Sanitary mixing valve

The invention is directed to a single-lever mixing valve and faucet in which the valve body is made of ceramic material.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a sanitary mixing valve, particularly with a 
colored valve body to receive the control elements. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Stop or mixer valves of this type, with colored valve bodies, have been 
known for many years and are installed particularly in bathrooms and 
kitchens. As a general rule, the valve bodies are made of brass and have 
metallic or non-metallic surfaces. When making valve bodies of different 
colors, it is the practice either to coat them with a wet lacquer, which 
is protected by a layer of transparent synthetic resin when it has dried, 
or to apply a powder coating which is stoved. 
A disadvantage of previous valves of this type is that the metallic or 
non-metallic surfaces are not resistant either to cleaning material or 
scratching and, because of the high head conductivity of brass, are 
subject to considerable abrupt fluctuations in temperature, which is 
unpleasant to the user. Added to this is the fact that it is difficult, 
from the point of view of the manufacturing process, to provide 
decorations, ornamental features, markings or the like on the conventional 
surfaces. Chromium plated valve bodies are also subject to calcification. 
And, furthermore, when the previous valve bodies become damaged, they can 
either not be exchanged at all or only at considerable expense. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages and to provide 
a stop or mixing valve of the above type which is simple to manufacture, 
reliable in its operation, easy to assemble and easy to repair. 
This object is achieved in that the valve body is made of a ceramic 
material, is in one piece and can be exchanged separately, the body can be 
put over a premountable connecting member containing the control elements 
and provided with water supply passages with seals interposed between the 
valve body and the connecting member, and the connecting member can be 
connected to the water installation and fixed to a sanitary appliance or a 
wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 illustrates a sanitary mixing valve, the body of which is made of 
porcelain and has a glazed surface. There is a brass sleeve 2 in the valve 
body 1, with a shoulder 3 to support a connecting base which mounts a 
cartridge 5 containing the control elements. The control elements are 
actuated by means of a control lever 5', having a porcelain hand lever, 
not shown, coupled to it. The brass sleeve 2 is glued to the valve body 1 
so as to withstand pressure and is, thereby, fixed and radially sealed as 
by bonding. Base 4, provided with connecting pipes 6 for hot and cold 
water, is fixed in the sleeve 2 by a screw 7. The mixing valve is fixed on 
the wash stand, not shown, by means of a threaded stud bolt 8. A jet 
control, bonded to the outlet end 10 of the valve body so as to withstand 
pressure, is shown at 9. It is advantageous to use a jet control because 
the use of so-called water air mixing nozzles with screen inserts might 
lead to blockages and thus cause dynamic pressure, which would subject the 
ceramic valve body 1 to undesirable strain pressures. 
The manufacture of a valve, according to the invention, does not present 
any difficulties. The cost is relatively low. The ceramic valve bodies, 
which have far lower heat conductivity than metal designs and which, 
therefore, remain at a comfortable temperature in operation, can be 
produced in any desired colors and shapes, and provided with any desired 
decorations, ornamental features, markings, etc. This also means that 
there is no difficulty in providing the easy-care valve bodies with 
glaze-baked surfaces, corresponding to those of colored kitchen sinks or 
sanitary appliances, such as wash stands, bidets, baths or the like. There 
is no danger of calcification. The surfaces are resistant to cleaning 
materials and scratching. 
As already mentioned, the construction described and illustrated, is only 
by way of example for practicing the invention. The invention is not 
restricted to it, and there are other possibilities in the framework of 
the basic inventive idea, particularly with regard to the arrangement and 
form of the various parts. The technical functioning of a mixing valve, 
according to the invention, is the same as that of conventional disc-type 
mixing valves, as disclosed in DT-AS No. 15 50 060. 
In accordance with the invention, the porcelain valve body 1 is shaped by a 
combined turning and casting process. Good dimensional accuracy for 
housing the cartridge 5 and brass sleeve 2 can be obtained by turning, 
while the outlet portion is made by casting, and trimmed.