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(11) | EP 0 632 220 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Composite body for taps |
| (57) A body for taps destined to sanitary fittings which include a valve device for controlling
the water to be delivered, comprising a metal core (11) accommodating the valve device
and delimiting water inlet and outlet ducts, and a case or shell (12) encasing the
core. The case comprises two shell-shaped moulded plastic elements (19-20) completely
coupled to each other, in which at least one of the said elements is fixed to the
tube or head (15) with terminal spout. |
[0001] The present invention concerns taps for sanitary fittings in general accommodating mixing valves or interception headworks functioning as regulation devices for the water to be delivered. More particularly, the invention concerns a tap body for wash basins, sinks, bidets and the like, as well as for bathtub batteries.
[0002] As regards taps and bathtub batteries, several embodiments are known according to which the tap body is in synthetic resin and obtained by injection moulding. Such embodiments however suffer from restrictions and other various problems with regard to forms, shrinkage, deformation and above all strength, when a body takes part in tap installation and is consequently subject to stress during use.
[0003] The aim of the present invention is to improve structure and assembly of tap bodies or bathtub batteries comprising plastic elements, so as to obviate said restrictions and solve the above mentioned problems.
[0004] In fact, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tap body comprising a metal core and a plastic case, the latter of simple structure so as to permit easy production by moulding for convenient, quick and secure assembly, which is not subject to any mechanical stress and functioning merely as a jacket and as an outside finishing of the tap, in the desired and most various shapes.
[0005] Another object of the invention is to provide a composite body for taps in which the water ducts and interception valve device are located exclusively in a metal core, so as to relieve the resin case of any functions involving canalization and water tightness.
[0006] A body for taps or bathtub batteries according to the present invention is substantially as claimed in claim 1. The advantage resides in the fact that the outside plastic case comprises two complementary components of any shape, which can easily be obtained by moulding, whose only function is to cover the metal core thus giving the tap its final and global shape, with no need of any further machining. Furthermore, such case may be made in any colour, starting from adequately pigmented resin.
[0007] An example of a practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of indicative and non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 shows a view of the separate elements destined to form a tap body;
Figure 2 shows an axial cross-sectional view of the elements illustrated in Fig. 1, assembled and accommodating the components of a complete tap;
Figure 3 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of a detail according to arrows III-III in Fig. 2, illustrating a first modality for stabilizing the fixing between the case elements and an inside component;
Figures 4 and 4a show two different views of another possible fixing modality;
Figures 5 and 5a show two different views of a further fixing modality;
Figure 6 shows a sectional view of another fixing method;
Figures 7 and 8 show a wash basin tap and a bidet tap respectively, both finished, viewed from outside;
Figure 9 shows a partial sectional view of a bathtub battery viewed from above;
Figure 10 shows a sectional view according to arrows X-X in Figure 9; and
Figures 11 and 12 show sectional views according to arrows XI-XI and XII-XII respectively, in Fig. 9.
[0008] With reference to the above described figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates the whole tap body proposed by the invention, comprising a core 11 and a case 12 which completely encase and covers the core.
[0009] Said core comprises an element 13, usually made in brass, provided with at least one water inlet duct not illustrated in the figures, a water outlet duct 13a and a seat 13c designed to receive a valve device 14, and a tube or head 15, in brass or other material, conveying water towards a terminal delivery spout 16 which may be provided with an aerator.
[0010] In a hot and cold water single-control mixer tap as illustrated in Figures 2, 7 and 8, the element 13 of the metal core 11 is provided with two inlet ducts designed to be connected to corresponding hot and cold water supply channels and with one outlet duct 13a designed to be connected to the tube or head 15 conveying water towards the spout 16. The valve device 14 may consist in a per se known cartridge type mixer valve, which is designed to be mounted and fixed in the seat 13c defined by the element 13 by means of a nut 17 and is controlled through a handle 18. The tube or head 15, at one end, is introduced into and fastened by pressure to the outlet opening 13a with a seal 15a interposed, and on the other end it includes the delivery spout 16.
[0011] The case 12 comprises two moulded plastic elements 19, 20 designed to completely couple to each other. The first element 19 is bell-shaped and comprises an integral side extension 19' like a shell located in the middle of its height and delimiting a cavity open downwards. Said side extension 19' extends above an opening 19'' provided on one side of the bell-shaped element 19 and may be angled at discretion with respect to the element itself.
[0012] The second element 20 of the case is shell-shaped and upside down with respect to the side extension 19' and delimits a concavity facing upwards. Such second element 20 is provided with a hook 20' at the bottom thereof which permits connection to the first element 19 towards the bottom thereof. The extension 19' and the shell-shaped element 20 are also provided with shoulders 21 along their edges, which are designed to couple and to define a connection surface between the two components.
[0013] In practice - see Figure 2 - the bell-shaped element 19 of the case 12 is designed to receive, from the bottom to the top, and accommodate the core 11 including the valve device 14 and the tube or head 15 with terminal spout 16. The side extension 19' and the complementary shell-shaped element 20, when coupled, encase the tube or head 15 completely or mostly, the one above and the other below said tube or head. Furthermore, the element 20 is fixed to the element 19 through the hook 20' and coupled to the extension through the shoulders provided in the edges concerned.
[0014] However, in order to stabilize the assembly, at least the shell-shaped extension 19' may be fixed to the tube or head 15 in various ways. For this purpose, the tube or head 15 may be provided with side fins 22 and the shell-shaped extension 19' with a couple of inside stems 23' corresponding to said fins. Thus, the shell-shaped 19' extension may be fixed to the tube or head 15 by means of self-tapping screws 24, screwed through the fins 22 and in the stems 23' as shown in Figure 3.
[0015] Alternatively, the stems 23' may be cylindrical but in a form composed of toothed elastic sectors designed to snap into holes provided in the fins 22' as shown in Figures 4, 4a.
[0016] In this case, the lower shell-shaped element 20 may be provided with an inside rod 25 designed to be introduced into the toothed sectors of the stems 23' so as to ensure secure blocking.
[0017] Figures 5, 5a illustrate another fastening system comprising connection and safety elements 23'', 22'' and 25' as shown in Figures 4, 4a, but having different forms.
[0018] In a further alternative, the stems 23a of the extension 19' may be fastened to the fins 22a of the tube or head 25 by ultrasonic welding - see Figure 6.
[0020] To keep the core 11 in the case 12, a closing disc 26 is snap applied to the base of the bell-shaped element 19.
[0021] The above described technique as concerns embodiment and assembly is also applicable to a bathtub battery as shown in Figures 9-12. Also in this case, the case 30 of the battery comprises two complementary, shell-shaped elements, and namely an upper element 31 and a lower element 32 designed to encase a core with a valve device 33, two channels for hot and cold water 34 and a tube or head 35 with a terminal spout. Said two bodies are fixed to each other by means of screws 36 along two opposite sections and to the tube or head 35, by means of other screws 37 located on two sides of a diverter 38.
1. A composite body for taps destined to sanitary fittings which include valve devices
for controlling the water to be delivered, comprising a core (11) which accommodates
the valve device and delimits water inlet and outlet ducts, and a case or shell (12)
encasing the core, said core (11) comprising an element (13) provided with at least
one water inlet duct, a water outlet duct (13a) and a seat (13c) accommodating the
valve device (14), and a tube or head (15) coupled in a watertight manner to said
outlet duct and including a delivery spout, characterized in that the case (12) comprises
two moulded plastic shell-shaped elements (19,20) complementarily coupled to each
other, and in that at least one of said elements is fixed to the tube or head (15)
with terminal spout.
2. A composite body as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a tap destined to a wash basin
or to a bidet, the first element (19) of the two elements composing the case is bell-shaped
and comprises a shell-shaped side extension (19') which is located in the middle of
its height and delimits a concavity facing downwards and extending above a side opening
provided in said element, and wherein the second element (20) of the case is shell-shaped
and delimits a concavity open upwards, said second element (20) having a hook (20')
which permits connection to the base of the first element (19) and connection edges
which permit coupling to the edges of said side extension (19') of the first element,
the bell-shaped element (19) being designed to encase the part (13) of the core (11)
accommodating the valve device, whereas said extension (19') and said second element
(20) accommodate the tube or head (15).
3. A composite body as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tube or head (15) is provided
with at least one side fin (22) and wherein at least the side extension (19') of the
first case element (12) is fixed to each fin (22) of the tube or head.
4. A composite body as claimed in claim 3, wherein said extension (19') is fixed to said
fins (22) by means of screws (24).
5. A composite body as claimed in claim 3, wherein said extension (19') is fixed to said
fins (22) by ultrasonic welding (23a).
6. A composite body as claimed in claim 3, wherein said extension (19') is fixed to said
fins (22) by means of elastic snap-action connection elements (23',23''), and wherein
the second shell-shaped element (20) is provided with a rod (25, 25') designed to
be introduced between said elastic elements thus blocking them.
7. A composite body as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in a bathtub battery, the case (30)
comprises two complementary shell-shaped elements (31, 32) adequately assembled to
encase a core with a valve device, two opposite channels for hot and cold water and
a tube or head (15) with a terminal spout, said two elements being fixed to each other
and at least to said tube or head by means of screws, snap-action means or ultrasonic
welding.