Abstract:
A combined faucet and drain system can be installed primarily from above the basin. The faucet includes a quick-connect fastening assembly with a threaded sleeve bolt that also doubles as a life rod guide. A spring-biased toggle fastener threads onto the sleeve bolt and collapses when inserted through an installation opening from above the basin. It then automatically unfolds and engages an undersurface when the sleeve bolt is turned. The drain assembly is mounted in a drain opening of the basin and includes a movable stopper guide that can be used during installation to align the drain flange to the drain body from above the sink. A method of installing a combined faucet and drain assembly to a plumbing fixture is also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/778,410, filed Feb. 7, 2001, issue fee paid. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to plumbing fixtures. More particularly it relates to combined faucet and drain control assemblies that can, to a large extent, be mounted on a counter top, sink or the like from above the wash basin.  
           [0003]    Conventional faucets and drain assemblies often require the installer to connect most of the components of the assembly from beneath the sink in typically cramped, dark spaces. While professional plumbers may be used to working in this type of environment, many such plumbing fittings are now being designed for installation by consumers who have little experience in, and less tolerance for, working in such an environment for a prolonged period. Thus, faucets and drain assemblies that can, to a greater extent, be assembled from above the basin are desirable.  
           [0004]    For example, the drain assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,742 used a separate threaded fastener aligned axially at the center of the drain opening and connected at its ends to cross members of the drain flange and the waste housing positioned beneath the basin. The fastener could be assembled and tightened from above the basin. This assembly, however, did not provide for use with a movable drain stop operated by a lever mechanism.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,288 disclosed a faucet fixture that could be mounted from above the basin using a toggle bolt. The arms of the toggle bolt were limited in rotation by contacting with nearby water supply conduit, which allowed the toggle to travel upward and clamp against an underside of the basin (or the deck to which the basin is mounted). Drawbacks of this assembly were that separate toggle fasteners were required (thus adding parts) and that the water conduit needed to be placed next to the fastening location (thus limiting design flexibility).  
           [0006]    There have been other attempts as well to clamp a faucet to a counter top or the like by using rotation of a faucet assembly feature above the counter top to drive up a clamping mechanism located below the counter top. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,465,749 and 6,085,784. However, these designs had deficiencies. It was particularly desirable to reduce the number of holes needed in the faucet to achieve this clamping function, to simplify the assembly, and to improve the reliability and ease of manufacture of the clamping mechanism.  
           [0007]    Thus, a need still exists to provide an improved assembly for installing a faucet and its associated drain primarily from above the basin.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    In one aspect the invention provides a faucet mountable through a hole in a mounting wall. The faucet has a faucet body having an upper opening, and a fastener assembly for connecting the faucet body to the mounting wall.  
           [0009]    The fastener assembly in turn has a sleeve bolt mounted on the faucet body so as to be able to rotate on a longitudinal axis of the bolt, the bolt having a threaded outer section and an axial bore alignable with the upper opening of the faucet body. There is also a fastener having a nut that is threadable on the threaded outer section of the bolt so as to ride along it in response to rotation of the bolt, the fastener also having a wing structure that is pivotable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration. The fastener also has a guide passage between the nut and wing structure in which a guide fixed with respect to the faucet body is placed.  
           [0010]    The guide opening limits rotation of the nut around the longitudinal axis of the bolt. A lift rod is positioned through the upper opening of the faucet body and extendable through the axial bore of the bolt.  
           [0011]    In preferred forms an upper end of the sleeve bolt has a tool attachment recess suitable to receive all of a flat screwdriver, a Philips screwdriver and a hex-driver, one at a time. Further, there is a spring to bias the wing structure to the extended configuration, and there are two such guides positioned on opposite sides of the nut.  
           [0012]    In another aspect the invention provides a combined faucet and drain assembly for installation with a plumbing fixture. One main part of the assembly is a faucet. It has a faucet body with an upper opening, and a fastener assembly for fixing the faucet body in position relative to the fixture. The fastener assembly includes a sleeve bolt mounted on the faucet body so as to be able to rotate on a longitudinal axis of the bolt. The bolt also has a threaded outer section and an axial bore alignable with the upper opening of the faucet body.  
           [0013]    A fastener rides along the bolt in response to rotation of the bolt, the fastener also having a clamp structure that is movable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration. There is also a lift rod positionable through the upper opening of the faucet body and extendable through the axial bore of the bolt.  
           [0014]    A second main portion of the assembly is a pop-up drain valve assembly. It has a drain body having a cross-member extending laterally at an axial opening and having a radial opening. There is also a drain flange having a cross-member extending laterally at an axial opening, a stopper guide having downwardly extending legs defining an axial slot there between for accommodating the drain body and flange cross members, a stopper connectable to an upper portion of the stopper guide and sized to seal against the drain flange, and a control stem connectable to the stopper guide at one end, extendable through the radial opening of the drain body, and connectable at the other end to a lower end of the lift rod.  
           [0015]    In another aspect the invention provides a method of installing a faucet and a drain assembly on a fixture having an essentially horizontal support wall and a basin. One temporarily mounts, from beneath the support wall, a drain body to a drain opening in the basin, then inserts a drain flange into the drain opening from above the basin, rotationally aligns the drain flange to the drain body from above the basin, fastens the drain flange and the drain body to the basin, positions a stopper in the drain body from above the basin, links a drain valve stem to a lower end of the stopper, and inserts, from above the support wall, a faucet fastening assembly into an installation opening through the support wall so that a clamp portion of the fastening assembly is beneath the support wall and an adjustment sleeve bolt rotatably mounted to the clamp extends above the installation opening.  
           [0016]    Rotating the sleeve bolt brings the clamp into a clamping position relative to the support wall. One then inserts a lift rod through the sleeve bolt from above the support wall, and connects the lift rod to the drain valve stem.  
           [0017]    The present invention thus provides a system for mounting a faucet and drain assembly to a wash basin or the like quickly, easily and primarily from above the basin. The clamping assembly includes a collapsible toggle fastener that can be inserted down through an installation opening in the basin or nearby deck and then springs out so that it can be immediately tightened against an underside of the basin or deck by simply rotating the sleeve bolt. Removal of the clamp merely requires rotation of the bolt in the opposite direction until the toggle falls off.  
           [0018]    Further, the unique stopper guide can be used during installation to align the drain flange and drain body and hold them in the proper alignment while being secured together. The stopper guide can then be removed so that a stopper can be quickly snapped or threaded onto its upper end and then dropped back into the drain opening for attachment to a valve stem which is in turn linked to the pull-up of the faucet.  
           [0019]    The foregoing and still other advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In that description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. That embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention. Rather, the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a drain assembly of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view generally along line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1 (albeit in assembled form), with the drain stopper closing off the opening in a drain flange;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, albeit with the stopper raised to allow the basin to be drained;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a combined faucet and drain assembly system of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a clamping assembly for the faucet of FIG. 4;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view, taken along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 4, showing the fastening assembly before being mounted to a basin, hidden lines representing arms of a toggle fastener when collapsed;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 6, although with the fastening assembly passed through an installation opening and prior to being tightened;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 showing the fastening assembly clamped against the basin;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of FIG. 8 detailing the location of the toggle fastener spring;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 10 is top view of the fastening assembly taken from line  10 - 10  of FIG. 8 showing the upper end of a sleeve bolt having a more “universal” tool accepting recess; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view, partially broken away, of a preferred clamping structure of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]    Referring to FIG. 1, drain assembly  10  includes a main drain body  12 , flange  14 , a stopper  16 , a stopper guide  18  and a threaded fastener  20 . The drain body  12  is a tubular brass body having a radially extending nipple  22 . An integral gasket support ring  24  extends around an upper end of the drain body  12  for supporting a rubber gasket  26 . Also at the upper end of the drain body  12  is a cross-bar  28  extending laterally into the passageway of the drain body  12  having a threaded opening  30  at the axial centerline of the drain body  12 .  
         [0032]    An upper rim  32  of the drain body  12  is sized to fit inside of a conventional drain opening  34  of a sink or bathtub wash basin  36 . Preferably, the rim  32  is fit into the drain opening  34  from beneath the basin  36  with the gasket  26  fit snugly around the drain body  12  and between the underside of the basin  36  and the gasket support ring  24 . Friction will hold the drain body  12  in place temporarily until the rest of the assembly can be assembled from above the basin  36 .  
         [0033]    The drain flange  14  is preferably also brass and has a lower rim  38  sized to fit inside the upper rim  32  of the drain body  12  when it is inserted into the drain opening  34  from above the basin  36 . The drain flange  14  has a frusto-conical surface  39  extending outwardly to a lip  40  with a diameter larger than the drain opening  34  to prevent it from falling through the drain opening  34 . The drain flange  14  also has a cross-bar  42  extending between the lower rim  38  and having an opening  44  at the axial centerline of the drain flange  14 . As described below, the drain flange cross-bar  42  is preferably aligned so that it rests along the length of the top of the drain body cross-bar  28 . Such alignment minimizes the obstruction of the drain passageway. The lip  40  of the drain flange rests  14  on the upper side of the basin wall  36  and the openings  30  and  44  are aligned so that the threaded fastener  20  can be inserted therein and tightened to fasten the drain body  12  and drain flange  14  securely to the basin  36 .  
         [0034]    Rather than trying to fit one&#39;s fingers down into the relatively small drain opening  34 , the drain flange  14  is preferably aligned using the stopper guide  18  before the stopper guide  18  is finally assembled. The stopper guide  18  is a suitable re-enforced plastic, such as 25% glass-filled acetyl. The stopper guide  18  has an annular upper end  50  with an axial opening  52  from which depend downwardly two generally planar axial legs  52  and  54  that are strengthened by four perpendicular gussets  56  (two at each leg  52  and  54 ). The legs  52  and  54  are spaced apart to define a slot  58  there between in communication with the axial opening  52 . The legs  52  and  54  have corresponding sets of radial openings  60  and  62 , respectively, through which a drain valve stem  64  of a conventional ball-type valve assembly  65  (see FIG. 1) is inserted at a selected point depending on the size of the fixture.  
         [0035]    The stopper guide  18  can be used to align the drain flange  14  to the drain body  12  by inserting it into the drain opening  34  so that the legs  52  and  54  fit around the cross-bar  42 . The stopper guide  18  can then be rotated until the drain flange cross-bar  44  aligns with the over drain body cross-bar  28 . The stopper guide  18  can then be dropped down through the drain flange  14  opening so that it rests on the aligned cross-bars  28  and  42  and the threaded fastener  20  can be inserted through the axial opening  52  in the stopper guide  18  and into the openings  30  and  44  in the respective cross-bars  28  and  42 . The fastener  20  can then be tightened to bring the drain body  12  and the drain flange  14  toward each other and against opposite sides the basin  36  to secure the assembly  10  to the basin  36 .  
         [0036]    The stopper guide  18  can then be removed from the assembly for connecting the stopper  16 . In particular, three deflectable fingers  66  extend upwardly from the upper end  50  of the stopper guide  18 . The fingers  66  have upper latch ends  68  that engage with a circular catch surface  70  at the underside of the drain stopper  16  (see FIG. 2), thereby allowing the stopper  16  to be quickly snapped onto the upper end of the stopper guide  18 . It should be noted that other suitable attachment techniques could be employed here, such as a threaded or a pin and slot connection.  
         [0037]    The drain stopper is preferably disk-shaped and has a tapered circumference with a circumferential groove  72  for accommodating an o-ring  74 . The o-ring  74  and circumferential wall of the stopper  16  are sized to fit tightly against the inner surface of the frusto-conical surface  39  of the drain flange  14  so that the o-ring  74  can make a water-tight seal to restrict flow through the drain flange  14  when in the position shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0038]    The stopper guide  18  (with the stopper  16  connected thereto) can then be reinserted into the drain opening for connection of the stopper guide  18  to the valve stem  64  of the valve assembly  65  by inserting the valve stem  64  into one or both openings  60  and  62  at the appropriate height of the stopper guide legs  52  and  54 . If desired, prior to final assembly, the stopper guide  18  can be removed so that the legs  52  and  54  can be trimmed to remove any excess length. In any event, a suitable drain pull (not shown) linked to the valve assembly  65  can then be used to position the stopper guide  18  (and thus the stopper  16 ). In particular, the stopper  16  guide  18  can be lowered (as in FIG. 2) to close off the drain and raised (as in FIG. 3) to open the drain.  
         [0039]    Referring now to FIG. 4, the above described drain assembly  10  is particularly suitable to be used with faucet  100  to provide a plumbing system for the sink or bathtub basin  36  that can be mounted primarily from above the basin. In particular, the faucet  100  includes a faucet body  102  with a spout  104  and mounts for rotatable handles  106  operating valves controlling flow of the hot and cold water supplies. The faucet body  102  also includes a single central upper opening  108  between the handles  106  and behind the spout through which extends a lift rod  110  having a pull knob  112  at its upper end and being coupled to the valve stem  64  of the drain assembly  10  via a bracket assembly  114 .  
         [0040]    As is conventional, the bracket assembly  114  has a connector bar  116  with a plurality of holes spaced apart along a portion of its length through one of which an end of the valve stem  64  is inserted and retained thereto by a bent clip  118 . FIG. 4 shows the stem  64  in the lowest hole in the bar  116  in which case the clip  118  can be in the orientation shown, otherwise the clip  118  would be oriented 90 degrees from that shown. The other end of the bar  116  is bent in a backward “C” shape and has openings through which the lift rod  110  is disposed and held at a desired relative position by a set screw  120 .  
         [0041]    Referring now to FIG. 5, the faucet  100  includes a clamping assembly  122  partially disposed within the faucet body  102  and partially extending beneath the basin (or deck supporting the basin). The fastening assembly  122  includes a cylindrical sleeve bolt  124  having an axial opening  125  there through in which the lift rod  110  is disposed for the usual axial movement when it is desired to modify the drain position in the basin. The sleeve bolt  124  also has external threads  126  along a portion thereof below an enlarge intermediate area  128  (engaging a portion of the faucet body or mounting elements thereof—see FIG. 6) to which a pivotal toggle fastener, generally  130 , is rotatably mounted.  
         [0042]    The toggle fastener  130  includes a spring  132  disposed between a nut  134  and two pivotal arms  136  mounted on posts  138  extending from opposite sides of the nut  134 . The arms  136  can be pivoted from an extended position (as shown in FIG. 7) to a collapsed position (shown in phantom in FIG. 6) in which the overall lateral dimension of the toggle fastener  130  is less than the installation opening  135  in the basin (or deck) so that it can be inserted down through the opening  135  from above the basin. The middle of the spring  132  is wrapped around one of the posts  138  with its ends positioned to bias the arms  136  apart (see FIGS. 6 and 9), that is extending generally radially outward from the sleeve bolt  124 . The nut  134  (and thus the toggle fastener) threads onto the threaded end of the sleeve bolt  124  by relative rotation of the sleeve bolt  124 .  
         [0043]    The arms  136  define inner guide openings  140  between the nut  134  and the arms  136  through which a pair of guide posts  142  extend. The guide posts  142  are rod-like structures spaced apart from opposite sides of the sleeve bolt  124 . The guide posts  142  are preferably integral with and depend downwardly from a mounting plate  144  having a middle opening for the sleeve bolt  124  and two openings for the faucet water valves.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 6 shows that the fastening assembly  122  is inserted through the installation opening  135  in the basin (or deck) from above the basin by folding in the arms  136  of the toggle fastener  130  (as shown in phantom). This is done by pushing the assembly through the opening and causing the arms  136  to fold by contact with the basin (or deck) surrounding the opening  135 . The assembly looks as shown in FIG. 7 after its lower part is inserted through the opening  135  with the toggle fastener in the extended or unfolded position such that it cannot be pulled back through the opening  135  without manually collapsing the arms  136 .  
         [0045]    The assembly (and thus the faucet) can then be clamped to the basin (or deck) by rotating the sleeve bolt  124  from above the basin. Rotating the sleeve bolt  124  will initially cause the toggle fastener  130  to rotate until its rotation is limited by interference with the guide posts  142 . At that point, the toggle fastener  130  will travel upwardly (or downwardly depending on the direction of rotation) until it contacts an undersurface  152  of the basin (or deck). Further rotation of the sleeve bolt  124  will tighten the assembly to the basin.  
         [0046]    As shown in FIG. 10, the upper end of the sleeve bolt  124  preferably has a “universal” tool attachment feature  146 . Specifically, this feature  146  is a recess generally centered on the axial opening  125  and has four squared flutes  148  in a cross-pattern and a hexagonal recess  150 . This configuration will accept a flat bladed screwdriver (in opposite squared flutes), a Philips screwdriver (in all four flutes) and a hex-headed driver (in the hexagonal recess). Thus, any of these common tools may be used to turn the sleeve bolt  124  with sufficient torque to clamp the faucet  100  in place securely.  
         [0047]    The present invention thus provides a system for mounting a combined faucet and drain assembly to a wash basin quickly, easily and primarily from above the basin. The faucet clamp assembly includes a collapsible toggle fastener that can be inserted down through an installation opening in the basin or nearby deck and then springs out so that it can be immediately tightened against an underside of the basin or deck by simply rotating the sleeve bolt. The unique stopper guide can be used during installation to align the drain flange and drain body from above, and hold them in the proper alignment while being secured together and to the basin. The stopper guide can then be removed so that the stopper can be quickly snapped or threaded onto its upper end and then dropped back into the drain opening for attachment to a valve stem of a conventional ball-type control mechanism.  
         [0048]    While a specific embodiment has been shown, various modifications falling within the breadth and scope of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Thus, the following claims should be looked to in order to understand the full scope of the invention.  
       Industrial Applicability  
       [0049]    Disclosed is a combined plumbing fixture and drain assembly system that can be mounted to a sink or bathtub basin in large part from above the basin.