GB1568953A - Filling arrngements for baths and other liquid containers - Google Patents

Description

(54) AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR RELATING TO FILLING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BATHS AND OTHER LIQUID CONTAINERS (71) We, PEGLERS LIMITED, a British Company, of Cross Bank, Balby, Doncaster, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - The invention relates to filling arrangements for baths and other liquid containers and has for its object to provide an improvement therein.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for filling and emptying a bath or other liquid container, the apparatus including an ON/OFF valve supplied with water or other liquid, as the case may be, at a required temperature from a mixer tap; a pressure chamber a lower end of which communicates with the bath or other container, as the case may be, whereby the filling of the bath or other container is accompanied by the simultaneous filling of the pressure chamber; and air pressure actuated means for controlling the opening and closing of the ON/OFF valve, said means communicating with an enclosed air space at the upper end of the pressure chamber, the arrangement being such that when the water in the bath, or the liquid in the container, as the case may be, reaches a predetermined depth the pressure of air in the upper end of the pressure chamber is such that the air pressure actuated means can close the ON/ OFF valve. The air pressure actuated means for controlling the opening and closing of the ON/OFF valve will preferably be constituted by a flexible bladder bearing against one end of a lever the movement of which is arranged to open the ON/OFF valve.Spring means will preferably act against the lever in opposition to the pressure of air within the flexible bladder, adjustment means being provided whereby the force of the spring means can be varied so that the predetermined depth of water in the bath, or depth of liquid in the container, as the case may be, can be varied. A vent pipe may also communicate with the enclosed air space at the upper end of the pressure chamber and communicate with an outlet pipe from the bath or other container.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the invention as applied to a domestic bath, and Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrammatic illustrations of possible modifications which will presently be referred to.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the bath 10 is arranged to be supplied with water at a require temperature through a filler tube 12 extending from an ON/OFF valve 14, the latter being supplied with water from a mixer tap generally indicated 16 to which supplies of hot and cold water are connected through feed pipes 18 and 20.

The opening and closing ofthe ON/OFF valve 14 is controlled by a lever 22 which is pivotally mounted at 24 and which bears at one end against a plunger 26, the latter being arranged to close the valve 14 when depressed and to allow the valve to open when released. The other end of the lever is pivotally connected at 28 to a disc 30 movement of which is under the control of a flexible air bladder 32. The flexible air bladder, which when pressurised expands to push the disc outwards against the force of a spring 33 to cause the valve 14 to close, is connected to the upper end of a pressure cylinder 34 by means of an air pipe 36. The lower end of the pressure cylinder is connected, by means of a pres sure pipe 38, into an outlet pipe 40 from the bath.As shown, the pressure pipe is connected into the outlet pipe at the upstream side of a drain plug 42, the latter being disposed at the upstream side of a conventional waste sealing trap or U-bend 44. A control rod 43 extends upwardly from the drain plug 42 and extends through a gland 45. An upper end of the control rod is provided with a waste control knob 47 which is movable between two positions, as shown, to lift or lower the drain plug according to whether the bath is to be emptied or filled. In addition, a vent pipe 46 which is connected at one end to the upper end of the pressure cylinder is connected at its other end to the outlet pipe adjacent the point at which the pressure pipe is connected into the latter.

The arrangement is such that when a user has closed the drain plug and has opened the mixer tap to flow of water at a required temperature, the bath will fill with water to the predetermined depth. When that depth of water has been reached, the same or very nearly the same depth of water in the pressure chamber will have produced an air pressure in the flexible bladder 32 sufficient to push the disc 30 outwards against the force of the spring 33 to cause the ON/OFF valve to close.

(Although not shown in the drawing, adjustment means are provided whereby the force of the spring 33 can be varied. In this way the required pressure of air in the bladder to cause the ON/OFF valve to close can be varied and thus the predetermined depth of water in the bath can be adjusted).

It will be understood that the accompanying drawing is purely diagrammatic and that in practice the apparatus will be such that when the drain plug is opened all the waste water in the bath will be allowed to drain away, as will the water in the pressure chamber and the water in the vent pipe, so that when the bath is subsequently re-filled with fresh water it will not be contaminated by waste water in the outlet pipe. It will also be understood that the vent pipe 46 may not be essential to the efficient working of the apparatus.

Referring now to Fig. 2, this illustrates a possible modification of the pressure chamber 34, the modification residing in the fact that the latter is provided with an internal dividing wall 48, an enclosed air space being formed at one side of the dividing wall.

In Fig. 3 there is illustrated an aIternative modification of the pressure chamber, the modification in this case residing in the fact that the pressure chamber is an open topped container except that it has a separate inverted container 50 within it, the enclosed air space being formed within the latter.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the pressure pipe 38 could be arranged to communicate with the bath otherwise than by way of the outlet pipe 40. In this way there would be provided a safeguard against flooding if someone by inadvertence fitted a plug in the bath despite the use of a flush fitting waste socket (because in the illustrated apparatus the fitting of a plug would prevent the flow of water to the pressure chamber and the water would continue to run until manually shut off at the mixer tap).

It has been found that the apparatus described above for the automatic filling of a bath (that is to say automatic in the sense that the water can be turned on at the required temperature and then left to switch itself off when the water has reached the pre-determined depth) is ideal for use in hospitals and childrens homes, for example, where constant supervision cannot always be given and where the danger of scalding by hot water must be reduced as much as possible. It will be understood that, if required, the mixer tap can be installed in a position not accessible to a person in the bath or in the bathroom.

The invention is not only applicable to baths but can of course be used for the automatic filling of other containers with water or with other liquid, that is to say, the invention may be used in industry.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. Apparatus for filling and emptying a bath or other liquid container, the apparatus including an ON/OFF valve supplied with water or other liquid, as the case may be, at a required temperature from a mixer tap; a pressure chamber a lower end of which communicates with the bath or other container, as the case may be, whereby the filling of the bath or other container is accompanied by the simultaneous filling of the pressure chamber; and air pressure actuated means for controlling the opening and closing of the ON/OFF valve, said means communicating with an enclosed air space at the upper end of the pressure chamber, the arrangement being such that when the water in the bath, or the liquid in the container, as the case may be, reaches a predetermined depth the pressure of air in the upper end of the pressure chamber is such that the air pressure actuated means can close the ON/OFF valve.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the air pressure actuated means for controlling the opening and closing of the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. sure pipe 38, into an outlet pipe 40 from the bath. As shown, the pressure pipe is connected into the outlet pipe at the upstream side of a drain plug 42, the latter being disposed at the upstream side of a conventional waste sealing trap or U-bend 44. A control rod 43 extends upwardly from the drain plug 42 and extends through a gland 45. An upper end of the control rod is provided with a waste control knob 47 which is movable between two positions, as shown, to lift or lower the drain plug according to whether the bath is to be emptied or filled. In addition, a vent pipe 46 which is connected at one end to the upper end of the pressure cylinder is connected at its other end to the outlet pipe adjacent the point at which the pressure pipe is connected into the latter. The arrangement is such that when a user has closed the drain plug and has opened the mixer tap to flow of water at a required temperature, the bath will fill with water to the predetermined depth. When that depth of water has been reached, the same or very nearly the same depth of water in the pressure chamber will have produced an air pressure in the flexible bladder 32 sufficient to push the disc 30 outwards against the force of the spring 33 to cause the ON/OFF valve to close. (Although not shown in the drawing, adjustment means are provided whereby the force of the spring 33 can be varied. In this way the required pressure of air in the bladder to cause the ON/OFF valve to close can be varied and thus the predetermined depth of water in the bath can be adjusted). It will be understood that the accompanying drawing is purely diagrammatic and that in practice the apparatus will be such that when the drain plug is opened all the waste water in the bath will be allowed to drain away, as will the water in the pressure chamber and the water in the vent pipe, so that when the bath is subsequently re-filled with fresh water it will not be contaminated by waste water in the outlet pipe. It will also be understood that the vent pipe 46 may not be essential to the efficient working of the apparatus. Referring now to Fig. 2, this illustrates a possible modification of the pressure chamber 34, the modification residing in the fact that the latter is provided with an internal dividing wall 48, an enclosed air space being formed at one side of the dividing wall. In Fig. 3 there is illustrated an aIternative modification of the pressure chamber, the modification in this case residing in the fact that the pressure chamber is an open topped container except that it has a separate inverted container 50 within it, the enclosed air space being formed within the latter. Various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the pressure pipe 38 could be arranged to communicate with the bath otherwise than by way of the outlet pipe 40. In this way there would be provided a safeguard against flooding if someone by inadvertence fitted a plug in the bath despite the use of a flush fitting waste socket (because in the illustrated apparatus the fitting of a plug would prevent the flow of water to the pressure chamber and the water would continue to run until manually shut off at the mixer tap). It has been found that the apparatus described above for the automatic filling of a bath (that is to say automatic in the sense that the water can be turned on at the required temperature and then left to switch itself off when the water has reached the pre-determined depth) is ideal for use in hospitals and childrens homes, for example, where constant supervision cannot always be given and where the danger of scalding by hot water must be reduced as much as possible. It will be understood that, if required, the mixer tap can be installed in a position not accessible to a person in the bath or in the bathroom. The invention is not only applicable to baths but can of course be used for the automatic filling of other containers with water or with other liquid, that is to say, the invention may be used in industry. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. Apparatus for filling and emptying a bath or other liquid container, the apparatus including an ON/OFF valve supplied with water or other liquid, as the case may be, at a required temperature from a mixer tap; a pressure chamber a lower end of which communicates with the bath or other container, as the case may be, whereby the filling of the bath or other container is accompanied by the simultaneous filling of the pressure chamber; and air pressure actuated means for controlling the opening and closing of the ON/OFF valve, said means communicating with an enclosed air space at the upper end of the pressure chamber, the arrangement being such that when the water in the bath, or the liquid in the container, as the case may be, reaches a predetermined depth the pressure of air in the upper end of the pressure chamber is such that the air pressure actuated means can close the ON/OFF valve.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the air pressure actuated means for controlling the opening and closing of the

ON/OFF valve are constituted by a flexible bladder bearing against one end of a lever the movement of which is arranged to open the ON/OFF valve.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which spring means act against the lever in opposition to the pressure of air within the flexible bladder, adjustment means being provided whereby the force of the spring means can be varied so that the predetermined depth of water in the bath, or depth of liquid in the container, as the case may be, can be varied.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a vent pipe also communicates with the enclosed air space at the upper end of the pressure chamber and communicates with an outlet pipe from the bath or other container.

5. Apparatus for filling and emptying a bath or other liquid container, constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.