Automatic temperature and humidity regulation – Mixing fluid of dissimilar temperature
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-01
2002-06-18
Doerrler, William C. (Department: 3744)
Automatic temperature and humidity regulation
Mixing fluid of dissimilar temperature
C236S012130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405932
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to cold water-steam mixing valves for creating hot water, and more particularly, to thermostatic hot water temperature controlling mixing valves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,074 discloses a thermostatic mixing valve with thermostat failure control. A thermally controlled mixing valve assembly includes a valve body having a hot fluid inlet, a cold fluid inlet, a fluid mixing chamber and a fluid outlet in communication with the mixing chamber. A thermostat is in the mixing chamber. A piston responsive to the thermostat controls flow through cold fluid slots and a disc responsive to the thermostat controls flow through a hot fluid opening in a cylindrical liner having the slots and the opening at the bottom of the liner. A spring biases the actuator assembly upward against the downward motion of the thermostat. In case of failure the spring closes the hot fluid opening in the liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,243,999 discloses a thermostatic steam and hot water mixer. Cold water and steam are connected to inlet check valves. A thermostat comprises a metallic diaphragm bellows located in a casing filled with temperature responsive liquid. The steam is controlled to deliver hot water. A rod is connected to the bellows. An increase in temperature causes an expansion of liquid within the bellows container and compresses the bellows. This actuates the rod and closes a steam valve against a compression spring. The supply of cold water is constant with the supply of steam being varied to maintain the desired temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,211,058 discloses a fluid control device for delivering fluids from a plurality of sources one of which is fluctuating and being adapted by automatic selective operation to deliver fluid from the fluctuation source at such times as the supply from that source is adequate to meet the requirements. The device delivers and combines steam with water in regulated controlled amounts. Admission of steam is from a manual valve. Live steam exerts a pressure against a sleeve tending to elevate or retract the sleeve and with it an outer sleeve. The elevation of the parts opens ports and establishes communication between the source of water and a combining tube and brings another port into registration with other ports so that live steam will pass from a tube into a combining chamber heating the water. This results in the selection of the number, location and size of the ports to provide a regulated controlled ratio of water and steam flow to provide a stable operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,269,259 discloses a mixing device for hot and cold water. A sleeve moves to restrict one set of ports without affecting another set of ports. The sleeve is moved by a piston. To control the piston, the piston has opposite bores with a valve member slidably mounted in the bores. The valve member moves into and out of the bores variably to restrict the flow of fluid from one side or the other of the piston into the mixing chamber. A bimetal strip controls the valve. The temperature of the water flexes the strip causing it to open and close the valves and move the piston so as to equalize pressure on opposite sides of the piston when the temperature is correct. Cold or hot temperatures cause the piston to move in a direction to equalize the temperature. In an embodiment shown, either hot or cold water alone may be provided.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,695 a thermally actuated modulating valve and systems are disclosed for providing temperature controlled heated water. Cold water is supplied to a cold water chamber utilizing a slide valve sleeve which outputs to separate chambers proportional amounts of cold water to a hot water source to heat the water and to a mixing chamber for mixing a proportional amount of cold water with hot water. A temperature sensing bellows is in a transfer chamber for sensing the temperature of water supplied from the mixing chamber. Hot water is supplied to the mixing chamber from a hot water source and mixed with the cold water from the proportioning valve. The cold water from the proportioning valve is also supplied to the hot water source for heating the water. The sensed temperature causes the bellows to move a rod which displaces the sleeve valve member which controls the amount of cold water supplied to the hot water source and the cold water supplied to the mixing chamber. Temperature adjustment and calibration devices are provided for adjusting the position of the bellows and in turn the valve operating rod.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,1286,749 an automatic fluid mixing valve is disclosed for mixing hot and cold fluids. Pressure control means control the ratio of fluid flow of the low and high temperature fluids to maintain the temperature using a temperature sense means. The flow rate of the cold water is varied in accordance with the flow rate of hot water. Pressure changes of cold water changes causes a change in the rate of flow of hot water. Pressure ratio of both fluids is maintained at a predetermined value. A movable valve member is moved by bending of a temperature sense means to open and close gates according to the sensed temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,788 discloses a valve for mixing hot and cold water with a hollow body and internal sleeve that define chambers between the sleeve and body communicating with hot and cold water sources. Valves are opened and closed by a piston in response to displacement by a diaphragm that senses the temperature of the mixed water. The piston moves between first and second valve seats. One valve opens and closes the cold water inlet and the other opens and closes hot water inlet. The piston proportions the amount of hot and cold water flowing in their respective passageways into the mixing chamber to stabilize the outlet temperature.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,323,960 and 5,340,018 disclose still other arrangements of thermostatically controlled mixing valves.
In
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a prior art thermostatic wall mounted temperature indicating mixing valve assembly
10
is used to provide hot water by mixing pressurized steam with cold water. The hot water is supplied to a conventional water spray nozzle (not shown) such as shown in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,333 via a hose (not shown) connected to the mixed steam-cold water hot water outlet
12
of the assembly
10
. A rigid metal bent rod support
14
secured to the housing body
16
of assembly
10
carries the hose (not shown) connected to outlet
12
. Assembly
10
includes a bronze body
16
. The body
16
has a pressurized steam inlet
18
and a pressurized cold water inlet
20
. Inlet
20
receives cold water in the pressure range of about 40 to 80 lb. A ball check valve assembly
22
is attached to each inlet
18
,
20
via gasket
24
. A ball check union nut
26
connects assembly
22
and gasket
24
to the steam inlet extension
30
of body
16
. Extension
30
′ receives the union nut
26
and assembly
22
at the cold water inlet
20
. Manual valves
28
,
FIG. 1
, are connected to assembly
22
threaded extension end
32
at the cold water and steam inlets.
Steam inlet
18
, which receives pressurized steam in the range of 80 to 150 lb. is coupled to steam receiving chamber
34
in the body
16
. Cold water inlet
20
is coupled to cold water receiving chamber
36
in the body
16
. Chamber
34
is coupled to steam conduit
38
by poppet valve assembly
40
. Poppet valve assembly
40
includes a poppet valve
42
that engages poppet valve seat member
44
. The poppet valve
42
has a head
46
that seats against seat member
44
and has a stem
48
that guides the valve
42
in a mating member attached to the body
16
. Fins
50
create fluid channels for steam to flow to conduit
38
when the valve
42
is open. A steam jet
49
is located at the exit portion of conduit
38
to drop the pressure of the steam to about 40 to 50 lb. This is so that the higher steam pressure does not force the cold water at the lower pressure than the incoming steam back out of the inlet
20
. The steam jet
49
outputs steam into steam-cold water mixing chamber
51
.
N
Ali Mohammad M
Carella Byrne Bain Gilfillan et al
Doerrler William C.
Gilfillan II John G.
Squire William
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