EP0166234B1 - Connection box for water supply installations - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Connector box for user-water installations, with a box body (2) for building in, with a connector for a protective tube (70) and with a box elbow (3) insertable in an entry opening in the box body and fixable irremovably therein, with a connector thread (21) for sanitary fittings and with a compression ring coupling (4) or the like for connecting a flexible plastics pipe (5), characterized in that the box body (2) comprises, for all applications - sub-plaster installation, arrangement in false wall installations, fixing to light building or chipboard walls or building into a sub-plaster cistern - fixing flanges (40, 40', 59, 59') at its front and rear sides with bores (41, 42, 43, 62, 63; 41', 42', 43', 62', 63') and/or threaded openings (44, 45, 46; 74; 44', 45', 46') for the passage or screwing in of fixing screws/bolts (47-55, 73), and in that for all applications one and the same box elbow (3) is fitted in the box body (2).

Description

The invention relates to a junction box for industrial water installations according to the preamble of claim 1.

In the sanitary area, plastic pipes are increasingly used instead of metal pipes for service water installations. The plastic pipes are laid in protective or insulating pipes. At the taps (wash basins, cisterns, etc.) at the ends of the plastic pipes e.g. So-called socket angles are attached by means of commercially available clamping ring screw connections, which in turn are immovably fixed in junction boxes made of plastic. There is a connection thread in the socket bracket into which the sanitary fittings such as surface-mounted valves (corner valves, batteries) are screwed. The junction boxes are anchored in the masonry (plastered or, in the case of lightweight construction, attached to plates (plasterboard, wood). The protective or insulating pipes connect directly to the junction boxes. If a defective pipe has to be replaced later, the old pipe can be removed from the junction box and The new tube is then reinserted from the box, provided that the installation radii are large enough because the plastic tubes are very stiff and not very flexible.

A junction box for industrial water installations is known, for example, from German patent DE-A-3 315 786 and from European patent EP-A-0 085 329. A disadvantage of the known junction boxes is that they are each only designed for one area of application, and there are various junction boxes and the matching ones for different areas of application such as flush-mounted installation, arrangement for pre-wall installation, attachment to lightweight or wooden panel walls or attachment to a concealed cistern Can angle. This increases the cost of production and warehousing. The socket angle is fastened in the socket body in the known junction boxes e.g. with two screws or with a union nut or with a large threaded plug made of plastic. As a result, the assembly of the can angle is time-consuming.

When a defective tube is pulled out or a new tube is inserted, the tube in the known cans is in part severely curved. This complicates the removal and installation of the pipe.

The invention has for its object to provide a junction box for domestic water installations, which is suitable for all applications. The junction box to be created should also be easy to assemble, with a tight fit of the box angle in the box body being ensured.

The object is achieved according to the invention with a junction box as characterized by claim 1. Developments of the invention are described in the subclaims.

The connection box according to the invention has one and the same box body and one and the same box angle for all applications - flush mounting, arrangement for pre-wall installation, attachment to lightweight or wooden panel walls or attachment to a concealed cistern. For this purpose, the socket body has fastening flanges on both its front and rear sides with through-openings and / or threaded openings for the passage or screwing in of fastening screws / bolts. Depending on the application, the can body is attached using the. front or over the rear mounting flange, whereby fastening screws are passed through the through openings or screwed into the threaded openings.

In the assembled position, the can angle is firmly attached to all sides of the can angle due to the interacting contact surfaces and in the can body. It only has to be locked from the insertion side, for which purpose, for example, an elastically yielding catch can be formed on the body of the can, which projects in the assembled or installed position of the can angle in front of a nose of the can angle. Other catches are also conceivable, for example steel springs or rings fastened in the can. Fastening with a screw is also possible, whereby one screw is sufficient since the socket angle is firmly attached on all sides.

Through a projecting arrangement of the connection thread on the socket angle in front of the level of the front mounting flange as well as through an eccentric arrangement of the socket angle connection thread. This results in a flat design of the junction box and favorable assembly and disassembly conditions by preventing the plastic pipe from bending excessively.

• Fig. 1 im Längsschnitt eine Anschlussdose in montierter Stellung bei Unterputzeinbau bzw. Befestigung an einer Leichtbauwand (Gipskarton);
• Fig. 2 im Längsschnitt die Anschlussdose von Fig. 1 mit teilweise herausgezogenem Dosenwinkel, jedoch montiert an eine Holzplatten-Wandkonstruktion;
• Fig. 3 im Längsschnitt die Anschlussdose von Fig. 1 in montierter Stellung bei einer Vorwand-Installation (Vermauerung);
• Fig. 4 im Längsschnitt eine Ausführungsvariante einer Anschlussdose mit einem in anderer Weise verstellbaren Führungsteil zum Anschliessen des Schutzrohres;
• Fig. 5 in der Draufsicht eine Anschlussdose gemäss Fig. 1, angebaut an einen Unterputz-Spülkasten;
• Fig. 6 einen Längsschnitt nach der Linie VI-VI in Fig. 5;
• Fig. 7 eine teilweise geschnittene Vorderansicht der Anschlussdose von Fig. 1 mit einer ersten Variante in der Ausbildung der Befestigungsflansche;
• Fig. 7a einen Teilschnitt aus Fig. 7 längs der Linie Vlla-Vlla;
• Fig. 8 eine Vorderansicht der Anschlussdose von Fig. 1 mit einer zweiten Variante in der Ausbildung der Befestigungsflansche; und
• Fig. 9 im Längsschnitt eine Zwischenphase beim Einbau der Anschlussdose in Unterputz- oder Vorwand-Bauweise.

The invention is explained in more detail below in exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. Show it

• 1 shows a longitudinal section of a junction box in the assembled position when flush-mounted or attached to a lightweight wall (plasterboard);
• Fig. 2 in longitudinal section the junction box of Figure 1 with the socket angle partially pulled out, but mounted on a wooden panel wall construction.
• Fig. 3 in longitudinal section the junction box of Figure 1 in the assembled position in a prewall installation (bricking).
• 4 shows in longitudinal section an embodiment variant of a junction box with a guide part which can be adjusted in another way for connecting the protective tube;
• 5 shows a top view of a junction box according to FIG. 1, attached to a concealed cistern;
• Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section along the line VI-VI in Fig. 5;
• FIG. 7 shows a partially sectioned front view of the junction box from FIG. 1 with a first variant in the design of the fastening flanges;
• 7a shows a partial section from FIG. 7 along the line VIIa-VIIa;
• FIG. 8 shows a front view of the junction box from FIG. 1 with a second variant in the design of the fastening flanges; and
• Fig. 9 in longitudinal section an intermediate phase when installing the junction box in flush or pre-wall construction.

1 shows the junction box 1 in longitudinal section with the box body 2 and the box angle 3 used. The box angle 3 has a (generally known) clamping ring screw connection 4 for connecting a flexible plastic pipe for process water. The clamping ring connection is located in the interior of the screw connection 4 as far as possible from the screw connection end 6, so that the hose end 7 protrudes far into the clamping ring screw connection. When installing and removing the can angle 3, the plastic tube 5 is not curved so much because its end 7 is already close to the insertion opening of the can body 2.

A lower cylindrical jacket surface 8 of the screw connection 4 is enclosed on all sides in the installation position of the can angle shown by a cylindrical jacket surface 9 on the can body 2. There is play of approximately 0.2 mm between the two surfaces. An upper cylindrical surface 10 of the screw connection 4 bears on the outer surface 11 of a partial cylinder of the can body 2. All cylinder jacket surfaces have a common axis 11. The axis 11 is at an obtuse angle to axes 12 and 13 which run parallel to one another (see also FIGS. 7 and 8). The axis 13 is the center of a cylinder flange 33 at the can angle 3. The cylindrical outer surface 14 of the flange 331 lies up to the middle 16-17 (FIGS. 7 and 8) on the half cylindrical outer surface 15 in the insertion opening of the can body 2. The rear end face 18 of the cylinder flange 33 rests on a half circular ring surface 19 formed on the can body of a likewise half collar 20, which extends diametrically opposite to the cylindrical outer surface 15 from above to the center 16-17 (see also FIGS. 7 and 8). The axis 12 into the central axis of the connection thread 21 of the socket bracket 3. The nozzle or corner valve (not shown) is screwed into the connection thread 21. The water thus flows through the plastic tube 5 and bores 22 and 23 within the can angle into the valve.

Due to the described contact surfaces (cylindrical jacket surfaces), the socket angle 3 is held immovably and non-rotatably within the socket body 2 in all directions - apart from the pull-out direction in the extension of the axis 11. So that the small play (e.g. between the cylinder jacket surfaces 8 and 9), which are required for the convenient insertion of the can angle 3, has little effect on the tight fit of the can angle in the can body, the distances between the individual mounting and contact points are as far apart as possible chosen. The clamping ring screw connection 4 has a double function in that it serves on the one hand to connect the plastic tube 5 and on the other hand with its outer cylindrical surfaces as a centering and supporting element.

In the direction of the axis 11 upwards, the can angle 3 is held by a locking lever 24 (FIGS. 1, 7 and 8). The lower end of the locking lever 24 is firmly connected to the side wall 25 of the can body 2 up to a bending point 26 (see also FIG. 2). The catch 28 lies in the position shown in Fig. 1. Installation position of the can angle 3 with its surface 29 over the surface 30 of a nose 31 of the can angle 3, so that the can angle is secured against being pulled out upwards. Another fuse is shown in FIG. 3. A screw 32 (see also FIGS. 7 and 8), the head of which is seated in or on the flange 33 of the can valve 3, is screwed into a nut 34 which is firmly cast into the can body 2. A single screw is sufficient for securing, since the socket angle 3 is otherwise held in a positive manner in all directions. The locking lever can then be omitted.

Fig. 2 shows the can angle 3 with connected plastic tube 5 in a partially installed or removed state. For installation, the can angle 3 is pushed further into the can body 2 until the central axis 11 'of the can angle 3 coincides with the axis 11 (FIG. 1) and the upper vertex 35 of the end face 18 of the flange 33 at a slope 36 of the insertion opening of the can body 2 is present. The screw end 6 is then in front of the cylindrical surface 9 of the can body 2. By moving the can angle 3 in the direction of the axis 11 downwards, it is brought into its final position. The apex 35 of the end face 18 of the cylinder flange 33 slides along the bevel 36 of the insertion opening of the can body 2. The bevel 36 is delimited by the inner semicircular arc 37 at the transition to the collar 20 and by the outer oval 38, which begins in the middle 16-17 (FIGS. 7 and 8). The bevel 36 runs parallel to the axis 11. The locking lever 24 is pushed back by the clamping ring screw connection 4 during the insertion of the can angle 3 (FIG. 2), i.e. it deforms elastically. When the can angle 3 has reached its final position, the latch lever 24 springs back and the latch 28 comes to rest over the nose 31 of the can angle 3 and locks it against being pulled out.

For the expansion of the can angle 3, the locking is released by pushing the locking lever 24 back with a screwdriver or the like. For this purpose, an opening 27 (FIGS. 2, 7 and 8) is provided in the front wall of the can body 2, through which the screwdriver can be inserted. The can angle 3 is then pulled out in the reverse order of the insertion.

The removal and installation process of the can angle 3 is hampered by the round opening 39 in the wall structure (masonry, lightweight wall). This can be clearly seen in FIG. 2. The opening 39 must be smaller than the decorative rosette that covers the opening 39 after the finished installation. Through an eccentric arrangement of the connection thread 21 to the cylinder flange 33, the opening 39 can be given the required small diameter. If the axis 12 of the connecting thread 21 were to coincide with the axis 13 of the flange 33 (central arrangement), the upper boundary line of the opening 39 could also not be lowered, since the upper vertex 35 of the end face 18 of the flange 33 continues to be the same point would lie (Fig. 2). Given the required central position of the round opening 39 to the connection thread 21, due to the central arrangement of the decorative rosette to the connection thread 21, the distance between the axis 12 of the connection thread 21 and the upper boundary line of the opening would be 39 by the distance between the axes 12, 13 larger than in the present embodiment. Since this distance between the axis 12 and the upper boundary line of the opening 39 is the radius of this opening, an opening 39 would result which would be twice the distance between the axes 12 and 13 than in the present embodiment.

When inserting or pulling out the can angle 3 in or out of the can body 2, the plastic tube 5 is slightly curved due to the obtuse-angled arrangement of the axis 11 to the axes 12, 13, which, since the plastic tube is thick-walled and unwilling to bend, makes handling easier means. This obtuse-angled arrangement of the axis 11 to the axes 12, 13 is possible - without a large installation depth of the junction box 1 being necessary - by the arrangement of the connection thread 21 in the assembled position of the box angle 3 essentially outside the insertion opening of the box body 2. Box dimensions which are as flat as possible should be aimed at in order to achieve small hole dimensions for inserting the box into the masonry, which require little chiseling work.

The described junction box 1 can be used universally for the various applications. For this purpose, a fastening flange 40, 59 (FIG. 7) or 40 ', 59' (FIG. 8) is provided for the different fastening methods on the front and rear. Nuts 44, 45, 46 (FIG. 7) and 44 inserted into bores 41, 42, 43 (FIG. 7) and 41 ', 42', 43 '(FIG. 8) and into the flange 40, 40' ', 45', 46 '(FIG. 8), fastening screws 47, 48 49 (FIG. 2), 50, 51, 52 (FIG. 1) and 53, 54, 55 (FIGS. 5 and 6) are carried out or screwed in.

The attachment of the junction box 1 to a plasterboard plate 66 (lightweight wall) is shown in FIG. 1. Tiles 67 and the tile adhesive 68 are also shown in section. The box 1 is fastened with screws 50, 51 52, the countersunk heads of which are attached to a self-contained steel ring 69 abut and are screwed into nuts 44, 45, 46 (Fig. 7) and 44 ', 45', 46 '(Fig. 8), which are cast into the can bodies.

The use of the junction box 1 for flush mounting is also shown in FIG. 1. In this case, a hole is made in the masonry, the box 1 is inserted and walled in, a fastening to the front flange 40, 40 'is omitted. A protective tube 70, which surrounds the plastic tube 5, is also laid and plastered in the masonry. Before plastering the box 1, it is fastened to the masonry 71 using the screws 72, 72 '. The screws are seated in bores 62, 63 (FIG. 7) and 62 ', 63' (FIG. 8) of the rear fastening flange 59 and 59 ', respectively.

In Fig. 2 the use of the junction box 1 is shown in a wooden panel wall construction. On average, the wall components with wood chipboard 87, plasterboard 88 and tiles 89 are indicated. The box 1 is fastened to the wood chipboard 87 with screws 47, 48, 49, which protrude through bores in the front fastening flange 40 or 40 '.

The arrangement of the box 1 for pre-wall installation is shown in FIG. 3. The box is fastened to the rear wall with a fastening bolt 73 in such a way that its front flange 40 or 40 'approximately closes with the front wall. For screwing in the fastening bolt 73, a thread 74 is provided in the rear fastening flange 59 or 59 ', the central axis 75 of which is aligned with the central axis 12 of the connecting thread 21. A lock nut 76 secures the can 1 against twisting. The protective tube 70, which surrounds the plastic tube 5, is laid in the free space between the two walls. The protective tube 70 should therefore not be directed vertically downward, as shown in FIG. 1, but at an acute angle to the rear. For this reason, a guide part 77, in which the protective tube 70 is inserted, is rotatably mounted on a cylinder stub 78 of the connection box 1 and can be rotated from the position shown in FIG. 1, for example to the position corresponding to FIG. 3, so that the protective tube 70 and with it the plastic tube 5 takes the direction desired for pre-wall installation. A shoulder 79 on the cylinder neck 78 prevents the guide part 77 from sliding downward.

4, the convertibility from the flush-type version (corresponding to FIG. 1) to the pre-wall version (corresponding to FIG. 3) is solved in a different way. At the lower end of the box 1, two pipe sockets 80, 81 are formed. A middle wall 82 can be pivoted about an articulation point 83 and locked in a catch 84 or 85. For the flush-mounted installation, the middle wall 82 will assume the position shown, the protective tube 70 and the plastic tube 5 go vertically downwards. In the case of pre-wall installation, the middle wall 82 is brought into the position 82 'shown in dash-dot lines. The protective tube 70 and the plastic tube 5 are then in the pipe socket 81 leading to the rear at an acute angle. The pipe socket which is not used in each case is closed by a plastic plug 86.

Figures 5 and 6 show the attachment of the junction box 1 to a concealed cistern 56. The box 1 is screwed by screws 53, 54, 55, which are screwed into the nuts 44, 45, 46 and 44 ', 45', 46 ' are attached to the outside of the cistern wall 57. 6 shows a longitudinal section of the can 1 and the cistern wall 57. For the front fastening flange 40 or 40 ', its width is limited by the distance a (FIG. 5), which is predetermined by the cistern construction. The mounting flange must not be wider than twice the distance a. The flange 40 according to FIG. 7, however, has a greater width, since the distance between the bores 41, 42 and the side walls 25, 25 'of the can body 2 must be sufficiently large because of the heads of the screws 47, 48, 49 (FIG. 2) . To use the box for concealed cistern, the flange width can be reduced by designing the outer parts 58, 58 'of the flange 40 (FIG. 7) to be breakable. For this purpose, a notch 60 (FIG. 7a) runs over the entire height of the fastening flange 40 and specifies the breaking line. On the rear mounting flange 59, the outer parts 61, 61 'can also be designed to be breakable, since they may also be a hindrance (FIG. 7).

Another possibility to make narrow mounting flanges without breakable external parts ren, Fig. 8. The holes 41 ', 42' and 62 ', 63' are open on the side. However, the openings do not extend to the central axis of the bores, so that the screws are held to the side to prevent them from slipping out. Local recesses 64, 65 are additionally provided in the side walls 25, 25 'of the can body for the screw heads.

When using the junction box 1 in flush and pre-wall construction, an opening 90 (FIG. 9) corresponding to the opening 39 in FIG. 2, which will later be covered with the decorative rosette, must be left in the masonry. In order to obtain this opening 90 when cleaning the can in the masonry, a plastic plug 91 is inserted into the can before the can is cleaned. The cylindrical part 92 of the plug 91 has the diameter of the desired opening in the masonry. The plug 91 is screwed with a threaded connector 93 into the central thread 74, in the other end of which the fastening bolt 73 (see also FIG. 3) is used, which is used for pre-wall installation. The thread 74 of the rear fastening flange 59 or 59 'thus fulfills two functions. After the mortar 94 has set, the plug 91 is unscrewed.

If no fastening bolt 73 is screwed in, the thread 74 can be closed with a plug 95 (FIG. 2) in order to prevent the ingress of dirt.

Claims (10)

1. Connector box for user-water installations, with a box body (2) for building in, with a connector for a protective tube (70) and with a box elbow (3) insertable in an entry opening in the box body and fixable irremovably therein, with a connector thread (21) for sanitary fittings and with a compression ring coupling (4) or the like for connecting a flexible plastics pipe (5), characterized in that the box body (2) comprises, for all applications - sub-plaster installation, arrangement in false wall installations, fixing to light building or chipboard walls or building into a sub-plaster cistern - fixing flanges (40, 40', 59, 59') at its front and rear sides with bores (41, 42, 43, 62, 63; 41', 42', 43', 62', 63) and/orthreaded openings (44, 45, 46; 74; 44', 45', 46') for the passage or screwing in of fixing screws/bolts (47-55, 73), and in that for all applications one and the same box elbow (3) is fitted in the box body (2).

2. Connector box according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear connecting flange (59, 59') comprises in register with the entry openings of the box body (2) a threaded opening (74) for screwing in a fixing bolt (73) from the one side and/or for screwing in the threaded support (93) of a closure/plastering plug (91) from the other side.

3. Connector box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the width of the front and if required also the fixing flange (40, 40', 59, 59') for building into a sub-plaster cistern (56) is not substantially or slightly wider than the box body (2), and in that the threaded openings for fixing screws are formed within this width in the front fixing flange.

4. Connector box according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that there is arranged on the box body (2) an adjustable guide part (77, 82) for connecting the protective tube (70) with different connection angles.

5. Connector box according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the box elbow (3) has its connector thread (21) projecting substantially out of the plane of the front fixing flange (40, 40'), so that the box body (2) has a flat construction.

6. Connector box especially according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that cooperating abutment surfaces (8, 9; 10, 11; 14, 15; 18, 19) are formed on the box elbow (3) and in the box body (2), which fix the box elbow in the fitted position in all directions except for the direction of withdrawal, and in that a releasable latch (24, 32) is provided against withdrawal of the box elbow (3).

7. Connector box according to claim 6, characterized in that cylindrical surfaces (8,9; 10, 11; 14, 15) mating in the fitted position of the box elbow are formed on the one hand on the compression ring coupling (4) and on a flange (33) of the box elbow connector thread (21) and on the other hand in the box body (2) , and in that the axes (11, 13) of these cylindrical surfaces of the compression ring coupling (4) and of the connector thread flange (33) include an obtuse angle of preferably 110° with its respective accociated cylindrical surface on the box body (2).

8. Connector box according to claim 7, characterized in that there is formed in the entry opening of the box body (2) an abutment surface for the connector thread flange (33) of the box elbow (3) with an entry incline (36) parallel to the axis (11) of the cylindrical surfaces (8, 9; 10, 11) of the compression ring coupling (4) and the associated cylindrical surfaces of the box body, along which the box elbow (3) is slidable until the flange (33) bears against its associated cylindrical surface (15) formed on the box body and against a front abutment rim (20).

9. Connector box according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that for securing the box elbow against withdrawal from the box body (2) a detent (24) elastically yielding on introduction of the box elbow (3) is formed on the box body (2), which detent springs in front of a nose (31) of the box elbow (3) in the installed position of the box elbow, in order to secure this against withdrawal, and in that an access opening (27) is provided in the box body, through which the detent (24) can be moved back for disassembly of the box elbow.

10. Connector box according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the central axis (13) of the connector thread flange (33) on the box elbow is arranged displaced eccentrically inwards in the direction of the compression ring coupling (4) relative to the central axis (12) of the connector thread (21). ).

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