GB2621872A - A mounting device and a tap assembly - Google Patents
A mounting device and a tap assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2621872A GB2621872A GB2212383.0A GB202212383A GB2621872A GB 2621872 A GB2621872 A GB 2621872A GB 202212383 A GB202212383 A GB 202212383A GB 2621872 A GB2621872 A GB 2621872A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- mounting member
- lower mounting
- upper mounting
- tap
- fastening member
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 238000009428 plumbing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 56
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 20
- 230000000295 complement effect Effects 0.000 claims description 7
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 240000008042 Zea mays Species 0.000 claims 1
- 235000005824 Zea mays ssp. parviglumis Nutrition 0.000 claims 1
- 235000002017 Zea mays subsp mays Nutrition 0.000 claims 1
- 235000005822 corn Nutrition 0.000 claims 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 6
- 238000002955 isolation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 239000004417 polycarbonate Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229920000515 polycarbonate Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 229910001369 Brass Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000010951 brass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000011900 installation process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000284 resting effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910001092 metal group alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007480 spreading Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
- E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
- E03C1/0401—Fixing a tap to the sanitary appliance or to an associated mounting surface, e.g. a countertop
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47K—SANITARY EQUIPMENT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TOILET ACCESSORIES
- A47K13/00—Seats or covers for all kinds of closets
- A47K13/24—Parts or details not covered in, or of interest apart from, groups A47K13/02 - A47K13/22, e.g. devices imparting a swinging or vibrating motion to the seats
- A47K13/26—Mounting devices for seats or covers
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
- E03C—DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER; SINKS
- E03C1/00—Domestic plumbing installations for fresh water or waste water; Sinks
- E03C1/02—Plumbing installations for fresh water
- E03C1/04—Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths
- E03C1/0401—Fixing a tap to the sanitary appliance or to an associated mounting surface, e.g. a countertop
- E03C1/0402—Fixing a tap to the sanitary appliance or to an associated mounting surface, e.g. a countertop with mounting from only one side
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
- Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
- Sanitary Device For Flush Toilet (AREA)
Abstract
A mounting device 10 for mounting a tap assembly 1 to a plumbing fixture 2 having a surface with an aperture, and a tap assembly 1. The mounting device comprises a body section 12 having an upper mounting member 16 for connecting to a tap body 100 of the tap assembly 1 and a fastening member 18 coupled to the upper mounting member 16. A lower mounting member 14 has one or more anchor parts 20, configured to move parallel to a longitudinal axis relative to the upper mounting member 16. The fastening member 18 is configured to be coupled to the upper mounting member 16 and is arranged to engage the lower mounting member 14. Manipulation of the fastening member 18 causes the lower mounting member 14 to move parallel to the longitudinal axis relative to the upper mounting member 16. The lower mounting member 14 is configured such that on installation the one or more anchor parts 20 are passed through the aperture and caused to abut the surface of the plumbing fixture 2 from below by manipulation of the fastening member 18.
Description
A Mounting Device And A Tap Assembly The present invention relates to a mounting device and a tap assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to a mounting device for mounting a tap assembly to a surface of a plumbing fixture, such as a basin, bath, or kitchen/bathroom sink counter top. The mounting device of the present invention may also be suitable for mounting a seat to a toilet or other fittings to a.
In embodiments, the present invention relates to a mounting device that enables a tap assembly to be mounted to a plumbing fixture from above the surface of the plumbing fixture without the need to access the space below or beneath the surface, except for connecting hoses or pipes to the tap assembly.
Fitting a tap assembly to a plumbing fixture is a common task. Typically, a plumbing fixtures is a surface of a certain depth, usually flat over at least a small area, with an aperture provided through the surface. The surface may be a kitchen sink counter top, the ledge of a bath, or a bathroom sink counter top for example. Fitting a commercially available tap assembly usually requires access to the space above and below the plumbing fixture, with main parts of the tap assembly positioned above the plumbing fixture and secured to the plumbing fixture with fastening components from below the plumbing fixture. Once the tap assembly is secured to the plumbing fixture, flexi tails may then be attached to the tap assembly from below the plum bing fixture. Although in principle this task is not complicated, the space available below typical plumbing fixtures is usually limited. For example, in a typical household kitchen, space below the kitchen sink is usually filled with items such as kitchen equipment or clean products.
The person fitting a new tap assembly would have to either work around the limited space that is available or remove the items to make space. This makes the task of fitting a tap assembly an awkward one. A similar problem exist when fitting a toilet seat to fixing points on a toilet.
Some known tap assem blies are configured with mounting mechanisms that are substantially handled from above the plumbing fixture. However, these tap assemblies still require access to the space below the plumbing fixture in order to install some significant components of the tap assembly. For example, in one known tap assembly, the mounting mechanism is configured in such a way that flexi tails cannot be connected to the tap assembly before its installation as they would hinder the mounting -2 -mechanism. Therefore, to install this known tap assembly, connection of the flexi tails can only be done after the tap assembly is installed, meaning that access to the space below the plumbing fixture is still required in order to install flexi tails to the tap assembly, which is in and of itself an intricate task. That is to say, although this known tap assembly makes some part of the installation process easier, it remains an awkward task to fully install such an assembly.
There is therefore still a need for an improved mounting device and tap assembly that is easy and convenient to install.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting device for mounting a tap assembly to a plumbing fixture having a surface with an aperture, comprising a body section having an upper mounting mem ber for connecting to a tap body of the tap assembly and a fastening mem ber coupled to the upper mounting member, the upper mounting member defining a longitudinal axis, and the body section being arranged such that the fastening member and at least a portion of the upper mounting member are disposed above the surface when the mounting device is installed; and a lower mounting member having one or more anchor parts, configured to move parallel to the longitudinal axis relative to the upper mounting mem ber; wherein the fastening member is configured to be coupled to the upper mounting member and being arranged to engage the lower mounting member, wherein manipulation of the fastening mem ber causes the lower mounting mem ber to move parallel to the longitudinal axis relative to the upper mounting member; wherein the lower mounting member is configured such that on installation the one or more anchor parts are passed through the aperture and caused to abut the surface of the plumbing fixture from below by manipulation of the fastening member, thereby cooperating with the body section to securely mount the mounting device to the plumbing fixture.
The provisions of the tap mounting device allow inlet connectors (such as flexi tails) of a tap assembly to be connected into the tap mounting device before the tap mounting device is mounted to the plumbing fixture. This eliminates the need to access the space below the plumbing fixture in order to install the tap mounting device and tap assembly, thereby making the installation process less awkward by requiring access to the space above the pluming fixture only. -3 -
In embodiments, the lower mounting member includes a tubular section and one or more resiliently flexible legs extending from the tubular section, each resiliently flexible leg having one of the one or more anchor parts disposed at an end thereof. Preferably, the one or more resiliently flexible legs are arranged to flex to decrease a cross-section footprint of the lower mounting mem ber to enable the passing of the one or more anchor parts through the aperture of the plumbing fixture.
In embodiments, the lower mounting member has a threaded exterior and the fastening member includes a complementary threaded portion arranged to engage the threaded exterior of the lower mounting member, and wherein the fastening member is configured to be manipulated by rotation thereof.
In embodiments, the mounting device further com prises a guidance mechanism configured to guide movement of the lower mounting member parallel to the longitudinal axis relative to the mounting mem ber and to prevent rotation of the lower mounting member about the longitudinal axis relative to the mounting member. Preferably, the guidance mechanism includes one or more guiding members on the lower mounting member and one or more corresponding guide channels on the upper mounting member extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, each guide channel being configured to receive one of the one or more guiding members, each guiding member being configured to slide along one of the one or more guide channels. Alternatively, the guidance mechanism includes one or more guiding members on the upper mounting member and one or more corresponding guide channels extending parallel to the longitudinal axis on the lower mounting member, each guide channel being configured to receive one of the one or more guiding members, each guiding member being configured to slide along one of the one or more guide channels. Alternatively, the guidance mechanism includes one or more guiding pins extending radially outward from the upper mounting member.
In embodiments, the lower mounting member has a threaded exterior arranged to engage a complementary radially inward facing threaded portion on the tap body, wherein the fastening member includes one or more protrusions extending radially inwards and arranged to engage space adjacent the one or more legs of the lower mounting member, and wherein the fastening member is configured to be manipulated by rotation thereof and the protrusions transfer rotational movement of the fastening member to the lower mounting member. -4 -
In embodiments, the lower mounting member has a threaded interior and the upper mounting member includes a complementary threaded portion arranged to engage the threaded interior of the lower mounting member, wherein the fastening member includes one or more protrusions extending radially inward and arranged to engage space adjacent the one or more legs of the lower mounting member, and wherein the fastening member is configured to be manipulated by rotation thereof and the protrusions transfer rotational movement of the fastening member to the lower mounting member.
In embodiments, each anchor part has a wedge shaped cross-section.
In embodiments, the upper mounting member includes mounting means for mounting the tap body of the tap assembly thereto.
In embodiments, the upper mounting member is configured to receive one or more inlet connectors and to connect the one or more inlet connectors to the tap. Preferably, the upper mounting mem ber has a main sleeve section with an interior for receiving the one or more inlet connectors, and wherein the lower mounting member is provided at and arranged to move over an exterior of the upper mounting member.
In embodiments, the fastening member is coupled to the upper mounting member indirectly via the tap body.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tap assembly, comprising: a mounting device as set out above; a tap body with a faucet, configured to be connected to the mounting device; and one or more inlet connectors, configured to be received in the mounting device and to be connected to the tap body, the or each inlet connector being configured to be connected to a water hose or pipe.
Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described by way of examples, with references to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a tap assem bly with a mounting device; Figure 2 is another cross sectional view of a tap assembly with a mounting device; -5 -Figure 3 is a perspective view of an upper mounting member of a mounting device; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a lower mounting member of a mounting device; Figure 5 is a perspective view of an upper mounting member of an alternative mounting device; and Figure 6a is a cross sectional view of another tap assembly with another mounting device; Figure 6b is a perspective view of the fastening member of the mounting device of figure 6a; Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of yet another tap assembly with yet another mounting device.
Referring to figures 1 and 2, an embodiment of a tap assembly 1 of the present disclosure generally includes a mounting device 10, a tap body 100, and one or more inlet connectors 200. The tap body 100 includes a faucet (not shown) and tap mechanism (not shown) for controlling water flow through the faucet. The tap mechanism may be any suitable mechanism known to the skilled person. As will be described in more detail, the tap body 100 is arranged to be connected to the mounting device 10, which is in turn configured to be securely mounted to a plumbing fixture 2.
The inlet connectors 200 may be any suitable connectors known to the skilled person, and provide connection between the tap body 100 and an external water supply.
Referring still to figures 1 and 2, the mounting device 10 includes a body section 12 and a lower mounting member 14. The body section 12 comprises an upper mounting member 16 and a fastening member 18, and the lower mounting member 14 includes a number of anchor parts 20. The fastening member 18 is arranged to be moveably coupled to upper mounting member 16, and to engage the lower mounting member 14 such that manipulation of the fastening member 18 causes the lower mounting member 14 to move relative to the upper mounting member 16. To install the mounting device 10 to a plumbing fixture 2, the fastening member 18 is first manipulated to move the lower mounting member 14 relative to the upper mounting member 16 to space the -6 -anchor part(s) 20 from the upper mounting member 16 as is shown in figure 1. The mounting device 10 is then seated on the plumbing fixture 2, with fastening member 18 and at least a portion of the upper mounting member 16 sitting above the plumbing fixture 2, and the anchor part(s) 20 of the lower mounting member 1415 passed through an aperture provided in the plumbing fixture 2. As shown in figures 1 and 2, the fastening member 18 of the mounting device 10 functions as a seat, against which the mounting device 10 rests on the plumbing fixture 2 when installed. The provision of the seat prevents the mounting device 10 from passing all the way through the aperture of the plumbing fixture 2. More generally, the upper mounting member 16 may be configured to have an integrated seat portion to function as the seat instead of the fastening member 18 being the seat. With the anchor part(s) 20 passed through the aperture and positioned below the plumbing fixture 2, the fastening member 18 is then manipulated from above the plumbing fixture 2 to bring the anchor part(s) 20 and the upper mounting member 16 together to effectively grip on to the plumbing fixture 2 as shown in figure 2, thereby securing the mounting device 10 to the plumbing fixture 2.
The body section 12 of the mounting device 10 generally defines a longitudinal axis. In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the longitudinal axis is mainly defined by the shape of the upper mounting member 16 and extends in a direction that would be perpendicular to the aperture of the plumbing fixture 2 when the mounting device 10 is installed. The upper mounting member 16 has an elongated tube shape, like an open ended sleeve, and defines an interior space for receiving one or more inlet connectors 200. The lower mounting member 14 is disposed at the exterior of the upper mounting member 16 and is similarly of an elongated shape so as to be moveable generally longitudinally, parallel to the longitudinal axis, over the exterior of the upper mounting member 16. In the em bodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the lower mounting member 14 is configured to move slidingly against the upper mounting member 16. The upper mounting member 16 of this embodiment is shown in isolation in figure 3 and includes mounting means 22 at the upper portion of the upper mounting member 16 for mounting the tap body 100 to the mounting device 10, thereby connecting the faucet and tap mechanism to the inlet connector(s) 200 when the tap assembly 1 is assembled. The mounting means 22 may be any suitable form of connection known to the skilled person. For example, in some embodiments, the mounting means 22 may be a threaded screw mount. In some other embodiments, the mounting means 22 may be a bayonet mount. The lower mounting member 14 of this embodiment is shown in isolation in figure 4 and has a tubular section 14a and a number of legs 14b extending longitudinally from an end of the tubular section 14a. The legs 14b extend from the tubular section 14a in a resiliently flexible manner to enable each leg 14b to flex and bend radially inwardly/outwardly when forced, and to return to its normal resting position as shown in figure 4 when released from the force. Each of the respective unattached ends of the legs 14b is provided with an aforementioned anchor part 20. In the assembled mounting device 10, as shown in figures 1 and 2, the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 14 are arranged such that the anchor part 20 of each of the legs 14b is disposed distally from the mounting means 22 of the upper mounting mem ber 16. The legs 14b are configured to be of sufficient length so as to accommodate the depth of the plumbing fixture 2 with sufficient extra length as will be appreciated by the skilled person to allow for margin of movement during installation. As shown in figure 4, the lower mounting member 14 has six evenly spaced legs 14b with space separating each leg 14b. It will however be appreciated by the skilled person that any other number of legs 14b, including one, may also be suitable. It will also be appreciated by the skilled person that the legs 14b may be spaced in any other suitable arrangement.
In the various embodiments disclosed herein, such as that shown in figures 1 and 2 for example, the mounting device 10 is configured to be detachable from the tap body 100.
More specifically, the upper mounting member 16 of the mounting device 10 in these embodiments is configured to be detachably mounted to the tap body 100 of the tap assembly 1. It will however be appreciated that the upper mounting member 16 may be configured to be fixed to the tap body 10. For exam ple, in some embodiments (not shown), the upper mounting member 16 is physically attached to the tap body 100 as a piece extending therefrom instead of being connected via the above-described mounting means 22. In various embodiments, the upper mounting member 16 may be made of any suitably strong material known to the skilled person to ensure structural integrity of the tap assembly 1 and to ensure the mounting device 10 is able to support the tap body 100. For example, the upper mounting member 16 may be made of brass or other suitable metal or metal alloy. In other examples, the upper mounting member 16 may be made of other materials such as polycarbonate plastics. The lower mounting member 14 may be made of any suitably resilient and flexible material known to the skilled person that allows the legs 14b to flex as described above. For example, the lower mounting member 14 may be made of a polycarbonate plastic material. In some em bodiments, as shown in figures 1 and 2 for example, the mounting device 10 is further provided with a gasket 32 on the lower side of the fastening member 18. The -8 -gasket 32 is arranged so that when the fastening member 18 is tightened to secure the mounting device 10 to the plumbing fixture 2, it engages the surface of the plumbing fixture 2 to provide a seal. The seal helps to prevent any water leakage occurring within the tap assembly from spreading above the plum bing fixture 2.
In the tap assembly 1 shown in figures 1 and 2, the tap body 100 has a lower chamber 102 that is in the shape of an inverted cup defining an interior space for receiving the upper mounting member 16, with sufficient space in which for the lower mounting member 14 to move, and thereby mounting on to the mounting device 10. The lower chamber 102 has a rim with a flange 104, and the fastening member 18 is shaped to wrap around the flange 104. More particularly, the fastening member 18 is in the form of a ring dial and is shaped, for example as shown in figures 1 and 2, to include an intemal track 24 to slidably enclose the flange 104. This arrangement enables the fastening member 18 to rotate about the exterior of the lower chamber 102 of the tap body 100 whilst restricting its movement longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis.
This arrangement also enables the body section 12 to be seated on the plumbing fixture 2 against the fastening member 18 as shown in figures 1 and 2. As shown in figures 1 and 2, the flange 104 is a contiguous part of the tap body 100 and the fastening member 18 is a single piece. It will however be appreciated by the skilled person that the flange 104 may be a separate piece of the tap body 100 in some embodiments and the fastening member 18 may be made up of multiple pieces in some em bodiments.
The fastening member 18 may be made of any suitable material known to the skilled person. For example, in some embodiments, the fastening member 18 is made from brass. In some other embodiments, the fastening member 18 is made of a polycarbonate plastic material. In the embodiment shown in figure 1 to 4, the fastening member 18 has an interior side facing radially inward with a threaded portion 26. The lower mounting member 14 has a complementarily arranged threaded exterior, facing radially outward and configured to engage the threaded portion 26 of the fastening member 18 when the mounting device 10 is assembled. The threaded engagement between the fastening member 18 and the lower mounting member 14 facilitates the translation of rotational movement of the fastening member 18 into linear movement of the lower mounting member 14. In other embodiments not shown in the figures, the fastening member 18 and lower mounting mem ber 14 may be provided with any other suitable form of engagement known to the skilled person that would translate rotational -9 -movement of the fastening member 18 into linear movement of the lower mounting member 14.
In embodiments, the mounting device 10 also has a guiding mechanism to guide the lower mounting member 14 to move parallel to the longitudinal axis. In one embodiment, such as that shown in figures 1 to 4, the guidance mechanism comprises guiding members 28 in the form of ridges provided on the radially outward facing exterior side of the upper mounting member 16 as shown in figure 3 and a corresponding number of complementarily shaped channels 30 provided on the radially inward facing interior side of the lower mounting member 14 as shown in figure 4. The channels 30 and guiding members 28 extend generally longitudinally parallel to the longitudinal axis and engage slidingly to confine the movement of the lower mounting member 14 relative to the upper mounting member 16 to parallel to the longitudinal axis. With this arrangement, rotation of the fastening member 18 in one direction, guided by the guidance mechanism, causes the lower mounting member 14 to move slidingly relative to the upper mounting member 16 to space the anchor part(s) 20 away from the upper mounting member 16. Rotation of the fastening member 18 in the opposite direction causes the lower mounting member 14 to move slidingly relative to the upper mounting member 16 in the opposite direction to bring the anchor part(s) 20 and the upper mounting member 16 together.
In the mounting device 10 shown in figures 1 to 4, the guidance mechanism comprises six guiding members 28 on the upper mounting member 16 and correspondingly six channels 30 on the lower mounting member 14. It will be appreciated by the skilled person that in some other embodiments, any other number of channels 28 and guiding members 28, including one, may be suitable. It will also be appreciated by the skilled person that in some embodiments the channels 30 may instead be provided on the radially outward facing exterior side of the upper mounting member 16 and the guiding members 28 may instead be provided on the radially inward facing interior side of the lower mounting member 14.
As shown in figures 1 and 2, each anchor part 20 has an axial cross section (i.e. cross section in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis) that is of a wedge shape, with the thinner end of the wedge shape being arranged distally towards the end of the leg 14b and the flat face of the wider end of the wedge shape facing away from the end of the leg 14b. As shown, the tubular section 14a and the legs 14b of the lower mounting -10 -member 14 presents a smaller cross-sectional diameter that is equal or a fraction smaller than the diameter of the aperture, whilst the anchor parts 20 at the wider end presents a larger cross-sectional diameter, which tapers towards the tips of the legs 14b. In such an arrangement, when the mounting device 10 is being pushed through an appropriately sized aperture in the plumbing fixture 2 legs 14b first, the wedge shaped anchor parts 20 engage the rim of the aperture and force the legs 14b to flex radially inward. Once the anchor parts 20 are through and clear of the aperture, the legs 14b may relax back towards their natural resting positions and the anchor parts 20 prevent the mounting device 10 from being decoupled from the plumbing fixture 2.
Moving the lower mounting member 14 as described above, by rotating the fastening member 18, to bring the anchor parts 20 towards the bottom of the plumbing fixture 2 as shown in figure 2 effectively clamps the tab mounting device 10 securely to the plumbing fixture 2. In this secured position, where the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 14 overlap significantly in the axial direction, the upper mounting member 16 acts to provide structural support to the lower mounting member 14, preventing the legs 14b from flexing radially inward, thereby ensuring the anchor pads 20 maintain a secure hold to the bottom of the plumbing fixture 2.
In the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 4, the upper mounting member 16 is cylindrical in form and the lower mounting member 14 has a "split leg" arrangement as described above. When the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 14 are manipulated into an "extended" position as shown in figure 1, the legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14 are clear of the upper mounting member 16 and may be forced to flex radially inwards. When the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 14 are manipulated into a "retracted" position as shown in figure 2, where the upper mounting member 16 and the lower mounting member 14 are overlapping in the axial direction, the legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14 are obstructed from flexing radially inwards by the upper mounting member 16. In this position, with the legs 14b being unable to flex radially inwards, the anchor parts 20 are prevented from being forced radially inward and therefore cannot clear the aperture of the plumbing fixture 2, thereby retaining the mounting device 10 in the mounted position as shown in figure 2.
In the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 4, the fastening member 18 is coupled indirectly to the upper mounting member 16, via the tap body 100. It will however be appreciated by the skilled person that the fastening member 18 may be coupled to the upper mounting member 16 directly. For exam ple, the upper mounting member 16 may be of a double sleeve arrangement, with an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. In this arrangement, the flange 104 is provided at the lower rim of the outer sleeve. The lower mounting member 14 can then slide in and out in the space between the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve, with the inner sleeve providing the support to stop the legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14 from being forced inwards when in the "retracted" position.
As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the flat face of the wider end of the wedge-shaped anchor part 20 may be configured in any suitable way to have a sufficiently large area in order to provide a secure clamping action, as shown in figure 2 for example, whilst being able to be pushed through an appropriately sized aperture of the plumbing fixture 2.
Advantageously, the herein-disclosed mounting device 10 allows the inlet connector(s) to be assembled with the mounting device 10 before the mounting device 10 is mounted to the plum bing fixture 2, meaning that access to the space below the plumbing fixture 2 is not required in order to install and connect the inlet connector(s) 200 to the tap body 100. Indeed, the herein-disclosed tap assembly 1 may be assembled in full before being mounted to the plumbing fixture 2.
In an alternative mounting device 10, the above-described channel and guiding member arrangement of the guiding mechanism is replaced with a different arrangement. The upper mounting member 16 of this alternative mounting device 10 is shown in figure 5. As shown, in place of the guiding members 28 shown in figure 3, the upper mounting member 16 of this alternative includes a number of guiding pins 34. The guiding pins 34 are provided at the lower portion of the upper mounting member 16, distal from the mounting means 22, and are configured to protrude radially outwards. The guiding pins 34 are also arranged to be spaced apart circumferentially around the lower portion of the upper mounting member 16 so as to slidingly engage the spaces between the resiliently flexible legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14. When assembled, the lower mounting member 14 is able to move slidingly in a longitudinal direction over the exterior of the upper mounting mem ber 16 in a similar manner described above. The provision of the guiding pins 34 in the spaces between the legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14 confines the movement of the lower mounting member 14 relative to the upper mounting member 16 to the longitudinal -12 -direction and restricts the lower mounting member 14 from rotating relative to the upper mounting member 16. As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the upper mounting member 16 may have any suitable number of guiding pins 34 to complement the number of legs 14b on the lower mounting member 14.
An alternative embodiment of the mounting device 10 is shown in figure 6a. In this embodiment, whilst the mounting device 10 includes an upper mounting member 16, a lower mounting member 14, and a fastening member 18 similar to the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, this embodiment is configured so that rotational movement of the fastening member 18 is translated into rotational as well as longitudinal movement (i.e. parallel to the longitudinal axis) of the lower mounting member 18.
As shown in figure 6a, the lower mounting member 14 of this embodiment has a threaded exterior facing radially outward and the interior side of the lower chamber 102 of the tap body 100 has a complementarily arranged threaded portion 106 facing radially inwards. The threaded exterior of the lower mounting member 14 is arranged to threadingly engage the threaded portion 106 of the tap body 100. The fastening member 18 of this embodiment, shown in isolation in figure 6b, has an interior side facing radially inward, with a number of protrusions 38 extending radially inwards therefrom and spaced apart circumferentially around the inner circumference thereof.
The protrusions are configured so as to slidingly engage the spaces between the resiliently flexible legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14. With this arrangement, when the fastening member 18 is rotated, the rotational motion is translated through the protrusions 38 to rotational movement of the lower mounting mem ber 14. In turn, as the lower mounting member 14 rotates, the threaded engagement with the threaded portion 106 of the tap body 100 causes the lower mounting member 14 to move slidingly against the exterior of the upper mounting member 16 in a longitudinal direction. Rotation of the fastening member 18 in one direction causes the lower mounting member 14 to move slidingly relative to the upper mounting member 16 to space the anchor parts 20 away from the upper mounting member 16. Rotation of the fastening member 18 in the opposite direction causes the lower mounting member 14 to move slidingly relative to the upper mounting member 16 in the opposite direction to bring the anchor parts 20 and the upper mounting member 16 together. Engagement of the protrusions 38 with the spaces adjacent the legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14 enables the rotational movement of the fastening member 18 to be transferred to the lower mounting member 14 whilst allowing the lower mounting -13 -member 14 to move slidingly in a longitudinal direction. In other words, as the fastening member 18 rotates, and as the lower mounting member 14 rotates and move longitudinally at the same time, the protrusions 38 slide along adjacent the legs 14b of the lower mounting member 14.
In the embodiment shown in figures 6a and 6b, the fastening member 18 is decoupled from the tap body 100 and also decoupled from the upper mounting member 16. In some em bodiments (not shown), the fastening member 18 has a similar internal track 24 as described above to slidably enclose the flange 104 of the tap body 100. Similar to the other embodiments disclosed herein, the fastening member 18 of this embodiment may be formed as a single piece and multiple pieces. Forming the fastening member 18 as separate pieces that may then be assembled together may be advantageous for manufacturing purposes.
As will be appreciated by the skilled person, the threaded engagement the lower mounting member 14 with the fastening mem ber18, upper mounting member 16, and/or the tap body 100 may be replaced by any other suitable engagement known to the skilled person. For example, a rack-and-pinion arrangement may be suitable as a substitution for the threaded engagement described herein.
In a variation of the embodiment of figure 6, shown in figure 7, the lower mounting member 14 is provided with a threaded portion 14c on an exterior side facing radially inwards. The upper mounting member 16 of this embodiment has a complementarily configured threaded exterior side facing radially outwards, configure to engage threadingly with the radially inward facing threaded portion 14c of the lower mounting member 14. The fastening member 18 of this embodiment has similarly configured protrusions 38 as those shown in figure 6b. When the fastening member 18 is rotated and the rotational motion is translated through the protrusions 38 to rotational movement of the lower mounting member 14, the threaded engagement of the threaded portion 14c on the lower mounting member 14 and the radially outward facing threaded exterior side of the upper mounting member 16 causes the lower mounting member 14 to move in a longitudinal direction.
In the embodiments disclosed above, the mounting device 10 enables the tap assembly 1 to be installed and mounting to a plumbing fixture 2 from above, with manipulation of the fastening mem ber 18 of the mounting device 10 causing the -14 -mounting device 10 to be securely mounted to the plumbing fixture 2. It will be appreciated by the skilled person that the terms "upper" and "lower", and "above" and "below" or "beneath", as used herein denote relative positions of co-dependent components. It will also be appreciated by the skilled person that the use of these terms are not intended to denote absolute positions or orientations.
Embodiments of the present invention have been described with particular reference to the exam ples illustrated. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the examples described within the scope of the appending claims.
Claims (16)
- -15 -Claims: 1. A mounting device (10) for mounting a tap assembly (1) to a plumbing fixture (2) having a surface with an aperture, comprising: a body section (12) having an upper mounting member (16) for connecting to a tap body (100) of the tap assembly (1) and a fastening member (18) coupled to the upper mounting mem ber (16), the upper mounting member (16) defining a longitudinal axis, and the body section (12) being arranged such that the fastening member (18) and at least a portion of the upper mounting member (16) are disposed above the surface when the mounting device (10) is installed; and a lower mounting member (14) having one or more anchor parts (20), configured to move parallel to the longitudinal axis relative to the upper mounting member (16); wherein the fastening member (18) is configured to be coupled to the upper mounting member (16) and being arranged to engage the lower mounting member (14), wherein manipulation of the fastening mem ber (18) causes the lower mounting member (14) to move parallel to the longitudinal axis relative to the upper mounting member (16); wherein the lower mounting member (14) is configured such that on installation the one or more anchor parts (20) are passed through the aperture and caused to abut the surface of the plumbing fixture (2) from below by manipulation of the fastening member (18), thereby cooperating with the body section (12) to securely mount the mounting device (10) to the plumbing fixture (2).
- 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the lower mounting member includes a tubular section (14a) and one or more resiliently flexible legs (14b) extending from the tubular section (14a), each resiliently flexible leg (14b) having one of the one or more anchor parts disposed at an end thereof.
- 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the one or more resiliently flexible legs are arranged to flex to decrease a cross-section footprint of the lower mounting mem ber to enable the passing of the one or more anchor parts through the aperture of the plumbing fixture.
- -16 - 4. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the lower mounting member has a threaded exterior and the fastening member includes a complementary threaded portion (26) arranged to engage the threaded exterior of the lower mounting member, and wherein the fastening member is configured to be manipulated by rotation thereof.
- 5. The device of any preceding claim, further corn prising a guidance mechanism configured to guide movement of the lower mounting member parallel to the longitudinal axis relative to the mounting mem ber and to prevent rotation of the lower mounting member about the longitudinal axis relative to the mounting member.
- 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the guidance mechanism includes one or more guiding members (28) on the lower mounting member and one or more corresponding guide channels (30) on the upper mounting member extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, each guide channel (30) being configured to receive one of the one or more guiding members (28), each guiding member (28) being configured to slide along one of the one or more guide channels (30).
- 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the guidance mechanism includes one or more guiding members on the upper mounting member and one or more corresponding guide channels extending parallel to the longitudinal axis on the lower mounting member, each guide channel being configured to receive one of the one or more guiding members, each guiding mem ber being configured to slide along one of the one or more guide channels.
- 8. The device of claim 5, wherein the guidance mechanism includes one or more guiding pins (34) extending radially outward from the upper mounting member.
- 9. The device of claim 2 or 3, wherein the lower mounting member has a threaded exterior arranged to engage a complementary radially inward facing threaded portion (106) on the tap body, wherein the fastening member includes one or more protrusions (38) extending radially inwards and arranged to engage space adjacent the one or more legs of the lower mounting member, and wherein the fastening member is configured to be manipulated by rotation thereof and the protrusions (38) transfer rotational movement of the fastening member to the lower mounting member.
- 10. The device of claim 2 01 3, wherein the lower mounting member has a threaded interior and the upper mounting member includes a complementary threaded portion 0 arranged to engage the threaded interior of the lower mounting member, wherein the fastening member includes one or more protrusions (38) extending radially inward and arranged to engage space adjacent the one or more legs of the lower mounting member, and wherein the fastening member is configured to be manipulated by rotation thereof and the protrusions (38) transfer rotational movement of the fastening member to the lower mounting member.
- 11. The device of any preceding claim, wherein each anchor part has a wedge shaped cross-section.
- 12. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the upper mounting member includes mounting means (22) for mounting a tap body (100) of a tap assembly (1) 15 thereto.
- 13. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the upper mounting member is configured to receive one or more inlet connectors (200) and to connect the one or more inlet connectors (200) to the tap.
- 14. The device of claim 13, wherein the upper mounting member has a main sleeve section with an interior for receiving the one or more inlet connectors, and wherein the lower mounting member is provided at and arranged to move over an exterior of the upper mounting member.
- 15. The device of any preceding claim, wherein the fastening member 18 is coupled to the upper mounting member 16 indirectly via the tap body 100.
- 16. A tap assembly (1), comprising: a mounting device (10) of any preceding claim; a tap body (100) with a faucet and tap mechanisms, configured to be connected to the mounting device (10); and one or more inlet connectors (200), configured to be received in the mounting device (10) and to be connected to the tap body (100), the or each inlet connector (200) being further configured to be connected to a water hose or pipe.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2212383.0A GB2621872A (en) | 2022-08-25 | 2022-08-25 | A mounting device and a tap assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2212383.0A GB2621872A (en) | 2022-08-25 | 2022-08-25 | A mounting device and a tap assembly |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB202212383D0 GB202212383D0 (en) | 2022-10-12 |
| GB2621872A true GB2621872A (en) | 2024-02-28 |
| GB2621872A8 GB2621872A8 (en) | 2024-03-20 |
Family
ID=83931836
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2212383.0A Pending GB2621872A (en) | 2022-08-25 | 2022-08-25 | A mounting device and a tap assembly |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2621872A (en) |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB190813936A (en) * | 1908-07-01 | 1909-04-29 | William Goodwin | Improvements relating to Connecting Sockets or Couplings for Taps, Pipes or the like |
| JPH0893010A (en) * | 1994-09-28 | 1996-04-09 | Toto Ltd | Water tap fixing structure |
| GB2581854A (en) * | 2019-02-28 | 2020-09-02 | Xiamen Dingshang Bathroom Products Co Ltd | A structure enabling quick assembly between a faucet and a platform |
-
2022
- 2022-08-25 GB GB2212383.0A patent/GB2621872A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB190813936A (en) * | 1908-07-01 | 1909-04-29 | William Goodwin | Improvements relating to Connecting Sockets or Couplings for Taps, Pipes or the like |
| JPH0893010A (en) * | 1994-09-28 | 1996-04-09 | Toto Ltd | Water tap fixing structure |
| GB2581854A (en) * | 2019-02-28 | 2020-09-02 | Xiamen Dingshang Bathroom Products Co Ltd | A structure enabling quick assembly between a faucet and a platform |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB202212383D0 (en) | 2022-10-12 |
| GB2621872A8 (en) | 2024-03-20 |
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