Patent ID: 7163157

Claim:
An automatic compensating valve comprising: a body including a bore extending into the body along an axis from an open end to an end wall of the body, and a cold water inlet, a hot water inlet, and a mixed water outlet communicating with the bore through the end wail of the bore; a base element received in the bore of the body and including an end wall received over the end wall of the bore and defining orifices disposed in registration with the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet of the valve body, wherein a mixed water chamber connected to the mixed water outlet is partially located between a sidewall of the base element and the body; an annular seat cage coaxially received in the bore of the body and secured in an open end of the base element, wherein the mixed water chamber extends through an opening of the seat cage; a plunger coaxially received within the base element and movable along the axis between engagement with the end wall of the base element and the seat cage to control flow between the cold water orifice and the mixed water chamber, and between the hot water orifice and the mixed water chamber, and wherein the plunger and The orifices are arranged so that, when the plunger is axially moved towards the bottom wall of the base element, hot water flow is decreased and cold water flow is increased, and when the plunger is axially moved towards the seat were, hot water flow is increased and cold water flow is decreased; a spring biasing the plunger towards engagement with the seat cage; a stem coaxially extending into the bore of the body and including a valve surface for engagement with the seat cage for controlling mixed water flow to the mixed water outlet of the body; a wax element axially extending between the stem and the plunger, wherein the wax element is adapted to increase in axial length when heated and decrease in axial length when cooled; and an annular fixed cartridge nut coaxially fixed in position between the body and the stem, wherein the stem is in threaded engagement with the fixed cartridge nut such that rotation or the stem with respect to the fixed cartridge nut causes the stem to move axially within the body, whereby rotation of the stein controls the mixture of hot and cold water as well as the flow of mixed water.