Fluid handling – Destructible or deformable element controlled – Heat destructible or fusible
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-16
2001-09-25
Chambers, A. Michael (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Destructible or deformable element controlled
Heat destructible or fusible
C137S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293295
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a safety device for a hot water faucet for sanitary use, such as a thermostatic faucet.
It also relates to the faucet, particularly thermostatic, equipped with said safety device.
Conventionally, a so-called thermostatic faucet comprises:
a body that locally delimits a so-called mixing chamber fed at least indirectly by a cold water inlet pipe, and at least indirectly by a hot water inlet pipe,
an outlet for mixed water having a predetermined temperature,
a device for adjusting the flows of cold water and hot water to obtain a so-called outgoing water at the appropriate temperature, which device comprises an element that, being sensitive to the temperature of the water in the mixing chamber, controls the movement of a slide valve that adjusts the cross sections of the passages of the hot water and cold water inlets as a function of a set-point value.
Thus, when the water in the mixing chamber exceeds the set-point temperature, the sensitive element reduces the cross section of the passage of the hot water inlet, and at the same time increases the cross section of the passage of the cold water inlet, and vice versa if the temperature is lower than the set-point temperature.
The sensitive element necessarily has an inertia in order to prevent the system from being constantly unstable.
This inertia is clearly understood to be harmful in the event of an abrupt cutoff of the cold water, since there is an immediate increase in the temperature of the water, which can reach temperatures that are dangerous if the water comes in contact with the skin.
The objective of current developments is to improve these sensitive elements, specifically in order to obtain a faster response, but the results have not yet achieved the intended aim.
There are known fusible lead elements (DE-6.921.553) associated with a valve, but they do not solve the problem of the sensitivity in thermostatic faucets in which the temperature is much lower.
One of the objects of the invention is to notably improve the safety of hot water faucets for sanitary use, such as thermostatic faucets.
To this end, the subject of the invention is a safety device for such a faucet, characterized in that the device comprises:
a casing that delimits a receptacle running all the way through said casing, with one of the two ends of said receptacle, called the upstream end, which at least indirectly has means for hydraulically connecting to the outlet of a hot water faucet, and upstream from the other end, an evacuation conduit that opens out of the casing and hydraulically connects to a point intermediate to the two ends of the receptacle, giving the casing a T-shape,
a seat of a valve, delimited in the bore near its upstream end, and
installed in the receptacle, beginning at the upstream end:
a valve with an elastic element that stresses it toward its so-called closed position by applying it to the seat, and
a so called control rod of the valve, connected to a control device capable of pushing said valve toward the so-called open position, counteracting the action of the aforementioned elastic element, between the valve and the control device, this control rod locally comprising a fusible material
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which, when it is subjected to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature, melts so that the length of the control rod is reduced, thus causing the closure of the valve.
REFERENCES:
patent: 973260 (1910-10-01), Creighton
patent: 1892674 (1933-01-01), Loverin
patent: 1960272 (1934-05-01), Lovekin
patent: 2012873 (1935-08-01), Gillen
patent: 2301014 (1942-11-01), Burlin
patent: 2637333 (1953-05-01), Houston
patent: 3730205 (1973-05-01), Guimbelot
Braukmann Armaturent, Claims 1,2; Fig. 1 (Federal Republic of Germany) DE 69 21 553 U, 1999.
Lazlo; p. 2, Line 54; Figs. 1-3 (Federal Republic of Germany) De 673 810 C, 1999.
Bommelaer Christian
Bongrand Laurent
Chambers A. Michael
Feeney William L.
Miles & Stockbridge
Watts Eurotherm, S.A.
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