Patent Publication Number: US-2003235755-A1

Title: Arrangement for one-armed batteries provided with electromagnetic shut-off valve

Description:
[0001] The invention relates to an arrangement applicable to a certain type of one-armed batteries provided with a shut-off valve. In these batteries, elements regulating the amount and ratio of cold and warm water are built together into a single battery cartridge. On the bottom plane of this cartridge, inlet and oulet holes are developed for passing through the cold and warm water, whereas on its upper part the operating element of the battery arm is to be found.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] It is known that in fields where sterile circumstances are required, e.g. in hospitals or laboratories, batteries operating without touching them are used. They function by sensing the closeness of the user&#39;s hand. The operating principle of such batteries is—independently of their construction—that the amount and mixing ratio of cold and warm water is adjusted previously by traditional control elements, and an electromagnetic valve unit is placed either before them, into the inlet pipe of cold and warm water, or behind them, into the outlet pipe leading out the mixed water. The electromagnet is operated by a heat sensor built into the battery.  
       [0003] In batteries where the control elements are built together into a single cartridge, as mentioned above, the manufacturers tried to arrange the electromagnetic valve unit so that the unified cartridges applicable in various batteries preserve their unified character with the electromagnetic valve in them, as well. This was the principle at designing the battery cartridge according to the patent No. DE-198.46.720.  
       [0004] In the bottom part of the housing of this battery, below the inlet disc, a fixed controlling element, i.e. a mixed water space is developed connected to the outlet disc of the battery via a side duct. Under the mixed water space a valve space is situated, which is connected to the outlet duct by an independent duct passing beside the mixed water space. The outlet channel of the valve space opening into the mixed water space is surrounded by an inwardly directed tube closed by a membrane valve. The membrane valve is operated by an electromagnet built into the bottom part of the housing, under the membrane valve.  
       [0005] It should be noticed that this battery cartridge can be operated both manually, and by an electromagnet, thus an additional outlet hole is developed in the inlet disc opening directly to the mixed water space. The two outlet holes can be controlled alternatively by the moving control element, i.e. open and close by the control disc. At manual operation, the outlet hole opening directly into the mixed water space is open, whereas at electromagnetic operation the outlet hole connected to the valve space is open.  
       [0006] It is seen that this battery cartridge can be built into the battery as a single unit, but only together with the electromagnet. Thus, separate battery cartridges should be developed for different battery types, to which only part of the elements can be utilized.  
       OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] The objective of the present invention is to provide an arrangement to one-armed batteries provided with an electromagnetic shut-off valve capable of utilizing the normal battery cartridge without any change.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] Solution of the problem is based on the recognition that the housing of the battery cartridge described can be divided into two parts under the inlet disc by a parallel plane. The upper part of these two parts may be the same as that in normal battery cartridges, whereas the valve space needed for the operation of the electromagnet, the valve and the operating electromagnet can be situated only in the bottom part.  
       [0009] Thus, the invention relates to an arrangement for one-armed batteries provided with an electromagnetic shut-off valve in which the amount and the mixing ration of cold and warm water is controlled by a battery cartridge. The inlet and outlet holes for introducing the cold and warm water and letting out the mixed water are formed on the bottom plane of the battery cartridge, and the operating element connected to the arm of the battery is situated in the upper part. It is characteristic for the arrangement that to the bottom of the battery cartridge a cylindrical socket with two circumpositioned sealing is fitted. The socket has three channels connected in a sealed manner to the inlet holes and to the outlet hole of the battery cartridge, the channel connected to the outlet hole opens to a window cut into the cylinder jacket between the seals, whereas the channels connected to the inlet holes connect the two frontal areas of the socket. In built-in position, the window is in a water-transporting connection with the outlet duct of the battery, whereas the flow-through channels communicate with the cold and warm water network. In the socket, opposite to the channel leading to the window, a coaxial seating (nest) is developed to which an electromagnetic valve unit is fixed from the opposite side of the battery cartridge overriding the window and fitted to the channel.  
       [0010] It can be seen that correspondingly to the aim set, according to the solution comprised in the invention, the battery cartridge forms a single unit, which may be any normal cartridge, and another self-contained unit is the assembly ensuring electromagnetic operation.  
       [0011] The supporting element of the assembly ensuring electromagnetic operation is the socket. Similar elements have been already applied in batteries. Such an element is shown e.g. in the patent description No. DE-0.780.523. This element is provided with two tilted, passing bore-holes connected to the inlet holes of the battery cartridge, whereas a third boring connects the outlet hole with the window cut into the middle third of the element. This boring runs from the upper front plane of the element only as far as the window, and has a uniform diameter in its whole length. The task of the element is to fix and seal the inlet tubes for cold and warm water applicable only in a tilted manner due to the design of the armature body of the battery; thus the socket according to the invention differs in both its form and its function from this element. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0012] The invention can be studied in more detail on the basis of the enclosed drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment.  
     [0013]FIG. 1 is a vertical section of the battery arranged according to the invention,  
     [0014]FIG. 2 illustrates the top view of the socket according to the invention,  
     [0015]FIG. 3 shows the section of the socket along III-III line of FIG. 2,  
     [0016]FIG. 4 shows the section of the socket along line IV-IV of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0017]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the battery according to the arrangement in the present invention. In the armature body  2  of battery  1 , there are a cylindrical space  3  open at the tope and a space  4  open at the bottom and having a smaller diameter than that of the cylindrical space  3 , divided by a flange  5 . The outlet tube  6  of the battery is connected to the cylindrical space  3  from the side.  
     [0018] A socket  7 , and above it a battery cartridge  8  is placed into the bottom part of the cylindrical space  3 . The cylindrical space  3  is closed from above by a lid  9 , which, at the same time, clamps the battery cartridge  8  and socket  7  to flange  5 . The arm of the battery is situated above the lid  9 , and this arm is fixed to the operating element of the battery cartridge  8 .  
     [0019] The inlet holes for cold and warm water (not seen in this Figure), and the outlet hole of the mixed water are to be found at the bottom of the battery cartridge  8 . The battery cartridge  8  has the traditional arrangement, it is not part of the invention, thus it is not necessary to describe it in more detail.  
     [0020] Socket  7 , as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and  4  in more detail, is a cylindrical body. In the jacket of socket  7 , about in its middle, a window  11  is to be found, which is essentially a seizing limited by plane surfaces.  
     [0021] In socket  7 , three channels are developed in a manner shown in FIG. 2. They are arranged so that the openings of channels  13  and  14  being in the upper front surface  12  of the socket  7  are in coverage with the inlet holes of battery cartridge  8 , whereas the opening of channel  15  is in coverage with the outlet hole  10  of the cartridge. Channels  13  and  14  are through-holes extending from the upper front plane  12  to the lower front plane  16 . Channel  15  is also a boring connecting the upper front plane  12  with the window  11 . Channels  13 ,  14  and  15  are not interconnected.  
     [0022] Opposite to channel  15 , on the other side of window  11 , a nest  17  is situated. Nest  17  is a threaded bore having a common axis with channel  15  and connecting window  11  with the lower front plane  16 . An electromagnetic valve  18  is fixed into nest  17 , which valve overrides window  11  and fits into channel  15 . Since the diameter of the electromagnetic valve unit  18  is larger than that of channel  15 , in channel  15  a section of larger diameter is developed from the direction of the window  11 , to which the electromagnetic valve unit  18  fits in a sealed manner.  
     [0023] In the jacket of socket  7 , beside window  11 , two circumpositioned grooves  19  are running around having fitting seals  10 , in the present case O-rings. The diameter of socket  7  fits the diameter of the cylindrical space  3 .  
     [0024] In this embodiment the window  11  is situated on socket  7  opposite to the outlet tube  6 , thus in the remaining part of the jacket of body  7 , a circumpositioned groove  21  is connected to window  11 , further this groove is also connected to window  11  by means of a boring  22 .  
     [0025] Between the battery cartridge  8  and socket  7 , a sealing disc  23  is placed. This could be prepared from the usual, totally elastic material, however, in our case it is a plastic disc having nests at the appropriate places for sealings  24 , which are expediently O-rings. Sealing disc  23  is adjusted to battery cartridge  8  by claws being on its flange.  
     [0026] Adjustment of the battery cartridge  8  and socket  7  occurs by pins (not shown in the Figures), which are fitted into the two blind holes  25  situated in the upper front plane  12  of socket  7 , and they are also fitted into similar blind holes (not shown) in the bottom of battery cartridge  8 .  
     [0027] It follows from the above that socket  7  fits sealed to the cylindrical part  3  of armature body  2  so that the space between the two seals  20 , and thus also window  11 , is connected to the outlet tube  6 . Network transport pipes transporting cold and warm water,  26  and  27  are placed into the armature body  2  from below into space  4 , said pipes fit sealed to the channels  13  and  14  of socket  7  at flange  5 .  
     [0028] The electromagnetic valve unit  18  is coupled to a heat sensor  28 , and is connected to an energy source  29 . The system also contains a control circuit, which can be built together either with the electromagnetic valve unit  18  or with the heat sensor  28 . Energy source  29  is in the present case a 9 Volt battery. Heat sensor  28  should be situated so that it could sense the hand under the outlet tube  6 . The most appropriate site is the lower part of outlet tube  6  seen in FIG. 1, but it can also be situated in the armature body  2 , below outlet tube  6 .  
     [0029] The functioning of battery  1  is as follows:  
     [0030] When out of use, the electromagnetic valve unit  18  keeps channel  15  closed, thus the mixed water cannot leave battery cartridge  8 , independently whether the control elements of battery cartridge  8  are in an opened or in closed position.  
     [0031] As soon as the user holds his/her hand under outlet tube  6 , the electromagnetic valve unit  18  opens as a response for the signal from the heat sensor  28 . If the amount and temperature of the water mixed by battery cartridge  8  is previously adjusted, then mixed water corresponding to these requirements will leave through the outlet hole  10  of battery cartridge  8 , which flows from channel  15  of socket  7  via the electromagnetic valve unit  18  to window  11 , from here into the outlet tube  6  of battery  1 . If battery cartridge  8  was still closed at the opening of the electromagnetic valve unit  18 , or it was not adjusted properly, it can be opened in the traditional manner, and the temperature of the mixed water can be adjusted in the same way.  
     [0032] When the user takes his/her hand away from below the outlet tube  6 , the signal from the heat sensor  28  ceases to exist, and the electromagnetic valve unit  18  closes.  
     [0033] Concerning the installation of the battery according to the invention it should be noticed that in case if flange  5  is of proper size, and the connecting joints of the electromagnet are not on its side, but on its ends, socket  7 , together with the electromagnetic valve unit  18  can be pushed into the cylindrical space  3  on its bottom. For installing the embodiment shown here, the electromagnet should be taken out from the electromagnetic valve unit  18 , and after pushing in the socket  7 , it can be installed. The valve unit without socket  7  and the electromagnet makes a complete assembly as well.  
     [0034] List of Signs  
     [0035] 1 —battery  
     [0036] 2 —aramature body  
     [0037] 3 —cylindrical space  
     [0038] 4 —space  
     [0039] 5 —flange  
     [0040] 6 —outlet tube  
     [0041] 7 —socket  
     [0042] 8 —battery cartridge  
     [0043] 9 —lid  
     [0044] 10 —outlet hole  
     [0045] 11 —window  
     [0046] 12 —front plane  
     [0047] 13 —channel  
     [0048] 14 —channel  
     [0049] 15 —channel  
     [0050] 16 —front plane  
     [0051] 17 —nest  
     [0052] 18 —electromagnetic valve unit  
     [0053] 19 —groove  
     [0054] 20 —seal  
     [0055] 21 —window  
     [0056] 22 —adjusting element  
     [0057] 24 —seal  
     [0058] 25 —adjusting space  
     [0059] 26 —network connection pipe  
     [0060] 27 —network connection pipe  
     [0061] 28 —sensor  
     [0062] 29 —energy source  
     [0063] The invention is characterized by FIG. 1