Upper valve component

An upper valve component for a sanitary fixture including a sleeve type head fastenable in a valve housing and a spindle which extends through the center of the sleeve head and is equipped with a socket head, the spindle having exterior annular faces which radially position it within the sleeve head. The exterior annular face of the spindle includes a number of annular grooves therearound, some of which are provided with sealing rings to seal the spindle within the sleeve head. At the end of the sleeve head which is proximate the socket head of the spindle, there is an internal annular recess. The valve component includes a pretensioned elastic bearing which is insertable into the annular recess between the spindle and the sleeve head can be removed or inserted without disassembly of the valve. The bearing has an external surface which presses against the internal surface of the recess and has an internal surface which bears against the spindle. The bearing also includes a flange extending inwardly for locking engagement with one of the annular grooves in the spindle to inhibit rotation of the spindle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to an upper valve component for sanitary fixtures, 
the component including a sleeve-like head fastenable in a valve housing 
and a rotatable spindle penetrating the center of the head and equipped 
with a socket head. Annular faces with which the spindle is radially 
guided in the head and grooves interrupting the annular faces, some of 
them accommodating sealing rings, are provided on the exterior of the 
spindle. 
PRIOR ART 
Upper valve components of the above-mentioned type are known from 
DE-C-3,207,895 and DE-A-3,323,008. The following problem occurs in 
connection with the prior art upper valve components: a slight amount of 
radial play exists between the spindle and the head and this is 
transferred by way of the socket head to the pressed-on handle of the 
fixture and--since the handle has a significantly larger radius than the 
spindle--gives the impression of a considerable amount of play. Moreover, 
if such fixtures having upper valve components are mounted horizontally on 
a wall and have heavy asymmetrical handles which thus exert a torque on 
the spindle of the upper valve component, it may happen that the handles 
pivot automatically from a radially upper position to a radially lower 
position when the valve is open. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is intended to remedy this situation. It is the object of the 
invention to configure an upper valve component of the above-mentioned 
type in such a manner that play between spindle and head as well as 
undesired pivoting movements between spindle and head are avoided. This is 
accomplished according to the invention in that, on its inner edge facing 
the socket head, the head is provided with an annular recess into which is 
pressed an essentially sleeve-shaped, pre-tensioned bearing of limited 
elasticity so that it rests against one of the annular faces of the 
spindle and is in locking engagement with one of the grooves. 
The pre-tensioned bearing prevents play between spindle and head in the 
radial direction as well as the inadvertent pivoting of the spindle in the 
head, even if the upper valve component is installed horizontally and a 
heavy asymmetrical fixture handle is employed. A further advantage of the 
invention is that the bearing takes over the function of the elastic 
packing as well as that of one of the sealing rings.

BEST MODE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION 
The upper valve component selected as the embodiment is screwed into the 
housing of a sanitary fixture, of which only part of the water intake 
channel is shown. The upper valve component includes a head 1, a spindle 2 
penetrating the center of the head 1 and radially guided therein as well 
as a driver 3 which is form-lockingly connected with the spindle 2 and is 
radially guided in head 1. Between head 1 and spindle 2, on the side 
facing away from the water inlet, there is disposed a bearing 4. On the 
side of the water inlet, in the region of its end face, head 1 carries a 
first valve seat disc 5 of a ceramic material and a sealing ring 7 which 
projects beyond its end face. On the water inlet side, a second valve seat 
disc 6 of ceramic material is provided at the end face of driver 3. 
Head 1 has the shape of a sleeve, i.e. it is composed of a rotationally 
symmetrical hollow body with, however, differing inner diameters, and its 
two end faces are open. In its interior, essentially in its center, head 1 
has two axially spaced shoulders 14, 16. Spindle 2 is essentially solid 
and includes a socket head 20 in a multi-edge configuration 21 which is 
provided in its interior with an internally threaded blind bore 22 for 
fastening a handle (not shown). On its exterior, spindle 2 is provided 
with annular faces 23 with which spindle 2 is radially guided in head 1. 
These annular faces 23 are interrupted by grooves 28. In the groove on the 
water inlet side, a sealing ring 24 is accommodated which takes over part 
of the sealing function between spindle 2 and head 1. 
In the region between shoulder 16 and the end face facing socket head 20, 
the interior of head 1 is configured as a hollow cylinder for guidance of 
spindle 2. On the side of its inner edge facing socket head 20, head 1 is 
provided with an annular recess 17. Bearing 4 is inserted in this recess 
17. Bearing 4 is pre-tensioned and of limited elasticity. It is 
manufactured, for example, of a mixture of polyamide and molybdenum. 
Bearing 4 is pressed into a groove 28 on the side of the socket head so as 
to lie against one of the annular faces 23 of spindle 2 and be lockingly 
held in the groove. 
In its region 41 lying against one of the annular faces 23 of spindle 2, 
bearing 4, before it is pressed in, has an inner diameter which is smaller 
than the outer diameter of annular face 23. This region is shown on the 
right side of FIG. 2 as a "negative field" 42. At its outer edge facing 
away from socket head 20, bearing 4 is provided with a cylinder jacket 
type recess 43. After pressing bearing 4 into recess 17 of head 1--shown 
in the left half of FIG. 2--region 41 is compressed to an inner diameter 
which is equal to the outer diameter of annular face 23. Since bearing 4 
must yield, the cancellation of negative field 42 causes the outer edge of 
bearing 4 on the side of the water inlet to lie against the adjacent inner 
edge of recess 17 in head 1; simultaneously the contact pressure increases 
in the region between recess 43 of bearing 4 and the end face of recess 17 
in head 1 facing away from socket head 20. The deformed region created by 
displacement of negative field 42, ensures, on the one hand, that there is 
a seal between spindle 2 and head 1; it takes the place of a further 
sealing ring. Additionally, the contact pressure prevents spindle 2 from 
inadvertently turning relative to head 1 eve if significant torques are 
applied as a result of a heavy, asymmetrical handle. 
On its end face facing socket head 20, bearing 4 is provided with a contact 
face 44 in the shape of a circular ring for a press-in ring (not shown). 
With the aid of such a press-in ring, bearing 4 is pressed into head 1. 
On its side facing socket head 20, an internal flange 45 is shaped onto 
bearing 4. The internal flange 45 lockingly engages in the outer one of 
grooves 28 of spindle 2. An annular hollow groove 46 is provided between 
the internal flange 45 engaged in groove 28 and contact face 44 pressing 
against annular face 23. The edges 47 of internal flange 45 are sloped. 
Internal flange 45 lockingly engages in the associated groove 28. Hollow 
groove 46 and sloped edges 47 facilitate the locking engagement. Bearing 4 
and its internal flange 45 thus take over the function of an otherwise 
required elastic packing: bearing 4 prevents spindle 2 from falling out of 
head 1 on the water inlet side. 
Spindle 2 is rotatable only within limits in head 1: following shoulder 16, 
head 1 is provided, on the side facing shoulder 14, with an inwardly 
projecting partial ring 11 whose end forms stops. On the side opposite 
socket head 20, a T-shaped transverse web 25 is formed on the exterior of 
spindle 2. The face of transverse web 25 facing socket head 20 lies 
against shoulder 16 of head 1. At its one end, transverse web 25 is 
provided with a recess 26 whose dimensions are equal to those of the stops 
at partial ring 11. Recess 26 is delimited by a projection 27 at the free 
end of transverse web 25. Transverse web 25 is rotatable in head 1 between 
the stops at partial ring 11. 
An inwardly drawn, flange-like edge 33 of driver 3 is provided with 
receptacles into which engage, on the one hand, only projection 27 of 
spindle 2 and, on the other hand, transverse web 25 itself. 
Following the end face facing the water inlet, head 1 is provided with 
passage openings 12. These passage openings 12 are formed by an annular 
slit which is partitioned by two longitudinal webs 15. Driver 3 is 
configured as a hollow cylindrical sleeve equipped with passage openings 
32 in its walls. Passage openings 32 are formed by an annular slit 
partitioned by two longitudinal webs 35. Passage openings 32 in driver 3 
and passage openings 12 in head 1 lie in the same transverse plane. 
Valve seat disc 5 held by head 1 is circular when seen from the front. It 
is provided with a semicircular passage opening 51. On the side facing 
away from the water inlet, the second valve seat disc 6 lies against the 
first valve seat disc 5. It is likewise provided with a semicircular 
passage opening 61. 
By way of the first stationary valve seat disc 5, head 1 presses sealing 
ring 7 onto a valve seat 81 in water inlet 82 of housing 8. Once head 1 
has been fastened to the housing, the position of sealing ring 7 remains 
unchanged. Rotating spindle 2 causes driver 3 and together with it the 
second valve seat disc 6, which lies against it, to be rotated relative to 
the first valve seat disc 5 so that passage opening 51 in valve seat disc 
5 is completely opened by valve seat disc 6 or is opened and closed to the 
desired degree. Incoming water flows out through passage openings 12 and 
32 in head 1 and in driver 3.