Pipe joints or couplings – Packed – Socket
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2002-09-17
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Pipe joints or couplings
Packed
Socket
C285S124300, C285S401000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06450552
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a sanitary fixture, more particularly a wash-stand fixture, with a fixture housing; with a receiving chamber constructed in the fixture housing for at least one element controlling the water flow; with a base sealing the receiving chamber at the bottom; with at least one pipe connector, which is detachably secured in a through bore of the base and for axial securing comprises a circumferential bead, which rests with an end face against a diameter step of the through bore.
A sanitary fixture of this type is described in DE 31 19 313 C2. In this case, the base is formed by two base sections, which are connected to one another by mechanical positive locking and between which the circumferential bead of the pipe connectors is received, The arrangement is such that the pipe connectors are reliably axially fixed in both directions without said pipe connectors influencing the element which controls the water flow and is accommodated in the receiving chamber. Disadvantageous in this case is that the assembly of the pipe connectors must already take place in the factory and it is necessary to fully dismantle the fixture, including the separation of the two base sections, in order to release the pipe connectors.
In the sanitary fixture described in DE 23 31 000, the circumferential beads of the pipe connectors are axially secured between the upper side of the base and the underside of the control cartridge, which is the element controlling the water flow in this case. In this design, it cannot be ruled out that forces are exerted by the pipe connectors upon the ceramic disks, which are accommodated within the control cartridge. Furthermore, assembly or dismantling of the pipe connectors is also only possible so long as the control cartridge is not in the receiving chamber of the sanitary fixture.
Plug connections for pipe connectors of sanitary fixtures are described in EP 0 472 022 A1 and EP 0 519 244 A1. Although these plug connections allow for an (optionally also subsequent) insertion of the pipe connectors into the base of the sanitary fixture, the pipe connectors cannot be subsequently released, or at any rate not easily.
Finally, in the sanitary fixture described in EP 0 681 127 A1, the fixing of the pipe connectors is effected, instead of by a moulded-on, projecting circumferential bead, by an inserted snap ring, the positive-locking axial fixing of the pipe connectors also only being complete when the control cartridge is fitted into the fixture housing.
It is the object of the present invention to design a sanitary fixture of the initially stated type in such a manner that the pipe connector can be fitted in a cost-effective manner from the outside onto the otherwise fully assembled sanitary fixture and if necessary can also be released again.
This object is attained according to the invention in that
a) the through bore comprises a lower, effective inlet aperture for the pipe connector which has a non-circular cross section and extends via an undercut into a region of the through bore lying further inwards and having a circular cross section;
b) the circumferential bead of the pipe connector is provided with a recess in such a manner that it can be introduced in a given rotary position into the effective inlet aperture of the through bore and then axially secured behind the undercut by a rotation.
Thus, according to the invention, the region of the through aperture having a circular cross section is closed on one side by a part forming an undercut. The end of the pipe connector facing the base can therefore only be pushed into the effective inlet aperture of the through bore, which in this manner has a non-circular cross section, in a given rotary position, in which the circumferential bead, on account of its recess, can be moved past the part forming the undercut. By way of a subsequent rotary movement, a given region of the circumferential bead is then brought behind the part forming the undercut; the pipe connector can now no longer be removed by pulling axially. However, the pipe connector can be “unlocked” by rotation in the opposite direction, so that it can be removed in an axial direction from the base.
In principle, it is possible to mould the part forming the undercut and resulting in an effective inlet aperture of non-circular cross section integrally onto the lower region of the through bore. However, it is more cost-effective if the effective inlet aperture into the through bore of the base is partially restricted by a part which is secured to the lower end face of the base, projects partially over the through aperture and thereby forms the undercut.
Particularly preferred in this respect for reasons of cost is an embodiment in which the part forming the undercut is the head of a rivet, whose shaft is accommodated in a bore of the base.
In order to prevent unintentional release of the pipe connectors by accidental rotation, a development of the invention is recommended in which a rotary stop device is provided, by means of which the pipe connector can be secured against rotation within the through bore in a rotary position, in which the circumferential bead of the pipe connector is axially secured by the undercut.
An expedient development of a rotary stop device of this type comprises a press element, which in the locking position engages in the recess on the circumferential bead of the pipe connector and for unlocking can be moved axially against the force of a spring element to such a degree that the circumferential bead of the pipe connector is released from the press element.
The press element of a rotary stop device of this type requires a device which prevents the press element from being forced out of the base by the spring element. This can be expediently realised in such a manner that the press element of the rotary stop device is forced by the spring device in the direction of that part secured to the lower end face of the base which forms the undercut. This part then has a double role.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2510125 (1950-06-01), Meakin
patent: 3929356 (1975-12-01), DeVincent et al.
patent: 4449737 (1984-05-01), Specht
patent: 4905576 (1990-03-01), Reynolds
patent: 5354101 (1994-10-01), Anderson, Jr.
patent: 6092844 (2000-07-01), Lee
Andreier Thomas
Pülmanns Gerhard
Browne Lynne H.
Hansa Metallwerke AG
Thompson Kenn
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