Patent Publication Number: US-11662030-B2

Title: Flow control switch valve

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/452,774, filed Jun. 26, 2019, which claims priority to and the benefit of Chinese Utility Model No. 201821004489.X, filed Jun. 27, 2018, both of which are incorporated herein by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present application relates to the field of bathroom plumbing technologies, and more particularly, to a flow regulating switch valve for use in faucets and the like. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the sanitary industry, existing faucets mostly use ordinary valve cores, and the flow of water increases with the increase of a water pressure. A water discharge amount is regulated by an opening angle of the handle, or the flow is restricted using a flow restrictor. An improper opening position of the handle may result in wasting of water, and the flow restrictor may be easily blocked and can be inconvenient to use. 
     It would thus be advantageous to provide a faucet that includes a mechanism that can not only control the opening and closing of the valve, but which can also regulate the flow of water from the valve. These and other advantageous features will become apparent to those reviewing the present disclosure. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary embodiment relates to a flow regulating switch valve that includes a control key and a valve core comprising a switch assembly and a diaphragm assembly. The control key is configured to press and control the switch assembly, and the switch assembly is configured to drive the diaphragm assembly to open or close a water outlet. The valve core further comprises a flow regulating assembly that comprises a rotating ring, a sliding block, and a magnet. The rotating ring is connected with the control key in a synchronous rotation manner. The rotating ring comprises an inclined plane that transitions from high to low and is configured to drive the sliding block to slide up and down when rotating such that the sliding block drives the magnet to move up and down. The magnet is configured to control the diaphragm assembly to regulate a size of the water outlet. 
     Another exemplary embodiment relates to a flow regulating switch valve that includes a valve core that includes a switch assembly configured to drive a diaphragm assembly to open or close a water outlet, and also includes a flow regulating assembly that comprises a rotating ring, a sliding block, and a magnet. A control key is configured to control the switch assembly. The rotating ring is connected to the control key and includes an inclined plane that transitions from high to low and is configured to drive the sliding block to slide up and down such that the sliding block drives the magnet to move up and down. The magnet is configured to control the diaphragm assembly to regulate a size of the water outlet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present disclosure will be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. In the drawings: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a flow regulating switch valve according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded view of the flow regulating switch valve shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded view of a valve core of the flow regulating switch shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of the valve core of the flow regulating switch valve in a maximum flow state according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the valve core of the flow regulating switch valve in a minimum flow state according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG.  6    is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve core of the flow regulating switch valve in one orientation of the maximum flow state according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG.  7    is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve core of the flow regulating switch valve in another orientation of the maximum flow state according to an exemplary embodiment; 
         FIG.  8    is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve core of the flow regulating switch valve in one orientation of the minimum flow state according to an exemplary embodiment; and 
         FIG.  9    is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve core of the flow regulating switch valve in another orientation of the minimum flow state according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present application aims to provide a flow regulating switch valve for a faucet, which can not only control the opening and closing of the valve, but can also regulate the flow of water. In this manner, the concepts disclosed herein are intended to overcome certain defects such as those described above in existing systems. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment described herein, a regulating switch valve includes a control key and a valve core. The valve core includes a switch assembly and a diaphragm assembly. The control key is configured to press and control the switch assembly, and the switch assembly is configured to drive the diaphragm assembly to open or close a water outlet. The valve core further comprises a flow regulating assembly that includes a rotating ring, a sliding block, and a magnet. The rotating ring is connected with the control key in a synchronous rotation manner, and comprises an inclined plane that is gradually transited from high to low. The inclined plane of the rotating ring is configured to drive the sliding block to slide up and down when rotating. The sliding block drives the magnet to move up and down, and the magnet is configured to control the diaphragm assembly to regulate a size of the water outlet. The rotating ring comprises a ring body, and a lower surface of the ring body is provided with the inclined plane. The sliding block is provided with a convex strip extending along a vertical direction, and an upper surface of the convex strip is contacted with the inclined plane. 
     Further, the valve core further comprises a valve cap and a valve seat. The valve cap is provided with a circular arc-shaped guide table, and the rotating ring is sleeved on an outer surface of the valve cap. The ring body extends downwardly to form a guide bulge, and a lower surface of the guide bulge is contacted with an upper surface of the guide table. The guide bulge slides along the guide table when the rotating ring rotates, and the guide table is configured to limit the rotating ring so that an axial position of the rotating ring is unchanged. 
     Each of the ends of the guide table extends upwardly to form a limiting bulge, and the limiting bulge is configured to limit the guide bulge to slide in the guide table. Further, the limiting bulge is provided with a sliding groove along a vertical direction. The convex strip of the sliding block passes through the sliding groove. The upper surface of the convex strip is contacted with the inclined plane of the rotating ring, and the convex strip can slide up and down along the sliding groove. 
     The valve seat is provided with a guide groove, and a lower end of the convex strip is inserted into the guide groove. A compression spring is mounted between a lower surface of the sliding block and the valve seat, and the compression spring is configured to keep the convex strip in contact with the inclined plane. 
     Further, the control key is cylindrical, and an inner wall surface of the control key is provided with a limiting groove along a vertical direction; and an outer circumference surface of the ring body is further provided with a mounting lug matched with the limiting groove, the mounting lug can slide along the limiting groove in a vertical direction, the limiting groove is configured to limit a circumferential movement of the mounting lug, and the limiting groove drives the mounting lug of the rotating ring to rotate when the control key rotates. 
     Further, the valve core further comprises a fixing ring and an elastic sheet, and the fixing ring mounts the elastic sheet on the valve core; and an upper surface of the ring body is provided with at least one section of saw teeth, and the saw teeth are contacted with a lower surface of the elastic sheet. 
     Further, the flow regulating switch valve further comprises a housing and a nut, and the nut tightly locks the valve core into the housing. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the rotating ring is driven to rotate through the control key. When rotating, the rotating ring drives the sliding block to slide up and down, then the sliding block drives the magnet to move up and down, and the magnet is configured to control the diaphragm assembly to regulate the size of the water outlet, thereby regulating an opening size of the water outlet. The opening or closing of the water outlet is controlled by pressing the control key, and then a water discharge amount of the water outlet is regulated by rotating the control key, which not only can control the opening and closing, but also can regulate the flow. 
     Before turning to the figures, which illustrate certain exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1  to  3   , a flow regulating switch valve includes a control key  10  and a valve core  20 . The valve core  20  includes a switch assembly  1  and a diaphragm assembly  2 . The control key  10  is configured to press and control the switch assembly  1 . The switch assembly  1  is configured to drive the diaphragm assembly  2  to open or close a water outlet. The valve core  20  further includes a flow regulating assembly  3 , the flow regulating assembly  3  further includes a rotating ring  31 , a sliding block  32  and a magnet  33 , the rotating ring  31  is connected with the control key  10  in a synchronous rotation manner, the rotating ring  31  includes an inclined plane  311 , the inclined plane  311  is gradually transited from high to low, the inclined plane  311  of the rotating ring  31  is configured to drive the sliding block  32  to slide up and down when rotating, the sliding block  32  drives the magnet  33  to move up and down, and the magnet  33  is configured to control the diaphragm assembly  2  to regulate a size of the water outlet  4 . 
     The embodiment includes two control methods. 
     The first method is to press and control by the control key  10 , wherein the switch assembly  1  is controlled by pressing the control key  10 . The switch assembly  1  drives the diaphragm assembly  2  to move up and down, and the diaphragm assembly  2  controls the opening or closing of the water outlet  4  (see  FIG.  7   ). 
     Operation of the switch assembly switch assembly  1  is similar to a pressing switch mode of a ballpoint pen. When pressing the control key  10 , the switch assembly  1  is pressed down, and when the diaphragm assembly  2  is pressed down, the water outlet  4  is blocked; when lifting the control key  10 , the switch assembly  1  is lifted, and the diaphragm assembly  2  opens the water outlet  4 . 
     A second control method is to rotationally control the control key  10 , wherein the rotating ring  31  is driven to rotate by rotating the control key  10 , and the inclined plane  311  on the rotating ring  31  is in contact with the sliding block  32 . The rotating ring  311  is rotated only in the same axial direction, and pushes the sliding block  32  in the up-down direction due to a change in a contact portion of the inclined plane  311  and the sliding block  32 . When the sliding block  32  is in contact with a highest point of the inclined plane  311 , the sliding block  32  is at a highest position, the magnet  33  in the sliding block  32  is also at the highest position, the magnet  33  drives the diaphragm assembly  2  to move up, the diaphragm assembly  2  opens the water outlet  4  to the largest at the moment, and the water discharge amount is also the largest. When the sliding block  32  is in contact with a lowest point of the inclined plane  311 , the sliding block  32  is at a lowest position, the magnet  33  in the sliding block  32  is also at the lowest position, the magnet  33  drives the diaphragm assembly  2  to move down, the diaphragm assembly  2  opens the water outlet  4  to the smallest at the moment, and the water discharge amount is also the smallest. 
     The embodiment drives the rotating ring to rotate by the control key; when rotating, the rotating ring drives the sliding block to slide up and down, then the sliding block drives the magnet to move up and down, and the magnet is configured to control the diaphragm assembly to regulate the size of the water outlet, thereby regulating an opening size of the water outlet. The utility model controls the opening or closing of the water outlet by pressing the control key, and then regulates a water discharge amount of the water outlet by rotating the control key, which not only can control the opening and closing, but also can regulate the flow. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG.  3   , the rotating ring  31  includes a ring body  312 , and a lower surface of the ring body  312  is provided with the inclined plane  311 . 
     The sliding block  32  is provided with a convex strip  321  extending along a vertical direction, and an upper surface of the convex strip  321  is contacted with the inclined plane  311 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , the upper surface of the convex strip  321  is in contact with the highest point of the inclined plane  311  at the moment. As shown in  FIG.  5   , the upper surface of the convex strip  321  is in contact with the lowest point of the inclined plane  311  at the moment. 
     In this embodiment, two convex strips  321  and two inclined planes  311  are provided. 
     Optionally, only one or other numbers of the convex strips  321  and the inclined planes  311  may be provided. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG.  3   , the valve core  20  further includes a fixing ring  8  and an elastic sheet  9 , wherein the fixing ring  8  mounts the elastic sheet  9  on the valve core  20 . 
     An upper surface of the ring body  312  is provided with at least one section of saw teeth  315 , and the saw teeth  315  are contacted with a lower surface of the elastic sheet  9 . 
     The fixing ring  8  and the elastic sheet  9  are fixed, and when the rotating ring  31  rotates, the saw teeth  315  push the elastic sheet  9  to increase a rotational hand feeling. 
     Optionally, the fixing ring, the elastic sheet, and the saw teeth may not be provided. 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  1  to  2   , the flow regulating switch valve further includes a housing  30  and a nut  40 , and the nut  40  tightly locks the valve core  20  into the housing  30 . 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  3  to  5   , the valve core  20  further includes a valve cap  5  and a valve seat  6 . 
     The valve cap  5  is provided with a circular arc-shaped guide table  51 , the rotating ring  31  is sleeved on an outer surface of the valve cap  5 , the ring body  312  downwardly extends out of a guide bulge  313 , a lower surface of the guide bulge  313  is contacted with an upper surface of the guide table  51 , the guide bulge  313  slides along the guide table  51  when the rotating ring  31  rotates, and the guide table  51  is configured to limit the rotating ring  31  so that an axial position of the rotating ring  31  remains unchanged. 
     Specifically, the guide table  51  is a plane on a horizontal plane, and the lower surface of the guide bulge  313  is also a plane on the horizontal plane. Since the guide table  51  is fixed to the valve cap  5 , a position of the guide table  51  is fixed. When the guide bulge  313  slides along the guide table  51 , the axial position of the rotary ring  31  is limited to be unchanged, that is, the rotating ring  31  is rotated only on the same horizontal plane, rather than moving up and down in the axial direction. 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  3  to  5   , two ends of the guide table  51  upwardly extend to form two limiting bulges  52 , and the limiting bulges  52  are configured to limit the guide bulge  313  to slide in the guide table  51 . 
     The two limiting bulges  52  are configured to limit the limiting position of the guide bulge  313  in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions of the guide table  51 , so that the guide bulge  313  cannot slide out from the guide table  51 , and a maximum rotation angle of the control key  10  is also limited. 
     Preferably, the maximum rotation angle of the control key  10  is 90 degrees. 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  3  to  5   , the limiting bulge  52  is provided with a sliding groove  53  along a vertical direction, the convex strip  321  of the sliding block  32  passes through the sliding groove  53 , the upper surface of the convex strip  321  is contacted with the inclined plane of the rotating ring  31 , and the convex strip  321  can slide up and down along the sliding groove  53 . 
     The sliding groove  53  limits the sliding block  32  to slide only in the up-down direction and cannot be rotated. The sliding block  32  can only be driven to slide up and down by the rotating ring  31 . 
     Further, as shown in  FIG.  6   , the valve seat  6  is provided with a guide groove  61 , and a lower end of the convex strip  321  is inserted into the guide groove  61 . 
     The guide groove  61  is configured to position the sliding block  32 , the lower end of the convex strip  321  of the sliding block  32  is inserted into the guide groove  61 , and the guide groove  61  provides a sufficient space for the up and down movement of the convex strip  321 . An upper end of the convex strip  321  passes through the sliding groove  53  of the valve cap  5 , and is in contact with the inclined plane  311 . 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  6  to  7   , a compression spring  7  is mounted between a lower surface of the sliding block  32  and the valve seat  6 , and the compression spring  7  is configured to keep the convex strip  321  in contact with the inclined plane  311 . The compression spring  7  is accommodated in a cavity between the valve seat  6  and the sliding block  32  such that the rotating ring  31  can always drive the sliding block  32  to move up and down. 
     Further, as shown in  FIGS.  4  to  5    and  FIGS.  7  to  8   , the control key  10  is cylindrical, and an inner wall surface of the control key  10  is provided with a limiting groove  101  along a vertical direction. 
     An outer circumference surface of the ring body  312  is further provided with a mounting lug  314  matched with the limiting groove  101 , the mounting lug  314  can slide along the limiting groove  101  in a vertical direction, the limiting groove  101  is configured to limit a circumferential movement of the mounting lug  314 , and the limiting groove  101  drives the mounting lug  314  of the rotating ring  31  to rotate when the control key  10  rotates. 
     When the control key  10  is pressed, the limiting groove  101  moves up and down, the mounting lug  314  does not move in the limiting groove  101 , and a height of the limiting groove  101  is greater than a height of the mounting lug  314 . 
     When the control key  10  rotates, the limiting groove  101  drives the mounting lug  314  to rotate together, thereby controlling the rotating ring  31  to rotate. 
     As described herein, according to an exemplary embodiment in which the flow regulating operation is operated in a maximum flow state, with reference to in  FIG.  4    and  FIGS.  6  to  7   , when rotating the control key  10  in a forward direction, the control key  10  drives the rotating ring  31  to rotate. When the highest point of the inclined plane  311  of the rotating ring  31  is in contact with the convex strip  321 , the sliding block  32  rises to the highest position. At this time, the magnet  33  also rises to the highest position. The magnet  33  drives the diaphragm assembly  2  to also rise to the highest position, and the diaphragm assembly  2  opens the water outlet  4  to the maximum. A direction indicated by an arrow in  FIG.  7    is a direction of a water flow. 
     In the minimum flow state, with reference to  FIG.  5    and  FIGS.  8  to  9   , when rotating the control key  10  in the reverse direction, the control key  10  drives the rotating ring  31  to rotate. When the lowest point of the inclined plane  311  of the rotating ring  31  is in contact with the convex strip  321 , the sliding block  32  drops to the lowest position. At this time, the magnet  33  also drops to the lowest position. The magnet  33  drives the diaphragm assembly  2  to also drop to the lowest position, and the diaphragm assembly  2  opens the water outlet  4  to the minimum. 
     When the water outlet  4  needs to be closed, the water outlet  4  can be closed by pressing the control key  10  downward. When the water outlet  4  needs to be opened again, the water outlet  4  can opened by pressing the control key  10  downward, and then the flow is regulated by rotating the control key  10 . 
     The descriptions above are merely principles and exemplary embodiments of the concepts described herein. It should be noted that those of ordinary skill in the art may make a plurality of other modifications based on these principles, and these modifications shall also fall within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as recited in the appended claims. 
     It should be noted that the term “exemplary” and variations thereof, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples). 
     The term “coupled” and variations thereof, as used herein, means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members coupled directly to each other, with the two members coupled to each other using a separate intervening member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one another, or with the two members coupled to each other using an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. If “coupled” or variations thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of “coupled” provided above is modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term (e.g., “directly coupled” means the joining of two members without any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower definition than the generic definition of “coupled” provided above. Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic. 
     The term “or,” as used herein, is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is understood to convey that an element may be either X, Y, Z; X and Y; X and Z; Y and Z; or X, Y, and Z (i.e., any combination of X, Y, and Z). Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to each be present, unless otherwise indicated. 
     References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below”) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. 
     Although the figures and description may illustrate a specific order of method steps, the order of such steps may differ from what is depicted and described, unless specified differently above. Also, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence, unless specified differently above. Such variation may depend, for example, on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations of the described methods could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps. 
     It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the components as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Additionally, any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated or utilized with any other embodiment disclosed herein. Although only one example of an element from one embodiment that can be incorporated or utilized in another embodiment has been described above, it should be appreciated that other elements of the various embodiments may be incorporated or utilized with any of the other embodiments disclosed herein.