Patent ID: 6926205

Claim:
A valve assembly for receiving hot and cold water streams and providing a mixed output stream at a preselected temperature, comprising: a tempering valve, comprising: a housing defining a cold fluid port, a hot fluid port, an outlet port, a cold fluid inlet for receiving a fluid at a first temperature, a hot fluid inlet for receiving a fluid at a second temperature greater than said first temperature, a first bore, and a second bore having upper and lower portions, wherein said hot fluid inlet has a hot fluid check valve disposed therein which allows flow from said hot fluid inlet to said second bore but prevents flow in the opposite direction; a cylinder disposed in said first bore in fluid communication with said cold fluid port, said hot fluid port, and said outlet port, said cylinder having upper and lower sealing edges and a cylinder seal which prevents fluid communication between said hot and cold water ports; a temperature-responsive element connected to said cylinder and operative to move said cylinder so as to control the relative proportions of flow from said hot and cold water ports to said outlet port for maintaining a preselected fluid temperature; a fluid supply failure protection valve, comprising: a hollow sleeve disposed in said second bore, said sleeve having open upper and lower ends, and a plurality of side ports formed through the lateral surfaces thereof, said side ports forming a transverse flow path through said sleeve, said sleeve movable between a first position which permits flow communication between said hot fluid inlet and said hot fluid port, and a second position in which flow communication between said hot fluid inlet and said hot fluid port is blocked; an upper biasing means disposed in said second bore above said sleeve, so as to urge said sleeve towards said first position; a piston disposed in said sleeve, said piston movable between a closed position in which the flow of fluid from said cold fluid inlet to said hot fluid port is blocked and an open position in which flow communication is permitted from said cold fluid inlet to both of said hot and cold fluid ports; a lower biasing means disposed in said sleeve between said lower end of said sleeve and said lower face of said piston, said lower biasing means urging said piston towards said open position, wherein: said sleeve moves to said first position in the presence of fluid pressure in said cold fluid inlet, and moves to said second position in absence of fluid pressure in said cold fluid inlet; and said piston moves to said closed position in the presence of fluid pressure in said hot fluid inlet, and moves to said open position in response to the absence of fluid pressure in said hot fluid inlet.