Water tapping fixture

• US 5,891,329 A
• Filed: 05/07/1997
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karl F. Massholder
• Original Assignee: Karl F. Massholder
• Inventors: Massholder, Karl F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hruskoci, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US08/852,217
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 4/597, 4/602, 4/603, 4/615, 4/616, 4/222, 4/903, 210/748, 210/192, 210/198.1, 210/199, 210/205, 210/509, 210/282, 210/460, 210/100, 210/232, 250/430, 250/435, 250/436
• US Class Current: 210/100
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/06 Mounted on or being part of a faucet, shower handle or showerhead
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0408 Water installations especially for showers E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18

Abstract

A water tapping fixture with an outlet opening which is connected to a supply connection through a pipe having at least one valve, wherein an ultraviolet light radiating device is arranged in the pipe connected to the water tapping fixture. The ultraviolet light radiating device is arranged closely adjacent the outlet opening of the fixture. The outlet opening may be arranged in a head which is movable relative to a base part and the ultraviolet light radiating device is arranged in the head. Such a head may be, for example, a shower head which is connected through a hose to a wall fixture. The head may be connected through a flexible line to the base part and a feed line for the ultraviolet light radiating device is attached to the flexible line.

Claims

1. A water tapping fixture comprising a line section connected to a supply connection, the line section having at least one valve and an outlet opening, further comprising an ultraviolet light radiating device arranged in the line section, a base part and a head movable relative to the base part, the outlet opening being arranged in the movable head, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device is arranged in the head, and a filter at the ultraviolet light radiating device, the filter having a predetermined maximum pore size for filtering water passing through said head, wherein the filter is a matrix of an ultraviolet light-permeable material arranged to be subjected to ultraviolet light from said radiating device, and wherein the ultraviolet light-permeable material is quartz material.

2. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device is arranged adjacent the outlet opening.

3. The fixture according to claim 1, comprising a flexible line connecting the head to the base part and a feed line for the ultraviolet light radiating device, wherein the flexible line and the feed line extend together.

4. The fixture according to claim 3, wherein the feed line is arranged within the flexible line.

5. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device has a principal ray emission having a wavelength in the range of 250-255 nm.

6. The fixture according to claim 5, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device comprises a discharge arrangement of an ultraviolet light-permeable light conductor for conducting ultraviolet rays from the ultraviolet radiator in the line section.

7. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device is an ultraviolet radiator arranged immediately in the line section.

8. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device extends longitudinally in the longitudinal direction of the line section, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device is configured to discharge ultraviolet rays essentially radially relative to the line section.

9. The fixture according to claim 1, further comprising a switch for activating the ultraviolet light radiating device.

10. The fixture according to claim 9, wherein the switch is a flow switch.

11. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light-permeable material has a multitude of contact points within the matrix and a multitude of contact points with the ultraviolet light radiating device.

12. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device comprises an electrical preswitching arrangement for producing a feed voltage having a frequency of more than 10 kHz.

13. The fixture according to claim 12, wherein the feed voltage has a frequency of 30 kHz or more.

14. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device is configured to be subjected at all externally accessible parts thereof to an electrical voltage of at most 42 V.

15. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the outlet opening is arranged at an angle relative to the line section.

16. The fixture according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light radiating device comprises a water-tight encapsulated unit filled with an oxygen-free gas.

17. The fixture according to claim 16, wherein the gas is nitrogen.