Fluid handling – Systems – Multi-way valve unit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-27
2001-03-13
Rivell, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
Multi-way valve unit
C137S625400, C137S636300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199586
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mixing valve. More particularly this invention concerns a single-control valve of the type installed in a faucet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A standard single-control mixing valve such as described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,023 has a fixed valve plate formed with a pair of inlet ports respectively connected to hot- and cold-water inlet lines and, offset therefrom, an outlet port connected to an outlet line normally leading to a faucet. A movable valve plate sitting atop this fixed valve plate has a mixing cavity open toward the fixed plate and movable to variously overlap the ports. When the movable plate is pivoted about a normally upright axis perpendicular to the interface between the plates it can align more of one of the inlet ports with the mixing cavity and less of the other inlet port to vary the ratio of hot and cold water fed to the outlet port, and when slid in a front-to-back direction parallel to the plate interface it can control the overall extent of overlap to vary the overall flow from the inlet ports through the mixing cavity to the outlet port.
Typically the movable valve plate is pivoted on the bottom end of a lever that is centrally pivoted on a housing liner that is coupled to the movable plate to rotate it about the upright axis. The upper end of the lever is fitted to a handle that is raised and lowered to control volume rate of flow and that is pivoted from side to side to control outlet temperature. Thus the user controls output temperature by pivoting the handle connected to the movable plate about the axis perpendicular to the plates and output volume by rocking the handle, typically in a vertical plane, about another axis perpendicular to the plate axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,077 describes an alternate system where the lever is pivoted from side to side to control volume rate of flow and is tipped back and forth to control outlet temperature. This alternate system is preferred by some users in that it more closely mimics an older variety of faucet which is rotated to control volume.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved single-control mixing valve.
Another object is the provision of such an improved single-control mixing valve which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which can operate in accordance with the alternate system.
A further object is to provide a valve cartridge that can be installed in a conventional faucet for converting it to the alternate operational system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A mixing valve has according to the invention a housing, a fixed valve plate in the housing having a flat outer surface generally centered on and perpendicular to a main axis and formed offset from the main axis with a pair of angularly offset and axially throughgoing inlet ports, and a movable valve plate in the housing having an inner surface flatly engaging the outer surface of the fixed valve plate and an opposite outer surface. The movable valve plate is formed with a pair of angularly offset and axially throughgoing inlet ports alignable with the fixed-plate inlet ports. The ports of one of the pairs of inlet ports are at different radial spacings from a center of the respective plate. An actuating lever is displaceable in the housing about the main axis and about a transverse axis crossing the main axis for shifting the movable plate between a closed position with both of the movable-plate inlet ports out of alignment with the fixed-plate inlet ports and blocked by the fixed-plate outer face, one end position with one of the movable-plate inlet ports aligned with one of the fixed-plate inlet ports and the other of the movable-plate inlet ports out of alignment with the other of the fixed-plate inlet ports, another end position with the other movable-plate inlet port aligned with the other fixed-plate inlet port and the one movable-plate inlet port out of alignment with the one fixed-plate inlet ports, and an intermediate position with each of the movable-plate inlet ports partially overlapping the respective fixed-plate inlet port.
This valve is therefore set up such that side-to-side rocking of the lever that rotates the movable plate about the main axis serves to control volume rate of flow while front-to-back pivoting of the lever that slides the movable plate on the fixed plate adjusts the flow temperature. The valve housing can be set up such that it has the same porting as a standard valve cartridge so that this system can be installed in a conventional faucet to give it the new operational style.
The mixing valve further has according to the invention structure forming at the movable-plate outer surface a fluid-flow passage into which open the movable-plate inlet ports. The plates are each formed with an outlet port so positioned that they overlap in the end and intermediate positions of the plates.
These outlet ports are at centers of the plates. They can be of circular shape and according to the invention the movable-plate outlet port is of a flow cross section equal to between 50% and 100% of the flow cross section of the fixed-plate outlet port, preferably about 80% of the fixed-plate outlet-port flow cross section.
The ports in accordance with the invention are formed as cylindrical-annulus segments and in one embodiment of the invention the ports of each plate lie within a quadrant of the respective plate. The ports of each plate are at substantially different radial spacings from centers of the respective plates.
The radial spacing of the ports of one of the plates is substantially greater than the radial spacing of the other of the plates.
The mixing valve wherein the ports of the one plate are spaced radially from each other by a distance equal to at least twice a radial dimension of one of the ports of the one plate and the ports of the other plate are spaced radially from each other by a distance equal to at least a radial dimension of one of the ports of the other plate. In this case the ports of each plate have, measured from a center of the respective plate, an angular dimension of at most 20°.
In another embodiment of the invention the ports of the other pair are at both at a same radial spacing from a center of the respective plate. The ports of the other pair both have, measured from a center of the respective plate, an angular dimension of about 60°. Furthermore one of the ports of the one pair has, measured from a center of the respective plate, an angular dimension of about 60° and the other of the ports of the one pair has an angular dimension of about 30°. The ports of the each pair are diametrally opposite each other.
In all cases all of the ports have substantially the same flow cross section. Thus, as the temperature is adjusted, flow volume remains constant. In addition the valve is formed with passages that supply water under pressure to the fixed-valve inlet ports and withdraw water from the movable-valve inlet ports at the movable-valve outer face.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3533436 (1970-10-01), Parkison
patent: 4153077 (1979-05-01), Egli
patent: 4327758 (1982-05-01), Uhlmann
patent: 4540023 (1985-09-01), Pawelzik
patent: 4621659 (1986-11-01), Pawelzik
patent: 4672999 (1987-06-01), Knapp
patent: 4796666 (1989-01-01), Bergmann
patent: 5082023 (1992-01-01), D'Alayer de Costemore d'Arc
patent: 5613521 (1997-03-01), Knapp
patent: 5660208 (1997-08-01), Casas
Derr Max
Pawelzik Manfred
Dubno Herbert
Friedrich Grohe AG & Co. KG
Rivell John
Schoenfeld Meredith H.
Wilford Andrew
LandOfFree
Single-control mixing valve does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Single-control mixing valve, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Single-control mixing valve will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2465727