Patent Publication Number: US-2004051303-A1

Title: Multi-length flex connector

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
     [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/388,640, entitled Flexible, Length Adjustable Water Connector For Hookup Of Faucets, Toilet Tanks And Other Devices And Appliances To Water Supply Valves, filed Jun. 14, 2002. 
    
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002] 1. Technical Field  
       [0003] This invention relates to plumbing equipment and, more particularly, to fittings for use with water connectors, such as faucets and toilets.  
       [0004] 2. Background Information  
       [0005] Throughout this application, various publications, patents and published patent applications are referred to by an identifying citation. The disclosures of the publications, patents and published patent applications referenced in this application are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure.  
       [0006] In the past, sinks, wash basins, toilet tanks or other appliances were installed, by using a pipe such as a copper pipe which was suitably bent for attachment to the end of a water distribution pipe and the water supply intake of the appliance. The plumber or other installer had to make precise measurements, cut the copper pipe accordingly, shape it and finally connect it by welding. Such tasks were burdensome, cumbersome, and slow and not readily adaptable for do-it-yourself amateurs and most homeowners.  
       [0007] Rigid supply tube assemblies have been used for many years in the plumbing market, which may eliminate the need for welding. These assemblies have been installed for many years by carefully measuring the distance between a stop valve of a water distribution pipe, and the installed fixture/appliance, cutting a rigid copper tube to size using a metal tube cutter, bending the tube as necessary to properly align the ends with the fixture and stop valve, and then fastening the tube at both ends using compression fittings. The complexity of this process generally meant that the task was unsuited to homeowners and other laypeople, but rather, required the services of a professional plumber. Moreover, there is also a risk of kinking these tubes while bending them too far, which would render the tubes unusable.  
       [0008] Flexible pipes have also been used to connect a sanitary appliance to a distribution network. A common type of flexible pipe included a copper tubular structure having corrugated walls which enabled the pipe to be manually bent to the position of the fluid intake on the appliance as well as to the end of the distribution pipe. However, in order to be flexible, this type of tube had a thin fragile metallic wall, which often cracked upon repetitive bending or flexing. Such cracks caused water leaks from the pipe.  
       [0009] The body of the corrugated supply assembly allowed some flexibility, but still many homeowners had trouble doing-it-themselves. If the corrugated supply assembly is bent into one position, then bent again to correct a mistake in the alignment, it work-hardens the tubing. Usually, two or three bends work-hardens the tubing to its failure point. The supply tube assembly often splits and forms a hole between one or more of its corrugations causing water leaks.  
       [0010] Moreover, the connections of appliances supplied with water using these conventional metal pipes have the drawback of transmitting vibrations from the sink or other appliance, when the faucet is turned on, to the supply pipe. The use of a faucet of poor quality on the appliance produces vibrations which can be transmitted to the entire house, or to adjacent apartments and possibly even through the whole building.  
       [0011] Ostensibly to address the foregoing drawbacks, flexible polymeric hoses were introduced. These hoses generally consisted of a flexible polymer hose (e.g., Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) with two attached fittings. A fitting at one end of the hose is typically attached to the faucet base by means of a nut using a washer, o-ring, or plastic head. The other end of the hose is attached to a supply valve or supply pipe using a washer or o-ring.  
       [0012] In more recent years, home centers, hardware stores and plumbing suppliers began carrying flexible, metallic mesh-reinforced hoses having threaded connectors at the ends for threadably engaging both the fixture and the stop valve. As optional variations, these hoses may include use of a cylindrical brass nipple at one end for coupling to the stop valve using a conventional compression coupling. The pre-configured connectors are typically installed to the mesh-reinforced hose by concentrically engaging the hose ends with a barbed portion of a hard metal (e.g., brass) connector, placing a cylindrical ferrule concentrically thereover, and then crimping the ferrule to hold the assembly in place. An example of a flexible connector assembly of this general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,419, entitled Faucet Connector Assembly, which issued on Jun. 18, 1991.  
       [0013] The flexibility of these mesh-reinforced hoses, combined with the pre-configured connectors at both ends, advantageously enabled homeowners and others to securely couple fixtures to their water supplies themselves, without professional assistance.  
       [0014] These flexible mesh-reinforced hoses have proven to be quite popular, not only for homeowners, but also for professional plumbers who have realized substantial labor savings in many installations. A drawback of these assemblies, however, is that due to their pre-configured end connectors, their length is not adjustable. So, while suppliers and others in the supply chain could in the past simply stock a single length of copper tube to be cut as desired in the field, they now find themselves stocking several sizes of flexible hose assemblies to satisfy various installation requirements. For example, many distributors, retailers, and even plumbers themselves, have found it desirable to stock flexible hose assemblies in a range of lengths, such as of 6″, 9″, 12″, 16″, 20″, 30″ and more, to accommodate various installation configurations.  
       [0015] Relative to a single stock item, stocking of multiple sizes requires additional warehouse and vehicle space, additional capital outlays to purchase items in each size, and generally adds complexity to inventory operations, which tend to disadvantageously increase costs overall.  
       [0016] An additional drawback associated with these flexible mesh-reinforced hoses pertains to exposed or semi-exposed installations, such as pedestal sink installations. In these applications, the hoses are highly visible, and any excess length in the hoses generally causes them to hang loosely or coil randomly, to generate a messy or tangled appearance that is often found objectionable by property owners.  
       [0017] Thus, a need exists for a flexible faucet tube assembly that is capable of being inventoried and sold in a single size, while being conveniently shortened as required in the field.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0018] In one aspect of the invention, a faucet connector assembly includes a mesh reinforced flexible hose having a threaded fastener crimped onto one end thereof, and a copper tube having a length within a range of approximately 10 to 20 inches. The tube has an outer diameter which is substantially consistent along the length thereof, and is field-cuttable at any of a plurality of locations along the length thereof to provide the connector assembly with one of a plurality of user-selectable lengths. The outer diameter is sized to fastenably engage a stop valve using a compression fitting at any of the plurality of locations along the length thereof, and is approximately 0.3 inches. The tube has a wall thickness along the length thereof within a range of approximately 0.02 to 0.03 inches to facilitate bending by hand. The copper tube has an integral nipple formed at an end thereof, to form a one-piece tube/nipple assembly, with the hose being crimped at an other end thereof onto the integral nipple. In another aspect of the invention, a plumbing connector assembly includes a mesh-reinforced composite flexible hose, the hose having a threaded fastener disposed on one end thereof, and a metallic tube having a length within a range of approximately 10 to 20 inches. The tube has an outer diameter which is substantially consistent along the length thereof, the tube being field-cuttable at any of a plurality of locations along the length thereof to provide the connector assembly with one of a plurality of user-selectable lengths. The outer diameter is sized to fastenably engage a stop valve using a compression fitting at any of the plurality of locations along the length thereof. The tube has a nipple disposed at an end thereof, and the hose is crimped onto the nipple.  
       [0019] In another aspect of the invention, a method of fabricating a faucet connector assembly includes providing a mesh-reinforced flexible hose, crimping one end of the hose to a threaded faucet fastener, and providing a copper tube having a length within a range of approximately 10 to 20 inches that has an outer diameter which is substantially consistent along the length thereof, which is field-cuttable at any of a plurality of locations along the length thereof to provide the connector assembly with one of a plurality of user-selectable lengths, and which has an outer diameter sized to fastenably engage a stop valve using a compression fitting at any of the plurality of locations along the length thereof, the outer diameter being approximately 0.3 inches, and the tube having a wall thickness along the length thereof within a range of approximately 0.02 to 0.03 inches so that it is bendable by hand. The method further includes forming an integral nipple into an end of the copper tube, to form a one-piece tube/nipple assembly, and crimping an other end of the hose onto the integral nipple.  
       [0020] In a still further aspect of the invention, a method of fabricating a plumbing connector includes selecting a mesh-reinforced composite flexible hose, fastening a threaded faucet fastener to one end of the hose, and selecting a tube having an outer diameter which is substantially consistent along the length thereof, is field-cuttable at any of a plurality of locations along the length thereof to provide the connector assembly with one of a plurality of user-selectable lengths, has an outer diameter sized to fastenably engage a stop valve using a compression fitting at any of the plurality of locations along the length thereof. The method further includes cutting the metallic tube to a length within a range of approximately 10 to 20 inches, plus length of nipple, disposing a nipple at one end of the tube; and crimping the hose at an other end thereof onto the nipple. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0021] The above and other features and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0022]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0023]FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, on a reduced scale, engaged at one end thereof with a conventional water supply valve;  
     [0024]FIG. 3 is a perspective, partially exploded view, partially broken-away view, on an enlarged scale, of the engagement of the embodiment of FIG. 2 with the water supply valve;  
     [0025]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the embodiment of FIGS.  1 - 3 ;  
     [0026]FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic elevational views of portions of alternate embodiments of the present invention;  
     [0027]FIGS. 7 and 9 are elevational views of portions of the embodiment of FIGS.  1 - 4 ;  
     [0028]FIG. 8 is a schematic elevational view of a portion of a fabrication process used to fabricate portions of the embodiments of FIGS.  1 - 4 ; and  
     [0029] FIGS.  10 - 12  are views similar to that of FIGS. 5 and 6, of still further embodiments of the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0030] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized. It is also to be understood that structural, procedural and system changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. For clarity of exposition, like features shown in the accompanying drawings shall be indicated with like reference numerals and similar features as shown in alternate embodiments in the drawings shall be indicated with similar reference numerals.  
     [0031] Embodiments of the present invention includes a flexible water supply tube for plumbing applications, which may be conveniently cut to one of multiple lengths. As shown in the attached figures, these embodiments include a flexible mesh-reinforced rubber water supply tube, having a threaded connecter at one end for coupling to a plumbing fixture such as a faucet. The other end of the device includes an integral, rigid or semi-rigid metallic (e.g., copper) tube, having a predetermined diameter (e.g., ⅜″ OD) for fastening to a stop valve using a conventional compression fitting. The copper tube may be conveniently cut to a desired length, in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art of installing plumbing fixtures, prior to being fastened to the stop valve.  
     [0032] These embodiments advantageously provide a single-size assembly adapted to provide convenient and secure installation of faucets and the like, while advantageously permitting it to be cut to size in the field. This enables those in the product supply chain, such as hardware stores, home centers, plumbing supply houses, and plumbers, to reduce inventory by stocking a single item instead of a range of otherwise identical items in a range of sizes, for reduced inventory complexity and costs. Moreover, in many installations, such as pedestal sinks, the flexible mesh portion can be hidden behind the basin, leaving the copper tube portion exposed for a professional and esthetically pleasing appearance. The use of copper to fabricate the tube portion also advantageously permits some degree of mechanical flexibility, while being easily finished in chrome, gold, or other decorative colors to further enhance the esthetics of the installation.  
     [0033] Where used in this disclosure, the term “axial” when used in connection with an element described herein, shall refer to a direction relative to the element, which is substantially parallel to its central, longitudinal axis, i.e. parallel to the direction of water flow therethrough. Similarly, the term “transverse” shall refer to a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction. The terms “transverse cross-section” or “transverse circumference” shall refer to a cross-section or circumference, respectively, taken along a plane oriented substantially orthogonally to the axial direction.  
     [0034] Referring now to the figures, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.  
     [0035] As shown in FIG. 1, flexible water supply assembly  10  of the present invention includes a flexible mesh (e.g., wire-mesh or polymer fiber-mesh) reinforced rubber water supply hose  12 , having a conventional threaded connector  14  at an end thereof. Connector  14  is sized and shaped for coupling to an inlet of a conventional plumbing fixture such as a sink faucet or toilet. The other end of assembly  10  includes an integral, metallic tube  16 , which, in particular embodiments, is fabricated from copper or other relatively soft, malleable (i.e., semi-rigid) metal.  
     [0036] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, tube  16  is provided with an outer diameter (OD) sized for being received within a conventional stop valve  18  using a conventional compression fitting  17 . As best shown in FIG. 3, fitting  17  includes a compression ring  19 , and an internally threaded compression nut  21  with a collar  23  that is positioned against, engages, and compresses the compression ring  19  about tubing  16  when nut  21  is threadably engaged with the threads of stop valve  18 . Tightening of the nut  21  onto valve  18  serves to press the ring  19  snugly between the tube  16  and the wall of the valve  18 , to form a water-tight seal.  
     [0037] As it is fabricated from a malleable metal commonly used in plumbing applications (e.g., copper), tube  16 , prior to being fastened to stop valve  18 , tube  16  may be easily cut to a desired length using a tube cutter of the type commonly used in plumbing applications. The flexible hose  12  provides sufficient flexibility to enable the installer to easily fasten connector  14  to the fixture (e.g., faucet).  
     [0038] Turning now to FIG. 4, threaded connector  14  includes a compression nut  30  captured by a shoulder  31  of head  32  of hollow nipple  34 . At the opposite end of nipple  34  from head  32 , is a foot  36 , configured with at least one frustoconical hose barb  38 , sized to engage and fit snugly into an end of the mesh-reinforced hose  12 . The nipple  34  has an elongated inlet passageway  40 , that extends along the axis thereof. A tubular crimping ferrule  42  is concentrically superposed with both the nipple  34  and hose  12 , and crimped radially inwardly to securely fasten connector  14  to the composite hose  12 .  
     [0039] In exemplary embodiments, the OD of tube  16  is ⅜″, to accommodate most conventional stop valves  18 . Hose  12  is typically in the range of approximately 6-12 inches in length, while tube  16  is in the range of approximately 10-20 inches in length. Tube  16  is shown and described in greater detail with respect to FIG. 6, below.  
     [0040] An aspect of the present invention was the recognition of difficulties associated with fastening tube  16  to hose  12  in a manner that provides a secure connection in a manner that is easily and inexpensively manufacturable. It was realized that conventional crimping techniques, such as described hereinabove with respect to nipple  34  of FIG. 4, satisfy some of these criteria by providing a secure and relatively easy to manufacture connection. However, the crimping forces inherent in this approach require the use of a relatively robust nipple, to resist the radially compressive forces applied during crimping. The nipple  34  (FIG. 4), has been fabricated from brass to provide this required structural integrity.  
     [0041] Turning now to FIG. 5, one technique that may be used in connection with the present invention is to fabricate a brass nipple  34 ′ similar to that shown in FIG. 4, which is extended axially to form an integral brass tube  16 ′. Being fabricated from brass, this approach provides the requisite structural integrity for being crimped to hose  12 . The one-piece construction facilitates manufacturability. While this approach may be satisfactory in some applications, it tends to be relatively costly to manufacture, and since it is fabricated from relatively hard brass, tube  16 ′ may be difficult to cut in the field. Brass is also relatively expensive, and the resulting tube  16 ′ is relatively rigid, which makes it difficult, if not practically impossible, for a user to bend in the field if desired.  
     [0042] Referring now to FIG. 6, another approach is shown, that overcomes a drawback of the embodiment of FIG. 5. In this embodiment, a nipple  34 ″ is fabricated from brass, to provide the above-described structural integrity sufficient for the crimping process. A discrete tube  16 ″, fabricated from a relatively malleable metallic material, such as copper, is sized and shaped to interfit with an end of the nipple  34 ″. These components may then be securely fastened to one another in any convenient manner, such as by soldering or brazing. Advantages of this approach include the provision of a relatively robust nipple to facilitate the crimping process, while also providing a metal tube  16 ″ that may be easily cut to length in the field, and may itself provide some degree of flexibility which may be desirable in some applications. This embodiment may prove to be adequate in many applications. However, fastening the tube  16 ″ to nipple  34 ″ is an extra manufacturing step that may increase the cost of then final product, both because of the added soldering or brazing step, and because the engagable portions of the nipple and tube themselves must be fabricated to relatively tight geometric tolerances in order to facilitate their mutual, leak-free engagement.  
     [0043] Turning now to FIG. 7, an alternative embodiment is shown that has been found to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. This embodiment includes tube  16  fabricated from conventional malleable metal (e.g., copper) tubing sized for typical plumbing use (e.g., ⅜″ OD), which is provided with an integral nipple  34 ′″. This one-piece nipple/tube construction provides the benefits of a tube  16  that is easy to cut (and in some optional embodiments, bendable by hand, if desired) in the field, a nipple  34 ′″ that can be securely crimped to a hose  12 , while also providing the benefits of being relatively inexpensive to manufacture due its one-piece construction and use of copper (rather than brass). The one-piece aspect of this embodiment also advantageously nominally eliminates any chance of leaks at the junction of tube  16  and nipple  34 ′″, and provides an aesthetically pleasing finished appearance.  
     [0044] The successful production and use of this embodiment was surprising, due to the common understanding that commercially available copper tubing of the size (e.g., ⅜″ OD) used for plumbing supply lines has insufficient structural integrity to withstand the radially compressive crimping forces described hereinabove. This success was achieved by use of a metal forming technique that sized and shaped nipple  34 ′″ in a manner that carefully balanced the competing characteristics of tube rigidity (i.e., for a successful crimp) and flexibility (for convenient cutting and optionally, hand-bending in the field).  
     [0045] In particular embodiments, a successful unitary copper tube/nipple combination is fabricated by forming nipple  34 ′″ onto a commercially available copper tube using the technique described hereinbelow with respect to Table 1 and FIG. 8. Referring now to Table 1 and FIG. 8, a mold half  54  is provided  55 , which has a generally semi-cylindrical mold cavity in the size and shape of a longitudinal cross-section of the tube/nipple combination of FIG. 7, including a proximal end  56  and a distal end  58 . Distal end  58  has a generally smaller diameter than proximal end  56  as shown. A piece of conventional copper tube stock  50  sized and shaped for slidable receipt within proximal end  56 , is inserted  57  therein, and moved axially  59  towards distal end  58  until further axial progress is inhibited by the reduced diameter of the distal nipple end, such as shown in FIG. 8. A rod  60 , having an outer diameter sized and shaped to be slidably received within tube stock  50 , and having a reduced diameter at a distal end  62  thereof, is inserted  65  into the tube stock. The rod effectively prevents collapse of the tube stock during further processing, as will be discussed hereinbelow.  
     [0046] A second mold half (not shown), having a mold cavity substantially identical to that of the first mold half, is mated  61  with the first mold half  54  in a conventional manner to form a complete mold cavity of cylindrical transverse cross-section. Thereafter, the tube stock  50 , and rod  60 , are axially pressed  63 , in unison, towards distal end  58 . This axially pressing  63  may be effected using any conventional pressing means, such as by use of a hydraulic or pneumatic press of sufficient capacity to plastically deform the tube  50  as described herein. Moreover, such pressing may be effected with or without application of heat, i.e., in either a cold-forming or hot-forming operation.  
     [0047] Pressing  63  thus serves to plastically deform the tube stock  50  into a reduced diameter at distal end  58 . This axially compressive movement of the tube and rod is continued until the tube and rod reach the terminal end of the mold, such as shown in phantom in FIG. 8, upon which continued compressive movement serves to push the copper tube material radially outward into bead recesses to form a bead  38  and/or bead(s)  38 ′. As shown, beads  38  is frusto-conical as described hereinabove. Alternatively, beads  38 ′ may be provided, having an annular or donut shaped configuration as shown, which are generally formed more easily than frusto-conical barbs  38  by hot or cold forming.  
                   TABLE 1                          55   providing a mold half 54 having a distal nipple end           of reduced diameter       57   inserting a copper tube stock 50 into the mold half 54       59   axially moving tube stock towards distal end 58 until further axial           progress is inhibited by the reduced diameter of the distal           nipple end       65   inserting a rod 60 into tube stock 50       61   mating a second mold half to the first mold half       63   axially pressing the tube stock and rod towards distal end 58 to           plastically deform the tube 50 to form a nipple                  
 
     [0048] Turning now to FIG. 9, in an exemplary embodiment, tube  50  had an OD of ⅜ (0.375) inches, and a wall thickness of 0.028-0.032 inches. Nipple  34 ′″ was formed to have an OD  70  of 0.270 inches, a bead OD  72  of 0.340 inches, and an axial bead dimension  74  of 0.093 inches. A frusto-conical bead  38  was disposed at the distal  58 , with two beads  38 ′ were respectively centered at about 0.302 and 0.555 inches inwardly therefrom. Nipple  34 ′″ had a cylindrical length  76  of about 0.764 inches, which then faired radially outwardly to the tube diameter of ⅜ inches.  
     [0049] When appropriately sized, this unitary copper tube  16  and nipple  34 ′″ advantageously provides a cost-effective construction having sufficient strength/rigidity to form a water-tight crimped coupling with flexible tube  12 , while providing tube  16  with sufficient flexibility to be bent in the field as desired for specific installations.  
     [0050] Although exemplary dimensions are shown and described herein, the skilled artisan will understand that these dimensions may be varied, and a greater or lesser number of beads may be used, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
     [0051] Although tube  16  and nipple  34 ′″ are described herein as being fabricated by a forming operation, the skilled artisan will recognize that any number of convenient techniques may be utilized, including molding, machining using a lathe or other device, or other types of metal forming, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
     [0052] Turning now to FIGS.  10 - 12 , further variations of the two-piece tube/nipple embodiment of FIG. 6 are shown. The embodiment of FIGS.  10  is similar to that of FIG. 6, though having a nipple  134  that receivably engages tube  16 ″ therein. The assembly of FIG. 11 utilizes a nipple  234  having a tube engagement portion of nominally the same diameter as tube  16 ″, to form a butting seal therewith, e.g., by welding or brazing. The nipple  334  of FIG. 12 is configured for fitting within an end of tube  16 , and being crimped into place, upon application of a radially compressive force such as described hereinabove.  
     [0053] In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.