Patent Application
20160177549
The present invention generally relates to water faucets and, more particularly, to a valve body of a water faucet having a long lifespan.
A conventional water faucet generally includes a valve body, a cold water valve cartridge and a hot water valve cartridge. The valve body includes a water outlet pipe seat, a cold water valve seat configured to receive the cold water valve cartridge, and a hot water valve seat configured to receive the hot water valve cartridge. The cold water valve seat and the hot water valve seat each is manufactured vie injection molding and is coupled with a cold water inlet pipe and a hot water inlet pipe defining thread thereon.
However, the external thread of the cold water inlet pipe or the hot water inlet pipe may be damaged in use, which will inevitably shorten lifespan of the water faucet. In addition, a nozzle connecting end of the valve body is configured to be a connector defining external thread, which may adversely affect connection and disconnection of the nozzle.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed, therefore, is to provide a valve body of a water faucet which has a long lifespan.
One object of the present invention is to provide a valve body of a water faucet which has a long lifespan.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a valve body of a water faucet includes a water outlet pipe seat and two water valve seats configured to receive a cold water valve cartridge and a hot water valve cartridge respectively at two ends of the water outlet pipe seat. Each valve seat is formed with a water inlet pipe. Each water inlet pipe is formed with a cooper casing pipe set therearound. Each valve seat is fixed to a corresponding copper casing pipe via injection molding.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the copper casing pipe defines an external thread.
According to one aspect of the present invention, each valve seat includes a valve cartridge receiving portion for receiving a valve cartridge and a water inlet pipe in communication with the valve cartridge receiving portion via an inlet hole. An annular cylinder enclosing the water inlet pipe is provided at the juncture of the valve cartridge receiving portion and the water inlet pipe. One end of the copper casing pipe connected to the valve seat is inserted and sandwiched in a space between the annular cylinder and the water inlet pipe.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the copper casing pipe defines at least one radial connecting holes extending through a sidewall thereof at one end thereof connecting with the valve seat. At least one connecting post is seated in a space between the annular cylinder and the water inlet pipe. Number and size of the connecting post are corresponding to number and size of the radial connecting holes in the copper casing pipe. The connecting post extends through the connecting hole, with two ends thereof fixed to the hot water inlet pipe and the annular cylinder respectively.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the copper casing pipe defines at least one radial positioning notch at one end thereof connecting with the valve seat. At least one positioning blocks is correspondingly formed in a space between the annular cylinder and the water inlet pipe. Number and size of the positioning blocks are corresponding to the number and size of the positioning notches of the copper casing pipe, with each positioning block being suitably fitted with a corresponding positioning notch.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the water inlet pipe defines a number of positioning slots at an outer sidewall thereof adjacent to the valve cartridge receiving portion. The copper casing pipe is formed with a number of protrusions on an inner sidewall thereof adjacent to one end thereof configured to connect with the valve seat. Each protrusion is suitably embedded in a corresponding positioning slot.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the valve body of a water faucet further includes a water outlet pipe connecting seat at a middle portion of the water outlet pipe seat. The water outlet pipe connecting seat and the two valve seats are over molded using the water pipe outlet seat and the copper casing pipe as mold insert.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the water outlet pipe seat is coupled with a clip-on nozzle connecting assembly configured for quickly connecting or disconnecting the nozzle.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the water outlet pipe seat is a single injection molded component which includes a joint seat at a middle portion thereof and two water pipes connected to two ends of the joint seat respectively. The nozzle connecting end of the joint seat is formed with a connector defining an internal thread. The nozzle connecting assembly is connected to the connector defining internal thread of the water outlet pipe seat via thread connection and sealed via a seal ring.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the nozzle connecting assembly includes a connecting pipe, a resilient snapping component and a seal ring. One end of the connecting pipe configured to connect the valve seat is secured to the nozzle connecting end of the water outlet pipe seat. The nozzle connecting end of the connecting pipe is provided with a receiving recess and a receiving slot. The resilient snapping component is a C-shaped ring forming two snapping blocks on an outer sidewall thereof. The resilient snapping component is set around the nozzle connecting end of the connecting pipe and is seated in the receiving recess. The seal ring is correspondingly seated in a receiving slot at the nozzle connecting end of the connecting pipe.
Compared with the prior art, the valve body of a water faucet according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed with a copper casing pipe around each water inlet pipe and is connected to an external water pipe via the copper casing pipe. Therefore, damage to the external thread of the water inlet pipe of the valve body of the water faucet is avoided, and lifespan of the water faucet is remarkably prolonged.
Other advantages and novel features will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with the attached drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention:
Referring to
The water outlet pipe seat 1 is a single injection molded component which includes a joint seat 10 at a middle portion thereof and two water pipes 100, i.e. a hot water pipe and a cold water pipe, connected to two ends of the joint seat 10 respectively. The joint seat 10 can be connected to various kinds of change valves, such as the change valve assembly 6 as illustrated in
Referring to
When being connected to a nozzle, the nozzle is set around the connecting pipe 112. The resilient snapping component 113 deforms inwardly and is squeezed into the receiving recess 115 due to the pressure of the nozzle. When the nozzle slides along the connecting pipe 112 for a certain distance, snapping slots defined in the nozzle register with the two snapping blocks 116 of the resilient snapping component 113. The snapping blocks 116 protrude into the snapping slots of the nozzle due to the resilient force of the resilient snapping component 113, so as to connect the nozzle to the connecting pipe 112. In this case, the two seal rings 114 are sandwiched between the nozzle and the connecting pipe 112. When the nozzle is disconnected from the connecting pipe 112, the snapping blocks 116 are pressed down, and the nozzle can be disconnected from the connecting pipe 112 due to the deformation of the resilient snapping component 113.
The water outlet pipe connecting seat 4 is configured to receive the joint seat 10 of the water outlet pipe seat 1 and connect the water outlet pipe. Structure of the water outlet pipe connecting seat 4 is illustrated in
Referring to
Each copper casing pipe 5 defines a positioning notch 51 and at least one connecting holes 53 at one end thereof connecting the valve seat 2. The positioning notch 51 is a radial positioning notch corresponding to the positioning block 8 of the valve seat 2. The connecting hole 53 is a radial hole extending through the sidewall of the copper casing pipe 5. Number and size of the connecting holes 53 correspond to number and size of the connecting post 7 of the valve seat 2. The copper casing pipe 5 is formed with a number of protrusions 52 on an inner sidewall thereof adjacent to one end thereof configured to connect the valve seat 2. Number and size of the protrusions 52 correspond to the number and size of the positioning slots 211 of the water inlet pipe 21.
Referring to
Compared with the prior art, the valve body of a water faucet according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed with a copper casing pipe 5 around each water inlet pipe 21 and is connected to an external water pipe via the copper casing pipe 5. Therefore, damage to the external thread of the water inlet pipe of the valve body of the water faucet is avoided, and a lifespan of the water faucet is remarkably prolonged. In addition, the nozzle connecting end 11 of the water outlet pipe seat 1 is configured to be a connector defining internal thread. A clip-on nozzle connecting assembly 110 which can be suitably coupled to the nozzle connecting end 11 is provided. Therefore, the nozzle can be assembled and disassembled quickly.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the above description of the preferred embodiments thereof, while the preferred embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way to limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Additional advantages and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will readily appear to those ordinary skilled in the art. Consequently, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and the illustrative examples as shown and described.
