US4584723A — Fitting for connecting a plumbing faucet to plumb…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 551 words

A fitting for connecting a plumbing faucet to hot and cold water plumbing pipes (8, 9; 8a, 9a) for supplying hot and cold water to said faucet, comprising: a housing (5) having a central housing axis and a cavity (25) in said housing, a fixture (7) for mounting said faucet, a fitting member (4) operatively mounted in said housing for connecting said fixture (7) to said housing (5), said fixture (7) having separate cold and hot water ducts (28, 30), said fitting member (4) comprising respective hot and cold water chambers (12, 14) for communicating with said ducts (28, 30) and respective connecting pipe sections (11, 11') connecting said hot and cold water chambers (12, 14) to said hot and cold water plumbing pipes, said fitting member (4) further comprising a bore (19) extending substantially coaxially with said central housing axis, said fixture (7) being operatively received in said bore (19) for rotational adjustment into a position for fluid passing cooperation between said respective chambers in said fitting member (4) and the corresponding one of said ducts in said fixture (7), each of said hot and cold water ducts of said fixture having a respective duct inlet (36, 38) in said fixture (7), said duct inlets (36, 38) being axially displaced relative to each other with respect to said central axis for facilitating said cooperation, and sealing means (40) on said fixture (7) for separating said duct inlets (36, 38) from each other, said fitting member (4) comprising two axially spaced ports (45, 47) each port communicating through said hot and cold water chambers (12, 14) with said connecting pipe sections (11) and through said duct inlets (36, 38) with said ducts (28, 30) for providing fluid passages from said hot and cold water plumbing pipes to said faucet, a mixing valve unit (32) connected to ends of said ducts (28, 30) outside said fixture for selecting the desired temperature of the mixed water and for volume control, ring groove means betweeen said fitting member (4) and said fixture (7) cooperating with said duct inlets (36, 38), said fixture 7 comprising a discharge port (49) for the mixed water outside said fitting member (4), said fitting member (4) and said fixture (7) with said discharge port (49) forming separate parts for permitting any desired rotational angular adjustment betweeen these parts, said fitting further comprising means for securing said fixture (7) in an angularly and axially adjusted position relative to said housing (5), and wherein said fixture (7) comprises a cylindrical insert section (7a) fitting into said bore (19) of said fitting member (4), said means for securing said fixture (7) fixing said cylindrical insert section (7a) radially and axially in said bore of said fitting member, said duct inlets (36, 38) of said fixture (7) being so constructed and located in said cylindrical insert section (7a) that the respective inlet duct (28, 30) remains in fluid communication with the corresponding port (45, 47) in said fitting member (4) in any angularly adjusted position of said cylindrical insert section (7a) of said fixture, said sealing means (40) comprising a number of sealing rings located around said cylindrical insert section (7a) so as to separate said duct inlets (36, 38) from each other in said cylindrical insert section (7a) of said fixture (7).

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 551 words

A fitting for connecting a plumbing faucet to hot and cold water plumbing pipes (8, 9; 8a, 9a) for supplying hot and cold water to said faucet, comprising: a housing (5) having a central housing axis and a cavity (25) in said housing, a fixture (7) for mounting said faucet, a fitting member (4) operatively mounted in said housing for connecting said fixture (7) to said housing (5), said fixture (7) having separate cold and hot water ducts (28, 30), said fitting member (4) comprising respective hot and cold water chambers (12, 14) for communicating with said ducts (28, 30) and respective connecting pipe sections (11, 11') connecting said hot and cold water chambers (12, 14) to said hot and cold water plumbing pipes, said fitting member (4) further comprising a bore (19) extending substantially coaxially with said central housing axis, said fixture (7) being operatively received in said bore (19) for rotational adjustment into a position for fluid passing cooperation between said respective chambers in said fitting member (4) and the corresponding one of said ducts in said fixture (7), each of said hot and cold water ducts of said fixture having a respective duct inlet (36, 38) in said fixture (7), said duct inlets (36, 38) being axially displaced relative to each other with respect to said central axis for facilitating said cooperation, and sealing means (40) on said fixture (7) for separating said duct inlets (36, 38) from each other, said fitting member (4) comprising two axially spaced ports (45, 47) each port communicating through said hot and cold water chambers (12, 14) with said connecting pipe sections (11) and through said duct inlets (36, 38) with said ducts (28, 30) for providing fluid passages from said hot and cold water plumbing pipes to said faucet, a mixing valve unit (32) connected to ends of said ducts (28, 30) outside said fixture for selecting the desired temperature of the mixed water and for volume control, ring groove means betweeen said fitting member (4) and said fixture (7) cooperating with said duct inlets (36, 38), said fixture 7 comprising a discharge port (49) for the mixed water outside said fitting member (4), said fitting member (4) and said fixture (7) with said discharge port (49) forming separate parts for permitting any desired rotational angular adjustment betweeen these parts, said fitting further comprising means for securing said fixture (7) in an angularly and axially adjusted position relative to said housing (5), and wherein said fixture (7) comprises a cylindrical insert section (7a) fitting into said bore (19) of said fitting member (4), said means for securing said fixture (7) fixing said cylindrical insert section (7a) radially and axially in said bore of said fitting member, said duct inlets (36, 38) of said fixture (7) being so constructed and located in said cylindrical insert section (7a) that the respective inlet duct (28, 30) remains in fluid communication with the corresponding port (45, 47) in said fitting member (4) in any angularly adjusted position of said cylindrical insert section (7a) of said fixture, said sealing means (40) comprising a number of sealing rings located around said cylindrical insert section (7a) so as to separate said duct inlets (36, 38) from each other in said cylindrical insert section (7a) of said fixture (7).

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 97 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said chambers (12, 14) in said fitting member (4) are located on diametrically opposite sides of said bore (19) in said fitting member (4) and substantially around said bore (19), wherein said duct inlets of said fixture (7) are located to open on diametrically opposite sides of said fixture (7) for cooperation with said chambers, and wherein said connecting pipe sections of said fitting member (4) form integral components of said fitting member (4) extending in parallel to each other and in a plane common to both said connecting pipe sections.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 92 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said ring groove means comprise two ring grooves (37, 39) axially spaced from each other in said fixture (7), said ring grooves running around said fixture where said respective duct inlets (36, 38) are located, so that each duct inlet opens into its ring groove, said sealing means (40) separating said ring grooves from each other in a fluid tight manner, and wherein said duct inlets also communicate with said ports (45, 47) for providing fluid communication between said ports and said inlet ducts (28, 30).

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 166 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said housing (5) has an at least partially open facing side, said fitting further comprising removable cover means (46) for covering said at least partially open facing side of said housing where said connecting pipe sections (11, 11', 13, 13') are located, wherein said fitting further comprises a mounting assembly including a mounting ring (41) and at least one strap (2) extending radially away from said mounting ring, and screw means (24) accessible from said facing side of said housing for securing said mounting ring (41) to said facing side of said housing in any one of a plurality of angular positions relative to said central axis, and wherein said mounting assembly further comprises at least two insulating shells (3, 3') for locating said fitting member (4) in said housing (5), said insulating shells being separate from each other and contacting each other along a separation plane (18) for facilitating withdrawal of said fitting member (4) from said housing (5).

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 188 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said connecting pipe sections (11, 11') have a mouth with an internal non-circular cross-section, said fitting further comprising an insert bushing (50) having a respective non-circular section (58), a circular section, and a radially outwardly extending flange (52) between said circular and non-circular sections, said non-circular section (58) fitting into said mouth of non-circular cross-section of the respective connecting pipe section, a sealing ring (56) operatively located between said flange (52) and a facing surface of the respective connecting pipe section, an outer threading (60) on said connecting pipe section, and a sleeve nut (10) engaging said outer threading for operatively pressing said flange (52) against said sealing ring, and wherein said hot and cold water pipes (8, 9; 8a, 9a) comprise flexible pipes of plastic material into which said circular section of said insert bushing (50) reaches, said fitting further comprising a clamping sleeve (54) inserted in said sleeve nut (10) and surrounding the respective flexible pipe for securing said flexible pipe to said circular section and for simultaneously transmitting a force exerted by said sleeve nut onto said flange (52).

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 151 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said fixture (7) comprises a distributor section (73) for distributing hot and cold water, said distributor section (73) being operatively received in said bore (19) of said fitting member (4), said distributor section having conduits (138, 140) in operative alignment with said hot water and cold water ducts (28, 30) of said fixture, said conuits (138, 140) ending in a respective one of said duct inlets (36, 38) for said cooperation with said chambers in said fitting member, and wherein said distributor section (73) is a separate part of said fixture, said separate distributor section being mounted for rotation relative to the remainder of said fixture for alternately aligning one of said conduits (138, 140) with one or the other of said ducts (28, 30) in said fixture and vice versa for changing a hot flow passage into a cold flow passage and vice versa.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 194 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said chambers of said fitting member (4) comprise two channels (110, 112) extending substantially in parallel to each other and respectively connected to the corresponding port (45, 47) in said fitting member (4) and to the respective connecting pipe section of said fitting member, wherein each of said two channels has a U-configuration and a connecting pipe section at each end whereby two connecting pipe sections are arranged in axial alignment with each other and so that the respective axis extends across said central axis and thus across a longitudinal axis of said fixture, wherein said fitting member (4) comprises, in addition to said first mentioned connecting pipe sections, two further connecting pipe sections (13, 13') located opposite said first mentioned connecting pipe sections (11, 11'), wherein the longitudinal axes of all of said connecting pipe sections are located in a common plane which extends substantially perpendicularly to said central housing axis, and wherein said first mentioned connecting pipe sections are inflow connecting pipe sections, and wherein said further connecting pipe sections are outflow connecting pipe sections for separately passing hot and cold water through the fitting member.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 231 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said fixture (7) comprises first and second separable water distribution sections (73, 153) operatively inserted in said bore of said fitting member, said first and second water distribution sections being rotatably adjustable relative to each other and to said fixture, said fixture (7) further comprising, in addition to said first mentioned ducts (28, 30), two flow conduits (165, 167) separated from said first mentioned ducts for conveying mixed water in a flow direction opposite to the flow direction in said first mentioned ducts (28, 30), said first water distribution section (73) comprising two first ring grooves (124 and 126) for communicating with said chambers in said fitting member, said first and second water distribution sections (73, 153) comprising separate, axially alignable longitudinal first channels (138, 140; 178, 180) cooperating with said first ring grooves for communicating said ports with said ducts (28, 30) in said fixture through said first channels (138, 140; 178, 180), said fitting further comprising at least one outflow port (156 or 158) for supplying mixed water to a hand held shower or the like, said second water distribution section (153) comprising at least one second ring groove (174 or 176) communicating with said outflow port, and at least one second channel (166, 168) communicating with the respective mixed water flow conduit (165, 167) for supplying mixed water to said outflow port.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 96 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said chambers (112, 184) are located in an end portion of said fitting member, said ducts (28, 30) in said fixture (7) extending toward a facing end of said fixture, said duct inlets having a threading in said facing end of said fixture, said fixture further having at least one circumferential groove (124), and two cross-bores (194, 196), each with a threading for connecting said circumferential groove to said ducts (28, 30), and two threaded plugs (186, 188) for closing one of said duct inlets and one of said cross-bores.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 32 words

The fitting of claim 9, wherein said fixture comprises one or two distributor sections integrally formed as part of said fixture, said distributor section or sections being insertable in said fitting member.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 127 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said fixture (7', 7") has an insert section, operatively received in said bore with an end face, both of said separate longitudinal ducts (28, 30) having an opening through said end face of said insert section, one of said longitudinal ducts (28, 30) communicating with a chamber (184) at the facing end of said fixture (7', 7"), a plug (188) for closing the other of said longitudinal ducts (28, 30), said closed longitudinal duct having a lateral duct open in said ring groove (124), said open longitudinal duct also having a lateral duct (194) closed by a plug (186), whereby for changing a cold water connection to a warm water connection said open and closed ducts are changed and vice versa.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 154 words

The fitting of claim 1, wherein said plumbing pipes (8a, 9a) are metal pipes having a sleeve (61) fixed to their outer free ends, said sleeve having a radially outwardly reaching shoulder (61') facing away from a facing end of said sleeve (61), said connecting pipe section (11, 11') having a facing end (62) and a radially outwardly facing threading, said fitting further comprising sleeve nut means (10) having an inwardly facing threading for engaging said outwardly facing threading and a radially inwardly extending flange for engaging said outwardly reaching shoulder (61'), said sealing ring (56) being inserted between said facing end (62) of said connecting pipe sections and the facing end of said sleeve (61), said sleeve nut (10) being slidable along said plumbing pipes for separating the plumbing pipes from said connecting pipe sections without any axial displacement of the plumbing pipes and of the connecting pipe sections facing said plumbing pipes.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-04-28	1989-10-28	1990-04-29	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-04-28	1993-10-28	1994-04-29	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-04-28	1997-10-28	1998-04-29	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fitting for connecting a plumbing faucet to plumbing pipes

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