Abstract:
A plumbing tool designed to easily remove and replace seats and springs in stem assembly, ball valve seat, or lever handle faucets.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to plumbing tools and, more particularly, to a tool designed to easily remove and replace seats and springs in stem assembly, ball valve seat, or lever handle faucets. 
       2. Description of the Related Art 
       [0002]    Professional plumbers are often frustrated with the tiny seats and springs found in many faucets. In both single and double-handle model faucets, the seats and springs add unneeded stress and time to plumbing repairs. Currently, screwdrivers are most often used for installing seats and springs, and it is necessary for any water flowing to the faucet to be completely stopped. 
         [0003]    Unfortunately, known specialty tools for replacing springs and seats generally lack the durability and ease of use desired by plumbing professionals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,904,653 (the “&#39;653 patent”) and U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,827 (the “&#39;827 patent”) disclose a tool for removing and inserting a plumbing fixture seal, particularly for use with ball type faucets using a rubber seal engaged by a cylindrical compression spring. However, the tool described in the &#39;653 and &#39;827 patents lacks the resiliency necessary for long term function and, as further described herein, its design cannot easily accommodate removal and replacement of seals and springs in many common plumbing situations. 
         [0004]    Thus, what is needed in the art is a robust and easy to use tool for removing an placing seats and springs in any stem assembly, ball valve seat, or lever handle faucet in need of repair or replacement. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention comprises an apparatus for removing and inserting seals and springs in a faucet, said apparatus comprising: a handle, said handle comprising a cylindrical, longitudinal, inner bore, said bore having a longitudinal axis, said handle further comprising a threaded distal segment having a diameter and a proximal segment having a diameter, where said distal segment diameter is larger than said proximal segment diameter; a shaft, said shaft having a generally cylindrical shape and a cylindrical, longitudinal, inner bore, said bore having a longitudinal axis and a diameter, said shaft further comprising a distal end and a threaded proximal end, said shaft threadably connected to said handle such that said shaft bore and said handle bores are colinear; a rod, said rod having a generally cylindrical shape, said rod comprising a diameter, said rod diameter less than said diameter of said proximal segment of said bore, said rod diameter less than said diameter of said shaft bore, said rod slidably disposed through said shaft bore and said handle bores, said rod further comprising a distal tip, said tip comprising a proximal first outer diameter and a distal second outer diameter, said distal tip outer diameter less than said proximal tip outer diameter, said tip further comprising a taper disposed between said proximal outer diameter and said distal outer diameter; retaining means for preventing said rod from sliding completely through said proximal bore of said handle, said retention means disposed around said rod; a compression spring, said spring having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, said spring inner diameter disposed around said rod disposed around said rod distally relative to said retention means. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given hereinafter and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which, however, should not be taken to limit the invention, but are for explanation and understanding only. 
           [0007]    In the drawings: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a side elevation view of an apparatus according to the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  shows a side cross section view of the handle of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  shows a side cross section view of the shaft of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  shows a side elevation view of the rod of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  shows a close up side elevation view of the tip of the rod in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of the spring component of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of the clip of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  shows an exploded view of a prior art faucet on which the present invention may be used. 
       
    
    
       [0017]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplary embodiments set forth herein are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    The present invention will be discussed hereinafter in detail in terms of various exemplary embodiments according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be obvious, however, to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures are not shown in detail in order to avoid unnecessary obscuring of the present invention. 
         [0019]    Thus, all of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Moreover, in the present description, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0020]    Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
         [0021]    Plumbing fixtures, specifically water faucets, often include a seal structure that controls the flow of water through the faucet. When the seal structure fails, the faucet leaks. Repairing the faucet requires replacing the seal. 
         [0022]    Referring first to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a side elevation view of plumbing tool apparatus  1000  according to the present invention for replacing a damaged faucet seal. As illustrated in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , which shows an exploded view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 , tool  1000  generally comprises a handle  100 , shaft  200 , rod  300 , spring  400 , and retention clip  500 . 
         [0023]    Referring next to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a side cross section view of handle  100  of apparatus  1000  shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , handle  100  comprises a generally cylindrical shape. In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 , handle  100  further comprises an ergonomically shaped exterior for easy manual use wherein the exterior comprises a relatively lower diameter. Handle  100  may comprise any material durable enough for multiple uses, corrosion resistant, and strong enough to withstand the forces acting on it during use of tool  1000 . Exemplary embodiments of handle  100  may comprise aluminum, stainless steel, thermoplastic polymer, thermoset polymer, composite material, or carbon fiber material. 
         [0024]    Referring still to  FIG. 3 , handle  100  further comprises a longitudinally disposed central bore  110  having a longitudinal axis  120 . Bore  110  is formed from connected proximal bore  105  and larger diameter distal bore  107  disposed collinearly to one another such that both portions of bore  110  share a common longitudinal axis  120 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a “step” exists (as opposed to a taper) between the diameter of proximal bore  105  and distal bore  107 . 
         [0025]    Referring next to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a side cross section view of shaft  200  of apparatus  1000  shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . Shaft  200 , in one exemplary embodiment, is comprised of aluminum. However, shaft  200  can also be comprised of stainless steel, thermoplastic polymer, thermoset polymer, composite material, or carbon fiber material, like handle  100 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , shaft  200  includes a central, longitudinal bore  210  having a longitudinal axis  220 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , shaft  200  is connected to handle  100 . In one exemplary embodiment, shaft  200  is releasably connected to handle  100  by a threaded connection, a Morse taper connection, a snap-fit connection, or a twist-fit connection. Alternatively, shaft  200  and handle  100  may comprise a single molded or machined piece. In still another alternative embodiment of tool  1000 , shaft  200  is fixedly connected to handle  100  by a heat weld, a sonic weld, an arc weld, a press fit, or an adhesive connection. 
         [0026]    Referring next to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a side elevation view of rod  300  of apparatus  1000  shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . In an exemplary embodiment, rod  300  is comprised of stainless steel, thermoplastic polymer, thermoset polymer, composite material, or carbon fiber material. Rod  200  comprises a generally cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of bore  105 , bore  107 , and bore  210  such that rod  300  is slidably disposed through handle  100  and shaft  200  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0027]    Referring next to  FIG. 6 , rod  300  further comprises tip  350 . Tip  350  is disposed at the distal end of rod  300 . Tip  350  comprises a distal outer diameter and a smaller proximal outer diameter. Preferably a taper exists between first and second outer diameters of tip  350 . However, a taper is not required. Tip  350  further preferably included a roughened outer surface on at least the proximal outer diameter. The roughened surface preferably comprises a plurality of longitudinally disposed ridges. The diameter of tip  350  is sized to releasably fit into the inner diameter of a standard faucet seal and spring as described in more detail below. 
         [0028]    Referring next to  FIG. 7 , there is shown a perspective view of the spring component of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . A resilient spring  400  is disposed around rod  300 . Spring  400  acts to bias rod  300  back into shaft  200  when tool  1000  is not in use. 
         [0029]    Referring next to  FIG. 8 , there is shown a perspective view of the clip of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . Clip  500  comprises a flattened cylindrical shape and is fixedly attached around rod  300 . Clip  500  is made of a stiff strong material such as stainless steel, thermoplastic polymer, thermoset polymer, composite material, or carbon fiber material. 
         [0030]    When tool  1000  is fully assembled, as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , rod  300  is forced through shaft  200 . As this occurs, spring  400  is compressed against one end of shaft  200  and tip  350  of rod  300  extends from the opposite end of shaft  200 . Once rod  300  is released, spring  400  pushes against clip  500  to return apparatus  1000  to an at rest position. 
         [0031]    Referring next to  FIG. 9 , there is shown an exploded view of a prior art faucet on which the present invention may be used. The seal structure generally consists of a small, cylindrical, open-ended rubber seal and a small spring. The rubber seal may crack or break or the springs may lose their memory and fail to perform as intended, causing the faucet to leak. Replacement of this seal normally resolves the leak but is difficult because of the small size of the seal structure and the small area in which the structure is located. Normally, both the seal and the spring are replaced simultaneously. 
         [0032]    The spring  20  and seal  22 , shown in  FIG. 9 , are located in a predetermined location in the faucet that is difficult to remove and replace without great difficulty because of the small size of the spring  20  and seal  22  and the constrictions of the location. This is most notable in a bathtub faucet when the seal  20  and spring  22  require replacement. The faucet assembly is usually located in a vertical position and keeping the seal  22  and spring  20  in place while removing or inserting them is challenging. The present invention allows the old seal  22  and spring  20  to be removed together and replaced with a new seal  22  and spring  20  in unison while maintaining correct location placement. 
         [0033]    A standard faucet valve assembly has a valve body with a main bore and a counterbore inlet passageway leading from a supply of water. The counterbore holds a tubular seal (seal  22  and spring  20 ) element in the inlet passageway of the valve body. The present invention enables the user to remove both the worn seal  22  and spring  20  together and replace a new seal  22  and spring  20  together. The spring  20  generally used in the industry is a frustoconical configuration with a smaller upper end, which engages the seal  22  and urges it against the valving member. The larger diameter of the conical spring  20  engages an annular shoulder of the counterbore. The seal  22  generally consists of a rubber or rubber-like composition with a through bore diameter that is comparable in size to the small end of the conical spring  20 . 
         [0034]    In use, apparatus  1000  is held in one hand during the removal or insertion of the spring  20  and seal  22 . The rod  300  is pressed thereby causing tip  500  of rod  300  to be forced into the center of the worn spring  20  and seal  22 . The worn spring  20  and seal  22  are held on the guide  30  by a friction fit. Once spring  20  and seal  22  are completely removed, rod  300  is released which causes tip  350  to retract and the spring  20  and seal  22  to fall off tip  350 . The process is reversed place a new seal  22  and spring  20  into a faucet. 
         [0035]    While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.