Abstract:
An electrically operated fitting with a fitting body that has a valve arrangement and an electrically operated drive arrangement for operating the valve arrangement. In order to produce an electrically operated fitting which is of simple and economic construction while having an attractive aesthetic design, a housing is provided for mounting purposes, in particular, for sealing abutment with an installation wall. Disposed on the housing is an actuating arrangement for an electronic unit for controlling the drive arrangement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an electrically operated fitting with a fitting body which has a valve means and an electrically operated drive means for the valve means. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An electrically operated fitting of the initially mentioned type is already known from practice. In the known fitting, there are switches on the fitting body for actuating the drive means. Placing the switches on the fitting body makes it complex to build. In addition, the design of this known fitting leaves much to be desired. Finally, cleaning of the fitting in the area of the switches becomes difficult. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is, therefore, to make available an electrically operated fitting of the initially mentioned type which is simple and economical to build and which in addition has a pleasing, aesthetic form. 
     In an electrically operated fitting of the initially mentioned type, in accordance with the present invention, this object is essentially achieved by there being a housing for attachment and especially for sealing contact against the installation wall and by there being an actuation device of an electronic module on the housing for triggering the drive means. In the invention therefore the actuation means is moved from the fitting body to a separate housing which can be attached to the installation wall. The fitting body can, therefore, be made simply and economically in the conventional manner, while the housing with the actuation means is used for actuation and can be easily cleaned. The housing in the installed state is preferably sealed relative to the installation wall so that water cannot splash behind the housing and collect there. 
     Feasibly, the housing has not only the actuation means, but also the electronic module which is especially integrated into the housing, therefore is made in one piece with it. The housing with the actuation means and the electronic module can be easily installed as a unit, and in case of repair, can be removed easily. The inside and outside seal of the electronic module relative to the housing ensures that no malfunctions occur. 
     To impart a pleasing design to the housing, there is a cover to be placed on the housing to essentially conceal the housing. In the cover, there is an opening which unblocks the actuation means on the housing. The cover offers the advantage that, on the one hand, attachment points, connections or openings in the housing are not visible from the outside and that, on the other hand, when using one type of housing, via the cover different external designs can be chosen according to taste. 
     It is especially advantageous when the housing conceals the fitting body and/or the drive means, preferably completely. In this case, the entire fitting body with the drive means disappears behind the housing and can no longer be recognized from the outside. With a corresponding seal of the housing relative to the installation wall, it is guaranteed that water cannot splash behind the housing, which could adversely affect the operation of the electrically operated fitting. 
     Good attachment and a reliable seal of the housing on the installation wall can be achieved, for example, via screw connections, the housing being attached to the installation wall, the drive means and/or the fitting body and being drawn against the installation wall as screwing is being done and seals against the installation wall. 
    
    
     Other features, advantages and possible applications of this invention follow from the following description of embodiments using the drawings and the drawings themselves. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows an overhead view of a fitting as claimed in the invention without the housing, 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the fitting as claimed in the invention with the housing removed, 
     FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the fitting with the housing attached to the installation wall, 
     FIG. 4 shows a side view of the fitting as claimed in the invention with the housing swivelled out and 
     FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a fitting as claimed in the invention in the assembled state. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the figures, one electrically operated fitting  1  is shown at a time, the fitting being a surface-type fitting for attachment to an installation wall  2 . The fitting could also be a flush-mounted fitting. The fitting  1  has a fitting body  3  which is provided with a supply housing  4  with a hot water supply  5  and a cold water supply  6 . Furthermore, the fitting  1  has a valve means  7  which is located within the fitting body  3  and which is not detailed. The valve means  7  is used for cutting off and mixing hot and cold water. 
     While the hot water supply  5  and the cold water supply  6  are located in a common supply plane, which in the installed state of the fitting, runs roughly at a right angle to the installation wall  2 , the valve means  7  is not located in the supply plane, but underneath this supply plane. It goes without saying that the valve means could, of course, also be located above the supply plane. This arrangement underneath one another yields a very low construction depth of the fitting  1 . 
     The valve means  7 , which is not explained in detail, in particular, has a thermostatic mixing valve unit (not shown) and a cutoff valve unit. The mixing valve unit is used to mix hot water and cold water to produce mixed water of stipulated temperature. The cutoff valve unit is used to open and close the fitting  1  and for adjusting the amount. Feasibly, the cutoff valve is located in the flow direction behind the mixing valve unit. 
     In addition to the fitting body  3 , the fitting  1  has another electrically operated drive means for the valve means  7 . In this embodiment, the drive means has two servomotors  8 ,  9  which are each connected via a corresponding transmission to the mixing valve unit or the cutoff valve unit. The valve means  7  can be adjusted via the servomotors  8 ,  9  for adjusting temperature and amount of the water. 
     It is significant here that a housing  10  is assigned to a fitting  1  and is designed for attachment and especially for sealing contact against the installation wall  2 . There is a control panel  11  of an electronic module  12 , outside on the housing  10 , for triggering the drive means. The control panel  11  has a keyboard  13  and a display  14 . The keyboard  13  and the display  14  are located on a board which is not shown and which is part of the electronic module  12 . The housing  10  is made in one piece with the control panel  11  and the electrical module  12 . The control panel  11  and also the electronic module  12  are both sealed on the front and back relative to the housing  10  such that water cannot reach the electronic and electrical components of the control panel  11  and/or the electronic module  12 . 
     Furthermore, there is a cover  15  to be placed on the housing  10 . The cover has an opening  16  which opens to the control panel  11 , but otherwise completely conceals the housing  10 . In this embodiment, the cover  15  is made in one piece in the manner of a lid. In any case, multi-piece versions are possible, for example, there being two cover parts which run vertically and two which run horizontally. 
     As follows from FIG. 4, the cover  15  can be detachably joined to the housing  10 . Between the housing  10  and the cover  15 , there is a pivot bearing  17  which is located on the top end of the housing  10 . Opposite the pivot bearing  17 , therefore on the bottom end of the housing  10  and the cover  15 , there is a catch connection  18 . The catch connection  18  has a spring-loaded catch pin  19  which is supported on the housing  10  and a catch opening which is not shown and which corresponds to the catch pin  19 . 
     The fitting  1  is battery-operated in this embodiment, and for this reason, has a battery compartment  20 . The battery compartment  20  has an elongated, especially tubular shape. The battery compartment can hold a row of batteries  21  for supply of the electronic module  12  and the servomotors  8 ,  9 . The battery compartment  20  is made in one piece with the housing  10  and as shown in FIG. 3, is located above the supply housing  4 . To insert the batteries  21 , the tubular battery compartment  20  has an insertion opening  22  which can be sealed tight via a cover  23  with a handle section  24 . The cover  23  feasibly can be made of a elastomer material or has on the edge side, a corresponding seal so that a good sealing action results. 
     In this embodiment the housing  10  completely conceals the fitting body  3  and the valve means  7 . When the housing  10  is attached to the installation wall  2  and the cover  15  is seated, the fitting body  3  and the valve means  7  cannot be seen (compare FIG.  5 ). In addition to optical-aesthetic advantages, there are also practical advantages, since with corresponding sealing of the housing  10  relative to the installation wall  2 , water cannot penetrate into the area behind the housing  10 . In any case, it should be pointed out that it is not absolutely necessary to use the housing to conceal the fitting body or the valve means. The housing with the control panel, and optionally, the electronic module can also simply be assigned to the fitting body and attached elsewhere. It is also possible for the housing to only partially conceal the fitting body or the valve means, but for the cover to fully conceal these components. 
     The housing  10  is screwed to the fitting body  3 . For this purpose, as is shown in FIG. 2, there are screws  26  which can be screwed from the outside into the corresponding threaded holes  27  on the fitting body  3  via corresponding openings  25  in the housing  10 . The advantage of this type of attachment lies in that only the fitting body  3  requires attachment to the installation wall  2  via the corresponding screw connections with screws  28 . Therefore there need be no additional holes in the installation wall  2  for attaching the housing  10 . When the screws  26  are tightened to attach the housing  10 , the latter is then pressed against the installation wall  2 . To achieve a good sealing action, there should be a seal between the housing  10 , preferably in the area of the peripheral outside edge  29  and the installation wall  2 . 
     The electrical connection between the electronic module  12  and the battery compartment  20  with the servomotors  8 ,  9  takes place via connecting cables  30  with the corresponding plug connectors (not shown). The electrical connection can be easily established by using plug connectors (not shown). 
     As was explained above, because the supply housing  4  and the valve means  7  are located underneath one another, the fitting  1  is especially flat. So that the flat construction can also be preserved when using the housing  10 , the electronic module  12 , in the installed state of the housing  10 , is located in front of the comparatively flat supply housing  4 , while the battery compartment  20  is located above the supply housing  4  running parallel to an edge of housing  10  and parallel to a transverse axis of the cover  15 . In this way, the free space between the fitting body  3  and the outside of the housing  10  is optimally used since, underneath the supply housing  4  of the fitting body  3 , there is the comparatively low valve means  7  with the servomotors  8 ,  9 . 
     In the area of the outlet  31  of the fitting body  3  there is a manually actuated cutoff  32 . The manual cutoff  32  is used to actuate the fitting  1  if the motor-driven cutoff valve unit which is (not shown) should fail. To be able to operate the cutoff  32  easily, in the housing  10 , there is the corresponding opening  33  so that after removing the cover  15 , the cutoff  32  is accessible and can be actuated, for example, via a tool, without the need for disassembly of the housing  10 . 
     Mounting of the fitting  1  as claimed in the invention proceeds as follows. First, the fitting body  3  with the corresponding eccentric connections  34  which project out of the installation wall  2  in a surface-type fitting is screwed via screws  28 . Then, the connecting cables  30  are connected, on the one hand, to the housing  10 , and on the other hand, to the servomotors  8 ,  9  (compare FIG.  2 ). Then, the housing  10  is screwed to the fitting body  3  via the screws  26 , and in doing so, the housing  10  is pressed against the installation wall  2 . In this state, the outlet  31  projects out of the corresponding opening  35  which is provided on the bottom of the housing  10 . 
     After the housing  10  has been attached, the batteries  21  can be inserted into the battery compartment  20 . Afterwards, the battery compartment  20  is sealed via the cover  23 . At this point, for example, a shower hose is attached to the outlet  31 , while between the outlet  31  and the opening  35  a seal may be provided. Finally, the cover  1  is first placed on the housing  10  and then swivelled on until the catch pin  19  engages. This results in the state shown in FIG.  5 . 
     The fitting  1  can then be actuated via the control panel  11 . The electronic module  12  is made such that the functions of opening, closing, quantity and temperature adjustment can be set via the keyboard  13  of the control panel  11 . Furthermore, it is also possible to input certain individually user-related programs. Adjustment of the desired mixed water amount and temperature or the desired program is done via corresponding pressure and/or proximity switches (not numbered) on the keyboard  13 .