GB2391056A

GB2391056A - Tap combining rotational handle and push button

Info

Publication number: GB2391056A
Application number: GB0213602A
Authority: GB
Inventors: St John Wilfrid Bryan Dempster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-06-13
Filing date: 2002-06-13
Publication date: 2004-01-28
Also published as: GB0213602D0

Abstract

A tap comprises a tap housing 4, an inlet 12 to the housing for connection to a source of water, an outlet 6 from the housing 4 through which the water can be delivered, a screw valve between the inlet 12 and the outlet 6 and a handle 16 disposed outside the housing but coupled to the screw valve such that the screw valve is controlled by rotating the handle. The screw valve comprises a bypass opening 28 and a corresponding bypass closure element 42 biased towards a position in which it closes the bypass opening. The bypass closure element comprises a user actuable means 34 whereby it can be displaced to open the bypass opening to provide a flow connection between the inlet and the outlet even whilst the screw valve is closed. The user actuable means may comprise a button coupled to the bypass closure element by a rod 32 extending through a bore in a screw-threaded shaft 15 of the screw valve. Also defined is an apparatus for converting a tap with the combined actuation means.

Description

239 1 056

-1- DESCRIPTION

TAP The present invention relates to taps.

The conventional screw tap (sometimes referred to as a faucet) has a housing whose interior is connectable via an inlet controlled by a screw valve to a pressurized water supply, and a spout through which water can escape the housing toward, for example, a domestic sink. The screw valve uses a shaft, normally vertically oriented, which threadedly engages with the housing and thus can be moved upward or downward by rotating a handle at its upper end. In this way a washer borne by the shaft can be moved into or out of contact with a valve seat surrounding the inlet thereby closing or opening the tap and stopping or starting the flow of water.

One disadvantage of the conventional tap is that a user may waste water by leaving it open for extended periods. For example, it is a common practice to turn the tap on when beginning to brush one's teeth, and to leave the tap on throughout. To counter this problem, taps are known which, in the absence of action by the user, automatically turn themselves off either immediately or after a predetermined period.

One such known tap has a user actuable button coupled via a shaft to a valve washer. The washer is spring biased toward a normal position in which it

seals against a valve seat to close the tap, but depression of the button by the user moves the washer away from the valve seat and so opens the tap. When the user releases the button, the spring biasing quickly closes the tap once more.

Unfortunately, while taps of this type are widely used, eg in sports changing rooms and public lavatories, they are considered unacceptable in more luxurious settings such as hotel rooms and domestic bathrooms. The present invention is intended to overcome or alleviate the above problems associated with known taps. It is particularly desired to make it possible to do so without excessive expense.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is a tap comprising a tap housing, an inlet to the housing for connection to a source of water, an outlet from the housing through which the water can be delivered, and a screw valve between the inlet and the outlet, the screw valve comprising a screw threaded shaft coupled to a handle disposed outside the housing such that by rotating the handle the user can advance or withdraw a first valve closure relative to a valve seat to open or close the screw valve, wherein the valve closure has a bypass opening, a second closure being provided which is biased toward a normal position in which it closes the

bypass opening, the second closure being acted on by user actuable means whereby the second closure can be displaced from its normal position to open the bypass opening and thereby provide a flow connection between the inlet and the outlet even while the screw valve is closed, the biasing serving to return the second closure to its normal position following release of the user actuable means.

Thus, the tap according to the present invention can be opened in two different ways: i. by rotating the handle to open the screw valve and thereby provide a flow of water (typically from a mains source) which persists until the user turns the handle to close the tap; and ii. by use of the user actuable means, following which the water flow will be automatically stopped. A user requiring only a brief flow of water Lag to wet a toothbrush) can therefore turn on the tap briefly with the user actuable means, after which the flow will be automatically stopped to minimise wastage.

However, to obtain a longer flow, eg to fill a sink, the handle is used to open the screw valve. The tap can thus be as convenient to use as a conventional screw tap, and is likely to be acceptable even where known "button'' taps would not.

It is particularly preferred that the user

-4- actuable means comprises a button coupled to the second closure via a rod extending through a bore in the screw threaded shaft. This is constructionally convenient.

In such an embodiment, biasing of the second closure toward its normal position may be by a spring acting on the button/rod/closure assembly, the button being depressable against the spring.

It is preferred that the first valve closure is formed separately from the screw threaded shaft and is coupled thereto via a hollow component which is open toward the bypass opening and toward the interior of the housing, thereby providing a route for liquid entering through the bypass opening to reach the outlet. The hollow component is preferably coupled to the screw threaded shaft by means of a spigot received in the bore of the shaft.

The first valve closure member may, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprise a sealing washer penetrated by the opening.

The opening is preferably frusto-conical, the second closure correspondingly being frusto-conical.

This is of assistance in sealing.

Return of the second closure to its normal position need not necessarily be instantaneous following release of the user actuable means. Means may be provided to delay return of the second closure to its normal position following release of the user

\ -5 actuable means.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is an apparatus for converting a tap of the type comprising a tap housing, an inlet to the housing for connection to a source of liquid, an outlet from the housing through which the liquid can be delivered and a screw valve between the inlet and the outlet, the screw valve comprising a valve seat and a screw threaded shaft coupled to a handle disposed outside the housing, the apparatus comprising a replacement valve closure which is coupled to a conversion fitting adapted to be coupled to the screw threaded shaft and which is penetrated by a bypass opening,.a further closure coupled or adapted to be coupled to a rod which is insertable through a bore in the screw threaded shaft, a button or similar user actuable means coupled or adapted to be coupled to the rod, and biasing means, such that when the apparatus is installed in the tap, the user can advance or withdraw the replacement valve closure relative to the valve seat by rotating the handle, thereby opening or closing the screw valve, and the further closure is biased toward a normal position in which it closes the bypass opening by the biasing means, but can be displaced from its normal position by use of the user actuable means to provide a flow connection between the inlet and the outlet even while the screw valve is closed, the

\ -6- biasing means serving to return the second closure to its normal position following release of the user actuable means.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is a screw tap provided with an automatically closing push valve, such that the push valve can be used to open the tap even when the screw valve of the tap is closed.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a tap constructed in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 2 is a vertical section through a set of components which can be installed in a conventional tap to convert the tap according to the present invention.

In Fig. 1, a tap inlet 2 is adapted for connection to a water supply and leads, via a valve arrangement, to the interior of a tap housing 4 from which water can exit via a spout 6. The housing 4 is circular in plan, its upper, inner edge being threaded at 8 to receive a bush 10.

The bush 10 has a through-going, threaded axial bore 12. A vertical shaft 14 extends through the bore 12, having an exterior screw thread 15 along part of its length and thus engaging with the internal

thread of the bush 10. The upper end of the shaft 14 bears a handle 16 by which the user can rotate the shaft 14 and hence move it upward or downward. The shaft 14 has a through-going bore 18, a lower part of which is of enlarged diameter and bears a screw thread 20 into which has been screwed a threaded spigot 22 of a valve cap 24. The portion of the valve cap 24 below the spigot is formed as a hollow cylinder whose wall is penetrated by openings 26 and which is open via an opening 28 at its lower end. A sealing washer 30 is secured to the lower extremity of the valve cap 24.

In Fig. 1 the sealing washer is shown in abutment with a valve seat formed by the portion of the interior surface of the tap housing 4 which surrounds the opening of the inlet 2. One way for the user to open the tap is to turn the handle 16, thereby raising the sealing washer so that water can pass into the tap housing between the washer and the valve seat.

However, there is a second means by which the user can open the tap, as will now be described.

A push rod 32 extends through the full length of the bore 18 in the shaft 14. At its upper end, the push rods bears a button 34 which can be depressed by the user, being receivable in an enlarged diameter upper part 36 of the bore 18. A spring, formed in the present exemplary embodiment as a helical compression spring 38, is constrained between the button 34 and a

-8- shoulder 40 within the bore 18, thus biasing the button and the push rod upwardly. At its lower end the push rod 32 bears a frusto-conical valve closure 42, narrower at its top than its bottom. Correspondingly, the sealing washer 30 is penetrated by an opening which has a frustoconical inner surface 44 forming a valve seat against which the valve closure 42 can seal.

Fig. 1 illustrates the tap as it appears when the button 34 has been depressed: the push rod 32 has moved the valve closure 42 downward away from the surface 44 and water can therefore pass through the opening in the sealing washer 30 and then through the openings 26 in the valve cap 24 to reach the spout 6.

When the button is released, the spring 38 moves the push rod 32 and the valve closure 42 upward causing the closure to seal against its seat and thus closing this route for water.

The user thus has two ways to open the tap: i. by turning the handle 16, following which the tap remains open until the user turns the handle to close the tap; ii. by depressing the button 34, in which case the tap is automatically closed when the button is released. Unwanted escape of water is prevent by a seal, which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is formed as an 'O' ring squeezed between the

- 9 - push rod 32 and the inner surface of the bore 18.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 1 can be achieved by modifying an existing tap, which is advantageous from the point of view of economy. Fig. 2 shows a kit of parts to be installed in a conventional tap to achieve this conversion, comprising the button 34, spring 38, push rod 32, valve closure 42, sealing washer 30 and the valve cap 24. Installation involves removal of the existing shaft 14 from the tap housing and, typically, shortening of the shaft by sawing off a short length at its lower end. This is necessary in order to accommodate the depth of the valve cap 24.

The lower part of the bore 18 in the existing shaft is then internally threaded (typically using a hand tool known as a tap) to receive the spigot 22 of the valve cap. The push rod 32 is inserted through the bore in the shank (to permit this, either the button or the closure 42 is removably attached to the push rod, eg by means of a screw thread), the sealing ring and spring are put in place and the shaft can then be reinserted in the housing to complete the operation.

Claims

-10 CLAIMS

1. A tap comprising a tap housing, an inlet to the housing for connection to a source of water, an outlet from the housing through which the water can be delivered, a screw valve between the inlet and the outlet and a handle disposed outside the housing but coupled to the screw valve such that the screw valve is controlled by rotating the handle, wherein the screw valve comprises a bypass opening and a corresponding bypass closure À. element biased towards a position in which it closes the À-.. À. bypass opening, the bypass closure element comprising a À:. user actuable means whereby it can be displaced to open Àe À.. the bypass opening and thereby provide a flow connection between the inlet and the outlet even whilst the screw À .: valve is closed.

À À.

2. A tap as claimed in claim l, wherein the screw valve comprises a screw-threaded shaft coupled to the handle such that by rotating the handle a valve closure element advances or withdraws relative to a valve seat to open or close the screw valve,

3. A tap as claimed in claim 2, wherein the user actuable means comprises a button coupled to the bypass closure element by a rod extending through a bore in the screw-threaded shaft.

- 11

4. A tap as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the valve closure element is formed separately from the screw threaded shaft and is coupled thereto via a hollow component which is open towards the bypass opening and towards the interior of the housing.

5. A tap as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hollow component is coupled to the screw threaded shaft by means of a spigot received in a bore of the screw-threaded shaft. .

6. A tap as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, À . wherein the valve closure element comprises a sealing washer in which the bypass opening is located.

I A.

7. A tap as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, . further comprising a spring acting as the bypass closure À À À . element which biases the element towards its normal À. À À. position by a spring acting on a closure assembly.

8. A tap as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the bypass opening is frusto-conical and the bypass closure element is complementarily shaped.

9. A tap as claimed in any of the preceding claims, further comprising means for delaying the return of the bypass closure element to its normal position following release of the user actuable means.

10. An apparatus for converting a tap of the type

-12- comprising a tap housing, an inlet to the housing for connection to a source of liquid, an outlet from the housing through which the liquid can be delivered a screw valve between the inlet and the outlet, the screw valve comprising a valve seat and a screw threaded shaft coupled to a handle disposed outside the housing, the apparatus comprising a replacement valve closure element which is coupled to a conversion fitting adapted to be coupled to the screw threaded shaft and which is penetrated by a bypass opening, a bypass closure element À . coupled or adapted to be coupled to a rod which is insertable through a bore in the screw threaded shaft, Àe . user actuable means coupled or adapted to be coupled to the rod and biasing means, whereby when the apparatus is À. À installed on the tap, the replacement valve closure À À advances or withdraws relative to the valve seat by rotation of the handle thereby opening or closing the screw valve and the bypass closure element is biased toward a normal position in which it closes the bypass opening by the biasing means, but can be displaced from its normal position by use of the user actuable means to provide a flow connection between the inlet and the outlet even while the screw valve is closed, the biasing means serving to return the bypass closure element to the

-13 normal position following the release of the user actuable means.

11. A screw tap comprising an automatic closing push valve which can be used to open the tap when the screw valve tap is closed.

12. A tap substantially herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings. À Àe À À À Àe- À I À- À -.e À:e À. À À À À. À a.