Spa fittings

Abstract

A suction fitting for a spa bath or pool comprising a pipe member with an externally threaded sleeve adapted to extend through an aperture in the wall of the bath or pool, a connector having a flange with a rearwardly extending internally threaded sleeve that screws onto the externally threaded sleeve of the pipe member to extend through and engage the aperture and hold the fitting against the wall, and a cover that is secured to the connector.

The claims:  
     
         1 . A auction fitting for a spa bath or pool comprising a pipe member with an externally threaded sleeve adapted to extend through an aperture in the wall of the bath or pool, a connector having a flange with a rearwardly extending internally threaded sleeve that screws onto the externally threaded sleeve of the pipe member to extend through and engage the aperture and hold the fitting against the wall, and a cover that is secured to the connector.  
     
     
         2 . The suction fitting according to  claim 1  wherein the externally threaded sleeve has a lower wall portion that extends downwardly towards the front of the sleeve at the level below the lowest portion of the pipe member.  
     
     
         3 . The suction fitting according to  claim 2  wherein a cutout is provided adjacent the front portion of the lower portion of the wall to effect drainage of water in the pipe member into the bath or pool.  
     
     
         4 . The suction fitting according to  claim 1  wherein the externally threaded sleeve has a radially extending flexible flange that is adapted to abut the outer surface of the spa or pool.  
     
     
         5 . The suction fitting according to  claim 4  wherein the flexibility of the flange results from a tapered cross section and conical profile.  
     
     
         6 . The suction fitting according to  claim 1  wherein the cover has an inner wall with a plurality of arcuate ribs that are adapted to locate within slots formed on the periphery of the connector so that to assemble the cover to the connector the cover is placed against the connector and then turned relative to the connector so that the ribs extend behind the walls of the slots.  
     
     
         7 . The suction fitting according to  claim 6  wherein one of the walls of the slots comprises an outwardly extending flexible leaf, and a locking lug being provided on the cover to, in use, ride up the leaf as the cover is turned on the connector to sit behind the extreme end of the leaf to prevent reverse rotation of the cover relative to the connector, release of the cover from the connector being effected by insertion of a tool through the front face of the cover to depress the leaf to allow the locking lug to rotate past the leaf to effect release.  
     
     
         8 . The suction fitting according to  claim 1  wherein the cover has a front face and an annular side wall, a plurality of small apertures being positioned in the front face with elongate channels formed down the annular side wall.  
     
     
         9 . The suction fitting according to  claim 8  wherein the elongate channels are divided into small apertures by a pair of radial ribs formed to extend across the elongate channels of the side walls.  
     
     
         10 . A cover for a suction fitting, the cover being moulded in plastics to define a front face and an annular side wall, a plurality of small apertures being positioned in the front face with elongate channels down the annular side wall, the elongate channels being divided into small apertures by a pair of radial ribs formed to extend across the elongate channels of the side walls.  
     
     
         11 . A suction fitting for a spa bath or pool comprising a pipe member with an externally threaded sleeve adapted to extend through an aperture in the wall of the bath or pool, a connector having a flange threadedly located on the threaded sleeve to, in use, hold the pipe member in position and a cover that is secured to the connector, the cover having an inner wall with a plurality of arcuate ribs that are adapted to locate within slots formed on the periphery of the connector so that to assembly the cover to the connector the cover is placed against the connector and then turned relative to the connector so that the ribs extend behind the walls of the slots, whereby one wall includes an outwardly extending flexible leaf, a locking lug being provided on the cover to, in use, ride up the leaf as the cover is turned on the connector to sit behind the extreme end of the leaf to prevent reverse rotation of the cover relative to the connector, release of the cover from the connector being effected by insertion of a tool through the front face of the cover to depress the leaf to allow the locking lug to rotate past the leaf to effect release.  
     
     
         12 . A method of fitting a suction fitting according to  claim 4  to a spa bath or pool comprising, 
 applying a silicon sealant to the external thread and adjacent surface of the radially extending flexible flange,  
 positing the externally threaded sleeve through a hole in the wall of the bath or pool with the flange abutting the exterior of the wall,  
 screwing the connector onto the externally threaded sleeve until the rearwardly extending sleeve passes through and engages the aperture and pushes the silicon sealant into compression between the exterior wall of the bath or pool and the flexible flange.