Patent Publication Number: US-6209153-B1

Title: Quick-install mounting nut assembly for a single control kitchen faucet

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a quick-install mounting nut assembly for a single control kitchen faucet in which the connection of the faucet shank to the deck may be completed from below the deck without the use of any tools. Because the space below the deck is usually very crowded and hard to get at, making the connection is often troublesome and time consuming. Accordingly, when tools must be used to connect the faucet shank, the result is sometimes a poor or faulty connection. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved quick-install mounting nut assembly for a single control kitchen faucet that may be completed below the deck without the use of tools, which connection is easy to make, which assembly is economical to produce and highly reliable in operation in that the faucet remains connected to the deck, but can be readily disconnected therefrom. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a quick-install mounting nut assembly that is made from below the deck; the assembly components may be self contained as a unit; and the assembly may be connected or disconnected to the faucet shank quickly and easily, with or without tools. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a quick-install mounting nut assembly that is operated manually, with or without tools, to both connect and disconnect the faucet shank to the deck; which assembly, in clamping position, utilizes clamping members to exert a clamping force or, when the assembly is being unclamped, the clamping members are free to flex in a loosened unclamped position that permits disassembly of the previously assembled components. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a quick-install mounting nut assembly that connects the shank of the faucet to the deck in a secure and balanced manner and, whenever desired, is easy to disassemble; which is a self contained unit that utilizes a pair of fasteners, such as thumbscrews, that are manually tightened to secure the shank of the faucet to the deck from the underside of the deck. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS IN THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the quick-install nut assembly of the present invention in clamped position; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the quick-install nut assembly shown in FIG. 1, absent the deck, the shank and the rest of the faucet; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmented enlarged side elevational view, partly in section, showing the quick-install nut assembly of the present invention shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmented right side view, partly in section, of the components of the quick-install nut assembly of the present invention shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmented right side elevational view, partly in section, similar to FIG. 4 except that the assembly is in unclamped position, with the clip of the quick-install nut assembly is loose and free to flex; and 
     FIG. 6 is a view taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to the accompanying drawings, the quick-install mounting nut assembly  10  of the present invention is illustrated with a single control kitchen faucet  12 , shown only in FIG. 1, but it is understood that the principles of the present invention may also be applied to any other type of faucet, such as two handle faucets or the like. In the present instance, the faucet  12  is connected to a deck  14  by a shank  16 , through which passes a hot water line  18  and a cold water line  20  from under the deck  14  to separately connect at coupling  22  and  24 , respectively, into a mixing valve  26  mounted in the shank  16 . The faucet  12  has a housing  28  disposed about the shank  16  and between which is formed an annular chamber  30  which receives the discharged mixed water from the valve  26  to be delivered to a spout  32  through an opening  34  for discharge from the faucet in a conventional manner. A single handle  36  is shiftably secured to the housing  28  and operationally connected to control the mixing valve  26  and thereby control the discharge (not shown) from the spout  32 . The housing  28  nests upon the upper end  38  of a trim plate  40  which has its lower outer end  42  rest upon the deck  14  outwardly of a circular opening  44  formed therein and through which the reduced diameter lower portion  46  of the shank extends. The trim plate  40  has a horizontally extending inner flange  48  that extends above and into the opening  44  of the deck  14  and is contacted by the larger diameter upper portion  50  of the shank  16  that nests thereon. However, the upper portion  50  of the shank  16  has a larger diameter than the opening  44  of the deck  14  so that, with or without, the inner flange  48  it will always remain above the deck  14 . 
     The quick-install mounting nut assembly  10  clamps the shank  16  to the deck  14  as described in more detail hereinafter and as illustrated in the drawings herein, but before describing its operation, the individual components shown in FIG. 2 will be described. Accordingly, the assembly  10  has a strap  52  having a central opening  54  and a pair of ears  56  formed on opposite sides thereof. Each of the ears  56  has an aperture  57  therein of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the threaded section  58  of a fastening member such as a thumbscrew  60  that will extend therethrough. A clip  62  is loosely connected to the underside of each of the ears  56  by means of four turned over fingers  64 . Each clip  62  has an opening  66  about the same diameter as that of the threaded section  58  of the thumbscrews  60  so that each of the clips  62  will be connected to respond to the movement of the thumbscrews  60  for purposes to be described in greater detail hereinafter. Two vertical legs  68  are formed inwardly of adjacent fingers  64  and rise upwardly from opposite sides of each other above the opening  66  so that, once the clip  62  is connected to the ear  56 , the width of each of the legs  68  will extend a greater distance than that of the aperture  57  of the ear  56 . Each of the clips  62  will be connected to respond to the movement of the thumbscrews  60  for purposes to be described in greater detail hereinafter. Each of the clips  62  has a flexible forward section  70  that is biased downwardly and has a central “V” notch  72  formed therein. With the clip  62  connected to the ear  56  the forward section  70  will extend into and be biased downwardly below the area of the central opening  54  of the strap  52 . A nut  74  will be disposed on the top of the ear  56  and loosely non-turnably held thereon by the legs  68  so as to threadedly receive the threaded section  58  of the thumbscrew  60 . A pad  76  will be connected upon the top of the threaded section  58  of the thumbscrew  60 . The assembly  10  including the strap  52  to which the clip  62  and nut  74  are disposed as a unit in a casing  78  to which a cover  80  is added. Thereafter the thumbscrews  60  are threadedly connected through the clips  62 , the strap  52  and the nuts  74  and the pads  76  are connected to the upper ends thereof. It is understood that the casing  78  and the cover  80  each have a central opening similar to that of the strap  52 . Also, the casing  78  has apertures similar to that of the strap  52 . Also, the casing  78  has apertures similar to the apertures  57  of the ears  56 , while the cover  80  has apertures sized to have the pads  76  extend therethrough. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 3,  4  and  5 , it will be understood that the quick-install mounting nut assembly  10  shown and described in FIG. 2 will be pre-assembled as a unit and the shank  16  will have had its lower portion  46  disposed through the opening  44  of the deck  14  so that the upper portion  50  of the shank  16  will be sitting on the upper side of the deck  14 . Thereafter, the assembly  10  will be axially raised on the lower portion  46  of the shank  16  until the pads  76  contact the underside of the deck  14 . This causes the “V” notch  72  of the flexible forward section  70  of the clip  62  to slide upwardly along the lower portion  46  of the shank  16  as the assembly  10  is raised axially upwardly to bring the pads  76  into contact the underside of the deck  14 . To secure the connection, the thumbscrews  60  are now turned to further force the pads  76  upwardly against the underside of the deck  14 . The force is distributed along the greater area of the pads rather than merely making a point contact as might have occurred without the pads  76  at the upper end of the thumbscrews  60 . The “V” notches  72  are now forced to bite down and into the lower portion of the shank  16  at least two points thereof since the shank is made of a softer material, such as brass, while the clips  62  may be made of steel. This is illustrated in FIG.  6 . Applying a greater force upwardly, via tightening of the thumbscrews  60 , to the underside of the deck  14 , produces a greater force downwardly upon the lower portion  46  of the shank  16 , via a “V” notch  72  of the flexible forward section  70  of the clips  62  to solidly seat the shank  16  against the deck  14  and thereafter permit the connection of all of the remaining faucet components to complete the faucet  12  connection to the deck  14 , as is shown in FIG.  1 . Thus, the quick-install mounting nut assembly  10  can be manually operated without the use of tools to complete the below the deck connection of the shank  16  to the deck  14 . Of course, if desired, tools can be used on either the thumbscrew  60  shown in solid line representation in the drawings or as shown only in FIG. 4 the dotted line representation of the thumbscrew  60  can be replaced by any other fastening member, such as a hex-head machine screw  60   a  which would be used in place of the thumbscrew  60 . 
     Whenever it is required, the faucet  12  may be disassembled by disassembly of the shank  16  in which the faucet  12  components can be disconnected in the conventional manner and the shank  16  can be disassembled by simply reversing the procedure and, instead of tightening the thumbscrew  60 , it will be loosened to lower the pad from its contact from the underside of the deck  14 , as shown in FIG.  5 . This removes the downward force between the clips  62  and the lower portion  46  of the shank  16  and permits the loose movement of the flexible forward section  70  of the clips  62 , as indicated by the double headed arrow  82  and the solid and dotted line representation of the flexible forward section  70 . The threaded connection between the threaded section  58  of the thumbscrew  60  and the opening  66  of the clip  62  will keep the clip against the underside of the strap  52 . Thereafter, either or both the assembly  10  and/or the shank  16  can be removed or otherwise disassembled to a greater extent. 
     It will also be appreciated that the above-described invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.