Sanitary appliance

• US 6,442,776 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke AG (Paasikivi Family)
• Original Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke AG (Paasikivi Family)
• Inventors: Oberdörfer, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US09/545,164
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 467/5, 467/7, 467/8, 469/5, 137/359, 137/801, 285/321
• US Class Current: 4/677
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0403 Connecting the supply lines to the tap body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6977 Escutcheon type support

Abstract

A sanitary appliance (1) has a location space (3), which is cut out of a housing (2) and intended for a cartridge (4) containing the control elements. A base (6) closes off the location space (3) in a downward direction. A water supply pipe (11) is detachably fastened in a bore (25) of the base (6). The water supply pipe (11) is axially locked by a conical tension spring (21) disposed in a location space (19) of the base (6). The tension spring (21) is applied by its smaller-diameter end with frictional engagement against the outer surface of the water supply pipe (11). With its larger-diameter end the tension spring (21) is supported against the base of the location space (19). The conical lateral surface of the tension spring (21) widens towards the outer end of the water supply pipe (11). In said manner, smooth water supply pipes may be fastened through simple insertion into the otherwise already completely assembled sanitary appliance.

Claims

1. A sanitary appliance having

a) a housing;

b) a region cut out of the housing spaced from a cartridge containing control elements;

c) a base closing off the region in a downward direction;

d) at least one water supply pipe fastened detachably in a bore of the base, and

e) axial locking means for the water supply pipe, wherein

f) the axial locking means comprise a conical tension spring, which is disposed in the region, is applied by its smaller-diameter end with frictional engagement against the outer surface of the water supply pipe and is supported by its larger-diameter end against the base in the region;

wherein

g) the lateral surface of the conical tension spring widens towards the outer end of the water supply pipe,

h) the water supply pipe being inserted with a low force into the sanitary appliance, the water supply pipe being secured in the sanitary appliance by the conical tension spring, the conical tension spring having a retaining force that increases against the water supply pipe in response to a pulling motion, and the water supply pipe being withdrawn from the sanitary appliance with a force larger than said low force required to insert the water supply pipe into the sanitary appliance.

2. A sanitary appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking means comprise a retaining body, which rests axially against the tension spring such that the tension spring is axially locked in its location space.

3. A sanitary appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein the retaining body is a ring surrounding the water supply pipe.

4. A sanitary appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein disposed between the retaining body and the above-lying part of the sanitary appliance is a sealing ring, which is compressed axially by the retaining body and the above-lying part.

5. A sanitary appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base comprises two base parts and the location space for the conical tension spring is disposed in the region of the boundary surface of the two base parts.

6. A sanitary appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base comprises a space for receiving a nut, into which a thread of an assembly bolt extending outwards through a bore of the base engages.

7. A sanitary appliance as claims in claim 1, wherein the base and the cartridge form a structural unit, from which the housing is removable without dismantling the sanitary appliance from its supporting installation surface.