CN112789384A

CN112789384A - Pipe assembly

Info

Publication number: CN112789384A
Application number: CN201980064478.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 史蒂文·格兰特·杰克逊; 迈克尔·托马斯·费伦; 约翰·亨利·豪根道
Original assignee: Phoenix Industries Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Phoenix Industries Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-10-30
Filing date: 2019-10-30
Publication date: 2021-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2039-10-30
Also published as: CN112789384B; CN117758830A; WO2020087124A1; AU2019370620A1

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a tail connectable to a water supply. The tail portion includes: a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet and an outlet; one or more channels configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more couplings of a mixer cartridge, wherein the mixer cartridge is configured to mix hot and cold water received by respective hot and cold water inlets; and one or more sealing devices mountable within each of the one or more channels, wherein the sealing devices are configured to: sealingly connecting the tail to the mixer cartridge when one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels.

Description

Pipe assembly

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a pipe assembly including a tail portion connectable to a water supply device and a mixer cartridge for mixing hot water and cold water supplied to the tail portion by the water supply device. Such a pipe assembly may form part of a shower mixer tap, wall mixer tap, basin mixer tap, or the like.

Background

During the "rough-in" phase of the building construction, the tail is usually connected to the water supply of the house. Through this construction stage, a builder will typically require the owner or resident to select the plumbing fixture to be connected to the tail. For example, the plumbing fixture may be a shower mixer tap, a wall mixer tap, a basin mixer tap of some type.

The tail may be connected to a mixer cartridge configured to mix hot and cold water delivered by the water supply via the tail and then deliver the mixed water to, for example, an outlet of a shower head or a bath outlet. The mixer cartridge is sealingly connected to the tail to ensure that no fluid leaks from the assembly when the fluid is transferred from the tail to the mixer cartridge or from the mixer cartridge to the tail. The mixer cartridge is typically sealingly connected to the tail by: a lock nut is threadedly mounted around the mixer cartridge (or mixer cartridge housing) and is torqued to a specific torque setting that provides a sealed connection between the mixer cartridge and the tail.

The present invention seeks to provide an alternative conduit assembly which may ameliorate one or more problems of such existing conduit assemblies.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not an admission or representation that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction or that the prior art could reasonably be expected to be understood, regarded as relevant and/or combined with various other prior art by a person skilled in the art.

Disclosure of Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a tail connectable to a water supply, the tail comprising:

a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, and an outlet;

one or more channels configured to be fluidly connected to one or more couplings (spigots) of a mixer cartridge, wherein the mixer cartridge is configured to mix hot and cold water received by the respective hot and cold water inlets; and

one or more sealing devices mountable within each of the one or more channels, wherein the sealing devices are configured to: sealingly connecting the tail to the mixer cartridge when one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a mixer cartridge connectable to a tail, the mixer cartridge being configured to mix hot and cold water and comprising:

one or more couplers configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more channels of the tail to receive hot and cold water from the respective one or more channels of the tail, each of the one or more channels including one or more sealing devices therein;

wherein the one or more couplers are configured to: sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a mixer cartridge connectable to a tail, the mixer cartridge being configured to mix hot water with cold water and comprising:

one or more couplers configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more channels of the tail to receive hot and cold water therefrom, each of the one or more channels including one or more sealing devices therein;

wherein the one or more sealing devices are configured to: sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a pipe assembly comprising:

a tail for receiving hot and cold water from a water supply, the tail comprising one or more channels, each of the one or more channels comprising one or more sealing devices located in the channel; and

a mixer cartridge for mixing hot and cold water, the mixer cartridge comprising one or more couplers configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more of the channels;

wherein the sealing device is configured to: sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels.

In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a pipe assembly comprising:

a tail for receiving hot and cold water from a water supply, the tail comprising one or more channels;

a mixer cartridge for mixing hot and cold water, the mixer cartridge comprising one or more couplers configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more of the channels, wherein the mixer cartridge comprises a housing that forms part of a mixer tap assembly;

one or more sealing devices located within each of the one or more channels, wherein the sealing devices are configured to: sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail when one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels; and

a cover removably connected to the tail;

wherein the tail portion having the cap portion may be connected to a water supply device before the mixer cartridge is connected to the tail portion.

In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a method of installing a duct assembly, the method comprising:

providing a tail comprising a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, an outlet, and one or more channels, each of the one or more channels comprising one or more sealing devices located therein;

removably attaching a cover to the tail;

connecting the tail to a water supply configured to supply hot and cold water to the tail;

performing a leak test on the tail and the supply water;

removing the cover from the tail if no leak is detected;

connecting a mixer cartridge to the tail, the mixer cartridge configured to mix the hot and cold water, wherein the mixer cartridge includes one or more couplers configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more of the channels of the tail, wherein the sealing device is configured to: sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels; and

mounting a mixer tap to the mixer cartridge.

In any one or more of the preceding aspects of the invention, the one or more sealing devices are engaged by one or more couplers of the mixer cartridge when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels of the tail, thereby sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail.

In any one or more of the preceding aspects of the invention, the one or more sealing devices are configured to releasably retain the mixer cartridge relative to the tail prior to the tail receiving water from the water supply. In other words, the one or more sealing devices releasably retain the mixer cartridge relative to the tail when the one or more couplers of the mixer cartridge are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels of the tail and no water is supplied to the tail. Thus, advantageously, the mixer cartridge may be releasably retained relative to the tail without the need for separate fasteners or fastening systems. The absence of separate fasteners or fastening systems allows for relatively quick installation and attachment of the mixer cartridge to the tail.

The mixer cartridge is preferably releasably secured to the tail by the mixer cartridge housing. The mixer cartridge housing is preferably at least partially removably received over the mixer cartridge and is configured to at least partially engage the mixer cartridge. The mixer cartridge housing is preferably connectable to the tail to secure the mixer cartridge in position relative to the tail. In one embodiment, the mixer cartridge housing may be threadably connected to the tail to secure the mixer cartridge in place relative to the tail. Preferably, the mixer cartridge housing comprises a thread which can be threadedly connected to a thread on the tail by rotating the mixer cartridge housing relative to the tail.

Advantageously, there is no need to twist the mixer cartridge housing to a predetermined minimum torque value to thereby sealingly connect the mixer cartridge to the tail, since the one or more sealing devices are engaged by the one or more couplers when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels.

In any one or more of the preceding aspects of the invention, the mixer cartridge is advantageously configured to be connected to and releasably retained to the tail in a single substantially continuous movement comprising push-fitting one or more couplers into respective one or more of the channels. The mixer cartridge may then be sealingly attached and secured to the tail by attaching the mixer cartridge housing to the tail around the mixer cartridge. Preferably, the mixer cartridge housing is threadably connected to the tail by rotating the mixer cartridge housing relative to the tail.

In any one or more of the preceding aspects of the invention, the tail preferably comprises three channels and the mixer cartridge preferably comprises three couplers, each of the three couplers preferably being fluidly connected to a respective one of the three channels.

The tail preferably includes a hot water passage, a cold water passage and an outlet passage. The mixer cartridge preferably includes a hot water coupling, a cold water coupling, and an outlet coupling. When the mixer cartridge is sealingly connected to the tail, preferably the hot water coupling, the cold water coupling and the outlet coupling are received in a push-fit manner into the hot water channel, the cold water channel and the outlet channel, respectively.

The hot and cold water passages of the tail are configured to deliver hot and cold water received via the respective hot and cold water inlets, respectively, to the hot and cold water couplings of the mixer drum for mixing. The mixed water is then transported via the outlet of the mixer drum to the outlet channel of the tail section. The outlet channel of the tail then delivers the mixed water to an outlet, which is preferably fluidly coupled to the outlet of the mixer tap.

Each of the one or more sealing devices is preferably an O-ring. Each channel preferably presents a circular cross-section and includes an inner circumferential recess sized to receive an O-ring. In a preferred embodiment, each channel comprises two inner circumferential recesses configured to receive respective O-rings. The two circumferential recesses are preferably spaced apart along the length of the channel. Each of said couplers also preferably exhibits a circular cross-section along at least a portion of its length, which is complementary to the cross-section of the channel, thereby enabling the couplers to be received in the channel in a push-fit manner with a tight fit. Advantageously, the O-ring is configured to sealingly connect the mixer cartridge to the tail when the coupler is received in the channel in a push-fit manner. Further, the O-ring is configured to: the mixer cartridge is releasably retained to the tail when the coupler is received in a push-fit manner into the passage before the tail receives water from the water supply. Thus, advantageously, the mixer cartridge may be releasably retained relative to the tail by the O-ring without the need for separate fasteners or fastening systems. In addition, the mixer cartridge is advantageously connected to the tail and releasably retained thereto in a single continuous motion that includes push-fitting the coupler into the channel of the tail.

As used herein, the term "sealingly connect" and similar phrases mean that the mixer cartridge can be connected to the tail in the following manner: such that no or substantially no fluid leaks or is lost during transport from the tail to the mixer drum and from the mixer drum to the tail.

As used herein, unless the context requires otherwise, the term "comprise" and variations of the term, such as "comprises," "comprising," and "includes," are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

Further aspects of the invention and further embodiments of the aspects described in the preceding paragraphs will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of various components of a conduit assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the aft portion of the duct assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of an alternative tail according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a front side perspective view of the mixer cartridge of the conduit assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4B is a rear perspective view of the mixer cartridge of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the duct assembly of FIG. 1 installed in a wall of a residence; and

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, but shows a cross-sectional view of the conduit assembly from a perspective view.

Detailed Description

Referring to FIG. 1, a pipe assembly 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. The conduit assembly 10 includes a tail 12 that may be connected to a water supply (not shown) in a manner known to those skilled in the art. The tail 12 is configured to deliver hot and cold water provided by a water supply to a mixer drum 14. The mixer cartridge 14 is configured to mix hot and cold water and then deliver the mixed water to an outlet of a plumbing fixture, such as a shower mixer tap, a wall mixer tap, a basin mixer tap, and the like.

During the "rough phase" of the building construction, the tail is typically connected to the water supply of the house. During this construction phase, the builder will also typically require the owner or resident to select the plumbing fixture to be connected to the tail. Once the selection is made, the plumbing fixture is shipped to the home and then the particular components of the plumbing fixture are installed by a skilled installer during a rough stage. In particular, the mixer cartridge of the pipe arrangement is sealingly connected to the tail. The mixer cartridge is typically housed in a chrome-plated mixer cartridge housing, which may be damaged if mishandled. The mixer cartridge is connected to the tail by twisting the lock nut around the mixer cartridge (or mixer cartridge housing) to a specific torque setting to ensure a sealed connection between the mixer cartridge and the tail. As will be explained below, one of the advantages of the present invention is that the selection and installation of specific components of the piping arrangement can be delayed or changed until after the rough phase of construction is completed.

Referring to fig. 2, the tail 12 of the present invention includes a brass housing 16 which, when in place, is generally inverted "T" when viewed from the front. The housing 16 includes a first conduit 18 having a generally circular cross-section, the conduit 18 including a first inlet 20 at a first end of the conduit 18. The inlet 20 is configured to receive hot water from the water supply when the tail 12 is connected to the water supply. The conduit 18 also includes a second inlet 22 at a second end of the conduit 18 opposite the first end of the conduit 18. The second inlet 22 is configured to receive cold water from the water supply when the tail 12 is connected to the water supply. The housing 16 also includes a second conduit 24 having a generally circular cross-section. The second conduit 24 extends from a longitudinal midpoint of the first conduit 18 generally perpendicular to the first conduit 18. Second conduit 24 includes an outlet 26, and outlet 26 is configured to deliver mixed water provided by mixer cartridge 14 to an outlet of a shower mixer tap (not shown) in the manner described below. In this case, "mixed water" refers to hot and cold water received via the respective hot and

cold water inlets

20, 22, and the hot and cold water is mixed by the mixer cartridge 14.

The tail 12 also includes a generally circular face 30, the face 30 being disposed in a direction transverse to the hot and

cold water inlets

20, 22 and the outlet 26. The face 30 is recessed relative to a front circular edge 32 of the housing 16 and defines three separate

fluid passages

34, 36, 38, each having a generally circular cross-section and fluidly connected to a respective one of the hot water inlet 20, cold water inlet 22 and outlet 26. Specifically, the first hot water passage 34 is fluidly connected to the hot water inlet 20 and is configured to deliver hot water received via the hot water inlet 20 to the mixer cartridge 14 in a manner described in detail below. The housing 16 also includes a second cold water passage 36, the second cold water passage 36 being fluidly connected to the cold water inlet 22 and configured to deliver cold water received via the cold water inlet 22 to the mixer cartridge 14. The housing 16 further comprises a third outlet channel 38, which third outlet channel 38 is fluidly connected to the mixed water outlet 26 and is configured to convey mixed water from the mixer cartridge 14 to an outlet of a shower head (not shown) via the mixed water outlet 26. The front circular edge 32 of the housing 16 defines a threaded outer surface 33.

While the tail 12 is configured to deliver mixed water to the outlet of the showerhead, it should be understood that alternative forms of tail may be used to deliver mixed water to, for example, a wall mixer faucet or a basin mixer faucet. For example, fig. 3 shows a tail 12' according to a second embodiment of the invention. The tail 12 ' includes a housing 16 ', which housing 16 ' is generally elongate in general form. The housing 16 ' includes a conduit 18 ' having a generally circular cross-section and includes (similar to the tail 12 shown in fig. 2) a hot water inlet 20 ', a cold water inlet 22 ', and a mixed water outlet 26' fluidly connected to an outlet of a wall mixer or a basin mixer (not shown). The housing 16 'also includes a hot water passage 34', a cold water passage 36 ', and an outlet passage 38'. The hot and cold water passages 34 ', 36' are configured to deliver respective hot and cold water received from the hot and cold water inlets 20 ', 22' to the mixer drum, and the outlet passage 38 'is configured to deliver mixed water received from the mixer drum to the outlet of a wall bath mixer or wall basin mixer via the mixed water outlet 26'.

Returning to the first embodiment of the tail portion 12 shown in fig. 2, it can be seen that each of the

fluid passages

34, 36, 38 includes an internal circumferential recess, each of which is configured to receive a respective sealing device. The sealing device is configured to sealingly connect the tail 12 to the mixer drum 14 in the following manner. Further, the sealing device is configured to releasably retain the mixer cartridge 14 relative to the tail 12 when no water is supplied to the tail 12 by the water supply (such as during installation of the conduit assembly 10 during a "coarse stage").

In the embodiment shown, the hot water channel 34 comprises a first inner circumferential recess 34a and a second inner circumferential recess 34b configured to receive sealing means in the form of O-rings 40a, 40b, respectively (fig. 1). Similarly, the cold water channel 36 includes first and second inner

circumferential recesses

36a, 36b configured to receive O-rings 42a, 42b (fig. 1), respectively, and the mixed water channel 38 includes first and second inner

circumferential recesses

38a, 38b configured to receive O-

rings

44a, 44b, respectively. The recesses in each

fluid passage

34, 36, 38 are spaced apart from one another and are sized to receive a respective O-ring in a push-fit manner. It has been found that the use of two O-rings in each

fluid passage

34, 36, 38 provides an enhanced seal between the mixer cartridge 14 and the tail 12.

Referring to fig. 4A and 4B, the mixer cartridge 14 is shown. As described above, the mixer cartridge 14 is configured to receive respective hot and cold water via the hot and

cold water inlets

20, 22 of the tail 12 for mixing and then deliver the mixed water to the outlet of the showerhead (not shown) via the mixed water outlet 26. One skilled in the art will know the manner in which the mixer cartridge 14 mixes the hot water with the cold water. Briefly, the mixer cartridge 14 includes a series of internally movable ceramic disks, each of which has an opening for directing hot or cold water into the mixing chamber. The ceramic disk is selectively movable by a control element 46, which control element 46 is operatively connected to a lever handle of a shower mixer tap, as will be described later. By selectively moving the lever handle, the ratio of hot water to cold water introduced into the mixing chamber can be selectively adjusted via the control element 46. In particular, the control element 46 moves the ceramic disks relative to each other to adjust the size of the opening of the mixing chamber, and thus the ratio of hot water to cold water delivered to the mixing chamber for mixing.

The mixer cartridge 14 according to the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a generally cylindrical housing 48 having an internal mixing chamber. The control element 46 is disposed at an outer end of the housing 48 and extends generally along a central longitudinal axis of the housing 48. The control element 46 is in the form of a generally elongate member having a uniform square cross-section along at least a portion of the length of the member. The control element 46 is receivable in a complementary recess in the stem handle of the shower mixer faucet and is selectively rotatable in the usual manner to the left and right from a central closed position (as shown in fig. 4A and 4B) to control the temperature of the water and about a transverse axis to control the flow rate of the water.

The mixer cartridge 14 also includes three

couplers

50, 52, 54 at the inner end of the housing 48 that are sized to be received in a push-fit manner into a respective one of the

fluid passages

34, 36, 38 of the tail 12. The

couplers

50, 52, 54 exhibit a generally uniform circular cross-section and include inwardly converging

end portions

50a, 52a and 54a, respectively. A first hot water interface 50 of the mixer cartridge 14, the first hot water coupling 50 being configured to fluidly connect to the hot water channel 34 when the coupling 50 is received in a push-fit manner into the hot water channel 34, and the first hot water coupling 50 being configured to receive hot water from the hot water inlet 20 via the hot water channel 34. The mixer cartridge 14 also includes a second cold water coupler 52, the second cold water coupler 52 being configured to fluidly connect to the cold water channel 36 when the coupler 52 is received in a push-fit manner into the cold water channel 36, and the second cold water coupler 52 being configured to receive cold water from the cold water inlet 22 via the cold water channel. The received hot and cold water is mixed in the mixing chamber depending on the position of the control element 46 and then delivered to the third outlet coupling 54. The outlet coupling 54 is configured to deliver the mixed water to the outlet 26 of the tail 12 (and ultimately to the outlet of the showerhead) via the outlet passage 38.

Advantageously, the mixer cartridge 14 is fluidly and sealingly connected to the tail 12 when the

couplers

50, 52, and 54 are received in a push-fit manner into the respective

fluid passages

34, 36, and 38 containing the respective O-

rings

40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, and 44a, 44 b. As used herein, "sealingly connected" means that the mixer cartridge 14 is connected to the tail 12 in the following manner: such that no or substantially no fluid leaks or is lost when being transferred from the tail section 12 to the mixer drum 14 or from the mixer drum 14 to the tail section 12.

In addition to sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge 14 to the tail 12 during use, the O-

rings

40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a, and 44b releasably retain the mixer cartridge 14 relative to the tail 12 during installation of the plumbing assembly 10 (i.e., when no water is being delivered to the tail 12 by the water supply). Thus, advantageously, the mixer cartridge 14 may be releasably retained relative to the tail 12 during installation of the conduit assembly 10 without the need for separate fasteners or fastening systems. In other words, the mixer cartridge 14 is releasably retained relative to the tail 12 by simply push-fitting the

couplers

50, 52, 54 of the mixer cartridge 14 into the respective

fluid passages

34, 36, 38 of the mixer cartridge 12, whereby the O-

rings

40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a, and 44b engage the

respective couplers

50, 52, 54 of the mixer cartridge 14.

After the

couplers

50, 52, 54 of the mixer cartridge 14 are push-fit to connect with the respective

fluid passages

34, 36, 38 of the tail 12, the mixer cartridge 14 may be releasably secured to the tail 12 by threadably connecting a mixer cartridge housing 78 (fig. 1) to the tail 12 about the mixer cartridge 14. As described in more detail below, the mixer cartridge housing 78 is removably received at least partially over the mixer cartridge 14 and is configured to engage the mixer cartridge 14. The mixer cartridge housing 78 includes threads that threadably connect to the threads 33 on the tail 12 to releasably secure the mixer cartridge 14 to the tail 12. Advantageously, the mixer cartridge housing 78 may be threadably connected to the tail 12 by rotating the mixer cartridge housing 78 relative to the tail 12.

The disclosed combination of the tail 12 and mixer cartridge 14 is an advance over the prior art, which generally requires a skilled installer to install a lock nut about the mixer cartridge (or mixer cartridge housing) and twist the lock nut to a particular torque value or setting to releasably secure and sealingly connect the mixer cartridge to the tail. In practice, due to the general lack of suitable high precision hand tools, skilled installers find it difficult to repeatably lock the lock nut to the desired torque setting to ensure a fluid seal between the mixer cartridge and the tail. Advantageously, as described above, the mixer cartridge 14 of the present invention need only be connected to the tail 12 via the

couplings

50, 52 and 54 in a push-fit manner to connect the mixer cartridge 14 to the tail 12 and releasably retain it to the tail 12. Further, the mixer cartridge 14 may then be secured in place relative to the tail 12 by threadably connecting the mixer cartridge housing 78 to the tail 12 about the mixer cartridge 14. Advantageously, since the O-

rings

40a, 40b, 42a, 42b, 44a, and 44b engage the

respective couplings

50, 52, 54 of the mixer cartridge 14, there is no need to torque the mixer cartridge housing 78 to a predetermined torque value minimum to thereby sealingly connect the mixer cartridge 14 to the tail 12.

Additionally, push fitting the

couplings

50, 52, 54 of the mixer cartridge 14 into the respective

fluid passages

34, 36, 38 of the tail 12 is a relatively simple and quick installation method between the mixer cartridge 14 and the tail 12. Moreover, the disclosed combination of the tail 12 and mixer cartridge 14 is an advance over the prior art in that the mixer cartridge 14 is advantageously connected to the tail 12 and releasably retained to the mixer cartridge 14 in a single continuous motion that includes connecting the

couplers

50, 52 and 54 in a push-fit manner into the respective

fluid passages

34, 36 and 38.

The manner in which a skilled installer can install the duct assembly 10 of the present invention in a dwelling will now be described with reference to figures 1, 5 and 6. As explained above, the tail 12 is typically connected to the water supply (not shown) of the dwelling during a rough phase of construction. As shown in fig. 6, the tail section 12 is mounted in a cavity 60 defined between a wall stud 62 of the dwelling and a plasterboard front wall 64 and is connected to a water supply so that hot and cold water can be delivered to the respective hot and

cold water inlets

20, 22 of the tail section 12 as required. The tail 12 is secured to the ledge 62 by two pairs of fasteners (not shown) that are received into corresponding pairs of holes 17 (fig. 2) in a pair of flange extensions 19 of the housing 16, respectively. As shown in fig. 2, each of the flange extensions 19 extends generally in the direction of the second fluid conduit 24 and is located on the rear side of the first fluid conduit 18, adjacent the end of the conduit 18. Returning to fig. 5 and 6, it can be seen that the front wall 64 includes a cavity 66 therein of a suitable size so that the installer can access the front 30 of the tail 12 through the front 68 of the front wall 64.

At this stage, the test tail 12 and the water supply may be leak tested. To this end, two generally circular plugs 70 (fig. 1) similar in size to the couplings of the mixer cartridge 14 are used to plug the hot and

cold water passages

34, 36 of the section tail 12. Each of the plugs 70 is received in a push-fit manner into a

respective fluid passage

34, 36 containing a respective pair of O-rings 40a, 40b and 42a, 42 b. A generally circular cap portion 72 (fig. 1) is then threadably attached around the threaded outer surface 33 of the rim 32 of the shell 16 of the tail portion 12. A sleeve 74 (fig. 1) having a generally circular cross-section is then inserted into the cavity 66 such that a forward face of the sleeve 74 abuts the housing 16 of the tail 12, as shown in fig. 5. The sleeve 74 is configured to act as a waterproof barrier between the duct assembly 10 and the home, and in particular is configured to prevent water damage to the front wall 64 due to water leakage from the tail 12. The tail 12 and the water supply are then leak tested by the installer in a manner known to those skilled in the art. At this stage, the water supply may also be flushed and cleaned of debris.

After leak testing the tail section 12 and the water supply, the circular cap section 72 may remain threadably connected to the housing 16 of the tail section 12 until the rough stage of construction has been completed. This is an advantageous development of the prior art method for installing such a pipe assembly. As explained above, in the prior art method, the mixer cartridge and its often delicate chrome plated housing would be sealingly connected to the tail during the rough phase of construction. This provides the opportunity for the chrome-plated housing to be damaged, for example, by a merchant in order to complete the construction of a home.

During the assembly (fit-off) phase of the dwelling construction, i.e., when installing fixtures and fittings in the dwelling, a skilled installer may simply remove the circular cap portion 72 and plug portion 70 and complete the installation of the conduit assembly 10 as described. Once the cap portion 72 is removed, the mixer cartridge 14 is fluidly and sealingly connected to the tail portion 12 and releasably retained to the tail portion 12 by push fitting the

couplers

50, 52, 54 of the mixer cartridge 14 into the respective

fluid passages

34, 36, 38 of the tail portion 12. An O-ring 76 (fig. 1) is then inserted into the cavity 66 so that it abuts the front surface of the front circular edge 32 of the tail 12, as shown in fig. 5. The mixer cartridge housing 78 (fig. 1) is then threadably attached around the threaded outer surface 33 of the tail 12, thereby securing the mixer cartridge 14 to the tail 12. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the mixer cartridge housing 78 is in the form of a sleeve and is configured to receive the mixer cartridge 14 therein. As described above, the mixer cartridge housing 78 has a chrome-plated outer surface and includes an opening at its outer end through which the control element 46 of the mixer cartridge 14 extends. Any remaining components of the shower mixer tap are now installed. For example, the control element 46 of the mixer cartridge 14 is inserted into a complementary recess in the lever handle 80 (fig. 5 and 6) of the shower mixer faucet such that selective movement of the lever handle also causes movement of the control element 46 to control water temperature and water flow. A face plate 82 (fig. 5 and 6) also surrounds the mixer cartridge housing 78 such that the face plate abuts the front face 68 of the front wall 64 and covers the cavity 66 and the sleeve 74 from view.

As described herein, the present invention provides a conduit assembly comprising the combination of the tail 12 and the mixer cartridge 14, wherein the tail 12 and the mixer cartridge 14 are advantageously fluidly and sealingly connected to each other by a simple push-fit arrangement. This simple push-fit arrangement also ensures that the mixer cartridge is releasably retained relative to the tail without the need for separate fasteners or fastening systems. Thus, ultimately, the present invention provides a relatively simple and quick method of installing a duct assembly.

Additionally, as described above, the cap portion 72 and plug portion 70 may simply be removed from the tail portion 12 during the assembly stage of construction, and the remaining components of the plumbing fixture may then be installed. Advantageously, therefore, since the chrome-plated exterior is not exposed from the rough stage of construction to the assembly stage of construction, the risk of damaging the delicate chrome-plated exterior of the mixer cartridge housing 78 is greatly reduced. In addition, due to this new installation method, the selection of the type of plumbing connected to the tail 12 may be postponed until the assembly stage of construction. In practice, this means that the transportation of the plumbing installation to the home can be postponed until this stage of construction, which greatly reduces the risk of theft of the plumbing installation.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tail connectable to a water supply, the tail comprising:

a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet and an outlet;

one or more channels configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more couplings of a mixer cartridge, wherein the mixer cartridge is configured to mix hot and cold water received by the respective hot and cold water inlets; and

one or more sealing devices mountable within each of the one or more channels, wherein the sealing devices are configured to: sealingly connecting the tail to the mixer cartridge when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels.

2. The tail of claim 1, wherein the one or more sealing devices are further configured to releasably retain the mixer cartridge relative to the tail.

3. The tail of claim 2, wherein the tail is configured to be connected to and releasably retained to the mixer drum in a single substantially continuous motion that includes push-fitting the one or more couplers into respective ones of the channels.

4. The tail of any of the preceding claims, comprising three channels, each of the three channels configured to fluidly connect to a respective one of three couplers of the mixer cartridge.

5. The tail of claim 4, comprising a hot water passage, a cold water passage, and an outlet passage.

6. The tail of claim 5, wherein the hot water passage, the cold water passage, and the outlet passage are configured to receive a hot water coupling, a cold water coupling, and an outlet coupling, respectively, of the mixer cartridge in a push-fit manner.

7. The tail of claim 5 or 6, wherein the hot and cold water channels are configured to deliver hot and cold water received via the respective hot and cold water inlets, respectively, to the hot and cold water couplings of the mixer drum for mixing, and wherein the mixed water is then delivered to the outlet channel of the tail via the outlet coupling of the mixer drum.

8. The tail of claim 7, wherein the outlet passage is configured to deliver the mixed water to the outlet.

9. The tail of claim 8, wherein the outlet is configured to fluidly connect to an outlet of a mixer tap.

10. The tail of any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the one or more sealing devices is an O-ring.

11. The tail of claim 10, wherein each channel presents a generally circular cross-section and includes an inner circumferential recess sized to receive an O-ring.

12. The tail of claim 11, wherein each channel includes two inner circumferential recesses spaced apart along a length of the channel, each of the two inner circumferential recesses sized to receive an O-ring.

13. The tail of claim 11 or 12, wherein the substantially circular cross-section of the one or more channels is complementary to the substantially circular cross-section of the one or more couplers of the mixer cartridge, such that the one or more couplers are receivable into the one or more channels, respectively, in a push-fit manner, and whereby the one or more sealing devices sealingly connect the tail to the mixer cartridge.

14. A mixer cartridge connectable to a tail, the mixer cartridge configured to mix hot water with cold water, and the mixer cartridge comprising:

15. The mixer cartridge of claim 14 wherein the one or more sealing devices are further configured to releasably retain the mixer cartridge to the tail.

16. The mixer cartridge of claim 15 wherein the mixer cartridge is configured to be connected to and releasably retained to the tail in a single substantially continuous motion that includes push-fitting the one or more couplers into respective ones of the channels.

17. A pipe assembly, comprising:

a tail for receiving hot and cold water from a water supply, the tail comprising one or more channels, each of the one or more channels comprising one or more sealing devices located therein; and

18. The conduit assembly of claim 17, wherein the one or more sealing devices are further configured to releasably retain the mixer cartridge to the tail.

19. The conduit assembly of claim 18, wherein the mixer cartridge is configured to be connected to and releasably retained to the tail in a single substantially continuous motion that includes push-fitting the one or more couplers into respective ones of the channels.

20. A pipe assembly, comprising:

a mixer cartridge for mixing the hot water with the cold water, the mixer cartridge comprising one or more couplers configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more of the channels, wherein the mixer cartridge comprises a housing that forms part of a mixer faucet assembly;

one or more sealing devices located within each of the one or more channels, wherein the sealing devices are configured to: sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels; and

a cover removably connected to the tail;

wherein the tail portion having a cap portion is connectable to the water supply device before the mixer cartridge is connected to the tail portion.

21. A method of installing a pipe assembly, the method comprising:

providing a tail comprising a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, an outlet and one or more channels, each of the one or more channels comprising one or more sealing devices located in each channel;

removably attaching a cover to the tail;

carrying out leakage test on the tail part and the water supply device;

removing the cover from the tail if no leak is detected;

connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail, the mixer cartridge configured to mix the hot water with the cold water, wherein the mixer cartridge includes one or more couplers configured to fluidly connect to respective one or more of the channels of the tail, wherein the sealing device is configured to: sealingly connecting the mixer cartridge to the tail when the one or more couplers are received in a push-fit manner into respective ones of the channels; and

mounting a mixer tap to the mixer cartridge.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more sealing devices are further configured to releasably retain the mixer cartridge to the tail.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the mixer cartridge is configured to be connected to and releasably retained to the tail in a single substantially continuous motion that includes push-fitting the one or more couplers into respective ones of the channels.