Shower arm mounting

• US 6,276,004 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bertrand, John E., Brattoli, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HUYEN D
• Application Number:
  US09/500,945
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 461/5, 467/5, 467/8, 436/7, 137/359, 137/360, 137/801, 239/282, 239/283, 239/525, 239/273, 285/404, 285/282, 285/8, 285/46, 285/90, 285/136.1, 285/918, 277/602, 277/608, 277/609, 277/614, 277/625
• US Class Current: 4/615
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/042 Arrangements on taps for wash-basins or baths for connecting to the wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6977 Escutcheon type support

Abstract

A modular shower arm assembly for use in removably attaching a shower fixture to the unthreaded end of a pipe extending outwardly from a shower stall wall without affecting connection of the pipe to a water supply system behind the shower wall uses an adapter sleeve closely fitting over the pipe and located within a chamber in the shower arm water passage. There is a threaded fastener which extends from the top or upper surface of the shower arm, where it is normally unseen, to mount the sleeve and the shower arm to the pipe.

Claims

1. A modular shower arm assembly for use in removably attaching a shower fixture to an unthreaded end of a pipe extending outwardly from a shower wall without affecting connection of the pipe to a water supply system behind the shower wall, said shower arm assembly including:

a tubular shower arm adapted on one end thereof to mount a shower fixture, an adapter sleeve having an internal diameter adapted to provide a close, but sliding, fit on said pipe;

said tubular shower arm having an internal water passage which includes a chamber sized to closely fit about the adapter sleeve exterior diameter and to locate the sleeve positively relative to the shower arm;

a seal member located within said passage adjacent said adapter sleeve and in sealing contact with said passage and adapted to be in sealing contact with said pipe; and

a threaded opening in said tubular shower arm on an upper exterior surface thereof, an arcuate slot in said adapter sleeve in alignment with said shower arm opening, a threaded fastener extending through said opening and slot and adapted to fix said shower arm and sleeve to said pipe.

2. The modular shower arm assembly of claim 1 wherein said water passage chamber has an interior circumferential cylindrical wall and an adjacent radial wall, defining an end of said chamber, with said adapter sleeve being sized to fit against both said circumferential cylindrical wall and said radial wall when positioned within said chamber.

3. The modular shower arm assembly of claim 1 wherein said shower arm water passage has a second chamber, directly adjacent the chamber for said adapter sleeve, with said seal ring being positioned within said second chamber, and said second chamber being downstream of said sleeve chamber.