WO1991006715A1

WO1991006715A1 - Connecting box for fresh water installations

Info

Publication number: WO1991006715A1
Application number: PCT/FI1990/000255
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kari MÄKINEN
Original assignee: Kari Mäkinen Ky
Priority date: 1989-10-26
Filing date: 1990-10-25
Publication date: 1991-05-16
Also published as: FI83557B; AU6534490A; FI895092A0; FI83557C; EP0501971A1

Abstract

The object of the invention is a box for connecting a water installation fitting or the like to a substantially flexible conduit which is located in a protective pipe. The box comprises a connecting portion (4) for the protective pipe, and the box is associated with a separate connecting piece (9) which is adapted to receive the conduit and is located in the box, said connecting piece comprising connecting means set at an angle relative to each other, for the conduit and the water fitting, respectively. The body of the box consists of two substantially parallel inner walls (7, 7a) extending from the connecting portion (4) for the protective pipe in substantially opposite directions all the way to the open end (8) of the box. The connecting piece adjoins parallel within its installation tolerances the space between said inner walls (7, 7a). The installation opening of the box is covered by a closing lid constituting two separate sides of the box, which sides extend at an angle relative to each other.

Description

Connecting box for fresh water installations

The present invention relates to a box for connecting a water fitting or the like to a substantially flexible conduit disposed within a protective pipe, which box can be fastened to a structure and comprises a connecting portion for the pro¬ tective pipe, said box being associated with a separate con¬ necting piece which fits within the box and is adapted for the conduit, said connecting piece comprising connecting members for the conduit and for the water fitting, respectively, said connecting members being set at an angle with respect to each other.

Such so-called tap angle connector boxes are prior known in many different forms. Usually the box comprises a fixed portion, which is fastened to the base structure by screws or in conjunction with the casting, as well as a lid portion. The box is associated with a water conduit which is made of plastic, metal, or a similar material, which conduit usually is located in a protective pipe in a way that permits changing of the pipe without pulling down the structure. The connector box usually is associated with a separate connecting piece, which has a crimp connection, soldered connection or a similar connection for the water conduit and correspondingly a threaded connection or a corresponding connection for con¬ necting the water fittings adjacent to the front surface of the box. When the box is installed in place the box thus has a closable front lid, which has a port for the neck of the con¬ necting piece.

Finnish Patent No. 78332 discloses a typical connector box, in which the annular lid as such can be screwed to the box, the object of the patent residing in the design of the connecting portion for the protective pipe. In these types of known boxes the supporting shoulders of the connecting piece are clamped between the lid and thresholds of the box, and stability in the lateral direction is accomplished with separate guiding shoulders. The disadvantage of a box of this type is its large size compared to the cross section of the conduits installed in it. Despite this the installation of the conduit and the connecting piece is quite difficult and the risk of damage to the conduit is considerable. European Patent Application No. 85 329 discloses still another connector box, in which a low structure has been striven for. Said box can be essentially entirely opened at its front portion so as to ease the hand¬ ling of the pipe. In this box the connecting piece for the conduit/water installation fitting is fastened to the box by way of using a specific fastener ring, which is a comparative¬ ly complicated task when preformed in the conditions on the working site. Likewise the installation of the water conduit is still quite complicated as the installation requires a substantial bending of the conduit which especially in the case of soft conduits causes an apparent risk of damage. The box itself consists of many small, separately made parts which makes the manufacturing of the box complicated and time con¬ suming.

To avoid the mentioned disadvantages, a connector box accord¬ ing to the invention has been provided, in which the installa¬ tion height is small, and where installation of the conduit is very uncomplicated without the risk of damage occurring. The box according to the invention consists of only two actual parts, that is, the body-part of the box and the lid that covers it, wherefore its manufacture is especially simple. The box, however, supports the connecting piece that is fitted in it so well, without any special arrangements, that the water fitting can be fastened directly to the connecting piece.

The characterizing features of the box according to the inven¬ tion are described in the disclosed claims. Thus the invention is characterized in that the fixed portion of the box, that is the body-part, has two substantially parallel inner walls adjoined thereto, said walls extending from the connecting- portion for the protective pipe in a substantially opposite direction all the way to the open end of the box. The con¬ necting piece adjoins, within its installation tolerances, at least partially parallel, into the space between said inner walls, and the installation opening is covered by an angular lid that at least partially constitutes the upper and rear side of the closed box.

In the following the invention will be described in greater detail referring to the enclosed drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of an embodiment of the inven¬ tion showing the body part of the connector box without a lid,

Fig. 2 is a view from behind of the box in Fig. 1 with the lid fastened, and

Fig 3 is a corresponding view seen from the front,

Fig. 4 is a side view of the box according to the invention showing an embodiment of a connecting piece that associates with the box, and

Fig. 5 is a view of the connecting piece in Fig. 4 seen from the front direction of the box.

Fig. 1 shows the bottom plate 1 of the box having holes 2 suitably provided for fastening screws. Further said bottom plate preferably comprises grooves 2a, 2b for a bar fastening. The vertical side 3 adjoining the bottom 1 of the box is integrally connected with a connecting portion 4 for the pro¬ tective pipe which portion in the described embodiment com¬ prises fastening headings for flexible protective pipes of two different sizes. The bottom 1 and vertical side 3 of the box also connect integrally with opposite side portions 5, 5a and a fairly short front portion 6 linking them together. The side portions 5, 5a continue from their straight inner surfaces 7, 7a parallel along the bottom 1 of the box substantially to the back portion 8 of the box.

In accordance with the invention the parallel inner surfaces 7, 7a of the side portions 5, 5a form a mainly parallello- piped shaped space for the connecting piece 9, which space continues parallel and open from the vertical side 3 adjoining the connecting portion 4 for the protective pipe in the opposite direction therefrom. Thus an installation opening is formed in the box, which opening adjoins the parallel inner surfaces and extends in two directions substantially at right angles relative to each other. After the installation of the water conduit pipe the installation opening is covered with a separate closing lid 11, which closes the opening in the two directions that are substantially at right angles relative to each other, which is best seen from Fig. 2.

The vertical side 3 of the body of the box is at its inside suitably somewhat smoothly conical towards the connecting portion 4 for the protective pipe. As Fig. 1 shows the back portion of the box, that is the portion that is directed away from the vertical side 3, is completely open, and the above mentioned installation opening thus abuts on the front edges 12, 12a of the side portions 5, 5a, the edge 13 of the front portion, the end edges 14, 14a of the side portions and the back-lower edge 15 of the bottom piece. Thus it is possible to easily push a water conduit pipe (not shown), which is at least somewhat flexible, through the box into the protective pipe (not shown) which is fastened on the connecting portion 4 for the protective pipe. This pushing action is, by the solution provided by the invention, also just as easy when a connecting portion 10 of the connecting piece 9 has been pre- connected to the flexible conduit by ordinary means.

A connecting piece 9 fitting into the box is operatively associated with the connecting box according to the invention, an example of such a piece being shown in Fig. 4. The con- necting piece 9 comprises connecting portions 10, 19 which are arranged at an angle relative to each other for the incoming water conduit and correspondingly for the water fittings to be connected thereto. The extension of the connecting piece 9 in the lateral direction is such, that the connecting piece 9 as a whole, apart from the connecting portion 19 of the water fitting, fits in the body of the box between the above men¬ tioned inner surfaces 7, 7a of the side portions 5, 5a in such a way that the base point 25 of the connecting portion 19 of the connecting piece 9 settles on the same level as the front edges 12, 12a of the side portions 5, 5a of the box. As a result of this the inner surface of the front plate 23 of the closing lid 11, which surface is directed towards the box, presses the base point 25 of the connecting piece or any sup¬ porting shoulders 21 possibly fitted thereto between the inner surfaces 7, 7a, as a result of which the connecting piece 9 is pressed substantially against the bottom 1 of the box.

Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of Fig. 1 seen diagonally from the rear. There is arranged an integral angularly extending closing lid 11, that extends in two directions which are substantially at right angles relative to each other, the closing lid 11 fitting closely to the above mentioned edges 12, 12a, 13, 14, 14a and 15 of the basic piece of the box, and which lid thus covers the installation opening from two directions that extend in substantially right angles relative to each other. In the embodiment of Fig. 2 there are fastening lugs 16 on both sides of the cover lid, the holes in the lugs preferably coinciding with the holes 2 provided in the basic piece for the fastening screws of the box.

The cover lid 11, in the described embodiment of the inven¬ tion, has short side portions 17 which connect the front plate 23 and the back plate 24 which is perpendicular to the front plate, the length of the side portions 5, 5a in the base piece being correspondingly shorter. The above description primarily shows an embodiment in which the side walls 5, 5a have rectangular edges, but the scope of the invention also in¬ cludes an embodiment where the side walls 5, 5a, 17 of both the base piece and the protective lid 11 run substantially diagonally from the front edge of the box located at the con¬ necting portion for the protective pipe and all the way to the opposite rear bottom edge 15 of the bottom piece 1 of the box. Correspondingly the closing lid 11 then comprises triangular side portions 17 that connect the front plate 23 and the outer edges of the back plate 24 which is set at an angle relative to the front plate. It is most essential that the installation opening opens up in the direction of the extension of the conduit as well as towards the water fitting to be connected. The box is thus open in the direction of the extension of the water conduit in such a way that the installation opening, which is covered by the bidirectional closing lid 11, extends from the area that lies between the connecting portion 4 for the protective pipe and the bushing 18 in the closing lid 11 substantially all the way to the bottom located at the end of the box.

In use the connector box according to the invention functions in a way that permits the closing lid 11 and especially the bushing 18 located therein to function as aligning and fastening means. Fastening is done by aligning the bushing 18 of the closing lid 11, including its lead-through hole, with the connecting portion 19 of the connecting piece 9, said connecting portion 19 suitably being threaded for the water installation fittings. The alignment in question is primarily done by placing the closing lid 11 in connection with the connecting portion 19 of the connecting piece 9, that is around the neck, and pressing the assembly into the box substantially in a parallel direction relative to the conduit. This way the inner surfaces 7, 7a of the side portions 5, 5a of the box function as guiding means, and the edges 12, 12a correspondingly function as stoppers for the lid 11, said connecting piece simultaneously being locked into the box. Alternatively, the connecting piece 9 is pressed partly in bet- ween the inner surfaces 7, 7a of the side walls 5, 5a of the box, still somewhat pulled out substantially in the direction of the conduit, after which the closing lid 11 is aligned in place and the assembly thus formed is pushed into place. In both cases the connecting piece 9 is fitted between the sides 7, 7a by somewhat pressing the connecting piece 9 by a pushing motion in the direction of the protective pipe, and the installation motion in practice being performed in one con¬ tinuous, somewhat arcuate operation.

During use the separate connecting pieces 9 used in connector boxes should resist all the forces that are directed especial¬ ly towards the water fittings connected thereto and protruding from the wall. Apart from the function of connecting the water conduit and the water fitting the connecting piece 9 thus should pass on the strain, which acts upon the water fitting, due to the fitting weight etc. , through the box into the wall structure. Therefore it is of primary importance that the connecting piece settles steadily in the conne -tor box. In this respect the box according to the invention is especially well suited, because the connecting piece 9 according to the invention connects fairly tightly with the walls 5, 5a of the box and suitably also to the bottom 1. Thus it is possible to avoid all the auxiliary pieces and parts of special design which are quite common in solutions of the prior art.

To ensure that the connecting piece 9 settles sturdily in the box, even when the connecting piece according to Fig. 4 is of a rather light construction, the connecting piece 9 has appropriately on both sides at least supporting shoulders 21 towards which the inner surface of the closing lid 11 presses in order to keep the connecting piece 9 in place in the box. These supporting shoulders 21 thus act together with the inner walls 7, 7a of the box to align and support the connecting piece 9. The described embodiment comprises also a bottom shoulder 22 which under the compression of the lid 11 exactly defines the place of the connecting piece 9 in relation to the bottom. In an other embodiment the connecting piece comprises a substantially cubic body, where the sides of the cube inter¬ act with the inner walls and the bottom of the box. In this case the edge portions 12, 12a, 14, 14a of the side walls of the box are conveniently somewhat beveled at the inner sides to ease the alignment.

As has been described above the closing lid 11 is fastened suitably with the same fastening screws as the back part of the box itself. In this case the fastening of the lid is advantageously secured by providing gripping claws at the front edge of the lid, said claws fastening suitably under the edge 13 of the front portion 6. To ensure the position of the closing lid especially before fastening the screws there is suitably at the edge 15 of the bottom of the box a shoulder¬ like edge against which the lower edge of the back part of the closing lid 11 correspondingly will be supported.

Apart from being functional the connector box according to the invention is also advantageous in terms of manufacturing technology, due to the fact that the casting mold for the box in certain embodiments only may consist of two only parts for each part, respectively. Therefore the box is easy to manu¬ facture from suitable plastic material or even from metal.

Claims

1. A box for connecting a water fitting or the like to a substantially flexible conduit disposed within a protective pipe, which box can be fastened to a structure and comprises a connecting portion (4) for the protective pipe, said box being associated with a separate connecting piece (9) which fits within the box and is adapted for the conduit, said connecting piece (9) comprising connecting members (10, 19) for the con¬ duit and for the water fitting, respectively, said connecting members being set at an angle relative to each other, charac¬ terized in that the body of the box comprises adjoined thereto two substantially parallel inner walls (7, 7a) that extend from the connecting portion (4) for the protective pipe at least in the opposite direction all the way to the open end (8) of the box, the connecting piece (9) adjoining, within its installation tolerances, in an at least partially parallel way the space between said inner walls (7, 7a), and that the installation opening of the box is covered by a closing lid (11) which at least substantially forms two separate sides of the closed box, which sides extend at an angle relative to each other.

2. Box as claimed in claim ■ 1, characterized in that the installation opening immediately adjoins the two parallel inner sides (7, 7a) of the box, said installation opening being located on the opposite side with respect to the con¬ necting portion (4) for the protective pipe.

3. Box as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said installation opening is open in the direction of the conduit extension as well as towards the water fitting to be fastened.

4. Box as claimed in any of the previous claims 1...3, cha¬ racterized in that the box is open in the direction of the conduit extension in such a way that the installation opening, which is covered by the bidirectional closing lid (11), extends from the area between the connecting portion (4) for the protective pipe and the bushing (18) substantially all the way to the bottom (1) at the end (8) of the box.

5. Box as claimed in any of the previous claims 1...4, cha¬ racterized in that the closing lid (11) and the connecting piece (9) which it aligns are fastened to the box through a motion that first pushes the connecting piece (9) into the box and then suitably pushes the pipe some distance in the direction of the protective pipe.

6. Box as claimed in any of the previous claims 1...5, cha¬ racterized in that the lead-through hole including its bushing (18), which is arranged for connecting the water fitting, is completely fitted in the closing lid (11) and suitably in its front plate (23).

7. Box as claimed in any of the previous claims 1...6, cha¬ racterized in that the connecting piece (9) comprises sup¬ porting shoulders (21, 22) or corresponding shoulder-like base configurations (25), that settle in between the inner surfaces (7, 7a) of the side portions (5, 5a) of the box, the front plane of the supporting shoulders, being directed towards the front plate (23) of the closing lid (11) and substantially uniting with the plane that is formed by the edge portions (12, 12a) of the side portions (5, 5a) of the box when the connecting piece (9) is installed in the box, the closing lid (11) and correspondingly the inner surface of the bottom (1) of the box consequently defining the location of the con¬ necting piece (9) in the box.

8. Box as claimed in any of the previous claims 1...7, cha¬ racterized in that the closing lid (11) has apertures for the fastening flanges of the lid, which apertures align with the fastening apertures (2) of the box, as well as claws which grip underneath a fixed lid portion (6, 13) of the box.

9. Box as claimed in any of the previous claims 1...8, cha¬ racterized in that the rear part of the closing lid (11) is supported on the edging (15) at the bottom (1) of the box.

10. Box as claimed in any of the previous claims 1...9, cha¬ racterized in that the bottom portion (1) of the box is longer than the side portions (5, 5a) of the box, whereby the closing lid (11), in addition to its front plate (23) which is equipped with a hole and its back plate (24) which extends substantially perpendicularly to said front plate, also com¬ prises portions (17) constituting extensions to said side portions (5, 5a) of the box, which portions (17) suitably adjoin the fastening flanges (16) of the closing lid (11).