1 Sealing Device Field of the Invention. The present invention relates to a sealing device. In particular, the present invention 5 relates to a sealing device for preventing leakage of water from pipes and taps into wall cavities and the like. Background Art. In any situation in which pipes are used to carry liquids, it is often the case that, over 10 time, connections or joints between pipes, or between pipes and fittings such as taps, will weaken and the connections or joints will begin to leak. Leaking pipes and fittings inside a structure, such as a house, can pose significant problems if the liquid leaks into, for instance, wall cavities. If this kind of leakage 15 occurs, it can cause damage to floor coverings, can cause walls and floors to rot, and can attracts pests such as termites. Repairing this kind of damage, by stripping and rebuilding walls, or replacing floor coverings, can be extremely expensive. Thus, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a device that could 20 prevent leaking liquid from entering wall cavities and the like. It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country. 25 Throughout this specification, the term "comprising" and its grammatical equivalents shall be taken to have an inclusive meaning unless the context of use indicates otherwise. 30 Object of the Invention. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing device which may overcome at least some of the abovementioned disadvantages, or provide a useful or commercial choice.
2 In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a sealing device having at least one opening extending therethrough, retention means adapted to engage at least a portion of a liquid transfer device extending at least partially through said at least one 5 opening, said retention means being further adapted to prevent movement of the sealing device and the liquid transfer device relative to one another, and wherein said sealing device further comprises a sealing portion adapted to form a seal against a support surface. 10 The liquid transfer device may be any suitable device through which liquid may flow. In some embodiments of the invention, the liquid transfer device may comprise a pipe, conduit, tap, spout, nozzle or the like. Preferably, the liquid transferred by the liquid transfer device is water, although the skilled addressee will understand that the sealing device of the present invention may also be used in applications in which other liquids 15 are transferred through the liquid transfer device. The sealing device may be constructed from any suitable material. However, it is preferred that the sealing device is constructed from a material which is impervious to liquids. Depending on the application for which the sealing device is to be used, the 20 sealing device may be constructed from a material which is also, for instance, chemical resistant, heat or cold resistant, bacteria resistant or any combination thereof. In some embodiments of the invention, the sealing device is constructed from PVC, nylon, recycled polymers or the like. 25 The sealing device may be of any suitable shape or configuration. As mentioned previously, the sealing device comprises a sealing portion adapted to seal against a support surface. In some embodiments of the invention, the retention means may be dependent from the sealing portion. While the sealing portion may comprise any suitable form, in a preferred embodiment of the invention the sealing portion may be 30 annular (for instance, plate or disc shaped), although the skilled addressee will understand that the sealing portion may equally be square, rectangular, triangular or the like in plan view. In some embodiments of the invention, the sealing portion may extend radially outwardly from the one or more openings extending through the 3 sealing device. Preferably, an inner surface of the sealing portion is adapted to form a seal against a support surface. Thus, in some embodiments of the invention, at least a portion of the inner surface of the sealing portion may be substantially flat. The outer surface of the sealing portion may be flat, curved, dome-shaped or of any other 5 suitable shape. The support surface against which the inner surface of the sealing portion may form a seal may comprise a wall, floor, ceiling, roof or any other suitable surface. Preferably, an inner surface of the sealing portion may be brought into contact with the support 10 surface when the sealing device is in use. A seal may be formed between the sealing device and the support surface using any suitable technique, although it is preferred that the seal is formed through frictional engagement between the sealing device and the support surface. However, a skilled addressee will understand that the frictional engagement may, if so desired, be enhanced through the use of adhesives, sealants, or 15 other fixing means. In some embodiments of the invention, the frictional engagement between the sealing device and the support surface may be enhanced by constructing at least a portion of the sealing device from an elastically deformable material. Thus, when the sealing 20 device is brought into contact with the support surface, the sealing device may deform elastically, thereby providing a tighter seal between the sealing device and the support surface. A tight seal between the sealing device and the support surface is preferred in order to prevent liquid from entering wall cavities and the like, thereby causing damage to a structure. 25 Alternatively, a seal may be achieved between the sealing device and the support surface by providing sealing means (such as, but not limited to, an o-ring, gasket or the like) adapted to be sandwiched between the support surface and the sealing portion. 30 In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the retention means may extend from an inner surface of the sealing portion. The retention means may be of any suitable form, although it is preferred that the retention means is adapted to engage at 4 least a portion of the liquid transfer device using any suitable technique. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the retention means comprises one or more projections in the form of lands, hooks, fingers or the like adapted to engage with a shoulder, recess or similar part of a liquid transfer device. Preferably, the one or more 5 projections are elastically deformable such that the sealing device may be connected to, or removed from, the liquid transfer device when required. In some embodiments of the invention, an adaptor may be located between the sealing device and the liquid transfer device. In these embodiments of the invention, the 10 sealing device may be adapted for engagement with, and retention on, the adaptor, with the adaptor being located on and/or secured to the liquid transfer device. As previously mentioned, it is preferred that the retention means extend from the inner surface of the sealing portion. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the 15 retention means extend from the inner surface of the sealing portion at or adjacent to the opening which extends through the sealing device. The opening may be of any suitable size and shape, and in any suitable location on the sealing device. Preferably, however, the opening is located in approximately the centre of the sealing device and extends entirely therethrough. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the 20 retention means may be located adjacent the opening with the one or more projections facing inwardly towards the opening. In some embodiments of the invention, the retention means comprises a continuous ring surrounding the opening, thereby creating a passageway through which a liquid transfer device may at least partially extend. The passageway may be provided with a screw thread if necessary. 25 Preferably, once the sealing device is retained on the liquid transfer device, the sealing device and liquid transfer device are prevented from any movement relative to one another. Movement of the sealing device and liquid transfer device relative to one another may result in the sealing device not providing an adequate seal, and allowing 30 liquid to enter a wall cavity or the like. Thus, it is important that the sealing device be firmly retained on the liquid transfer device when in use. In situations in which the liquid transfer device does not comprise a suitable shoulder, 5 recess or the like with which the retention means may engage, or when the diameter of the liquid transfer device is less than the diameter of the opening, an adaptor may be used. 5 Thus, in a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a sealing device having at least one opening extending therethrough, retention means adapted to engage at least a portion of an adaptor extending at least partially through said at least one opening, said retention means being further adapted to prevent movement of the sealing device and the adaptor relative to one another, wherein said sealing device 10 further comprises a sealing portion adapted to form a seal against a support surface, and wherein said adaptor is adapted to be located and/or retained on a liquid transfer device. In a preferred embodiments of the invention, the adaptor may be adapted to be fitted 15 over, and/or retained on, at least a portion of the liquid transfer device. Preferably, the adaptor is retained on the liquid transfer device in a frictional engagement, although it will be understood that the retention of the adaptor on the liquid transfer device could also be achieved through the use of adhesives, sealants, fixing means or any combination thereof. The adaptor may be of any suitable configuration, although it is 20 preferred that the adaptor is substantially cylindrical with an opening extending entirely therethrough. Preferably, the liquid transfer device extends at least partially through the opening in the adaptor. In some embodiments of the invention, the internal surface of the adaptor may be provided with a screw thread. 25 In some embodiments of the invention, the outer surface of the adaptor is provided with engagement means for engagement with the retention means of the sealing device. The engagement means may be of any suitable form, such as, but not limited to, one or more recesses, channels, shoulders or the like. 30 The adaptor may be constructed from any suitable material, such as, but not limited to, PVC, nylon, recycled polymers or the like. The adaptor may be constructed from the same material as the sealing device or a different material. The adaptor may be of any suitable shape, size and configuration.
6 Brief Description of the Drawings. An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which: 5 Figure 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of a sealing device according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 10 Detailed Description of the Drawings. It will be appreciated that the drawings have been provided for the purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and that the invention should not be considered to be limited solely to the features as shown in the drawings. 15 In Figure 1 there is shown a sealing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sealing device 10 comprises a sealing portion 11 and retention means 12 dependent from the inner surface 13 of the sealing portion 11. The outer surface 14 of the sealing portion I comprises an opening 15 through which a liquid transfer device in the form of a lower tap body 16 extends. The lower tap body 16 is 20 connected to an upper tap body 17, and it is at the seal 18 between the lower tap body 16 and the upper tap body 17 that water leaks may occur. The lower tap body 16 is attached to a wall stud 19 within a wall cavity 20 and extends through an opening 21 in the wall 22. The wall 22 is covered with a layer of 25 waterproof sheeting 23 and tiles 24 laid over the top of the waterproof sheeting 23. Glue 25 (or a similar adhesive) may be applied to the surface of the waterproof sheeting 23 to ensure a watertight seal is formed between the sealing portion 26 of the sealing device 10 and the waterproof sheeting 23. 30 In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, the retention means 12 form a continuous ring around, and dependent from, the opening 15 in the sealing device 10. The inner surface 27 of the retention means 12 is provided with one or more projections 28 adapted to engage with the shoulder 29 of the lower tap body 16, 7 thereby ensuring that the sealing device 10 is retained on the lower tap body 16 and is prevented from movement relative to the lower tap body 16. In Figure 2 an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown. In this Figure a 5 threaded pipe connector 30 is attached to a wall stud 19 within a wall cavity 20 and extends through an opening 21 in a wall 22. The wall 22 is covered with a layer of waterproof sheeting 23 and tiles 24 are laid over the top of the waterproof sheeting 23. The threaded pipe connector 30 is attached to a plumbing outlet in the form of a spout 35. 10 The sealing device 10 comprises a sealing portion 11 and retention means 12 dependent from the inner surface 13 of the sealing portion 11. The outer surface 14 of the sealing portion 11 comprises an opening 15 through which threaded pipe connector 30 extends. 15 Glue 25 (or a similar adhesive) may be applied to the surface of the waterproof sheeting 23 to ensure a watertight seal is formed between the sealing portion 26 of the sealing device 10 and the waterproof sheeting 23. 20 In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 2, the diameter of the threaded pipe connector 30 is significantly smaller than then diameter of the opening 15 in the sealing device 10. In addition, the threaded pipe connector 30 has no lands or recesses to which the one or more projections 28 of the retention means 12 could engage. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention, the use of an adaptor 31 is 25 required. The adaptor 31 illustrated in the Figure is a cylindrical bush adapted to fit over, and be retained on, the threaded pipe connector 30. The retention of the adaptor 31 on the threaded pipe connector 30 may be achieved by providing the inner surface 32 of the 30 adaptor 31 with a screw thread. The outer surface 33 of the adaptor 31 is provided with a channel 34 with which the projections 28 of the retention means 12 engage to retain the sealing device 10 in place and to prevent movement of the sealing device 10 relative to the threaded pipe connector 30.
8 Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It will be understood that the present invention encompasses all such variations and 5 modifications that fall within its spirit and scope.