[0001] The present invention relates to a tap for the delivery of water comprising the characteristics
expressed in the preamble to Claim 1.
[0002] As is well known, taps are usually constituted by a delivery conduit and by a valve
assembly through which it is possible to determine the delivery of cold water coming
from an urban water pipeline and/or of hot water also coming from the water pipeline
after passing through a boiler or similar heating apparatus.
[0003] It is well known that water coming from the normal urban supply pipeline, while potable,
may contain even considerable quantities of chlorine, calcium and/or other undesirable
substances which, over time, may harm individuals' health.
[0004] In the attempt to overcome the aforementioned problem, taps are known which are able
to deliver, in addition to the water coming from the urban pipeline, "pure" water
coming from a filtering apparatus interposed between the tap and the urban water pipeline.
[0005] For the purposes of the present description, the adjective "pure" refers to any water
having controlled chemical-physical characteristics, for instance coming from a suitable
container or from a filtering and/or conditioning unit in turn connected to the water
supply pipeline.
[0006] An example of a tap having the above characteristics can be observed in US patent
number 5,753,118. This document describes a tap having two separate dispensing conduits
able respectively to dispense water coming from the urban water supply and pure water
obtained by filtering said water. To the first dispensing conduit is associated a
valve assembly able to be activated manually by means of an appropriate control lever
to determine the dispensing of cold and/or hot water. To the second dispensing conduit
is associated an opening/closing valve able to be activated by means of an external
handle to control the dispensing of the pure water. Moreover, the filtering apparatus
destined to purify the water coming from the pipeline is directly engaged to the body
of the tap in such a way as to be operatively interposed between the second conduit
and the pipeline itself
[0007] It should however be noted that the tap described above has considerable bulk since
it comprises two mutually distanced dispensing conduits and a filtering apparatus
of large size, directly engaged to the body of the tap.
[0008] In the attempt to improve, in terms bulk, of the taps destined to dispense also pure
water, the US document 5,417,348 proposes a tap wherein a first and a second dispensing
conduits destined respectively to dispense pure water and cold and/or hot water coming
from the urban supply pipeline, are coaxially positioned one inside the other thereby
constituting a single dispensing element. Upstream of the first conduit is operatively
engaged a first valve able to be switched between the open and shut position to determine
the delivery of pure water, whilst downstream of the second conduit are operatively
engaged a second and a third passage valves able to be switched between the open and
shut position to determine respectively the delivery of cold and hot water coming
from the urban water supply pipeline.
[0009] This configuration enables considerably to reduce the bulk of the tap, since the
first and the second conduit are integrated inside each other.
[0010] It should be noted that both taps described above provide for a separate disposition
of the conduit destined to the delivery of water coming from the water supply pipeline
relative to the conduit destined to the delivery of pure water, since it is a generally
held opinion that pure water, in order to be considered as such and to retain its
characteristics, must never come in contact with water from the supply pipeline, or
with the components destined to allow the passage thereof.
[0011] In contrast with this commonly held opinion, the Applicant has perceived that a separate
disposition of the conduit for the delivery of water from the supply pipeline and
of the conduit for the delivery of pure water is quite pejorative relative to the
hygiene guarantees of the pure water delivered by the tap. In this regard it should
be observed that pure water, delivered less frequently than pipeline water, is often
made to stagnate for long time intervals in the conduit segment lying between the
valve and the delivery outlet.
[0012] In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that in order to allow
better guarantees in terms of quality of the pure water delivered, it is preferable
for the delivery of the pure water to occur through the same passages dedicated to
the delivery of the cold water, taking care to prevent pure water from coming in contact
with hot water or with the components destined to the passage thereof, hot water being
classifiable, from the hygienic-sanitary point of view, in a lower category than cold
water.
[0013] In particular, the present invention relates to a tap for the delivery of water,
comprising the characteristics expressed in the characterising part of Claim 1.
[0014] Further features and advantages shall become more readily apparent from the detailed
description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a tap for the delivery
of water, in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] This description shall made hereafter with reference to the accompanying drawing,
provided solely by way of non-limiting indication, in which the only figure is a partially
sectioned elevation view of a tap for the delivery of water according to the present
invention, indicated in its entirety as 1.
[0016] As the accompanying figure shows, the tap 1 comprises a base 2 able to be fastened
to a sink or washbasin by means of appropriate fastening means, and a delivery element
3 extending laterally from the base 2 and away therefrom.
[0017] More specifically, the delivery element is engaged to the base 2 in correspondence
with a first extremity 4 and is internally hollow to define a first delivery conduit
5. The first delivery conduit 5 presents an outlet 6 obtained in a second extremity
7 opposite to the first extremity 4 of the delivery element 3. Inside the dispensing
element 3 is also present a second delivery conduit 8 having an inlet extremity 9
in correspondence with the base 2 and an outlet extremity 10 opposite to the inlet
extremity 9. The outlet extremity 10 of the second delivery conduit 8 ends in correspondence
with at least an outlet port 11 obtained through the delivery element 3.
[0018] In accordance with a preferential feature of the invention, the outlet 6 and the
output port 11 are advantageously mutually offset in axis and distanced, so that the
fluids delivered through the first delivery conduit 5 are sharply separated from the
fluid delivered through the second delivery conduit 8, providing the user also with
the visual perception of the type of fluid delivered, based on its origin.
[0019] In detail, the output port 11 of the second delivery conduit 8 is obtained in the
delivery element 3 between the outlet 6 of the first delivery conduit 5 and the base
2. Alternatively to the above description, it is possible to provide for the second
delivery conduit 8 to develop to the second extremity 7 of the delivery element 3,
so that the output port 11 is positioned adjacently to said extremity 7, with the
outlet 6 of the first delivery conduit 5 interposed between the output port itself
and the base 2.
[0020] As the accompanying figure shows, inside the base 2 extends a first supply conduit
12 hydraulically connected to the first delivery conduit 5. More in detail, the first
supply conduit 12 presents a first extremity 12a in fluid communication with the first
delivery conduit 5 and a second extremity 12b hydraulically engaged to an inlet union
fitting 13 for cold water coming from a first pipe 13a of the potable water supply
pipeline. Also inside the base 2 extends a second supply conduit 14 hydraulically
connected by means of a first extremity 14a to the first delivery conduit 5 and hydraulically
engaged, by means of a second extremity 14b, to an inlet union fitting 15 for pure
water. To the pure water inlet union fitting 15 is connected a second pipe 15a connected
to the water supply pipeline with the interposition of a filtering element 15b or
other purifying unit.
[0021] The tap 1 further comprises a third supply conduit 16 presenting a first extremity
16a in fluid communication with the inlet extremity 9 of the second delivery conduit
8 and a second extremity 16b hydraulically engaged to a hot water inlet union fitting
17. To the hot water inlet union fitting 17 is connected a third pipe 17a coming from
a boiler or other apparatus for supplying hot water.
[0022] To the supply conduits 12, 14, 16, are also associated valve means 18 to place the
first delivery conduit 5 in fluid communication with the first and the second supply
conduit 12, 14 and the second delivery conduit 8 with the third supply conduit 16.
[0023] More in detail, the valve means 18 comprise a first valve 19 situated inside the
base 2, operatively interposed between the first delivery conduit 5 and the cold water
inlet union fitting 13. This first valve 19 acts on the first delivery conduit 12
to regulate the passage of cold water in the first delivery conduit 5.
[0024] The valve means 18 further comprise a second valve 20, also positioned inside the
base 2 operatively interposed between the second delivery conduit 8 and the hot water
inlet union fitting 17. The second valve 20 is active on the third supply conduit
16 to enable and regulate the delivery of hot water in the second delivery conduit
8.
[0025] Also provided is a third valve 21 operatively interposed between the first delivery
conduit 5 and the pure water inlet union fitting 17. Said third valve 21 is engaged
on the second supply conduit 14 to enable and regulate the delivery of pure water
through the first delivery conduit 5.
[0026] Preferably, the first and the second valve 19, 20 can be actuated by means of a first
common control organ 22 mounted on the summit of the base 2, selectively to open and
close the supply of water, respectively hot and cold, to the first and to the second
delivery conduit 5, 8. Moreover, the third valve 21 is able to be actuated by means
of a second control organ 23, to open and close selectively the supply of pure water
to the first delivery conduit 5.
[0027] It is also possible to replace the third valve 21 with a switching valve or equivalent
selector means to place the first valve 19 selectively in fluid communication with
the cold water inlet union fitting 13 or with the pure water inlet union fitting 17.
[0028] The present invention solves the problems noted in the prior art and achieves the
proposed aims.
[0029] First of all the present invention, providing for the passage of pure water through
the same delivery conduit used for cold water, assures surprisingly greater guarantees
relative to the characteristics of the pure water delivered. The pure water is no
longer subject to long intervals of permanence inside the delivery conduit since,
through the same delivery conduit, flows also the cold pipeline-supplied water which
is generally delivered more frequently than pure water. In other words, the sharing
of the same delivery conduit by the pure water and by pipeline water and the frequent
use thereof prevents pure water from stagnating inside the delivery conduit. The water
that remains in the delivery conduit, after the closure of the third valve, is thrust
outside by the subsequent flow of pipeline water.
[0030] Moreover, the structure of the subject tap allows to deliver hot water separately
from cold water and from pure water. This feature is important since it allows to
prevent pure water from coming in contact with the components dedicated to the flow
of hot water, containing a considerable quantity of impurities.
[0031] It should also be considered that the subject tap is suitable to be advantageously
used in all those circumstances in which, due to market demands or legal regulations,
the separation of the hot water flows from the cold water flows is required.
[0032] It should further be noted that the separation of cold water from hot water is also
guaranteed during the output phase by the delivery element, since the outlet 7 of
the first delivery conduit 6 and the output port 12 of the second delivery conduit
9 are mutually distanced.
[0033] Furthermore, it should be observed that the separate supply of hot water from that
of cold water allows to eliminate the need to install in the base auxiliary one-way
valves and/or to adopt other contrivances necessary in known taps, to prevent, when
simultaneously delivering hot and cold water, the latter from invading, due to the
pressure differential, the hot water delivery conduit. Naturally, this entails a simplification
of the structure of the tap and consequently lower manufacturing costs than those
required by common taps.
1. A tap for the delivery of water, comprising:
- a first supply conduit (12);
- a second supply conduit (14);
- a third supply conduit (16);
- a first delivery conduit (5) hydraulically connected to said first and second supply
conduit (12, 14);
- a second delivery conduit (8) hydraulically connected to said third supply conduit
(16);
- valve means (18 j operatively associated to said supply conduits (12, 14, 16) to
place the first delivery conduit (5) in fluid communication with the first and the
second supply conduit (12, 14) and the second delivery conduit (8) with the third
supply conduit (16), characterised in that said first supply conduit (12) is hydraulically
engaged to a cold water inlet union fitting (13), in that said second supply conduit
(14) is hydraulically engaged to a pure water inlet union fitting (15) and said third
supply conduit (16) is hydraulically engaged to a hot water inlet union fitting (17),
so that the first delivery conduit (5) is selectively traversed by cold water and
pure water, whilst the second delivery conduit (8) is traversed exclusively by hot
water.
2. A tap according to claim I, wherein said valve means (18) comprise a first valve (19)
operatively interposed between the first delivery conduit (12) and the cold water
inlet union fitting (13) and a second valve (20) operatively interposed between the
second delivery conduit (8) and the hot water inlet union fitting (17), said first
and second valve (19, 20) being able to be actuated by means of a first common control
organ (22) to open and close selectively the supply of water to the first and to the
second delivery conduit (5, 8).
3. A tap according to claim 2, wherein said valve means (18) further comprise a third
valve (21) operatively interposed between said first delivery conduit (5) and said
pure water inlet union fitting (15), said third valve (21) being able to be actuated
by means of a second control organ (23) to open and close selectively the supply of
pure water to the first delivery conduit (5).
4. A tap according to claim 2, wherein said first valve (19) is also operatively connected
with the pure water inlet union fitting, (15), selector means being operatively associated
to said first valve (19) to place it selectively in fluid communication with the cold
water inlet union fitting (13) or the pure water inlet union fitting (15).
5. A tap according to claim 1, wherein said second delivery conduit (8) extends inside
the first delivery conduit (5).
6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said first delivery conduit (5) presents an
outlet (6) for the delivery of pipeline-supplied water and of the pure water and said
second delivery conduit (8) presents an output port (11) for the delivery of hot water,
said outlet (6) and said output port (11) being mutually offset and distanced.