GB2427547A - Assembly for providing a fluid supply - Google Patents

Abstract

An assembly 10 for providing a fluid supply includes an inner conduit 14 which extends inside an outer conduit 12, and a fitting 15, the outer conduit 12 extending from a first end 17 at a first location 13 to a second end 19 at a second location 20 where the fitting 15 is disposed, the fitting 15 including a securing formation 31 by means of which the fitting 15 is securable to a support surface 16, a first receiving formation 33 for receiving the second end 19 of the outer conduit 12 and a second receiving formation 36 for receiving a termination 22 which has a port 25 where the fluid supply is established, the inner conduit 14 being secured to the termination 22 and in use conveying the fluid to the termination 22, and wherein a locking device 50 is provided to lock the termination 22 relative to the fitting 15 when the termination 22 is received by the second receiving formation 36. A method of providing the assembly is also included.

Description

Title: Assembly for Providing a Fluid Supply

Description of Invention

This invention relates to an assembly for providing a fluid supply and more particularly but not exclusively to an assembly for providing a water supply for use in a providing a shower.

It is known, for example from GB-A-2371481, to provide a so-called riser rail which passes down through a ceiling in a building structure, with an inner conduit of the riser rail terminating in a fitting to which a shower supply pipe between the fitting and a shower head, is in use connected. In this known arrangement, the fitting is secured to a housing of a control device and separate brackets are provided to secure the riser rail to a support surface such as a wall. The riser rail may provide a mounting for the shower head, which may be adjusted up and down the riser rail as desired.

The inner conduit extends upwardly to a mixing device located above the ceiling, which mixes hot and cold water from hot and cold water supplies, in response to control signals from the control device, to vary the water temperature and/or flow, the control signals, issued by a user, passing from the control device via conductors along the riser rail.

In this previous arrangement, the fitting at the end of the inner conduit is secured relative to the housing of the control device by a fixing block which prevents axial inner conduit movement. However a separate bracket is required to secure the riser rail to the wall, and interconnecting the fitting, the fixing block and the control device requires significant manipulative skills.

According to a first aspect of the present invention we provide an assembly for providing a fluid supply, the assembly including an inner conduit which extends inside an outer conduit, and a fitting, the outer conduit extending from a first end at a first location to a second end at a second location where the fitting is disposed, the fitting including a securing formation by means of which the fitting is securable to a support surface, a first receiving formation for receiving the second end of the outer conduit and a second receiving formation for receiving a termination which has a port for the fluid supply, the inner conduit being secured to the termination and in use conveying the fluid to the termination, and wherein a locking device is provided to lock the termination relative to the fitting when the termination is received by the second receiving formation.

Thus the present invention facilitates the provision of the fluid supply, and also provides for securing the outer conduit relative to the support surface.

Desirably, the termination is secured to the inner conduit prior to the termination being received by the second receiving formation. In a preferred arrangement, the fitting is secured to the support surface whilst the inner conduit and termination are moveable in the direction of extent of the inner conduit to receive the termination in the second receiving formation of the fitting, and the locking device is engaged with the fitting and termination by a movement including a movement generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the termination into the receiving formation.

In one example, the second receiving formation includes inwardly facing walls between which a locking part of the termination is received, at least one, but preferably each of the walls, having a groove, and the locking part of the termination, which is received between the walls of the second receiving formation, having a respective groove or grooves which is or are alignable with the groove or grooves of the or each wall of the second receiving formation, with the locking device including a leg member which is insertable into aligned grooves of the inwardly facing wall and the locking part of the termination, to lock the termination and fitting together.

Where there are grooves in each of the inwardly facing walls, these may face each other, and may each be alignable with grooves in the locking part of the termination, the locking device including two leg members e.g. provided by the legs of a channel shaped device, receivable in the aligned grooves.

The locking part of the termination may be received by the second receiving formation by moving the locking part of the termination through an opening in a peripheral wall of the fitting, the port of the termination lying outside the peripheral wall of the fitting when the locking device locks the termination relative to the fitting.

Preferably the termination includes a closure part which closes the opening in the peripheral wall of the fitting, at least when the locking part of the termination is received by the second receiving formation.

The securing formation, by means of which the fitting is securable to the support surface, may be an opening through which a fastener may be inserted into engagement with the support surface. If desired, the opening may be provided in a position such that it is at least partly concealed in use by the inner conduit when the inner conduit is received by the outer conduit.

Thus, to provide the assembly, the fitting would need to be secured to the support surface prior to the inner conduit being passed through the fitting and outer conduit to receive the locking part of the termination in the second receiving formation.

The second end of the outer conduit may be received by the first receiving formation of the fitting, through a receiving opening which is preferably aligned with the opening through which the locking part of the termination is passed to be received by the second receiving formation.

The fitting may include a closure to close the fitting to conceal the first and second receiving formations after assembly.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a system including an assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, the system including, at or near the first end of the outer conduit, a flow control device for controlling the flow of fluid into the inner conduit and hence to the port of the termination.

The flow control device may be a component of an instantaneous fluid heater for heating fluid from a cold fluid supply. The flow control device may operate in response to electrical control signals from a controller. The controller may be located close to the fitting and/or may be connected or integral with the fitting.

In one arrangement, the controller includes a base, an anchor part of which is received between the fitting and the support surface to anchor the controller relative to the support surface.

The system may be a shower system including a shower head which is connected to the port of the termination by a flexible hose.

According to a third aspect of the invention we provide a method of providing a fluid supply assembly including the steps of securing a fitting relative to a support surface using a securing formation of the fitting, locating a first end of an outer conduit at a first location, receiving a second end of the outer conduit in a first receiving formation of the fitting, passing an inner conduit into the second end of the outer conduit until a locking part of a termination secured to the inner conduit is received by a second receiving formation of the fitting, and engaging a locking device to secure the termination relative to the fitting, such that, in use, fluid may be passed along the inner conduit through the outer conduit, to a port of the termination.

The assembly thus provided may have any of the features of the assembly of the first aspect of the invention.

Specific but non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be described, strictly by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is an illustrative front view of a fluid supply assembly; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of part of the assembly of Figure 1 with some components removed; FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of part of the assembly of Figure 1 during assembly.

Referring to the drawings, an assembly 10 for providing a fluid supply, in this case a water supply for use in a shower, includes an outer conduit or riser rail 12, an inner conduit 14 for conveying water, and a fitting 15 whereby the riser rail 12 may be secured to a support surface or wall 16, the fitting being from where the water supply for the shower, exits the assembly.

The riser rail 12 extends from a first end 17, at a first location 13 above a ceiling 18, down to a second end 19 at a second location 20 where the fitting 15 is provided. The riser rail 12 may typically be a chromed metal tube, but could be of plastics, and may provide a mounting for a shower head (not shown) which is connected to the water supply via a flexible hose, as hereinafter explained. The mounting for the shower head may include a clamp arrangement, which enables the shower head position up and down the riser rail 12 to be adjusted to suit users of different heights for example.

The riser rail 12 may be of round cross section as shown, but may be of another cross section as desired, and may extend upwardly beyond the ceiling 18 further than shown, as space allows. The riser rail 12 may be made up of multiple sections connected together e.g. at a bracket or other support which also secures the riser rail 12 to the wall 16, or otherwise as required.

The inner conduit 14 is in this example a flexible plastics tube, but could be rigid as required. It will be appreciated that the use of a flexible tube (be it of a plastics material or anything else) provides advantages in terms of assembly and aesthetics, as it allows the use of a riser rail which need not be straight, as hitherto has been the case. Specifically, as the inner conduit can follow' the shape of the riser rail, a curved, zig-zagged or otherwise configured riser rail could conceivably be employed.

The inner conduit 14 is connected at the first location 13, to a flow control device (not shown) for controlling fluid flow into the inner conduit. The flow control device may be a component of an instantaneous shower heater for heating water from a cold water supply. Typically the flow control device would be controlled by electrical control signals generated by a user, as explained below.

The inner conduit 14 extends down the inside of the riser rail 12, to the filling 15. Secured to the inner conduit 14 in fluid tight manner, is a termination 22.

The termination 22 is a plastics moulding in this example, which includes a locking part 23 and a port 25 provided by an externally threaded outlet part 24.

In use, a flexible hose with a corresponding internally threaded fitting would be connected to the outlet part 24 to receive the water supply and to direct the water supply to the shower head.

The inner conduit 14 and the termination 22 may be secured together by a "John Guest" fitting 27 or the like, which may be releasable to separate the inner conduit 14 and the termination 22, or these may be permanently connected together e.g. by gluing, welding or otherwise as desired.

The fitting 15 in this example, includes a generally cylindrical housing 30, which, as can best be seen in Figure 2, includes a generally axially positioned securing formation 31 being an opening to receive a fastener, such as a screw, which may pass through the securing formation 31 and engage in the wall 16 to affix and secure the fitting 15 to the wall 16.

The fitting 15 further includes a first receiving formation 33 provided by a pair of radially inwardly extending shoulders. The second end 19 of the riser rail 12 passes through a first opening 35 in a peripheral wall of the housing 30, and sits on the shoulders 33 to receive and locate the riser rail 12.

The fitting 15 further includes a second receiving formation which is provided, in this example, by a pair of mutually inwardly facing walls 36, which are either side of a second opening 38 in the peripheral wall of the housing 30, which is radially opposite the first opening 35 in this example, as is preferred. Each of the mutually facing walls 36 of the second receiving formation has a groove 39, 40, again positioned opposite one another, with each groove 39, 40 extending parallel to the axis of the cylindrical housing 30 towards the wall 16.

As can best be seen from Figure 3, the locking part 23 of the termination 22 is of a size and configuration to be received between the mutually inwardly facing walls 36 of the second receiving formation, and has a pair of grooves 42, 43 which when the locking part 23 is received in position between the walls 36 of the second receiving formation are aligned with respective grooves 39, 40 of the second receiving formation.

A locking device 50 is provided to lock the termination 22 and fitting 15 together as will now be described.

To provide the water supply, the riser rail 12, inner conduit 14 (with termination 22 secured thereto) and fitting 15 are assembled as follows.

First, the fitting 15 is secured to the wall 16 together with any brackets required between the fitting 15 and the ceiling 18. The fitting 15 is secured by passing a screw or other fastener through the securing formation 31 into engagement with the wall 16.

Next, the riser rail 12 is located by passing its first end 17 up through the ceiling 18 into the first location 13, and then the second end 19 of the riser rail 12 is lowered down through the first opening 35 of the peripheral wall of the housing 30, and received by the first receiving formation 33.

Next, the end of the inner conduit 14 which is to be connected to the flow control device, is passed into the housing 30 through the second peripheral wall opening 38, and into the riser rail 12. The inner conduit 14 is continued to be inserted until the termination 22 passes through the second opening 38 of the peripheral wall of the housing 30, when the locking part 23 will be received between the inwardly facing walls of the second receiving formation 36.

It will be appreciated that once the inner conduit 14 is inserted into the riser rail 12, the securing formation 31 and fastener will be concealed at least in part.

When the respective pairs of grooves 39, 42 and 40, 43 of the locking part 23 and second receiving formation 36 are aligned, the locking device 50 is used to secure the termination 22 to the fitting 15. The locking device 50 includes a pair of leg members 52, 53 connected by a cross piece 54. One leg member 52 is received by one pair of the grooves 39, 42 and the other leg member 53 by the other pair of grooves 40, 43, by inserting the leg members 52, 53 in a direction towards the wall 16 i.e. generally perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the termination 22 as the termination 22 is received by the second receiving formation 36 of the fitting 15.

The termination 22 has a closure part 41 between the outlet part 24 and locking part 22, configured substantially to close the second housing opening * 10 38, with the threaded part 24 which provides the port 25, being disposed outward of the housing 30.

The inner conduit 14 may then be connected to the flow control device at the first location 13, and the shower head flexible hose to the threaded outlet part 24 of the termination 22, so that the water supply may be established.

The end of the housing 30 preferably is closed by a cap (not shown) or other closure which may for example be an interference or snap interengageable fit with the housing 30, to conceal the first and second receiving formations 33, 36.

A controller for controlling the flow control device, may be located remotely from the assembly 10. However, desirably, the controller is mounted adjacent the fitting 15.

To achieve this, in this example, a base 55 for mounting the controller may include an anchor part 56 which is of a shape corresponding to the shape of the housing 30 and thus is concealed thereby, and is positioned between the housing 30 and the wall 16, for example with the fastener which passes through the securing formation of the fitting 15, passing through a securing formation 31 of the anchor part 56 of the base 55, thus also to secure the base 55 to the wall 16.

The base 55 further includes a mounting 58 for the controller, this only being shown very illustratively in Figure 1.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the overall configuration of the housing 30 of the fitting is purely exemplary, as is the overall configuration of the termination 22. In another arrangement it may not be required to have two pairs of grooves 39, 42 and 40, 43 each to receive a leg member 52, 54 of the locking device 50, but a single pair of grooves may be provided in which case the locking device need not be of the channel configuration illustrated. Indeed some other locking device 50 may be provided to lock the termination 22 and fitting 15 together, when the termination 22 is received by the second receiving formation.

In another embodiment the controller and fitting 15 may integrally be provided.

Although the invention has been described in relation to a shower assembly and system, the invention may be applied to provide another fluid supply as required.

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 (23)

1. An assembly for providing a fluid supply, the assembly including an inner conduit which extends inside an outer conduit, and a fitting, the outer conduit extending from a first end at a first location to a second end at a second location where the filling is disposed, the filling including a securing formation by means of which the filling is securable to a support surface, a first receiving formation for receiving the second end of the outer conduit and a second receiving formation for receiving a termination which has a port for the fluid supply, the inner conduit being secured to the termination and in use conveying the fluid to the termination, and wherein a locking device is provided to lock the termination relative to the filling when the termination is received by the second receiving formation.

2. An assembly according to claim I wherein the termination is secured to the inner conduit prior to the termination being received by the second receiving formation.

3. An assembly according to claim I or claim 2 wherein the fitting is secured to the support surface whilst the inner conduit and termination are moveable in the direction of extent of the inner conduit to receive the termination in the second receiving formation of the fitting, and the locking device is engaged with the fitting and termination by a movement including a movement generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the termination into the second receiving formation.

4. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second receiving formation includes inwardly facing walls between which a locking part of the termination is received, at least one of the walls having a groove, and the locking part of the termination which is received between the walls of the second receiving formation having a groove which is alignable with the groove of the second receiving formation, with the locking device including a leg member which is insertable into aligned grooves of the inwardly facing wall and the locking part of the termination, to lock the termination and fitting together.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein each of the walls of the second receiving formation has a groove, the grooves facing each other, and each being alignable with grooves in the locking part of the termination, the locking device including two leg members each receivable in the aligned grooves.

6. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking part of the termination is received by the second receiving formation by moving the locking part of the termination through an opening in a peripheral wall of the fitting, the port of the termination lying outside the peripheral wall of the fitting when the locking device locks the termination relative to the fitting.

7. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein the termination includes a closure part which closes the opening in the peripheral wall of the fitting, at least when the locking part of the termination is received by the second receiving formation.

8. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing formation by means of which the fitting is securable to the support surface, is an opening through which a fastener is insertable into engagement with the support surface.

9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein the securing formation is provided in a position such that it is at least partly concealed in use by the inner conduit when the inner conduit is received by the outer conduit. /

10. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second end of the outer conduit is received by the first receiving formation of the fitting, through a receiving opening.

11. An assembly according to claim 10 where dependent upon claim 6 wherein the receiving opening through which the second end of the outer conduit passes to the first receiving formation is aligned with the opening through which the locking part of the termination is passed to be received by the second receiving formation.

12. An assembly according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the fitting includes a closure to close the fitting to conceal the first and second receiving formations after assembly.

13. An assembly for providing a water supply substantially as hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

14. A system including an assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, and, at or near the first end of the outer conduit, a flow control device for controlling the flow of fluid into the inner conduit and hence to the port of the termination.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein the flow control device is a component of a heater for heating fluid from a cold fluid supply.

16. A system according to claim 14 or claim 15 wherein the flow control device operates in response to electrical control signals from a controller.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein the controller is located close to the fitting and/or is connected or integral with the fitting. /

18. A system according to claim 17 wherein the controller includes a base, an anchor part of which is received between the fitting and the support surface to anchor the controller relative to the support surface.

19. A system according to any one of claims 14 to 18 wherein the system is a shower system including a shower head which is connected to the port of the termination by a flexible hose.

20. A system substantially as hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

21. A method of providing a fluid supply assembly including the steps of securing a fitting relative to a support surface using a securing formation of the fitting, locating a first end of an outer conduit at a first location, receiving a second end of the outer conduit in a first receiving formation of the fitting, passing an inner conduit into the second end of the outer conduit until a locking part of a termination secured to the inner conduit is received by a second receiving formation of the fitting, and engaging a locking device to secure the termination relative to the fitting, such that, in use, fluid may be passed along the inner conduit through the outer conduit, to a port of the termination.

22. A method of providing a fluid supply substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.