Information
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Patent Grant
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6668393
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Patent Number
6,668,393
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Date Filed
Tuesday, July 23, 200222 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, December 30, 200320 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Cook, Alex, McFarron, Manzo, Cummings & Melher, Ltd.
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 004 675
- 004 678
- 004 695
- 004 696
- 137 1193
- 137 1194
- 137 1195
- 137 359
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A height adjustable water spout mounting assembly includes a sleeve having an external threaded surface for deck mounting the sleeve and an internal threaded surface. There is a spout interface formed and adapted to extend above the spout deck with an outer surface which is at least in part threaded and sized to extend within and have its exterior threads interact with the interior threads on the sleeve for relative height adjustment of the spout interface with the spout mounting deck. There is further a height adjustable diverter lift rod associated with the sleeve and spout interface.
Description
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to roman tub faucets and more specifically to a faucet assembly which permits ease of height adjustment after the spout nipple has been installed to the deck of the roman tube. Additionally, the invention pertains to a diverter assembly which is also height adjustable, after the spout has been mounted to the tub deck.
Conventionally, during the rough-in assembly of the spout nipple to a roman tub deck the nipple will be attached to the deck through the use of a mounting nut which threads on the exterior of the nipple from below the tub deck. If subsequently a decorative surface is added to the tub deck, for example granite, marble, or some other decorative material, in the past it was necessary to remount the spout nipple to accommodate the increased thickness of the deck surface which will mount the roman tub spout. The present invention provides a mounting assembly for a roman tub faucet which is height adjustable after the spout nipple has been attached to the sink deck during the rough-in stage.
The mounting assembly includes the spout nipple with an exterior thread for mounting it to the tub deck. The inside of the spout nipple is at least in part threaded and there is a spout interface with an exterior thread. The exterior threads of the spout interface interact with the interior threads of the spout nipple permitted telescopic height adjustment to accommodate for variations in tub deck thickness after installation of the spout nipple.
The invention further provides an adjustable height diverter rod assembly. The diverter assembly extends down through the center of the spout interface and nonrotatably mounted in the diverter body. The upper end of the diverter rod includes a threaded socket and the lift rod includes a threaded end. After positioning of the spout on the spout nipple and onto the tub deck, the lift rod is placed through an opening in the spout and is threaded into the diverter rod to a height appropriate to the deck thickness, taking into account the position of the roman tub spout on the tub deck.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a roman tub spout with an integral diverter and particularly to a roman tub spout assembly which is height adjustable after the rough-in stage.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a telescopic mounting assembly for a roman tub faucet spout which includes a spout nipple and a spout interface which is telescopically adjustable relative to the spout nipple, after the spout nipple has been attached to the roman tub deck.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a simply constructed reliable roman tub mounting assembly which permits height adjustment at the spout location after the spout nipple has been attached to the tub deck.
Another purpose of the invention is a height adjustable diverter assembly for a roman tub spout
Another purpose is to provide a diverter assembly in which the lift rod thereof may be height adjustable after the spout is attached to the sink deck.
Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1
is a side view illustrating the height adjustable diverter spout assembly of the present invention mounted to a sink deck;
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective of the height adjustable diverter spout assembly;
FIG. 3
is a top view of the diverter body; and
FIG. 4
is a vertical section through the height adjustable diverter spout assembly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In
FIG. 1
, the deck of a conventional roman tub is indicated at
10
and the height adjustable diverter spout assembly is indicated generally at
12
and is shown attached to the bottom of the deck through the use of a mounting nut
14
. The diverter assembly extends through the sink deck and a spout
16
is shown mounted on the upper surface of the deck. The purpose of the present invention is to accommodate an increase in the thickness of the tub deck by the addition of a decorative surface to the top of the deck after the rough-in installation. What is shown in
FIG. 1
is the rough-in installation, with the spout added on thereto, but without the addition of a decorative surface. Such an addition would require an adjustment in the height of the spout interface, as will appear in more detail hereinafter.
Focusing on
FIGS. 2 and 3
, the diverter assembly includes a spout interface
18
and a diverter sleeve
20
. The diverter sleeve
20
has an exterior thread
21
to receive the threaded mounting nut
14
. In assembly, the mounting nut
14
will be threaded fast up against the bottom of the sink deck
10
, with a mounting washer
22
and a mounting clip
24
being used to secure the assembly
12
from the upper side of the deck
10
. As shown particularly in
FIG. 2
, the clip
24
will extend into a groove
26
in the diverter sleeve
20
and it will overlie the washer
22
, thus the clip and the washer secure the diverter assembly from the top and the nut
14
secures it from the bottom.
A diverter body is indicated at
30
and will have a hot water inlet conduit
32
and a cold water inlet conduit
34
connected thereto, as shown particularly in FIG.
4
. At the bottom of the diverter body
30
there is a diverter outlet
36
which will direct water to a water discharge apparatus other than the spout
16
, for example, a hand-held spray hose or the like.
The diverter sleeve
20
has an internal lower thread
38
which co-acts with an exterior threaded upwardly-extending boss
40
on the diverter body. There is a seal ring
42
where these elements are joined together. In this manner, the diverter sleeve is attached to the diverter body.
A portion of the interior surface of the diverter sleeve is threaded, as at
44
, with this threaded section terminating in a shoulder
46
. Positioned within the diverter sleeve is the spout interface
18
which has an exterior thread
48
which interacts with the interior thread
44
on the diverter sleeve to permit the spout interface to be telescopically vertically adjustable relative to the diverter sleeve. This vertical adjustment will acconmmodate varying thickness in the tub deck
10
. The interior end of the spout interface
18
includes a flange
50
having a seal ring
52
which bears against the interior smooth surface
54
of the diverter sleeve. The shoulder
46
functions as a stop limiting upward movement of the spout interface once the flange
50
has contacted the shoulder. Thus, it is impossible to remove the spout interface in an upward direction by attempting to adjust it to an excessive height above the tub deck.
Positioned within the interior of the spout interface and the diverter sleeve is the diverter which comprises a diverter rod
56
having a socket
58
at its upper end, with the socket including a threaded nut
60
. Threaded into the nut
60
is a lift rod
62
which has a threaded end which interacts with the nut
60
. This permits vertical adjustment of the lift rod relative to the diverter rod after assembly.
At its lower end the diverter rod
56
is threaded into a diverter rod nut
64
having a hexagonal exterior surface, as shown in FIG.
2
. This hexagonal surface will extend within an oval shaped slot
66
in the diverter body, which thus prevents rotation of the diverter rod nut, and thus the diverter rod, but permits the flow of water about the exterior of the diverter rod nut through the discharge passage
36
.
The diverter assembly further includes a diverter seal
68
held to the diverter rod
56
by a lower seal washer
70
and an upper seal washer
72
. A spring
74
encircles the assembly and normally biases the diverter toward a closing position, rather than the open position illustrated in FIG.
4
. When the diverter is in the closed position, the diverter seal
68
will be closed upon a seat
76
in the diverter body. The upper end of the spring
74
will bottom against a should
78
in a diverter cap
80
. The cap will be threaded into the diverter body, as illustrated in FIG.
4
.
In use, the first step is to mount the diverter assembly to the tub deck
10
. The spout interface will be pushed up through an appropriate opening in the tub deck at a height which would accommodate attachment of the spout
16
. The mounting washer
22
will be placed about the spout interface and then the clip
24
will be positioned in the groove
26
so that the assembly is secured from the top to the tub deck. The mounting washer
14
will then be screwed up against the bottom of the tub deck to complete the rough-in attachment. At this point in time the lift rod has not been assembled to the diverter and the spout has not been attached. At this point a jam nut
82
, which has a threaded section
84
, is slid onto the exterior of the spout interface and pushed down by an appropriate tool until its exterior threads interact with the interior threads
44
on the diverter sleeve and the jam nut extends in a distance where it bottoms upon a shoulder
85
on the spout interface. This prevents someone from pushing on the top of the spout interface and having it turn down into the diverter sleeve to the point where the spout could not be attached to it.
If no decorative surface is to be further added to the tub deck
10
the spout may be attached by a suitable set screw, after which the lift rod
62
will extend down through the opening in the spout and will be threaded into the nut
60
a distance appropriate so that the lift rod will be located above the spout in a position to be grasped by a user. A special tool may be utilized to turn the jam nut in, as the nut has tool receiving openings
86
and the tool may also be used to properly gauge the height of the lift rod above the spout.
If a decorative surface is to be added to the tub deck before the spout is attached, the jam nut may be loosened by the use of the same tool, permitting height adjustment of the spout interface to accommodate the increased thickness of the tub deck. After so doing, the spout and lift rod will be assembled in the manner described previously.
Of particular advantage in the invention is the fact that the diverter sleeve, or spout nipple, as it is often termed, has a telescopic height adjustable spout interface which permits vertical adjustment of the location of the spout relative to the spout nipple after the spout nipple has been roughed in to the roman tub deck. Further, the lift rod is height adjustable relative to the diverter rod, again to accommodate a variation in the thickness of the roman tub deck.
Whereas the invention has been described particularly in connection with a roman tub, it is obvious that the use of an adjustable height spout nipple diverter assembly is equally suitable for other types of plumbing installations, with or without an accompanying diverter.
Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there may be many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto.
Claims
- 1. A height adjustable water spout mounting assembly including a hollow sleeve having an external threaded surface and an internal threaded surface,a mounting nut threadably engapeable with the external threaded surface of the sleeve, a mounting washer surrounding the sleeve and a mounting clip engageable with the sleeve adjacent the mounting washer, the mounting nut, mounting washer and mounting clip cooperating to attach the sleeve to a spout mounting deck, a hollow spout interface formed and adapted to extend above the spout mounting deck and having an exterior surface, at least a portion of which is threaded, and sized to extend within and have its exterior threads interact with the interior threads on the sleeve for relative height adjustment of the spout interface with the spout mounting deck, the sleeve and spout interface defining a water passage therethrough, and a sleeve shoulder formed on one of the interior of the sleeve or the exterior of the spout interface for limiting outward movement of the spout interface relative to the sleeve.
- 2. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting nut is threaded on the exterior of the sleeve and is adapted to be positioned below the sink deck and the mounting clip is adapted for attachment to the sleeve above the sink deck.
- 3. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 1 wherein the sleeve shoulder is on the interior surface of the sleeve, and the spout interface further comprises an outwardly extending flange on an exterior surface of the spout interface, said flange being enpaieable with the sleeve shoulder.
- 4. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 3 wherein the internal threaded surface of the sleeve terminates at the sleeve shoulder.
- 5. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 4 wherein the exterior thread on the spout interface terminates at the flange on the spout interface.
- 6. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 3 further including a seal ring mounted at said spout interface flange and sealing against the interior surface of said sleeve.
- 7. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 1 further including a jam nut engapeable with the spout interface for preventing rotation of the spout interface relative to the sleeve after mounting these elements to a spout mounting deck.
- 8. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 7 wherein said jam nut is slidable on an unthreaded portion of the exterior surface of the spout interface and the jam nut has threads thereon to interact with the interior threaded surface of the sleeve.
- 9. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 8 wherein said jam nut has tool receiving surfaces on an outward portion thereof.
- 10. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 1 further including a diverter body, said sleeve being attached to said diverter body and a diverter assembly extending coaxially within said sleeve and spout interface and having a portion thereof mounting a diverter member to interact with said diverter body.
- 11. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 10 wherein said diverter assembly includes a diverter rod, non-rotatably mounted within said diverter body, said rod carrying said diverter member, and a lift rod adjustably mounted to said diverter rod and extending outwardly from said spout interface and above the spout mounting deck.
- 12. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 11 wherein said diverter rod has a socket, with an internal threaded portion thereon, said lift rod having a portion with an exterior thread thereon, with the diverter rod threaded socket and the lift rod threaded portion providing for adjustable height mounting of the lift rod relative to the diverter rod.
- 13. The water spout mounting assembly of claim 11 further including a diverter rod nut having an exterior polygonal configuration, and a slot in said diverter body for receiving said nut and preventing rotation thereof.
US Referenced Citations (22)