Fluid handling – Faucets and spouts
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-20
2002-03-26
Michalsky, Gerald A. (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Faucets and spouts
C004S677000, C137S359000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06360774
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sanitary fitting with an especially cylindrical fitting body which has at least one supply channel and one discharge channel, at least one supply which is flow-connected to the supply channel and which establishes the connection to the supply network, a drain arm which is flow-connected to the discharge channel, at least one actuating element which is used to adjust the amount of flow and/or flow temperature, and a fastening element which is used for attachment to a base, the fastening element being permanently connected to the base.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sanitary fittings of this general type have long been known in the prior art. They are used when the drain arm is made as a swivel arm, such as fittings used in the kitchen which are typically single-lever, single-hole mixing faucets. Generally, the known sanitary fittings have two supply channels. One supply channel is used to supply cold water and one supply channel is used to supply hot water. In so-called low pressure fittings, the sanitary fitting has two supply channels and one drain channel, the cold water being supplied to a low pressure water heater, via the drain channel. The delivery of cold water providing for the hot water in the low pressure water heater is supplied to the sanitary fitting via the second supply channel. In the known sanitary fittings, the supplies which are flow-connected to the supply channel and which establish the connection to the supply network are made either as copper pipes or flexible hoses which are generally wire wrapped. These supplies are connected to the supply network via comer valves. The sanitary fittings known from the prior art have a fastening element which is used for attachment to a base. The base in the kitchen area consists, for example, of a working surface or a sink unit. In the known sanitary fittings, the fastening element is permanently connected both to the base and also to the fitting, body. After installing the sanitary fitting it can be detached from the base only with considerable effort and with the corresponding special knowledge.
This permanent connection of the sanitary fitting to the base leads to problems, especially when the sanitary fitting is located in an area in which the sanitary fitting is a barrier in certain activities. Thus, for example, it happens rather frequently that a sanitary fitting is located in the swivel area of an adjacent window or would be located there if the sanitary fitting were not to represent a barrier when the window is being opened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to embody and improve the known, above explained sanitary fitting such that it can also be located in areas in which it represents a barrier, for example, to opening of a window.
In accordance with the one embodiment of the present invention, the above derived object is achieved in that the sanitary fitting is connected to the fastening element via connection means which is easily detachable by the user. The embodiment in accordance with the invention makes it possible for the user to detach the fitting body with the drain arm and the actuating element attached thereto, from the fastening element (for example) before opening a window, and to place it aside or in the basin so that the window can be opened without hindrance. Thus, a nonobstructing arrangement of a sanitary fitting, becomes possible in areas in which in the known sanitary fittings they would have represented an obstruction.
If the fastening element as the connection means has at least one receiver which is frictionally engaged to the supply in the connected state, the easily detachable connection in accordance with the present invention is produced with especially little effort while at the same time it is guaranteed that this easily detachable connection can also be used for known, commercially available sanitary fittings in conjunction with correspondingly configured fastening elements.
Since a receiver made radially symmetrical would also have to make available the frictional engagement counteracts which the torque which occurs when the actuating element is actuated, it is advantageous to allow the supply and the receiver to be locked together. This ensures that the frictional engagement need not capture the high torque delivered to the fitting body on the stop of the actuating element. Accordingly, the frictional engagement can be weaker so that the fitting body can be easily detached from the fastening element.
The sanitary fitting in accordance with the invention may be practiced another preferred embodiment where the fastening element has a cylindrical guide and the receiver which preferably forms the connection means, is made in a sleeve which can be pushed into the cylindrical guide and which is matched to the cylinder guide. To prevent the sleeve from being easily lifted out of the cylindrical guide when the actuation element (which is preferably made as a lever) is actuated, it is also advantageous to provide frictional engagement between the cylindrical guide and the sleeve.
The described embodiment of the present invention makes it possible to match a fastening element attached to a base by correspondingly matched push-on sleeves to the supply arrangement of different sanitary fittings by correspondingly configured receivers. In this embodiment, it is likewise conceivable for the sleeve to be permanently connected to the fitting body and thus, the cylindrical guide and the sleeve which can be pushed into this cylindrical guide form the connection means.
If the actuation element is made as the lever of a single-lever mixing faucet, a torque, as already mentioned, acts on the sanitary fitting when adjusting the temperature via the lever by swivelling sideways. To counteract this torque, in the cylindrical guide and/or on the sleeve there is a locking element. This locking element ensures that the torque acting on the sanitary fitting is routed into the fastening element and counteracted so that the sanitary fitting is not twisted.
One configuration of the locking arrangement which is especially easy to produce is by the locking element being made as a projection in the cylindrical guide, and providing a corresponding recess in the sleeve. With a locking element made in this way, it is ensured that the sleeve inserted into the cylindrical guide can no longer be twisted relative to the cylindrical guide. This type of locking can of course, be reversed with respect to the arrangement of the recess and projection.
Alternative to the arrangement of a separate locking element, the sanitary fitting in accordance with the present invention is also embodied by the cylindrical guide having a cross section which is variable in radius, especially elliptical, and the sleeve having a correspondingly matched cross section for locking purposes. Since twisting between the sleeve and the cylindrical guide is only possible when the cylindrical guide and the sleeve are made circularly cylindrical, the described embodiment easily ensures locking. Of course, not only ellipses are conceivable as cross sections. It is also conceivable by way of example that the cylindrical guide and the sleeve have an octagonal cross section.
A reliable seating of the sleeve in the cylindrical guide and protection against overly easy lifting of the sleeve out of the cylindrical guide are ensured by the insertion length of the sleeve corresponding to roughly twice the diameter of the cylindrical guide.
Alternatively or cumulatively to the above explained embodiment, there is an axially working catch element between the cylindrical guide and the sleeve for protection against overly easy lifting. Preferably, when the sleeve is inserted into the cylindrical guide this catch element provides for surface pressure between the top end of the sleeve or the bottom end of the fitting body and the top end of the fastening element so that a sealing action, for example, against splashing water, is ensured.
Alternat
Becker Albert
Behr Josef
Ideal-Standard GmbH & Co. oHG
Michalsky Gerald A.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Safran David S.
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