GB2371350A

GB2371350A - Detachable tap with shut-off valve

Info

Publication number: GB2371350A
Application number: GB0101699A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Carl Stanford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-01-23
Filing date: 2001-01-23
Publication date: 2002-07-24
Also published as: GB0101699D0

Abstract

A tap comprises a base 1 having a valve 11 for controlling fluid flow, a releasable body 2 having an outlet and a handle 26, and transmission means, operated by handle 26, which operates valve 11 to control flow through the tap, with valve 11 closing to block the flow upon removing the body 2. The transmission means may detach from the base with the body, and valve 11 may comprise member 12 biassed towards engagement with seating 14 in order to block the flow. The transmission means may comprise elongate element 23 connected to handle 26 which opens the valve by moving lengthwise to push member 12 away from seating 14 upon rotation of the handle. Attachment of the body 2 may be effected through rotation, e.g. using a screw or bayonet fitting 7, 20. The body may be lockable to the base, and the base may comprise cylindrical portion 4 engaging the body, and narrower cylindrical portion 5, containing valve 11, adapted for connection to a supply pipe. A range of bodies having an outlet, a handle 26 and transmission means may be connected to a common base 2.

Description

Title: Improvements in and relating to taps Description of Invention This invention relates to improvements in and relating to taps for controlling the delivery of fluid from a supply thereof. More particularly it relates to controlling the delivery of water from a supply pipe to a basin, a sink, a bath or so forth.

Previously known taps typically comprise a body which is adapted to be mounted in relation to the basin or other place where it is to be used and includes flow control means operable by a manually or otherwise moveable handle. The flow control means may be operated by screwing a valve member down onto a valve seat when the handle is turned. Alternatively it may be a type of plug cock valve where turning the handle causes the flow of fluid in the pipe to become blocked. Other, less common, types of tap are also known.

As a consequence of this operation a watertight plumbing connection must be established between the tap body and the water supply pipe, and if the tap is not thus connected there is nothing to prevent the escape of water from the pipe. This makes changing a tap a potentially difficult operation. The water supply to the tap must be shut down, in order to prevent leakage of water, before the tap can be disconnected. For some people this may necessitate employing a plumber simply to change a tap.

The tap is not simply a functional part of a plumbing system, however.

Taps are often essentially fashion items, chosen to blend with the decor in the kitchen or bathroom. It may therefore be desirable that they can be changed easily as the need arises. Additionally, elderly people, or people with a disability may require specially designed taps that are more easily operable. In either case there arises a need for easy changing of a tap if a different appearance or function is required, for example if a kitchen or bathroom is redecorated.

It is an object of this invention to address these problems and meet these needs.

In a first aspect, this invention provides a tap comprising: a base which is adapted for connection to a fluid supply means, the base comprising a valve means for controlling the flow of fluid from the supply through the base; a body releasably connected to the base and affording a passage for flow of fluid from the base, and having a handle; and a transmission means operable by the handle and operating on the valve means to cause the latter to control fluid flow through the base and the body; the arrangement being such that when the body is removed from the base the valve means is closed to block flow of fluid from the supply.

In a tap according to this invention, therefore, the body may be removed entirely from the base, whilst the valve means prevents leakage of the fluid. There is thus no need to shut off the fluid supply in order to change the body of a tap. This invention transforms the tap to an accessory for a plumbing system whose appearance may easily be changed by changing the body.

The transmission means is preferably connected to the body of the tap so as to be removable from the base therewith. This means that the valve cannot be operated easily once the body has been removed from the base.

The valve means may comprise a valve member arranged to co-operate with a seating in the base. This is a relatively leak-free construction that is easy to manufacture.

The valve means may further comprise a biasing means arranged to urge the valve member to engage the seating in order to block flow of fluid from the base. This biasing means may be a spring in the base. It may be so arranged that the pressure of the fluid contained in the pipe provides adequate biasing. The valve means will thus be driven shut whenever the body is removed, and thus minimal leakage from the pipe occurs.

This invention therefore provides the advantage that one may remove the operating part of a tap altogether from a sink or bath, without loss of water. This may be helpful in preventing children from unsupervised playing with the water supply, thus diminishing the possibility of scalding or flooding.

The transmission means may comprise a transmission element movable by the handle to cause movement of the valve member relative to the seating.

This quickly and easily enables the tap to be opened and closed. It corresponds to the standard way that taps are expected to operate.

The transmission member in the body may be of elongate configuration, for example a stem or a plunger. It may be moveable lengthwise within the body to push the valve member away from the seating on movement of the handle in one sense and to permit the valve member to return to the seating on movement of the handle in another sense. This is a simple and robust construction. The transmission member may act against the biasing means, if one is present.

The tap handle may be angularly moveable to cause operation of the transmission means. This is the action by which most persons are accustomed to operating taps.

The connection of the body to the base and its release therefrom may be effected by angular movement of the body relative to the base. This angular movement is preferably less than ninety degrees.

The securement of the body on the base may be effected by a bayonet fitting. Alternatively the body may be screwed into the base. In either case the tap may further comprise locking means for locking the body in engagement with the base when it is connected thereto. The locking means may comprise co-operating formations or members on the body and the base. They are preferably easily releasable. The locking means prevents undesirable release of the tap body from the connector during use. This assists in making the fitting child-proof.

The base may comprise a cylindrical portion with which the body is engaged and a smaller diameter cylindrical portion containing the valve means and adapted for connection to a fluid supply pipe. The smaller diameter cylinder may fit onto a standard pipe fitting, for example a Y2 inch pipe fitting.

This configuration is particularly easy to manufacture.

The base and/or the body may be made of stainless steel, brass or plastics material and may be produced as a single casting or moulded unit so avoiding unnecessary joints.

In a second aspect this invention provides a body for a tap according to any of the preceding descriptions.

In a third aspect, this invention provides a base for a tap according to any of the preceding descriptions.

In a fourth aspect this invention provides a range of taps comprising a common base and a number of different bodies. The bodies and the base operate as described above.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows schematically a side view of a base and a body for a tap according to one embodiment of the invention.

The base and body are shown unconnected.

The tap comprises a base 1 and a body 2 which have cooperating formations enabling them to be releasably connected together.

The base 1 comprises a housing 3 with an upper generally cylindrical portion indicated generally at 4 and a lower generally cylindrical portion indicated at 5. An annular downwardly facing abutment surface 6 is defined on the exterior of the housing 3 between the upper and lower parts and the lower part 5 is externally screw-threaded.

The upper part of the base 4 has an internal diameter which increases in several steps and at the top it has a number of circumferentially spaced radially inwardly facing lugs, for example four such lugs spaced at 90 , or, as shown in the figure, a pair of diametrically opposed radially inwardly facing lugs 7.

Beneath the lugs 7 there is an annular sealing surface 8 and further down the upper part 4 there is a passage portion 9 surrounded by a further annular sealing surface 10.

The lower part 5 of the base accommodates a valve means indicated generally at 11. The valve means 11 comprises a valve member 12 having an annular sealing washer 13 engageable with an annular seating surface 14 extending radially outwardly beneath the bottom of the passage portion 9. The valve member 12 is spring biased upwardly by a spring 15 which reacts against a fitting 16 screwed into the bottom of the lower part 5.

The valve member 12 is generally cylindrical comprising a smaller diameter cylinder that is insertable into the coils of the spring 15, and a larger diameter cylinder that rests on top of the spring 15. The diameter of the larger cylinder is wider than the internal diameter of the passage portion 9 of the housing 3, but smaller than the internal diameter of the lower part 5 of the housing. Thus, water can flow around the valve member 12 when it is not in sealing engagement with the seat 14.

Compression of the spring 15 drives the valve member 12 against its seating 14 and compresses the annular sealing washer 13 to ensure that no water can flow through the base. The fitting 16 has a lower part 17 which provides for watertight connection of a water supply pipe to the base 1 by a conventional compression fitting. Thus the part 17 has an external screwthread for engagement by a gland nut with a sealing member being interposed between the gland nut, fitting and a pipe within them. The extent to which the fitting 16 is screwed into the lower part of the base 5 provides for compression of the spring 15 to an extent sufficient to ensure that the valve member 12 is urged into sealing engagement with the seating 14, this action being helped by pressure of water in the pipe.

The body of the tap 2 has a lower part 18 for connection to the base.

This comprises a cylindrical portion 19 for fitting within the upper part of the base 4, above the annular sealing surface 8. The lower part 18 has a number of flange formations, each corresponding to and cooperable with a respective lug as 7, in this case two diametrically opposed radially outwardly extending flange formations 20 cooperable with the lugs 7, in the manner of a bayonet fitting.

Each such flange 20 has a tapered lead in part 20a with a helically extending upper surface and at its other end has a stop formation. The space between the stop formation of one flange 20 and the leading end of the other flange 20 is sufficient for one of the lugs 7 to pass therebetween axially.

Beneath the flanges the body 2 has a first annular seal 21 of rubber or other suitable compressible sealing material and a second smaller diameter annular seal 22. The seals 21,22 lie against respective downwardly facing sealing surfaces on the body 2 of the tap.

Within the body 2 there is a transmission member 23 which is hollow and extends downwardly to reach out of the bottom of the body beneath the seal 22. The transmission member 23 is an elongate cylindrical rod or stem.

The tap body further comprises a spout portion 24 having an internal passage (not shown) for flow of water to be discharged from the tap. A passage extends upwardly within the transmission member 23 and adjacent the top of the transmission member a laterally extending opening 25 provides for communication between the interior of the transmission member 23 and the passage (not shown) in the spout 24 of the tap.

A handle 26 is provided on the tap, the handle 26 being manually rotatable and connected by a suitable screw-thread mechanism (not shown) to the transmission member 23 so that rotation of the handle 26 causes the transmission member to be moved upwardly or downwardly relative to the body of the tap. The transmission member 23 is dimensioned so that when the body 2 of the tap is connected to the base 1 as described hereafter and the handle 26 is in a position corresponding to the conventional "off'position of a tap, the bottom of the transmission member 23 lies closely adjacent the valve member 12 within the base of the tap.

The base may be mounted on a bath, wash basin, etc. , by passing the lower part 3 through an aperture in the basin until the abutment surface 6 (with an interposed sealing washer) contacts the upwardly facing surface of the basin.

A securing ring is screwed on to the thread of the lower part and tightened.

To connect the body 2 of the tap to the base, after having ensured that the handle 26 is in the off position, the body 2 is lowered onto the base 1 so

that the lugs 7 pass through the spaces between the flange formations 20 on the t body. The body 2 can then be moved angularly through some 90 -150 in the clockwise sense as viewed from above so that the lugs 7 move over firstly the helical lead in surfaces 20a of the flanges 20 on the body 2 and then along the flanges 20 until the stop formations 20b are reached. The body 2 is connected to the base 1 by rotation in the opposite sense to the rotation applied to the handle 26 to turn the tap"on"in order to minimise the possibility that rotation of the handle 26 will disengage the body 2 from the base 1. In the course of this connection the seals 21,22 are compressed between the respective surfaces of body 2 and base 1 to provide a watertight seal between them.

Then operation of the handle 26 of the tap in the"on"sense causes the transmission member 23 to be lowered to push the valve member 12 away from its seating 14. Archway formations 27 in the bottom surface of the transmission member 23 permit water to flow around the valve member 12 up through the transmission member 23 out of the spout 24 of the tap as indicated by the arrows on the drawings. When the handle 26 is operated in the"off' sense the transmission member 23 is raised permitting the valve member 12 to return to its seating 14 under the action of its biasing spring 15 and water pressure to stop flow of water through the tap.

Removal of the body 2 of the tap from the base 1 may be effected by the reverse of the connection operation, described above. Even if the handle 26 of the tap has not been moved to the off position before the body 2 is removed its removal takes the transmission member 23 out of engagement with the valve member 12 so that the valve member 12 closes as the body of the tap is removed from the base.

In the present specification"comprise"means"includes or consists of and"comprising"means"including or consisting of.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A tap comprising: a base adapted for connection to a fluid-supply means and including a valve means for controlling flow of fluid from the supply through the base; a body releasably connected to the base and affording a passage for flow of fluid from the base, and having a handle; and transmission means operable by the handle and operating on the valve means to cause the latter to control fluid flow through the base and body; the arrangement being such that when the body is removed from the base the valve means is closed to block flow of fluid from the supply.
2. A tap according to Claim 1 wherein the transmission means is connected to the body of the tap to be removable therewith from the base.
3. A tap according to any preceding claim wherein the valve means comprises a valve member arranged to co-operate with a valve seating in the base.
4 A tap according to Claim 3 further comprising biasing means arranged to urge said valve member to engage said seating to block flow of fluid from the base.
5. A tap according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein said transmission means comprises a transmission element movable by said handle to cause movement of said valve member relative to said seating.
6. A tap according to Claim 5 wherein said transmission member is of

I elongate configuration and is movable lengthwise within the body to push said valve member away from said seating on movement of the handle in one sense and to permit said valve member to return to said seating on movement of the handle in the other sense.
7. A tap according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein said handle is angularly moveable to cause said movement of the transmission member.
8. A tap according to any preceding claim wherein connection of the body to the base and release therefrom is effected by angular movement of the body relative to the base.
9. A tap according to Claim 8 wherein said angular movement is less than

0 9 900.
10. A tap according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein said body is connected to the base by a bayonet fitting.
11. A tap according to any preceding claim further comprising locking means for locking the body in engagement with the base when connected thereto.
12. A tap according to any preceding claim wherein said base comprises a cylindrical portion with which the body is engaged and a smaller diameter cylindrical portion containing the valve means and adapted for connection to a fluid supply pipe.
13. A body for a tap according to any one of the preceding claims, said body having means for said releasable connection to the base and further having said handle and transmission means for co-operation with said valve means in the base.
14. A base for a tap according to any one of Claims 1 to 12.
15. A range of taps comprising a common base according to Claim 14 and a number of different bodies according to Claim 13.
16. A tap substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.