Vacuum breaker

Abstract

A vacuum breaker includes a hollow bushing with an end in communication with the atmosphere and the other end in communication with at least one water outlet, a check plugger moveably disposed in the bushing, and a sealing sleeve disposed in the bushing adjacent to the upper end of the check plugger. The check plugger falls automatically down by gravity. The check plugger has a conical upper end. The upper end has a closing surface. The sealing sleeve is defined with a central hole receiving the upper end of the check plugger. An inner conical surface is formed in the inner wall of the central hole. The inner conical surface is closely abutted against by the closing surface.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum breaker for plumbing fixtures, and particularly to a vacuum breaker having a check plugger, and the check plugger automatically falls down by gravity in an event of pressure drop in the clean water supply to provide a back flow protection for the plumbing fixtures. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Plumbing codes typically require back flow protection when a plumbing outlet is likely to be adjacent contaminated water. Vacuum breakers provide the back flow protection for plumbing fixtures especially fixtures such as pull out sprayers for kitchen sinks and hand held showers for bathroom use. The vacuum breakers prevent the sprayers and showers from drawing contaminated water into the clean water supply in an event of pressure drop in the clean water supply. When water supply is suddenly stopped, the event of pressure drop of water occurs in the pipe of the plumbing fixtures. If the sprayers or the showers are sim...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a vacuum breaker with a check plugger that automatically falls down by gravity in case of pressure drop, to protect plumbing fixture from back flow. The structure of the vacuum breaker is simple and inexpensive for assembly and manufacture.

Problems solved by technology

When water supply is suddenly stopped, the event of pressure drop of water occurs in the pipe of the plumbing fixtures.

If the sprayers or the showers are simultaneously adjacent contaminated water, the contaminated water may be sucked into the pipe through the sprayers or showers without the back flow protection, and then pollutes the clean water supply.

However, since the check plugger needs to compress initially the resilient member to open the air intake, the vacuum breaker needs an initial pressure to move the check plugger.

Therefore, the resilient member should be made in a precise manner to accommodate with the atmosphere, which is complicated and high cost.

Furthermore, the resilient member is positioned at a moist condition, which affects unfavorably the operation of the resilient member to control opening or closing of the air intake.

Therefore, the conventional vacuum breaker cannot provide a reliable back flow protection for the plumbing fixture.

The contaminated water may still be sucked into the plumbing fixtures and pollutes the clean water supply.

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