GB2423807A

GB2423807A - Water tap assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2423807A
Application number: GB0504261A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Mcguigan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-03-02
Filing date: 2005-03-02
Publication date: 2006-09-06
Also published as: WO2006092630A1; GB0504261D0

Abstract

A water tap assembly for exterior use comprises a tap body 4 having an inlet 5 connectable to a water supply, an outlet 8, a flow path between the inlet and outlet and a valve member 11 within the tap body. The valve member 11 is moveable between closed and open positions. A removable key 15 is insertable into a receiving aperture 16 in the tap body 4 whereby the key can be manipulated to move the valve member between its open and closed positions to operate the tap. The removable key 15 and the receiving aperture 16 have co-operating formations whereby removal and insertion of the key is only possible when the valve member is in its closed position.

Description

1 Exterior Water Tap Assembly 3 The present invention relates to a water

tap 4 assembly, and in particular a water tap assembly for use on the exterior of a building to supply water 6 for outside use, such as in gardens or yards. Such 7 water taps are required to withstand extremes of 8 temperature and adverse weather due to their 9 location and are also more prone to tampering and vandalisation due to their accessibility.

12 In order to prevent the formation of ice within a 13 tap, possibly leading to damage of the tap, it is 14 known to provide insulated covers or enclosures for fitment over exterior taps. Examples of such 16 arrangements can be seen in US4577655 and U54244394.

17 The main problem with such devices is that they must 18 be removed before the tap can be used and thus 19 interfere with the operation of the tap.

Furthermore, due to the inconvenience of removing 21 the cover to use the tap, the operator may forget or 1 deliberately fail to refit the cover after using the 2 tap.

4 It is also known to provide lockable covers or other obstructing means over an exterior water tap to 6 prevent unauthorised use of the tap. Examples of 7 such devices are shown in GB2367341 and US592711.

8 Again, such devices interfere with the normal 9 operation of the tap and require the user to replace the cover after use to be effective.

12 An object of the present invention is to provide an 13 improved exterior tap assembly that overcomes the

14 disadvantages of the prior art.

16 According to the present invention there is provided 17 a water tap assembly for exterior use comprising a 18 tap body having an inlet adapted to be connectable 19 to a water supply, an outlet and a flow path between said inlet and outlet, a valve member being provided 21 within the tap body, the valve member being moveable 22 between a closed position wherein the valve member 23 obstructs said flow path, preventing the flow of 24 water between the inlet and the outlet, and an open position wherein communication between the inlet and 26 outlet is established, the tap assembly further 27 comprising a removable key insertable into a 28 receiving aperture in the tap body, the key and the 29 valve member having co-operating formations whereby the key can be manipulated to move the valve member 31 between its open and closed positions to operate the 32 tap, the removable key and the receiving aperture 1 having co-operating formations whereby removal and 2 insertion of the key is only possible when the valve 3 member is in its closed position. In one embodiment 4 the valve member comprises a lift valve. In an alternative embodiment the valve member comprises a 6 ball valve.

8 Preferably the Co-operating formations of key and 9 key receiving aperture comprise a radially extending projection formed on a side surface of the key and a 11 corresponding slot formed in the key receiving 12 aperture, the slot of the receiving aperture and the 13 projection of the key being arranged such that the 14 slot is in radial alignment with the projection when the valve member is in its closed position.

17 Such arrangement prevents removal of the key unless 18 the tap is correctly closed, preventing the tap from 19 being accidentally left running and preventing over- tightening of the tap.

22 Preferably the co-operating formations of the key 23 and the key receiving aperture and/or the co- 24 operating formations of the valve member prevent operation of the tap assembly unless the correct key 26 for the particular tap assembly is utilised.

28 Preferably the valve body is mounted within a 29 housing, the inlet, outlet and key receiving aperture being accessible from outside of the 31 housing. Preferably the space between the interior 32 surfaces of the housing and the valve body is filled 1 with an insulating material, such as a polymeric 2 foam material. This enables the tap to be used 3 outdoors without the risk of water within the tap 4 freezing and causing damage to the tap in the winter.

7 Preferably the housing includes a mounting flange 8 having a plurality of mounting apertures therein to 9 permit the tap assembly to be mounted on a surface.

11 The housing insulates the tap body to prevent frost 12 damage, facilitates wall mounting of the tap 13 assembly and protects the valve components from 14 damage, both accidental and deliberate vandaljsation.

17 The valve body may further include an anti-syphon 18 valve for preventing the back flow of water between 19 the outlet and the inlet. Such ant-syphon valves are known in the art and thus need not be described 21 in more detail. Such anti-syphon valves prevent 22 water being drawn back into the water supply through 23 the tap in the event of sudden drops in supply 24 pressure and are mandatory for use with outside taps connected to a mains water supply in many countries.

27 Preferably the inlet of the tap is provided with 28 quick fit connection means permitting tooless 29 connection of the inlet to a water supply pipe.

1 An embodiment of the invention will now be described 2 by way of example only with reference to the 3 accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an exterior water tap 6 assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the 7 present invention; 9 Figure 2 is a front view of the tap assembly of Fig. 1; and 12 Figure 3 is a sectional view on line A-A of Fig. 2.

14 The tap assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulated 16 housing 1 having a rear flange provided with 17 mounting apertures 3 to permit the tap assembly to 18 be secured to a surface, such as the outside wall of 19 a building. A tap body 4 is mounted within the housing. The housing 1 may be injected with an 21 expanding polymeric foam to provide insulation for 22 the tap, preventing the tap from freezing when the 23 ambient temperature falls below 02C. The foam 24 insulation fills the spaces between the inner surfaces of the housing 1 and the tap body 4.

27 The housing 1 may be formed from sheet metal or may 28 be made of a plastic material. Preferably the 29 housing 1 comprises a plastic moulding.

31 The tap body 4 has an inlet 5 accessible from the 32 rear face of the housing 1. The inlet 5 is 1 preferably equipped with a quick fit connector 6 2 whereby the inlet 5 can be connected to a water 3 Supply pipe 7.

The tap body 4 has an outlet 8 extending from a 6 front lower face of the housing 1. The outlet 8 may 7 have an externally threaded extension 9 to permit 8 attachment of a hose pipe thereto.

In one embodiment, the interior of the tap body 4 11 contains a valve seat 10 and an axially moveable 12 valve member 11, the valve member 11 being axially 13 moveable between a closed position wherein the valve 14 member 11 engages the valve seat 10 to cut off flow between the inlet 5 and outlet 8 and close the tap, 16 and an open position wherein the valve member 11 is 17 spaced from the valve seat 10 to open the tap. The 18 shaft of the valve member 11 is threadedly mounted 19 in an internally threaded portion 12 of the tap body 4 whereby rotation of the valve member 11 causes 21 axial movement of the valve member 11 in a desired 22 direction, as is conventional in lift valve design 23 for domestic taps.

In alternative embodiment (not shown), the tap body 26 contains a flow passage between the inlet and the 27 outlet, the valve member being in the form of a 28 quarter turn ball valve mounted in the flow passage 29 to be rotatable about an axis normal to the flow passage and having a through passage extending 31 perpendicular to said rotational axis, whereby the 32 through passage establishes flow communication 1 between the inlet and outlet when the valve member 2 is in an open position, the valve member obstructing 3 the flow passage to close the flow passage when the 4 valve member is rotated 90 from its open position to a closed position. Such quarter turn ball valves 6 are conventional in tap design and thus need not be 7 described in more detail.

9 The tap is operable by means of a removable key 15 insertable through a key receiving aperture 16 to 11 engage an end 17 of the valve member 11. A distal 12 end of the key 15 and the end 17 of the valve member 13 11 have co-operating formations whereby the valve 14 member 11 can be moved between its open and closed positions by rotation of the key 15 once the end of 16 the key 15 is engaged with the end 17 of the valve 17 member 11. Preferably the end 17 of the valve 18 member comprises an elongate extension, shaped to be 19 received in an aperture in the end of the key, said end 17 of the valve member 11 and the aperture in 21 the end of the key having a complimentary non- 22 circular cross sectional shape (e.g. a hexagonal) 23 such that the end 17 and the aperture inter-engage.

24 Preferably the key 15 and key receiving aperture 16 have cooperating formations to permit operation of 26 the tap only when the correct key is used, in the 27 manner of a conventional security key.

29 Removal (and insertion) of the key 15 out of the key receiving aperture 16 can only occur when the valve 31 member 11 is in its closed position. This is 32 achieved by the provision of a radially extending 1 projection 18 adjacent the end of the key 15 and a 2 corresponding radial slot 19 provided in the opening 3 20 of the key receiving aperture 16. The projection 4 18 and slot 19 are positioned such that they are in radial alignment only when the valve member 11 is in 6 its closed position.

8 This arrangement ensures that the key 15 can only be 9 removed when the tap is correctly switched off, preventing unauthorised use of the tap, preventing 11 the tap from being accidentally left running and 12 preventing over-tightening of the tap, with 13 resulting damage to sealing surfaces of the valve 14 member 11 and valve seat 10.

16 An anti-syphon valve 21 is incorporated into the tap 17 to prevent the backf low of water from the outlet to 18 the inlet.

In an alternative embodiment the housing may contain 21 two tap bodies, a first connectable to a cold water 22 supply and a second connectable to a hot water 23 supply. Each tap body may have a separate outlet or 24 both may communicate with a single, common outlet.

26 Known taps intended for outdoor use have been 27 typically formed from brass to cope with the wide 28 range of ambient temperatures to which the tap is 29 exposed and to provide corrosion resistance. Due to the insulating properties of the water tap assembly 31 according to the present invention and the 32 protection of the tap body from the environment 1 afforded by the housing 1, the tap body 4 and 2 associated components can be made out of alternative 3 materials, such as different metals or plastic, 4 which might be less tolerant to the conditions under which the valve would have to operate without the 6 insulation afforded by the housing, such as 7 expansion problems due to ambient temperature 8 changes.

Claims

1 Claims 3 1. A water tap assembly for exterior use 4 comprising a tap body having an inlet adapted to be connectable to a water supply, an outlet 6 and a flow path between said inlet and outlet, 7 a valve member being provided within the tap 8 body, the valve member being moveable between a 9 closed position wherein the valve member obstructs said flow path, preventing the flow 11 of water between the inlet and the outlet, and 12 an open position wherein communication between 13 the inlet and outlet is established, the tap 14 assembly further comprising a removable key insertable into a receiving aperture in the tap 16 body, the key and the valve member having co- 17 operating formations whereby the key can be 18 manipulated to move the valve member between 19 its open and closed positions to operate the tap, the removable key and the receiving 21 aperture having co-operating formations whereby 22 removal and insertion of the key is only 23 possible when the valve member is in its closed 24 position. 26 2. A tap assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein 27 the valve member comprises a lift valve. 29 3. A tap assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve member comprises a ball valve.

1 4. A tap assembly as claimed in any preceding

2 claims, wherein the co-operating formations of

3 key and key receiving aperture comprise a

4 radially extending projection formed on a side surface of the key and a corresponding slot 6 formed in the key receiving aperture, the slot 7 of the receiving aperture and the projection of 8 the key being arranged such that the slot is in 9 radial alignment with the projection when the valve member is in its closed position.

12

5. A tap assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein 13 the co-operating formations of the key and the 14 key receiving aperture and/or the co-operating formations of the valve member prevent 16 operation of the tap assembly unless the 17 correct key for the particular tap assembly is 18 utilised.

6. A tap assembly as claimed in any preceding 21 claim, wherein the valve body is mounted within 22 a housing, the inlet, outlet and key receiving 23 aperture being accessible from outside of the 24 housing.

26

7. A tap assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein 27 the space between the interior surfaces of the 28 housing and the valve body is filled with an 29 insulating material, such as a polymeric foam material.

1

8. A tap assembly as claimed in claim 6 or claim 2 7, wherein the housing includes a mounting 3 flange having a plurality of mounting apertures 4 therein to permit the tap assembly to be mounted on a surface.

7

9. A tap assembly as claimed in any preceding 8 claim, wherein the valve body may further 9 include an anti-syphon valve for preventing the back flow of water between the outlet and the 11 inlet.

13

10. A tap assembly as claimed in any preceding 14 claim, wherein the inlet of the tap is provided with quick fit connection means permitting 16 tooless connection of the inlet to a water 17 supply pipe.