Patent Publication Number: US-7210493-B1

Title: Faucet assembly mounting apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to plumbing mounting installations and particularly to easily mounted and accessible faucet water valve assemblies. 
   BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   Many faucet assemblies are shown in the prior art that avoid the cramped and tight spaces beneath a sink by providing top mounted faucets. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,395 to Krippendork, U.S. Pat. No. 6,792,629 to Nelson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,922 to Agresta, U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,141 to Schmitt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,728 to Pilatowicz et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,370,712 and 6,385,798 to Burns et al relate to faucet assemblies that can be mounted on a countertop, vertical wall or other surface without requiring access to the other side of the surface. 
   In Krippendorf, a back-up plate 10 is inserted into an opening in the surface C, a top plate 17 is placed over the bolt 14 on the back-up plate 10 and another bolt is screwed into the plate 10 to clamp the two plates to the surface C. The faucet is then screwed by bolts 6 to the top plate 17. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,143 to Botnick, a faucet manifold is provided that mounts to a countertop over water-conveying access openings. Valve members, water-conveying conduits and a spout assembly are connected to and carried by the plate. The plate is connected to the countertop by toggle bolts. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,774 to Allgood, a roughing-in frame and access panel is disclosed for the faucet valve stem of a shower. The roughing-in frame is first attached to wall stud 13 e , 13 f  and the panel 30 is placed thereover, being held by the handles 32 a–c  and spout 33. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 1,835,301 to Hennessey shows a plumbing fixture panel 66 that covers a recess 23 in a shower wall, a support 24 that receives valve supporting plate 25 within the wall, and the valve stems and shower head that projects through the panel. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,266 to Mongerson et al discloses a bathtub plumbing fixture having a mounting plate 38 situated on the inner side of shower wall 30 and plate 28 connected together by bolts 42 to sandwich and clamp the wall surface 30 therebetween. The mixing valve 50 may be attached to the mounting plate 38 by screws. The mounting plate 38 could be attached to an interior 2×4 extending between wall studs. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,031 to Moore shows a modular pre-plumbed shower unit in which a wall 11 having an opening through which water lines 32, 32′ having extensions 33, and 33′ protrude, and plumbing tree 25 connected by brackets 36 to wall 11. The tree 25 has a control valve 26, conduits 27, 28 for connection of shower fixture 13 and tub spout 14, and a shell 17 secured to the plumbing tree and overlying the wall. The shell has openings through which the shower fixture, tub spout and control valve handle extend. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,204 to Mullick discloses a modular bathing unit that has a module 526 with water, control and electrical lines interfitted with the water, control and electrical lines of feeder section 86 during installation. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The invention comprises a mounting plate and backing plate for a faucet assembly, the mounting plate being attached to the backing plate and the faucet assembly being attached to the mounting plate. An access opening provided in a surface such as a sink, countertop, tub or shower wall mounts on an inside surface thereof the annular backing plate. The access opening is large enough for a user to access the water lines when the mounting plate with the faucet assembly thereon is detached from the backing plate and moved away from the surface. Flexible or extendible hoses allow movement of the mounting plate away from the surface without detaching the water connections so that the faucet assembly can be easily repaired or replaced. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description of embodiments of the invention conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of one embodiment of the invention with the faucet assembly installed. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the mounting plate according to one embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the backing plate according to one embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of an alternate mounting plate according to another embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a rear view of another embodiment of the invention used in a shower showing the attachment of the water lines and shower head. 
       FIG. 6  is a rear view of the mounting plate used in the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of the mounting plate used in the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the mounting plate of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 9  is a side view of the  FIG. 5  embodiment attached to a shower wall. 
       FIGS. 10–11  are back and front views of a modified mounting plate to accommodate the shower head and pipe. 
       FIGS. 12–13  are back and front views of another modified mounting plate to accommodate the shower head and bath spout. 
       FIG. 14  is a side view of the assembled mounting plate of  FIGS. 13–14 . 
       FIGS. 15–17  are further modifications of the mounting plate to accommodate a double handle valve and bath spout, a double handle valve and shower head, and double handle valve/shower head/bath spout, respectively. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1  shows a side view of one embodiment of the invention. The faucet spout  2 , valves  13  and handles  3  are attached to the mounting plate  5  by the customary fastening nuts  4 . Screws  7  are used to attach the mounting plate  5  to the backing plate  6  which has been previously attached to the underside of a surface  12  such as a countertop, sink top or bath rim around a large access opening  14  in the surface  12 . 
   The mounting plate  5  is shown more particularly in top view in  FIG. 2  as being rectangular and having screw holes  10  and valve and spout pipe openings  11 . The backing plate  6 , shown more particularly in  FIG. 3 , is of rectangular, annular shape having screw holes  10  corresponding to the screw holes  10  in the mounting plate  5 . 
   Flexible steel water lines  8  having female connectors  8 ′ attach to the male connectors  9 ′ on the faucet assembly and shut-off valves  9  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The flexible steel lines  8  have enough slack such that when the mounting plate with the faucet assembly thereon is moved away from the surface  12 , the faucet assembly can be easily repaired or removed from the mounting plate  5 . During repair the flexible lines  8  may be detached from the valve assembly after the shut-off valves  9  are used to shut off the water supply. 
   During installation of the faucet assembly, the faucet and valves  2 ,  13  are first attached to the mounting plate  5 . The backing plate  6  has been previously positioned on the underside of the surface, either by permanently attaching it to the surface by screw fasteners (not shown) for example, or temporarily (or permanently) gluing it thereto. The mounting plate  5  is thereafter placed on the surface, the screw holes  10  in the plates  5  and  6  are aligned, and each of the screws  7  inserted and tightened through the aligned holes  10 . The holes  10  may have screw threads for this purpose or the threads may be formed as the screws are being screwed into the holes as one of ordinary skill in the art would readily comprehend. The surface  12  is therefore sandwiched and clamped by the mounting and backing plates to form a rigid connection. 
   The water lines  8  may be attached to the valve assembly prior to the mounting plate  5  being mounted on the surface, or if enough room is provided underneath the surface  12  (such as a sink cabinet), the water lines  9 ″ may be attached after mounting of the plate  5  to the plate  6 . However, the large access opening in the surface allows an installer to attach the lines  8  to the incoming water lines  9 ″ provided with the shut-off valves  9  without having to work through the side of the surface, e.g. through the cabinet door opening. 
   The surface  12  could also be the vertical wall of a shower (see the description of  FIGS. 5–18  below). 
   The shape of the mounting and backing plates do not necessarily have to be rectangular, but could be any shape corresponding to the shape of the surface on which they are mounted, or for aesthetic purposes. For example, triangular, square, circular, oval or pentagram shapes are also contemplated and within the scope of the invention. 
   Furthermore, the shape of the large access opening need not be rectangular and the particular fastening devices for the plates need not be screws—bolts, adhesive and snap fit types of fasteners also being contemplated. The particular material of which the plates are made could be metal, fiberglass, ceramic, marble, wood, plastics, etc. as long as the material is rigid enough to adequately support the faucet assembly. 
   Also the term “faucet assembly” for the purposes of this description is a liquid valve assembly with or without a spout. 
   Another way to carry out the invention is shown in  FIG. 4 . Here the mounting plate  15  is shown fitted snugly in the access opening  14  and supported by the backing plate  6 . The backing plate  6  may be attached to the underside of the surface by screw fasteners  7  or adhesive. 
   Further, the type of faucet assembly used in the present invention could be of any well known type, such as one in which the pipes connecting the valves  13  on the faucet are located above the mounting plate. Also a one-handle type of faucet could be used that would require one or two of the openings  11  in the mounting plate  5 . 
     FIG. 5  discloses an embodiment of the invention that is used in a shower, and showing a view of the rear or back side of the mounting plate with the various water line connections. The mounting plate  25  has the valve mechanism  26  attached thereto. Hot and cold water pipes are connected via shut-off valves  9  to the flexible hoses  8 . Hoses  8  are constructed to be removably attached to the valve mechanism water connections  23 . An output connection  23 ′ of the valve mechanism  26  is attached to a flexible hose  8  that is removably connected to the shower pipe  28  and shower head  29 . The pipe  28  and incoming water lines  9 ″ are braced by braces  30  to the shower wall itself or to the wall framing. The valve mechanism  26  is also braced by braces  30  to a brace plate  27  that forms part of the mounting plate  25 . 
     FIGS. 6–8  show the back (inside the shower wall), front and side views of the mounting plate  25 . The plate  25  includes the bracing plate  27 , screw holes  10  and valve mechanism mounting opening  21 . The valve mechanism  26  is a single handle valve in this embodiment that is attached to the mounting plate in any conventional manner through the opening  21 . 
   The backing plate  6  is in the same form as in  FIG. 3 . The backing plate can be attached to the shower wall in any convenient manner, such as by adhesive. The mounting plate is attached to the backing plate by screws  7  or other well known fasteners. 
   In  FIG. 9  is shown the invention in assembled position on a shower wall in side view. 
   Similar to the embodiments of  FIGS. 1–5 , the mounting plate of  FIG. 9  may be detached from the backing plate and moved away from the shower wall for repair or replacement of the valve mechanism. Since the shower wall has a large access opening and the water lines  8  are flexible and can be extended out from the shower wall, and because the shut-off valves  9  are easily accessible, repair or replacement of the valve mechanism is easily accomplished. 
     FIGS. 10–11  show back (inside) and front views of another modification of the shower valve mechanism mounting similar to that of  FIGS. 6–9  but which also mounts the shower pipe  28 . As seen in these figures, the mounting plate  35  includes an additional opening  37  for extending the shower pipe therethrough and includes a bracing plate  36  and brace  30  for attaching the pipe  28  to the mounting plate  45 . 
     FIGS. 12–14  is another modification wherein the mounting plate  45  includes not only openings  37  and  21  for the shower pipe and valve mechanism respectively, but also an opening  42  for the bath spout  43 . Thus all of the shower plumbing elements are attached to the mounting plate in this example. 
     FIGS. 15–17  are further modifications of the invention showing different mounting configurations. 
   In  FIG. 15  the mounting plate  55  has valve mechanisms openings  21 ′ and spout opening  42 . The openings  21 ′ accommodate a conventional valve mechanism having two spaced water inlet pipes. 
     FIG. 16  shows an embodiment in which the mounting plate  65  has valve openings  21 ′ and shower head pipe opening  37 , and the mounting plate  75  of  FIG. 17  includes valve opening  21 ′, spout opening  42  and shower head pipe opening  37 . 
   The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without undue experimentation and without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. The means, materials, and steps for carrying out various disclosed functions may take a variety of alternative forms without departing from the invention. 
   Thus the expressions “means to . . . ” and “means for . . . ”, or any method step language, as may be found in the specification above and/or in the claims below, followed by a functional statement, are intended to define and cover whatever structural, physical, chemical or electrical element or structure, or whatever method step, which may now or in the future exist which carries out the recited function, whether or not precisely equivalent to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed in the specification above, i.e., other means or steps for carrying out the same functions can be used; and it is intended that such expressions be given their broadest interpretation.