GB2441775A

GB2441775A - Manifold for hot and cold water

Info

Publication number: GB2441775A
Application number: GB0617839A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Michael Jacobs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-09-12
Filing date: 2006-09-12
Publication date: 2008-03-19
Also published as: GB0617839D0

Abstract

A manifold for connecting hot and cold water supplies to taps (faucets) and to other water consuming appliances such as a dishwasher and washing machine, comprises hot and cold water inlets 16, 18 and two or more outlets 20-28 for hot and cold water. The manifold is constructed as a two part 12, 14 'clam shell' housing which defines two internal sealed plenum chambers 36, 38 having inlet connectors 16, 18 for connecting the chambers to the hot and cold water supplies, and a plurality of outlet connectors 20-28 in communication with the plenum chambers to connect to the faucets and the appliances. The chambers are sealed with O rings (shown in thick black lines), and the inlet and outlet connection may have valves 32. The manifold is simple to manufacture and simplifies pluming for e.g. a domestic kitchen.

Description

2441775

Appliance Manifold

This invention relates to kitchen appliances and more particularly to the connection of such appliance to hot and cold water supplies.

Appliances such as dishwashers require a source of cold water and in some cases hot water also. Others such as washing machines preferably require sources of both hot and cold water due to the inefficiency of their internal heaters. It is therefore necessary when installing such appliances in a kitchen or utility room to connect them to a water supply. Typically this is achieved by adding take off pipes to the hot and cold water supply to the taps of the kitchen sink.

Connection in this way is disadvantageous for many reasons. It is time consuming and requires special fittings, usually brass, both of which make it expensive. It further takes up valuable space in the area usually under the kitchen sink that could otherwise be used for storage.

With a view to mitigating at least some of the foregoing disadvantages, the present invention provides a manifold for connecting hot and cold water supplies to faucets and to water consuming appliances, the manifold being constructed as a two part clam shell housing defining two internal mutually sealed plenum chambers and having inlet connectors for connecting the plenum chambers to the hot and cold water supplies, respectively, and a plurality of outlet connectors in communication with the plenum chambers to connect to the faucets and the appliances.

Preferably, each of the outlet connectors is provided with a shut off valve.

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Advantageously, each of the inlet connectors is provided with a shut off valve.

In a preferred embodiment, the two parts of the 5 clamshell are injection moulded.

Preferably the two parts of the clamshell are clamped together and are sealed against one another by means of firings .

10

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

15 Figure 1 is a front view of the present invention shown connected to a water supply,

Figure 2 is an end view of the present invention shown connected to a water supply and attached to a wall, and

20

Figure 3 shows the two open halves of the clamshell construction of the present invention and in particular the how water plenum and the cold water plenum.

25 Figure 3 shows the manifold 10 of the present invention its an un-assembled. The manifold consists of a lower clamshell 12 and an upper clamshell 14.

Formed within the upper clamshell is a cold water

30 plenum 36 and a hot water plenum 38. The plenums serve to join together the respective hot water inlets and outlets, and the cold water inlets and outlets.

35

The cold water plenum 36 joins together, in fluid communication, cold water inlet 16, cold tap outlet 20, cold washing machine outlet 26 and dishwasher outlet 28. The hot

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water plenum 38 joins together, in fluid communication, hot water inlet 18, hot tap outlet 22 and hot washing machine outlet 24. No hot dishwasher output is provided as dishwashers typically have their own heating element and do 5 not require a hot water supply.

Figure 1 shows the two halves of the manifold 10 assembled together. The water inlets 16 and 18 are provided by pipes either integrally formed in or communicating with 10 the mating surface of clamshell 12. Similarly outlets 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28, also formed by integral (or otherwise) pipes communicating through upper clamshell 14 with the plenums 36 and 38. The outlets may be selectively closed by means of stop valves 30. It is possible for such valves to 15 be provided on the inlets 16 and 18, and also the tap outlets 20 and 22.

When the two halves of the clamshell are mated together, rubber seals (shown by dark lines in figure 3) 20 prevent water from leaking both between and from the plenums 36 and 38 when the manifold is in use.

The two clamshell halves are secured to one another by means of snap-lock fittings 40 or any other suitable means 25 such as screws or bolts. The force must be sufficient to prevent the manifold being pushed apart by the water pressure that will be experienced when the manifold 10 is in use.

30 Holes 30, shown in both figures 1 and 2, are provided to allow screws to be used to fasten the manifold 10 to a wall 34. This makes for neater installation. The inlet and outlet water supply pipes may be connected to the inlets and outlets 16 to 28 by any suitable means, in particular 35 industry standard threaded plastic flexible pipe work.

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Claims

Claims

1. A manifold for connecting hot and cold water supplies to faucets and to water consuming appliances, the

5 manifold being constructed as a two part clam shell housing defining two internal mutually sealed plenum chambers and having inlet connectors for connecting the plenum chambers to the hot and cold water supplies, respectively, and a plurality of outlets connectors in communication with the

10 plenum chambers to connect to the faucets and the appliances.

2. A manifold as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the outlet connectors is provided with a shut off valve.

15

3. A manifold as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the inlet connectors is provided with a shut off valve.

20 4. A manifold as claimed in any preceding claim,

wherein the two parts of the clamshell are injection moulded.

25

5. A manifold as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the two parts of the clamshell are clamped together and are sealed against one another by means of 0-rings.