GB2316151A - Tap activated by spout movement - Google Patents

Abstract

Fluid control apparatus (10A) comprises a combined tap and spout device (10A,10B). The tap includes a valve (17,18,20) having an operable member that comprises a spindle (15) rotatable about its axis to vary the effective size of port means (17) through which the fluid is to flow. The spout (25) is in communication with the port means (17) and has a fluid delivery outlet (21), figure 1 remote from the port means (17), the spout (25) being rotatable about the axis of the spindle (15). The spout (25) is preferably mounted fast with spindle (15) such that swivelling of the spout controls delivery volume through the port (17).

Description

FLUID CONTROL APPARATUS DESCRIPTON Backaround to the Invention This invention relates to fluid control apparatus for controlling the volume and direction of discharge of fluid, e.g. water, from a supply.

It is known to provide fluid control apparatus comprising a tap to control the volume of water to be discharged from a spout. Volume control is achieved by providing the tap with a spindle that is rotatable, e.g. by a handwheel or lever, to vary the size of an opening or orifice through which the water is to flow. It is also known for the spout to be swivelable about a vertical axis. Frequently the tap and spout have been separate individual items but apparatus is also known where tap and spout have been combined in a unitary control device. In either case, the axis of the tap spindle and the axis of the spout swivel have always been spaced from one another.

To avoid unsightly plumbing and to facilitate access to the spout's outlet, the tap and spout are usually mounted on or adjacent a rearward selvedge of a sink or bath and adjacent a room wall. This permits the spout to extend forwardly with its outlet overlying the basin portion of the sink or bath. However children and many elderly and/or infirm people find it difficult to stretch out across the basin portion to reach the flow volume control tap. Also, many people (e.g. those with arthritis, rheumatism or other muscular or joint disfunction) find it painful and/or difficult to effect a tap twisting motion to initiate or stop water flow through the spout.

It is therefore considered desirable to provide fluid control apparatus which can ease this difficulty and/or at least partially overcome disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided fluid control apparatus comprising: tap means including valve means having an operable member that comprises a spindle rotatable about its axis to vary the effective size of port means through which the fluid is to flow; and spout means in communication with the port means and having a fluid delivery outlet remote fromisaid port means, the spout means being rotatable about the axis of said spindle.

Preferably the spout means is mounted on said spindle to be fast therewith such that swivelling motion of the spout means about the spindle axis controls not only the direction of fluid delivery but also the fluid volume through the valve's port means and hence through the delivery outlet of the spout means.

The valve means may comprise a pair of apertured discs, e.g. ceramic discs, in surfacial contact with one another, the degree of overlay or registry of their respective apertures determining the effective size of the port means for fluid flow.

Alternatively the valve means may comprise a so-called jumper valve in which a valve closure member moves axially, towards and away from a radial valve seat, as the spindle is rotated. It is now common in the UK for such arrangements to include a positionally fixed head which holds the spindle axially captive, the spindle and valve closure member being in threaded engagement with one another such that spindle rotation drives the valve closure member axially. It will be appreciated that, in accord with the present invention, spindle rotation is achieved by swivelling of the spout.

Brief Description of the Drawings By way of example, embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of fluid control devices, each providing apparatus in accord with this invention, one in OFF mode and the other in ON mode, Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the two devices of Fig 1, Figure 3 is a similar view to that of Fig 2 through a modified form of the two devices of Fig 1, Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of another pair of fluid control devices, each providing apparatus in accord with this invention, one in OFF mode and the other in ON mode, and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side view of the devices shown in Fig 4.

The two fluid control devices 10A,10B of Fig 1 are mounted side-by-side and utilise a common hollow body 12 cast of brass to provide two chambers 14A,14B separated by a median wall 11. Each of the devices 10A,10B constitutes fluid control apparatus according to the present invention providing a combined tap and spout device with the common hollow body \2 being mounted on or adjacent the edge of a sink 13. The body 12 is provided with two inlets 16A,16B for respective connection to a cold water supply to chamber 14A and a hot water supply to chamber 14B. Each chamber has an outlet in the form of a valve seat 18 for co-operation with a valve closure member 20 that is mounted in a spider member or apertured wall 19 across an end of the body 12.

The valve closure member 20 of Fig 2 comprises a hollow cylinder in registry with the valve seat 18 and, adjacent the valve seat, a pair of surfacially abutting discs having butterfly or quadrant-shaped apertures that can be moved into and out of registry with one another - to close or open the valve - by moving angularly with respect to one another (e.g. by one-eighth to a quarter turn). For this, one of the discs is held against rotation fast with the hollow cylinder, whilst the other of the discs is fast with a central spindle 15 extending from the end of the valve closure member 20 distal from the valve seat 18. The hollow cylinder of valve closure member 20 has qlot-like ports 17 in its wall such that, when the discs' apertures are in valve-open registry, water can flow from the body opening provided by valve seat 18 through the aligned, in-registry apertures and out through the slot-like ports 17 in the cylinder wall (see arrows in Fig 2 for device 10B in ON or OPEN mode).

The spout 25 of each device 10A,10B comprises an elongate hollow or tubular cast brass section 22 projecting from a cap-like hub 24 that is mounted rotatably upon the body 12.

The projecting end of spindle 15 is splined and fitted matingly into a correspondingly shaped recess in a boss 26 protruding inwardly and centrally of the hub 24 such that the hub's axis of rotation is coaxial with the axis of the spindle 15 of'the valve closure member 20 and with the axis of the valve seat 18. 0-ring or other seals 27 may be provided between each hub 24 and the common body 12, and the body maybe formed with an arcuate groove 28 into which a grub screw 29 can project to prevent axial removal of hub 24 from off the body 12 and to provide limits to the arcuate motion of the spout 20. This arcuate extent is preferably of the order of 45" from a horizontal, OFF or CLOSED mode for the apparatus - as shown in Fig 1 for device 10A - to a raised, fully ON or OPEN mode for the apparatus - as shown for device 10B in Fig 1 (which, for clarity of illustration, represents that angular position in an exaggerated manner). Alternatively, the arcuate extent can beXgreater, e.g. approach up to 900.

It will be appreciated that the angular extent for maximum movement of the spout 25 about the axis of spindle 15 is selected to be in correspondence with the maximum angular extent of movement of spindle 15 and valve operating member 20 as the latter travels from a valve fully OPEN position to a valve fully CLOSED position. The preferred use of 300 to 45" ensures that the delivery outlet21 of spout 25, adjacent the spout's free end, remains horizontally remote from the rearward mounting location of the apparatus and thus remains readily accessible by a user, e.g. a child or an elderly, infirm or disabled person who would have difficulty in reaching that rearward location.

To avoid the user possibly scalding his hand with hot water emanating from outlet 21 of hot-water device 10B, its spout 25 is integrally provided with a widthwise-tapering lateral flange 23 (see Fig 1). For aesthetic considerations a similar mirror-image flange is integrally provided with the spout 25 of device 10A. Instead of being cast integrally with its tubular brass-section 22, each spout 25 may have a separate flange 23 of plastics or other thermally nonconductive material which is mounted along the side of the spout to provide a handling edge that is a scalding preventative.

In the modification shown in Fig 3, the two fluid control devices 30A,30B utilise the same common body 12 and the spouts 25 are as in the embodiment of Figs 1 and 2. However each "ceramic disc" valve means (including valve closure member 20) is in this version replaced by a so-called jumper valve including a valve closure member 40 which has a rubber or neoprene washer at its end to engage the radial valve seat 18 and which, as its spindle 45 is rotated by spout 25, moves axially towards and away from the radial valve seat 18, (see the two positions of valves 30A and 30B in Fig 3). Each jumper valve incorporates a head member mounted by its exterior in an associated one of the radial spider members or apertured walls 19 of body 12, and is provided internally with means to hold spindle 45 captive against axial motion. However the spindle 45 and valve closure member are in mutually screw-threaded engagement with one another such that rotation of spindle 45 - by swivelling the spout 25 mounted thereon , drives the valve closure member 45 axially towards or away from its associated valve seat 18 to close or open the valve.

In another modification shown in Figs 4 and 5, the two fluid control devices 40A,40B utilise the same common body 12 but the spouts 55 are of a generally flattened ovular cross-sectional shape (rather than the generally cylindrical or frusto-conical shape of the spouts 25 of the devices 10A,10B or 30A,30B of Figs 1 to 3). These spouts 55 differ further from the spouts 25 in that there is no antiscalding flange 23 extending along the side of each spout.

Instead, each spout 55 is provided with an end shield 53 of plastics or other thermally non-conductive material which is mounted on the free end of the spout to provide a handling tip that is a similar scalding preventative. As shown, the end shield or tip 53 has a generally bird-beak cross-section and is provided with a rearwardly extending, tubular projection 56 that widens out as it extends rearwardly whereby it can be snap-fitted into the narrowing internal bore 58 of the cast brass spout 55.

In yet another modification a single tap-and-spout combination is provided instead of the pair of such combinations illustrated, this single combination incorporating either the valve means of Fig 2 or the valve means of Fig 3. In still another modification, the rotational axis of the spindle and spout may be vertical instead of horizontal.

Yet other modifications and embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, and all such modifications and embodiments are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention. Thus the invention is not to be deemed limited to the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described and such may be varied in construction and detail without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.

Claims (11)

1. Fluid control apparatus comprising: tap means including valve means having an operable member that comprises a spindle rotatable about its axis to vary the effective size of port means through which the fluid is to flow; and spout means in communication with the port means and having a fluid delivery outlet remote from said port means, the spout means being rotatable about the axis of said spindle.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the spout means is mounted on said spindle to be fast therewith such that swivelling motion of the spout means about the spindle axis controls not only the direction of fluid delivery but also the fluid volume through the valve's port means and hence through the delivery outlet of the spout means.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the valve means comprises a pair of apertured discs in surfacial contact with one another, the degree of overlay or registry of their respective apertures determining the effective size of the port means for fluid flow.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3 wherein said discs are of a ceramic material.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the valve means comprises a so-called jumper valve in which a valve closure member moves axially, towards and away from a radial valve seat, as the spindle is rotated.

6. Apparatus acording to Claim 5 and including a positionally fixed head which holds the spindle axially captive, the spindle and valve closure member being in threaded engagement with one another such that spindle rotation drives the valve closure member axially.

7. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. A pair of fluid control devices, each constituting apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the said devices are mounted side-by-side in association with a common hollow body having a median wall that separates the common hollow body into two chambers, one chamber has an inlet for connection to a cold water supply, the other chamber has an inlet for connection to a hot water supply, and each chamber has an outlet in the form of a valve seat for co-operation with a valve closure member that is mounted in a spider member or apertured wall across an end of the body.

9. A pair of fluid control devices according to Claim 8, wherein the axis of spindle rotation of one fluid control device is coaxial with the axis of spindle rotation of the other fluid control device.

10. A pair of fluid control devices according to Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the spout that is associated with the said other chamber is provided with a lateral flange to minimise the risk of hot water scalding of a user.

11. A pair of fluid control devices according to Claim 10 wherein the spout that is associated with the said one chamber is provided with a similar mirror-image flange.

12 A pair of fluid control devices substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.