LIMITER ARRANGEMENT FOR THE MAXIMUM WATER QUANTITY OF A SINGLE-GRIP MIXING VALVE

Abstract: The control handle of the valve, the operating lever (4), is provided preferably already when manufacturing the operating lever (4) with grooves or equivalent for fitting a limiter body (6). The bearing structure (3) of the valve's control unit (2) comprises an inclined counterface (7) which limits the motion of the operating lever (4). The counterface (7) has been so disposed that when the valve is opened the limiter body (6) hits against the counterface (7) for producing the desired turning of the operating lever (4). The topmost groove (9) may be so that when placed in this groove the limiter body (6) will not hit against the counterface (7) and instead permits the valve to be maximally opened. The limiter body (6) of the invention, advantageously a somewhat elastic ring, can easily be placed in a groove (5). The limiter ring (6) is easy to move from one groove to another, without tools.

Description: LIMITER ARRANGEMENT FOR THE MAXIMUM WATER QUANTITY OF A SINGLE-GRIP MIXING VALVE The present invention concerns a procedure .or application in limiting the maximum water quantity, or -flow rate, o- a single-grip mixing valve and means used in the procedure. As taught by the invention, the turning of the operating handle of the mixing valve's control unit is limited when the valve is being opened. It is known in prior art to limit the motion of said operating lever in the way that transversal ly to the operating lever has been provided a threaded bore in which an adjustment screw has been placed which when the valve is being opened hits against a counterface on the bearing structure of the control unit, thus limiting the turning of the operating lever. A construction like this requires a threaded bore to be made in the operating lever in a separate work step. With the aid of the invention, an operating lever suitable for maximum water quantity limiting arrangements can be made with greater ease than in any design of prior art. The threaded bore made in a separate work step is not needed in the operating lever; instead, one or several shallow grooves are formed on the operating lever at the lathe machining step already. The costs and inconveniences arising from the use and installation of an adjustment screw can be reduced with the aid of the invention. The adjustment screw is replaced with a less expensive, somewhat elastic limiter ring made of plastic or of another material and which is placed on the operating lever so that it seats itself in one of said grooves. The circumstances characteristic of the procedure of the invention are readable in the characteristic features part of claim 1, and the means of the invention are characterized by the circumstances specified in the characte istic features part of claim 4. In the following, the invention and the advantages gainable thereby are more closely described, referring to the attached drawings, where!n: - Fig. 1 presents the single-grip mixing valve in elevational view and partly opened, with the bearing structure partly cut open; _-«-- Fig. 2 presents, enlarged, the limiter body of the invention.^. " In Fig. 1 has with the reference numeral 1 been indicated the valve body, in which in normal manner have been disposed the water flow passages and a mixing chamber for controlling the mixing proportion of warm and cold water. Since this is technology which is self-evident to a person skilled in the art and the alternatives are numerous, these components will not be more closely described. In the upper part o-f the body 1 is provided a control unit 2 with bearing structure 3 and operating lever 4, in the grooves 5 of which the limiter ring 6 according to the invention can be inserted, in order to set the desired maximum water quantity. The bearing structure 3 of the control unit 2 comprises an inclined counter-face 7, which has been shaped so that when the limiter ring 6 is in the topmost groove 9 the ring will not hit against the counterface 7 when the valve is opened and will instead permit maximal opening of the valve. The operating lever 4 will in this case turn into the position a in Fig. i. The valve is closed when the operating lever 4 is in position g . If the limiter ring 6 is moved into the grooves 5 lower down, the limiter ring ώ will, when the valve is being opened, hit against the counterface 7 in the bearing structure 3 the earlier the lower the groove 5 is located in which the ring 6 has been placed. In the case presented as an example, the grooves 5 on the operating lever 4 and the counterface 7 in the bearing structure 3 have been disposed so that when the limiter ring 6 resides in the lowermost groove 5 the opening angle of the operating lever 4 is one-half of the opening angle of the unrestricted valve and the maximum water quantity thus is about 30% of that of the unrestricted valve. On the operating lever 4 of the single-grip mixing valve have here been formed, in addition to the longitudinal handle-fixing splines 8, transversal grooves 3 running around the periphery, in such manner that the depth of the topmost groove 9 is 0.5 mm and those of the four grooves therebelow are 0.2 mm. -, ' Hereby, when the limiter ring 6 is by applying slight pressure moved into the grooves 3 located lower down, the ring will on opening the valve hit against the counterface 7 so that the operating lever 4 will turn up to position b, c, d, e and f, depending on the groove 5 in which the limiter ring 6 has been placed. In view of the manufacturing of the operating lever 4, the grooves 5 are an advantageous design solution for disposing the limiter body, but it is of course also possible to use, instead of the grooves, suitable projections which are able to retain the limiter body 6 on the desired height. The limiter ring 6 is made of plastic, hard rubber or another slightly elastic material. Fig. 2 reveals an advantageous design of the limiter ring 6. The invention may be modified and altered within the scope of the claims, according to conditions. It is essential in the invention that the limiter body can be moved from one groove to another easily with the fingers, without any tool .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Procedure for limiting the maximum water quantity in a single-grip mixing valve, characterized in that the operating lever (4) of the control handle is furnished with transversal grooves * f5) or equivalent into one o-f which is placed an annular limiter body C6) to determine the turning of the operating lever (4) in the bearing structure (3) of the control unit (2) in accordance with the maximum water quantity adjustment that is desired. 2. Procedure according to claim 1, characterized in that a counterface (7) in the bearing structure (3) limits the opening position of the operating lever <4) in dependence of the placement groove (3) of the limiter body (6) . ,- 3. Procedure according tα claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the topmost groove (9) or equivalent receiving the limiter body <6) is so disposed that when fitted into the groove (9) the limiter body (6) will not limit the motion of the operating lever (4). 4. Apparatus -far' use in a procedure according tα claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that it comprises an operating lever (4) provided with transversal grooves (3) or equivalent, an annular limiter body (6) fitting into the grooves (5) or equivalent, and an inclined counterface <7) in the bearing structure C3) for limiting the turning of the operating lever (4) on the basis of the groove (5) or equivalent into which the limiter body (6) has been placed.

Inventors: PENTTI OSMO, PENTTI, OSMO
Applicants: PROMES KY
Application year: 1985
Main classification: F16K11
IPC codes: F16K1