AU2003100311B4 - Plumbing fitting - Google Patents

Description

PLUMBING FITTING AND METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tap fittings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is well known, typical plumbing installations such as in a shower utilise two wall mounted taps, one to control hot water and one to control cold water. These taps include a spindle and a cock fitting. The spindle is mounted in the cock fitting and carries a handle and a valve washer at its opposite ends. Rotational movement of the spindle causes linear movement of the washer towards or away from a valve seat within the cock fitting.

In use, water enters the cock fitting through an inlet, is controlled in its flow through the valve formed by the valve seat and valve washer, and flows out of the cock fitting through an outlet and subsequently mixes with a another water flow before discharge through an outlet such as a shower head or tap spout.

The cock fittings are commonly installed within a masonry wall, or at least installed behind a wall that is sheeted with ceramic tiles or the like. Consequent on the failure of in-wall piping with such installations, it is necessary to break open the wall to replace the failed piping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, the present invention accordingly provides a method of mixing water in a plumbing installation, which plumbing installation includes at least two cock fittings, and in which each cock fitting includes an inlet in communication with an outlet through an orifice in a valve seat, the method including the steps of: inserting into each cock fitting an adapter fitting which includes: a first portion that is sealable against the valve seat remote from the inlet of the cock fitting; a second portion that protrudes from the cock fitting when the adapter fitting is inserted in that fitting; and a bore extending from the first portion to the second portion and which is adapted to divert water that flows through the orifice in the valve seat to the exterior of the adapter.

It is preferred that both the first portion and the second portion of the adapter fitting is: substantially cylindrical; and carries an external screw thread, and in which the axes of the first portion and the second portion are substantially parallel to, but spaced apart from, each other It is further preferred that a mixing chamber is mounted, directly or indirectly, to each second portion of each adapter fitting.

In another aspect, the present invention also provides apparatus for use in various embodiments of the inventive method of mixing water.

It will accordingly be seen that, with the present invention, it is not necessary to break open a wall to replace any piping that has failed downstream of the cock fitting.

It will also be seen that some embodiments of the present invention allow for the replacement of existing hot and cold water taps, either subsequent to failure of inwall piping or because the user desires to replace two existing taps with a single mixing tap, without demolition of the wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more readily understood, preferred embodiments of it are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: figure 1 is a view of a conventional cock fitting; figure 2 is a view of an adapter fitting that is used in conjunction with a conventional cock fitting in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; figures 3 and 4 illustrate the working interrelationship a conventional cock fitting and the component of figure 2; and figure 5 shows a further embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A conventional cock fitting such as is shown at 1 in figure 1 is a body that includes an inlet opening 2 for reception of piping carrying an inlet flow of water.

The inlet opening 2 communicates through an orifice in a valve seat 4 with an outlet opening 3 which in turn receives connecting piping that is not shown in the figure. That piping is also connected to a similar conventional cock fitting, so that water flow out of each cock fitting mixes in the piping preliminary to discharge through a shower head or the like.

In conventional use, a spindle carrying a valve washer is screwed into the internally screw-threaded bore 5 that is visible in figure 1, for control of water flow through the fitting.

The adapter fitting according to the present invention that is illustrated generally at 6 in figure 2 includes externally threaded legs 7 and 11 which are both integral with a connecting cross-piece 9. A bore which is not visible in the drawings extends from the end 8 of the leg 7, through the cross-piece 9 to the end 12 of the leg 11 to allow for the flow of water through the apparatus from end 8 to end 12.

On failure of in-wall plumbing downstream of a cock fitting such as 1, the tap spindles are removed from each cock. Separate adapter fittings 6 are then inserted into each cock fitting 1 by screwing the leg 7 into the bore 5 of each cock fitting 1. Figure 3 shows the adapter fitting in the course of being inserted into the bore 5 and figure 4 shows the adapter fitting fully inserted into the bore 5 into a position where a sealing washer (that is not illustrated in the drawings) can be compressed between the end 8 of the leg 7 and the valve seat 4. The compressed washer thus provides a seal that prevents flow of water out of the outlet 3 of the cock fitting.

When the adapter fitting 1 is inserted as illustrated in figure 4, the internal bore through that fitting provides a path for water flow from the cock fitting to the outlet end 12 of the adapter fitting.

Figure 5 shows the use of adapter fittings 6 in conjunction with other components according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, two cock fittings 1 are shown mounted within a masonry wall 21. A mixing cross pipe 16 within the wall communicates with a vertical pipe 17 to carry mixed water to a shower head that is not illustrated in the drawings. However, as shown in this figure, the original tap spindles have been removed from the cock fittings 1 and replaced with adapter fittings 6 in accordance with the present invention.

Each adapter fitting 6 is screw thread mounted at one end into the cock fitting 1 and at the other end is screw thread mounted into a mixing tap shown generally at 18. The operating lever 19 of the mixing tap 19 is manipulated in the known manner to control both the volume of flow and the temperature of outlet water from the tap spout 23. Because of the insertion of the adapter fittings 6 into the cock fitting 1, water will not flow into the mixing pipe 16 nor into the pipe 17 which formerly supplied water to the shower head and the shower head has been removed. Although not illustrated in the figure, it will be appreciated that the mixing tap 18 may provide water to a replacement shower head via piping that is mounted on the surface of the wall 21, either in addition to or instead of supplying water through the outlet spout 23.

It will also be appreciated that the adapter fittings 6, because they are thread connected at one end to the cock fitting 1 and at the other end to the mixing tap 18, may be mounted in a rotational position that compensates for a difference between the span length of the mixing tap 18 and the horizontal spacing between the cock fittings 1.

Claims (4)

1. A method of mixing water in a plumbing installation, which plumbing installation includes at least two cock fittings, and in which each cock fitting includes an inlet in communication with an outlet through an orifice in a valve seat, the method including the steps of: inserting into each cock fitting an adapter fitting which includes: a first portion that is sealable against the valve seat remote from the inlet of the cock fitting; a second portion that protrudes from the cock fitting when the adapter fitting is inserted in that fitting; and a bore extending from the first portion to the second portion and which is adapted to divert water that flows through the orifice in the valve seat to the exterior of the adapter.

2. A method of mixing water as claimed in claim 1, in which both the first portion and the second portion of the adapter fitting is: substantially cylindrical; and carries an external screw thread, and in which the axes of the first portion and the second portion are substantially parallel to, but spaced apart from, each other.

3. A method of mixing water as claimed in claim 2, in which a mixing chamber is mounted, directly or indirectly, to each second portion of each adapter fitting.

4. An adapter fitting for use in a method of mixing water as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3. The invention substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. DATED 2 May 2003 PIL-WON BONG WATERMARK PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA PNF/AJE