US 12,259,046 B2
Water conservation faucets
Sydney Banks, Pacific Palisades, CA (US); Sadie May, Los Angeles, CA (US); Cara Banks, Pacific Palisades, CA (US); and Tessa May, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to NOTCH2O LLC, Sherman Oaks, CA (US)
Filed by NOTCH2O LLC, Sherman Oaks, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 5, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/405,838.
Application 18/405,838 is a continuation of application No. 17/521,562, filed on Nov. 8, 2021, granted, now 11,867,300.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/111,564, filed on Nov. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0142007 A1, May 2, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16K 11/078 (2006.01); E03C 1/04 (2006.01); F16K 37/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 11/0782 (2013.01) [E03C 1/04 (2013.01); F16K 37/0008 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A water conservation faucet, the faucet comprising:
a handle;
a flow valve assembly, the flow valve assembly comprising:
a valve body having a water input and a water output, and
a flow valve disposed in the valve body, the flow valve controlling the flow of water from the faucet with a lever by movement of the lever;
a ball plunger assembly including a ball biased by a spring mechanism, the spring mechanism biasing the ball while also permitting the ball to rotate relative to a plunger body;
a valve body cover positioned over at least a portion of the valve assembly, the valve body cover including an exterior surface and a plurality of detent grooves at least partially encircling the valve body cover, the grooves being sized and configured to receive a portion of the ball when positioned therein,
wherein when the handle is moved from the off position towards the maximum on position, the ball travels along the surface of the valve body cover into a first of the detent grooves and is in the first fixed position, the handle remains in the first position;
wherein during movement of the handle the user feels a tactile sensation through the handle from the ball being seated within the first groove which provides a tactile feedback mechanism indicating to the user that that handle is in the first position;
wherein when the handle is further moved toward the maximum on position, the ball exits the first detent groove and travels along the surface of valve body cover and into at least a second of the detent grooves and is in the second fixed position;
wherein when the handle is further moved to eventually reach its maximum travel and the handle cannot move any further and is at the maximum on position of faucet where the water flow rate is at 100% for the faucet;
wherein the handle continues to provide tactile feedback to the user through the handle indicating the position of the handle as it moves from one of the grooves and into a next one of the grooves; and
wherein in addition to the tactile feedback, the handle provides a visual feedback to the user as the handle remains in the fixed position until the user chooses to move the handle to another position.