Patent Publication Number: US-6981286-B2

Title: Hidden mounting of water valve body and headworks assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the mounting of a water valve body and headworks assembly with respect to a mounting surface and particularly to the mounting of a water valve body and headworks assembly with respect to a mounting surface so that the assembly is hidden from view by the mounting surface allowing greater flexibility in the handle design and importantly, in a way which allows the headworks to be replaced from above the mounting surface. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Presently, a water valve body and headworks (or cartridge) assembly is mounted with respect to a mounting surface, such as a vanity or sink top, by threads on the outside of the water valve body being secured just above the mounting surface by a locking member which is part of an escutcheon. The headworks engages the mounted water valve body so as to protrude substantially above the mounting surface. A handle is used to both engage and control the headworks and a cover is used below the handle and above the escutcheon to hide the protruding portion of the headworks from view. The need to hide the protruding headworks limits the looks that can be achieved in water valve handle design. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to over come this limitation of the prior art the present invention contemplates in a water valve assembly for mounting with respect to a mounting surface, the water valve assembly including a water valve body having external threads on the exterior thereof and internal threads to receive a headworks and the headworks; the improvement comprising a handle trim connecter; the handle trim connecter having a hollow cylindrical lower portion and an upper flange portion; the hollow cylindrical lower portion having internal threads to mate with the external threads on the threaded portion and the upper flange portion for engaging the mounting surface. In one embodiment the improvement further comprises a hollow cylindrical spacer member mounted surrounding the handle trim connecter below the upper flange portion. The hollow cylindrical spacer member could be plastic, and is used when the mounting surface is on a deck that is less than 1.5 inches thick. 
     In a further embodiment the water valve assembly is positioned substantially below the mounting surface and further comprises an escutcheon having a descending threaded portion; said escutcheon for mounting on the mounting surface to cover the upper flange portion; and second internal threads internal to the upper flange portion for mating with the descending threaded portion of the escutcheon. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be described in the following detailed description that will be referring to the drawings as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view showing a mounted faucet assembly including a pair of water valve body and headworks assemblies in accordance with the teachings of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the water valve body and headworks assembly of this invention to show the parts thereof. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view along the line  3 — 3  in  FIG. 2  to show the internal configuration of some important elements of this invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevation view showing the handle, stem connecter and escutcheon combined as an assembled unit by a C Clamp; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing the details of the integration of some important elements of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , we see a faucet assembly  10  mounted on a lavatory surface  11  such as found on a sink or vanity. The faucet assembly  10  includes three main elements; a spout  12  and a pair of water valve body and headworks assemblies  13  and  14 . The water valve body and headworks assemblies  13  and  14  are each controlled by a handle  16  and  17  which could be made of crystal. The handle  16  and  17  can be made of any traditional handle material but is shown here as transparent glass to emphasize the flexibility in handle design afforded by the water valve body and headworks valve assembly of this invention. 
     There is also shown in  FIG. 1  the traditional plumbing  18  to connect the water valve and headworks valve assemblies  13  and  14  to the spout  12  and a rod  19  for controlling a drain. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , we see an exploded view of the water valve body and headworks assembly  14  together with the handle  17 . As can be seen, the water valve and headworks assembly  14  includes a water valve body  21  having external threads  22 , locking nuts  23  and  25  engaging the threads  22  and a metal washer  24  which in operation is secured by the locking nut  23  and a gaskets  32   a . The water valve body and headworks assembly  14  also includes a headworks  26  having a splined upper portion  27  thereon. 
       FIG. 2  also shows the handle  17 , an escutcheon  29 , a handle trim connector  31  a seal  28  and a plastic spacer  32 . The handle  17 , escutcheon  29 , handle trim connector  31  seal  28  and plastic spacer  32  are especially designed for use in the present invention. The handle  17  is attached to a stem connecter  30  by, for example, epoxy when the handle  17  is crystal. In accordance with this invention the handle  17 , the stem connecter  30  and the escutcheon  29  are secured together by a C clamp  40  (see  FIG. 4 ) to act as a single unit to prevent an installer from spacing them improperly. The lower portion of the stem connecter  30  has a female spline to mate with the upper splined portion  27  of the headworks  26 . The escutcheon  29  is secured around the stem connecter  30  touching the lower surface of the handle  17  so that a space cannot be seen due to improper installation. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , we see that the water valve body  21  has internal threads  33  at the upper portion thereof. These threads  33  mate with external threads  34  on the headworks  26  to allow or inhibit the flow of water as is common in known water valves. Referring now to all the FIGs., we see that the handle trim connecter  31  has internal threads  36  on the lower portion thereof terminating a fixed distance from the edge thereof and internal threads  37  on the upper portion thereof terminating a fixed distance from the other edge thereof. The internal threads  36  of the handle trim connecter  31  mate with the threads  22  to position the water valve body and headworks assembly  14  below the top of the lavatory surface  11  (see in particular  FIG. 5 ). If the thickness of the lavatory surface  11  is too small the plastic spacer  32  is used to allow the locking nut  23  to secure the lip  38  of the handle trim connecter  31  against the top of the lavatory surface  11 . 
     Since the water valve body and headworks assembly  14  is now positioned below the top of the lavatory surface  11  the glass handle  17  can be used without a cover and without the water valve body and headworks assembly  14  or portions thereof being visible. The spline upper portion  27  is engaged by the female spline of the stem connecter  30  so that the glass handle can control the water valve body and headworks assembly  14 . The escutcheon  29  has descending threads  39  which mate with the internal threads  37  of the handle trim connecter  31 . In present water valves a cover is either secured thereto by mating with external threads  41  on the headworks  26  or made part of the escutcheon which mates with external threads  41 . In the embodiments of this invention threads  41  are not engaged and can be dispensed with if it can be done economically. 
     In order to aid in the replacement of a headworks such as headworks  26  from above the mounting surface  11  several design features have been incorporated into the water valve body and headworks assembly  14  of this invention. The lock nut  25  is provided to inhibit the handle trim connector  31  from unthreading from the water valve body  21  when a torque is applied to remove the headworks  26  from its position in the water valve body and headworks assembly  14 . A pair of holes  42  and  43  are provided in the upper flange of the handle trim connector  31 , see  FIG. 3 , to enable the use of a spanner wrench to also help stabilize the handle trim connector  31  when the torque is applied. 
     In the preferred embodiment of this invention the dimensions of the handle trim connector  31  are chosen to allow the use of a 17 mm socket wrench from above the mounting surface  11  to loosen and remove the headworks  26  from the mounted water valve body  21 . The outside diameter of the lower portion of the handle trim connector  31  is 33 mm to allow it to fit inside the normal hole size in mounting surfaces  11  in the United States while the outside diameter of the flange is 45 mm to insure that the handle trim connector  31  does not slip through such normal hole size. The inside diameter of the handle trim connector  31  is 25 mm to allow the 17 mm socket wrench to fit inside and be moved as necessary. 
     While this invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof numerous others can be envisioned that will fall within the sprit and scope thereof.