System and technique for mounting a faucet

• US 6,792,629 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Brown, Derek A., Nelson, Alfred C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US10/352,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20040143900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 469/5, 137/315.15, 137/359, 137/801, 285/209
• US Class Current: 4/695
• 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

Abstract

A faucet mounting system includes a trim member to which a faucet hub is attached. The system includes a pair of screws that attach the trim member to a foot member. The foot member is slid into a faucet opening in the deck. From the top of the deck, the screws are used to clamp the deck between the trim member and the foot member. The trim member defines a receptacle with alignment tabs that are used to position the faucet hub in the receptacle. The faucet hub has a mounting shank to which a mounting bracket is attached in order to secure the faucet hub to the deck from the underside of the deck.

Claims

1. A faucet system, comprising:

a trim member defining a faucet receptacle constructed and arranged to receive a faucet hub, said trim member having an alignment tab constructed and arranged to align the faucet hub with said trim member;

at least a pair of screws coupled to said trim member; and

a foot member threadedly secured to said screws, said foot member being u-shaped with a pair of screw engagement portions connected together by a deck engagement portion, said screw engagement portions each having a threaded screw opening in which one of said screws is threadedly secured to clamp a deck between said trim member and said foot member, said deck engagement portion having surface texturing to engage said foot member to the deck, said foot member being sized smaller than a faucet opening in the deck to slide through the faucet opening in the deck during installation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said screw engagement portions each have screw extension portions extending therefrom for providing additional support for the screws.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said surface texturing on said deck engagement portion of said foot member includes ridges.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said trim member is ring shaped.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said foot member is thicker at said deck engagement portion to improve clamping against said deck.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising the faucet hub received in said faucet receptacle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the faucet hub has an alignment notch engaged with said alignment tab.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

wherein the faucet hub includes a mounting shank;

a mounting bracket having a shank opening in which said mounting shank is received; and

a nut securing said mounting bracket to said mounting shank for securing the faucet hub to the deck.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a socket with an alignment slot engaged with said alignment tab and having an end portion positioned between said screws to maintain alignment of said screws during clamping of said trim member and said foot member to the deck.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said socket has extension fingers extending therefrom, said extension fingers defining nut corner gaps that are constructed and arranged to receive corners of a nut.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein said screw engagement portions each have screw extension portions extending therefrom for providing additional support for the screws;

wherein said surface texturing on said deck engagement portion of said foot member includes ridges;

wherein said trim member is ring shaped;

wherein said foot member is thicker at said deck engagement portion to improve clamping against said deck;

the faucet hub received in the faucet receptacle, the faucet hub having an alignment notch engaged with said alignment tab, the faucet hub including a mounting shank;

a mounting bracket having a shank opening in which said mounting shank is received; and

a nut securing said mounting bracket to said mounting shank for securing the faucet hub to the deck.

12. A faucet system, comprising:

a deck having a top side, a bottom side and a faucet opening extending from said top side to said bottom side of said deck;

a trim member covering said faucet opening at said top side of said deck, said trim member being sized larger than said faucet opening, said trim member defining a faucet receptacle for receiving a faucet hub;

at least two attachment members coupled to said trim member and extending through said faucet opening;

a foot member coupled to each of said attachment members to minimize bending of said attachment members during installation, said foot member engaging said bottom side of said deck, said foot member being sized to slide through said faucet opening from said top side to said bottom side during installation;

wherein said attachment members are engageable from said top side of said deck to clamp said deck between said trim member and said foot member from said top side of said deck; and

wherein said foot member is u-shaped and defines a hose channel through which a tube from a faucet hub is able to extend.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said trim member includes an alignment structure to align said faucet hub with said trim member.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said alignment structure includes an alignment tab extending within said faucet receptacle.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said trim member includes at two support tabs where said attachment members are coupled to said trim member, said support tabs defining a hose notch through which said tube from said faucet hub is able to extend.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said attachment members include screws.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said trim member defines a hose cavity through which a hose of said faucet hub extends.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a gasket positioned between said trim member and said deck to seal said faucet opening.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said foot member includes support extension minimize rocking of said attachment members.