AU2009222434A1 - Plumbing Assembly - Google Patents

Description

ORIGINAL AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention title: "PLUMBING ASSEMBLY" Applicant: Kaddle Pty Ltd Associated Provisional Application No.: 2008904988 The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 "PLUMBING ASSEMBLY" Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plumbing assembly. 5 Background to the Invention When there is a less than water tight seal between a tap breech and a tap body in a plumbing system, a water bleed or weep can occur. Whilst a water bleed or weep of this nature can initially be slow, if left undetected the 10 problem can often exacerbate. In severe cases the problem can result in water damage and mould. In addition to this problem there are difficulties associated with the proper installation of a tap breech in a conventional stud wall with cross members or nogging. For example, if the tap breech is slightly bent or otherwise out of 15 alignment, a plumber typically has little choice but to insert a lever into one or both ends of the breech and use the lever to bend the breech back into alignment. This leverage action can have a damaging effect on both the tap breech and the nogging to which the tap breech is fixed. In some cases the effects of water bleed or weep and leverage can develop 20 into serious issues. Furthermore, with the breech often being inaccessibly positioned behind a painted or tiled wall, the wall often has to be removed to deal with the problem. If screws holding the breech to the logging are pulled out of the nogging, even a little, the breech can become loose. One common solution is to 25 hold the breech in position by friction with the outer tap to the wall. Such a solution becomes an issue when the outer tap becomes loose through use, causing the breech to fall downwardly. If the logging is twisted in a downward direction, nails holding the nogging in position between the studs can also become loose. As access to the 30 nogging and tap breech is often problematic, problems of this nature are 3 difficult to address. Furthermore, tap breeches often comprise two brass inlets and one brass outlet having two copper lengths therebetween. In order to hold the brass fittings and the copper lengths together silver or gas soldering is often used. 5 Soldering of this type can result in the copper being annealed at the joins to the brass. This poses a problem given that using a lever to bend the brass outlets back into alignment often provides a relatively large bending moment at the join to the copper pipe. Even if the breech is straight and the inlets and outlet are in alignment, the 10 breech can still be installed at an inclined angle relative to horizontal. This can occur by either an error in measurement being made by the plumber, relative to the cross member, or due to the cross member itself being inclined relative to horizontal. Even then, the nogging may be positioned too far into the stud wall which would then prevent the taps extending out of the 15 wall by the required amount. Several problems associated with tap breeches have been described and several other problems will be apparent from a reading of the specification as a whole. References to prior art documents in this specification are provided for 20 illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere. Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a tap 25 assembly comprising: a body having a mount for use in fixing the tap assembly to a member, the mount having at least one fixing component for use in firmly fixing the body against a first surface of the member, the body having at least one extension for bearing against a second surface of the member, the second surface being disposed at an angle relative to the first 30 surface, the at least one extension being adapted to bear against the second 4 surface to allow for ready alignment of the mount such that if the member is correctly positioned, the body will be in alignment when mounted to the member. Preferably the angle of the second surface relative to the first surface is 90 5 degrees. Preferably the tap assembly comprises a tap breech wherein the body includes two openings, a first one of the openings positioned at a first end of the body and a second one of the openings positioned at an opposite second end of the body, each of the first and second openings being 10 adapted to receive a corresponding tap body. Preferably the at least one extension is adapted to provide a surface against which a planar wall element such as plasterboard can be firmly butted. Preferably the at least one extension is configured to provide a continuous surface against which the planar wall surface can be bonded to provide a 15 continuous water tight seal with a fitting extending therethrough. Preferably each extension is adapted to form at least part of a circular abutment having an outer radius of at least 6 cm. Preferably the member is in the form of a support member. The support member may be the support frame in a wall of a house. 20 According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a tap assembly comprising: two inlets and an outlet therebetween, the outlet being connected to the inlets by respective conduits, wherein the assembly includes a housing adapted to hold the inlets, outlet and conduits without which the inlets, outlet and conduits would separate in use due to water 25 pressure. Preferably each of the inlets includes elements for receiving the conduits in a water tight manner. Preferably the elements comprise O-rings, but of course other types of rings and seals may also be used.

5 According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a plumbing assembly comprising a body having two mounting arrangements separated by a connector, the connector for maintaining a predetermined separation between the mounting arrangements such that the body can be 5 mounted to a member in a predetermined manner, the connector being selectively separable to separate the two mounting arrangements allowing the two mounting arrangements to be mounted in independent locations. Preferably the connector is selectively separable by breaking the connector. Preferably the connector is provided as a relatively rigid elongate member 10 having a length of more than 10cm, a width about 1 cm and a depth of about 0.4cm. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a plumbing assembly, the assembly comprising: a body having a plumbing fixture and mount for use in fixing the assembly to a member, the body 15 further including at least one extension extending around the plumbing fixture, the at least one extension having a surface adapted to be covered in sealant to bond the body to a planar wall element. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a plumbing assembly having a first portion and a second portion each having a 20 channel, the first and second portions having a connector for connecting the portions and joining the channels to provide a passage, the first and second portions providing depressions into which plumbing fixtures can be fitted and for holding the fittings in position with conduit extending therebetween in the passage. 25 According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of installing a tap assembly comprising: fixing a cross member between two stud posts at a desired height with the front of the cross member being in alignment with the front of the two stud posts, placing a tap assembly on an upwardly facing surface of the cross member with two 30 openings of the tap assembly facing forwardly, positioning the tap assembly 6 such that two lips thereof bear against a forwardly facing surface of the cross member; and fixing the tap assembly in position. Advantageously preferred arrangements of the present invention provide a 5 number of advantages including: (i) Providing systems that seal between a plumbing fixture and a wall cavity with no noticeable sealing device extending from the cavity and overlapping the outer surface of the wall. (ii) Avoiding having to lever the outlets of a tap breech to correctly align 10 the outlets in preparation for tap components to be received therein. (iii) Avoiding having to use strips of insulation between the brass ends of standard tap breeches and studs such as steel which would result in oxidation. (iv) The alibility to consistently position a tap breech with the correct 15 horizontal depth with respect to two vertical studs. (v) Providing systems that seal between a plumbing fixture and a wall structure, such as plasterboard, to prevent the ingress of water into an adjacent stud wall cavity. Other aspects, preferred arrangements and advantages will be apparent 20 from the drawings and detailed description provided below Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but 25 not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word "preferably" or variations such as "preferred", will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.

7 Brief Description of the Drawings The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of the tap assembly, plumbing assembly and method of installation given by way of example only, 5 with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a conventional tap breech according to the prior art; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a tap assembly according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 10 Figure 3a shows a perspective view of the tap assembly shown in Figure 2, with the assembly mounted to a cross member; Figure 3b shows a variation of the tap assembly shown in Figure 3a; Figure 4 shows a partly cutaway perspective view illustrating the tap assembly shown in Figure 1, the assembly being used to provide a 15 tap fixture; Figures 5a and 5b show perspective views of an assembly according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of an arrangement according to the prior art; 20 Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an assembly according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 shows a perspective view of part of the assembly shown in Figure 7, with a connector of the assembly having been broken; Figure 9 shows a perspective view of a method according to a fourth 25 preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figures 10a and 10b show a method of assembly according to the invention.

8 Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a conventional tap breech 2 having a first opening 4 and a second opening 6 for receiving corresponding suitable 5 tap components, the tap components allowing the dispensing of water in a usual manner. Between the openings 4 and 6 there is provided an outlet 8. The tap breech 2 is fastened to a cross member 10 in the form of logging 11 between two vertical wall studs 12. The tap breech 2 is fastened to the nogging 11 using screws that extend through four holes 14. The holes 14 10 face in the same direction as the first opening 4 and the second opening 6 and 6 for receiving the tap components. Referring now to Figure 2 there is shown a tap assembly 100 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The tap assembly 100 addresses several problems with respect to conventional tap breeches such 15 as the tap breech 2 shown in Figure 1. The tap assembly 100 has a body 102 that has a mount 104. The mount 104 is used to fix the assembly 100 in position on a member in the form of a cross member 116. The mount 114 comprises a number of passages 118 through which a plurality of fasteners 120 are able to extend. The body 102 20 is provided as a first portion 122 and a second portion 124. The portions 122 and 124 of the body 102 have separate openings. When the portions 122 and 124 are brought together, the openings of the first portion 112 and the openings of the second portion 123 come into alignment and provide the passages 118 for the fasteners 120. 25 The passages 118 together with a lower region 126 of the body 102 form a fixing component 128 that is used together with the fasteners 120 to firmly fix the body 12 against a first surface 130 of the cross member 116. The lower region 126 includes a recess (not shown in the drawings) and ridge (not shown in the drawings) that extend around the recess for purposes of 30 strength and providing an abutment. Although the recess, ridge, and 9 abutments of the lower region 126 are not shown in the drawings, they are however similar to a ridge 132 and a recess 134 provided by the first portion 122 as shown in Figure 2. The first surface 130 comprises the upper surface 135 of nogging 136 that 5 extends between two studs 138. The studs 138 comprise vertical wooden studs commonly used in building construction in Australia, the United States of America and elsewhere. Typically the studs 138 form part of a house and are spaced inwardly from a single brick veneer which serves to protect the studs from the elements. 10 The body 102 has a first extension 140, a second extension 142 arranged for bearing against a front surface 144 of the nogging 136. In this embodiment, the first extension 140 and the second extension 142 are identical. The front surface 144 faces forwardly and is arranged perpendicularly to the upper surface 135. The first extension 140 and the 15 second extension 142 provide corresponding abutments for bearing against the front surface 144 of the nogging 136. This is considered advantageous as it allows for the ready alignment of the mount 104 with respect to the two vertical studs 138. One of the problems associated with installing prior art tap breeches such as 20 a tap breech 2 is that the nogging 11 must be positioned such that the front surface 18 of the nogging 11 is vertically aligned with the studs 20. Furthermore a measure such as the depth 22 from the front of the studs of the nogging 13 usually has to be determined using a set square or measurement tape. Furthermore, the depth 22 has to be determined with 25 respect to both of the studs 20 and the nogging fixed, typically using nails at each end 24 thereof. When fixing the nogging 11 it has to be ensured that the nogging 11 extends perpendicularly to the studs 20 and that the front surface 18 is vertical. Otherwise the breech 2 may not be level and complications may occur during the installation.

10 In contrast to the assembly shown in Figure 1, the front surface 144 of the nogging 136 of Figure 3 lies in the same plane as the front surface 146 of the studs 138. This is advantageous as the plumber does not have to take any measurements of depth in installing the tap assembly 100. Rather the 5 first extension 140 and the second extension 142 are adapted to bear against the surface 144 in the plane of the front of the studs 138. Another distinction in comparison to Figure 1 is that the passages 118 face upwardly and not forwardly like the openings 14 making installation easier in the former case. 10 Nonetheless, in the manner described, the extension 140 and the extension 142 bear against the front surface 144 of the nogging 136 to allow for ready alignment of the mount 104 for fastening using the fasteners 120. Consequently the nogging 136 is correctly positioned, and the body 102 will be in desired alignment with the vertical front surface 146 of the studs 138. 15 As previously discussed this is advantageous as it allows for the nogging 136 to be readily fixed in a pre-determined position, without the need for any depth measurements with respect to the nogging 136 and assembly 100. Furthermore a plumber can readily position the surface 144 about the axis 145 which would not be as readily achieved if the nogging 136 was spaced 20 inwardly of the studs 138. Once the tap assembly 100 is fixed in position, with the first and second extensions 140 and 142 bearing against the front surface 144, tap components including taps as appropriate can be inserted into the assembly 100. 25 With this arrangement a first tap body may be threadably engaged with a first opening 148 at a first end 150 of the tap assembly 100. A second tap body is then threadably engaged with a second opening 152 at a second opposite end 154 of the tap assembly 100. As shown in Figures 2, 3a and 3b, the extensions 140 and 142 are each 30 provided on the two portions 122 and 124 of the body 102.

11 The extensions 140 and 142 comprise semicircular extensions on each of the two portions 122 and 124 which when assembled provide a circular abutment having an outer diameter of at least 6 cm and an inner diameter of about 3cm in order to accommodate the openings 148 and 152. 5 Each extension 140, 142 is arranged to provide a lip 162 extending from the lower region 126 with the ridge of the lower region 126 acting as a base. The lips 162 provide an abutment for butting against the front surface 144. A variation on the embodiment of Figure 3a is shown in Figure 3b. Since the embodiment of Figure 3b resembles that of the embodiment of Figure 3a, 10 similar numbering has been used for the various components in Figure 3b, and a full description will not be provided for Figure 3b. The tap assembly 100 shown in Figure 3b has a further third extension 143 located about the outlet 153. The third extension 143 corresponds with the first and second extensions 140 and 142. The third extension 143 provides a lip, in addition 15 to lips 162, that assists in the ready positioning of the device 100 on the member 116. Other variations may have lips positioned at locations other than at the opening 148, the opening 150 and the outlet 153. Clearly, lips may be positioned elsewhere on the front surface 164 of the assembly 100. Advantageously in the present embodiment extensions 140, 142 are 20 arranged to provide two sealing surfaces 166 respectively at each of the openings 148, 150. The sealing surfaces 166 are circular and surround the openings 148, 150. They provide surfaces against which a section of plasterboard can be firmly butted. 25 Initially, the plasterboard has holes drilled therein for providing access to the openings 148, 150. Following this the sealing surfaces 166 are covered in a water impervious sealant, and the plasterboard positioned on the surfaces 166 such that the sealant seals around the holes, with the holes providing access to the opening 148 and the opening 150.

12 This is considered to be advantageous as water leaking from the openings 148, 150 will not be able to travel to the area behind the plasterboard due to the advantageous provision of the circular sealing surfaces and the sealant. This is illustrated in Figure 4 in which there is shown one of the extensions 5 140, a layer of bonding sealant 162, a layer of plasterboard 164, a layer of tiles 166, and a fixture 168 extending into the opening 148. Advantageously water leaking between the fixture 168 and the opening is not able to pass between the extension 140 and the plasterboard 164. Notably, if the plasterboard is porous the plasterboard may be treated at the opening 148 10 to stop the plasterboard absorbing any such leaking water. Similar sealing arrangements are provided using the extension 142 at the opening 150 and the extension 143 at the outlet 153. The extension 140, the extension 142 and the extension 143 assist in preventing the ingress of water from the opening 148, the opening 150 and the outlet 153 back 15 towards the member 116. This serves to reduce the likelihood of mould and other water related forms of damage. Referring to Figure 5a there is shown an assembly 200 according to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention. The assembly 200 provides an advantageous system for holding a number of plumbing 20 components together in providing a tap breech as described in relation to Figures 2 to 4. The assembly 200 is advantageous for the reason that no welding is required to join the components and form the tap breech. This addresses problems associated with welding copper to brass. Furthermore the 25 assembly 200 is advantageously robust whereby the assembly 200 can be left in say the tray of a plumber's vehicle and under relatively rough conditions will not become bent or otherwise deformed leaving the openings or the outlet in misalignment. As discussed when the openings or outlet of a tap breech are misaligned a 30 plumber usually has to fine tune the alignment of openings using a lever 13 once the breech is fixed to logging. This can damage the logging, the breech and the fastening therebetween. The assembly 200 comprises a first portion 202 and a second portion 204. The first portion 202 has a channel 206. Similarly the second portion 204 5 has a channel 208. A connector is provided in the form of four male plugs 210 and plug openings 212. With the arrangement the plugs 210 have an aperture 213, a projection 214. The openings 212 have a projection 216. In use the plugs are forced into the openings 212 causing the projections 214 and 216 to force past one another holding the portions 202 and 204 10 together. The apertures 213 are advantageously adapted to receive screws for fastening the assembly to nogging. In a closed or fastened condition the channel 206 and the channel 208 are disposed above one another to provide a passage. The first portion 202 and the second portion 204 provide depressions 220 15 into which plumbing fixtures can be fitted and then held in position. Furthermore conduit is able to extend between the fixtures and be held within the passage. In the present arrangement a fixture for receiving a tap body is positioned at location 222 and a similar fixture is positioned at location 224. A 'T' shaped 20 fixture providing an outlet is positioned at location 226. Advantageously each of the fixtures to be positioned at locations 222 and 224 includes a fixture opening for connecting to the 'T' shaped outlet fixture to be positioned at location 226. Each fixture opening is advantageously adapted to receive a conduit within the passage 218 that slides into a fixture 25 opening and is sealed in a water tight manner. In this arrangement this is achieved by using two 0-rings in the opening that receives the conduit. The "T" shaped outlet has similar openings for receiving the other ends of the conduit. This is illustrated in Figure 5b showing a conduit 230, a fixture 232 and two O-rings 234. Clearly other 30 seals may used as required in place of the O-rings.

14 In use the assembly 200, in one arrangement, provides a tap breech comprising two inlets and an outlet therebetween. The outlet is connected to the inlets by respective conduits. A housing holds the conduits in position between the inlets and outlet without which the housing would otherwise 5 separate in use due to water pressure. One advantage of the assembly 200 is that no welding is required with the body holding the fixtures and conduit in a protective housing in which a water tight seal is provided by the form of the housing. The structure is advantageously robust and no electrolysis can occur by virtue of the body 10 comprising plastics material. No sheet of plastics material 234 is consequently required to connect the breech assembly to a metal stud as shown in the prior art of Figure 6. Referring to Figure 7 there is shown a third preferred embodiment in the form of a plumbing assembly 300. The plumbing assembly 300 comprises a 15 first mounting arrangement 302 and a second mounting arrangement 304 separated by a connector 306. The mounting arrangements 302, 304 are fixed into a vertical stud 308. Advantageously the connector 306 maintains predetermined separation distance 310 between the mounting arrangements 302 and 304 allowing the 20 assembly to be mounted to the stud 308 according to a particular building standard. This is considered to be advantageous for applications such in the provision of outlets in a laundry. Similarly to assembly 200, the assembly 300 comprises two portions in the form of a first portion 312 and a second portion 314. The portions 312 and 25 314 are brought together to form two halves of the connector 306. Advantageously the connector 306 is selectively breakable to separate the two mounting arrangements such that the two mounting arrangements can be mounted in independent locations. This is quite unlike the conventional tap breech 2, as is shown in Figure 1.

15 In the case of mixers under basin and kitchen sinks the separation is maintained with a set distance of 150mm centre to centre. The system is also suitable for setting up for laundry taps. A plumber just has to cut the plastic joiner and there is provided say an elbow for shower arm and another 5 for toilet cistern. This is illustrated in Figure 8. The assembly 300 of Figure 7 comes with multiple fixing screws around the mounting arrangements 302 and 304. Winged back elbows are also firmly secured by four screws on each side. In this embodiment the connector 306 is provided as a relatively rigid 10 elongate member having a length of more than 10cm, a width about 1 cm and a depth of about 0.4cm. Referring to Figure 9 there is shown an assembly 350 that may be suitable for a shower having tap connections 352 and a shower head outlet 354. The assembly 350 forms another embodiment of the present invention. 15 Referring to Figure 10 there is shown a method 400 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The method 400 comprises fixing a cross member 402 between two vertical stud posts 401 at a desired height with the front of the cross member being in direct alignment with the front of two stud posts 401. Thereafter a tap assembly 404 is placed on an 20 upwardly facing surface of the cross member 402 with two openings 406 of the tap assembly 404 facing forwardly. Following this the tap assembly 404 is positioned such that two lips 408 of the assembly 404 bear against a forwardly facing surface 411 of the cross member. The tap assembly 404 is fixed in position using fasteners 410. 25 The method 400 of fixing the tap assembly 404 is advantageous for the reason that a plumber does not have to measure any depth to position the cross member. Rather the member is merely positioned at a desired height which may be measured possibly using a length of wood rising upwardly from the floor.

16 With a conventional breech assembly a person is required to set both the height and the depth on both sides of the nogging and the breech and then hope that it does not move while screws are being put in. In the method 400 a person only has to get the height correct and make sure the nogging is 5 level with the faces of the stud posts. In the manner described, the cross member is readily and easily positioned so as to be in alignment with the front of the two stud posts. Having now described a number of preferred embodiments it will be apparent that that a number of advantageous systems and methods are 10 provided, including: (i) An improved method of installing a tap breech that does not require any measurements of depth when positioning a cross member and a tap breech. In comparison existing systems require a person to set both the height and the depth on both sides of nogging and the 15 breech in the hope that it does not move while screws are being put in. (ii) A robust tap breech that does not suffer from the problems of electrolysis in steel framed houses and which can be readily positioned without there likely to be any need for realignment. (iii) An improved system limiting the likelihood of a tap breach 20 assembly leaking or otherwise bleeding water into a cavity behind a plasterboard wall which may cause water damage and the build up of mould. (iv) An improved system limiting the likelihood of a tap breach assembly leaking and which does not require a flange extending from a 25 hole provided in the plasterboard. (v) Ready water proofing in embodiments where all penetrations through the plaster have a relatively large area for sealant applied and which accordingly prevent water get back into the cavity.

17 It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from 5 the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described.

Claims (17)

1. A tap assembly comprising: a body having a mount for use in fixing the tap assembly to a member, the mount having at least one fixing component 5 for use in firmly fixing the body against a first surface of the member, the body having at least one extension for bearing against a second surface of the member, the second surface being disposed at an angle relative to the first surface, the at least one extension being adapted to bear against the second surface to allow for ready alignment of the mount such that if the 10 member is correctly positioned, the body will be in alignment when mounted to the member.

2. A tap assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the angle of the second surface relative to the first surface is 90 degrees. 15

3. A tap assembly as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tap assembly further comprises a tap breech, and wherein the body includes two openings, a first one of the openings positioned at a first end of the body and a second one of the openings positioned at an opposite second end of the 20 body, each of the first and second openings being adapted to receive a corresponding tap body.

4. A tap assembly as defined in any one of the preceding claims, where the at least one extension is adapted to provide a surface against which a planar 25 wall element such as plasterboard can be firmly butted.

5. A tap assembly as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one extension is configured to provide a continuous surface against which the planar wall surface can be bonded to provide a continuous water 30 tight seal with a fitting extending therethrough. 19

6. A tap assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein each extension is adapted to form at least part of a circular abutment having an outer radius of at least 6 cm. 5

7. A tap assembly as defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the member is in the form of a support member.

8. A tap assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein the support member is the support frame in a wall of a house. 10

9. A tap assembly comprising: two inlets and an outlet therebetween, the outlet being connected to the inlets by respective conduits, wherein the assembly includes a housing adapted to hold the inlets, outlet and conduits without which the inlets, outlet and conduits would separate in use due to 15 water pressure.

10. A tap assembly as defined in claim 9, wherein each of the inlets includes elements for receiving the conduits in a water tight manner. 20

11. A tap assembly as defined in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the elements comprise O-rings.

12. A plumbing assembly comprising a body having two mounting arrangements separated by a connector, the connector for maintaining a 25 predetermined separation between the mounting arrangements such that the body can be mounted to a member in a predetermined manner, the connector being selectively separable to separate the two mounting arrangements allowing the two mounting arrangements to be mounted in independent locations. 30

13. A plumbing assembly as defined in claim 12, wherein the connector is selectively separable by breaking the connector. 20

14. A plumbing assembly as defined in claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the connector is provided as a relatively rigid elongate member having a length of more than 10cm, a width about 1 cm and a depth of about 0.4cm. 5

15. A plumbing assembly, the assembly comprising: a body having a plumbing fixture and mount for use in fixing the assembly to a member, the body further including at least one extension extending around the plumbing fixture, the at least one extension having a surface adapted to be covered in 10 sealant to bond the body to a planar wall element.

16. A plumbing assembly having a first portion and a second portion each having a channel, the first and second portions having a connector for connecting the portions and joining the channels to provide a passage, the 15 first and second portions providing depressions into which plumbing fixtures can be fitted and for holding the fittings in position with conduit extending therebetween in the passage.

17. A method of installing a tap assembly comprising: fixing a cross member 20 between two stud posts at a desired height with the front of the cross member being in alignment with the front of the two stud posts, placing a tap assembly on an upwardly facing surface of the cross member with two openings of the tap assembly facing forwardly, positioning the tap assembly such that two lips thereof bear against a forwardly facing surface of the cross 25 member; and fixing the tap assembly in position. Dated this 25th day of September 2009 30 Kaddle Pty Ltd by its Patent Attorneys Janet Stead & Associates