Patent Abstract:
A plumbing fitting has a putty groove defined between an internal insert and an external decorative shell. In one form, a terminal end of the shell also captures the insert inside the housing. This allows formation of a deep putty groove even in those circumstances where the outer shell is very thin and is flared at the bottom.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     Not applicable.  
       STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates to plumbing fittings having a groove for accommodating a sealant at an interface between the plumbing fitting and a counter top or wall that the plumbing fitting is to be mounted against. More particularly it relates to a multi-part structure for defining such a putty groove.  
         [0004]     Plumbing fittings such as faucets, spouts and valve control handles are well known. See eg. U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,643. It is common to mount such fittings to a horizontal counter top, or to a vertical wall, through an opening formed therein. This allows the fitting to connect to plumbing lines or other plumbing related controls.  
         [0005]     In a bathroom or other environment water may tend to seep between the downward/inward end of the fitting and the adjacent counter top or wall, and then leak through the opening. It is therefore conventional to surround the opening by preformed gaskets or more commonly a continuous strip of sealant/putty. When using such a sealant, it is desirable to compress the fitting tightly against the surface that it is being mounted on to minimize gaps. However, this can cause the putty to ooze outward if the putty is not confined by the structures involved. This can require some extra labor to clean up the installation, and in some cases may leave the putty slightly visible.  
         [0006]     Thus, it is conventional to provide a confined groove on the underside/innerside of the fitting to receive the putty. This is often provided in an associated putty plate that the valve housing rests on. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,490 where a putty plate was provided with a downwardly opening putty groove just inward of its perimeter.  
         [0007]     Complicating matters is that conventional escutcheons for plumbing fittings are often made of relatively thin material to reduce cost and weight. Hence, providing a putty groove of sufficient depth directly in a thin shell escutcheon can be problematic. Using a separate putty plate for the putty groove helps address this concern. However, when the outer shell/escutcheon sits on the putty plate the less ornamental putty plate may be somewhat visible.  
         [0008]     Another complication is that as the escutcheon of the plumbing fitting is made more and more flared and bell shaped (e.g. for ornamental reasons), there can be difficulties in positioning the putty groove adjacent the outer radius of the escutcheon.  
         [0009]     Hence, a need exists to provide a plumbing fitting with improved putty groove structures, particularly where the escutcheon is bell shaped.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The invention provides a plumbing fitting that has a housing (e.g. a decorative escutcheon) defining an outer shell with a hollow interior. There is also a base inserted into the interior of the housing which is connected to the housing. A putty groove is formed at the underside of the fitting in part by the base and in part by an end of the housing. For example, a terminal end of the housing can define an outer side wall of the groove, with a portion of the insert forming the opposed side of the groove.  
         [0011]     While in connection with the disclosure herein the directions up and down (e.g. underside) are referred to, if the fitting is to be mounted on a vertical wall, those terms are to be instead meant to be interpreted so that the upward direction is the direction outward away from the wall, and the downward direction (e.g. underside) is the direction towards the wall.  
         [0012]     Also, when the term “putty groove” is used putty per se does not have to be present or intended to be used. Rather, it is intended that a groove be present which is designed to receive a sealant, regardless of whether specifically putty.  
         [0013]     In a preferred form of the first embodiment of the present invention the end of the housing extends inwardly of a peripheral edge of the base (to thereby trap it in the housing), and the base includes an annular ring that extends axially to define an inner wall of the putty groove. The putty groove is preferably circular, with its side walls being correspondingly circular.  
         [0014]     In another preferred form the putty groove is located radially outward of an opening through the base, and the putty groove is located radially proximate an outer periphery of the base. The housing can then have a flared, generally bell-shaped end receiving the base.  
         [0015]     These structures are most preferably incorporated into a flow control handle assembly. However, they may be incorporated into a variety of other plumbing fittings such as faucets, spouts, shower mixers, etc.  
         [0016]     In another aspect the invention provides a plumbing fitting. There is a housing defining an outer shell with a hollow interior, the housing having a flared lower section with a lower end, the lower section decreasing in height in a radial outward direction, the lower end of the housing providing an outer wall of a putty groove at an underside of the fitting opening in an axially downward direction. There is also an annular base inserted into the interior of the housing at the lower section and decreasing in height in the radial outward direction, the base having an underside defining radially inner wall and also a back wall of the putty groove and cooperating with the lower end of the housing to define the putty groove.  
         [0017]     In yet another aspect the invention provides a plumbing fitting having a first part and a second part. The first and second parts are separately formed and joined thereafter to cooperate to form a putty groove at an underside of the fitting for receiving sealant (e.g. putty). In any event, the first part forms a first side wall of the putty groove, and the second part forms a side wall of the putty groove opposite the first side wall of the putty groove.  
         [0018]     It should be appreciated that the structures of the present invention allow deep putty grooves to be formed with relatively thin material. Further, they can be positioned in designs that are bell-shaped at their base. Moreover, the structure of the present invention facilitates the hiding of the putty or other sealant from view after installation.  
         [0019]     The putty groove will normally have a closed loop configuration, for example a circle, oval, rectangle, square or other such shape. However, this is not absolutely required, albeit it is greatly preferred. Moreover, while the placement of the groove around a countertop opening or shower enclosure wall opening is preferred, the putty groove can be positioned adjacent other structures.  
         [0020]     The housing/escutcheon/outer shell can be formed to capture the base in the interior of the housing. In particular, when the terminal end of the housing extends inwardly of a peripheral edge of the base at an underside of the base, the terminal end doubles as a both groove wall and a connector element. Thus, a solid connection is obtained without the need for separate fasteners being required to join the two components.  
         [0021]     Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows and accompanying drawings. What follows is merely a description of preferred embodiments of the present invention. To assess the full scope of the invention the claims should be looked to as the preferred embodiments are not intended to be the only embodiments within the scope of the claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a first embodiment of the present invention in the form of a water control valve handle assembly;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is an exploded assembly view of certain parts thereof;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a vertical sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1  of certain parts of the assembly, with certain other parts shown therein in phantom;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged detailed sectional view of the area noted as area  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  albeit showing an analogous portion of an alternate embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]      FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a first preferred handle assembly  10 . The assembly/plumbing fitting  10  includes a handle  12 , an elbow  14 , a glide washer  16 , a housing shell or escutcheon  18 , a coupler sleeve  20 , a fastener  22  and a base insert  24 . The handle  12  has a grip area and a threaded end that threads into one end of the elbow  14 . The other end of the elbow  14  has a square stud (not shown) that fits into the square opening of the sleeve  20  and receives the fastener  22  in a threaded opening (not shown) in the stud.  
         [0028]     The sleeve  20  has a splined interior that engages the splined end of a conventional valve stem  26  of a flow control valve  28  (shown in phantom in  FIG. 3 ), which are connected to a water inlet line (not shown). The valve  28  can be any conventional valve such as a ¼ turn valve cartridge. Suitable brackets (not shown) secures the valve to the countertop  30  (see  FIG. 3 ) and the threaded inner diameter  31  of the base insert  24  threads onto the body of the valve or the brackets to mount the fitting to the countertop  30 .  
         [0029]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the escutcheon  18  forms the ornamental body of the fitting  10 . It can be made of a suitable thin metal in one piece (but possibly two or more pieces). The interior of the escutcheon  18  is hollow and accommodates the sleeve  20 , base insert  24  and valve structure.  
         [0030]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the escutcheon  18  has a chess piece shape with a head  32 , narrow body  34  and flared bell end  36 . Like a bell, the end  36  flares radially outward. As it flares outward, the vertical height of the end  36  decreases. Like the end  36  of the escutcheon  18 , the base insert  24  also flares radially outward and decreases in height so that it abuts an inside surface of the escutcheon  18  at its radially widest point.  
         [0031]     As best shown in  FIG. 4 , a terminal end  38  of the escutcheon  18  wraps around the base insert  24  and extends radially inward along an underside of the base insert  24 . The edge surface of the terminal end of the escutcheon  18  thus forms a circular, radially outward side wall  40  of a downwardly opening putty groove  42  extending continuously in a circle very near the radial outer periphery of the fitting.  
         [0032]     The inner side wall  44  of the putty groove  42  is formed by a radially outward facing surface of a rib  46  of the base insert  24 . The rib  46  extends axially downward further than the adjacent undersurface  48  of the base insert  24  radially outward of the rib  46 , which forms the upper, back wall of the putty groove  42 .  
         [0033]     In the disclosed  FIG. 4  embodiment the surface  48  extends at the same height to essentially the outer periphery of the base insert  24  (other than at the edge radius) such that the terminal end  38  of the escutcheon  18  forms the entire outer side wall of the putty groove  42 . However, this is not necessary, and another downwardly extending portion of the base insert  24  could combine with the terminal end of the escutcheon to form the outer side wall.  
         [0034]     In addition to cooperating with the base insert  24  to create the putty groove, the wrap around configuration of the terminal end  38  of the escutcheon shown in  FIG. 4  captures the base insert  24  within the hollow interior of the escutcheon  18 . The escutcheon  18  wraps tightly around the upper and lower surfaces of the periphery of the base insert  24  so that a tight, solid feeling connection is made between the components. Thus, no separate fasteners are required to join the two components.  
         [0035]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , in an alternate construction of the fitting, the terminal end  38 A does not wrap around the underside of the base insert. Instead it extends axially straight downward to create the outer side wall of the putty groove. As a result of this configuration, the putty groove is wider and extends nearer the outer periphery of the fitting. However, in this case, the base insert is not captured by the escutcheon such that an additional fastener would be required to connect the escutcheon and the base (e.g. cooperating threads; adhesive; mechanical fastening). Yet, in both cases, the escutcheon  18  can surround the periphery of the base to conceal the base and any other internal structure, and provide the fitting with a clean, finished appearance.  
         [0036]     Because the resulting groove is quite deep, sufficient putty is available to make an effective seal. Yet, the end  36  will prevent putty from oozing out into a visible position.  
         [0037]     While there has been shown and described what is at present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention, various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. For example, in certain configurations the outer shell may form the outer side wall and back wall of the putty groove, with the insert forming only an inner side wall. Therefore, various alternatives and revised embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims.  
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
       [0038]     The invention provides a plumbing fitting with an improved putty groove to control leaking by the fitting.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4