Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
  • E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
  • E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
  • E03C1/0404—Constructional or functional features of the spout
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C2201/00—Details, devices or methods not otherwise provided for
  • E03C2201/40—Arrangement of water treatment devices in domestic plumbing installations
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
  • E03C2201/00—Details, devices or methods not otherwise provided for
  • E03C2201/40—Arrangement of water treatment devices in domestic plumbing installations
  • E03C2201/45—Arrangement of water treatment devices in domestic plumbing installations for carbonated water

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a sink tap assembly, in particular a one-hole type, designed to fit to the horizontal supporting surface of a sink or cabinet in the same way as other known tap assemblies which, however, function as single-control mixers for simply mixing or separately supplying hot and cold water.
• the present invention originates mainly from the growing interest aroused by the practical and economic advantages of new appliances which, simply connected to the water and electricity mains, supply cooled or ambient-temperature filtered or microfiltered water, and even water with added carbon dioxide. Simply considering the average amount of mineral water consumed daily by an average family gives a fairly good idea of the advantages involved, both in terms of expenditure and transport from shop to home. Though undoubtedly advantageous, these new appliances are difficult to install in most new homes, through lack of space, which more and more often reduces the kitchen to a "kitchenette" formed in a corner of the dining room or lounge.
• the normal mixer would have to be flanked by a tap for each additional water supply (ambient-temperature microfiltered, cooled microfiltered, with added CO 2 , etc.).
• a single tap assembly is desirable, which, besides supplying separate or mixed hot and cold water for normal cooking purposes, also supplies microfiltered water for cooking and/or drinking, possibly cooled and with added carbon dioxide for producing sparkling water.
• Patent EP0501989B1 describes a tap assembly for supplying hot, cold, and filtered water, and the main body of which receives hot water, cold water, and filtered water separately from respective sources.
• the hot and cold water can be fed to the outlet through the same or separate passages, depending on whether or not the main body has a mixer, and the filtered water is fed to the outlet through a further special-purpose passage.
• the tap assembly may also receive water with added CO 2 , which may be fed to the outlet together with the filtered water or through a separate passage.
• the hot water, cold water, filtered water, and water with added CO 2 are flow- regulated by respective valves, so that, if the tap assembly receives all four different types of water, four valves and four controls are provided.
• the Applicant has found a solution to the problem in a tap assembly comprising fewer controls than inlet conduits.
• the one-hole tap assembly according to the present invention designed to fit to the horizontal supporting surface of a sink or cabinet, has a main body comprising a single-control mixer, and one or more on-off regulating valves for respective flows, which flow to the outlet along independent paths separate from the hot and cold water mixing path, to prevent them from flowing and gathering impurities along the same conduit.
• a single-control mixer for hot and cold water a tap assembly can therefore be achieved which is particularly suitable for handling a large number of flows.
• Figures 1-2-3 show, respectively, a side view, front view, and top plan view of a first tap assembly in accordance with the invention
• Figure 4 shows a horizontal section along line ZZ in Figure 1;
• Figure 5 shows an enlarged vertical section XX
• Figure 6 shows an enlarged vertical section along line YY in Figure 1 and in Figure 7 showing a rear view of a knob
• Figure 8 shows an enlarged longitudinal section of the push-button valve operated by the knob
• Figures 9-10-11 show, respectively, a side view, front view, and top plan view of a second tap assembly in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 12 shows a horizontal section along line ZZ in Figure 9;
• Figures 13-14 show enlarged vertical sections along lines XX and YY respectively in Figure 9.
• FIG. 1 to 8 show a first embodiment of the tap assembly according to the invention, which comprises a main body
• main body I 1 which is substantially parallelepiped-shaped with a quadrangular base, a narrow cylindrical portion 11 projects downwards for assembly to the horizontal supporting surface of a sink or cabinet, and for housing all the necessary piping.
• a parallelepiped-shaped portion 12 projects horizontally, and supports a single- control knob 2 which acts on a known mixing cartridge 3 housed mainly inside portion 12.
• a parallelepiped-shaped portion 13 projects horizontally from each of the two lateral faces of central portion 10, and a pin 14 projects from the centre of portion 13 and is fitted by a lock pin with a knob 4.
• Rotation of knob 4 on pin 14 operates a preferably push- button-operated on-off regulating valve 5 maintained in the closed position by a cylindrical helical spring 50, which acts between the fixed body 51 of the valve and a shutter 52 projecting from the fixed body at a contoured recess 40 formed inside knob 4 and decreasing in depth so that rotation of the knob in one direction about pin 14 translates shutter 52 into the open position, and, in the opposite direction, springs the shutter back into the closed position.
• the same references indicate both the conduits extending through main body 1, and the pipes connected to these at the inlet and at the outlet where they are grouped inside spout 6.
• the first embodiment having two taps and a mixer, has four inflows and three outflows.
• the second embodiment of the tap assembly shown in Figures 9 to 14 has three taps and a mixer, and therefore five inflows and four outflows.
• the flows may be assigned as follows : A - cold water; B - hot water; AB - mixed water; C - ambient-temperature microfiltered water; D - cooled microfiltered water, possibly with added CO 2 ; E - cooled microfiltered water with added CO 2 .
• the second embodiment - which is largely identical to the first, and in which the same references are used for corresponding parts - differs from the first by comprising a third push-button valve 5, which is identical to the others and projects from the rear face of main body 1, more specifically from a parallelepiped- shaped portion 13 on which the valve operating knob 4 pivots.
• tap assemblies may be formed with more controls, e.g. with a number of operating knobs on the same face of main body 1, preferably located at different heights, as required to operate them, and not aligned vertically to separate the conduits for regulating, though this would obviously be more difficult to implement or at least increase the size of the main body.
• the outlet pipes of the mixer and of each of the taps of the tap assembly are housed inside the spout.
• at least one of the pipes may be replaced by the spout itself, using the space surrounding the other pxpes.
• tap assembly as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention.
• changes may be made to the design of main body 1, the number of mixers, and the number of tap control knobs, to achieve, among others, embodiments designed for public premises, such as bars or similar, for dispensing different beverages from one one-hole tap assembly comprising a single-control hot and cold water mixer.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Domestic Plumbing Installations (AREA)
• Valve Housings (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=38564031

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (6)

Citations (2)

• 2006
  • 2006-04-05 IT ITRA20060017 patent/ITRA20060017U1/it unknown
• 2007
  • 2007-04-04 EP EP07734213A patent/EP2007951A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-04-04 WO PCT/IB2007/000892 patent/WO2007113663A2/en active Search and Examination
  • 2007-04-04 RU RU2008143406/03A patent/RU2008143406A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2007-04-04 AU AU2007232271A patent/AU2007232271B2/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (2)

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