Auto-retracting mechanism for faucet spray head

Abstract

An auto-retracting faucet spray head has an auto-retract mechanism, which includes a docking assembly provided at the end of the faucet body to facilitate automatic retraction and docking of the spray head. The docking assembly includes a spring-loaded mechanism that automatically docks the spray head to the faucet body when an adapter coupled to the spray head engages the docking assembly.

1 . An auto-retracting faucet spray head, comprising:
 a spray head comprising an internal conduit and a plurality of nozzles; and   an adapter coupled to the spray head, the adapter comprising:
 a body defining an internal conduit fluidly coupled to the internal conduit of the spray head; 
 a docking assembly engagement member extending from and concentrically arranged about at least a portion of the body; and 
 a latching rib extending radially away from the body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 1 , wherein the adapter is releasably coupled to the spray head with a threaded coupling. 
     
     
         3 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a hose coupling fluidly coupleable to a faucet hose. 
     
     
         4 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 1 , comprising a latching O-ring arranged in a circumferential depression adjacent to the latching rib. 
     
     
         5 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 4 , wherein the latching O-ring is arranged between the latching rib and a closed end of docking assembly engagement member. 
     
     
         6 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 1 , wherein the docking assembly engagement member is configured to be slidably received between latching jaws and a shell of a docking assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 6 , wherein the docking assembly engagement member is configured to interact with an adapter engagement member of one or more of the latching jaws. 
     
     
         8 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 7 , wherein the docking assembly engagement member is configured to be slidably received in a space between the latching jaws and the shell, wherein the space is open that is open due to a rounded shape of the adapter engagement member. 
     
     
         9 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 6 , wherein the docking assembly engagement member is configured such that interaction between the docking assembly engagement member and the latching jaws causes the latching jaws to pivot to initiate an auto-retraction process. 
     
     
         10 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 9 , wherein the pivoting of the latching jaws causes a gripper ring of the docking assembly 
     
     
         11 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 10 , wherein the latching rib provides a protruding feature configured to be retained by the docking assembly 
     
     
         12 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 1 , wherein the docking assembly engagement member comprises a hollow member comprising a closed end extending radially outward from a portion of the adapter proximate to a spray head coupling of the adapter. 
     
     
         13 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 12 , wherein the hollow member comprises an open end proximate to hose coupling of the adapter. 
     
     
         14 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 13 , wherein the hollow member defines a cavity between the closed end and the open end. 
     
     
         15 . The auto-retracting faucet spray head of  claim 1 , wherein the docking assembly engagement member is cylindrically shaped.