GB2320551A - Child proof tap fitment and tap equipped therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

A fitment for a tap operated by rotation of a stem of the tap about a working axis to dispense a liquid from the tap comprises a first member 14 incorporating first engagement means 14A, 14B and adapted for attachment to a stem 12 of a tap to enable the stem to be rotated about the working axis; a second member 18 serving as a housing for the first member 14 and for rotating the first member about the working axis; the second member 18 incorporating- complementary engagement means 19A, 19B to the first engagement means 14A, 14B and being displaceable relative to the first member between: a first working position in which the first member by way of the complementary engagement means couples with first engagement means to enable rotation of the first member to occur on rotating the second member; and a second disengaged position in which the second member is uncoupled from the first member so that rotation of the second member does not cause rotation of the first by way of the first engagement means and the complementary means; and a resilient loading means 20 acting to displace the first and second members to the second relative disengaged position. Typically the invention includes a tap having an operating device as described wherein in the first working position the tap provides for the dispensing of liquid from the tap.

Description

TAP FITMENT AND TAP EQUIPPED THEREWITH This invention relates to a tap fitment and tap equipped therewith. A tap is a universally used to regulate the flow of water or other liquid from a source into a container such as a basin, sink or bath. Typically a tap includes a handle or arm linked to a body of the tap so that by rotating the arm relative to the body the tap is moved between: an open position allowing the flow of liquid through the tap; and a closed position in which such flow is prevented.

Present designs of tap do not readily lend themselves to adoption for safe usage.

Typically in a domestic or residential environment if a young child seeks to imitate usage by an older person of a basin tap fed supplying water at low mains pressure then the worst injury likely to befall the child is a wetting. However if a child tries to operate a tap used to dispense water at high pressure or which is very hot serious injury to the child could result quite apart from any effect on things in the locality.

Likewise taps dispensing material such as hydrocarbon fuel, wash or cleaning material need to resist infantile operation.

Taps dispensing material which could cause damage whether inherent in the dispensed material or because of the state in which the material is retained can have access to them restricted such as by means of a lockable cover or by way of a lock attached to or incorporated in the tap. However such restricting means can be inconvenient to a legitimate user of the tap needing to gain access to the tap to operate it single handedly (typically because the other hand contains a washing or other implement).

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a fitment for a tap operated by rotation of a stem of the tap about a working axis to dispense a liquid from the tap characterised by: a first member incorporating first engagement means and adapted for attachment to a stem of a tap to enable the stem to be rotated about the working axis; a second member serving as a housing for the first member and for rotating the first member about the working axis; the second member incorporating complementary engagement means to the first engagement means and being displaceable relative to the first member between: a first working position in which the first member by way of the complementary engagement means couples with first engagement means to enable rotation of the first member to occur on rotating the second member; and a second disengaged position in which the second member is uncoupled from the first member so that rotation of the second member does not cause rotation of the first by way of the first engagement means and the complementary means; and a resilient loading means acting to displace the first and second members to the second relative disengaged position.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a tap having an operating device according to the first aspect wherein in the first working position the tap provides for the dispensing of liquid.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of a device according to the present invention.

The drawing show a tap head 11 mounted on a stem 12 ,of a conventional tap 13 having an axis A about which the stem 12 is rotated relative to the remainder of the tap in order to regulate flow of liquid through the tap.

The tap head 11 is made up of a first member 14 and a second member 15.

The first member 14 incorporates two projecting pins 14A, 14B by means of which the first member 14 can be rotated as will be described hereafter. The first member 14 has a splined bore 16 by means of which the stem 12 can be rotated and so the tap 13 operated between open and closed configurations.

The second member 15 includes decorative tap head 18 and an inner section 19 including two recesses 19A, 19B of similar layout to pins 14A, 14B. A compression spring 20 serves to drive inner section 19 away from the first member 14 into the disengaged position shown in the drawing where the first member 14 and second member 15 are in their furthest apart position with axial length L a maximum.

Rotation of the head 18 in this disengaged position results in the head rotating freely relative to stem 12.

To cause the stem 12 to be rotated the head 18 is pressed downwardly against the action of spring 20 to cause recesses 19A, 19B to engage pins 14A, 14B. While pressed down the head 18 is rotated to cause first member 14 to be rotated while engaged with the second member 15 resulting in the stem 12 rotating about axis A to provide the required flow of water through tap 13. Once the required amount of water has been dispensed the head 18 is rotated in the reversed direction to cause rotation of the stem in a direction to terminate water flow through the tap 13. Thereafter the tap head 18 is released allowing the spring 20 to drive recesses 19A, B out of engagement with the pins 14A, 14B.

If the head 18 is merely rotated but not axially displaced then the head 18 will rotate freely without causing rotation of the first member 14 and so without turning stem 12. Consequently water will not be dispensed through the tap. Likewise if the head 18 is axially displaced without rotation then the stem 12 will not be rotated and so water will not be dispensed.

In order to dispense water from the tap 13 the head 18 must be both axially displaced and rotated relative to stem 12. This dual action is not readily appreciated or reproduced by a child and consequently the present invention enables, for example, a hot water tap to be provided which is not readily operated by a young child. In a hand basin it may be found appropriate to provide the tap of the present invention merely on the hot water side so that a child can obtain cold water.

However on a bath both independent hot and cold water supplies may be fed by way of taps according to the present invention so that a child cannot cause a supply of hot or cold water to be dispensed typically because of the large amount or water pressure regulated by means of the taps.

In other locations, such as for an outdoor or a scullery location a tap of the present invention can be used where inadvertent or mischievous dispensing of water could cause inconvenient loss or flooding.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment the two motion required are first a downward (driven) axial motion to engage the drive followed by a rotary one to operate the stem to dispense water. Alternatively the initial action can involve a upward (drawn) axial motion followed by a rotary one to operate the stem. Other combinations of motion could be used to adopt the present invention for use in other embodiments such as mixer taps or for lever taps where the motion required from the tap being fully closed to being fully open involves turning an operating stem through 180 or less.

The exemplary embodiment refers particularly to dispensing water (hot or cold and regardless of pressure). However the invention also be used to provide for dispensing liquids which can be inherently harmful or dangerous (typically paint, fuel or oil).

Claims (3)

1A fitment for a tap operated by rotation of a stem of the tap about a working axis to dispense a liquid from the tap characterised by: a first member incorporating first engagement means and adapted for attachment to a stem of a tap to enable the stem to be rotated about the working axis; a second member serving as a housing for the first member and for rotating the first member about the working axis; the second member incorporating complementary engagement means to the first engagement means and being displaceable relative to the first member between: a first working position in which the first member by way of the complementary engagement means couples with first engagement means to enable rotation of the first member to occur on rotating the second member; and a second disengaged position in which the second member is uncoupled from the first member so that rotation of the second member does not cause rotation of the first by way of the first engagement means and the complementary means; and a resilient loading means acting to displace the first and second members to the second relative disengaged position.

2 A tap having an operating device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein in the first working position the tap provides for the dispensing of liquid from the tap.

3 A tap as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.