Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02485484 2004-10-20
1 BATHTUB WATER TAP
2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
3 1.Field of the Invention
4 The present invention relates to a water tap, and more particularly to a
bathtub water tap which regulates cold and hot water and has a tap body and a
6 showerhead combined with the tap body to render a tidy appearance of the
7 entire water tap and save storage space for the showerhead when the
8 showerhead is not in use.
9 2. Description of Related Art
Various taps or faucets are provided for different applications. For
11 example, a conventional bathtub water tap in accordance with prior art can
be
12 generally found in a bathroom. The conventional bathtub water tap includes
a
13 tap body, a fluid control device, a showerhead and a showerhead hose. The
tap
14 body has a water passage with an outlet and an inlet. The inlet of the
water
passage is connected to the fluid control device. The showerhead hose has two
16 opposite ends, and one end is connected to the fluid control device and the
17 other end is connected to the showerhead.
18 The fluid control device regulates the hot and the cold water and diverts
19 the mixing water enteting into either the inlet of the water passage or the
showerhead hose. Therefore, a user can enjoy hip bath or shower bath by
21 selecting the water flowing out through the outlet of the water passage in
the
22 tap body or the showerhead. Such a conventional water tap could be found in
23 US Patent No. 6,079,061 to Fan and 6,321,777 to Wu.
24 However, the showerhead of the conventional bathtub water tap is
i
CA 02485484 2004-10-20
1 installed through an additional fixing member such as a wall fixture. Fixing
the
2 wall fixture needs to drill holes in a wall and uses fasteners such as
screws to
3 fasten the wall fixture on the wall through the holes. Installation of the
wall
4 fixture is really inconvenient and needs tools such as electronic drills to
define
the holes :and screwdrivers to tighten the screws. Furthermore, positions of
the
6 wall fixture will not be easy to adjust because the holes in the wall should
be
7 defined prior to changing the positions of the wall fixture. Moreover, the
8 showerhead, the showerhead hose and the wall fixture occupy quite a lot of
9 limited bathroom space when the showerhead is not in use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
11 An object of the present invention is to provide a water tap which
12 modularizes a tap body and a showerhead to render a clean appearance of the
13 entire water tap.
14 An other object of the present invention is to provide a water tap which
combines' a tap body and a showerhead to save storage space for the
16 showerhead and reduce installations of the showerhead.
17 , To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a bathtub water tap in
18 accordance with the present invention includes a tap body, a fluid control
19 device, a showerhead hose and a showerhead. The tap body has a hose passage
and a water passage. The water passage has an outlet and an inlet for
21 transporting water diverted by the fluid control device. The hose passage
has a
22 socket hole and a through hole. The showerhead hose is slidably mounted in
23 the hose passage and has two opposite ends passing respectively through the
24 socket hole and the through hole of the hose passage. The ends of the
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CA 02485484 2004-10-20
1 showerhead hose are respectively connected to the showerhead and the fluid
2 control device. The showerhead has an inside end held in the socket hole of
the
3 hose passage to position the showerhead with the tap body to achieve the
4 objects.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention
6 will be drawn from the following detailed embodiment of the present
invention
7 when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
8 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
9 Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a bathtub water tap in accordance
with the present invention;
I1 Fig. 2 is an operational, cross sectional view of the water tap in Fig.l
12 when a showerhead is pulled out of a tap body;
13 Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the
14 bathtub water tap in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 4 is an operational, cross sectional view of the water tap in Fig. 3
16 when a showerhead is pulled out of a tap body;
17 Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the tap
18 body in Fig. 1.
19 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to Fig. 1, a bathtub water tap 1 in accordance with the
21 present invention includes a tap body 2, a fluid control device 3, a
showerhead
22 hose 4 and a showerhead 5.
23 The tap body 2 has a water passage 20 and a hose passage 21. The
24 water passage 20 is defined completely through the tap body 2 and defines
an
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1 outlet 201 and an inlet 202 in the tap body 2. Water enters into the water
2 passage 20 through the inlet 202 and flows out of the water passage 20
through
3 the outlet 201.
4 The hose passage 21 is integrally defined in and completely through the
tap body 2 adjacent to the water passage 20, is shorter than the water passage
6 20 in length and defines a socket hole 211 and a through hole 212 in the tap
7 body 2. The through hole 212 is defined adjacent to the inlet 202 of the
water '
8 passage 20. The socket hole 211 faces toward the outlet 201 of the water
9 passage20.
The showerhead hose 4 is slidably mounted and held in the hose
11 passage 21 and has two opposites ends. The ends of the showerhead hose 4
pass
12 respectively through the socket hole 211 and the through hole 212 and are
13 respectively connected to the showerhead S and the fluid control device 3.
14 The fluid control device 3 is connected to the inlet 202 in the tap body
2 and diverts water flow directions to either the water passage 20 or the
16 showerhead hose 4. The fluid control device 3 includes two plumbing
couplings
17 30, a piston mechanism 31, a mounting pipe 32, a receiving pipe 33 and a
joint
18 34.
19 The plumbing couplings 30 include a cold water inlet 301 and a hot
water inlet 302 and are mounted in the joint 34. The joint 34 has a tap body
21 outlet 303 and a showerhead outlet 304. The inlets 301,302 and the outlets
22 303,304 in the joint 34 are communicated with each other and may be
arranged
23 in a cross. The cold and the hot water inlets 301,302 are respectively in
24 communication with a cold water supply conduit (not shown) and a hot water
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1 supply conduit (not shown) that transport respectively hot and cold water.
2 The receiving pipe 33 is mounted in the joint 34 through the tap body
3 outlet 303. The showerhead hose outlet 304 is connected with one end of the
4 showerhead hose 4. Therefore, water will enter into the showerhead 5 through
the showerhead hose 4 for shower both when the water is directed by the piston
6 mechanism 31.
7 The showerhead 5 is demountably mounted on the tap body 2, is
8 partially held in the socket hole 211 of the hose passage 21 and has an
inside
9 end 51 and a spout face 52. The showerhead 5 forms a part of the tap body 2
while the inside end 51 is held in the socket hole 211, which will provide a
nice
11 appearance of the entire tap body 2 and save the bathroom space. The spout
12 face 52 may be flush with the outlet 201 in the tap body 20 so that the
13 showerhead 5 and the tap body 2 cooperatively form a complete profile.
14 The mounting pipe 32 is mounted in a deck 60 and is connected to both
the receiving pipe 33 and the inlet 202 of the water passage 20 in the tap
body 2
16 to direct the water in the receiving pipe 33 entering into the water
passage 20.
17 The piston mechanism 31 includes a piston body 313, a shaft
18 connection pipe 314, a movable block 315, a valve rod 316, a resilient
member
19 317 and a differential pressure switch 318. The shaft connection pipe 314
is
mounted in the receiving pipe 33 with a sealing 36 such as an O-ring and has
21 two opposite openings, multiple radial holes 319, a valve port 320 and an
22 interior shoulder 321. The sealing 36 is mounted on the receiving pipe 33
23 around the tap body outlet 303 to prevent water from leaking through the
tap
24 body outlet 303. The openings of the shaft connection pipe 314 are
respectively
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1 communicated with the inlet 202 in the tap body 2 through the mounting pipe
2 32 and the showerhead outlet 304 in the joint 34. The shoulder 321 is
annular
3 and is formed inside the shaft connection pipe 314 so as to form the valve
port
4 320. The radial holes 319 allow communicating the inside of the shaft
connection pipe 314 to both the hot and the cold water inlets 302,301.
6 The valve rod 316 is movably mounted and held in the valve port 320
7 with its two ends extended respectively toward the openings of the shaft
8 connection pipe 314. The piston body 313 and the movable block 315 are
9 respectively attached to the ends of the valve rod 316. The piston body 313
either opens or closes the valve port 320 as the valve rod 316 is moved
11 upwardly or downwardly caused by differences of water pressure. The movable
12 block 315 has a channel 35 that communicates with the showerhead outlet 304
13 in the joint 34.
14 The resilient member 317 such as a leaf spring and is mounted on the
valve rod 316 between the movable block 315 and the shoulder 321 to provide
16 a restitution force pushing the movable block 315, which causes the piston
17 body 313 to close the valve port 320.
18 The differential pressure switch 318 is mounted in the showerhead 5 to
19 produce a water pressure difference when the differential pressure switch
318
is pressed. The showerhead 5 further has a valve hole 50 adjacent to the spout
21 face 52. The differential pressure switch 318 includes a latch lever 36, a
22 resilient plate 361, a linkage rod 37, a valve plug 38 and a resilient
member 39.
23 The resilient plate 361 is supported by a nub 362 and abuts partially
against the
24 latch lever 36.
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1 The linkage rod 37 is slidably mounted in the showerhead 5 with the
2 resilient member 39 at a position corresponding to the valve hole 50 and is
3 connected to the resilient plate 361. Therefore, pivoting the resilient
plate 361
4 about the nub 362 will move the linkage rod 37 and compress the resilient
member 39. The valve plug 38 is attached to the linkage rod 37 so that the
6 movements of the linkage rod 37 will cause the valve plug 38 opening or
7 closing the valve hole 50.
8 The cold water and the hot water enter the connection pipe 314 through
9 the cold and the hot water inlets 301,302 and the radial holes 319 when the
water tap 1 is turned on. The piston body 313 is moved upward by the water
11 pressure to open the valve port 320, which permits the mixing water
entering
12 into the water passage 20 through the pipes 32,33, and then flows out
through
13 the outlet 201. The movement of the piston body 313 moves the valve rod 316
14 upward, which compresses the resilient member 317 producing the restitution
force.
16 With further reference to Fig. 2, pressing the latch lever 36 causes the
17 valve plug 38 opening the valve hole 50. The opening of the valve hole 50
18 causes reduction of the water flow pressure, which results that the water
flow
19 pressure is insufficient to push the piston body 313 against the
restitution force
of the resilient member 317. The resilient member 317 returns the piston body
21 313 to its original position so that the piston body 313 closes the valve
port 320.
22 In such a state, the mixing water only flows out through the showerhead 5
for
23 shower bath.
24 With reference to Fig. 3, an alternative embodiment of a bathtub water
CA 02485484 2004-10-20
1 tap 1' in accordance with the present invention is a modification of the
first
2 embodiment. The same or similar components are designated with the same
3 reference numerals as for the first embodiment, except followed by the
symbol
4 "' ". The modification is implemented with a fluid control device 3'.
The fluid control device 3' includes two plumbing couplings 30', a
6 piston mechanism 31', a mounting pipe 32', a receiving pipe 33' and a joint
34'.
7 The mounting pipe 32', the receiving pipe 33' and the joint 34' are
assembled in
8 a manner as previously described. The piston mechanism 31' includes a piston
9 body 313', a valve rod 316', a resilient member 317' and a knob 322.
The valve rod 316' is movable mounted and held in the pipes 32', 33'
11 and the tap body 2' with multiple sealings such as O-rings 204 in the tap
body 2'.
12 The valve rod 316' has an outside end and an inside end. The outside end
13 extends out of the tap body 2' onto which the knob 322 is attached. The
inside
14 end extends toward the showerhead outlet 304' onto which the piston body
313'
is attached.
16 The resilient member 317' may be a compression spring and is mounted
17 around the valve rod 316' between the piston body 313' and the mounting
pipe
18 32' to provide a restitution force as previously described. Furthermore,
the
19 elastic coefficient of the resilient member 317' is less than the pressure
of the
water so that the piston body 313' can open the showerhead outlet 304' by
21 pulling the valve rod 317' through the knob 322.
22 The piston body 313' closes the showerhead outlet 304' in a nom~al
23 operation state, which results water flow enters through the receiving pipe
33',
24 into the water passage 20', and then out from the outlet 201' for hip bath.
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1 With reference to Fig. 4, pulling upwardly the valve rod 316' lifts the
2 piston body 313' to abut and close the tap body outlet 303', which results
water
3 flow enters through the showerhead hose 4' and out from the showerhead 5'
for
4 shower bath.
With further reference to Fig. 5, an alternative embodiment of a tap
6 body 2" in accordance with the present invention is a modification of the
tap
7 body 2 of the first embodiment. The same or similar components are
designated
8 with the same reference numerals as for the first embodiment, except
followed
9 by the symbol " " ".
The tap body 2" has two opposite upward wings 24. The wings 24
11 forms a hose passage 21 ", a socket hole 211" and a through hole 212" in
the tap
12 body 2" to receive the showerhead and the showerhead hose as previously
13 described. The socket hole 211" and the through hole 212" communicate with
14 the hose passage 21".
Consequently, the bathtub water tap 1, 1' in accordance with the present
16 invention modularizes the tap body 2, 2', 2" and the show~head 5, 5' for
17 directly installing the showerhead 5, 5' at the tap body 2, 2', 2" when the
18 showerhead 5, 5' is not in use. Additional installations of the showerhead
5, 5',
19 such as drilling holes in the wall and driving screws are not required.
Therefore,
using and installing the bathtub water tap 1, 1' is more convenient and easy
than
21 a conventional bathtub water tap.
22 Furthermore, since the showerhead 5, 5' could be stored and hid in the
23 tap body 2, 2', 2", the showerhead 5, 5' will not occupy bathroom space,
and the
24 appearance of the entire water tap 1, 1' is tidy and clean.
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1 It is understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms
2 without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and
3 embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not
4 restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given
herein.
io
