초록

A faucet including a faucet head, a body and a magnetic coupling releasably coupling the faucet head to the faucet body.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A liquid dispensing assembly comprising: a supply hose adapted to supply a liquid;a dispensing member fluidly coupled to the supply hose and configured to dispense the liquid, the dispensing member including a first contoured engagement surface having circumferentially spaced convex portions and

1. A liquid dispensing assembly comprising: a supply hose adapted to supply a liquid;a dispensing member fluidly coupled to the supply hose and configured to dispense the liquid, the dispensing member including a first contoured engagement surface having circumferentially spaced convex portions and circumferentially spaced concave portions positioned intermediate adjacent convex portions;a support member having an elongate aperture therethrough configured to slidingly receive the supply hose and to releasably support the dispensing member at one end thereof, the support member including a second contoured engagement surface configured to mate with the first contoured engagement surface, the second contoured engagement surface having circumferentially spaced convex portions and circumferentially spaced concave portions positioned intermediate adjacent convex portions; anda magnetic coupling having a magnet and a magnetically attractive member, one of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the dispensing member and the other of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the support member, the magnetic coupling exhibiting a first magnetic force between the magnet and the magnetically attractive member when the first contoured engagement surface engages the second contoured engagement surface in a first position of the magnetic coupling and a second magnetic force which is less than the first magnetic force when the first contoured engagement surface is rotated to engage the second contoured engagement surface in a second position of the magnetic coupling, the first position defined when the concave portions of the first contoured engagement surface receives the convex portions of the second contoured engagement surface, and the second position defined when the convex portions of the first contoured engagement surface engage the convex portions of the second contoured engagement surface. 2. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a faucet spout and the dispensing member comprises a faucet head. 3. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 2, wherein the faucet spout includes the magnet and the faucet head includes a second magnet, each of the magnet and the second magnet having a magnetic field defining an attracting mode of operation of the magnetic coupling. 4. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 3, wherein the magnetic coupling further includes a second magnetic field defining a repelling mode of operation. 5. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the magnetically attractive member comprises the second magnet, each of the magnet and the second magnet having a magnetic field defining the attracting mode of operation of the magnetic coupling. 6. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the support member includes a connecting portion comprising an arcuate wall axially aligned with the elongate aperture and having a distal end oriented towards the dispensing member, the distal end including the convex portions and the concave portions defining the first contoured engagement surface. 7. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the dispensing member and the support member include a first connector and a second connector, respectively, and wherein the first connector comprises one of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member and supports the first contoured engagement surface, and the second connector comprises the other of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member and supports the second contoured engagement surface. 8. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 7, wherein the first connector comprises two arcuate protrusions spaced apart from each other by two arcuate indentations, the arcuate protrusions and the arcuate indentations defining the first contoured surface. 9. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 8, wherein the first connector comprises an annular wall, and the arcuate protrusions and the arcuate indentations extend axially from the annular wall. 10. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 7, wherein the dispensing assembly exhibits the attracting mode of operation when the magnetic coupling attracts the dispensing member and the support member and the repelling mode of operation when the magnetic coupling repels the dispensing member and the support member. 11. A liquid dispensing assembly comprising: a supply hose adapted to supply a liquid;a dispensing member fluidly coupled to the supply hose and configured to dispense the liquid, the dispensing member including a first contoured engagement surface having circumferentially spaced male portions and circumferentially spaced female portions positioned intermediate adjacent male portions;a support member having an elongate aperture therethrough configured to slidingly receive the supply hose and to releasably receive a portion of the dispensing member at one end thereof, the support member including a second contoured engagement surface rotatably engaging the first contoured engagement surface when the portion of the dispensing member is received by the support member, the second contoured engagement surface having circumferentially spaced male portions and circumferentially spaced female portions positioned intermediate adjacent male portions; anda magnetic coupling having a magnet and a magnetically attractive member and exhibiting a magnetic force, one of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the dispensing member and the other of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the support member, the magnetic force decreasing when the first contoured engagement surface is rotated relative to the second contoured engagement surface from a first position to a second position, the first position defined when the female portions of the first contoured engagement surface receive the mate portions of the second contoured engagement surface, and the second position defined when the male portions of the first contoured engagement surface engage the male portions of the second contoured engagement surface;wherein the support member includes a connecting portion comprising an arcuate wall axially aligned with the elongate aperture and having a distal end oriented towards the dispensing member, the distal end including a convex edge portion and a concave edge portion defining the first contoured engagement surface. 12. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 11, wherein the support member comprises a faucet spout and the dispensing member comprises a faucet head. 13. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 12, wherein the faucet spout includes the magnet and the faucet head includes a second magnet, the magnet and the second magnet each having a magnetic field defining an attracting mode of operation of the magnetic coupling. 14. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 13, wherein the magnetic coupling further includes a second magnetic field defining a repelling mode of operation. 15. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 11, wherein the magnetically attractive member comprises the second magnet. 16. A liquid dispensing assembly comprising: a supply hose adapted to supply a liquid;a dispensing member fluidly coupled to the supply hose and configured to dispense the liquid, the dispensing member including a first contoured engagement surface;a support member having an elongate aperture therethrough configured to slidingly receive the supply hose and to releasably receive a portion of the dispensing member at one end thereof, the support member including a second contoured engagement surface rotatably engaging the first contoured engagement surface when the portion of the dispensing member is received by the support member; anda magnetic coupling having a magnet and a magnetically attractive member and exhibiting a magnetic force, one of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the dispensing member and the other of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the support member, the first contoured engagement surface and the second contoured engagement surface configured to mate in a coupled position of the magnetic coupling and being configured to translate the dispensing member relative to the support member when the dispensing member is rotated to thereby reduce the magnetic force and make it easier to pull the dispensing member away from the support member;wherein the support member includes a connecting portion comprising an arcuate wall axially aligned with the elongate aperture and having a distal end oriented towards the dispensing member, the distal end including a convex edge portion and a concave edge portion defining the first contoured engagement surface. 17. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 16 wherein the support member comprises a faucet spout and the dispensing member comprises a faucet head. 18. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 17, wherein the faucet spout includes the magnet and the faucet head includes a second magnet; the magnet and the second magnet each having a magnetic field defining an attracting mode of operation of the magnetic coupling. 19. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 16, wherein the magnetically attractive member comprises the second magnet. 20. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 16, wherein the dispensing member and the support member include a first connector and a second connector, respectively, and wherein the first connector comprises one of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member and supports the first contoured engagement surface, and the second connector comprises the other of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member and supports the second contoured engagement surface. 21. A liquid dispensing assembly, comprising: a supply hose adapted to supply a liquid;a dispensing member fluidly coupled to the supply hose and configured to dispense the liquid, the dispensing member including a first contoured engagement surface;a support member having an elongate aperture therethrough configured to slidingly receive the supply hose and to releasably receive a portion of the dispensing member at one end thereof, the support member including a second contoured engagement surface rotatably en aging the first contoured engagement surface when the portion of the dispensing member is received by the support member; anda magnetic coupling having a magnet and a magnetically attractive member and exhibiting a magnetic force, one of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the dispensing member and the other of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member supported by the support member, the first contoured engagement surface and the second contoured engagement surface configured to mate in a coupled position of the magnetic coupling and being configured to translate the dispensing member relative to the support member when the dispensing member is rotated to thereby reduce the magnetic force and make it easier to pull the dispensing member away from the support member;wherein the dispensing member and the support member include a first connector and a second connector, respectively, and wherein the first connector comprises one of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member and supports the first contoured engagement surface and the second connector comprises the other of the magnet and the magnetically attractive member and orts the second contoured engagement surface;wherein the first connector comprises two arcuate protrusions spaced apart from each other by two arcuate indentations, the arcuate protrusions and the arcuate indentations defining the first contoured surface. 22. The liquid dispensing assembly of claim 21, wherein the first connector comprises an annular wall, and the arcuate protrusions and the arcuate indentations extend axially from the annular wall.