MIXING VALVE FOR HOT AND COLD WATER

Abstract: The invention relates to a mixing valve for hot and cold water comprising a cartridge type body (10), two overlapping disks (16, 17), one fixed and the other one movable, which interact in opening and closing the water ducts (13, 14), and a rotating and pivoted control lever to displace and position the movable disk (17) on the fixed one to open or close the water flow. Said control lever (18) is assisted by a slide gate (35) to control the maximum water output by limiting the oscillation of the lever (18) and by a ring (26) designed to adjust the temperature of the mixed water by limiting the rota­ tion of said control lever (18).

Description: The present invention relates to mixing valves for hot and cold water in general and in particular to an improved mixing valve for hot and cold water such as disclosed in GB-A-2,182,419. This mixing valve comprises, inside of a cartridge type body, valve means represented by two overlapping disks made of ceramic or a similar material and with separate inlet openings for hot and cold water and an outlet opening for hot water,cold water or a mixture of hot and cold water, one of said disks being fixed into said cartridge type body while the other one is displaced and positioned by means of a control lever swinging on a transversal axis and rotating around a vertical axis, said cartridge type body being fixed into a tap by means of a clamping ring. Usually the oscillation of the control lever causes the opening and closing of the valve means to let out the water or stop it,while the rotation of said lever in one sense or the other is designed to set the angular position of the movable disk on the fixed one in order to let out either cold or hot water or to mix the two water types at different ratios. The problem still to be solved as far as this kind of mixing valves are concerned, is the possibility to adjust the maximum water output and to suitably limit the temperature of the mixed water when the valve has been fully opened. Such a possibility appears desirable for a more efficient use of mixing valves by preventing an unnecessary waste of water and in particular of hot water in order to achieve a substantial saving of energy. It is therefore the object of the present invention to solve said problem by associating to the mixing valve some simple and economical means allowing to vary and adjust the maximum oscillations of its control lever in order to adjust the water output, as well as to limit the rotation of the same lever at least in one direction so as to adjust the hot water output and thus the maximum temperature of the mixed water, the temperature of the available cold and hot water being known. To this purpose the present invention relates to a mixing valve for hot and cold water according to the preamble of claim 1 and characterised in that: on said cartridge type body a bush with two angularly spaced shoulders is fixed; on said cartridge type body a setting ring concentric to said bush is assembled, said setting ring rotating with said control lever and being fitted with a stop screw alternately cooperating with said shoulders on said bush to limit the rotation of said lever around the vertical axis and thus setting the temperature of the outflowing water; said stop screw being fixed inside an arc shaped slot recessed in said setting ring; a slide gate including a cross-member is mounted on said setting ring with an opening matching a section of said control lever; said cross-member of said slide gate limiting the oscillation of said lever on its transversal axis; said slide gate being diametrically displaceable on said setting ring so as to approach to or move away said cross-member from said control lever depending on the required opening of the valve to set the outflow of the water and fixed on said setting ring by means of a screw cooperating with a slot of said slide gate. This valve also offers the advantage that it can be directly adjusted even by the plumber ant without using any special tools, simply basing on the flow and temperature of the available hot and cold water. More details of the invention will however be apparent from the description given hereinafter with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a schematical and partly sectional view of a mixing valve fitted inside a tap; Figure 2 is a partial section of the cartridge and of the means to adjust the output and temperature of the water cooperating with the control lever; and Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 2. In said drawing Figures 1 to 3 show the cartridge type body (10) of the valve fixed by means of a clamping ring (11) into the body of tap (12) enclosing pipes (13, 14) for the separate inlet of hot and cold water and a spout (15) for the outlet of the water to be used. Inside the cartridge type body the valve elements are mounted, said elements being in particular two overlapping disks of ceramic or other suitable material, the bottom disk (16) being fixed while the top disk (17) can be displaced on the fixed one by means of a control lever (18), the section of which may be square or differently shaped, said lever being fitted with a handle (19). The fixed disk (16) has two (not represented) openings respectively connected with cold and hot water conduits (13, 14) and one opening (20) to let out the cold, hot or mixed water through spout (15) of the tap. The movable disk (17) has in turn a mixing chamber (21) to be placed into different positions towards the openings in the fixed disk in order to control the outflow of the water. The cartridge type body (10) has a neck (10′) on its top and the control lever (18) is assembled, as usual, on a horizontal axis (22) transversally fixed in a supporting bush (23) rotating inside neck (10′) of body (10). The control lever (18) may thus swing on the horizontal pin (22) and rotate around a vertical axis (X) coincident with the rotational axis of the supporting bush (23). The swinging of the control lever (18) causes the opening and closing of the mixing valve by displacing the movable disk (17) on the fixed disk (16) while by turning said control lever on its axis (X) the type of water to be delivered by the tap is selected among cold, warm and mixed water as required. According to the invention, on the neck (10′) of the cartridge type body (10) a stationary bush (25) and a setting ring (26) rotating on axis (X) together with the control lever (18) are mounted. Bush (25) is fitted with a bottom flange (25′) fastened on the cartridge type body (10) by means of a clamping ring (11) presenting at least one peripheral tooth (27) to engage a corresponding notch (27′) on said body (10) in order to prevent said bush (25) from rotating. In addition, said bush (25) also presents a recess (28) delimiting two shoulders (29,30) having the purpose to limit the rotation of control lever (18) by means of setting ring (26) and in particular by means of a stop screw (31) which is fixed in an arc shaped slot (32) recessed into setting ring (26) and cooperating with shoulders (29, 30) in order to limit the rotation of the lever (18) at least in one sense to vary, for instance, the flow of hot water to be mixed with the cold water and thus adjust the temperature of the water delivered by the tap. Of course, by suitably changing the position of screw (31) along slot (32) it is possible to change at will the temperature of the mixed water delivered when the valve is all open. The setting ring (26) also presents a hole (33) for a screw (34) to fix a slide gate (35) with an opening (36) shaped according to the section of the control lever (18). A slot (35′) in slide gate (35) cooperating with said screw (34) allows to displace said slide gate along the diameter of ring (26), while its cross member (37) opposite to slot (35′) is cooperating with stop face (18′) of control lever (18) when it is moving on pin (22) towards its opening position. Owing to the possibility to position slide gate (35) its cross member (37) can be approached to or moved away from the control lever (18) in order to adjust its oscillation before it contacts cross member (37). Analogously, the maximum opening of the mixing valve can be adjusted in order to control the quantity of water delivered when the valve is all open. Finally it is pointed out that both the setting ring (26) and the slide gate (35) can be coupled to scales or any other means showing the flow rate and temperature of the water to be deliverd once the mixing valve has been fully opened.

Claims: A mixing valve for hot and cold water comprising, inside of a cartridge type body (10), valve means represented by two overlapping disks (16, 17) made of ceramic or similar material and with separate inlet openings for hot and cold water and an outlet opening (20) for hot water, cold water or mixture of hot and cold water, one (16) of said disks being fixed into said cartridge type body (10) while the other one (17) is displaced and positioned by means of a control lever (18) swinging on a transversal axis (22) and rotating around a vertical axis (X), said cartridge type body (10) being fixed into a tap (12) by means of a clamping ring, characterized in that: on said cartridge type body (10) a bush (25) with two angularly spaced shoulders (29, 30) is fixed; on said cartridge type body (10) a setting ring (26) concentric to said bush (25) is assembled, said setting ring (26) rotating with said control lever (18) and being fitted with a stop screw (31) alternately cooperating with said shoulders (29,30) on said bush (25) to limit the rotation of said lever (18) around the vertical axis (X) and thus setting the temperature of the outflowing water; said stop screw (31) being fixed inside an arc shaped slot (32) recessed in said setting ring (26); a slide gate (35) including a cross-member (37) is mounted on said setting ring (26) with an opening (36) matching a section of said control lever (18); said cross-member (37) of said slide gate (35) limiting the oscillation of said lever (18) on its transversal axis (22); said slide gate (35) being diametrically displaceable on said setting ring (26) so as to approach to or move away said cross-member (37) from said control lever (18) depending on the required opening of the valve to set the outflow of the water and fixed on said setting ring (26) by means of a screw (34) cooperating with a slot (35′) of said slide gate (35). Mixing valve as claimed in claim 1, where bush (25) is fixed on the cartridge type body (10) by means of a clamping ring (11), said bush being also fitted with a tooth (27) engaging a notch (27′) on said cartridge type body. Mixing valve as claimed in claims 1 and 2, where said slide gate (35) is rotating with control lever (18) and where said setting ring (26) is fixed to said slide gate (25) so as to be rotated when said control lever (18) is turning around its vertical axis (X). Mixing valve as claimed in the preceding claims, where the setting ring (26) and/or the slide gate (35) are coupled with a scale or other suitable means showing their actual position.

Inventors: ORLANDI, ALESSIO
Applicants: GALATRON S.R.L.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: F16K11
IPC codes: F16K11