SANITARY SINGLE-HOLE TAP

Abstract: Sanitary single-hole tap intended for fastening in an opening (9) in a wash-basin unit (8), a kitchen worktop or the like, and provided with a tap casing (1) whose bottom edge (2) rests sealingly in the fastened state on the top surface of the wash-basin unit (8), or the like, around the opening (9) in said surface, and with at least one water supply pipe (4) connected to the tap casing (1), the latter having a bore to receive a threaded bolt (6) which can be turned from the upper side of the wash-basin unit or the like with the aid of a tool, and a nut (15) fitting on the threaded bolt under the wash-basin unit or the like for the purpose of fastening the tap casing, said nut being at least partly flexible and so shaped that during the turning of the threaded bolt it is secured by the rigid supply pipe or pipes, and can be passed from above through the opening (9) and thereby be deformed, whereby the tap casing (1) is provided on the bottom face with centering means (3) preventing transverse displacement of the tap casing (1) during the fastening operation.

Description: The invention relates to a sanitary single-hole tap intended for fastening in an opening in a wash-basin unit, a kitchen worktop or the like, and provided with a tap casing whose bottom edge rests sealingly in the fastened state on the top surface of the wash-basin unit, kitchen worktop, or the like, around the opening in said surface, and with at least one water supply pipe connected to the tap casing, the latter having a bore to receive a threaded bolt which can be turned from the upper side of the wash-basin unit or the like with the aid of a tool, and a nut fitting on the threaded bolt under the wash-basin unit or the like for the purpose of fastening the tap casing, said nut being so shaped that during the turning of the threaded bolt it is secured by the rigid supply pipe or pipes. A tap of this kind, in the form of a mixer tap, is known from EP-A-0 113 444. For the fastening of this tap, after insertion into said opening, the nut must be placed on the end of the threaded bolt from underneath the wash-basin unit or kitchen worktop or the like, and by turning the threaded bolt from the upper side the nut can be made fast against the bottom wall of the opening. Fitting the nut from underneath is not always easy and in addition takes a great deal of time. The invention seeks to provide a fastening which eliminates working under the wash-basin unit or kitchen worktop. According to the invention this is achieved in that the nut is at least partly flexible and is so shaped that it can be passed from above through the opening and thereby be deformed, and that the tap casing is provided on the bottom face with centering means pre­ venting transverse displacement of the tap casing during the fastening operation. In this way the fastening can be effected en­ tirely from above the wash-basin unit or the like, since the nut can be fitted on the threaded bolt in advance and the bolt can be turned from the upper side. The centering means ensure that during the fas­ tening the tap casing cannot be displaced in the trans­ verse direction. The invention will be explained more fully with the aid of the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a tap casing for fastening in an opening in a wash-basin unit or the like; Figure 2 is a view from below corresponding to Figure 1, during passage through the opening; Figure 3 is a section of the tap casing shown in Figure 1, after it has been fastened, and Figure 4 is a view from below corresponding to Figure 3. That part of the tap casing which is of import­ ance to the invention is designated 1, the connecting edge is designated 2, the centering edge 3, the supply pipes 4 and 5, the threaded bolt 6, the nut 7, the wash-basin unit or the like 8, and the opening therein 9. As can be seen from the section shown in Figure 3, the threaded bolt 6 has a head 10, a groove with a sealing ring 11, and a groove with a retaining ring 12, for example in the form of a circlip. The tap casing 1 is also provided in the con­ necting edge 2 with a groove holding a sealing ring 13. A preferred form of construction of the nut 7 can best be seen in Figures 3 and 4. The nut 7 consists of flexible material, for ex­ ample plastics material. The threaded bore for the bolt 6 is situated in a rigid portion 15 which also has two cavities by which the nut 7 is secured against rotation with the aid of the two supply pipes 4 and 5 (for hot and cold water in the case of a mixer tap). Next to the rigid part 15 the nut 7 has two flexible arms 14. The threaded bolt 6 in its final position lies offset from the centre of the opening 9. The nut 7 is thus loaded eccentrically when the bolt 6 is tightened. For the purpose of fastening the tap in the opening, the nut 7 is brought into the position shown in Figure 1 by turning the bolt 6, the distance between the bottom face 2 of the tap casing 1 and the surface of the nut 7 being slightly greater than the height of the opening 9. The tap casing 1 is then pressed down after it has first been moved slightly to the left in relation to the opening 9. While the casing is being pressed down, the arms 14 of the nut 7 are bent towards one an­ other. The nut 7 can then be passed through the opening 9 until it can open out again under the opening The tap casing 1 is moved slightly back towards the right, so that the centering edge 3 fits into the opening 9. The nut 7 is then in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4, and the bolt 6 can be tightened. The bolt 6 is concealed from sight because it is situated in a hole 16 in the tap casing 1, in which an outlet (not shown) is fastened. This hole thus does not have to be specially provided, as is the case in known multihole taps. Because of the special shape of the nut 7 with a rigid portion 15 around the threaded hole, and more or less flexible arms 14, good fastening of the tap casing 1 can be achieved without it being necessary for a nut to be screwed on underneath the wash-basin unit or the like. The arms 14 are preferably bevelled on their lower faces in order to facilitate the bending of the arms 14 while passing through the opening 9. The force to be applied by the bolt 6 to the nut 7 is not thereby reduced. The centering edge 3 on the tap casing 1 is es­ sential, because otherwise the nut 7 would not lie correctly against the cooperating surface, but would lie in the opening 9, if the tap casing 1 were fitted ec­ centrically.

Claims: 1. Sanitary single-hole tap intended for fastening in an opening in a wash-basin unit, a kitchen worktop or the like, and provided with a tap casing whose bottom edge rests sealingly in the fastened state on the top surface of the wash-basin unit, kitchen worktop or the like, around the opening in said surface, and with at least one water supply pipe connected to the tap casing, the latter having a bore to receive a threaded bolt which can be turned from the upper side of the wash-­ basin unit or the like with the aid of a tool, and a nut fitting on the threaded bolt under the wash-basin unit or the like for the purpose of fastening the tap casing, said nut being so shaped that during the turning of the threaded bolt it is secured by the rigid supply pipe or pipes, characterized in that the nut is at least partly flexible and is so shaped that it can be passed from above through the opening and thereby be deformed, and that the tap casing is provided on the bottom face with centering means preventing transverse displacement of the tap casing during the fastening operation. 2. Sanitary single-hole tap according to Claim 1, characterized in that the nut consists of a rigid part provided approximately in the centre with a threaded hole and of two parallel flexible arms. 3. Sanitary single-hole tap according to Claim 2, characterized in that the arms are bevelled on their bottom faces. 4. Sanitary single-hole tap according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nut is made of plastics material. 5. Sanitary single-hole tap according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that after its installation the bolt is concealed from sight by the fastening of the water outlet.

Inventors: HOLTHUISEN, ARNOLDUS GERARDUS
Applicants: B.V. METAALWARENFABRIEK "VENLO"
Application year: 1986
Main classification: E03C1
IPC codes: E03C1, F16B37