GB2329232A

GB2329232A - Adaptor for taps

Info

Publication number: GB2329232A
Application number: GB9819205A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Howard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-09-12
Filing date: 1998-09-04
Publication date: 1999-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-04
Also published as: GB2329232B; GB9819205D0; ZA9811366B

Abstract

An adaptor which is installed between a tap body 10 and its spindle housing 11a comprises a body 2 provided with a further water outlet 4b, a central bore and a piston 3, which piston has a hollow bore and is in fluid contact with outlet 4b. The piston is actuated by the action of the spindle between an open position in which fluid flows from inlet 10a to normal delivery spout 10b and a closed position in which the base of the piston 8 seals the water inlet 10a from the normal delivery spout 10b. Reopening the tap is by turning the spindle so that water pressure lifts the piston.The further water outlet may feed a shower.

Description

TIT.LE ADAPTOR FOR TAPS DESCRIPTION TECZINICAL ETELD The present invention relates to a shower adaptor designed for the purpose of enabling homeowners to install overhead bath showers without incurring, inter alia, the normal high costs and disruptions associated with existing installation procedures which normally involve the use of specialist plumbing.

BGCKGROUND ART Permanent shower facilities are generally provided as a matter of course in the construction of modern houses and other such like buildings. However, in the vast majority of more dated properties, such facilities were not common-place and/or not envisaged. If the occupier of these older properties is confronted with the need for upgrading his bathroom in this respect, there is virtually no other option available, other than to utilise the high cost contractual services referred to in the previous section. The occupier will also suffer from the inconvenience and further cost that normally emanate from tile and wall damage, tap replacement and redecoration.

An alternative to the facilities previously described is the relatively inexpensive shower hose. The shower hose is generally made from a plastics material and is provided with two rubber nozzles for attachment to the spouts of taps. The nozzles deliver water from their respective spouts, through plastics tubing, to a spray head which is normally located above the bath. The two distinct water currents merge at either the spray head or, more usually, at some point upstream thereof. As such, the shower hose may be easily retrofitted, is quick to install, has no further plumbing requirements and can be used on substantially any bathroom suite. However, temperature regulation of the water supplied from the spray head of a conventional shower hose tends to be poor as it is reliant upon the tolerances and quality of the washers used in the taps and the taps themselves are often not very control sensitive.

Additionally, the rubber nozzles used to secure the shower hose to the bath taps are subjected to wide ranging temperatures, are regularly removed from and, at some time in the future, replaced back on the taps. These operating parameters all serve to have a detrirnental effect on the nozzles' performance and lifeexpectancy. Hence they tend to wear quickly and need regular replacement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To overcome the problems associated with the prior art, the inventor has developed an adaptor for installation in a tap, said tap comprising: a valve seat portion having a delivery spout and a water supply point; and a spindle housed within a casing; wherein the adaptor is for installation between the valve seat portion and the spindle and includes a water outlet and a piston which moves in response to the spindle for establishing a seal between the water supply point and the delivery spout while permitting water supply to the outlet.

Thereby, the adaptor can be retrofitted into a conventional bathroom tap to provide a permanent water supply to a shower head. The adaptor is easily fitted and does not require extensive specialist plumbing services. It does not interfere with the provision of bath water and the flow of water to the shower head can be controlled independently of the bathroom taps by use of separate taps downstream of the outlet of the adaptor. As such, the adaptor overcomes the problems associated with the prior art shower facilities discussed previously.

There may be fluid communication between the water supply point and the outlet for all positions of the piston.

It is preferable that the pressure of the water supplied at the water supply point acts on the piston thereby ensuring that the piston engages with the spindle.

The piston may be hollow and sealed at one end and may be provided with one or more radial holes to permit fluid communication between the water supply point and the outlet.

Preferably, the piston is slidably housed within a housing, said housing having one or more radial holes to permit fluid communication between the radial holes of the piston and the outlet. Additionally, it is beneficial to provide the outlet on a banjo ring so that it can be rotatably mounted on the housing.

In one embodiment of the invention, the adaptor is provided with two screw threaded sections, one for engagement with screw threads on the valve seat portion, the other for engagement with screw threads on the casing of the spindle allowing for easy installation.

It is apparent that the adaptor can be used for a wide variety of purposes. One such use, other than providing showering facilities from a bath tap, is gardening. If the gardener has only one outdoor tap, then the adaptor could be used to provided a dedicated water supply to sprinklers but also allow the gardener to draw water at any time from the same tap without causing interruption to the dedicated supply line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the adaptor.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the adaptor.

FIG. 3 shows a tap which incorporates the adaptor of FIG. 1.

Fig. 4 shows the tap of FIG. 3 in a closed position so as to supply water to a shower.

FIG. 5 shows the tap of FIG. 3 in an open position so as to supply water to a bath.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, the shower adaptor 1 includes, as its main component parts, a cylindrical housing 2 onto or into which various items from a conventional tap are secured, a hollow-centred piston 3 to effectively divert the flow of water to either a bath or a shower and a banjo ring 4 that has an outlet 4b which supplies water to the shower.

The upper portion 2a of the cylindrical housing 2 has a generally smooth external surface. This is an aesthetic feature of the present embodiment as it is only this portion 2a of the cylindrical housing 2 that is visible to the user when the shower adaptor 1 is installed on a valve seat portion 10 of a tap (see FIG. 3). Additionally, the upper portion 2a of the cylindrical housing 2 is manufactured with an integral hex-bolt 2b. This permits the shower adaptor 1 to be easily and securely fitted by means of spanner, or other such tool, to the tap valve seat 10.

The radially inner surface of the upper portion 2a of the housing 2 is threaded and engages with the threaded casing 1 1a of a tap spindle 11 (see FIG. 3). It is also provided with an annular recess 2d which houses a seal 7. The seal 7 is maintained in position within the recess 2d by a circlip 6.

The lower portion 2g of the housing 2 is smaller in diameter than the upper portion 2a. Generally, the maximum external diameter of the lower portion 2g equals that of the threaded casing 1 la which engages with the upper portion 2a of the housing 2. The lower portion 2g is threaded for engagement with an inner surface of the valve seat 10. Additionally, the lower portion 2g is provided, on its external surface, with a circumferential channel 2h in which six radial holes 2i are bored. These holes 2i communicate directly with a circumferential recess 2j on the inner surface of the lower portion 2g. As in the upper portion 2a, the inner surface of the lower portion 2g is provided with an annular recess 2d which houses a seal 7. The seal 7 is maintained in position within the recess 2d by a circlip 6.

The housing 2 of the shower adaptor 1 is inserted into the banjo ring 4. The banjo ring 4 has an inner diameter which is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the lower portion 2g of the housing 2. This allows the ring 4 to be slid along the threaded external surface of the lower portion 2g of the housing 2 until in a position where it envelops the circumferential channel 2h and radial holes 2i of the lower portion 2g. In this position, the banjo ring 4 is adjacent to the hex-bolt 2b of the upper portion 2a of the housing 2, and the provision of a gasket Sb therebetween establishes a fluid-tight seal between the ring 4 and the hex-bolt 2b.

An annular recess 4a formed on the inner surface of the ring 4 enables fluid communication between the circumferential channel 2h in the housing 2 and an outlet 4b from the banjo ring 4 to the shower taps (not shown).

The piston 3 is slidably housed within the housing 2 and is provided with a central bore 3a formed at its base 3b. This central bore 3a extends along the majority of the piston's axial length. Four radial holes 3c are bored through the wall of the piston 3 and communicate with the upper end of the central recess 3a. When the tap is in the fully closed condition (as shown in FIG. 4) the radial holes 3c are in alignment with the circumferential recess 2j of the housing 2. Mounted on the base 3b of the piston 3, surrounding the opening of the central recess 3a, is a washer 8 which effectively acts as a seal against a water supply point 10a in the valve seat 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the shower adaptor 1, in which, for aesthetic reasons, the hex-bolt 2b incorporated on the housing 2 of the previous embodiment has been removed and in which the shape of the piston 3 and the washer 8 have been modified. Functionally, this second embodiment operates in the same manner as the first and therefore, the following operational description for the shower adaptor illustrated in FIG. 1 relates to that illustrated in FIG. 2 also.

The installation of the shower adaptor 1 will now be described with reference to FIG. 3.

Firstly, the shower adaptor 1 is assembled from its components. That is, the piston 3 is inserted into the cylindrical housing 2, the seals 7 are inserted into the respective recesses 2d and secured therein by the circlips 6, a gasket Sb is passed over the external threaded section of the lower portion 2g of the housing 2 so as to abut the hex-bolt 2b of the upper portion 2a of the housing 2 and the banjo-ring 4 is then passed over the external threaded section of the lower portion 2g of the housing 2 followed by a second gasket 5b. Naturally, it is envisaged that the shower adaptor 1 will be available in a pre-assembled format, therefore alleviating the need for the customer to carry out the steps identified above.

The water supply to the water supply point 10a in the valve seat portion 10 is then turned off and the casing 1 la, which houses the tap spindle 11, is unscrewed from the valve seat portion 10. With the tap dismantled as outlined above, the adaptor can then be installed The lower portion 2g of the housing 2 is screwed into the valve seat portion 10 of a tap, the outer threaded section of the housing 2 engaging with a correspondingly threaded inner section of the valve seat portion 10.

Next, the casing 1 la of the tap spindle 11 is screwed into the adaptor 1, the outer threaded section of the casing 1 la engaging with the radially inner surface of the upper portion 2a of the housing 2.

After installation, the water supply can be re-established.

FIG. 4 shows how the shower adaptor 1 is used to supply water to the shower unit (not shown). Here, the tap is fully closed, by which it is meant that the spindle 11 is inserted as far as possible into the upper portion 2a of the cylindrical housing 2. This forces the piston 3 downwards to ensure a fluid-tight seal is established between the washer 8 on the base 3b of the piston 3 and the water supply point 10a on the valve seat 10. Thus, water from the water supply point 10a is diverted away from a delivery spout 10b in the valve seat portion 10 and channelled through the central recess 3a of the piston 3, through the four radial holes 3c bored in the wall of the piston 3, into the circumferential recess 2j on the inner surface of the lower portion 2g of the housing 2, through the six holes 2i in the lower portion 2g of the housing 2, into the circumferential channel 2h on the outer surface of the lower portion 2g of the housing 2, into the annular recess 4a formed on the inner surface of the banjo ring 4 and from the outlet 4b of the banjo ring 4 to the shower taps (not shown).

Conversely, as shown in FIG. 5, as the tap is opened the spindle 11 is withdrawn from the housing 2 and the pressure of the water supplied to the tap is sufficient to ensure that the piston 3 remains in contact with the spindle 11. Hence, as the tap is opened, the fluid-tight seal between the washer 8 on the base 3b of the piston 3 and the water supply point 10a in the valve seat 10 is broken and hence water is supplied the delivery spout 10b in the valve seat portion 10 of the tap.

Claims

1. An adaptor for installation in a tap, said tap comprising:

a valve seat portion having a delivery spout and a water supply point; and a spindle housed within a casing; wherein the adaptor is for installation between the valve seat portion and the spindle and includes a water outlet and a piston which moves in response to the spindle for establishing a seal between the water supply point and the delivery spout while permitting water supply to the outlet.

2. An adaptor according to claim 1, wherein there is fluid communication between the water supply point and the outlet for all positions of the piston.

3. An adaptor according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pressure of the water supplied at the water supply point acts on the piston thereby ensuring that the piston engages with the spindle.

4. An adaptor according to any preceding claim, wherein the piston is hollow and sealed at one end and is provided with one or more radial holes to permit fluid communication between the water supply point and the outlet.

5. An adaptor according to claim 4, wherein the piston is slidably housed within a housing, said housing having one or more radial holes to permit fluid communication between the radial holes of the piston and the outlet.

6. An adaptor according to claim 5, wherein the outlet is provided on a banjo ring which has an annular recess in fluid communication with the radial holes provided on the housing.

7. An adaptor according to any preceding claim, wherein the adaptor is provided with two screw threaded sections, one for engagement with screw threads on the valve seat portion, the other for engagement with screw threads on the casing of the spindle.

8. An adaptor as substantially described hereinbefore with reference to Figures 1 and 3 to 5 or as modified in Figure 2 of the drawings.