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The disclosure and prior art relates to repair devices and more particularly pertains to a new repair device for repairing a failed shut-off valve.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shut-off valve. The shut-off valve is fluidly coupled between a fluid supply and a plumbing fixture. Thus, the shut-off valve selectively restricts and allows a flow of a fluid to the plumbing fixture. A valve unit is selectively fluidly coupled to the shut-off valve when the shut-off valve fails. Thus, the valve unit selectively inhibits and allows the fluid to flow to the plumbing fixture.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The shut-off valve 12 has an outlet 20. The outlet 20 has an outermost surface 22 and the outermost surface 22 is threaded. The shut-off valve 12 may be a water valve or the like. Moreover, the shut-off valve 12 may have failed internally. Thus, the shut-off valve 12 may no longer be capable of restricting the flow of the fluid 18.
A valve unit 24 is provided. The valve unit 24 is selectively fluidly coupled to the outlet on the shut-off valve 12 when the shut-off valve 12 fails. Thus, the valve unit 24 selectively restricts and allows the fluid 18 to flow to the plumbing fixture 16. The valve unit 24 facilitates a repair of the unregulated fluid flow without having to replace the shut-off valve 12.
The valve unit 24 comprises a fluid valve 26 that has an inlet 28 and an outlet 30. The inlet 28 has a distal end 32 with respect to the fluid valve 26. The outlet 30 has an outer surface 34 and the outer surface 34 is threaded. The distal end 32 of the inlet 28 engages the outlet 30 on the shut-off valve 12. Thus, the fluid valve 26 is in fluid 18 communication with the fluid supply 14. The outlet 30 on the fluid valve 26 threadably engages a fluid line 35 for the plumbing fixture 16.
A handle 36 is provided. The handle 36 is rotatably coupled to the fluid valve 26 and the handle 36 may be manipulated. The handle 36 selectively opens and closes the fluid valve 26. A ferrule 38 is provided and the ferrule 38 is positioned around the inlet 28. The ferrule 38 may be a plumbing ferrule or the like.
A compression fitting 40 is provided and the compression fitting 40 is positioned around the inlet 28. The compression fitting 40 threadably engages the outlet 20 on the shut-off valve 12. The ferrule 38 is compressed between the outlet on the shut-off valve 12 and the inlet 28 on the fluid valve 26. Thus, the ferrule 38 forms a fluid impermeable seal between the outlet 20 on the shut-off valve 12 and the distal end 32 of the inlet 28. The compression fitting 40 may be plumbing compression fitting 40 or the like.
In use, the valve unit 24 is fluidly coupled between the shut-off valve 12 and the plumbing fixture 16 when the shut-off valve 12 fails. The fluid line 35 for the plumbing fixture 16 is removed from the outlet on the shut-off valve 12. Each of the ferrule 38 and the compression fitting 40 are positioned around the inlet 28 on the valve unit 24.
The inlet 28 on the valve unit 24 is manipulated to engage the outlet 20 on the shut-off valve 12. The compression fitting 40 is manipulated to threadably engage the outlet on the shut-off valve 12. The fluid 18 line for the plumbing fixture 16 is manipulated to threadably engage the outlet on the valve unit 24. The handle 36 on the valve unit 24 is manipulated to selectively restrict and allow the fluid 18 to flow to the plumbing fixture 16.
Failed shut-off valves 12 are commonly corroded to the point that manipulating the shut-off valve 12 causes the shut-off valve 12 to be permanently fully open. Moreover, replacing a failed shut-off valve 12 requires a main water supply to be shut off. The main water supply may experience failure due to being manipulated. The valve unit 24 facilitates the unregulated fluid 18 flow to be repaired without manipulating the failed-shut off valve and the main water supply.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, system and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20180087690 A1 | Mar 2018 | US |