodiment, the biasing unit 134 is config lured as a compression spring, which has a first end 1841 fixed to the housing 131, and a second end 1342 ‘opposite tothe first end 1341 and abutting against tho valve portion 1821 s0 as to push the valve portion 1321, ‘against the valve seat 1311 and to push outwardly the ‘end portion 1228 of the plunger 132, [0015] Through coordination ofthe lever 199 and the biasing unit 194, the plunger 132 can be moved from a closing postion shown in Figure 2 to an open position shown in Figure 4, Particularly, the biasing unit 134 ‘moves the valve portion 1321 ofthe plunger 182 tothe Closing postion in which the valve portion 1321 issoated ‘against the valve seat 1311 of the housing 131 withthe slanted shoulder 1326 ofthe valve portion 1921 in con tact with the valve seat 1311, whereas the lover 138 of the operation unit presses the end portion 1323 and ‘moves the valve portion 1924 to the open postion in Which the valve portion 1921 is moved away from the valve seat 1311 [0016] When the plunger 132 is disposed atthe clos: ing positon, the inlet and outlet ports 195, 136 are not In fd communication with each other so that water cannot pass trom the inlet port 135 te the outlet port 136, ‘When the plunger 122 ie disposed at tno open position, the inlet and outlet ports 135, 196 are in fuid communi cation with each other so that water can pass through the inlet port 185, the passage 1810, and into the outlet port 138, [0017] Referring once again to Figures 3 and 4, when the plunger 132 moves gradually toward the open post tion, the space between the tapered section 122 ofthe valve portion 1921 of he plunger 132 andthe valvo seat 1311 ofthe housing 131 gradually increases, sothat the ‘amount of water entering the outlet port 196 also in creases, thereby gradually providing a large amount of water outflow, When the plunger 132 is located at the fully open positon, the space between the tapered soc- tion 1822 ofthe valve portion 1321 of the plunger 182 ‘and the valve seat 1311 of the housing 181 is at amax- mum, 0 that the amount of water entering the outlet port 196 is the largest, thereby providing the largest ‘amount of water outflow, Thus, the amount of water en tering the outlet port 198 can be controlled by varying the space between the taperedsection 1822 of he valve portion 1921 of the plunger 182 and the valve seat 1341 fof the housing 131 [0018] Roforring to Figures § and 6, the control as ‘sembly 13 further includes a latch unit 120 disposed on the pivot end portion 198 ofthe laver 133, The housing 131 is formed with a latch hole 197 (see also Figures 2 ‘and 4) between the end portion 1328 of the plunger 182 ‘and the pivot end portion 198 ofthe lever 139 fr receiv Ing the latch unit 120. In this embodiment, the latch unit 120 Inoluds a latch casing 1203 mounted on the lover 133, anda latch member 1301 disposed movably in the latch casing 1903. The latch member 1301 has @ head portion 1904 extending into the latch hole 197, a cap 1308 opposite to the head portion 1304, a shank portion 1805 between the head portion 1904 and the cap 1808, ‘and extending out af the latch casing 1203, anda spring ‘momiber 1902 that is sleeved on the shank portion 1905 between the latch casing 1908 and the cap 1308 and that blases the cap 1306 to move away from the latch ccasing 1308 when the plunger 132 is movedte the clos: ing position. When the plunger 132 is atthe open posi- tion, the latch unit 130s inserted nto the latch hole 137, so that the plunger 192 is positioned thereat, [0019] When water is desired for washing hands, the faucet 21 Is opened first. Then, the user uses his knee (Flag to push the free end 139 ofthe lever 133 toward the housing 131. The press portion 140 ofthe lever 133, In tum, pushes the end portion 1928 of the plunger 132 0 as lo move the plunger 182 to the open position shown in Figure 4. At this time, the plunger 182 com- presses the biasing unit 134 so thatthe biasing unit 184 ‘can store a restoring foree, and the valve portion 1321 Of the plunger 192 is moved away from the valve seat 1811 ofthe housing 131 so that the inlet and autet ports. 135, 196 can communicate fluidly with each other. Sub- sequently, water from the inlet hase 11 flows smoothly through the inlet port 135, the passage 1310, and the ‘outlet port 125, 196, and flows continuously through the ‘outlet hose 12 and out of the faucet 21 [0020] When itis dasicedto stop the flow of wate, the User simply releases the free end 199 ofthe lever 133, The biasing unit 194, al this time, releases ils restoring force to push the plunger 132 to the clesing position ‘shown in Figure 280 as ta block the communication be ‘tween the inlet and outlet ports 135, 138. As such, water from the iniat hose 11 cannot flow through the outlet hose 12, and the faucet 21 stops providing water. The ser can tightly close the faucet 21 afterwards, Even the faucet 21 is not tightly closed, water will nt flow out