Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FLUID DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH A HOUSING AND AT LEAST ONE FLUID
INLET AND ONE FLUID OUTLET
DE SC RIFT ION
[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to a fluid delivery assembly that is
installed in a water
discharging fixture, such as a faucet. The fluid delivery assembly includes a
tube
assembly defining a fluid flow path, a housing configured to receive a fluid
flow
cartridge, and a retaining assembly that enables the fluid delivery assembly
to be easily
removed or replaced.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Fluid delivery assemblies are known, and can be found in both
residential and
commercial settings. In either setting, the fluid delivery assembly provides
fluid flow
from hot and cold water sources. The fluid is dispensed through a discharge
fixture, such
as a kitchen or lavatory faucet. While such fluid delivery assemblies provide
some
benefits, they nevertheless have certain limitations. For example, the water
delivery
lines attached between the water source lines and the faucet typically require
tools for
installation of the faucet assembly. Also, conventional fluid delivery
assemblies
typically have inlet lines molded together or pre-formed with a cartridge
housing, such
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that replacing the inlet lines requires replacing the entire faucet assembly.
Examples of
fluid delivery assemblies having these and other limitations are found in U.S.
Patent Nos.
7,032,260 to Hwang and 6,123,106 to Benstead.
[0004] The present invention is intended to solve the limitations of
conventional
fluid delivery assemblies discussed above and other problems, and to provide
advantages
and aspects not provided by prior fluid delivery assemblies. Some of the
features and
advantages of the present invention are described in the following detailed
description
and the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is directed to a fluid delivery assembly that
includes a
number of components that interact to define a replaceable fluid flow path
from a fluid
source (such as a hot and cold water source) to a fluid discharge assembly
(such as a
faucet). These interacting components may include a tube assembly (e.g., a
plastic tube
assembly), a housing (e.g., a cartridge housing), and a retaining assembly
(e.g., a
threaded mounting shank and a cooperatively threaded mounting nut). These
components enable the fluid delivery assembly to be easily attached to or
detached from
a faucet assembly by hand, that is, without the use of tools. These components
may be
separate and distinct such that an individual component may be removed and/or
replaced.
[0006] An important feature of the invention is that its fluid delivery
assembly is
mounted completely below its related countertop or deck. It follows that the
installation
or removal of the fluid delivery assembly occurs completely below the
countertop or
deck. This permits such installation or removal of the fluid delivery assembly
without
removing or replacing portions of the faucet assembly above the deck.
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[0007] According to one aspect of the invention, the fluid delivery
assembly includes
a tube assembly having a plurality of tubes, a housing configured to receive a
fluid flow
cartridge assembly, and a retaining assembly. The tube assembly may be formed
of any
suitable material, including but not limited to PERT. The tube assembly may
include
two tubes, the first tube providing water from a water source line to the
cartridge housing
and the second tube providing a water pathway from the cartridge housing to a
water
discharge assembly, such as a faucet. Alternatively, the first tube may
provide hot water
from the hot water source line to the cartridge housing, and the second tube
may provide
cold water from the cold water source line to the cartridge housing.
[0008] An end portion of the first tube may be sized and/or shaped
differently than
an end portion of the second tube. Correspondingly, the housing may have two
mating
cavities that are sized and shaped to receive the complementarily sized and
shaped end
portions of the respective first and second tubes. As a consequence of this
construction,
the tube assembly may only be inserted into the housing in one particular
orientation.
[0009] The retaining assembly includes a securing member that has a
threaded
portion. The securing member is movable up and down a portion of the length of
the
tube assembly, and is also rotationally movable around the circumference of
the tube
assembly. The retaining assembly also includes a mounting member that has a
threaded
portion. As the securing member is rotated by hand, the threaded portions of
the
securing member and the mounting member cooperatively engage with each other
to
secure the tube assembly to the housing. The securing member and the mounting
member include sufficient threading to ensure a precise and well-sealed
connection
between the tube assembly and the end body. Preferably, the securing member is
externally threaded and the end body is internally threaded. Alternatively,
the securing
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member may be internally threaded and the end body may be externally threaded.
The
housing, the tube assembly and the retaining assembly are separate components
that are
not integrally formed together, such as by over-molding or adhesively bonding.
Therefore, any component may be removed and/or replaced while keeping the
other
components as part of the faucet assembly.
[00101 Other features and advantages of an aspect of the invention will be
apparent
from the following specification, taken in conjunction with the following
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention, connected to a
faucet, to form
an assembly;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1,
with two
fluid delivery assemblies shown positioned for assembly with the faucet;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the assembly
of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a fluid delivery assembly;
[0015] FIG. 5 is another exploded perspective view of a portion of the
assembly of
FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the assembled components of FIG. 5;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional front view of a portion of the assembly
of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a partially cut-away perspective view of an embodiment of
a
delivery spout;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the delivery spout of FIG.
8;
[0020] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a quick
connect
assembly;
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[0021] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the assembled components of FIG.
10;
100221 FIG. 12 is another exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIG.
1, with
two fluid delivery assemblies shown connected to faucet handles;
[0023] FIG. 13 is another exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIG.
1, with
one of the fluid delivery assemblies shown completely unconnected;
[0024] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional front view of the assembly of FIG. 2;
[0025] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view of the assembled components
of FIGS.
9 and 11; and
[0026] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of two tube assemblies.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] This invention may take many different forms. The current
description and
drawings teach only a few of the many different forms or embodiments of the
invention.
It should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as
disclosing only
a few, non-limiting examples of the principles of the invention. This
disclosure is not
intended to limit the broadest aspects of the invention to the illustrated
embodiments.
[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a faucet system 100 for delivery of water to a
user. The
faucet system 100 includes a faucet assembly 200, a quick connect assembly
600, fluid
delivery assemblies 300 and fluid inlet valves 400. The faucet assembly 200
includes a
delivery spout 210 and two handles 220 that are mounted as an assembly on top
of a
countertop 150 (shown in broken line form). The fluid delivery assemblies 300
are
connected between the faucet assembly 200 and the fluid inlet valves 400. One
inlet
valve 400 may provide hot water from a hot water source (e.g., water heater)
and the
other inlet valve 400 may provide cold water from a cold water source (e.g.,
well or city
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water). Alternatively, faucet system 100 may be any other suitable fluid
delivery system
(e.g., a shower system).
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the faucet assembly 200 and
the fluid
delivery assembly 300. As explained in greater detail below, each fluid
delivery
assembly 300 includes a tube assembly 310 defining a flow path for hot or cold
water, a
housing 320 and a retaining assembly 330. Alternatively, the fluid delivery
assembly
300 may include only the tube assembly 310 and the retaining assembly 330.
[0030] Referring again to FIG. 2, the tube assembly 310 includes a first
tube 312 that
provides a fluid pathway from a fluid source inlet line, such as a hot or cold
water inlet
line. A portion of a second tube 314 of the tube assembly 310 runs alongside
and is
substantially parallel to first tube 312. As may be seen in FIG. 2, this
second tube 314
provides a fluid pathway from the housing 320 to a fluid delivery spout 210,
such as a
water faucet.
[0031] In this embodiment, as may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, parts of first
tube 312
and second tube 314 are molded together at a molded junction portion 319.
Alternatively, the first and second tubes 312, 314 may be attached to each
other by any
standard attachment device, such as by a clamp, a band or an adhesive.
[0032] FIG. 4 shows that the first tube 312 has a first tube end portion
313, and that
second tube 314 has a second tube end portion 315. First tube end portion 313
may be
sized and/or shaped differently than second tube end portion 315. As but one
example,
both tube end portions 313, 315 may be cylindrical, but the first tube end
portion 313
may have a larger diameter than the second tube end portion 315.
[0033] The present fluid delivery assembly may include the housing 320
depicted in
FIG. 4. The housing 320 is configured to accommodate the tube end portions of
the first
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tube 312 and second tube 314. For example, as noted above, the first tube end
portion
313 has a larger diameter than the second tube end portion 315. Accordingly,
the
housing 320 of FIG. 4 includes a relatively large first fluid channel 322,
sized and shaped
to properly accommodate the larger first tube end portion 313. Housing 320
further
includes a relatively smaller second fluid channel 324, sized and shaped to
properly
accommodate the smaller second tube end portion 315
[0034] The first and second fluid channels 322 and 324 are intended and
designed in
a mariner that will ensure secure a snug or tight fit. As a result, the design
of the first and
second fluid channels 322 and 324 provides retention of the first 313 and
second 315
tube end portions within those fluid channels. Such secure retention prevents
unintended
separation of the first end portion 313 from the first fluid channel 322, and
of the second
end portion 315 from the second fluid channel 324.
[0035] The connection between the first and second fluid channels 322 and
324 and
the end portions 313 and 315 is also intended to be water-tight. Such a water-
tight
connection arises from the provision of at least one sealing member 160
mounted on
each tube end portion 313, 315. One example of a preferred sealing member 160
is a
conventional, elastic 0-ring.
[0036] The different sizes (in this embodiment, diameters) of the tube end
portions
313, 315 and their respective fluid channels 322, 324 ensures that the tube
assembly 310
can only be inserted into the housing 320 in the proper orientation.
Specifically, the
diameter of the first tube end portion 313 is too large to fit into the second
fluid channel
324.
[0037] In addition, the diameter of the second tube end portion 315 is
relatively
small. Thus, if the user attempted to insert the smaller second tube end
portion 315 into
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the larger first fluid channels 322, the user would immediately notice that
the second
tube end portion 315 fits extremely loosely within that fluid channel 322. In
this way,
the user would immediately realize that he or she is attempting to position
the second
tube end portion 315 in the wrong fluid channel.
[0038] Instead of varying the tube end diameters, as discussed above, the
tube end
portions could be shaped differently. For example, one tube end portion could
be round,
and the other tube end portion could be square. Any combination of sizes and
shapes for
the tube end portions is also considered to be within the scope of this
invention.
[0039] In fact, the tube end portions may also be identically sized and
shaped.
However, identically sized and shaped tube end portions would not enable the
user to
immediately know, upon attempted installation of such tube end portions into
the fluid
channels of a housing 320, whether those tube end portions were in the correct
fluid
channel.
[0040] Fluid channels 322, 324 provide individual fluid pathways from a
conventional fluid flow cartridge 500 (FIG. 3) to first and second tubes 312,
314
respectively. Housing 320 has a threaded securing portion 321 that may be
secured to
mounting member 332 by a securing nut 222 (see FIG. 2). Housing 320 may be
formed
from any desired material, such as plastic. Housing 320 may be cylindrically
shaped, so
as to receive a standard fluid flow cartridge 500.
100411 As show in FIGS. 5 and 6, the housing 320 is slidably inserted into
the
mounting member 332. A fluid orientation component 325 is slidably inserted
into the
housing 320. The fluid orientation component 325 connects to and seals the
inlet of a
fluid flow cartridge 500. The fluid orientation component 325 also connects to
and seals
the first fluid channel 322, which is the fluid inlet portion of the housing
320. A handle
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escutcheon 327 is slidably mounted onto the housing 320. The handle escutcheon
327
provides a base for the handle 220 and is a decorative cover above the
countertop 150
(see FIG. 1).
[0042] Referring again to FIG. 4, the retaining assembly 330 includes a
mounting
member 332 and a securing member 338. While the mounting member 332 and the
securing member 338 may be made of any desired material, a preferred material
is either
brass or copper.
[0043] The mounting member 332 is configured to be fixed in place, such as
by
being secured directly to a countertop or to a faucet assembly (see FIGS. 1
and 7). The
mounting member 332 shown in FIG. 4 is a hollow cylindrical mounting shank 334
with
external threading 336. A collar 337 may be used to secure the mounting member
332
against the bottom of a countertop 150 (see FIGS. 1 and 7).
[0044] The securing member 338 may be any suitable structure that
cooperatively
engages with the mounting member 332. Together, the securing member 338 and
mounting member 332 act to secure the tube assembly 310 to the faucet assembly
200
such that the tube assembly 310 is connected to the housing 320.
[0045] For example, the securing member 338 may be a threaded mounting nut
as
shown in FIG. 4.
[0046] The mounting member 332 also has an internally threaded portion 333
(see
FIG. 7). Securing member 338 has an externally threaded portion 339. Thus, the
internally threaded portion 333 is attached to the externally threaded portion
339, so that
the securing member 338 is connected to the mounting member 332. As indicated
above, the connection of the securing member 338 to the mounting member 332
locks
the tube assembly 310 into the faucet assembly 200.
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[0047] Specifically, referring again to FIG. 4, the mounting member 332 is
configured to receive at least a portion of the housing 320 and also at least
a portion of
the tube assembly 310. However, it should be understood that the housing 320
may be
seated entirely within the mounting member 332. It should also be understood
that the
molded tube portion 319 of the tube assembly 310 may also be seated entirely
within the
mounting member 332.
[0048] The fluid delivery assembly 300 may be assembled by securing the
mounting
member 332 to the bottom of a countertop. The housing 320 is inserted into the
fixed
mounting member 332, and the tube assembly 310 is slidably moved into the
mounting
member 332 until the first and second tube end portions 313, 315 are fully
engaged with
first and second fluid channels 322, 324.
[0049] The securing member 338 is then slidably moved upward along the tube
assembly 310, until the securing member 338 engages the mounting member 332.
The
securing member 338 is then rotated by hand, and not with the use of tools, to
thread the
securing member 332 onto the mounting member 338. As noted above, this action
secures the tube assembly 310 to the faucet assembly 200. The securing nut 222
may be
threaded on to the threaded securing portion 321 of the housing 320 to secure
the
housing 320 to the mounting member 320 and the tube assembly 310.
[0050] Referring again to FIG. 1, the first tube 312 is then connected to a
fluid
source, such as a hot or cold water inlet valve 400. Next, the second tube 314
is
connected to a quick connect assembly 600, the quick connect assembly 600
being
further connected to a fluid discharge fixture such as a water delivery spout
200. As
further shown in FIG. 1, a first fluid delivery assembly 300 provides cold
water to water
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delivery spout 200, while a second fluid delivery assembly 300 provides hot
water to
water delivery spout 200.
[0051] FIGS. 8 and 9 depict a spout assembly 250. This spout assembly 250
includes a fluid delivery tube 252 that extends through at least a portion of
the delivery
spout 210. The base of the delivery spout 210 includes a first end 212 that is
configured
to be secured against the top of the countertop 150. A spout mounting member
254
extends beyond first end 212 and is configured to be mounted through a bore in
the
countertop 150 (see FIG. 14). As may further be seen in FIG. 14, this spout
mounting
member 254 may be secured to the bottom of the countertop 150 by a spout
securing nut
256.
[0052] As shown in FIG. 8, fluid delivery tube 252 has a first connecting
end 253.
First connecting end 253 is configured to connect to quick connect assembly
600 as
shown in FIG. 14. The connection between first connecting end 253 and the
quick
connect assembly 600 is also intended to be water-tight. Such a water-tight
connection
arises from the provision of at least one sealing member 160 mounted on the
first
connecting end 253.
[0053] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 7, retaining assembly 330 and its
component
tube assembly 310 are oriented along the same longitudinal axis. When the
various
components of the retaining assembly 330 are secured to each other, the
securement
arises from movement of these components along this same longitudinal axis.
[0054] For example, a standard faucet is mounted to an upper surface of a
countertop
150, with a vertical bore through the countertop to accommodate the water
lines from
below the countertop 150. The fluid delivery assembly 300 may then be moved
through
this vertical bore, and then secured to the bottom of the countertop 150.
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[00551 The tube assembly 310 is joined to the housing 320 from beneath
the
countertop 150. Then, securing member 338 is moved upwardly to the tube
assembly
310, and is threaded onto the mounting member 332 to secure the tube assembly
310 to
the housing 320.
[0056] In this way, all assembly of the fluid delivery assembly 300
occurs beneath
the countertop. The more difficult areas to access require only hand
tightening of the
retaining assembly 330. Meanwhile, more accessible areas may be connected
using
simple tools. For example, a crescent wrench may be used to tighten a pressure
fitted nut
390 to a water inlet.
[00571 Alternatively, connection of the tube assembly 300 to a fluid
source inlet line
or a fluid discharge fixture may be facilitated by a quick connector, such as
disclosed in
U.S. Patent No. 7,044,506. For example, FIGS. 9 and 10 show quick connector
assembly 600 in the form of a Y-connector with first and second inlet
connectors 610 for
connecting two fluid inlet lines and an outlet connector 620 for connecting to
one fluid
outlet. As further seen in FIG. 1, the second tubes 314 of the tube assemblies
310 that
provide hot and cold water are connected to the first and second inlet
connectors 610 and
the first connecting end 253 of the spout assembly 250 is connected to the
outlet
connector 620. Thus, complete fluid flow paths are provided from the hot and
cold water
inlet valves 400 to the delivery spout 210.
[0058] FIG. 12 shows two fluid delivery assemblies 300, each connected
to a handle
220 of the faucet assembly 200. The second ends of first and second tubes 312,
314 are
shown not yet connected to water inlets or the spout assembly 250. As further
shown in
FIG. 13, tube assembly 310 is a separate component that may be removed and/or
replaced without uninstalling any other components of the faucet assembly 200.
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[0059] FIG. 14 shows a front cross-sectional view of the faucet system 100.
The
connections of the fluid delivery assemblies 300 to the handles 220 and the
quick
connect assembly 600 are made under the countertop 150 by hand without
requiring the
use of tools. As further shown in FIG. 15, the quick connect assembly 600 is
also
connected to the spout assembly 250 under the countertop 150 by hand without
requiring
the use of tools. Thus, the tube assemblies 310 shown in FIG. 16 and the quick
connect
assembly 600 may be easily disconnected from the faucet assembly 200. Further,
any of
the two tube assemblies 310 or the quick connect assembly 600 may be
individually
replaced without replacing any of the other components.
[0060] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles
of the
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
occur to
those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the
exact construction
and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the invention.
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