ES2792750B2 - SYSTEM FOR CONNECTION OF EXTENSIONS OR HOSES IN WATER TAP AND WATER TAP THAT SUPPORTS SAID SYSTEM - Google Patents

Description

SYSTEM FOR CONNECTION OF EXTENSIONS OR HOSES IN

WATER AND WATER TAP THAT SUPPORTS SUCH SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to accessories for taps, in particular those accessories that allow coupling in taps, already arranged or planned to be arranged, for example, in bathrooms or kitchens, hoses or extensions to extend the water delivery point in points other than the outlet of the tap itself.

STATE OF THE ART

Due to the different activities that can be carried out in bathrooms, kitchens or the like, it is sometimes necessary to supply water at distant points to the tap located in the washbasin or sink to, for example, fill tanks or wash any element, where it is necessary The concrete one could be to fill a baby bathtub that for various reasons cannot approach the shower or bathtub, where the shower hose with which this bathtub is usually filled is usually located. So in cases like this, it would be useful to have a quick connection system to locate said shower hose easily and quickly on the sink tap, from which it is much easier to have water for these purposes, filling in In this case, the portable bathtub with the ease of being able to access the tap to regulate the flow and temperature of the water, more complicated if the task is carried out from the shower tap, however, the taps provided in these places are not usually adapted or have extenders that allow water to be delivered beyond the outlet of the tap itself, so if the user wants to take water to a different point, generally they will have to transport it to the point of interest accumulating it in a container, which is uncomfortable and inappropriate, if the volume of water to be transported is considerable.

In the state of the art, some solutions have been provided to respond to this problem, as seen in US patent document US 5,926,868, which reveals a bathtub shower system that includes an accessory for the threaded connection to the bathtub faucet. The fitting cooperates with a backflow prevention assembly, which includes a quick connect / disconnect such that the backflow assembly can be easily connected or disconnected from the fitting. The backflow prevention assembly is attached to a showerhead hose for use by an individual reclining or sitting in a bathtub. Backflow prevention assembly prevents drift from the bathtub water to the water supply in case the water supply is reduced or the bathtub faucet sucks. The quick connect / disconnect allows the shower system to be removed from the bathtub faucet while allowing the bathtub faucet to operate in a conventional manner.

The quick connection / disconnection provided for the accessory in the aforementioned American patent allows the coupling of a shower hose, but is limited to this only type of connectors, without allowing the coupling of other extensions or hoses, such as a garden hose, the which is normally a female threaded connector that fits into a male tap thread.

On the other hand, the European patent EP 2099975 discloses a ball joint with a first and a second joint part which are connected to each other in an articulated manner and which comprise interconnected liquid conduits, and of which a part of the joint can be connected. removably fastened to a water inlet and the other part of the joint is designed as a water outlet or can be removably connected to a water outlet. A ball joint is connected at its first joint part with a flexible water line, while at the second inlet side joint part it is connected to an angle valve, or at the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting. The first joint part has in its clamping element an end region with a thread which removably screws into a mating thread in the adjacent line connection of the flexible water pipe. In this case, the first gasket part acts with its spur gear area designed as a sealing ring seal that is provided inside the line connection. Inside the first part of the joint, a flow controller (aerator) has been provided that provides a sanitary functional unit that limits the maximum flow to a specific value. For this purpose, the first part of the gasket has an outlet side insert opening into which the flow regulator is inserted which serves as a sanitary functional unit.

From the cited European patent it can be seen that, in one of its embodiments, it comprises a quick connection / disconnection mechanism to connect a shower hose or similar in its joint to a tap with a ball joint which allows the mobility of the connection of the hose to the tap. to avoid or reduce shear stresses in said connection while making it more flexible. However, the invention disclosed in this European patent does not allow other types of connections to the joint, for example, a conventional garden irrigation hose cannot be connected, which uses threaded type fasteners and not quick coupling.

Therefore, the need has been detected to provide a faucet accessory that allows the connection of different extensions or hoses to said water taps, while maintaining the ability to carry aerating or water-saving devices, such as conventional faucets. .

DESCRIPTION

To solve the need found, the present invention provides a system for connecting extension cords or hoses in taps of the type that comprises means of connection to the liquid outlet of said tap, where the system comprises a coupling element provided with at least a first end configured to engage the means of connection to the liquid outlet of the tap and of a ball and socket mechanism provided in turn with hooking means configured for releasable engagement of an adapter element configured to move spherically with respect to the element of coupling by the ball joint mechanism, said adapter element comprising, at a second end opposite the first end of the coupling element, quick connection / disconnection means and threaded connection / disconnection means.

In alternative embodiments the adapter element comprises at a first end a hooking means configured to engage with the hooking means of the coupling element.

In other alternative embodiments, the attachment means of the adapter element are configured as projections intended to engage and lock by rotation in an "L" groove configured as the attachment means of the coupling element.

In alternative embodiments the adapter element comprises at the first end a cavity configured to receive an aerator or an economizer or some element that is a combination of said aerator or economizer.

In other alternative embodiments the quick connect / disconnect means comprise a hole configured to receive a male portion of a male quick coupling and a cavity configured to receive a pin in turn configured to fix said male portion in said hole, where the quick coupling male is configured for the coupling of an external fitting with female thread.

In alternative embodiments the threaded connection / disconnection means comprise a male thread provided at the second end, said male thread being configured for threaded engagement of an external female threaded fitting.

In other embodiments, the system of the invention comprises a terminal element (7) that can be coupled to the quick connection / disconnection means or to the threaded connection / disconnection means of the adapter element or to the male quick coupling, said terminal element being provided with a configured recess. to receive an aerator or economizer.

In other alternative embodiments, the system comprises an auxiliary adapter element that can be coupled between the connection means at the liquid outlet of the tap and the first end of the coupling element.

The invention also discloses a water tap comprising a liquid outlet end provided with connection means wherein said water tap comprises a system for connecting extensions or hoses as has been described heretofore.

The main advantage of the invention is to provide an accessory for taps that allows the multi-connection of hoses (for example, shower hoses or garden hose) with the same element, together with the ability to control the reduction of water consumption, providing a solution to all those occasions where the water supply is needed at a point far from the outlet of the bathroom faucet to which, in addition, the shower hose does not reach, for example: filling any bucket, tank, portable bathtub, etc. in a more comfortable way than bringing it closer to the shower, washing any item in the sink with the convenience of being able to use a hose, or having water in bathrooms that do not have a shower, but do have a sink, for tasks such as cleaning.

Another advantage of the invention is that it allows the same shower hose to be used to connect it to the bathroom faucet, quickly, without dripping, together with the possibility of easily changing the water saver, without the need for tools. for it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The foregoing and other advantages and characteristics will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of some embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, which should be considered by way of illustration and not limitation, in which:

- Fig. 1 is an exploded and sectional view in which the main elements that make up the system of the invention are shown.

- Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the terminal element.

- Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pin element that is part of the quick connection / disconnection means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE OF EMBODIMENT

Numerous specific details are set forth in the following detailed description in the form of examples to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present teachings can be practiced without such details.

According to as seen in figure 1, the present invention provides a system that allows extension cables or hoses to be connected to a tap (1) to be able to supply liquid, generally water, at a point different from that of said tap (1).

The tap (1), which can be, for example, of the type that is usually arranged in kitchen sinks or bathroom sinks, generally comprises a stem in which a liquid outlet (2) is provided which, at in turn, it comprises connection means (2A) configured for the coupling of elements such as aerators, economizers or diffusers, widely known in the state of the art. To facilitate the coupling of these elements to the liquid outlet (2), the connection means (2A) can take different forms, such as the corresponding part for a "Quick Release" type coupling, or the like. ; although the most commonly used form is a threaded type coupling, where the female thread is arranged in the liquid outlet (2), that is, the connection means (2A) are preferably configured as a threaded hole in which A male threaded stem such as one with an aerator, diffuser, or economizer may be threaded.

The system of the invention, as seen in figure 1, mainly comprises a coupling element (3) configured to be coupled in the connection means (2A) to the liquid outlet (2) of the tap (1), and a adapter element (5) connectable to coupling element (3) and configured to move spherically with respect to the latter.

The coupling element (3) comprises a connector body (30) provided with a first end (31) configured to engage the connection means (2A) at the liquid outlet (2) of the tap (1). According to the form that the connection means (2A) have taken, the first end (31) will have the corresponding complementary form; for example, if the female of a "Quick Release" type coupling is as connection means (2A), the first end (31) will be the male part of said "Quick Release". When the connection means (2A) take the form of a threaded hole, the first end (31) takes the form of a rod with an external thread, configured to engage in said threaded hole.

On some occasions and depending on the dimensions of the tap (1) and the liquid outlet (2), it is possible to use an auxiliary adapter element (8) configured to be coupled between the connection means (2A) and the first end ( 31) of the coupling element (3). This auxiliary adapter element (8) is a generally standardized element, comprising two male threaded rods of different diameters, one of which is screwed into the connection means (2A) and the other into the first end (31) of the coupling element, whereby this first end (31) is configured as a threaded female, configured to couple the appropriate threaded rod of said auxiliary adapter element (8). One skilled in the art can appreciate that the shape of the first end (31) can be suitably varied to releasably engage the connection means (2A) without departing from the scope of the invention.

At a second end (31A) of the connector body (30) a hemisphere (31B) has been provided that is part of a ball joint mechanism (40), where a hemispherical housing (40A) intended to couple said hemisphere (31B) is located arranged in a bushing (4), as seen in figure 1. Therefore, this bushing (4) can move spherically with respect to the tubular body (30) and, consequently, any element coupled to said bushing ( 4) will be able to move in the same way. Opposite to the hemispherical housing (40A), in the bushing (4) there are arranged hooking means (41) configured for releasable coupling of an adapter element (5).

The adapter element (5) essentially comprises a tubular body (50) which at a first end (51) is provided with hooking means (53) configured to engage with the hooking means (41) of the bushing (4) of the element. coupling (3). The shape of the hooking means (53) will be complementary to the hooking means (41) as long as a releasable coupling is achieved between the coupling element (3) and the adapter element. Although, it is possible in certain cases that the connection between these elements is permanent, for example, by welding, gluing, riveting or similar, in the preferred embodiment of this invention the connection between the coupling element (3) and the adapter element (5) it is of the releasable type.

In the embodiment shown in the figures that accompany the description, the hooking means (53) of the adapter element (5) are configured as projections (531) intended to fit and be fixed by rotation in an "L" groove (not shown ) configured as a means of engagement (41) of the bushing (4) of the coupling element (3). Alternatively, the means of engagement (53) can be a female thread that engages a male thread provided as a means of engagement (41) in the socket (4), or vice versa. The person skilled in the art will recognize that other types of similar releasable couplings are within the scope of the invention. Additionally, and to ensure the connection between the hooking means (53) and the means hooking (41), as seen in figure 1, the hooking means (41) can comprise an additional fixing by means of a hole / set screw (42) provided to hook the hooking means (53) of the adapter element (5) and attend this man it was in engagement with the projections (531) in the "L" groove. It is even possible to eliminate these projections (531) and said "L" groove and configure the hooking means (41) of the bushing (4) as at least one hole / screw (42) configured to hold the end (51) of the element. coupling (5).

Thanks to the described coupling, the adapter element (5) can move spherically with respect to the tubular body (30) of the coupling element (3), that is, move spherically with respect to the liquid outlet (2) of the tap (1). This fact covers an important fact, which is that when the extension cord or hose is connected and in use, the coupling between the coupling element (3) and the adapter element (5) can move and reduce the deformation efforts on said coupling, in addition to facilitating access to the system.

Adjacent to the first end (51) of the adapter element (5) has been provided a cavity (57) configured to receive an aerator (58A) or an economizer (58B) or some element that is a combination of these elements, as observed in figure 1.

Likewise, the adapter element (5) comprises at a second end (52), which is opposite to the first end (51) and, consequently, is opposite to the liquid outlet (2) of the tap (1), means of quick connection / disconnection (55) and threaded connection / disconnection means (56).

With reference to the quick connection / disconnection means (55), these can be configured according to any of the ways known for couplings of the "Quick Release" type in the state of the art, preferably by locating the female of said coupling at the end (52) of the adapter element (5) and the male part, to which, for example, a shower hose or a hose would be attached, intended to be hooked onto said female. The person skilled in the art will recognize that different shapes "Quick Release" couplings can be applied without departing from the scope of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, such as that shown in Figures 1 and 3, the quick connection / disconnection means (55) comprise a hole (551) provided at the end (52) of the adapter element (5), said hole ( 551) configured to receive a male portion (61) of a quick coupler (6) and a cavity (552) to receive a pin (62) configured to fix the male portion (61) of the male quick coupler (6) in said hole (551).

As seen in Figure 3, the pin (62) allows the entry of the male portion (61) and hooks it to prevent the fluid pressure from expelling the male quick coupling (6). This engagement is carried out by a hole (621) that allows the passage of the male portion (61), where grooves (610) defined in the male portion (61) are provided for the engagement of lateral portions (622) that define the hole (621).

According to what is observed in figure 1, the male quick coupling (6) comprises a tubular element (63) slidably coupled to the male portion (61) of the male quick coupling element (6). At an inner end (63B), which is oriented towards the inside of the male quick coupling (6), of said tubular element (63) an anti-drip mechanism (64) has been arranged in such a way as to prevent the leakage of drops of water when the male quick coupling (6) is not connected to the adapter element (5).

This anti-drip mechanism (64) is composed of a hole (641) provided in the vicinity of the inner end (63B) which, due to the sliding movement of the tubular element (63), can enter an inner chamber (611) of the quick coupling element. male (6) allowing the passage of liquid towards said inner chamber (611). An elastic element (642), such as a spring or the like, supported at one end on a wall of the inner chamber (611) and at the other on a stop (643) operatively connected to the inner end (63B) of the tubular element ( 63) are responsible for moving and maintaining said tubular element to the closed position, where the hole (641) has not entered the inner chamber (611). An O-ring (644) or the like provides a tight seal such that no fluid flows into the inner chamber (611) when the tubular element (63) is in the closed position. When the male quick coupling (6) is coupled, an outer end, located towards the outside of the male portion (61), contacts an inner shoulder or shoulder (58) of the adapter element (5), displacing the tubular element (63), compressing the elastic element (642) and engaging the lateral portions (622) of the pin element (62) in the grooves (610) of the male quick coupler (6).

Now, the disconnection or unhooking of the male quick coupling (6) occurs when a button (623) of the pin (62) is pressed, at that moment the male quick coupling (6) is expelled when the lateral portions (622) of the grooves (610) and released by the thrust provided by the elastic element (642). The pin (62) comprises at an end opposite the button (623) an elastic element (624) that is in charge of keeping projections (625) against a shoulder (not shown) provided in the cavity (552) of the locking element. adapter (5), therefore, by pressing the button (623), the elastic element (624) moves to disengage the lateral portions (622) from the slots (610) and the elastic element (642) moves expelling the male quick coupling (6) of the adapter element (5).

The male quick coupling (6) also comprises connection means (65) for the coupling of a shower hose or the like. In the embodiment shown in figure 1 the connection means (65) take the form of a male thread intended to releasably couple the female coupling of a shower hose.

On the other hand, the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) comprise a male thread (561) provided at the second end (52) of the adapter element (5), said male thread (561) being configured for the threaded coupling of a external fitting (no shown) known in the art. Preferably this external fitting is a garden hose fitting.

As can be seen in figure 2, the system of the invention comprises a terminal element (7) that can be coupled to the quick connection / disconnection means (55) or to the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) of the adapter element (5); In still other embodiments, this terminal element (7) is configured to engage the connection means (65) of the male quick coupling (6).

The terminal element (7) comprises a hole (71) configured to receive an aerator (71A) or an economizer (71B), wherein said hole (71) simultaneously comprises a connection portion (72) configured to engage the means quick connection / disconnection (55) or to the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) of the adapter element (5) or to the connection means (65) of the male quick coupling (6). In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the connecting portion (72) takes the form of a female thread configured to engage the male thread (561) of the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) of the adapter element (5) or in the male thread of the connection means (65) of the male quick coupling (6).

In other embodiments, the terminal element (7) can be coupled to the coupling element (3), being configured in such a way that the connection portion (72) can be coupled in the engagement means (41) of the socket (4) of the coupling element. coupling (3), for example, providing projections similar to the projections (53) of the adapter element (5) that engage in the "L" groove of the hooking means (41) of the bushing (4).

Additionally, and to ensure that the connection between the connection portion (72) and the quick connection / disconnection means (55) or the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) of the adapter element (5) or the connection means ( 65) of the male quick coupling (6), as seen in figure 1, in said connection portion (72) an additional fixing can be provided by means of a hole / set screw (73). It is even possible to eliminate the threaded female from the connection portion (72) and configure the latter as at least one hole / set screw (73) configured to engage in any of the quick connect / disconnect means (55) or the means of connection. threaded connection / disconnection (56) of the adapter element (5) or the connection means (65) of the male quick coupling (6).

On the other hand, the invention comprises as many O-rings as necessary between the elements that make up the system to ensure tightness and that the liquid is only dispensed through a dispensing opening at the corresponding end of each element. For example, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, an O-ring (91) is arranged between the coupling element (3) and the auxiliary adapter element (8) or the water outlet (2) of the tap (1) . Another O-ring (92) can be provided between the aerator element (58A) and the bushing (4) of the coupling element (3), an O-ring (93) between the aerator element (58A) and the cavity (57) of the adapter element (5), an O-ring (94) between the male portion (61) of the coupling element (6) and the hole (551) of the adapter element (5), and an O-ring (95) between the terminal element (7) and any of the quick connection / disconnection means (55) or the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) of the adapter element (5) or the connection means (65) of the male quick coupling (6).

Likewise, the materials from which the elements of the system can be constructed are injectable, thermoformable, printable and / or machinable polymers, as well as suitable metallic materials and / or any combination thereof.

On the other hand, and given that the connection between elements is preferably of a releasable type, the elements that make up the system are provided on their outer surface with suitable means that allow easy holding by a user, for example, reliefs, flat regions. or ergonomic or similar.

With the invention, as described up to this point, it is possible to couple the shower hoses to washbasin or sink taps, either by quick coupling on the adapter element (5) or by threading on the male quick coupling (6); or coupling a garden hose to such taps by means of the typical female thread fitting that is coupled to the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) of the adapter element (5). In addition, when it is not in use, the system allows to have a water outlet with an adjustable delivery point by rotation thanks to the articulated mechanism (40) and having the water aerated or diffused by using the aerator (71A) or a diffuser provided in the terminal element (7).

In addition to the foregoing, the invention also comprises a water dispensing tap (1) in which the system for connecting extensions or hoses is arranged as has been described up to now.

Claims (8)

1. System for connection of extensions or hoses in taps (1) of the type that comprises connection means (2A) to the liquid outlet (2) of said tap (1), the system comprising a coupling element (3 ) provided with at least one first end (31) configured to engage the connection means (2A) to the liquid outlet (2) of the tap (1) and with a ball joint mechanism (40) provided in turn with some hooking means (41) configured for releasably engaging an adapter element (5) configured to move spherically with respect to the coupling element (3) by the ball joint mechanism (40), said adapter element (5) comprising, in a second end (52) opposite the first end (31) of the coupling element (3), by means of quick connection / disconnection (55) and threaded connection / disconnection means (56), the system being characterized in that the means Quick connect / disconnect connections (55) comprise a hole (551) configured to receive a A male portion (61) of a male quick coupling (6) and a cavity (552) to receive a pin (62) in turn configured to fix said male portion (61) in said hole (551), where the quick coupling male (6) is configured for the coupling of an external fitting. 2. System according to claim 1 wherein the adapter element (5) comprises at a first end (51) hooking means (53) configured to engage with the hooking means (41) of the coupling element (3). System according to claim 2 where the hooking means (53) of the adapter element (5) are configured as projections (531) intended to fit and be fixed by rotation in an "L" groove configured as a hooking means (41) of the coupling element (3). System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the adapter element (5) comprises at the first end (51) a cavity (57) configured to receive an aerator (58A) or an economizer (58B) or some combination of these elements. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) comprise a male thread (561) arranged at the second end (52), said male thread (561) being configured for the threaded coupling of a external fitting. System according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a terminal element (7) that can be coupled to the quick connection / disconnection means (55) or to the threaded connection / disconnection means (56) of the adapter element (5) or to the quick coupling. male (6), said terminal element (7) being provided with a recess (71) configured to receive an aerator (71A) or an economizer (71B). System according to any of the preceding claims, comprising an auxiliary adapter element (8) that can be coupled between the connection means (2A) to the liquid outlet (2) of the tap (1) and the first end (31) of the tap element (31). coupling (3). 8. Water tap (1) comprising a liquid outlet end (2) with connection means (2A) characterized in that it comprises a system for connecting extensions or hoses according to any of claims 1 to 7.