GB2354569A

GB2354569A - Tap cover

Info

Publication number: GB2354569A
Application number: GB0020308A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Browning
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-01
Filing date: 2000-08-18
Publication date: 2001-03-28
Also published as: GB0020308D0; GB9920530D0

Abstract

A tap cover (2), for use with a tap (4) having a body component (6) and an operating component (8), comprises a member (10) of thermal insulation material having a cavity (18) therein for receiving the body component (6) of the tap and substantially conforming to an external contour of the body component (6) of the tap. The member (10) comprises at least two at least partially separable portions (20, 22) securable in engagement around the body component (6) of the tap. A cap member (42) may be located over the operating component (8) of the tap and suitably frictionally engaging a portion (12) of the member (10). The cap member (42) may be visually identifiable, such as by being brightly coloured and/or luminous and/or fluorescent and/or reflective.

Description

2354569 TAP COVER This invention relates to a tap cover which may be used,

for example, to protect a tap from the effects of frost and/or to protect it against injury to a child or other 5 person who may come into contact with the tap.

It is known to provide insulating covers for taps which are of glove-like form and which are relatively loosely slotted over the tap. Alternatively, it is known to provide a cube-shaped insulation member incorporating a T-shaped recess and which is arranged for slotting over a tap.

Such arrangements tend to be bulky and cumbersome and, unless completely removed from an associated tap, make operation of the tap difficult. They are generally unsuitable for use with stop taps.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or minimise this problem.

According to the present invention there is provided a tap cover f or use with a tap having a body component and an operating component, the cover comprising a member of thermal insulation material having a cavity therein for receiving the body component of the tap and substantially conforming to an external contour of the body component of the tap, the member comprising at least two at least partially separable portions securable in engagement around the body component of the tap.

The member of thermal insulation material may be provided with apertures therein to accommodate liquid entry and exit means to and f rom the body component of the tap and to provide an exit for the operating component of the tap.

The member of thermal insulation material may be substantially T-shaped and may comprise substantially cylindrical limb portions.

The member of thermal insulation material may be made of a resilient material.

The member of thermal insulation material may be made of a foamed plastics material, which may have closed pores.

The foamed plastics material may comprise foamed polyurethane or foamed polystyrene.

The at least two at least partially separable portions of the member of thermal insulation material may be securable in engagement around the body component of the tap by means of tape, wire or string. Such tape may comprise adhesive tape.

- 3 The member of thermal insulation material may comprise two portions hingeably secured together and thereby permitting partial separation thereof for engagement around the body component of the tap. The two portions may comprise mirror images of one another and may each incorporate one half of the cavity contoured for receiving the body component of the tap.

A cap member may be provided for locating over the operating component of the tap. Such cap member may be arranged for engagement with the member of thermal insulation material, such engagement being suitably frictional engagement.

The cap member may comprise plastics material.

The cap member may be adapted for visual identification such as by being brightly coloured and/or luminous and/or fluorescent and/or reflective.

The tap may be a stop tap or a tap having an outlet spout.

The operating component of the tap may comprise a handle cooperating with the body component by means of an associated spindle.

- 4 The tap cover of the invention is neat and compact and is easily fitted to a tap. The operating component, such as a handle, is readily accessible, such as by simple removal of the cap member, without disturbing the member of thermal insulation material. The cap member is arranged to be visually identifiable such as in dark locations., It has been found that exposure of the operating component of the tap to cold conditions does not generally result in freezing of a liquid, such as water, in the body component of the tap, the provision of the member of thermal insulation material being the essential means for preventing such freezing.

The tap cover of the invention may also serve to protect against injury to a child or other person who may come into contact with the tap.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a tap cover according to the present invention, fitted to a stop tap; - 5 Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tap cover of Figure 1, without the stop tap; Figure 3 is an end-on cross-sectional view of the tap cover of Figure 1 with two portions of a member of resilient thermal insulation material hingeably secured together and partially separated for engagement around a body component of a tap; and Figure 4 is a side view of a further embodiment of a tap cover according to the present invention, fitted to a tap having an outlet spout.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a tap cover 2 is provided f or use with a stop tap 4 having a body component 6 and an operating component 8, such as a handle.

The cover 2 comprises a member 10 of resilient thermal insulating material and suitably of a foamed plastics material such as foamed polyurethane material or foamed polystyrene material. The foamed plastics material is preferably formed with closed pores, particularly to prevent absorption of liquid such as water in the event of a leak or when the cover is used outdoors.

The member 10 is substantially of inverted T-shaped construction and has substantially cylindrical limb portions 12, 14 and 16.

The member 10 has a cavity 18 therein for receiving the body component 6 of the stop tap 4 and substantially conforming to an external contour of the body component 6 of the stop tap 4. 5 As shown in Figure 3, the member 10 comprises two portions 20, 22 hingeably secured together along a hinge portion 24. Partial separation of the two portions 20, 22 is thereby possible to enable the member 10 to be engaged around the body component 6 of the tap. The two portions 20 and 22 comprise mirror images of one another and each incorporates one half of the cavity 18 contoured for receiving the body component of the tap.

It will be appreciated that the member 10 could alternatively comprise two or more separate portions 20, 22 without a connecting hinge portion 24.

The member 10 is provided with apertures 26, 28, 30 therein to accommodate pipes 32, 34 for entry and exit of a liquid, such as water, into and from the tap 4 and to provide an exit from the member 10 for a spindle 36 of the operating component 8 of the tap.

The member 10 may be produced by well-known manufacturing techniques, such as by placing a sheet of material between plates of a heated mould of appropriate shape and permitting the material to expand to fill the mould.

The partially separated portions 20, 22 of the member 10 are arranged around the body component 6 of the tap and are then secured in engagement with the body component 6 of the tap by means of bands of tape, wire or string 38, 5 40 encircling the limb portions 14 and 16 of the member 10. The bands 38, 40 conveniently comprise adhesive tape.

A hollow cap 42 is provided for locating over the exposed operating component 8 of the tap 4. The cap 42 is suitably arranged for frictional engagement with the outside of the limb portion 12 of the member 10. The cap 42 is suitably made of a plastics material and to make it readily identifiable, particularly in dark locations, it can be brightly coloured and/or luminous and/or fluorescent and/or reflective. The cap 42 is readily removable to provide access to the operating component 8 of the tap 4.

The tap cover 2 of the invention is also applicable to other f orms of tap, such as a tap having an outlet spout for liquid. Such an arrangement is shown in Figure 4. The arrangement of Figure 4 is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 1 with the exception that the body component 6 of the tap 4 is provided with an outlet spout 44 which emerges from the member 10 through an aperture 46 provided in a lower end portion of the member 10. The cavity 18 in the member 10 is changed in shape as shown by the dotted lines 48 in Figure 2 to accommodate the outlet spout 44 of the tap.

The tap cover 2 of the invention conveniently interfaces with insulation which may be provided on pipes 32, 34 leading to and from the tap 4.

Claims

9 CLAIMS

1. A tap cover f or use with a tap having a body component and an operating component, the cover comprising a member of thermal insulation material having a cavity therein f or receiving the body component of the tap and substantially conforming to an external contour of the body component of the tap, the member comprising at least two at least partially separable portions securable in engagement around the body component of the tap.

2. A tap cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the member of thermal insulation material is provided with apertures therein to accommodate liquid entry and exit means to and f rom the body component of the tap and to provide an exit f or the operating component of the tap.

3. A tap cover as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the member of thermal insulation material is substantially Tshaped.

4. A tap cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the Tshaped member of thermal insulation material comprises substantially cylindrical limb portions.

- 10 5. A tap cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the member of thermal insulation material is made of a resilient material.

6. A tap cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the member of thermal insulation material is made of a foamed plastics material.

7. A tap cover as claimed in claim 6, wherein the 10 foamed plastics material has closed pores.

8. A tap cover as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the foamed plastics material comprises foamed polyurethane or foamed polystyrene. 15 9. A tap cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least two at least partially separable portions of the member of thermal insulation material are securable in engagement around the body component of the 20 tap by means of tape, wire or string.

10. A tap cover as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tape comprises adhesive tape.

11. A tap cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the member of thermal insulation material comprises two portions hingeably secured together and - 11 thereby permitting partial separation thereof for engagement around the body component of the tap.

12. A tap cover as claimed in claim 11, wherein the two 5 portions comprise mirror images of one another.

13. A tap cover as claimed in claim 12, wherein the two portions each incorporates one half of the cavity contoured for receiving the body component of the tap.

14. A tap cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a cap member is provided for locating over the operating component of the tap.

15. A tap cover as claimed in claim 14, wherein the cap member is arranged for engagement with the member of thermal insulation material.

16. A tap cover as claimed in claim 15, wherein engagement.of the cap member with the member of thermal insulation material is frictional engagement.

17. A tap cover as claimed in claim 14, 15 or 16, in which the cap member comprises plastics material.

18. A tap cover as claimed in any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the cap member is adapted for visual identification.

- 12 19. A tap cover as claimed in claim 18, wherein the cap member is brightly coloured and/or luminous and/or fluorescent and/or reflective.

20. A tap cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tap is a stop tap or a tap having an outlet spout.

21. A tap cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the operating component of the tap comprises a handle cooperating with the body component by means of an associated spindle.

22. A tap cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.