Method for producing a flush-mounted sanitary fitting and flush-mounted sanitary fitting

Abstract

The invention relates to a concealed sanitary fitting (1) comprising at least one fitting support body (2), wherein the at least one fitting support body (2) comprises at least one first arm (3.1) with a first connection (4.1) and a second arm (3.2) with a second connection (4.2), at least one housing part (5) made of plastic, wherein the at least one housing part partially surrounds the first arm (3.1) and the second arm (3.2), a retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) for each arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4), wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) surrounds the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) and bears against both the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) and the at least one housing part (5), and the first connection (4.1) and the second connection (4.2) are accessible from outside the housing part (5), wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) is materially bonded to the housing part (5).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a concealed sanitary fitting and a method for manufacturing a concealed sanitary fitting.

[0002] The concealed sanitary fitting comprises at least a housing made of plastic consisting of at least one housing part and at least one fitting support body.

[0003] The valve support body comprises at least a first arm with a first connection and a second arm with a second connection. The valve support body may have a third arm with a third connection and, in particular, a fourth arm with a fourth connection, in which case the valve support body may be essentially cross-shaped. The valve support body may also have further arms with additional connections, in particular a fifth arm with a fifth connection. The valve support body is generally formed in one piece from a metal, in particular brass. However, it may also be designed to be multi-part, in which, in particular, each arm or several arms together may form part of the valve support body.

[0004] The plastic housing typically has a base and a surrounding rim (also called the wall) that defines an access opening on the side opposite the base. Usually, the housing is manufactured as a single piece, forming both the base and the surrounding rim / wall. However, it is also possible for one housing piece to primarily form the base and a second housing piece to primarily form the surrounding wall.

[0005] A concealed sanitary fitting like this one serves to connect sanitary components to water supply lines in a wall. The connections of the fitting body are therefore designed and arranged so that the building's water supply lines can be connected to the connections from outside the concealed fitting housing. Water lines are integrated into the arms of the fitting body, each leading from the connection to a corresponding opening inside the housing.

[0006] Inside the housing, a flushing insert may be installed upon delivery. This insert has connection openings located inside the housing and linked to the water lines of the valve body. This allows for initial testing of the tightness of the connections between the concealed valve and the water lines in the installation wall. The flushing insert, initially connected to the valve body, can then be replaced by a plumber through the access opening facing away from the floor. This replacement involves inserting sanitary components such as single-lever mixer cartridges, thermostatic mixer cartridges, diverters, or valves. A valve block with one or more receptacles for the sanitary components may be connected to the connection openings of the valve body. The valve block incorporates corresponding water lines that connect the connection openings of the valve body to the receptacles for the sanitary components.Such a concealed sanitary fitting can therefore be modularly equipped with a wide variety of sanitary components and configured for different functions. The first and second connections are generally used to connect a cold and hot water supply. The other branches are then typically used to connect outgoing mixed water lines.

[0007] An installer can also adjust the installation depth of the concealed sanitary fitting to the installation wall by shortening the surrounding wall accordingly. The access opening is usually closed with a cover, while the operating elements of the sanitary fittings remain accessible to the end user.

[0008] Solutions are also known in which the housing is designed in two or more parts. The valve support body is first inserted into the openings formed by recesses on the lower edge of a housing part forming the wall, and a housing part forming the base is then connected to the housing part forming the wall. To prevent water from penetrating the installation wall from inside the housing in the event of a leak, a retaining element made of elastomer is attached to each arm of the sanitary support body. This retaining element seals the gap formed by the opening between the housing and the arm. The elastomer retaining element thus seals against both the housing and the arm of the valve support body.

[0009] This solution does not ensure that the valve support body is secured against unintentional movement relative to the housing after insertion, as the valve support body is movable within the opening before the retaining element is attached. Furthermore, the retaining element, which is made of an elastomer, can slip, potentially causing the valve support body to move into an undesired position where the sealing function may be compromised.

[0010] The object of the present invention is therefore to at least partially solve the problems described with reference to the prior art and in particular to provide a concealed sanitary fitting and a method for manufacturing a concealed sanitary fitting with which a better tightness is achieved.

[0011] One possible solution to this problem is given by the method for manufacturing a concealed sanitary fitting according to claim 1 and by the concealed sanitary fitting according to claim 4. Further possible solutions and advantageous embodiments are given in the preceding and following description and in the dependent claims, wherein individual features of the advantageous embodiments can be combined with one another in a technically meaningful manner. Features disclosed with regard to the concealed fitting are applicable to the method and vice versa.

[0012] The problem is solved in particular by a method for manufacturing a concealed sanitary fitting, which comprises at least the following steps, preferably in the specified order: Providing at least one valve support body, wherein the at least one valve support body comprises at least one first arm with a first connection and a second arm with a second connection; providing at least one housing part with an opening for each arm of the valve support body; inserting the at least one valve support body into the housing part, wherein the arms of the valve support body are inserted into the corresponding opening in the housing part so that the first connection and the second connection are accessible from outside the housing part; providing a retaining element for each arm; placing a retaining element on each arm so that the retaining element at least partially, preferably almost completely, closes a free space formed by the opening of the at least one housing part between the arm and the housing part, wherein the retaining element is materially bonded to the housing part.

[0013] The problem is solved in particular by a concealed sanitary fitting comprising at least one fitting support body and at least one housing part made of plastic, wherein the at least one fitting support body comprises at least one first arm with a first connection and a second arm with a second connection, and wherein the at least one housing part partially surrounds the first and second arms. The concealed sanitary fitting also includes a retaining element for each arm, wherein the retaining element surrounds the arm and rests against the at least one housing part and, in particular, also against the arm itself, wherein the first and second connections are accessible from outside the housing part. It is specifically provided that the retaining element is bonded to the housing part.

[0014] In other words, the basic concept of the invention provides that a retaining element, which is inserted into an opening formed by at least one housing part of the concealed fitting and holds an arm of the fitting support body in the opening, is materially bonded and thus permanently and fluid-tight connected to the at least one housing part that defines the opening. The opening formed by the at least one housing part for an arm can therefore be larger and, if necessary, arbitrarily shaped, so that the fitting support body can be easily inserted into the opening without negatively affecting the stability of the housing, since the opening with the retaining element can be closed by a component that has a similar stability to the housing part.The retaining element rests, particularly with a portion of its outer edge, against the at least one housing part and, in particular, against all housing parts that define the opening around the arm, and is bonded to these parts in a material-bonded manner. The retaining element also has an "inner" edge that faces the respective arm of the valve support body. The geometry of this "inner" edge of the retaining element can be adapted to the arm, ensuring a particularly effective watertight seal between the retaining element and the arm. For this purpose, the retaining element can rest directly against the arm of the valve support body. Alternatively, a seal can be arranged between the retaining element and the arm of the valve support body.

[0015] The retaining element can, for example, comprise two components (or parts), wherein the component (or part) forming the outer edge is designed for connection with the at least one housing part and is intended to close the opening, while the other component (or part) is designed to seal the concealed fitting against the arm extending through the opening. The first component can be made of a plastic that can be easily bonded to the plastic of the housing part. In particular, it can be provided that the plastic of the housing part and the plastic of the first component / part of the retaining element are identical.Alternatively, the material of the housing part and the material of the first component of the retaining element can be of the same material type, wherein, in particular, the material of the first component is designed to absorb laser radiation for welding or is transparent to laser radiation, in which case the material of the housing part is also designed to absorb laser radiation. The second component of the retaining element can, for example, be a sealing element, a sealing form, a soft elastomer, a hard elastomer, or a sealing ring, which can be arranged, in particular, in a form-fitting manner on the first component and, in the assembled state, surrounds the arm of the valve support body and thus seals the arm against the first component of the retaining element.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the retaining element is manufactured using a two-component injection molding process. The outer component, which is to be bonded to the at least one housing part, can be made of polypropylene, while the second component is preferably made of an elastomer, and particularly preferably of a thermoplastic elastomer. This ensures that the second component is securely bonded to the first component, while also achieving a particularly high level of sealing between the two. Furthermore, the shape of the second component, which comes into contact with the arm of the valve support body, can be optimally adapted to the shape of the arm. This allows even non-circular outer geometries of the arm to be sealed with exceptional reliability.

[0017] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one housing part is made of polypropylene, and the first component of the retaining element can also be made of polypropylene, which can be, in particular, identical to the polypropylene of the housing part. The second component is, in particular, an elastomer, and preferably a thermoplastic elastomer.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the housing is a single piece, so that the housing part forms both the base and the surrounding wall.

[0019] The retaining element can, for example, be bonded to the at least one housing part using an adhesive.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the retaining element is connected to the housing part by means of a weld.

[0021] The weld is preferably produced by laser welding. In laser welding, the components to be welded are in contact with each other and are heated locally by the laser, creating a metallurgical bond. By selecting the appropriate parameters, the penetration depth of the laser beam, and thus the dimensions of the weld, can be adjusted, allowing for a particularly precise weld.

[0022] The geometry of the retaining element, particularly its outer edge, is precisely matched to the geometry of the opening formed by the at least one housing part. This ensures that when the retaining element is placed on the arm, its edge rests against the outer surface of the housing part, creating a material bond between the retaining element and the housing part in this contact area. The retaining element's outer dimensions are therefore larger than those of the opening formed by the housing part, meaning that when placed on the arm, it can only be inserted up to the housing part. The position of the retaining element can thus be precisely controlled.

[0023] In this context, it is also possible for the retaining element to have a section that is located within the opening defined by the at least one housing part, provided that the edge of the retaining element is in contact with an outer surface of the at least one housing part. The retaining element thus engages at least partially in the opening and surrounds the arm in this section, where a seal against the arm may be provided by the second component.

[0024] The invention and its technical context are explained below using the figures as examples. They show schematic representations. Figure 1: a perspective view of a concealed sanitary fitting, Figure 2: a partial exploded view of the concealed sanitary fitting and Figure 3: a side view of the concealed fitting.

[0025] The sanitary concealed fitting 1 shown in the figures comprises a housing part 5 forming a one-piece housing, a fitting support body 2 and retaining elements 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4.

[0026] The valve support body 2 shown in the figures comprises a first arm 3.1 with a first connection 4.1, a second arm 3.2 with a second connection 4.2, a third arm 3.3 with a third connection 4.3, and a fourth arm 3.4 with a fourth connection (not shown). Each arm 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 has a connection opening, which is connected to the corresponding connection 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3, respectively, by a water pipe formed in the respective arm. Connections 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 each have a thread, allowing the valve support body 2 to be connected to water-carrying pipes in an installation wall. In the state shown in the figures, a flushing insert 9 is attached to the valve support body 2, with the flushing insert 9 connecting the connection openings of the valve support body 2 to each other in a water-conducting manner.After the installation of the concealed fitting 1 in an installation wall, the flushing insert 9 is usually replaced by a fitting block that accommodates sanitary components.

[0027] The housing part 5, which forms the housing, comprises a base 5.1 and a circumferential wall 5.2, which defines an access opening 5.3 formed on the side of the housing part 5 opposite the base 5.1. As can be seen in particular from the Figure 2 As can be seen, four openings 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 are formed in the side wall of the housing part 5. The arms 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 of the valve support body 2 each extend through one of these openings 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4, so that the connections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 of the valve support body protrude beyond the housing part 5 and are accessible from outside the housing part 5.

[0028] During the manufacture of the sanitary concealed fitting 1, the fitting support body 2 is inserted through the access opening 5.3 into the housing part 5, whereby first the first arm 3.1 is inserted through the first opening 6.1 and the second arm 3.2 through the second opening 6.2 and then the arms 3.3 and 3.4 are inserted into the corresponding opening 6.3 and 6.4 respectively.

[0029] Subsequently, a retaining element 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 is attached to each arm 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4, respectively. Each retaining element 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 comprises a first component 8.a, which may be made of the same material as the housing part 5. The first component 8.a has a circumferential edge region 8.a.1. A second component 8.b, made of a thermoplastic elastomer, is injection-molded onto the first component 8.a. The second component 8.b surrounds a recess formed by the first component 8.a, the shape of which corresponds to the outer shape of the arm in the area of ​​the opening.

[0030] The retaining elements 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4 are attached to the respective arms 3.1 to 3.4 such that the second component 8.b is in contact with the outer circumference of the corresponding arm 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4. The retaining elements 8.1 to 8.4 are attached to the respective arms 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 until the edge region 8.a.1 comes into contact with an outer surface of the housing part 5. It can be seen that the retaining elements 8.1 to 8.4 also have areas that are located within the openings 6.1 to 6.4 formed by the housing part 5.

[0031] Subsequently, the retaining elements 8.1 to 8.4 are each joined to the housing part 5 by means of laser welding. The resulting weld seam 7 between the first component 8.a and the housing part 5 is in Figure 3indicated. With the weld seam 7 and the second components 8.b of the retaining elements 8.1 to 8.4, which are attached to the arms 3.1 to 3.4, the interior of the concealed fitting 1 is sealed watertight against the environment, so that in the event of a leak inside the concealed fitting 1 no water can penetrate into an installation wall. Reference symbol list

[0032] 1 Concealed fitting 2 Fitting support body 3.1 First arm 3.2 Second arm 3.3 Third arm 3.4 Fourth arm 4.1 First connection 4.2 Second connection 4.3 Third connection 5 Housing part 5.1 Base 5.2 Wall 5.3 Access opening 6.1 First opening 6.2 Second opening 6.3 Third opening 6.4 Fourth opening 7 Weld seam 8.1 First retaining element 8.2 Second retaining element 8.3 Third retaining element 8.4 Fourth retaining element 8.a First component 8.b Second component 8.a.1 Edge area 9 Flushing insert

Claims

1. Method for manufacturing a concealed sanitary fitting (1), comprising at least the following steps: - providing at least one fitting support body (2), wherein the at least one fitting support body (2) comprises at least one first arm (3.1) with a first connection (4.1) and a second arm (3.2) with a second connection (4.2), - providing at least one housing part (5) with an opening (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4) for one arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) of the fitting support body (2), - inserting the at least one fitting support body (2) into the housing part (5), wherein the arms (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) of the fitting support body (2) are inserted into the corresponding opening (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4) in the housing part (5), such that the first connection (4.1) and the second connection (4.2) are accessible from outside the housing part (5), - providing a retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) for each arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4), - attaching a retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) on each arm (3.2), so that the retaining element (8) at least partially closes a free space formed by the opening (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4) between the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) and the housing part (5), . characterized by the fact that - the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) is materially bonded to the housing part (5).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) is connected to the housing part (5) by laser welding.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) comprises at least two components (8.a, 8.b), wherein the first component is bonded to (8.a) the housing part (5) and the second component (8.b) seals against the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4).

4. Concealed sanitary fitting (1), comprising at least: - at least one fitting support body (2), wherein the at least one fitting support body (2) comprises at least one first arm (3.1) with a first connection (4.1) and a second arm (3.2) with a second connection (4.2); - at least one housing part (5) made of plastic, wherein the at least one housing part (5) partially surrounds the first arm (3.1) and the second arm (3.2); - a retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) for each arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4), wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) surrounds the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) and rests against the at least one housing part (5), and wherein the first connection (4.1) and the second connection (4.2) are accessible from outside the housing part. (5) are accessible, characterized by the fact that the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) is materially bonded to the housing part (5).

5. Concealed fitting (1) according to claim 4, wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) is connected to the housing part (5) by means of a weld seam (7).

6. Concealed fitting (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) has a circumferential edge region (8.a.1) which abuts an outside of the housing part (5).

7. Concealed fitting (1) according to one of the preceding claims 4 to 6, wherein the housing part (5) has an opening (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4) for each arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) through which the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) protrudes outwards, wherein the opening (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4) is closed by the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4), for which purpose the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) is arranged in particular at least sectionally in the opening (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4).

8. Concealed fitting (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 7, wherein the retaining element (8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4) comprises at least a first component (8.a) and a second component (8.b), wherein the first component (8.a) is bonded to the housing part (5) and the second component (8.b) seals against the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4).

9. Concealed fitting (1) according to claim 8, wherein the first component (8.a) is formed from a polypropylene and / or wherein the second component (8.b) is formed from an elastomer, preferably from a thermoplastic elastomer.

10. Concealed fitting (1) according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 9, wherein the plastic forming the housing part (5) is polypropylene.

11. Concealed fitting (1) according to one of claims 4 to 10, wherein the fitting support body (2) has a third arm (3.3) with a third connection (4.3) and preferably a fourth arm (3.4) with a fourth connection, wherein the fitting support body (2) preferably has a fifth arm with a fifth connection.

12. Concealed fitting (1) according to claim 11, wherein the fitting support body (2) is cross-shaped.

13. Concealed fitting (1) according to one of the preceding claims 4 to 12, wherein the at least one fitting support body (2) has connection openings for attaching at least one sanitary component.

14. Concealed fitting (1) according to claim 13, wherein the connection openings are directed towards an access opening (5.3) opposite a base (5.1) of a housing comprising the housing part (5).

15. Concealed fitting (1) according to claim 13 or 14, wherein a water line extends through each arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) from the connection opening associated with the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) to the connection (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) associated with the arm (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4).

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