GB2197439A

GB2197439A - Two-way connector with independent control valves for water tap

Info

Publication number: GB2197439A
Application number: GB08726419A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gianfranco Roman
Original assignee: Claber SpA
Current assignee: Claber SpA
Priority date: 1986-11-17
Filing date: 1987-11-11
Publication date: 1988-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-11
Also published as: IT8623697V0; FR2606859A1; ES2005695A6; GB8726419D0; DK591987A; DK591987D0; AU8066087A; DE3739039A1; IT208928Z2; ZA878568B; GB2197439B; FR2606859B1

Description

1 GB2197439A 1

SPECIFICATION

Two-way connector with independent control valves for water tap The present invention relates to a two-way connector with independent control valves for water tap.

In households and not only households it often happens to wish to connect to a single water tap several distribution pipes designed for different and separate uses.

For this purpose there are on the market 2way connectors which provide a single input to connect to the water tap and two outputs equipped with their respective control valves and terminals for connection to respective distribution pipes.

In known connectors the control valves are made in two pieces consisting of a ball housed in a respective internal duct of the connector and an external control knob connected to a control shaft integral with the ball and emerging from the body of the connector through a small transverse hole.

Said 2-piece construction derives from necessity of assembly of the valve. More precisely assembly of each valve calls for separation of the respective connecting terminal of the pipe from the rest of the connector body, insertion of the ball in the internal duct for which it is designed with simultaneous passage of the control shaft through said transverse hole, application of the control knob to said control shaft and again uniting of 100 the connecting terninal.

This is clearly not an optimal solution, especially as concerns construction of the valve, which is more complicated than necessary.

At the same time a one-piece valve would not be applicable to known connectors because a larger tansverse hole which would allow introduction of the ball would not then be capable of preventing undesired escape thereof during use.

The object of the present invention is to accomplish a 2-way connector with independent control valves which would call for the employment of one-piece ball valves.

In accordance with the invention said object is achieved by a 2-way connector comprising a connector body connectable to a water tap and having one inlet passage and two outlet passages fitted with their respective indepen- dent control valves, each outlet passage comprising a fixed internal duct and amovable extension made in a removable connecting terminal normally joined to the body of the connector, and the respective control valve compris- ing a ball rotatably housed in the body of the connector between said internal duct and said extension and a control knob arranged outside the body of the connector and connected rigidly to said ball, characterized in that said control valve is made in a single piece and passes through a transverse hole in the body of the connector which is at least as large as the ball of said valve and said internal duct is equipped with an operating half-seat for said ball which works together with a corresponding operating half-seat provided in said removable terminal to restrict said transverse hole and prevent escape of the ball when said removable terminal is joined to the body of the connector.

In other words removal of the terminal during assembly is utilized to permit passage of the ball through the large transverse hole now provided in the connector body. At the same time once the terminal has been again joined the ball is contained between two operating half-seats which by restricting said transverse hole prevent escape of the ball.

This makes possible construction of the valve in a single piece with evident construction and cost advantages.

An example of a connector in accordance with the invention is shown for greater clarity but with no limiting intent in the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of the connector in accordance with the invention, FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross-section of said connector along line 11-11 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 shows a cross section of said con nector along line 111-111 of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 shows said connector sectioned as in FIG. 2 during assembly of a control valve, and FIG. 5 shows a section of said connector along line V-V of FIG. 4.

The drawings show a 2-way connector which displays one inlet passage 1 designed for connection to a water tap and two outlet passages 2 designed for connection to re- spective flexible water distribution tubes.

The inlet passage 1 consists essentially of an internally threaded mouth 3 (FIG. 2) which can be screwed onto a corresponding externally threaded mouth of the water tap.

Each of the outlet passages 2 comprises in turn inside the main body 4 of the connector a respective fixed duct 5 (FIG. 2) which branches from the inlet mouth 3 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) and terminates in an enlarged recess 6 (FIGS. 4 and 5) to which is joined in use a terminal element 7 for connection of the flexible tube (FIG. 2). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 the terminal 7 is traversed axially by a passage 8 which acts as an extension for the fixed duct 5. As an example, the terminal 7 is shown fitted with a male nipple 9 suitable for coupling snapwise with a female fitting of any quick coupling type available in trade; alternatively an external threading such as that of an ordinary water tap could be provided.

With each outlet passage is associated a respective ball valve 10 for independent control of the passage of water through said passage. Said valve is made in a single piece and comprises a ball 11 traversed by a usual hole 2 GB2197439A 2 12, a control knob 13 and a connecting stem 14. The ball 11 is housed in use in a space formed between the fixed duct 5 and the terminal 7 (FIG. 2) working together in said position with a first half-seat 15 place at the end of the fixed duct 5 (FIGS. 4 and 5) and with a second half-seat 16 located at the internal end of the terminal 7 (FIGS. 2 and 4). The knob 13 is outside the body 4 of the connector and the connecting stem 14 passes through a transverse hole 17 (FIGS. 2- 4) of a size greater than the diameter of the ball 11.

As shown in FIG. 4 assembly of the ball valve 11 takes place after removal of the ter- minal 7 so as to free the entirety of the transverse hole 17. The ball 11 can thus be introduced in the widened recess 6, optionally inclining slightly said ball (FIG. 4) to avoid the obstacle represented by a slight protrusion of the fixed half-seat 15. The ball 11 is then brought near the half-seat 15 in such a manner as to correctly position the step 14 and the knob 13 and finally the terminal 7 is again joined to the body of the connector until one of its flanges 18 rests against the end of the body 4 (FIG. 2). In this position the half-seat 16 fitted with a seal 19 is brought near the ball 11 thus forming with the fixed half-seat 15 not only the operating recess of the ball but also a restriction of the transverse hole 17 which prevents undesired escape of said ball.

Claims

1. Two-way connector for water tap corn- prising a connector body connectable to a water tap and having one inlet passage and two outlet passages equipped with respective independent control valves,each outlet passage comprising a fixed internal duct and a movable extension made in a removable connection terminal normally joined to the body of the connector and the respective control valve comprising a ball rotatably housed in the body of the connector between said internal duct and said extension and a control knob arranged outside the body of the connector and connected rigidly to said ball, characterized in that said control valve is made in a single piece and passes through a transverse hole of the body of the connector which is at least as large as the ball of said valve and said internal duct is equipped with an operating half- seat for said ball which operates with a corresponding operating half- seat provided in said removable terminal to restrict said transverse hole and prevent escape of the ball when said removable terminal is joined to the body of the connector.

2. Connector in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that said terminal comprises a male nipple designed for snap-coupling with a female fitting.

3. Connector in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that said terminal has external threading for coupling to a threaded fitting.

4. A two-way connector constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1/87.