Abstract:
The invention provides a fluid delivery assembly for use with a water discharge fixture, such as a faucet. The fluid delivery assembly includes a tube assembly, a cartridge housing and a retaining assembly. The fluid delivery assembly provides for water flow from hot and cold water inlets to the faucet. The fluid delivery assembly may be assembled by hand without the need for tools, allowing for easy replacement of the fluid delivery assembly without the need to disassemble the faucet assembly or to replace the entire faucet assembly.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application for patent claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Provisional Application No. 61/589,096 entitled “FLUID DELIVERY ASSEMBLY” filed Jan. 20, 2012 (“the Provisional application”). The Provisional application is assigned to the assignee of the present application, and is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     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 
     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 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. Pat. No. 7,032,260 to Hwang and U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,106 to Benstead. 
     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 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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 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. 
     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 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention, connected to a faucet, to form an assembly; 
         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; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of a fluid delivery assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is another exploded perspective view of a portion of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the assembled components of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional front view of a portion of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a partially cut-away perspective view of an embodiment of a delivery spout; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of the delivery spout of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a quick connect assembly; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the assembled components of  FIG. 10 ; 
         FIG. 12  is another exploded perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 , with two fluid delivery assemblies shown connected to faucet handles; 
         FIG. 13  is another exploded perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 , with one of the fluid delivery assemblies shown completely unconnected; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional front view of the assembly of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional side view of the assembled components of  FIGS. 9 and 11 ; and 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of two tube assemblies. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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. 
       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 water). Alternatively, faucet system  100  may be any other suitable fluid delivery system (e.g., a shower system). 
       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 . 
     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. 
     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. 
       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 . 
     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 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   
     The first and second fluid channels  322  and  324  are intended and designed in a manner 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 . 
     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 O-ring. 
     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 . 
     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 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. 
     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. 
     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. 
     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 . 
     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 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 ). 
     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. 
     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 ). 
     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 . 
     For example, the securing member  338  may be a threaded mounting nut as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     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 . 
     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 . 
     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 . 
     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 . 
     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 delivery spout  200 , while a second fluid delivery assembly  300  provides hot water to water delivery spout  200 . 
       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 . 
     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 . 
     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. 
     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 . 
     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 . 
     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. 
     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. Pat. No. 7,044,506, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 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 . 
       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 . 
       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. 
     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.