Patent Application
20120042963
This application relates to plumbing fittings and more particularly to plumbing fittings that are disposed within walls.
Many homes are equipped with appliances, such as clothes washers, that require hot and cold water for proper functioning. Typically, pipes disposed between wall studs extend towards the washer. In older applications, water supply pipes and a drain pipe were threaded through the drywall. In newer applications, the water inlets and the drain pipe are disposed in a junction box disposed in the wall. Feeder hoses extend from the junction box to the appliance and vice-versa. The supply pipes are valved within the junction box to allow a user to turn the water supply to the washer on and off as needed. The valves are provided to minimize a possibility that a feeder hose from the junction box to the washer would rupture.
Over time, the valves themselves may fail and need replacement. The valves were typically soldered to supply pipe outside the junction box.
According to an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for mounting a valve in a wall has a junction box having an opening for receiving a fluid therethrough, a body disposed within the opening, the body forming a seal for minimizing a flow of fluid through the opening, a first quick connect fitting integrally attaching to the body for removably attaching to a valve within the junction box and a second quick connect fitting integrally attaching to the body for removably attaching to a fluid supply outside of the junction box.
According to another embodiment, an extension pipe is provided to channel water from a supply pipe to a valve within a junction box and attach to the supply pipe and the valve by means of a quick connect fitting.
By using the quick-connect fittings and the right sized junction box, any further replacement of a valve will not require detailed construction or replacement.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
Referring to
Referring now to
Six tabs 70 anchor the junction box 25 to the drywall 19 by means of screws 75 as is known in the art. After the junction box 25 is placed in a hole in the wall, as will be discussed hereinbelow, the screws 75 rotate in holes 77 and into the tabs 70. As the screws 75 rotate, the tabs 70 rotate to become perpendicular to the junction box 25 and are pulled towards the front of the junction box to clamp the drywall between a flange 79 attaching to the front 71 of the junction box 25 and the tabs 70 as is known in the art.
Though use with a clothes washer is contemplated herein, a junction box 25 as disclosed herein may also be usable anywhere fluid, such as water or a gas, is transported for use from inside a wall to outside a wall and control of flow from inside to the outside of a wall is desired.
Some installations, like in basements, require the hot inlet pipe 76 and the cold inlet pipe 78 to descend to the junction box 25 from above. The junction box 25 is then upended so that the drain opening in the top wall 40 of the junction box 25 now extends beneath the junction box and the hot inlet pipe 76 and the cold inlet pipe 78 enter the junction box via the upended bottom wall 45 from above. Drains 65 that attach to drain fitting 66 are disposed downwardly.
The back wall 30 and the sidewalls 35 have a length and width that is longer and wider than the prior art water junction box 12. For example, comparing the drawings of
Referring now to
The hot inlet pipe 76 and the cold inlet pipe 78 end behind the drywall 19. A riser 110 attaches at a riser first quick connect fitting 115 to the hot inlet pipe 76 and at a riser second quick connect fitting 120 attaches to the second male extension 83. The first male extension 82 attaches to the valve 100 having a valve quick connect fitting 125.
A quick-connect fitting, such as a compression fitting, or an easy-to-use fitting such as a SureConnect™ or a Pushconnect™ fitting as may be obtained from BrassCraft Manufacturing Company of Novi, Mich. may be used. Using an easy to use fitting allows a user to easily install the valve 100 and the risers 110 to the inlet pipes 76, 78 without having to manipulate wrenches that may twist and damage pipes in a in a small area. A junction box cover 90 clips on to the front of the junction box 25 as is known in the art.
Although a combination of features is shown in the illustrated examples, not all of them need to be combined to realize the benefits of various embodiments of this disclosure. In other words, a system designed according to an embodiment of this disclosure will not necessarily include all of the features shown in any one of the Figures or all of the portions schematically shown in the Figures. Moreover, selected features of one example embodiment may be combined with selected features of other example embodiments.
The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. The scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.
