Top mount plumbing fixture

• US 6,370,712 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FB Global Plumbing Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zummersch, Martin, Burns, Leonard J., Mascari, Nicholas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/885,747
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 467/5-6-8, 469/6, 137/359, 137/360, 137/801, 285/64, 285/208
• US Class Current: 4/675
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0401 Fixing a tap to the sanitary appliance or to an associated mounting surface, e.g. a countertop
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0402 with mounting from only one side
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6977 Escutcheon type support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

A plumbing fixture adapted to be installed from the top side of a sink deck through a sink deck opening includes a housing having a body portion which is adapted to extend through the sink deck opening and below the sink deck when mounted. The housing has a shoulder which is adapted to seat on the sink deck when mounted. There is a collar slidably movable on the body portion and of a size to pass through the sink deck opening. A threaded bore is in the collar and an unthreaded bore is in the housing shoulder, and a threaded member extends through these bores, with rotation of the threaded member from above the sink deck moving the collar axially along the housing body portion. The housing body portion has a recessed area thereon to accommodate inward movement of a pair of outwardly-biased yielding members, such as button-shaped projections, which are associated with the collar and extend outwardly therefrom such that when so extended the collar will not pass through the sink deck opening. The fixture is mounted to the sink deck by first compressing the outwardly-extending button-shaped projections to pass the body portion and collar through the sink deck opening from above the sink deck until the shoulder portion is seated on the sink deck and the button-shaped projections have extended after passing through the sink deck opening. The threaded member is then rotated until the collar has moved axially along the body portion and is in contact with the underside of the sink deck.

Claims

1. A plumbing fixture adapted to be installed from the top side of a sink deck through a sink deck opening, said fixture including a housing having a body portion which is adapted to extend through the sink deck opening and extend below the sink deck when mounted, and a shoulder portion on said housing which is adapted to seat on the sink deck when mounted, a collar slidably movable on said body portion and of a size to pass through the sink deck opening, a threaded bore in said collar, an unthreaded bore in said housing shoulder portion, a threaded member extending through said unthreaded and threaded bores, with rotation of said threaded member from above the sink deck moving said collar axially along said housing body portion,

outwardly-biased yielding means slidably movable on said body portion and being positioned within said collar and extending outwardly therefrom, such that when so extended the collar will not pass through the sink deck opening, said housing body portion having a recessed area thereon to accommodate inward movement of said outwardly-biased yielding means,

whereby the plumbing fixture is adapted to be mounted to the sink deck by first compressing the yielding means into the recessed area of the housing body portion to pass the body portion and collar through the sink deck opening from above the sink deck until the shoulder portion is seated on the sink deck and the yielding means has extended after passing through the sink deck opening, the threaded member is then rotated until the collar has moved axially along the body portion and is in contact with an underside of the sink deck.

2. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 wherein said yielding means includes at least one outwardly-extending button-shaped member, extending from within said collar, outwardly through a slot in said collar, with said button-shaped member, when so extended, preventing the passage of said collar through the sink deck opening.

3. The plumbing fixture of claim 2 wherein there are a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly-extending button-shaped members, extending from within said collar, outwardly through slots in said collar, and said housing body portion has a pair of recessed areas, on opposite sides thereof, to accommodate inward movement of said button-shaped members.

4. The plumbing fixture of claim 3 wherein said button-shaped members are part of a sleeve located within said collar.

5. The plumbing fixture of claim 4 further including cooperating locating means on said collar and sleeve.

6. The plumbing fixture of claim 4 wherein said sleeve is discontinuous.

7. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 wherein said recessed area is at a lower end of said housing body portion, and a cam ramp extending between said recessed area and non-recessed portions of said housing body portion.

8. The plumbing fixture of claim 7 wherein there are a pair of diametrically opposed recessed areas on said housing body portion and a cam ramp extending between each of said recessed areas and non-recessed portions of said housing body portion.

9. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 wherein said housing body portion includes an axially-extending projection preventing rotation between said housing body portion and said collar.

10. The plumbing fixture of claim 9 wherein said axially-extending projection includes, through a portion thereof, an axially-extending waterway bore.

11. A plumbing fixture adapted to be installed from the top side of a sink deck through a sink deck opening, said fixture including a housing having a body portion which is adapted to extend through the sink deck opening and extend below the sink deck when mounted, and a shoulder portion on said housing which is adapted to seat on the sink deck when mounted, a collar slidably movable on said body portion and of a size to pass through the sink deck opening, a threaded bore in said collar, an unthreaded bore in said housing shoulder portion, a threaded member extending through said unthreaded and threaded bores, with rotation of said threaded member from above the sink deck moving said collar axially along said housing body portion, a sleeve positioned within said collar, a pair of outwardly-extending projections on said sleeve and outwardly-biased to extend through openings in said collar, such that said projections when so extended through the collar will not pass through the sink deck opening,

whereby the plumbing fixture is adapted to be mounted to the sink deck by first compressing the outwardly-extending projections to pass the body portion and collar through the sink deck opening from above the sink deck until the shoulder portion is seated on the sink deck and the projections have extended, after passing through the sink deck opening, the threaded member then being rotated until the collar has moved axially along the housing body portion and is in contact with an underside of the sink deck.

12. The plumbing fixture of claim 11 wherein said projections have a button-shaped configuration and each is mounted on an arm which is integral with said sleeve.

13. The plumbing fixture of claim 12 wherein said housing body portion has recessed means thereon to accommodate inward movement of said button-shaped projections.

14. The plumbing fixture of claim 11 wherein said plumbing fixture body member is formed and adapted to receive a water control valve.