The invention relates generally to the field of plumbing fixtures and, more particularly, to a plumbing fixture having a single fitting capable of supporting different types of connections.
Many plumbing fixtures include a spout that is mounted on a deck or wall, wherein the spout interfaces with a tube or shank extending through the deck or wall for connection to water supply pipes on the other side of the deck or the wall. The spout is connected to the water supply pipes through valve assemblies that allow a user to control the flow rate and the temperature of the water delivered through the tube and out the spout. Hoses are used to connect the tube (and, thus, the spout) to the valve assemblies and the valve assemblies to the water supply pipes. The tube has a fitting for interfacing with a hose extending between the tube and the valve assemblies. Similarly, each valve assembly has a pair of fittings for interfacing with the hose extending between the tube and the valve assembly and a hose extending between the valve assembly and a corresponding one of the water supply pipes.
Conventionally, the fitting on the tube and the fittings on the valve assemblies accommodate only one type of connection. For example, a fitting might only accommodate connection to a quick-connect hose. In this case, the quick-connect hose is generally connected to the fitting by interfacing a quick-connect connector on an end of the quick-connect hose with the fitting. Since the quick-connect connector is designed to slide over and lock onto the fitting, no tools are needed for the quick-connect connector to interface with the fitting. The quick-connect connector interfaces with the fitting to form a water-tight connection between the quick-connect hose and the fitting. As another example, a fitting might only accommodate connection to a PEX (i.e., crosslinked polyethylene) hose. In this case, the PEX hose is generally connected to the fitting by sliding the PEX hose over the fitting and then using a tool to crimp a metal ring around a portion of the PEX hose surrounding the fitting, thereby forming a water-tight connection between the PEX hose and the fitting.
A fitting designed to interface with a quick-connect hose will generally not work with a PEX hose, just as a fitting designed to interface with a PEX hose will generally not work with a hose having quick-connect connectors on its ends. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a water delivery component (e.g., a spout tube, a valve assembly) having a fitting that can accommodate different types of connections.
In view of the above, it is an exemplary aspect to provide a water delivery component (e.g., a spout tube, a valve assembly) having a fitting that can accommodate different types of connections.
It is another exemplary aspect to provide a spout shank assembly having a single fitting that can interface with either of a quick-connect hose or a PEX hose.
It is yet another exemplary aspect to provide a valve assembly having a single fitting that can interface with either of a quick-connect hose or a PEX hose.
It is still another exemplary aspect to provide a valve assembly having a first fitting that can interface with either of a quick-connect hose or a PEX hose and a second fitting that can interface with either of a quick-connect hose or a PEX hose.
It is still another exemplary aspect to provide a first water delivery component (e.g., a spout tube, a valve assembly) having a first fitting that can accommodate different types of connections and a second water delivery component (e.g., a spout tube, a valve assembly) having a second fitting that can accommodate different types of connections, wherein the first water delivery component and the second water delivery component can be connected by a hose with the hose being connected to the first fitting with a first type of connection and connected to the second fitting with a second type of connection.
Numerous other advantages and features will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.
The above aspects and additional aspects, features and advantages will become readily apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and:
While the general inventive concept is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the general inventive concept. Accordingly, the general inventive concept is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein.
A water delivery system 100 (see
The hose assembly 500 or 506 forms a conduit that connects the valve assemblies 300 to the spout shank assembly 200 (see
In one exemplary embodiment, the hose assemblies 500, 502 and 504 are quick-connect hoses (see
The spout shank assembly 200 includes, among other components, a nipple body 202 that is a generally tubular body having an inner cavity 204 through which a fluid (e.g., water) can flow (see
The valve assembly 300 includes, among other components, a valve body 302 for housing a valve cartridge 304. As shown in
The input connector 308 is a generally tubular nipple 312 having an inner cavity 314 through which a fluid (e.g., water) can flow. At least a portion of the tubular nipple 312 defines an upper portion 316 and a lower portion 318.
In one exemplary embodiment, a circumference of an outer surface of the upper portion 316 of the tubular nipple 312 is larger than a circumference of an outer surface of the lower portion 318 of the tubular nipple 312. The upper portion 316 of the tubular nipple 312 includes at least one circumferential groove 320. In one exemplary embodiment, a pair of circumferential grooves 320 is located adjacent to one another on the tubular nipple 312 (see
The output connector 310 is a generally tubular nipple 326 having an inner cavity 328 through which a fluid (e.g., water) can flow. At least a portion of the tubular nipple 326 defines an upper portion 330 and a lower portion 332.
In one exemplary embodiment, a circumference of an outer surface of the upper portion 330 of the tubular nipple 326 is larger than a circumference of an outer surface of the lower portion 332 of the tubular nipple 326. The upper portion 330 of the tubular nipple 326 includes at least one circumferential groove 334. In one exemplary embodiment, a pair of circumferential grooves 334 is located adjacent to one another on the tubular nipple 326 (see
After the spout shank assembly 200 is installed in the mounting surface, the spout shank assembly 200 can be connected to a water supply source (e.g. the hot water source 102 and/or the cold water source 104). To connect the spout shank assembly 200 and the water supply source, hosing, piping or other conduit (e.g., the hose assembly 500, 502, 504, 506, 508, 510) extending directly or indirectly from the water supply source is connected to the tubular nipple 208 of the connector 206.
In one exemplary embodiment, at least one valve assembly 300 is installed in the mounting surface so as to be disposed between the water supply source (e.g., the hot water source 102 and/or the cold water source 104) and the spout shank assembly 200 to control delivery (e.g., flow and/or temperature) of the water through the spout shank assembly 200 and out the spout. In one exemplary embodiment, two valve assemblies 300 extend through the mounting surface to allow a user to separately control the flow rate of hot water from the hot water source 102 and cold water from the cold water source 104 through the spout shank assembly 200 and out the spout (see
Once the valve assembly 300 is installed in the mounting surface, the valve body 302 can be connected into the water delivery system 100. In particular, the input connector 308 can be connected to a water supply source (e.g., the hot water source 102 or the cold water source 140) via hosing, piping or other conduit (e.g., hose assembly 502, 504, 508, 510). The output connector 310 can be connected to the spout shank assembly 200 via hosing, piping or other conduit (e.g., hose assembly 500, 506). As noted above, the connector 206 of the spout shank assembly 200 and the input and output connectors 308, 310 of the valve assemblies 300 are multi-attachment fittings operable to interface with hosing, piping or other conduit using at least two different connection methods. For purposes of brevity, only the connector 206 will be described hereafter, as the input and output connectors 308, 310 have similar structure.
In one exemplary embodiment, the connector 206 can interface with hosing, piping or other conduit using a quick-connect method (see
In one exemplary embodiment, the quick-connect hose assembly 500 includes a pair of hose segments 512 for extending between the spout shank assembly 200 and the pair of valve assemblies 300 (see
As shown in
The first area 412 is sized to accommodate a tubular nipple (e.g., the tubular nipple 208, 312, 326) of a multi-attachment fitting (e.g., the connector 206, the input connector 308, the output connector 310). Furthermore, the first area 412 includes a pair of openings 420 for receiving the quick-connect clip 402. The third area 416 is sized to accommodate an upper portion (e.g., the upper portion 212, 316, 330) of a multi-attachment fitting (e.g., the connector 206, the input connector 308, the output connector 310). The fourth area 418 is sized to accommodate a lower portion (e.g., the lower portion 214, 318, 332) of a multi-attachment fitting (e.g., the connector 206, the input connector 308, the output connector 310). The second area 414 is sized to accommodate the hose segment 512 interfacing with the quick-connect connector 400 at the second opening 410 of the tubular body.
The quick-connect connector 400 can be connected to a multi-attachment fitting, such as the connector 206, by sliding the quick-connect connector 400 onto the connector 206. In this manner, the O-rings 218 disposed in the grooves 216 of the connector 206 are received in the third area 416 of the quick-connect connector 400 to form a water tight seal between the connector 206 and the quick-connect connector 400. Insertion of the quick-connect clip 402 into the openings 420 in the quick-connect connector 400 prevents the quick-connect connector 400 from becoming dislodged from the connector 206. Thereafter, the quick-connect hose assembly 500 can be removed from the connector 206 by removing the quick-connect clip 402 and sliding the quick-connect connector 400 off of the connector 206. As noted above, the quick-connect hose assembly 500 could also be connected to and removed from the input connector 308 or the output connector 310 of the valve assembly 300 using similar techniques. Accordingly, no tools are needed to install and uninstall the quick-connect hose assemblies (e.g., the hose assemblies 500, 502, 504) with respect to corresponding multi-attachment fittings.
In one exemplary embodiment, the connector 206 can also interface with hosing, piping or other conduit using a PEX-connect method (see
In one exemplary embodiment, the PEX hose assembly 506 includes three hose segments 516 for extending between the spout shank assembly 200 and the pair of valve assemblies 300 (see
The hose segment 516 of the PEX hose assembly 506 can be connected to the connector 206 by sliding a portion of the hose segment 516 over the lower portion 214 of the connector 206. Once the lower portion 214 of the connector 206 is surrounded by the portion of the hose segment 516, the crimp ring 514 is positioned around the portion of the hose segment 516 surrounding the lower portion 214 of the connector 206. Thereafter, a tool is used to deform (i.e., crimp) the crimp ring 514 to deform the portion of the hose segment 516 surrounding the lower portion 214 of the connector 206. Deformation of the crimp ring 514 forces portions of the hose segment 516 into the space between the circumferential ridges 220 on the lower portion 214 of the connector 206, which forms a water tight seal between the connector 206 and the hose segment 516 of the PEX hose assembly 506. Deformation of the crimp ring 514 also prevents the hose segment 516 from becoming dislodged from the connector 206. Thereafter, the PEX hose assembly 506 can be removed from the connector 206 by removing the crimp ring 514 and the hose segment 516 from around the connector 206. As noted above, the PEX hose assembly 506 could also be connected to and removed from the input connector 308 or the output connector 310 of the valve assembly 300 using similar techniques. Accordingly, tools are likely needed to install and uninstall the PEX hose assemblies (e.g., the hose assemblies 506, 508, 510) with respect to the corresponding multi-attachment fittings.
In view of the above, the connector 206 on the spout shank assembly 200 is a multi-attachment fitting operable to interface with hosing, piping or other conduit using one of at least two distinct connection methods. The input connector 308 on each valve assembly 300 is a multi-attachment fitting operable to interface with hosing, piping or other conduit using one of at least two distinct connection methods. The output connector 310 on each valve assembly 300 is a multi-attachment fitting operable to interface with hosing, piping or other conduit using one of at least two distinct connection methods.
The above description of specific embodiments has been given by way of example. From the disclosure given, those skilled in the art will not only understand the general inventive concept and its attendant advantages, but will also find apparent various changes and modifications to the structures and methods disclosed. For example, although the above exemplary embodiments were described in relation to mounting a spout on a mounting surface, the general inventive concept is applicable to mounting other plumbing fixtures, such as a shower head post or tube. As another example, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the quick-connect and PEX connection techniques disclosed herein are merely exemplary and that the general inventive concept encompasses variations to these connection methods, as well as other connection methods known in the art. It is sought, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the general inventive concept, as defined by the appended claims, and equivalents thereof.