Abstract:
The present invention relates to a ceramic disc cartridge for mixing fluids in faucets and the like, which comprises a driving rod for driving a movable ceramic disc, the rod being coupled to the body of the cartridge by a ball-type of movement. 
     The movable ceramic disc driving rod drives the movable ceramic disc with a hunting type of movement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a ceramic disc cartridge for mixing fluids in faucets and the like. 
     As is known, fluid mixing faucets conventionally comprise ceramic disc cartridges which, in their basic concept, can be classified into three types and, more specifically, a first direct movement type, a second indirect movement type and a third ball-movement type. 
     In the direct movement cartridges, the movable plate is coupled to a driving rod which drives said movable plate with an opening and closing movement (either frontward or inward), the rotary movement being provided by an element thereon the rod is pivoted by suitable pivoting means. 
     More specifically, this rotary movement is provided by a specifically designed rod, including, for example, parallel planes, fork end portions, or rack end portions, and so on. 
     Under the effect of the combination of two distinct and separate movements, the movable plates, at any positions thereof between the maximum closure and maximum opening positions thereof, will always perform a full maximum rotary movement, from a hot to a cold position, being delimited by suitable detent means. 
     In the indirect movement cartridges, which movement is also called an idling or hunting movement, as shown in FIG. 1, the collar  1  supports a rod  2  through a pin  3  operating as a pivot pin for the driving rod  2 . 
     The collar  1  is engaged within a cover  4 . 
     The rotary movement of the collar  1 , engaged in the cover  4 , is delimited by detent elements  5 , provided on the flange  6  of the collar, said detent elements engaging with counter-detent elements  7  formed on the cover. 
     The ball-shaped end portion  8  of the rod  2  is provided for engaging in a corresponding recess, defined by the coupling body  10 , which is provided with a lug  11  having a rounded configuration provided for engaging in a guide  12 . 
     The latter is defined by the cover  4  between the counter-detent elements  7 . 
     With the cartridge in its closed condition, the ball  8  of the rod  2  and related recess of the coupling body  10  are coaxial with respect to the hole  13  defined by the cover  2  and are also coaxial with respect to the cylindric body  14  of the collar  1 . 
     By turning the cartridge rod on itself, for performing the mixing movement, while it is in its closing position, the ball  8  will turn in its recess without causing any movements of the coupling body  10 . 
     The coupling body  10 , in particular, is coupled to the movable ceramic plate  15  of the cartridge. 
     As the driving rod is displaced from the full closure position to the opening position thereof, which can be either a partial or a full opening position, and is turned in the mixing direction, the lever arm, formed between the ball position and the axis of the hole  13  of the cover  4 , will allow the coupling body  10  connected to the movable plate  15  to be displaced. 
     This displacement of said body  10  will increase as the lever arm provided by the opening of said rod is increased. 
     The resultant displacement, which is also called a “hunting” type of displacement, is a characteristic movement and it is generated by a combination of a rotary movement of the casing in the recess in which the ball  8  is engaged, with respect to the hole  13 , and the sliding movement of the lug  11  in the guide  12  of the cover  4 . 
     The sliding of the guide lug constitutes a constraint and, accordingly, it subtracts a freedom degree from the system. 
     This type of movement can be considered like to the rod movement of a rod-crank mechanism, and the coupling body  10  can be compared to the rod having an end portion thereof coupled to a piston (the lug  11  sliding in the guide  12 ) and the other end thereof coupled to the crankshaft formed by the casing in which the ball  8  is engaged. 
     In this mechanism, the crank radius corresponds to the opening displacement of the ball, with respect to the rotary center, i.e. the hole  13  of the cover, and, accordingly, it can be continuously varied from 0, with the rod in a vertical condition and the cartridge in a closed condition, to a maximum value, i.e. with the rod in a slanted condition and the cartridge in a full opened condition. 
     The third known type, as stated, is a so-called ball or spherical displacement, in which the rod can be driven or displaced with a “cloche” type of movement, through a ball type of articulation. 
     This movement is performed by a direct movement plate and, accordingly, with the rod which cannot turn about its vertical axis, with respect to the plate, or with the rod provided with a ball end portion, but by limiting the possible displacement of the movable plate. 
     In the second case, due to the lacking of a constraint, the plate can turn with respect to the axis of the ball thereon it is pivoted. 
     Accordingly, its configuration can be exclusively a circular configuration, with the center thereof arranged in the seat or recess for the ball: the hollow providing the communication between the inlet and the outlet can also be exclusively of circular configuration and concentrically arranged with respect to the ball. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is to provide a ceramic disc cartridge for mixing fluids in faucets and the like, which comprises all of the combined advantages of the hunting displacement lever cartridges and spherical displacement cartridges, while overcoming the drawbacks thereof. 
     Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such a cartridge which can be practically derived from a hunting type of cartridge, to be easily made by unexpensive making and assembling apparatus, since the most part of the cartridge components will be of a conventional type. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide such a cartridge the driving rod of which is specifically designed for turning on itself, thereby allowing to make an un-oriented configuration handle, for example a ball or a cone frustum, having a facilitated operation. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a cartridge which can be inter-exchanged with a conventional cartridge as well as a ball-displacement cartridge. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a cartridge which can be easily made by starting from easily available elements and materials and which, moreover, is very competitive from a mere economic standpoint. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a ceramic disc cartridge for mixing fluids in faucets and the like, characterized in that said cartridge comprises a driving rod for driving a movable ceramic disc, said driving rod being coupled to a body of said cartridge with a spherical or ball type of movement, said driving rod driving said movable ceramic disc with a hunting movement. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of a ceramic disc cartridge for mixing fluids in faucets and the like, being shown, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawings, where: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a prior ceramic disc cartridge, of the hunting-displacement or movement type; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the driving rod and collar of the prior cartridge; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view illustrating a cartridge according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a further bottom exploded perspective view illustrating the cartridge according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the inventive cartridge with the collar and closure cover represented in an exploded form; and 
     FIG. 6 is a further schematic perspective view illustrating the cartridge according to the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the cartridge according to the present invention, which has been generally indicated by the reference number  20 , comprises a cartridge body  21 , through the bottom thereof are respectively provided a plurality of holes  22  for hot and cold water, as well as an outlet hole  23  for the outlet of the mixed water. 
     Gaskets  24  are arranged at said holes. 
     A fixed ceramic disc  25  is arranged above said gasket  24 , and a movable ceramic disc  26  is further provided for cooperating with said fixed ceramic disc  25 . 
     For driving or operating said movable ceramic disc, a collar  30  is provided, said collar including a cylindric body  31  to be engaged in an axial hole  32  of a cover  33 . 
     As shown, the collar  30  is provided with a bottom flange  34  having a size larger than that of the flange of the corresponding feature provided in the prior art. 
     Said flange  34  is provided with detent elements  35  adapted to be engaged with a perfect contact with counter-detent elements  36 , formed on said cover  33 , thereby preventing said collar  30  from turning with respect to the axial hole  32  of the cover  33 . 
     Inside the cylindric body of the collar  30  a spherical region  39  for engaging therein the spherical body  40  formed on a driving rod  41  is provided. 
     Said driving rod  41 , in particular, is provided, at an inner end portion thereof, with a further spherical body  42  which can be engaged in a recess  43  formed on the coupling body  44  provided for connection with the movable ceramic disc  26 . 
     As shown, the further spherical body  42  has a size smaller than that of the spherical body  40 , the spherical bodies having the same vertical central axis coinciding with that of the driving rod  41 . 
     A flanged bush  50  engaging inside the collar  30  and defining a contoured recess  51  for receiving therein the spherical body  40  of the driving rod  41  is moreover provided. 
     The bush  50  has a smooth outer surface cylindrical portion and a bottom annular flange integral therewith and is specifically designed for preventing the driving rod  41  from being downward displaced. 
     The disclosed assembly comprises moreover a sealing ring  60  preventing extraneous substances from entering the system, while compensating for possible clearances. 
     The displacement of the movable ceramic plate  26  along a set displacement path can be easily performed since said movable ceramic plate is bound, by the lug  45  of the coupling body  44 , to be driven with a “hunting” type of displacement, since the lug  45  will remove a freedom degree from the overall ball system. 
     In this connection it should be apparent that the lug  45 , which, in the drawings, is constituted by a male element to be engaged in a corresponding female recess formed on the cover  33 , can also be made with a reversed configuration, i.e. as a female guide on the coupling body  44  and a lug on the cover  33 , since, even with very small kinematic differences, the resultant movement would be practically the same. 
     The driving rod displacement will be limited by suitably contouring the top end portion  39  of the collar, or the bottom opening  52  of the bush  50 . 
     Thus, owing to the disclosed arrangement, the driving rod can turn on itself, i.e. with respect to its vertical axis. 
     With the disclosed arrangement, in particular, the provided cartridge will substantially comprise the elements constituting a hunting displacement type of cartridge, but with a driving rod which can be spherically driven, thereby providing the combine advantages of the two types, which represents a peculiar aspect of the present invention. 
     The invention, as disclosed, is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all of which will come within the scope of the invention. 
     Moreover, all of the constructional details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements. 
     In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on requirements.