Abstract:
A water flushing unit and a method of making such comprising a cover plate that is to be mountingly installed to replace the original equipment cover plate of a shower valve. The modified cover plate has a drain conduit which includes an on/off valve. The on/off valve is in turn connected to a flexible tube. Flushing water from the shower valve is to be confined and directed through the drain pipe and, with the on/off valve in an open position, is caused to flow through the drain tube.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention is directed to a water flushing unit that is to be temporarily connected in conjunction with a shower valve that is to be usable to direct flushing water from the shower valve to be deposited directly in a drain opening eliminating random spraying of the flushing water from the shower valve. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is common that when a person was taking a shower, and if water was turned on at another location within the house, that the temperature of the water flowing through the shower would either drop significantly in temperature, if the water that was turned on at the other location in the house was hot water, or would rise significantly in temperature, if the water that was turned on at the other location in the house was cold water. To the individual that is taking the shower, this rapid change in temperature is uncomfortable even though the rapid change will generally be no more than a few seconds. 
     Within recent years, there has been constructed a pressure balanced shower valve which when installed in conjunction with the shower will cause the temperature of the water that is being emitted from the shower valve to be maintained at the selected temperature regardless of whether water is caused to flow at another location in the house. Building codes of some states require the insulation of such a shower valve. In other states and countries, shower valves can be installed optionally, although not required. 
     After installation of the shower valve within the house, it is necessary to flush the shower valve prior to usage. This is to eliminate any obstruction that may have gotten into the water lines of the house that may cause a clogging to occur. The typical procedure for the plumber, after installation of the shower valve, is to remove a cover plate of the shower valve. The internal chamber of the shower valve is now exposed. The plumber will then turn on the water to the house which causes the water to be expelled from the shower valve in a spraying manner. This flushing can take a matter of a few minutes and a significant amount of water could be caused to flow to an undesired location, such as within the wall of the house where normally the shower valve would be installed. This drainage of water can cause damage to drywall and flooring of the house. 
     It would be desirable to construct some type of device which could channel the flushing water to an appropriate water drain that is mounted in conjunction with the house eliminating the random spraying of the water from the shower valve. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first basic embodiment of this invention comprising a water flushing unit for a pressure balanced shower valve which includes a modified cover plate that is adapted for securement onto a shower valve replacing the original equipment cover plate. A drain conduit is mounted to this modified cover plate with the drain conduit connecting with the through hole formed within the modified cover plate. An on/off valve is connected to the drain conduit. An elongated drain tube is connected to the drain conduit. Therefore, when the water flows into the shower valve, the water is to be channeled through the drain conduit and through the on/off valve, which should be in the open position, with the water flowing through the elongated drain tube. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the modified cover plate including a series of holes each of which is adapted to connect with an appropriate bolt fastener for positive securement of the modified cover plate onto the shower valve; 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the through hole within the cover plate being centrally located within the modified cover plate; 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the drain conduit being defined as a pipe; 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the on/off valve being defined as being manually operable; 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the drain tube being defined as being flexible. 
     A second basic embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of directing flow of water from a pressure balanced shower valve comprising the steps of removing a first cover plate from the shower valve, installing a second cover plate in conjunction with the shower valve in place of the first cover plate where the second cover plate has a through hole. A drain conduit is attached to the second cover plate and connects with this through hole. An on/off valve is mounted in connection with the drain conduit. A drain tube is connected to the on/off valve. Whereby when water is forced into the shower valve to flush such that the water is caused to flow through the drain conduit when the on/off valve is open and into the drain tube to be deposited in an appropriate selected ambient location. 
     A third basic embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of making a water flushing unit to be used in conjunction with a pressure balanced shower valve comprising the steps of obtaining a modified cover plate that is attached onto the shower valve, replacing the original equipment cover plate of the shower valve, forming a through hole within the modified cover plate, attaching a drain pipe to the through hole so water is capable of passing from the shower valve into the drain pipe, installing an on/off valve in conjunction with drain pipe where the on/off valve is usable to control the flow of water through the drain pipe and causing a drain tube to be connected to the on/off valve which is to receive the water from the drain pipe and the on/off valve and direct such to be deposited in an appropriate selected ambient location. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of the pressure balanced shower valve and the water flushing unit of the present invention depicting the replacement procedure that is required to install the water flushing unit of the present invention in conjunction with the shower valve body; 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing the water flushing unit of the present invention installed in conjunction with the shower valve body with the water flushing unit in position for usage and depicting movement of the on/off valve of the water flushing unit between a closed position and an open position; and 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the water flushing unit of the present invention taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a pressure balanced shower valve  10 . The pressure balanced shower valve  10  has a valve body  12  which has an internal chamber  14 . Connecting into the valve body  12  is a cold water inlet line  16  and a hot water inlet line  18 . Also connected to the valve body  12  is a water outlet line  20 . The water outlet line  20  is to connect to a showerhead, which is not shown. 
     Access into the internal chamber  14  is provided by an access opening  22  which is located directly adjacent O-ring seat  24 . There is to be an O-ring  26  that is mounted within the O-ring seat  24 . The O-ring  26  will be constructed of a rubber or rubber/plastic material. Surrounding the O-ring seat  24  is a planar cover seat  28 . There will normally be mounted on the cover seat  28  a cover plate  30 . Mounted to the inside surface of the cover plate  30  is valving structure  32  which is to be located within the internal chamber  14 . The valving structure  32  is what will control the temperature of the water that is flowing through the water outlet line  20  so as to keep that water within the water outlet line  20  essentially at a constant temperature. 
     The cover plate  30  is basically square in configuration and includes a hole  34  located directly adjacent each corner of the cover plate  30 . The cover seat  28  is also square in configuration and also includes a hole  36  located at each corner of the cover seat  28 . The cover plate  30  is to abut against the cover seat  28  and a bolt fastener  38  is to interconnect between each pair of aligned holes  34  and  36  and tightly secure the cover plate  30  to the cover seat  28 . The cover plate  30  includes an outwardly extending threaded spindle  40 . Lateral support for the spindle  40  is provided by bracing plate  42  which is mounted on the cover plate  30  by means of a pair of bolt fasteners  44 . Each bolt fastener  44  passes through a spacer  46  with there being a pair of the spacers  46  located one-hundred and eighty degrees apart relative to the longitudinal center axis of the spindle  40 . The spacers  46  extend between the cover plate  30  and the bracing plate  42 . 
     The water flushing unit  48  of this invention utilizes a cover plate  50  which is basically similar in configuration to the cover plate  30 . The exception is there is no bracing plate  42  nor any spacers  46 . Instead of the spindle  40 , there is mounted a conduit in the form of a drain pipe  52  through its center hole  54  formed within the cover plate  50 . The outer end of the drain pipe  54  is threadingly connected to an on/off valve housing  56 . The cover plate  50  is also square in configuration and has a hole  58  located directly adjacent each corner of the cover plate  50 . When the cover plate  30  is removed from the cover seat  28 , the cover plate  50  is replaced and mounted against the cover seat  28  with the fasteners  38  each connecting between now aligned holes  36  and  58 . These fasteners  38  are then tightened until the cover plate  50  is securely mounted on the cover seat  28 . 
     The on/off valve housing  56  has a valve spindle  60 . Connected with the valve spindle  60  is a handle  62 . The handle  62  is fixedly mounted to the valve spindle  60  by means of a nut  64 . Turning of the handle  62  can locate the through hole  66  of the valve spindle  60  in alignment with the through passage  68  of the drain pipe  52 . This through passage  68  connects to the internal chamber  14 . The handle  62  can be manually moved about ninety degrees which will locate the through hole  66  at a transverse position relative to the through passage  70  formed within the on/off valve housing  56 . This will result in closing of the passage  60  and will not permit any water to flow from the internal chamber  14  through the through passage  68  and through the through passage  70 . 
     The valve housing  56  is threadingly connected to an elbow connector  72 . The elbow connector  72  is in turn threadingly connected to a tube connector  74 . The tube connector  74  is then securely fixed to a flexible tube  76  be means of a conventional hose clamp  78 . The tube  76  can be any desired length with generally around four to five feet being preferred. 
     Let it be assumed that the valve  10  is installed in conjunction with a wall of a house. Let it also be assumed that the cold water inlet line  16  and hot water inlet line  18  are attached to the valve body  12  as is also the water outlet line  20 . The plumber now wishes to flush out the water lines, and in order to accomplish this the plumber removes cover plate  30  and then installs cover plate  50  in conjunction with the cover seat  28 . The plumber then positions the handle  62  in the position shown in FIG. 1 which will locate the on/off valve  80 , which has the on/off valve housing  56 , in the closed position not permitting the flow of any water from the internal chamber  14  to within the through passage  82  of the tube  76 . The plumber then proceeds to turn on the water to the house which will cause water to flow within the internal chamber  14  under generally forty to eighty pounds per square inch pressure. The plumber then will locate the free end of the tube  76 , which is not shown, in a water drain, which is not shown, and then turn the handle  62  to the position shown in FIG. 3 which will align passage  70  with passage  68 . Water will then flow through into the through passage  82  of the tube  76  thereby flushing out the water lines  16 ,  18  and internal chamber  14 . Generally, this flushing procedure will proceed for a few minutes at which time the plumber will then turn off the water to the residence, remove the cover plate  50  from the cover seat  28  and reinstall the cover plate  30  back in position with the cover plate  38 . 
     The discussion included in this patent is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible and alternatives are implicit. Also, this discussion may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. Apparatus claims may not only be added for the device described, but also a method claims are added to address the method of making and using the invention. It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. These changes still fall within the scope of this invention. 
     Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation, be it a variation of any apparatus embodiment, a method embodiment, or even merely a variation of any element of these. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms—even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. It should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.