EP0498193B1 - Device for mounting a faucet assembly in a compartment between the tub-wall and the bathroomwall or similar - Google Patents

Abstract

In a device for mounting a faucet assembly in a compartment between the tub-wall and bathroom wall or similar, the shower hose (55) of the extractable shower attachment (16) is connected via a high-pressure- resistant reinforced hose (52) to a water-conducting sanitary element (13). The reinforced hose (52) has such a length that the connection point (53, 54) between it and the shower hose (55) can be pulled out upwards until it is above the receptacle (17) for the shower attachment (16). After such a pulling-out of the connection point (53, 54) between reinforced hose (52) and shower hose (55), the latter can be exchanged without problems as required, without the sanitary elements normally situated in the compartment under tiling (62) having to be accessible. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for mounting a bath mixer in an installation niche between the side wall of a bath tub and a wall of the bathroom or the like can be inserted into a receptacle fastened to the holding frame and is connected to a water-bearing sanitary element via a shower hose guided through the receptacle.

In so-called "tub edge assemblies" of sanitary elements, as is known, there is always the problem that, on the one hand, the various sanitary elements are to be arranged as far as possible beneath a tiling, but that, on the other hand, these sanitary elements must also be accessible for maintenance work and repairs if required. In a device for mounting a bath mixer of the type mentioned, which is described in DE-OS 39 07 204, this problem is solved in that all the sanitary elements are attached to the mounting frame, which is detachably housed in the recess, where the tiling is provided on the top cover plate of the holding frame. This construction allows the replacement or repair of all sanitary elements by a specialist; the replacement of individual sanitary elements by the layperson, on the other hand, is difficult.

The object of the present invention is to design a device for mounting a bath mixer of the type mentioned at the outset such that at least the shower hose can also be easily replaced by a layperson.

• a) der Brauseschlauch an seinem der Handbrause entgegengesetzen, im Normalbetrieb unterhalb der Aufnahme liegenden Ende lösbar mit einem hochdruckfesten, flexiblen Panzerschlauch verbunden ist, der seinerseits an das wasserführende Sanitärelement angeschlossen ist;
• b) der Panzerschlauch in seiner Länge so bemessen ist, daß die Verbindungsstelle zwischen Brauseschlauch und Panzerschlauch nach oben aus der Aufnahme herausgezogen werden kann.

This object is achieved in that

• a) the shower hose is detachably connected at its end opposite the hand shower, in normal operation below the receptacle, to a high-pressure-resistant, flexible armored hose, which in turn is connected to the water-carrying sanitary element;
• b) the length of the armored hose is such that the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose can be pulled up out of the receptacle.

The invention is based on the knowledge that, with the appropriate quality of the parts used and the corresponding processing, the component which, in the course of the normal service life of a bath tub battery, requires maintenance or replacement is the shower hose leading to the hand shower. This is stressed by the constant swiping past the recording; In addition, the plastics used can age and become brittle. Accessibility to the shower hose, which may need to be replaced, is ensured according to the invention in that the latter can be pulled completely up out of the installation niche via the receptacle of the hand shower. This ensures a flexible, heavy-duty and high pressure-resistant armored hose that can be designed so that, like the other sanitary elements, none during the normal service life of the sanitary facility Maintenance or no repair required. If an error actually occurs in the shower hose over time, the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose is simply pulled out of the holding frame through the receptacle of the hand shower. The shower hose can then be replaced in a simple manner; the original condition is then restored in that the connection point between the now new shower hose and the old armored hose is brought back into the interior of the holding frame through the receptacle of the hand shower.

According to a special feature of the present invention, an inner sleeve composed of at least two shells is removably arranged in the interior of the housing of the receptacle, the lower end face of which normally serves as a stop against pulling out the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose. As long as the inner socket is within the housing of the receptacle, the shower hose can only be pulled out until the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose strikes the lower end face of the inner socket. However, if the inner bushing is removed from the housing of the receptacle, this stop is omitted; the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose can now be completely brought out of the receptacle so that it is accessible for replacing the shower hose.

In this context, the construction can be such that the inner cross-section of the inner socket of the receptacle formed from the several shells is smaller than the largest outer cross-section of the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose, while the inner cross-section of the housing of the receptacle is larger than the largest cross-section this junction is. The stop element interacting with the lower end face of the inner bushing of the housing is then precisely the connection point between the two hoses.

The inner bushing of the receptacle can be axially secured within its housing, for example, in one direction so that it stands up on a step of the housing of the receptacle.

This measure can be supplemented in that the inner bushing of the receptacle formed by the several shells is axially secured at the top by a union nut screwed onto the housing of the receptacle. After removing this union nut, the inner bush can be pulled up out of the housing of the receptacle, which then disintegrates due to its multi-layer structure and can be removed from the side of the shower hose.

Another feature of the present invention may consist in that a flexible, elastic part is attached to the part of the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose belonging to the armored hose, the dimensions of which are larger than the inner cross section of the housing of the receptacle at its upper end. The flexible, elastic element can be folded together with force and then pulled through the housing of the receptacle. It folds up again after leaving the interior of the housing. If the connection point between the shower hose and armored hose is pulled outwards to replace the shower hose, the unfolded flexible elastic part prevents the armored hose from slipping back inadvertently by holding the hand shower downwards, where the armored hose would no longer be easily accessible.

As such a flexible, elastic part, a flat plate made of rubber or a similar material is particularly suitable.

Figur 1:

einen senkrechten Schnitt durch eine Einrichtung zur Montage an einer Wannenbatterie;

Figur 2:

in vergrößertem Maßstab einen Axialschnitt durch die Aufnahme für die in Figur 1 gezeigte Handbrause mit durchgeführtem Brauseschlauch;

Figur 3:

die Seitenansicht des in Figur 1 dargestellten Panzerschlauches.

An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawing; show it

Figure 1:

a vertical section through a device for mounting on a bath mixer;

Figure 2:

on an enlarged scale an axial section through the receptacle for the hand shower shown in Figure 1 with a shower hose;

Figure 3:

the side view of the armored hose shown in Figure 1.

The device shown in the drawing for mounting a bath mixer comprises a stable holding frame 1, in which all sanitary elements (individual fittings, connecting lines, elements required for connection to the house management, etc.) are combined in the manner of a structural unit. Unless otherwise described below, the design of the holding frame 1 and the sanitary elements arranged thereon match the one shown in DE-OS 39 07 204. Reference is also made to this. The entire holding frame 1 with the sanitary elements arranged thereon is inserted into a space which is kept free for this purpose between the side wall of a bathtub and the masonry (“installation niche”).

The holding frame 1 comprises a first horizontal mounting plate 4 and at a vertical distance above it a second, parallel mounting plate 5. The various sanitary fittings are firmly screwed to the lower mounting plate 4. These are only partially shown in the detail of the device for mounting a bath mixer shown in FIG. A substantially vertically oriented changeover housing 13 can be seen here, which is fastened axially displaceably to the upper mounting plate 5 in the manner described in DE-OS 39 07 204 and onto which a tub spout 14 is attached. The tub spout 14 is shown rotated by 90 ° in FIG. 1 with respect to its normal orientation, which would run perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. A line 12 connects the changeover housing 13 to a sanitary valve to the left of the detail shown in FIG. 1, for example a shut-off valve connected downstream of a thermostat. A rigid pipe bracket 50 is mounted on the side of the changeover housing 13 and passes through the lower mounting plate 4 downwards. At the end of the tube bracket 50, a reinforced hose 52 is connected by means of a union nut 51. This is a particularly stable, high-pressure-resistant, if necessary provided with reinforcements, flexible hose, which is able to withstand all the loads that occur during normal operation of the bath battery with certainty, so that damage to this armored hose 52 can be excluded with certainty.

The armored hose 52 is laid in a loop in the space below the holding frame 1; this loop is located in a drip pan not specifically shown in the drawing, as is shown in a comparable manner in FIG. 1 of DE-OS 39 07 204 already mentioned several times above.

The armored hose 52 carries on its the union nut 51 facing away from a threaded connection 53, to which a conventional shower hose 55 is connected by means of a further union nut 54. A square plate 70 made of flexible, elastic material is arranged below a hexagonal surface 56, which is part of the threaded connection 53 of the armored hose 52, the meaning of which will be discussed later.

The shower hose 55 is of conventional construction. It is the most susceptible element to which damage is most likely to occur in the course of the operating time of the bath mixer and which may therefore have to be replaced at larger intervals.

The shower hose 55 is passed through a receptacle 17 and fastened in a known manner to a hand shower 16 normally inserted into the receptacle 17.

The receptacle 17 for the hand shower 16 is shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. This is referred to below.

The receptacle 17 comprises a cylindrical housing 57 which is provided with an external thread 58 in the upper region, which has a somewhat smaller diameter. The housing 57 is screwed from below into a threaded bore 59 of the mounting plate 5 (see FIG. 1). In addition, a screw part 60, which is provided at its upper end with a radial flange 61, is screwed onto the external thread 58 of the receiving housing 57 from above. In the installed state, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the radial flange 61 of the screw part 60 rests on the tiling 62, which is located above the holding frame 1. The upper end of the receiving housing 57 stands over the radial flange 61 for reasons that will become clear later the screw part 60 upwards.

Arranged in the interior of the receiving housing 57 are two half-shells 63 which are separated along an axial plane and which, in their installation position shown in FIG. 2, form a type of inner bushing within the housing 57. The calf gears 63 stand up on a small step 64 on the inner cylinder wall of the housing 57. They are secured at the top by a union nut 65 which is screwed onto the upper, projecting end of the receiving housing 57 (see FIG. 1).

The interior of the inner bush formed by the two half-shells 63 is cylindrical in the lower region 63a, but conical in the upper region 63b. The conical area 63b serves to accommodate the usual plug-in cone 66, which projects downward from the handle area 67 of the hand shower 16 in a known manner.

The purpose of the design features described above is as follows:
In normal operation, the hand shower 16 can be removed from the receptacle 17 in the usual way; the shower hose 55 can be pulled through the receptacle 17 until the union nut 54 abuts the lower end face of the half-shells 63, which are fitted within the receptacle 17. The inner diameter of the inner bush formed by the two half shells 63 is therefore smaller than the outer diameter of the union nut 54.

From experience it can be said that all the sanitary elements arranged within the holding frame 1 do not require any special maintenance to access them within the normal life expectancy of the bathtub battery Sanitary elements below the tiling 62 would require. These sanitary elements can therefore be permanently covered by the tiling 62. This also applies in particular to the flexible armored hose 52 which establishes the connection between the changeover housing 13 and the shower hose 55. For the latter, however, damage within the life expectancy of the entire bath battery cannot be ruled out. If such damage occurs and the shower hose 55 must therefore be replaced, the procedure is as follows:
First, the union nut 65 is removed from the upper end of the receiving housing 57. As a result, the two half-shells 63 lose their axial hold upwards. If the hand shower 16 and the shower hose 55 are pulled out, the movement of the shower hose 55 no longer ends by contacting the lower end face of the two half-shells 63; rather, the two half-shells 63 can now be pulled out upwards. The inside diameter of the receptacle housing 57 at the narrowest point is such that it is larger than the outside diameter of the union nut 54 and the threaded connection 53 of the armored hose 52. The screwing point between the shower hose 55 and the armored hose 52 can thus be pulled out up to the tiling 62. The two half-shells 63 can be removed laterally from the shower hose 55.

When passing through the receiving housing 57, the plate 70 flexibly folds over the threaded connection 53 of the armored hose 52, so that the passage of the threaded connection 53 through the interior of the receiving housing 57 is possible. If the threaded connection 53 emerges from the upper end of the receiving housing 57, the flexible plate 56 resiliently takes its former shape, as shown in FIG. 1 Plate 70 resiliently reinserted its previous flat configuration shown in FIG. In this position, its outer dimensions are larger than the inner diameter of the housing 57, so that an unintentional sliding back of the armored hose 52 through the receiving housing 57 is not possible.

Now the threaded connection 53, 54 between the armored hose 52 and the shower hose 55 can be released and the defective shower hose 55 can be removed.

The various elements are now brought back to their original location in the reverse manner: a new shower hose 55 is connected with its union nut 54 to the threaded connection 53 of the armored hose 52. The threaded connection 53 is pressed downward by the receiving housing 57 with elastic deformation of the plate 70. The two half-shells 63 are placed from the side onto the new shower hose 55 and inserted into the interior of the receiving housing 57 from above until their lower end faces rest on the step 64 of the receiving housing 57. Now the union nut 65 is screwed onto the protruding end of the external thread 58 of the receiving housing 57. The entire bath mixer, in particular the hand shower 16, are now ready for use again.

Claims (7)

1. Device for mounting a bath tap assembly in an installation recess between the side wall of a bath tub and a wall of the bathroom or the like, comprising a holding frame (1) to which various sanitary elements, inter alia a pull-out hand-held shower (16), with the necessary connection lines are fastened, wherein the hand-held shower (16) can be plugged into a holder (17) fastened to the holding frame (1) and is connected to a water-carrying sanitary element (13) by way of a shower hose (55) which is passed through the holder (17),
   characterised in that

   a) the shower hose (55) is disconnectably connected at its end opposite the hand-held shower (16), which end lies beneath the holder (17) in normal operation, to a high-pressure-proof, flexible armoured hose (52) which in turn is connected to the water-carrying sanitary element (13),

   b) the armoured hose (52) is of a length such that the junction (53, 54) between the shower hose (55) and the armoured hose (52) can be pulled upward out of the holder (17).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that an inner sleeve composed of at least two shells (63) is removably arranged in the interior of the housing (57) of the holder (17), the lower end of which sleeve normally acts as a stop against the withdrawal of the junction (53, 54) between the shower hose (55) and the armoured hose (52).
3. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the internal cross-section of the multiple-shell (63) inner sleeve of the holder (17) is smaller than the largest external cross-section of the junction (53, 54) between the shower hose (55) and the armoured hose (52), while the internal cross-section of the housing (57) of the holder (17), on the other hand, is larger than the largest cross-section of that junction (53, 54).
4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the multiple-shell (63) inner sleeve of the holder (17) stands on a step (64) of the housing (57) of the holder (17).
5. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that the multiple-shell (63) inner sleeve of the holder (17) is axially secured at the top by a union nut (65) which is screwed onto the housing (57) of the holder (17).
6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that there is fastened to the part (53) belonging to the armoured hose (52) of the junction (53, 54) between the shower hose (55) and the armoured hose (52) a flexible, resilient part (56), the dimensions of which are larger than the internal cross-section of the housing (57) of the holder (17) at its upper end.
7. Device according to claim 6, characterised is that the flexible, resilient part (56) is a plane platelet consisting of rubber or a similar material.

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