SPOUT FOR DOMESTIC WATER TAP

- Greg Rowe Limited

A spout for a domestic water tap and a manufacturing method of such a spout are disclosed. The present techniques relate to a spout for a tap, in particular, a domestic water tap or faucet and a method of manufacturing such a spout. The method of manufacturing a spout comprises forming a spout body. The body has an inlet end and an outlet end. A fluid path is positioned between the inlet end and the outlet end. A spout adapter is press-fitted into at least one of the outlet end or the inlet end of the spout body. A spout for domestic water tap is obtained by the disclosed manufacturing method of such a spout.

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Description
FIELD

The present invention relates to a spout for a tap, particularly a domestic water tap or faucet and a method of manufacturing such a spout.

BACKGROUND

Various types of taps are known, including single lever or dual lever taps which deliver a mixture of hot and cold water from mains sources as well as dual lever taps which deliver water from a plurality of sources, including mains sources, filtered water sources, near boiling or boiling water sources or carbonated water sources. The parts of the tap body which contact water must be manufactured from a material which is approved for domestic water use. Typically metals such as brass or stainless steel are used.

Taps typically include a spout which delivers water from a tap body where the water from the sources may be mixed to a user. The spout is connected to the tap body using a spout connector which is typically welded, soldered or brazed inside the spout. Similarly, the spout typically comprises a nozzle which is at the opposed end of the spout to the spout connector and which is also welded, soldered or brazed inside the spout. The use of separate spout connectors and nozzles which are brazed, soldered or welded together means that the spout can be customised to the particular type of tap whilst ensuring that the two components are permanently held together. However, the welding, soldering or brazing process can cause the spout to be deformed during the manufacturing process. This means that the spout needs to be polished afterwards and the polishing process can lead to some variation in the diameter of the finished product.

It is also known to releasably connect components to the spout. For example in US2016/0177551, there is a pull-out spray head which is configured to dock into an end of the spout. The spray head may be docked using a magnetic coupling or other connection. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,094 describes a coupling which releasably secures a sprayer to the end of the spout. The coupling may be threadably secured over the end of the spout or may be connected using a compression fitting. US2012/0267455 describes another variant of a tap with a removable spray head. In this arrangement, the spout is formed with an internal groove to receive part of a sleeve which detachably couples the spray head to the spout. In US 2014/0116553 the spout can be removeably secured to a mounting base by use of fasteners which may be locking pins or screws or other suitable mechanisms. Similarly, WO98/48120 shows how the spout can be connected to a valve block using any quick release mechanism. In each of these documents, the connections are releasable and thus they are not equivalent to brazing, soldering or welding which forms a more permanent connection.

The present applicant has recognised that there is a need for an alternative method of manufacture.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a spout comprising forming a spout body having an inlet end, an outlet end and a fluid path between the inlet end and the outlet end; and press-fitting a spout adapter into at least one of the outlet end or the inlet end of the spout body.

A spout adapter is a component which adapts the tap spout, for example as a nozzle adapter to provide a nozzle fitting or as a connector to allow the spout to be connected to a tap body. Press-fitting means that the need to braze, solder or weld the spout adapter to permanently attach the spout adapter to the spout is avoided. The press-fitting attaches the spout adapter to the spout so that the two components cannot be easily separated without damage to one or both of the components. Avoiding brazing, soldering or welding means that it is not necessary to polish the spout body after the spout adapter has been attached into the spout body. Forming the spout body may comprise shaping the spout body, e.g. by bending a hollow pipe, before press-fitting. The shaped spout body may also be plated or otherwise coated before press-fitting.

The applicant has realised that contrary to known techniques it is not necessary to braze the components to prevent failure of the connection. The applicant has recognised that a press-fit which provides an interference fit is sufficient to maintain a good connection even when there is a pressure increase as the water flows through the spout body to the outlet end, e.g. the press-fit connection can withstand water flow pressures which are typically in the range of 2 to 4 bar and may be up to 6 bar. An interference fit, also known as a press fit or friction fit is a fastening between two parts which is achieved by friction after the parts are pushed together, rather than by any other means of fastening. As an example, the force required to press-fit the spout adapter into the spout body was approximately 120 Kg/1176 Newtons. The two components are most commonly pressed together by either a hydraulic press or an arbor press. A similar force and equipment is required to separate the two components and thus a press fit may be regarded as an attachment which is not releasable manually.

The tightness of the fit is controlled by the amount of interference between the two components. The amount of interference may range from between 0.1% to 0.25% of the overall diameter for each component. Thus, it will be appreciated that the force required to achieve or separate a press fit or interference fit is significantly greater than a push fit which allows a component to be inserted and removed repeatedly as described in some of the prior art documents.

The spout adapter may comprise a body having a deformable collar portion. Press-fitting the spout adapter may comprise deforming the deformable collar portion as it is inserted in the spout without damaging the spout but to create the necessary interference fit. For example, the deformation may be considered to be from a first expanded configuration to a second compressed configuration. Once inserted, the deformable collar portion creates an interference fit on the inner surface of the spout body. For example, the deformable collar portion may attempt to return towards the first expanded configuration to form the interference fit on the inner surface of the spout body. The difference in size between the first expanded configuration and the second compressed configuration may be very small. It is noted that the interference fit is between an outer surface of the collar and an inner surface of the spout body. By contrast, U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,961 describes a spout which is inserted through a spherical element to form a seal.

The material for the collar portion may be selected to provide the necessary deformability. For example, the collar portion may be formed from a metal or an engineering plastic. It will be appreciated that forming an interference fit with a metal collar portion requires a precise tolerance on the relative sizes of the collar portion and the spout. If the sizes are not accurate, the collar portion may be too large to be inserted within the spout without damaging the spout or may be too small and thus not provide a sufficient interference fit on the inner surface of the spout. By contrast, the more deformable nature of engineering plastics may allow for a relatively larger tolerance on the relative sizes of the collar portion and the spout. For example, the outer diameter of the collar portion may be approximately up to 0.05 mm greater than the inner diameter of the spout. It will be appreciated that 0.05 mm is only an example and will be dependent on the nature of the material. For example, a harder material will require a smaller overlap than a softer material.

Examples of suitable materials include polyoxymethylene plastic (also known as acetal, polyacetal and polyformaldehyde), nylon (i.e. a synthetic polymer, based on an aliphatic or semi-aromatic polyamide) and PTFE (i.e. polytetrafluoroethylene, a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene). The material may have properties similar to those set out in the table below:

Parameter Value Unit Mechanical Properties Modulus of elasticity 1 mm/min 2900 MPa Tensile strength 50 mm/min 67 MPa Compression strength 1%/2% 18/31 MPa 5 mm/min,10N Thermal Properties Service temperature Short term 140 ° C. Service temperature Long term 100 ° C. Thermal expansion (CLTE) 23-100° C. Long 14 10−5 K−1

The collar portion may be integral or separate to the adapter body. For a separate collar portion, the method may further comprise forming a spout adapter body having a channel on its outer surface and mounting or attaching the deformable collar portion in a channel on an outer surface of the spout adapter body before press-fitting the spout adapter. The collar portion may be removably mounted to the adapter body. The use of a collar portion provides a method of compensating for variation in the diameter of the spout body at the inlet or outlet end. The use of a collar portion means that the inner surface of the spout body may be smooth, without any indentations or projections to assist in holding the spout adapter in place. This simplifies manufacture.

In addition to being smooth in the sense of having no specific indentations or projections, the surface finish may have a roughness value of between 0.025 μm to 1.6 μm. In other words, the material may have a roughness value of between N1 to N7, more preferably between N6 to N7, using the ISO Grade numbers and the following parameters:

CLA Roughness Roughness (μin.) Roughness N values Ra values Ra Center Rt ISO Grade micrometers microinches Line Roughness Numbers (μm) (μin.) RMS Avg. (μm) N7 1.6 63 69.3 63 8 N6 0.8 32 35.2 32 4 N5 0.4 16 17.6 16 2 N4 0.2 8 8.8 8 1.2 N3 0.1 4 4.4 4 0.8 N2 0.05 2 2.2 2 0.5 N1 0.025 1 1.1 1 0.3

The method may further comprise mounting or attaching a resilient seal, e.g. an O-ring, on an outer surface of the spout adapter body before press-fitting the spout adapter. During the press-fitting step, the resilient seal may also deform from a first expanded configuration to a second compressed configuration and then return towards the first expanded configuration to form an interference fit on the inner surface of the spout body. The resilient seal may also provide a water tight seal after the press-fitting step. Such an additional water tight seal is particularly useful when the collar portion itself does not provide a sufficiently water tight seal, e.g. because the collar portion has a gap or is made from metal. The resilient seal and the collar portion may be used together or separately. The choice of finish for the material inside the spout may also be key to forming the water tight seal with the O-ring. If the surface is too rough, i.e. above 1.6 μm in terms of roughness value, the O-ring may not seal as required because the surface is not smooth enough. The smoothness of the inner surface to achieve the water tight seal may be preferably between N6 and N7 as defined above.

The spout adapter may be a nozzle adapter and the method may comprise press-fitting the nozzle adapter into the outlet end of the spout body. After press-fitting the nozzle adapter, the method may comprise fitting (e.g. screwing) a nozzle cap over the nozzle adapter. The spout adapter may be a connector for connecting the spout to a tap body and the method may comprise press-fitting the connector into the inlet end of the spout body. Once the spout is finished, the spout may be connected to a tap body. The method may comprise fitting a spout adapter into both the inlet and the outlet ends of the spout body, i.e. fitting both a nozzle adapter and a connector.

According to another aspect there is also a spout manufactured by the method described above. The spout may comprise a spout body having an inner end, an outer end and a fluid path between the inner end and the outer end; and a spout adapter connected to at least one of the inner end and the outer end, wherein the connection is an interference fit. The inner end may be reviewed in a spout and the outer end is at the poised end to the inner end.

The spout adapter may comprise a body having a deformable collar portion which is configured to provide the interference fit. The collar portion may be made from a resilient plastics, e.g. polyoxymethylene plastic (also known as acetal, polyacetal and polyformaldehyde), nylon (i.e. a synthetic polymer, based on an aliphatic or semi-aromatic polyamide) and PTFE (i.e. polytetrafluoroethylene, a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene). The collar portion may be integral or separate to the spout adapter body. Where the collar portion is integral, the spout adapter may be made from the same material as the collar portion, e.g. polyoxymethylene, nylon or PTFE. Where the collar portion is separate, the collar portion may be an annular ring with a gap to assist in placing the collar portion on the spout adapter body. The collar portion may be located in a channel in an outer surface of the spout adapter body. The spout adapter body may be made from a different material, e.g. metal such as brass or stainless steel.

The spout adapter may further comprise a resilient seal, e.g. an O-ring, which may be located in a channel in an outer surface of the spout adapter. The resilient seal may be closer to the inner end of the spout adapter than the collar portion. The gap in the collar portion may mean that the interference fit is not water tight and thus the resilient seal may be used to provide the necessary water tight seal.

The spout adapter may be a nozzle adapter in the outlet end of the spout body. The nozzle adapter may be capped by a nozzle cap.

The spout adapter may be connector for connecting the spout to a tap body and the connector may be in the outlet end of the spout body. The connector may thus comprise the connections to connect to the tap body.

According to another aspect there is also provided a spout adapter for use in the spout described above, the spout adapter comprising a body having an inner end which is received within a spout, an outer end which is opposed to the inner end; and a fluid path between the inner end and the outer end, and a deformable member adjacent the inner end of the body, wherein the deformable member is configured to provide an interference fit when the spout adapter is inserted in a spout.

The spout may be incorporated in a tap which may be connected to a plurality of water sources. Thus, the spout may form part of a system which comprises a tap and at least one hose for connecting the tap to a water source, the at least one hose comprising a connector for delivering water from the source into the inner body. The system may comprise two, three or four hoses, each with its own connector depending on the nature of the tap. For example, in a single lever or dual lever mixer tap which is mixing hot and cold mains water, there may be two hoses, one for cold water and one for hot water. Alternatively, in a dual lever boiling water tap, there may be four hoses, one for cold water, one for hot water, one for boiling water (or near boiling water) and one for another type of water (e.g. filtered water).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1a shows an exploded isometric view of a spout according to a first example;

FIG. 1b shows a cross-sectional view of the spout of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 1c shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative spout;

FIG. 2a is a side view of a nozzle adapter which may be incorporated in the spout of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2b is an exploded isometric view showing the components of the nozzle adapter of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 2c shows a detailed view of section C of FIG. 1b showing the nozzle adapter incorporated in a spout;

FIG. 2d shows a detailed view of section C of FIG. 1c showing the nozzle adapter incorporated in a spout;

FIG. 3a is a side view of a connector which may be incorporated in the spout of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3b is an exploded isometric view showing the components of connector of FIG. 3a;

FIG. 3c shows a detailed view of section B of FIG. 1b showing the connector incorporated in a spout;

FIG. 3d shows a detailed view of section B of FIG. 1c showing the connector incorporated in a spout; and

FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view of a tap incorporating the spout of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4b is front view of the tap of FIG. 4a;

FIG. 4c is a schematic view of the water sources which may be connected to the tap of FIG. 4a;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for manufacturing the spout of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an alternative connector which may be incorporated in the spout of FIG. 1a to 1c; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a tap incorporating an alternative spout adapter.

 DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1a, there is illustrated a first example of a spout 10 which comprises an inlet end 12 into which water flows from a tap body and an outlet end 14 through which water exits the tap. A hollow pipe defines at least one fluid pathway 19 between the inlet end 12 and the outlet end 14. The hollow pipe has a generally annular cross-section and an overall shape which is bent or arched. The spout is typically formed from metal, e.g. brass, stainless steel or other metals which are approved for use in a domestic water supply. It will be appreciated that the shape of the spout is illustrative and any suitable shape may be used depending on the nature of the tap in which the spout is incorporated. The spout is formed from a relatively thin material which has sufficient thickness to retain its shape during everyday use but is thin enough to allow a sufficient volume of water to pass through the spout.

The spout 10 comprises a nozzle adapter 16 which comprises multiple components and which as explained in more detail below is inserted into the outlet end 14 during manufacture. Similarly, the spout comprises a spout connector 18 which as explained in more detail below is inserted into the inlet end 12 during manufacture.

FIG. 1b shows the internal detail of the spout of FIG. 1a. The spout comprises an inner spout 84 which is concentrically mounted within an outer spout 82. Thus, there are two separate fluid pathways within the spout body between the inlet end 12 and the outlet end 14. Such a tap can be used with taps having multiple sources in which it is desired to separate the output from the sources, e.g. in a “4-in-1 tap”, the inner spout 84 can be used to deliver boiling or cold filtered water and the outer spout 82 can be used to deliver mixed hot and cold mains water. Such separated outputs could be delivered simultaneously if desired. The nozzle adapter 16 and connector 18 are connected to both the inner and outer spouts as described below. As shown in FIG. 1b, the inner surface of the outer spout 84 is smooth and does not comprise any indentations or projections to assist in retaining the nozzle adapter. The inner surface may also be smooth with a roughness value between N1 and N7 as defined above, more preferably between N6 and N7.

FIG. 1c shows the internal detail of an alternative spout in which there is only a single fluid pathway 20 through the spout. Such an arrangement may be used with a standard tap which mixes only hot and cold mains water. The same nozzle adapter 16 and connector 18 are connected to both the inner and outer spouts as described below. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the type of spout body can be selected to suit the use of the tap.

FIGS. 2a and 2b shows the detail of a nozzle adapter 16 which may be incorporated in a spout as shown in more the detailed partial drawing in FIG. 2c or FIG. 2d.

The nozzle adapter 16 has a cross-section which matches that of the spout into which it is incorporated. Accordingly, the nozzle adapter 16 is also generally annular in shape. The nozzle adapter comprises an inner end 26 which is received in the spout and an outer end 28 at the opposed end of the nozzle adapter. There is at least one fluid path between the inner end 26 and the outer end 28 of the nozzle adapter 16 through which water can pass from the spout out of the nozzle adapter.

The nozzle adapter 16 comprises two channels 22, 24 in the outer surface of its body. A first channel 22 is located centrally on the nozzle adapter 16 and a collar 34 is located within the first channel 22. A second channel 24 is adjacent the inner end 26 and a resilient seal 32, for example in the form of an O-ring is located within the second channel 24. In this arrangement, the first channel 22 is larger than the second channel 24. The second channel 24 is also located closer to the inner end 26 than the first channel 22. In other words, the second channel 24 is located upstream of the first channel 22 when considering the direction of water flow through the nozzle. By incorporating the channels in the nozzle adapter, the inner surface of the spout does not need to include channels, indentations or other adaptations to incorporate the nozzle adapter.

The collar 34 (also termed a collar portion and the terms may be used interchangeably) is made from a resilient plastics material which provides the interference fit. The collar may be in the form of a ring having a small gap to facilitate attachment of the collar 34 within the first channel 24. As the nozzle adapter 16 is inserted in the outlet end of the spout, the collar deforms slightly to reduce the overall size of the collar to allow the nozzle 16 to be inserted without damaging the spout. Once the nozzle adapter 16 is inserted, the collar provides an interference fit on the smooth inner surface of the outlet end of the spout. The collar may also have a chamfered inner edge which may assist in press-fitting the collar (and hence the nozzle adapter) into the spout. The circumference of the collar 34 is greater than the circumference of the adjacent part of the nozzle body. In this way, the interference fit is between the outer surface of the collar 34 and the inner surface of the spout rather than between any surface of the nozzle body with the spout.

The outer end of the nozzle adapter has a thread 70 on its outer surface. The thread matches the threaded bore on an inner surface of a nozzle cap 72. The nozzle cap has the same external dimensions as the spout and once the nozzle adapter is inserted into the spout and covered with the cap, the nozzle cap 72 abuts and is flush with the outlet end of the spout. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 2c and 2d, no part of the nozzle adapter 16 is visible in use and thus the nozzle body can be made of the same or different material from the spout. In this example, the nozzle body may be made of a different material from the collar. The nozzle body may be made from a material which is more rigid and more resistant to deformation that the collar. For example, the nozzle body may be made from metal, e.g. stainless steel or brass. It is more difficult to achieve an interference fit between two metal surfaces and thus the use of a collar of plastics material which has a greater circumference than the metal components addresses this difficulty.

Water flows through the nozzle adapter and thus any parts of the nozzle body which are in contact with water must be made or at least coated with a material which is approved for use in this context. In the embodiment of FIG. 2c, the spout comprises an inner spout 84 centrally located with an outer spout 82. The nozzle cap 72 also comprises a nozzle 74 having a connector 76 which ensures an interference fit connection between the nozzle 74 and the inner spout 84. An inner channel 88 runs through the nozzle 74 to provide a fluid path between the inner spout 84 and the outlet end 90 of the nozzle 74. A resilient seal 86, e.g. an O-ring, is also located around the outlet end 88 of the nozzle 74. Around the nozzle 74, there is provided an outer channel 92 which connects the outer spout 82 with the outlet end 90 of the nozzle. The outer channel 92 is defined by the inner surface of the nozzle adapter and thus in this embodiment, this surface must be suitable for domestic water use.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2d, there is a single fluid pathway 20 through the spout body. The nozzle adapter 16 is the same as that used in FIG. 2c and thus the same features have the same reference number. As can be seen in FIG. 2d, since there is no need to form a connection with two channels, the connection between the nozzle adapter and the spout body is simplified. Thus, the nozzle cap 72 is simply fitted to the nozzle adapter using the screw thread. The nozzle adapter 16 is held in the spout body by press-fitting the nozzle adapter into the spout body so that the collar portion 34 creates an interference fit on the inner surface of the spout body. The resilient seal 32 around the nozzle adapter 16 may also help to create the interference fit and also create a water tight seal. In this example, there is a single fluid path 30 of circular cross-section and which is tapered slightly towards the outlet of the nozzle adapter 16. However, it will be appreciated that there may be more than one fluid path through the nozzle adapter (e.g. as shown in FIG. 2c) and/or the fluid path may be rectangular or any other cross-section depending on the spout into which the nozzle adapter is connected.

FIGS. 3a and 3b shows the detail of a connector 36 which may be incorporated in a spout as show in more the detailed partial drawings in FIGS. 3c and 3d. The connector comprises an inner end 46 which is received in the spout and an outer end 48 at the opposed end of the connector 36. There is at least one fluid path through the connector 36.

In addition to providing a fluid connection between the spout and a tap body, the connector also provides a mechanical connection between both components. Accordingly, the inner end 46 which is received in the spout has a cross-section which matches that of the spout into which it is incorporated. Similarly, the outer end 48 which is received in the tap body is shaped to form a suitable connection with the tap body. In this example, the connector is in the form of a hollow cylinder having a generally circular cross-section which tapers in size from the larger inner end 46 to the smaller outer end 48.

Like the nozzle, the connector 36 comprises two channels 42, 44 in the outer surface of its body. A first channel 42 is located close to the inner end 46 of the connector 36 and a collar 54 is located within the first channel 42. A second channel 44 is adjacent the inner end 46 and a resilient seal 52, for example in the form of an O-ring is located within the second channel 44. In this arrangement, the first channel 42 is larger than the second channel 44. The second channel 44 is also located closer to the inner end 36 than the first channel 42. In other words, the second channel 44 is located downstream of the first channel 42 when considering the direction of water flow through the connector. As shown, both the O-ring 52 and the collar 54 have a circumference which is greater than the adjacent portions of the connector 36.

As with the nozzle adapter, the collar 54 of the connector 36 may be made from a resilient engineering plastics material which provides the press fit. As explained above, use of an engineering plastics material allows the tolerance on the relative size of the collar and the spout to be relaxed compared to when using other materials such as metals which are less deformable. The collar 54 may be in the form of a ring having a small gap 66. As the connector 36 is inserted in the inlet end of the spout, the collar deforms to reduce the overall size of the collar by virtue of the material from which it is made and the force applied. Once the connector 36 is inserted, the collar provides an interference fit on the inner surface of the inlet end of the spout. The connector 36 cannot then be removed from the spout without exerting considerable force and cannot be removed manually. The gap 66 also allows the collar 54 to be removably coupled to the connector body. The gap on the nozzle adapter provides the same functionality. As with the nozzle adapter, the circumference of the collar 54 is greater than the circumference of the adjacent part of the body of the connector. In this way, the interference fit is between the outer surface of the collar 54 and the inner surface of the spout rather than between any surface of the connector with the spout.

The connector 36 also comprises a central portion 56 between the inner end 46 and the outer end 48. As shown in FIGS. 3c and 3d, the central portion 56 has the same external dimensions as the spout and once the inner end 46 is inserted into the spout, the central portion 56 abuts and is flush with the inlet end of the spout. If necessary, the central portion 56 may also be made from the same material as the spout when the central portion may be visible in use. Alternatively, an outer cover may be used to conceal any visible portion of the connector 36.

The connector 36 may also comprise additional channels 58, 60, 62 some or all of which may comprise a resilient seal to ensure a water tight seal between the connector 36 and the tap body or provide a fluid pathway between the tap body and spout. The outer end 48 of the connector 36 is shaped to connect to a tap body both mechanically and fluidically.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 3c, the spout comprises an inner spout 84 centrally located with an outer spout 82. The inner spout 84 connects onto the tap body to define an inner fluid path 50 through the connector body between the inner end 46 and the outer end 48 of the connector 36 through which water can pass from the tap body into the inner spout 84. An outer fluid path 53 surround the inner fluid path 51 to provide a fluid path through which water can pass from the tap body into the outer spout 82.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3d, there is a single fluid pathway 20 through the spout body. The connector 36 is the same as that used in FIG. 3c and thus the same features have the same reference number. As can be seen in FIG. 3d, since there is no need to form a connection with two channels, the connection between the connector 36 and the spout body is simplified and there is only a single fluid pathway 50 through the connector 36. As before, the connector 36 is held in the spout body by press-fitting the connector 36 into the spout body so that the collar portion 54 creates an interference fit on the smooth inner surface of the spout body. The resilient seal 52 around the connector 36 may also help to create the interference fit and also create a water tight seal. It will be appreciated that there may be more than one fluid path through the connector and/or the fluid path may be rectangular or any other cross-section depending on the spout and tap body into which the nozzle is connected.

FIG. 4a shows the connector 36 connecting an inner tap body 100 to the spout 110. As described in detail above, the collar 54 and resilient seal 52 are within the spout 110. The central portion 56 of the connector 36 abuts the end of the spout 110. The central portion 56 is surrounded by a retaining clip 51 which assists in retaining the spout 110 in position. The retaining clip engages with or is engaged in a corresponding screw thread on the adjacent part of the trim to hold the spout within the tap body. The outer end of the connector is shaped to form a suitable connection with the tap body and comprises a resilient seal 63 to ensure a water tight seal between the connector 36 and the inner tap body 100.

In this example, the tap 1000 is a so-called “4 in 1 boiling water tap”. However, the spout may be incorporated in any suitable tap.

FIGS. 4a to 4c show a tap comprising an outer body 102 and a cylindrical spout 110 which is connected to and extends from the outer body 102. Water routes through an inner body 100 which is housed within the tap so that the outer body 102 does not come into contact with any water flowing through the tap. The outer body 102 may be made of the same or different material to the inner body 100.

The outer body 102 houses a first valve which interfaces with one side of the inner body 100 and a second valve which interfaces with an opposed side of the inner body 100. In this example, the first valve is a filtered water and boiling water selector valve which allows a user to select filtered water or boiling water but not a mixture of filtered and boiling water. The second valve is a mains hot and cold water mixer valve which allows a user to mix hot and cold water in any combination. The tap further comprises a first handle 114 operatively connected to the first valve and a second handle 115 operatively connected to the second valve.

By activating the first handle 114, a user can control the valve to cause water from the filtered water source or boiling water source to flow through the tap and be dispensed through an inner outlet within the spout 110. By activating the second handle, a user can control the valve to cause water from hot and cold water sources to flow through the tap and be dispensed through an outer outlet within the spout 110. Such handles, their mechanism and the manner in which they control valves are known for example from WO2017/042586 and EP2990703 to the present applicant. The information contained in these publications is herein incorporated by reference.

As shown in FIG. 4c, four hoses 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d are provided to supply water from water sources to the inner body 100 in the tap. In this example, a first hose 140a connects the tap to a mains hot water source, a second hose 140b connects the tap to a mains cold water source, a third hose 140c connects the tap to a filtered water source 170 and a fourth hose 140d connects the tap to a boiling filtered water source 180. The hoses may comprise a rubber (or similar flexible material) in a braided stainless steel outer (or similar more robust protective housing). Alternatively, the hoses may comprise a copper pipe onto which the connector is soldered. These hoses and sources are concealed under a work surface 185 on which the tap is mounted.

The boiling water source is in the form of a boiler which has a compact design but can be easily fitted into a standard kitchen cabinet. The compact design may hold over 4 litres. The boiler is connected to a water supply and a power source. The boiler is insulated and efficient so that it uses very little power to keep the water at around 100° C. (and above 98° C.). For example, the boiler may consume less than 1 watt of electricity per hour in standby mode. The boiler operates at a minimum pressure of 1.5 bar for hot and cold supply and up to a maximum pressure of 5 bar.

The spout of FIG. 1 may be manufactured using the steps shown in FIG. 5. The first illustrated step S100 is to form a spout body as described above and the second step is to form a spout adapter S102. It will be appreciated that these steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously.

Forming the spout body may comprise shaping the spout body, e.g. by bending a hollow pipe to the required shape for the spout. The spout body may be made from any suitable material, e.g. a metal such as brass which is approved for use in a domestic water system. Once the spout body is shaped, forming the spout body may further comprise plating or otherwise coating the spout body with a finishing material, e.g. stainless steel.

Forming the spout adapter may comprise forming one or both of a nozzle adapter and a connector. This step may comprise forming a spout adapter body having an inner end which is received in the spout body and an outer end which extends from the spout body. The spout adapter body may be formed (e.g. moulded or machined) with an integral deformable collar portion. Alternatively, the deformable collar portion may be removably fitted to the adapter body, e.g. within a channel on an outer surface of the adapter body. The integral or separate collar portion may provide the interference fit between the spout adapter and an inner surface of the spout body. Forming the spout adapter may further comprise attaching a resilient seal, e.g. an O-ring, to the spout adapter. The resilient seal may additionally (or alternatively) provide the interference fit between the spout adapter and an inner surface of the spout body. The resilient seal may also form a water-tight seal to reduce or prevent water leakage.

Steps S104 and S106 illustrate the step of press-fitting the spout adapter (a nozzle adapter, a connector or both) in the spout body. Press-fitting allows the nozzle and the connector to be fixed to the spout body without using welding or similar techniques. The deformation of the spout body during the press-fit process is reduced compared to these techniques. Hence, the spout body may be fully finished, including with a delicate outer coating, before the press-fitting step occurs.

As shown in step S104, the spout adapter may be a connector which connects the spout to a tap body, and in this case the connector is press-fit into an inlet end of the spout body. As shown in step S106, the spout adapter may be nozzle adapter which is press-fit into an outlet end of the spout body. Press-fit comprising inserting the adapter into the spout body. Where a collar portion is used, the press-fitting step compresses the collar portion from the first configuration to the second configuration. Once the collar portion is inside the spout body, the collar portion returns towards its first configuration to form an interference fit on the inside surface of the spout. The collar portion may not then be easily removed from the spout, e.g. cannot be removed manually but may be removable by exerting a significant force with a special machine.

Once the spout adapter has been fitted to the spout body, an inner spout may be pushed through the spout body. This step is optional because it is only necessary in the arrangements in which it is desired to separate water sources, e.g. the “4 in 1” tap in which water from a boiling water source is fed through an inner spout and water from a mains water source fed through an outer spout. Where a nozzle adapter is used, the method may further comprise fitting (e.g. screwing) a nozzle cap over the nozzle adapter. In this way, the nozzle adapter is concealed within either the spout body or the nozzle cap and can thus be made from any suitable material. Where a connector is used, the finished spout may then be fitted to a tap in the normal way and as described above.

FIG. 6 shows the detail of a connector 136 which may be incorporated in a spout as described above. The connector 136 differs from the connector shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b in that the connector 136 is entirely made of one material, e.g. metal or resilient plastics (such as acetal, nylon or PTFE). The advantages and disadvantages of the different types of material are described above. Thus, the connector 136 comprises an integral collar 154 rather than a separate collar as described above. The other features are unchanged and thus have the same reference numbers.

As before, the connector 136 comprises an inner end 46 which is received in the spout and an outer end 48 at the opposed end of the connector. There is at least one fluid path through the connector 136. The connector 136 is in the form of a hollow cylinder having a generally circular cross-section which tapers in size from the larger inner end 46 to the smaller outer end 48.

The connector 136 comprises a channel 44 adjacent the inner end 46 and a resilient seal is located within the second channel 44. In contrast to the previous embodiment, there is no channel for the collar because the collar 154 is integral to this one-piece connector 136. As before though, the channel 44 for the resilient seal is located downstream of the collar 154 when considering the direction of water flow through the connector.

The connector 136 also comprises a central portion 56 having the same external dimensions as the spout and once the inner end 46 is inserted into the spout, the central portion 56 abuts and is flush with the inlet end of the spout. The collar 154 is narrower than this central portion. This central portion 56 may be formed by using two stages in the manufacturing process, for example by initially forming a section having the same cross-section as the collar or other components and then by adding a component, e.g. a retaining clip as shown in FIG. 4a to increase the cross-section. The connector 136 may also comprise additional channels 58, 60, 62 some or all of which may a resilient seal to ensure a water tight seal between the connector 136 and the tap body. Alternatively, at least one of the channels may receive part of a retaining clip which assists in holding the spout to the spout body. The outer end 48 of the connector 136 is shaped to connect to a tap body both mechanically and fluidically.

As in the previous arrangement, the collar 154 forms the press fit from the nature of the material itself as explained above. When the connector 136 is inserted by press-fitting in the inlet end of the spout, the collar deforms to reduce the overall size of the collar. Once the connector 136 is inserted, the collar provides an interference fit on the inner surface of the inlet end of the spout. The connector 136 cannot then be removed from the spout without exerting considerable force.

It will be appreciated that whilst FIG. 6 shows a connector made from a single piece, a similar arrangement can also be used for the nozzle body, i.e. to have a unitary nozzle adapter with an integral collar.

FIG. 7 shows a variant connector 136 connecting an inner tap body 100 to a spout 110. The connector 136 is formed as a single piece in line with the embodiment shown in FIG. 6. However, in this arrangement, the collar 156 is more centrally located on the connector than in previous arrangements. Thus, the collar 156 may be considered to be similar to the central portion of FIG. 6. The collar 156 together with a pair of resilient seals 152 (e.g. O-rings) are within the spout 110. There is an additional portion of the connector 136 between the pair of resilient seals 152 which may also help with the interference fit of the connector 136 in the spout 110. A retaining clip 151 assists in retaining the spout 110 in position. In this arrangement, the retaining clip 151 is fitted around the outer surface of the spout 110 because a larger portion of the connector 136 is located within the spout when compared to the arrangement shown in FIG. 4a. The retaining clip 151 is held in place on the connector in a groove and is held in place on the trim by a screw thread arrangement as described above. The outer end of the connector is shaped to form a suitable connection with the tap body and comprises a resilient seal 63 to ensure a water tight seal between the connector 36 and the inner tap body 100.

Whilst water has been described above as a medium guided and directed through the tap, the inner body may receive any liquid suitable for being delivered by a domestic water tap. The water sources may in examples be combined into fewer water sources. In some examples there may only be one or two or three water sources. In some examples there may be more water sources.

The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the invention. Further embodiments of the invention are envisaged. It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a tap spout comprising

forming a tap spout body having an inlet end, an outlet end; and a fluid path between the inlet end and the outlet end; and
press-fitting a spout adapter comprising a body having a deformable collar portion into at least one of the outlet end or the inlet end of the spout body, by deforming the deformable collar portion from a first expanded configuration to a second compressed configuration in which the collar portion is small enough to be inserted into the tap spout body and then allowing the deformable collar to return towards the first expanded configuration to form an interference fit on an inner surface of the tap spout body.

2. (canceled)

3. The method of claim 1, comprising mounting the deformable collar portion in a channel on an outer surface of the spout adapter body before press-fitting the spout adapter.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising mounting a resilient seal on an outer surface of the spout adapter body before press-fitting the spout adapter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the spout adapter is a nozzle adapter and the method comprises press-fitting the nozzle adapter into the outlet end of the tap spout body.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the spout adapter is a connector for connecting the tap spout to a tap body and the method comprises press-fitting the connector into the inlet end of the tap spout body.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising press-fitting a spout adapter into both the inlet end and the outlet end of the tap spout body.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the tap spout body comprises shaping the tap spout body before press-fitting.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein forming the tap spout body comprises plating the shaped spout body before press-fitting.

10. (canceled)

11. A tap spout comprising

a spout body having an inlet end, an outlet end and a fluid path between the inlet end and the outlet end;
a spout adapter connected to at least one of the inlet end and the outlet end, wherein the spout adapter comprises a deformable collar portion which is configured to provide an interference fit between the spout body and the spout adapter.

12. (canceled)

13. The tap spout of claim 11, wherein the collar portion is made from a resilient plastics.

14. The tap spout of claim 11, wherein the collar portion is removably coupled to the spout adapter body.

15. The tap spout of claim 14, wherein the collar portion is an annular ring with a gap.

16. The tap spout of claim 14, wherein the collar portion is located in a channel in an outer surface of the spout adapter body.

17. The tap spout of claim 13, wherein the collar portion is integral with the body.

18. The tap spout of claim 11, further comprising a resilient seal located in a channel in an outer surface of the spout adapter.

19. The tap spout of claim 11, wherein the spout adapter is a nozzle adapter in the outlet end of the spout body.

20. The tap spout of claim 11, wherein the spout adapter is a connector for connecting the tap spout to a tap body and the connector is in the outlet end of the spout body.

21. A spout adapter for use in the tap spout of claim 11, the spout adapter comprising

a body having an inner end which is received within a spout, an outer end which is opposed to the inner end; and a fluid path between the inner end and the outer end, and
a deformable member adjacent the inner end of the body,
wherein the deformable member is configured to provide an interference fit when the spout adapter is inserted in a spout.
Patent History
Publication number: 20210140155
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 31, 2018
Publication Date: May 13, 2021
Applicant: Greg Rowe Limited (Norwich)
Inventors: Gregory Norman ROWE (Norwich), Iain James PROSSER (Norwich)
Application Number: 16/760,203
Classifications
International Classification: E03C 1/04 (20060101);