QUICK CONNECT DEVICE AND ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH A TOILET FILL VALVE

Abstract

An assembly includes a tubular inlet riser to be mounted within a toilet tank. The tubular inlet riser further includes an inner water bore, a bottom-most portion having an outer threaded portion, and a bottom seat. The assembly further includes a half cartridge adapter, which includes a cylindrical upper tube stop cavity, a cylindrical medial O-ring cavity, and a cylindrical lower cartridge cavity.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising: a tubular inlet riser adapted to be mounted within a toilet tank, the tubular inlet riser further comprising: an inner water bore; a bottom-most portion having an outer threaded portion; and a bottom seat; and a half cartridge adapter, the half-cartridge adapter further comprising: a cylindrical upper tube stop cavity; a cylindrical medial O-ring cavity; and a cylindrical lower cartridge cavity.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the half cartridge adapter is hermetically bonded to the bottom seat of the tubular inlet riser.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the half cartridge adapter extends upwardly into the inner water bore of the tubular inlet riser.

4. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a half cartridge subassembly, wherein the half cartridge subassembly further comprises: a pair of O-rings; a retainer; and a locking collar.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein: the retainer further comprises a plurality of capturing shoulders; and the locking collar further comprises an internal circumferential ridge.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the internal circumferential ridge holds the retainer in place when the half cartridge subassembly is inserted into the half cartridge adapter.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein: the pair of O-rings are inserted into the cylindrical medial O-ring cavity; and the locking collar is inserted into the cylindrical lower cartridge cavity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 is a cross sectioned side elevation view of the tubular inlet riser of a fill valve with which a quick connect device and assembly is used with an in-flow connection tubing end, the view showing the elements in an exploded or expanded view.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a cross sectioned view of the tubular inlet riser illustrated in FIG. 1 but showing the fill valve and quick connect device as assembled without showing the in-flow connection tubing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Referring now to FIG. 1, it illustrates a preferred embodiment of a quick connect assembly, generally identified 30, that is constructed in accordance with the present invention. Assembly 30 comprises a tubular inlet riser 1 of the type that would be mounted within a toilet tank where a main control valve assembly would be mounted on the upper end of the inlet riser 1. The inlet riser 1 comprises an inner riser bore 5 and fill water passes through this bore 5 when the tank empties in accordance with the main control valve assembly. The bottom-most portion 2 of the inlet riser 1 comprises an outer threaded portion 3 and a bottom seat 4. Though not shown, threaded portion 3 of the inlet riser 1 is also used to secure the riser 1 to the floor of the toilet tank via a seal and a nut. Those elements are not illustrated, but mentioned for purposes of understanding why the threaded portion 3 extends as far up the bottom-most portion of riser 1 as it does.

[0012] In assembly 30, a half cartridge adapter structure 32 is hermetically bonded to the bottom seat 4 of the inlet riser 1 and extends upwardly into the bore 5 of the riser 1. The adapter structure 32 comprises a cylindrical upper tube stop cavity 33, a cylindrical medial O-ring cavity 34, and a cylindrical lower cartridge cavity 35.

[0013] Complementary to this adapter structure 32 is a conventional half cartridge subassembly, generally identified 40, for insertion into the O-ring and lower cartridge cavities 34, 35, respectively. The cartridge subassembly 40 comprises a pair of O-rings 41, 42, a retainer 43, and a locking collar 44. The retainer 43 further comprises a plurality of capturing shoulders 45, and the locking collar 44 further comprises a complementary internal circumferential ridge 46. When the shoulders 45 are urged over the ridge 46, the retainer 43 is held firmly in place by the locking collar 44.

[0014] Referring now to FIG. 2, it shows the half cartridge subassembly 40 fully inserted into the adapter structure 32. As can be seen in FIG. 2, half cartridge subassembly 40 is inserted into the adapter structure 32 such that a base of half cartridge subassembly 40 is brought into close proximity to the bottom seat 4 of riser 1. Further, as described above, shoulders 45 are moved or urged over ridge 46, such that the retainer 43 is held in place by locking collar 44.

[0015] In assembly, one end of a tube, hose, or conduit (not shown) is inserted into the retainer 43. In a preferred embodiment, the tube, hose, or conduit would comprise PEX (a form of polyethylene with cross-links) tubing. The pair of O-rings 41, 42 are inserted into the O-ring cavity 34 and the locking collar 44 is inserted into the lower cavity 35. The retainer 43, with the tube, hose, or conduit attached, is inserted into the locking collar 44 sufficiently that the end of the tube, hose, or conduit extends upwardly into the adapter structure 32 and the retainer 43 engages the locking collar 44, which exerts clamping pressure on the tube, hose, or conduit to capture it and hold it in place. The O-rings 41, 42 complete the water-tight seal of the assembly. Again, see FIG. 2.

[0016] In accordance with the foregoing, it will be apparent that a construct for making an improved in-flow connection to the tubular inlet riser has been devised. The construct utilizes a half-cartridge assembly and allows for ease of installation of the in-flow connection tubing to the tubular inlet riser of the fill valve.