Fluid handling – Systems – Multi-way valve unit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-20
2002-11-26
Fox, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
Multi-way valve unit
C251S291000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484753
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a single lever mixing valve and more particularly to a single lever mixing valve having an improved operability.
The Single lever mixing valve is used a lot in a kitchen, a washing stand, and the like owing to its convenience.
The Single lever mixing valve is described below with reference to
FIG. 13
showing a cartridge of the Single lever mixing valve.
A handle lever
8
is directly connected to a disk actuating stem
2
to transmit the motion of the handle lever
8
to a movable disk
4
.
Cold and hot water enter the Single lever mixing valve from inlets port
6
, pass through holes of a fixed disk
5
, and are discharged from a outlet port
7
through a path shown with an arrow E.
A lever holder
1
is assembled inside the cartridge. The disk actuating stem
2
transmits a linear motion of the handle lever
8
for adjusting the amount of discharge water and a rotary motion of the handle lever
8
for adjusting the temperature of the discharge water to the movable valve
4
. In correspondence to the linear motion and the rotary motion of the handle lever
8
, the lever holder
1
slides on a sliding portion between it and the disk actuating stem
2
, between it and the movable valve
4
, and between it and a housing
3
. The sliding portion is important because it affects the operability of the handle lever
8
. In the conventional Single lever mixing valve, it is essential to apply a lubricant such as silicone grease to the sliding portion to allow smooth sliding of the handle lever
8
and the other members.
However, in recent years, people are more and more conscious of environmental hygiene. Thus, more and more users are unwilling to use the silicone grease although it is not harmful for the human body.
In the case where the single lever mixing valve is used in a particular environment, for example, a restaurant or the like and in case where it is used at high frequencies, the lubricant may decrease. With the decrease of the lubricant, an operator feels that the handle lever becomes heavy with time in its operation, squeaking sounds are generated during the operation thereof, and the operability thereof will deteriorate.
To apply the lubricant such as the grease to the sliding surface, it is necessary to produce the process of preparing the lubricant, applying the grease to the sliding portion, and maintaining grease-applying device. Consequently, the production efficiency will deteriorate.
The relationship between the handle lever
8
and the disk actuating stem
2
is described below with reference to FIG.
14
. The handle lever
8
of the conventional single lever mixing valve is rotated on the disk actuating stem
2
square pillar-shaped or the like to rotate the movable valve
4
accommodated in the housing
3
to thereby adjust the amount of the discharge water, and the angle of the handle lever
8
with respect to a horizontal line is changed to incline the axis of the disk actuating stem
2
to thereby adjust the amount of discharge water by means of the movable valve.
The disk actuating stem
2
is fixed to the fit-in hole
8
a
formed in the vicinity of an end of the handle lever
8
opposite to the gripping portion thereof with a screw
8
b
, with the disk actuating stem
2
fitted in the fit-in hole
8
a
. A blindfolding plate-shaped cap
8
c
made of synthetic resin is installed on the screw
8
b.
As shown in
FIGS. 15 and 16
, according to one mode of screwing the disk actuating stem
2
and the handle lever
8
to each other, a screw hole
2
b
is formed axially in the disk actuating stem
2
from an end surface thereof, and the screw
8
b
is inserted into a through-hole
8
d
formed in the vicinity of one end of the handle lever
8
. According to another mode of screwing the disk actuating stem
2
and the handle lever
8
to each other, as shown in
FIG. 16
, the screw
8
b
is screwed into the screw hole
2
b
formed horizontally from one end surface of the handle lever
8
, and the front end of the screw
8
b
is pressed against the disk actuating stem
2
to fix the disk actuating stem to the handle lever
8
.
However, in any of the above-described conventional single lever mixing valves, the handle lever and the disk actuating stem are fixed to each other with a screw to which a loosening prevention agent (commercial name: Lock-tight) applied to increase the friction resistance of the surface of the screw. Thus, a handle lever-installing operation takes time and labor.
Further, in the handle lever-installing operation, screw-tightening degrees are apt to be nonuniform. Thus, produced single lever mixing valves are liable to have nonuniform tolerances.
Further, during the use of the single lever mixing valve, there is a possibility that the loosening prevention agent penetrates into a sliding portion between mixing valves of the single lever mixing valve little by little. If the loosening prevention agent remains on the sliding portion, the sliding portion is worn. Consequently, a liquid such as water passing through single lever mixing valve is easy to leak.
Furthermore, the action of the loosening prevention agent of preventing loosening of the screw deteriorates gradually with time. Thus, the long-time use of the single lever mixing valve causes the screw to be loose and makes it difficult to operate the handle lever securely.
Consequently, an operator feels that the handle lever becomes heavy with time in its operation, squeaking sounds are generated during the operation thereof, and the operability thereof will deteriorate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-described problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a single lever mixing valve eliminating application of a lubricant to sliding portion in consideration of environmental hygiene, allowing an operator to feel that the handle lever is lightweight in its operation even though the lubricant is not applied to the sliding portion, preventing a torque from fluctuating with time, and allowing the handle lever to be operated easily.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a single lever mixing valve having a simple handle lever-fixing construction eliminating the need for application of a loosening prevention agent. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a single lever mixing valve allowing the handle lever to be operated lightly and securely even though the single lever mixing valve is used for a long time.
More specifically, in the single lever mixing valve, a handle lever-installing operation can be accomplished in a possible simplest degree and assembled without taking much time and labor. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a single lever mixing valve which allows the handle lever to be Installed securely, has a uniform tolerance, prevents the handle lever from being loose or causing no troubles even though the single lever mixing valve is used over as many as 200,000 cycles, and prevents a movable disk and a fixed disk from being damaged easily.
To achieve the object, there is provided a single lever mixing valve comprising a sliding member sliding on a lever holder, and a disk actuating stem supported with the lever holder, for adjusting an amount and temperature of discharge water by inclining or rotating on an axis thereof the disk actuating stem to be operated by a handle lever. One sliding surface of at least one of the sliding portions in which the lever holder and the sliding member slide on each other is formed of a polyamide resinous composition.
The polyamide resinous composition contains polyolefin resin essentially or is aromatic polyamide resin. The aromatic polyamide resin in the present invention has aromatic rings in its chemical structure of polymeric main chain.
One sliding surface or both sliding surfaces of at least one of the sliding portions are formed of the polyamide resinous composition. Thus, the sliding surface has favorable sliding performance, Consequent
Fukuzawa Satoru
Hayashi Takumi
Kosaki Shinji
Shimizu Takahiro
Fox John
Hedman & Costigan ,P.C.
NTN Corporation
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