GB2326461A

GB2326461A - A tap

Info

Publication number: GB2326461A
Application number: GB9712160A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nardo Colombo
Original assignee: Paini SpA Rubinetterie
Current assignee: Paini SpA Rubinetterie
Priority date: 1997-05-20
Filing date: 1997-06-11
Publication date: 1998-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-11
Also published as: GB9712160D0; IT237506Y1; ITMI970352V0; GB2326461A8; ITMI970352U1; GB2326461B

Abstract

A single hole delivery tap for sink conforming to British Standard BS 5412, which has the flows of hot and cold water separated in the internal part of the tap and the two flows of hot and cold water are mixed only in the outlet zone of the two flows immediately after the delivery orifice (1A). The tap body 14 is made of brass and is covered with plastics material coverings 13, 15.

Description

A TAP The present invention relates to a single hole doubleflow tap for a domestic sink, conforming to British Standard BS 5412 and whose external finish can be supplied in chromium-plated or coloured versions.

Traditionally such taps are produced by casting in a mould and have the separation of hot and cold water achieved by means of a dividing wall provided along the whole arc of the delivery pipe. This causes such casting both in the mould construction phase and during the casting phase to be more complex. This separation in the tap is necessary because the two feed pipes for such a tap made of flexible pipe elements are in one instance joined to the municipal water supply and the other to the outlet of a water heater. The hot water is supplied at a pressure generally slightly lower than the pressure of the cold water. However both the cold and hot water must be mixed during the final delivery phase to obtain a volume of water at a temperature convenient for the foreseen use, such as the washing of dishes. Further it must be possible to deliver as a choice either only cold or only hot water if desired. This is due to the need to use cold water in the kitchen for uses such as the filling of pots or the washing of vegetables. Whereas tepid water used for the washing of dishes may require the addition of hot water only. Further it may also necessary to deliver only cold water from the municipal supply as upstream of the water heater a phosphate water softener may be installed, that slightly pollutes the hot water supply and thus renders this water unsuitable for the cooking of foodstuffs.

It is an aim of the present invention to eliminate the central division of the brass delivery pipe, and to provide a tap with circular crown section.

Accordingly the present invention is directed to a single hole delivery tap for a sink, conforming to standards of British Standard BS 5412 in which the flows of hot and cold water are separated in the internal part of the tap and in which the flows of hot and cold water are only joined in the outlet zone of the tap immediately after a delivery orifice, in which a tap body, which supports the two delivery pipes for hot and cold water is made of brass but is covered with plastics material coverings.

Preferably the external delivery pipe of the tap is made of a plastics material manufactured by injection moulding.

Advantageously the external delivery pipe for cold water holds in it an internal pipe of a smaller diameter, the internal pipe is made of plastics material and is used for supplying hot water.

In a preferred embodiment control parts of the tap, which are submitted to high static and/or dynamic pressures, namely the tap body and valve cassettes with control screws are made of traditional materials such as brass or bronze.

Preferably the part of tap body made of brass or bronze is in turn covered by two shells of plastics material which are joined by projections in one shell and related holes in the other shell and are finally secured by fixing means.

Advantageously the delivery orifice does not mix the flows of hot water and cold water in the internal part of the tap, but only after its outlet from the delivery orifice, in which an internal delivery pipe is joined to a flange that is in turn mounted in the delivery orifice of an external delivery.

In a preferred embodiment the delivery orifice has an O-ring acting against the flange.

Preferably the internal pipe has a O-ring acting against the flange.

Advantageously the internal pipe has a connecting termination in the form of a nozzle for the mechanical connection of the flange.

In a preferred embodiment a lower central part of the delivery pipe has a tubular form and is used as rotation element or bearing for the external and internal delivery pipes to enable the orientation the external pipe to the desired position, and the lower central part is equipped with a flange which cooperates with a top edge of the covering half-shells.

Preferably all of external parts in view are made of a single colour plastics material.

Advantageously the delivery flange of the tap has a series of delivery holes for cold water and a central delivery hole for hot water.

In a preferred embodiment a delivery flange of the tap is made of plastics material resistant to heat and thermal differences.

This provides the advantage that a pipe made of completely non-toxic plastics material can be inserted in a central position in the delivery pipe, that can supply hot water and therefore the moulding will be simplified, reducing the formation of typical defects of this construction such as small voids, blowholes, formation of air bubbles on the internal pipe face.

An advantage of the present invention is the elimination of the brass construction in the delivery pipe and the construction of the final tubular part of the tap of plastics material. As from 1st January 2000, the domestic use some brass alloys is to be eliminated as a result of Resolution No. 10 of Document No. 750 issued by CEN (European Standardisation Committee) with the cooperation of TC 133 (Technical Committee) on 25th October, 1996. This change from fittings made of brass to ones made of plastics material imposes problems of a practical nature and above all of a technological nature, due to the change from constructions produced by metallic casting to constructions made by press-moulding or injection moulding of plastics material that reduce the toxicity derived from traditional brass casting methods.

However the tap body, that is to say the part that joins the two supply pipes of hot and cold water is made of brass, but is covered by a covering of plastics material.

Furthermore the external part of the delivery pipe of the tap can be made of plastics material, that can be easily produced by injection moulding and that can be externally chromium-plated for advantageous aesthetic characteristics.

The proposed tap allows a reduction the production costs of 30%, improving both the functional and hygienic qualities of the finished product. Obviously the parts subjected to high static and dynamic pressures, that is to say the support and adjustment parts with control screws, are made of traditional materials such as brass or bronze.

The delivery orifice has the advantage of not mixing the hot and cold water in the internal part of the tap, but only after it is outlet from the delivery orifice.

For providing this result, two different pipes made of plastics materials are used with suitable mechanical characteristics, in which the external chromium-plated pipe has the function of a good aesthetic fashion, while the different internal pipe have the necessary mechanical resistance.

A tap made in accordance with the present invention will now be described hereinbelow with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 1A show exploded perspective views of the various parts of a tap; Figure 2 shows an enlarged exploded perspective view of the parts forming the tap body and the external covering part of the tap body shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a partial section view of the delivery pipe of the tap shown in Figure 1 with two delivery channels; and Figure 4 shows the tap shown in Figure 1 assembled on a kitchen sink.

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of various parts of a tap according to the present invention, that uses different and more simplified technical solutions with respect to the traditional tap cast in brass alloy or the like.

An external pipe 1 for the delivery of cold water made of chromium-plated or coloured plastics material has a delivery orifice 1A. An internal pipe 2 for hot water, which fits inside the external pipe 1, is made of suitable plastics material that can resist a temperature of 70-80"C in the water supplied by a water heater, and at its delivery end supports a flange element 3 with various circular holes (not numbered). The internal pipe 2 is joined in sealing manner to the flange 3 by means of a conical element 4, that fits within the internal pipe 2. The internal pipe 2 is inserted in position into a tap body 14 through a tubular part 7, supplied with annular grooves, used for retaining an O-ring 5 and a stop ring 6, that seal the tubular part 7 to the internal surface of the external pipe 1. The tubular part 7 ends with a flange 7A that rests on the upper adjustment part of the tap body 14. The function of the tubular part 7 is to allow rotation movement of the delivery orifice 1A to various positions on the sink and thus works as a rotation bearing.

A rotating body 11 is provided for supporting the tubular part 7 which is supplied with suitable external annular sealing grooves to support of O-rings 8, 9, 10 and with two opposite holes llA for the delivery of cold water coming from the annular central section of the tap body 14. A conical element 4A forms the inlet of the internal pipe 2 and holds the rotating body 11 on the tubular part 7. Two tubular couplings 14A and 14B formed on the tap body 14 hold thereinto valve cassettes 16 of a traditional construction and the handles 17, a fastening screw 18 and a cover 19, 20, these parts also being made in a traditional manner.

The tap body 14 with tubular couplings 14A, 14B and outlet coupling 14C, upon which is mounted the tubular part 7 is covered by half-shell parts 13, 15, shown better in Figure 2.

The lower part of the tap body 14 houses the inserted pipe 2 that is held in fitting 22 and is joined with the feed pipe for hot water coming from the water heater and supported by the tap body 14.

The flexible (or rigid) pipes 21 for hot and cold water supply (Figure 1A) are both inserted within the body 14 by suitable known couplings, not shown. This part is not shown in better details, as it is of a known construction.

An advantage of the present invention with respect to traditional taps are half-shell parts 13, 15 that cover the tap body 14, shown better in Figure 2. In Figure 2 there are shown the two half-shells 13, 15 which are joined by protrusions 13A, 13B on half-shell 13 which have different dimensions which correspond to holes 15A and 15B in half-shell 15 and fixedly fastened to one another by a screw 12. The half-shells 13, 15 by means of lip 13C and 15C on the top of each shell 13, 15 lock the flange 7A to the tap body 14.

As it is evident, the weight of the tap is reduced and in addition to saving in brass, a good aesthetic finish can be obtained in different colours, according to the customer's requirements.

Figure 3 shows how the various internal parts are mounted in the tubular delivery pipe of the external pipe 1 made of plastics material or chromium-plated brass. The flange 3 is inserted in the delivery orifice 1A and connected to the internal pipe 2. A cavity A, that supplies the cold water can be seen between the two pipes 1 and 2. The channel A is water lightly sealed from the internal pipe 2 by the flange 3. The tubular part 7 can be seen sealed by the O-ring 5 and the stop ring 6.

The rotating body 11 can be seen held on the tubular part 7 by the conical element 4A, showing holes 11A, llB whereby cold water can enter the channel A.

Figure 4 shows the tap, mounted on a kitchen sink, all the external parts of which can be made of plastics material resulting in an aesthetically constant construction, such as that achieved with traditional chromium-plated taps, but with better hygienic characteristics.

Claims

1. A single hole delivery tap for a sink, conforming to standards of British Standard BS 5412 in which the flows of hot and cold water are separated in the internal part of the tap and in which the flows of hot and cold water are only joined in the outlet zone of the tap immediately after a delivery orifice, in which a tap body, which supports the two delivery pipes for hot and cold water is made of brass but is covered with plastics material coverings.

2. A tap according to claim 1, in which the external delivery pipe of the tap is made of a plastics material manufactured by injection moulding.

3. A tap according to claim 2, in which the external delivery pipe for cold water holds in it an internal pipe of a smaller diameter, the internal pipe is made of plastics material and is used for supplying hot water.

4. A tap according to claim 2, in which control parts of the tap, which are submitted to high static and/or dynamic pressures, namely the tap body and valve cassettes with control screws are made of traditional materials such as brass or bronze.

5. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which the part of tap body made of brass or bronze is in turn covered by two shells of plastics material which are joined by projections in one shell and related holes in the other shell and are finally secured by fixing means.

6. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which the delivery orifice does not mix the flows of hot water and cold water in the internal part of the tap, but only after its outlet from the delivery orifice, in which an internal delivery pipe is joined to a flange that is in turn mounted in the delivery orifice of an external delivery.

7. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which the delivery orifice has an O-ring acting against the flange.

8. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which the internal pipe has a O-ring acting against the flange.

9. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which the internal pipe has a connecting termination in the form of a nozzle for the mechanical connection of the flange.

10. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which a lower central part of the delivery pipe has a tubular form and is used as rotation element or bearing for the external and internal delivery pipes to enable the orientation the external pipe to the desired position, and the lower central part is equipped with a flange which cooperates with a top edge of the covering half shells.

11. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which all of external parts in view are made of a single colour plastics material.

12. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which the delivery flange of the tap has a series of delivery holes for cold water and a central delivery hole for hot water.

13. A tap according to any preceding claims, in which a delivery flange of the tap is made of plastics material resistant to heat and thermal differences.

14. A tap substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.