Abstract:
A quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures comprises a base assembly and adaptor assembly and allows plumbing fixtures to quickly be attached (or unattached) to an external shower box or well housing. Numerous watertight seals provide confidence to the user that the quick connect plumbing apparatus will not be wasting water through unnecessary leaks.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to exterior shower box assembly for RVs and boats and more specifically relates to the attachment of plumbing fixtures to a shower box. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention allows a plumbing fixture to be quickly installed and uninstalled to an exterior shower box assembly, which are often used in RV and marine applications. The installation and uninstallation are manual; no tools are needed. The leak proof base assembly of the present invention mounts to the mixing bowl of a faucet assembly or water well. The adaptor assembly can then be connected to the base assembly allowing any number of plumbing fixtures to be attached such as showerheads, spay nozzles, extenders, etc. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the quick connect plumbing fixture apparatus of the present invention; 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the seat of the present invention; 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the seat O-ring of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the flow-director of the present invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the flow-director O-ring of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the spring of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the base of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the base O-ring of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the connector O-ring of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the connector of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the retainer of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the first flow-connector O-ring of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the flow-connector of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the second flow-connector O-ring of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 15  is an exploded view of a spray nozzle assembly featuring the quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a spray nozzle assembly featuring the quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 17  is a second perspective view of a spray nozzle assembly featuring the quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 18  is perspective view perspective view of an extender assembly featuring the quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 19  is a perspective cross-sectional view of the quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 20  is a partial cross-sectional view of the quick connect to aid in illustrating fluid flow through the apparatus; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 21  is a bottom perspective view of the base of the quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Looking at  FIGS. 1 &amp; 15  the quick connect apparatus for plumbing fixtures is shown. Apparatus  10  generally includes a base assembly  11  and adaptor assembly  61 . Base assembly  11  comprises seat  40 , seat O-ring  50 , flow-director  28 , flow-director O-ring  38 , spring  26 , base  12 , and base O-ring  13 , illustrated in  FIGS. 2-8 , respectively. 
         [0025]    Base assembly  11  makes a mechanical connection via a female National Pipe Thread Taper (NPT) or other threaded profiles as may be found on the threaded boss of water spigots or mixing bowls. Looking at  FIGS. 7-21  base-end threads  15  reside around the interior of the base-end  14  of base  12 , and begin part way up the interior recess of base-end  14  (distal end), so as to leave a smooth interior sealing face  17 . Base O-ring  13  resides (is retained on) the water outlet below the NPT threaded boss creating a first watertight seal between the smooth sealing face  17  at base-end  14  and the base O-ring  13  on the water outlet to which base  12  it is attached. 
         [0026]    Still looking at  FIGS. 7 &amp; 21 , base  12  is generally a hollow cylindrical body comprising three integral coaxial sections: base-body  16 , base-neck  18 , and base-collar  20 . Base-body  16  is smaller in diameter than base-neck  18 . As illustrated in  FIG. 7  base-collar  20  is hexagonal in cross-section to facilitate accepting a wrench. Partially visible in  FIG. 7  is neck-lip  22 , which occurs at the interface of base-body  16  and base-neck  18 . Just below neck-lip  22  are internal mid-threads  24 . Mid-threads  24  are designed to threadingly retain seat assembly within base  12  at base  12 ′s approximate longitudinal center. Mid-threads  24  are also visible in  FIG. 19-21 . 
         [0027]    Spring  26  is held at a first end with its vertical axis oriented parallel to the vertical axis of base-body  16  via a circular restraint  19  (See  FIGS. 19 ,  21 ) located within base-body  16 . Spring  26  (at its second end) matingly engages flow-director  28  via a circular recessed seat  21  within flow-director base  30  (see  FIG. 19 ). As is visible in  FIG. 21  circular restraint  19  is formed at the intersection of perpendicular cross-bars  51 . Flow-director base  30  contains and annular grove  37  for the mating engagement of flow-director O-ring  38 . Flow-director  28  has an open mid-section  32  comprising four columns  33  (columns  33  can also be thought of as ports) connecting flow-director base  30  to flow-director head  34 . A circular orifice  35  extends through head  34  of flow-director  28  so as to create a flow-path between the open mid-section  32  and the circular orifice  35 . Flow-director base  30  is larger in diameter than flow-director head  34 . 
         [0028]    Seat  40  is generally a hollow cylindrical body comprising two integral coaxial sections: threaded seat-base  43  and seat-head  44 . Seat-head  44  contains two opposing, rectangular orifices  46  there-through and two tapered channels  48  adjacent orifices  46  such that opposing orifices/channels reside in a mirrored image configuration. Below orifices  46  is seat-groove  49  designed for the mating engagement (retention) of seat O-ring  50 . Seat O-ring  50  serves as base assembly fluid seal when seat  40  assembly is threadingly engaged within said base  12 . Seat assembly is seat  40  combined with seat O-ring  50 . Flow-director  28  is slidingly engaged within seat assembly. 
         [0029]    To assemble base assembly  11 , flow-director O-ring  38  is secured within annular grove  37  of flow-director  28  (Flow director O-ring forms a seal preventing fluid flow between the flow-director  28  and the base  12  when there is no mating locking engagement between the base assembly  11  and the adapter assembly  61 .) Next, spring  26  is secured about its second end within the circular recessed seat  21  (visible in  FIGS. 19 &amp; 20 ) within flow-director base  30 , and then flow-director  28  is placed within base-body  16  until the first end of spring  26  contacts the circular restraint  19  (See  FIG. 19 ) within base-body  16 . Next, seat O-ring  50  is secured within seat-groove  49 , and threaded-seat base  43  is placed over flow-director  28  until the external threads of the threaded-base  43  contact mid-threads  24 . Seat-head  44  is then pressed down (depressing spring  26 ) while being rotated clockwise until the top of seat-head  44  resides flush with the top of base-collar  20 . When seat  40  is properly seated within base  12 , open mid-section  32  and flow-director head  34  extend through the center of seat  40 , and seat O-ring  50  resides just above lip  22  creating a second watertight seal, while the base of open mid-section  32  contacts an annular internal flange (See  FIG. 19 ) located within seat-base  43  creating a third watertight seal. Base assembly  11  is now ready to be secured to a water outlet. 
         [0030]    Turning to  FIGS. 9 -15 , adaptor assembly  61  comprises a connector  62 , a connector O-ring  70 , retainer  74 , flow-connector  88 , a first flow-connector O-ring  98 , and a second flow-connector O-ring  100 . Connector  62  comprises three integral coaxial sections: a connector head  63 , connector neck  64 , and connector base  66 . Connector head  63  is internally threaded as is visible in  FIG. 10 . Connector neck  64  is smaller in diameter than connector head  63  and accordingly an interior connector lip  68  resides at the internal junction of connector head  63  and connector neck  64 . Connector O-ring  70  resides on connector lip  68  creating a fourth watertight seal when connector head  63  is secured to a coupling assembly or directly to a plumbing fixture. 
         [0031]    Connector base  66  comprises a shoulder  67  and insertion portion  72 . Insertion portion  72  is designed to be retained within retainer  74 . Retainer  74  comprises three integral coaxial sections: retainer head  76 , retainer disk  78 , and retainer base  80 . Retainer disk  78  separates retainer head  76  from retainer base  80 , and retainer base  80  is smaller in diameter than retainer head  76 . Retainer lip  84  resides around an interior surface of retainer head  76 . The exterior surface of retainer head  76  comprises four lobes  86 , giving retainer head  76  a four-leaf clover geometry in cross-section. Two rectangular tabs  82  extend from an exterior surface of retainer base  80 . Tabs  82  are spaced 180° apart and are designed for retention within orifices  46  of seat  40 . 
         [0032]    Flow-connector  88  is a hollow cylindrical body (longitudinal orifice extends through the body) with two retention prongs  90  at a top end and a first flow-connector groove  92  at its bottom end. Second flow-connector groove  94  resides below retention prongs  90  and flow-connector shoulder  96  resides between first flow-connector groove  92  and second flow-connector groove  94 . First flow-connector O-ring  98  resides within first flow-connector groove  92 , while second flow-connector O-ring  100  resides within second flow-connector groove  94 . The bottom end of flow-connector  88  contacts flange  23  when engaged when adaptor assembly  61  is matingly engaged with base assembly  11 . 
         [0033]    To assemble adaptor assembly  61 , first flow-connector O-ring  98 , and second flow-connector O-ring  100  are placed within their respective grooves ( 92 ,  94 ). Next connector  62  is inserted into the retainer head  76  (of retainer  74 ) such that insertion portion  72  contacts retainer lip  84 . Flow-connector  88  is then inserted through connector head  63  until retention prongs  90  engage an interior ledge  93  (See  FIG. 19 ) located at the interface of connector head  63  with connector neck  64  below connector lip  68 . Finally, connector O-ring  70  is placed within connector  62  until in contacts connector lip  68 . Once assembled, adaptor assembly  61  is extremely difficult to separate into its constituent parts. As assembled, adaptor assembly  61  is connected to base assembly  11  via a bottom end (the end with first flow-connector O-ring  98 ) and when engaged with base assembly  11 , first flow-connector O-ring  98  serves to form a seal allowing fluid to pass between said adapter assembly  61  and said base assembly  11  when there is mating locking engagement between base assembly  11  and adapter assembly  61 . First flow-connector O-ring  98  can be thought of as an adaptor assembly  61  sealing O-ring. A fifth watertight seal is formed between second flow-connector O-ring  100  at the interior wall of the junction of connector neck  64  and connector base  66 . 
         [0034]    To connect base assembly  11  with adaptor assembly  61 , tabs  82  are aligned with tapered channels  48  and a downward force is applied to adaptor assembly  61 , causing tabs  82  to slide down tapered channels  48 . Once tabs  82  can slide no farther, adaptor assembly  61  is rotated clockwise, locking tabs  82  within orifices  46 . It should be noted that as a downward force is applied to adaptor assembly  61 , flow-connector  88  is engaging flow-director  28 , depressing spring  26 . It is also important to note that connector  62  and retainer  74  rotate around flow-connector  88  independently from one another, allowing connector head  63  to be tightened (or loosened) from a plumbing fixture or secondary adaptor device without causing the adaptor assembly  61  to disengage from base assembly  11 . To disengage adaptor assembly  61  from base assembly  11 , retainer  74  is simply rotated counterclockwise until tabs  82  disengage orifices  46 . A sixth watertight seal is formed between first flow-connector O-ring and the interior wall of seat base  43 . 
         [0035]    Turning to  FIG. 20  a partial cross-sectional view of apparatus  10  is illustrated, and illustrates water flow through apparatus  10 . As locking tabs  82  of retainer  74  are locked into rectangular orifices  46  flow-connector  88  engages flow-director  28 . As spring  26  is compressed, flow-director  28  moves downward into the interior of base-body  16 , as flow-director O-ring disengages from the interior wall of seat  40 . Water flows into chamber  53  around open mid-section  32  of flow-director  28  and through open orifice  35  into flow-connector  88  and can pass up through connector-head  63 . It should be noted that connector O-ring  70  has been omitted from  FIGS. 19 &amp; 20  for visual clarity. 
         [0036]    When adaptor assembly  61  is twisted so as disengage locking tabs  82  from rectangular orifices  46 , flow-connector  88  is pushed up as tabs slide up channels  48  to break the seal formed between first flow-connector O-ring  98  and the interior wall of seat  40 , as adapter assembly  61  disengages from base assembly  11 . Flow-director  28  is pushed up by spring  26  until flow director base  30  contacts internal flange  23 , and flow-director O-ring  38  is engaged on interior wall of seat  40  (seventh watertight seal); base assembly  11  is now watertight. The constituent parts (O-rings excluded) of the quick connect apparatus  10  can be made from any suitable thermoplastic(s) or a combination of thermoplastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyoxymethylene (POM). 
         [0037]      FIG. 15  is an exploded view illustrating the quick connect apparatus  10  of the present invention connected to a well housing and nozzle assembly.  FIG. 16-18  illustrate the quick connect apparatus  10  of the present invention in use. Apparatus  10  allows a RV or boating enthusiast the flexibility to quickly attached plumbing fixtures to an exterior shower box or well housing, and/or quickly alter his/her plumbing fixtures.