GB2435077A

GB2435077A - radially adjustable joint for pipe connections to mixer taps

Info

Publication number: GB2435077A
Application number: GB0512457A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Paul Sansum; Karl Antony Fearnley; Alistair Normandale
Original assignee: Kohler Mira Ltd
Current assignee: Kohler Mira Ltd
Priority date: 2004-06-18
Filing date: 2005-06-18
Publication date: 2007-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2025-06-18
Also published as: GB0413672D0; GB0512457D0; GB2435077B

Abstract

A mixer for hot and cold water has an inlet connector 54 for connecting a supply pipe to an inlet 51 in a body 50 of the mixer. The inlet connector 54 has a coupling member 57 that is secured to the mixer by a hollow bolt 56 screwed into the inlet 51 through the coupling member 57. A seal member 58 provides a fluid tight seal between an end face of the coupling member 57 and an opposed face of the body 50 within a counterbore 55 in the body 50. The counterbore 55 has an oval shape to prevent rotation of the coupling member 57 and the coupling member 57 can slide relative to the sealing face within the counterbore 55 to align with the supply pipe.

Description

2435Q77 :1

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO

ABLUTIONARY INSTALLATIONS

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to ablutionary installations.

More especially, the invention is concerned with the fluid connections to ablutionary appliances. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to mixing valves for the delivery of water at a controlled temperature for ablutionary and other purposes.

Mixing valves for mixing hot and cold water are well known and require three plumbing connections to the body of the mixing valve. Two of these connections are to inlets for the hot and cold water supplies and are plumbed by conventional means such as compression joints. The third connection, being the mixed water outlet from the mixing valve, may consist of a simple shower hose or may be plumbed by conventional means to any number of auxiliary outlet fittings such as rigid shower fittings, bath spouts, multiple fixed shower outlets, wash down hose stations etc. Mixing valves, intended for ablutionary showering purposes, are invariably installed in the showering enclosure within easy reach of the user. Routinely, these enclosures have wall surfaces consisting of ceramic tiles or other waterproof finishes. Additionally, the appearance of the enclosure can vary from the purely functional to highly stylised fashion conscious designs.

Accordingly, mixing valves marketed for such applications are designed to have a high degree of aesthetic appeal. Likewise, the method of installing pipes to the mixing valve needs to be made in a cosmetically acceptable manner.

The configuration of connections embodied in the mixing valve usually allow for the interconnecting pipes to be routed through the wall into the rear of the valve or clipped to the wall surface and rising or falling to the mixing valve.

The most aesthetically pleasing means of connection is through the wall into the rear of the valve whereby the pipes are hidden from view.

In order to avoid compromise to the cosmetic appeal of modern shower enclosures it has become common practice to design the valve inlet centres to match the dimensions of standard tiles, whereby the centres of the holes in the wall coincide with the grouted intersection. Standard tile dimensions are historically 6ins (154mm) square for the UK and 150mm for mainland Europe.

Variations in valve body inlet centres from these "standard" dimensions can lead to problems when installing a mixing valve either as original equipment in new build or as a replacement for an existing mixing valve. The solution in mainland Europe is to use so called Z' connectors which provide a large degree of adjustment to accommodate excessive variations in valve body inlet centres from different mixing valve manufacturers.

This method of adjustment results in the valve being displaced some distance from the wall surface, thus encroaching on the space within the showering enclosure and is less pleasing aesthetically. Another solution employs threaded nipples which are adjusted for length to accommodate the variation in centres.

However, these only provide an incremental adjustment and inevitably result in a cosmetically poor solution.

The present invention has been made from a consideration of the foregoing problems.

According to one aspect of the present invention we provide a fluid connector comprising a first part having a bore and a second part having a nipple received in the bore, means for preventing rotation of the nipple in the bore, means for sealing an end face of the nipple in the bore, and means for retaining the nipple in the bore wherein the nipple and bore are adjustable transversely relative to each other.

By this invention, the nipple can be adjusted to connect a supply pipe to the second part of the connector. The first part may be connectable to an ablutionary fitting or it may be incorporated in the ablutionary fitting.

Preferably, the means for preventing rotation of the nipple comprises a formation on the nipple co-operable with a complementary formation within the bore. In one arrangement, the nipple and first part having mating flats. In another arrangement, the nipple and first part are of matching oval shape.

Preferably, the means for sealing an end face of the nipple comprises a seal member mounted on the end face and engageahie with a sealing face within the bore.

Preferably, the means for retaining the nipple comprises an annular retainer which may be tamper-proof to prevent unauthorised adjustment of the retainer.

Preferably, the retainer means secures the nipple and allows adjustment of the position of the nipple relative to the first part while maintaining sealing engagement of the end face of the nipple in the bore.

Preferably, a clearance gap is provided between the retainer means and the nipple such that the nipple is laterally adjustable relative to the retainer means for sliding the nipple relative to the sealing face while maintaining sealing contact between the seal member and the sealing face.

In one arrangement, the retainer means comprises an external collar that fits over the nipple and screws into the first part. In another arrangement, the retainer means comprises an internal bolt that fits inside the nipple and screws into the first part.

Preferably, the retainer means is engageable with the first part to secure the nipple and urge the seal member into contact with the sealing face. The retainer means may be arranged to engage the first part to apply a pre-determined compression to the seal member.

The first part may be connectable to an inlet of a tap or mixer valve with the second part being connectable to a water supply pipe. Alternatively, the first part may be incorporated in an inlet of a tap or mixer with the second part being connectable to a water supply pipe. In either arrangement, the second part is adjustable relative to the first part to align axially with the supply pipe.

In this way, non-alignment of the inlet with the supply pipe can be corrected.

According to another aspect of the present invention we provide a fluid connector comprising a first part having a bore defining an axis and a second part having a nipple received in the bore, wherein the nipple and bore are adjustable relative to each other in a direction transverse to the axis.

By this invention, the nipple can be adjusted to align axially with a supply pipe.

The first part may be an elbow member that is rotatable about a further axis transverse to the bore axis. In this way, the nipple can be adjusted to align angularly with a supply pipe. The first part may be connectable to an ablutionary fitting, for example to an inlet of a tap or mixer valve, with the second part being connectable to a water supply pipe.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention we provide an adjustable connector for connecting a supply pipe to an inlet of a fitting, the connector comprising a first arm having an end for connection to the inlet of the fitting, and a second arm having an end for connection to the supply pipe, the second arm extending generally normal to the first arm, one of the arms having a bore and the other arm having a nipple received in the bore for fluid communication between the arms, wherein the nipple and bore are adapted to restrict angular adjustment of the nipple about an axis of the bore and to permit lateral adjustment of the nipple generally normal to the axis of the bore.

The first and second arms may comprise an elbow fitting and lateral adjustment of the nipple may compensate for axial misalignment between the supply pipe and the end of the second arm.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention we provide an ablutionary fitting having at least one port for flow of fluid and a fluid connector according to any of the preceding aspects of the invention for providing a fluid connection to the port.

The at least one port may be an inlet to or outlet from the fitting. The first part of the connector may be releasably connectable to the fitting. Alternatively, the first part of the connector may be built-in to the fitting, for example an integral part of a body of the fitting.

The fitting may be a tap having a body with an inlet for connection to a supply of hot or cold water. In a preferred embodiment, the fitting comprises a mixer having a body with a pair of inlets for connections to supplies of hot and cold water. At least one inlet of the mixer is provided with the connector for connection to a hot or cold water supply pipe such that the spacing between the inlet centres can be adjusted to match the spacing between the supply pipes.

Preferably, both inlets of the mixer are provided with a respective connector whereby a greater range of adjustment of the inlet centres can be obtained.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, we provide a mixer having a body with a pair of inlets for connection to supplies of hot and cold water and an outlet for mixed water, an adjustable connector for at least one of the inlets whereby the spacing between the inlet centres can be adjusted, the connector having a coupling member having a first end portion for connection to a water supply pipe and a second end portion for connection to the body to connect the supply pipe to said at least one inlet, the second end portion having an end face, means for sealing between the end face of the coupling member and an opposed sealing face of the body, and means for securing the coupling member to the body to permit adjustment of the end face relative to the sealing face for aligning the coupling member with the supply pipe.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention we provide a fluid connection between first and second parts, the second part having a nipple received in a bore of the first part, means for preventing rotation of the nipple in the bore, means for sealing an end face of the nipple in the bore, and means for retaining the nipple in the bore wherein the nipple and bore are adjustable transversely relative to each other.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mixing valve provided with inlet connectors according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the inlet connectors shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded isometric view of component parts of the inlet connector shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mixing valve body provided with inlet connectors according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the mixing valve body inlets and associated inlet connector shown in Figure 4; and Figure 6 is an exploded isometric view of the inlet and inlet connector shown in Figure 5.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a mixing valve 1 having a three-piece body 2 consisting of a main body component 3 and two elbow components 4,5 fitted to the main body 3.

The elbow components 4,5 are connected to supply pipes 6,7 for hot and cold water and the main body component 3 is provided with an outlet (not shown) for delivery of temperature controlled water to an ablutionary appliance such as a shower head.

The elbow components 4,5 can be arranged for connection to rear, falling or rising supply pipes. In Figure 1,the elbow component 4 is shown connected to a rear supply pipe 6 and the elbow component 5 is shown connected to a falling supply pipe 7.

It will be understood that both elbow components 5,6 would normally be arranged for connection to supply pipes in the same direction. It will also be understood that the invention is not limited to the three-piece body 2 and can equally apply to a single piece body.

The elbow components 5,6 are substantially identical. Therefore only the connection of the elbow component 5 to the supply pipe 7 is described in detail with reference to Figures 2 and 3. It will be understood that the description applies likewise to the connection of the elbow component 6 to the supply pipe 8.

As shown, the elbow component 5 consists of a connector assembly 9 and a removable cover 10 that conceals the connector assembly 9 and provides a neat finish.

The connector assembly 9 comprises a hollow inlet member 11 and a hollow coupling member 12 releasably secured to the inlet member 11 by a collar member 13.

The inlet member 11 is provided with an annular boss 14 at one end which fits to the main body component 3. The boss 14 is provided with four notches 14a,b,c,d that are uniformly spaced apart and co-operable with mating tabs (not shown) on the main body component 3.

In this way, the inlet member 11 can be secured to the main body component 3 in any selected one of a range of angular positions at approximately 90 degrees to each other according to the required connection to the supply pipe 8.

The notches 14a,b,c,d are slightly over-size relative to the mating tabs on the body allowing limited rotational movement of the inlet member 11 in each selected position. In this way, the connector assembly 9 can be rotated to align angularly the coupling member 12 with the incoming supply pipe 8.

The inlet member 11 is provided with a transverse bore 15 at the other end to receive a nipple 16 at one end of the coupling member 12. The nipple 16 is provided with a circular seal 17 member in an end face 18 for making a fluid-tight joint with a flat, precision machined, bottom face 19 of the transverse bore 15.

The transverse bore 15 leads to an internally threaded counterbore 20 and the collar member 1 3 screws into the counterbore 20 to secure releasably the coupling member 12 to the inlet member 11.

The nipple 16 has an external flange 21 engaged by the collar member 13 to urge the nipple 16 towards the bottom face 19 of the bore 15 on tightening the collar member 1 3 until the collar member 1 3 engages an internal shoulder 22 at the bottom of the counterbore 20.

In this way, a pre-determined compression of the seal member 17 between the nipple 16 and the bottom face 19 is obtained.

The other end of the coupling member 12 has a counterbore 23 to receive the supply pipe 8 and an external screw thread for connecting a standard compression fitting 24 to provide a fluid tight joint with the pipe 8. The compression fitting 24 could be replaced by any other suitable means for securing the supply pipe 8 in a fluidtight manner, for example flat face union, push fit etc. The external flange 21 at the seal end of the nipple 16 has two opposing flats 25,26 at the periphery of the nipple which engage complementary flats 27 (one only shown in Figure 3) at the periphery of the bore 15 in the inlet member 11.

In this way, rotation of the coupling member 12 is prevented when the compression fitting 24 is tightened. It will be understood that any other suitable formations could be employed to prevent relative rotation for example spline, cruciform etc. Special drive features (not shown) on the collar member 13 enable the seal member 17 to be compressed to the pre-determined factory set amount and deters any further adjustment thereafter.

The collar member 13 has a central hole 28 sized to provide clearance with the diameter of the engaged nipple 16 so that the end face 18 of the coupling member 12 can slide transversely with respect to the bottom face 19 of the bore 15 while maintaining the fluid tight connection.

In this way, the position of the coupling member 12 can be adjusted laterally within specified limits to align axially the coupling member 12 and the supply pipe 8 without the need to use tools or altering the pre-set compression of the seal 17. Angular misalignment can be catered for by rotating the inlet member 11 as described previously.

The cross section and aspect ratio of the seal member 17 is designed to allow sufficient compression of the seal member 17 to maintain a lifetime watertight joint whilst allowing the desired sliding adjustment to be made.

Silicon elastomer is the preferred seal material due to its low compression set characteristic and a lubricated grade may be used to aid the sliding during adjustment. It will be understood, however, that other seal materials and/or grades may be employed.

In this embodiment, the compression of the seal member 17 is factory set to prevent unauthorised tampering which could affect the sealing efficiency. It will be understood that the collar member 13 could be provided with any suitable tamper proof drive features.

It will also be understood that the collar member 13 could be replaced by any other suitable forms of retaining devices such as a circlip, grab washer, peened feature, etc. It will also be understood that the seal member 17 could be of any suitable type such as an 0' ring seal, lip seal, flat seal etc. Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a valve body 50 for a mixer having a pair of inlets 51,51' for connection to falling supply pipes (not shown) for hot and cold water and a pair of outlets 52,52'. One or both outlets 52,52' may be employed for supply of mixed water. The valve body 50 also has another pair of inlets 53 (one only shown in Figure 5) for connection to rear supply pipes for hot and cold water. One pair of inlets and optionally one outlet are closed off with blanking plugs and trims according to the required water connections.

As shown, each inlet 51,51' is provided with an inlet connector assembly 54,54' respectively that permits adjustment of the spacing between the inlets 51,51' to be made to accommodate variations in pipe centres when connecting the inlets 51,51' to the supply pipes during installation.

The inlets 51,51' and associated connector assemblies 54,54' are substantially identical. Therefore only the inlet 51 and connector assembly 54 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. It will be understood that the description applies likewise to the inlet 51' and connector assembly 54'.

As shown, the inlet 51 is recessed in the valve body 50 and has an internal screw thread 51a for engagement with a matching external screw thread 56a on the lower end of a hollow bolt 56 of the connector assembly 54.

The inlet 51 opens to a counterbore 55 in the valve body 50 that has an oval shape formed by two circular portions 55a,55b joined by straight tangential edges 55c (one only shown) equi-spaced about the inlet 51.

The connector assembly 54 has a tubular coupling member 57 with a nipple 57a at one end that is received in the counterbore 55. The other end of the coupling member 57 receives a supply pipe (not shown) and is provided with an external screw thread 57b for connecting a standard compression fitting (not shown) to form a fluidtight joint with the pipe.

It will be understood that the compression fitting could be replaced by any other suitable means for securing the supply pipe in a fluid tight manner, for example flat face union, push fit etc. The bolt 56 is received in the coupling member 57 and the nipple 57a has an internal shoulder 57d that provides an abutment on one side for an external shoulder 56b of the bolt 56 and on the other side for a seal member 58.

The threaded portion 56a of the boll 56 projects from the nipple 57a to engage the screw thread 5la in the inlet 51 to secure the coupling member 57 to the body 50 and compress the seal member 17 against the bottom face 55d of the counterbore 55 to provide a fluidtight seal between the coupling member 57 and the body 50 around the inlet 51.

The bolt 56 has an internal hexagonal drive formation 56c at the upper end for engagement with a matching hexagonal formation of a drive tool (not shown) for tightening the bolt 56 until the lower end engages an internal shoulder 51b at the inner end of the inlet 51.

In this way, tightening of the bolt 56 can be controlled to achieve a pre-determined factory set compression of the seal member 58 to maintain a lifetime watertight joint.

The nipple 57a of the coupling member 57 has an oval feature on the outer surface that matches the oval shape of the counterbore 55 so that the coupling member 57 is prevented from rotating in the counterbore 55 as the bolt 56 is tightened. It will be understood that any other suitable formations could be employed to prevent relative rotation for example spline, cruciform etc. As shown in Figure 5, the coupling member 57 is sized to provide lateral clearance for the bolt 56 within the nipple 57a, and the oval shape of the counterbore 55 and matching oval shape on the nipple 57a allows the coupling member 57 to slide transversely with respect to the counterbore 55 in a direction towards and away from the other inlet 51' while maintaining the fluidtight connection.

In this way, the position of the coupling member 57 can be adjusted laterally within specified limits to align axially the coupling member 57 and the supply pipe without the need to use tools or altering the pre-set compression of the seal member 58.

Silicon elastomer is the preferred seal material due to its low compression set characteristic and a lubricated grade may be used to aid the sliding during adjustment. It will be understood, however, that other seal materials and/or grades may be employed. It will also be understood that the seal member 17 could be of any suitable type such as an 0' ring seal, lip seal, flat seal etc. The connector assembly 54' likewise provides lateral sliding adjustment of a coupling member 57' relative to the inlet 51' in a direction towards and away from the inlet 51. In this way, the distance between the centres of the coupling members 57,57' can be adjusted to match the centre distances of the hot and cold supply pipes to the valve body 50.

As a result, installation of the valve body 50 is facilitated, especially when connecting to existing pipework, for example when replacing an existing valve, so that the position of the pipework does not have to be altered.

In this embodiment, the bolt 56 for securing the coupling member 57 is concealed within the coupling member 57 preventing access to the bolt 56 when the supply pipe is connected to the coupling member 57. As a result, inadvertent or unauthorised adjustment of the bolt 56 is prevented when the mixer body is installed.

As will now be apparent from the description of exemplary embodiments, the invention provides a connector assembly that can be adjusted to accommodate variations in pipe centres when valves are retrofitted or replaced, for example to accommodate the variation in UK and European pipe centres, i.e. (UK-154mm. Europe-l5Omm).

The embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 also allows adjustment in the horizontal and vertical plane when installing inlet supply pipes in order to level and square the valve to the wall surface. This embodiment can also accommodate a degree of angular misalignment of the pipes during initial installation or retrofit.

Although it is preferred to provide both inlets with an adjustable connector assembly, it may be sufficient for some applications of the invention to provide one inlet with an adjustable connector assembly with the other inlet being fixed.

The invented connector assembly can be incorporated in the same space usually required for non-adjustable valve centres. In this respect the point of connection is close coupled to the valve, which allows for a highly compact design with minimum encroachment of the showering enclosure.

As will be appreciated, the invented connector has a number of advantages. In particular, the ability to adjust to varying centres without the need for additional pre-installation setting. The ability to adjust the centres and make the plumbing connections without the need to use special tools. The ability to retain an effective watertight seal at the connection interface over the expected lifetime of the product.

Whilst the invention has been described in connection with the hot and cold inlets of mixing valves, it could equally apply to any number of connections and any type of product or sub-assembly requiring adjustable joint making centres.

It will also be appreciated that invention is not limited to the embodiments above-described. For example, the slidable coupling member may be secured by an external retainer as in Figures 1 to 3 or by an internal retainer as in Figures 4 to 6.

The sealing face engaged by the slidable coupling member may be provided by a connector member as in Figures 1 to 3 or by a fitting to which the coupling member is attached as in Figures 4 to 6.

The adjustable connector may be provided for connecting a pipe to an inlet of the fitting as in Figures 1 to 6 and/or to an outlet.

Other changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A fluid connector comprising a first part having a bore and a second part having a nipple received in the bore, means for preventing rotation of the nipple in the bore, means for sealing an end face of the nipple in the bore, and means for retaining the nipple in the bore wherein the nipple and bore are adjustable transversely relative to each other.

2. A fluid connector according to claim 1 wherein, the means for preventing rotation of the nipple comprises a formation on the nipple co-operable with a complementary formation within the bore.

3, A fluid connector according to claim 2 wherein, the nipple and first part having mating flats to prevent rotation of the nipple.

4. A fluid connector according to claim 2 wherein, the nipple and first part are of matching oval shape to prevent rotation of the nipple.

5. A fluid connector according to any preceding claim wherein, the means for sealing an end face of the nipple comprises a seal member arranged between the end face and an opposed sealing face within the bore.

6. A fluid connector according to any preceding claim wherein, the means for retaining the nipple comprises a retainer member engageable with the first part.

7. A fluid connector according to any preceding claim wherein, the retainer means secures the nipple and allows adjustment of the position of the nipple relative to the first part while maintaining engagement of the sealing means.

8. A fluid connector according to any preceding claim wherein, a clearance gap is provided between the retainer means and the nipple such that the nipple is laterally adjustable relative to the retainer means.

9. A fluid connector according to any preceding claim wherein, the retainer means comprises an external collar that fits over the nipple and screws into the first part.

10. A fluid connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein, the retainer means comprises an internal bolt that fits inside the nipple and screws into the first part.

11. A fluid connector according to claim 5 wherein, the retainer means is engageable with the first part to secure the nipple and urge the seal member into contact with the sealing face.

12. A fluid connector according to claim 6 wherein, the retainer means is arranged to engage the first part to apply a pre-determined compression to the seal member.

13. A fluid connector according to any preceding claim wherein the first part is connectable to an inlet of a tap or mixer valve with the second part being connectable to a water supply pipe.

14. A fluid connector according to any one of claims I to 12 wherein, the first part is incorporated in an inlet of a tap or mixer with the second part being connectable to a water supply pipe.

15. A fluid connector according to claim 13 or claim 14 wherein, the second part is adjustable relative to the first part to align axially with the supply pipe.

16. A fluid connector according to any preceding claim wherein, the bore defines an axis and the nipple and bore are adjustable relative to each other in a direction transverse to the axis.

17. A fluid connector according to claim 16 wherein the first part is an elbow member that is rotatable about a further axis transverse to the bore axis.

18. A fluid connector according to claim 17 wherein, the first part is connectable to an ablutionary fitting with the second part being connectable to a water supply pipe.

19. An ablutionary fitting having at least one port provided with a fluid connector according to any of the preceding claims for connecting the port to a pipe.

20. An ablutionary fitting according to claim 19 wherein, the at least one port is an inlet to or outlet from the fitting.

21. An ablutionary fitting according to claim 19 or claim 20 wherein, the first part of the connector is releasably connectable to the fitting.

22. An ablutionary fitting according to claim 18 or claim 19 wherein, the first part of the connector is built-in to the fitting.

23. An ablutionary fitting according to claim 22 wherein, the first part is an integral part of a body of the fitting.

24. An ablutionary fitting according to any one of claims 19 to 23 comprising a mixer having a body with a pair of inlets for connection to supplies of hot and cold water and, at least one inlet of the mixer is provided with the fluid connector for connection to a hot or cold water supply pipe.

25. An ablutionary fitting according to claim 24 wherein, both inlets of the mixer are provided with a respective connector.

26. A mixer having a body with a pair of inlets for connection to supplies of hot and cold water and an outlet for mixed water, an adjustable connector for at least one of the inlets whereby the spacing between the inlet centres can be adjusted, the connector having a coupling member with a first end portion for connection to a water supply pipe and a second end portion for connection to the body to connect the supply pipe to said at least one inlet, the second end portion having an end face, means for sealing between the end face of the coupling member and an opposed sealing face of the body, and means for securing the coupling member to the body to permit adjustment of the end face relative to the sealing face for aligning the coupling member with the supply pipe.

27. A fluid connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

28. A fluid connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.