GB2118262A

GB2118262A - A tap adaptor

Info

Publication number: GB2118262A
Application number: GB08222243A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Edward Mattacks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-08-02
Filing date: 1982-08-02
Publication date: 1983-10-26
Also published as: GB2118262B

Abstract

A tap adaptor (1), for connection to an outlet of a water tap (20) having a forwardly extending spout (21) and a comparatively small outlet portion (22) for directing water downwardly, is in the form of a clamp having relatively movable gripping members (3, 4). One of the gripping members (3) is tubular and carries a liquid sealing gasket (5) for providing a liquid tight seal between the tubular gripping member and the outlet portion (22) when clamped with the spout outlet in communication with the bore of the tubular gripping member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A tap adaptor This invention relates to a tap adaptor for connection to the water outlet of a water tap of the kind comprising a forwardly extending spout having a comparatively short outlet portion for directing water downwardly. Hereinafter such a water tap will be referred to as "a water tap of the kind referred to". In particular a water tap of the kind referred to is designed to be mounted on a sink, a basin or a bath and may be of the "single valve" type adapted to be connected to a hot or cold water supply or of the "mixer valve" type adapted to be connected to hot and cold water supplies for mixing and discharging hot and cold water through a common spout.

Tap adaptors are well known for connection to the water outlets of water taps provided with spouts having comparatively long, downwardly extending outlet portions. One type of such a known tap adaptor comprises a collar of rubber or rubberlike material which is pushed over the end of the downwardly extending outlet portion of the spout. A band clamp encircling the rubber collar is then tightened to secure the adaptor to the outlet portion of the spout. The end of the adaptor remote from the rubber sleeve is suitably externally screw-threaded to permit the attachment thereto of a conventional hose connector. However this known type of adaptor is not suitable for use with a water tap of the kind referred to since the outlet portion of the spout of the latter is too short to enable the rubber collar to be pushed thereover and retained thereon.

The present invention seeks to provide an adaptor for connection to the water outlet of a water tap of the kind referred to.

According to the present invention there is provided a tap adaptor for connection to the water outlet of a water tap of the kind referred to, the tap adaptor being in the form of a clamp having a pair of gripping members mounted for relative movement towards and away from each other, one of said gripping members being tubular and carrying, at one end thereof, a liquid sealing gasket for providing a liquid tight seal between the tubular gripping member and the outlet of a spout when the outlet portion of the spout is clamped between the gripping members with the spout outlet in communication with the bore of the tubular gripping member.

Conveniently the tap adaptor includes a frame carrying the tubular gripping member, the other gripping member being mounted on the frame and being movable relative to the latter for adjusting the clamping distance between the gripping members. Preferably the said other gripping member has an externally screw-threaded shank which is screw-threadedly received in an internally screw-threaded bore of the frame.

Suitably the frame comprises a pair of spaced apart limbs and a connecting web connecting one end of the spaced apart limbs, the tubular gripping member being carried by the free ends of said limbs and the other gripping member being mounted on the connecting web. Conveniently the tubular gripping member is detachably mounted in its fixed position by first interengaging means at the free end of each limb which releasably interengage with respective ones of a pair of diametrically opposed second interengaging means formed in the external surface of said tubular gripping member.Suitably each pair of cooperating first and second interengaging means are slidable relative to each other into and out of interengagement, one of each of said first and second interengaging means comprising an undercut groove and the other of each of said first and second interengaging means comprising a projecting rib. Preferably each first interengaging means constitutes said projecting rib, each of said ribs extending perpendicular to the length of its associated limb and perpendicular to the direction of spacing apart of said limbs. Stop means are provided for limiting the sliding interengagement of each pair of first and second interengaging means.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tap adaptor according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the tap adaptor shown in Fig. 1 but in a partly disassembled condition, Figure 3 shows the partly disassembled tap adaptor shown in Fig. 2 as viewed in the direction A of Fig. 2, Figure 4 is a section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2, Figure 5 shows a partly cut-away view of the tap adaptor shown in Fig. 1 fitted to an outlet portion, shown partly sectioned, of a tap of the kind referred to, and Figure 6 is a view from below of the spout outlet of the tap shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 1 shows a tap adaptor, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, having its component parts moulded from plastics materials. In particular the tap adaptor 1 is in the form of a clamp having a frame 2 mounting a tubular first gripping member 3 and a second gripping member 4.

The tubular first gripping member 3 (see Fig. 4) has a substantially cylindrical upper portion 3a and, integral therewith, an externally screw-threaded lower portion 3b. The upper face of the upper portion 3a is counterbored to receive, in push-fitting engagement, a flanged annular seal or gasket 5 of a synthetic rubber material. A pair of diametri cally opposed, parallel, undercut grooves 6 and 7 (see Figs. 2 and 3) is formed in the upper portion 3a perpendicular to the axis of the gripping member 3. A further pair of grooves 8 and 9 is formed in the upper portion 3a, being spaced above and parallel to the grooves 6 and 7, respectively. The grooves 8 and 9 are not disposed diametrically opposite each other but extend one side only of an axial plane extending perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 2.

The second gripping member 4 comprises an externally screw-threaded shank 4a having an integrally formed handle 4b at its upper end and an integrally formed ball-like projection 4c at its lower end (see Fig. 3). A nylon grip 10 having an internal socket is snapfitted onto the projection 4c, the ball-andsocket connection providing the grip 10 with a certain degree of universal motion relative to the gripping member 4.

The frame 2 is of an inverted channel configuration having a web 11 integrally connecting the upper ends of a pair of spaced apart, downwardly depending limbs 12 and 13. An internally screw-threaded bore 14 is provided in the web 11 for engaging the externally screw-threaded shank 4a of the gripping member 4. The free, lower ends of the limbs 12 and 13 are provided with inwardly directed, parallel projections or ribs 15 and 16, respectively, each having a flared cross-section. Spaced above the ribs 15 and 1 6 are further ribs 1 7 and 18, respectively.

The ribs 17 and 18 are parallel to each other and extend from one side of their respective limbs 12 and 13, terminating substantially mid-way between the sides of the limbs.

The frame 2 and gripping members 3 and 4 are typically moulded from acrylonitrilebutadiene-styrene resin.

The various component parts of the tap adaptor are assembled together by firstly screwing the shank 4a of the second gripping member 4 into the bore 14 of the frame 2.

The grip 10 is then snap-fitted onto the balllike projection 4c to prevent the gripping member 4 from accidentally being screwed out of the bore 14. The tubular gripping member 3 is then attached to the frame 2 by aligning the parts as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with the ribs 15 and 17 on the limb 12 in alignment with the grooves 6 and 8, respectively, and the ribs 1 6 and 18 on the limb 1 3 in alignment with the grooves 7 and 9, respectively. The frame 2 is then moved in direction A (see Fig. 2) towards the gripping member 3 so that the ribs 15 to 18 are slidingly engaged with the grooves 6 to 9, respectively.

The sliding engagement of the ribs 15 to 18 in the grooves 6 to 9, respectively, is limited by the grooves 8 and 9. These grooves 8 and 9 act as Stops when the ribs 17 and 18, respectively, are fully seated therein (i.e. when the frame 2 and gripping member 3 are assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 5). The ribs 17 and 18 have relatively loose fits in the grooves 8 and 9, respectively.

However, the ribs 15 and 16 have relatively tight fits in the grooves 6 and 7, respectively, and serve to lock the gripping member 3 tightly to the frame 2.

In use the tap adaptor 1 is intended to be fitted to the outlet of a water tap 20 (see Fig.

5) having a forwardly extending spout 21 with a relatively short outlet portion 22 for directing water downwardly. The tap adaptor is fitted so that the outlet portion 22 is clamped between the gripping members 3 and 4, the gripping members being tightened so that the gasket 5 provides a liquid tight seal against a liquid flow modifier 23 (see Fig.

6) fitted into the outlet portion 22. A conventional hose connector (not shown) can then be connected to the portion 3b of the tubular gripping member 3.

It should be realised that the tap adaptor 1 described above can be fitted to many types of water tap of the kind referred to. Normally a water tap of the kind referred to has a nonclear cross-section throughout its length and generally has a liquid flow modifier provided in the outlet of the spout. In Figs. 5 and 6 the liquid flow modifier is screwed into the spout outlet. However in other water taps of the kind referred to, liquid flow modifiers may be formed integrally with the rest of the spout.

In the embodiment of the tap adaptor 1 herein described, the maximum distance between the bottom of the grip 10 and the top of the gasket 5 (i.e. when the gripping member 4 is fully unscrewed) is 31 mm and it therefore follows that the tap adaptor can only be used with water taps of the kind referred to having outlet portions having heights less than 31 mm. The upper surface of the annular gasket 5 has an outer diameter of 28 mm and a bore diameter of 11 mm. This provides a relatively wide annular sealing surface so that outlets of different sizes, both circular and non-circular, can be effectively sealed. Of course the above dimensions are not intended to be limitative but merely illustrate preferred dimensions.

It should be realised that the tap adaptor 1 described above may be modified. For example the portion 3b of the tubular gripping member 3 may be of a different form to enable a push-fit connector to be connected thereto. Alternatively the portion 3b may be in the form of a spigot intended to be received inside the end of a hose, a band clamp being used to clamp the hose to the spigot.

Claims

1. A tap adaptor for connection to the water outlet of a water tap of the kind referred to, the tap adaptor being in the form of a clamp having a pair of gripping members mounted for relative movement towards and away from each other, one of said gripping members being tubular and carrying, at one end thereof, a liquid sealing gasket for providing a liquid tight seal between the tubular gripping member and the outlet of a spout when the outlet portion of the spout is clamped between the gripping members with the spout outlet in communication with the bore of the tubular gripping member.

2. A tap adaptor according to claim 1, including a frame mounting said gripping members.

3. A tap adaptor according to claim 2, in which the tubular gripping member is mounted in a fixed position on the frame and the other gripping member is movably mounted on the frame for adjusting the clamping distance between the gripping members.

4. A tap adaptor according to claim 3, in which the said other gripping member has an externally screw-threaded shank received in an internally screw-threaded bore of the frame.

5. A tap adaptor according to claim 3 or 4, in which the frame comprises a pair of spaced apart limbs and a connecting web connecting one end of the limbs, the said tubular gripping member being carried by the free ends of said limbs and the said other gripping member being mounted on said connecting web.

6. A tap adaptor according to claim 5, in which the tubular gripping member is detachably mounted in its fixed position by first interengaging means at or adjacent the free end of each limb which releasably interengage with respective ones of a pair of diametrically opposed second interengaging means formed in the external surface of said tubular gripping member.

7. A tap adaptor according to claim 6, in which each pair of cooperating first and second interengaging means are slidable relative to each other into and out of interengagement, one of said first and second interengaging means comprising undercut grooves and the other of said first and second interengaging means comprising projecting flared ribs.

8. A tap adaptor according to claim 7, in which the first interengaging means comprise said projecting flared ribs and the said second interengaging means comprise said undercut grooves, the diametrically opposed undercut grooves being parallel to each other and the flared ribs on said limbs being parallel to each other.

9. A tap adaptor according to claim 7 or 8, in which each pair of cooperating first and second interengaing means has a tight sliding interengagement.

10. A tap adaptor according to any of claims 7 to 9, including stop means for limiting relative movement between the frame and the tubular gripping member when the first interengaging means are in sliding engagement with respective second interengaging means.

11. A tap adaptor according to claim 10, in which the stop means comprises a first stop element formed in at least one of said limbs and at least one cooperating second stop element formed in the external surface of the tubular gripping member, one of said at least one first stop element and said at least one second stop element comprising a slot having an abutment surface at one end thereof and the other of said at least one first stop element and said at least one second stop element comprising a projection slidable in said slot for abutment against said abutment surface when the frame and tubular gripping member are positioned correctly relative to each other.

12. A tap adaptor according to any of claims 2 to 11, in which said frame and said gripping members are moulded from plastics materials.

13. A tap adaptor according to any of the preceding claims, dimensioned so that the clamping gap between the sealing gasket carried by the tubular gripping member and the other gripping member is adjustable up to a maximum of approximately 31 mm.

14. A tap adaptor according to any of the preceding claims, in which the said other gripping member is provided with a grip having a certain degree of universal movement.

15. A tap adaptor constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS (31 Mar 1983)

1. A tap adaptor for connection to the water outlet of a water tap of the kind referred to, the tap adaptor being in the form of a clamp which, in use of the adaptor, is supported solely on the tap spout, said clamp having a pair of gripping members between which, in use of the adaptor, the tap spout is received, said gripping members being mounted for relative movement towards and away from each other, one of said gripping members being tubular and carrying, at one end thereof, a liquid sealing gasket which faces the other gripping member, whereby when, in use of the adaptor, the spout is clamped between the gripping members with the spout outlet portion in communication with the bore of the tubular gripping member, the gasket is pressed against the spout outlet portion to provide a liquid-tight seal between the tubular gripping member and the spout outlet portion.