Quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus

• US 7,156,425 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Manuel Diaz Atkinson
• Original Assignee: Manuel Diaz Atkinson
• Inventors: Atkinson, Manuel Diaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt; James M.
• Application Number:
  US10/990,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 285/133.11, 285/133.21, 285/133.3, 285/133.4, 285/354, 285/386, 285/387, 285/389
• US Class Current: 285/133.4
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/021 T- or cross-pieces F16L41/025, F16L41/026, F16L41/028 take precedence

Abstract

A plumbing apparatus for connecting a tankless hot water heater to a cold water supply line and a hot water outlet line includes a union and a tee that are interconnected to one another. A first connector at one end of the union is provided for connecting the union to the tankless hot water heater. A second connector at a free end of the tee is provided for connecting the tee to either the cold water supply line or the hot water outlet line. The tee is provided with a branch for connecting the plumbing apparatus to a plumbing device. A passage formed in the union and tee permits fluid to flow there through and through the branch.

Claims

1. A quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus configured to interconnect a first device and a second device, said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus comprising:

(a) a union portion having a union tail and a union nut, said union nut being internally threaded and having an internal flange, said union nut defining a first connecting means, said union portion having first and second ends, said union tail having an internally threaded grippable head, an external flange and an inwardly tapered external seat, said grippable head received in said first connecting means at said first end of said union portion, an inside diameter of said internal flange being smaller than an outside diameter of said external flange said internal threads of said grippable head of said union tail adapted for connecting said union portion to the first device; and

(b) a tee portion having an upper section, an intermediate section and a lower section,

(c) said upper section having an externally threaded member with an inwardly tapered internal seat, said tee portion having first and second ends, said second end of said union operatively connected to said first end of said tee portion, another externally threaded member defining a second connecting means at said second end of said tee portion, said second connecting means sized and shaped for connecting said tee portion to the second device, a passage formed in said union portion and tee portion from said first end of said union portion to said second end of said tee portion when said union portion and said tee portion are connected, said external seat of said union tail being seated in said internal seat of said upper section.

2. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a third connecting means at said second end of said union portion and a fourth connecting means at said first end of said tee portion, said third and fourth connecting means sized and shaped to interconnect with one another for connecting said union portion and said tee portion, said said external seat of said union tail and said internal seat of said upper section being in mating seating engagement when said union portion and said tee portion are connected.

3. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said intermediate section includes a member having a port that is sized and shaped to interconnect with a third device, said port communicating with said passage.

4. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said member is a female branch.

5. A quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus for connecting one of a cold water inlet and a hot water outlet of a tankless water heater to one of a cold water supply inlet conduit and a hot water outlet conduit, respectively, and for connecting at least one plumbing device to said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus, said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus comprising:

(a) a union having first and second ends, said union including a first connecting means, a second connecting means and an external seat, said first connecting means at said first end of said union, said second connecting means at said second end of said union, said first connecting means provided for connecting said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus to one of the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet of the tankless hot water heater; and

(b) a tee having first and second ends, said tee including upper, intermediate and lower sections, said intermediate section disposed between said upper and lower sections, a third connecting means and an inwardly tapered internal seat at a said first end of said tee, said second connecting means and said third connecting means configured to interconnect with one another for connecting said union and said tee, said external seat in mating seating engagement with said internal seat when said second connecting means and said third connecting means are interconnected, a fourth connecting means at the second end of the tee, said fourth connecting means provided for connecting said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus to the cold water supply inlet conduit when said first connecting means is connected to the cold water inlet of the tankless water heater and to the hot water outlet conduit when said first connecting means is connected to the hot water outlet of the tankless hot water heater, a passage formed in said union and said tee from said first end of said union to said second end of said tee when said union and said tee are interconnected;

wherein said union includes a union tail member and an internally threaded union nut, said union tail member and said union nut sized and shaved so that said union tail member is received within said union nut, said union tail member having an internally threaded head that terminates in said external seat, said internally threaded head being said first connecting means and said internally threaded union nut being said second connecting means.

6. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said intermediate section includes at least one female branch extending from said passage, said female branch configured to interconnect with one plumbing device, said passage extending into said female branch.

7. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said intermediate section includes two female branches, one of said female branches configured to interconnect with one plumbing device and another one of said female branches configured to interconnect with a second plumbing device, said passage extending into each said female branch.

8. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said union tail member is formed with an external flange adjacent said first seating means and said union nut is formed with an internal flange, said internal flange of said union nut having an inside diameter that is smaller than an outside diameter of said external flange of said union tail member, whereby said union tail member is received in said union nut and is prevented from passing through said union nut by contact of said external flange with said internal flange.

9. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said fourth connecting means is a threaded connecting means.

10. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said fourth connecting means is a solder connecting means.

11. A quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus for connecting one of a cold water inlet and a hot water outlet of a tankless water heater to one of a cold water supply inlet conduit and a hot water outlet conduit, respectively, and for connecting at least one plumbing device to said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus, said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus comprising:

(a) a two-piece union having a union tail member and a union nut, said two-piece union having first and second ends said union nut being internally threaded and having an internal flange, said union tail having an internally threaded hexagonal head defining a first connecting means, an external flange and an inwardly tapered external seating means, said hexagonal head sized and shaped to be slidably received in said union nut, an inside diameter of said internal flange being smaller than an outside diameter of said external flange, said first connecting means at said first end of said two-piece union when said union tail is received in said union nut, said first connecting means sized and shaped for connecting said union to one of the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet of the tankless hot water heater, said internally threaded union nut defining a second connecting means at said second end of said two-piece union; and

(b) a one-piece tee with upper, intermediate and lower sections, said tee having first and second ends, said first end of said tee being externally threaded and defining third connecting means, an internal seating means formed in said third connecting means, said second and third connecting means cooperating with one another for connecting said two-piece union and said one-piece tee, said internal seating means seating in said external seating means when said two-piece union and said one-piece tee are connected, a fourth connecting means at said second end of said tee said fourth connecting means sized and shaped for connecting said tee to the cold water supply inlet conduit when said first connecting means is connected to the cold water inlet of the tankless water heater and to the hot water outlet conduit when said first connecting means is connected to the hot water outlet of the tankless hot water heater, said intermediate section having at least one branch with an interconnectable port that is adapted for connection to one plumbing device, a passage formed in said two-piece union and said one-piece tee, said passage defining a channel for a fluid to flow from said first end of said two-piece union to said second end of said one-piece tee and through said branch.

12. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said fourth connecting means is a male threaded connecting means.

13. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said fourth connecting means is a solder connecting means.

14. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said branch is internally threaded.

15. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said intermediate section includes two branches, one of said branches adapted for connection to said one plumbing device and the other of said branches adapted for connection to a second plumbing device, said passage defining a channel for a fluid to flow from said first end of said two-piece union to said second end of said one-piece tee and through each said branch, one of said branches disposed in perpendicular relationship to the other of said branches.

16. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 including a holding means formed between said upper and intermediate sections for holding said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus stationary during connection of said two-piece union to said one-piece tee.

17. The quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 including a holding means formed between said intermediate and lower sections for holding said quick connect and quick disconnect plumbing apparatus stationary during connection of said fourth connecting means to said plumbing device.