Patent ID: 8327882

Claim:
A water faucet comprising: a faucet having a main body portion, a discharge segment and a handle that an operator actuates to deliver water at a desired temperature through the discharge segment; a cartridge assembly positioned within the main body portion, the cartridge assembly including: a housing defining an internal chamber; a lower disk positioned within the chamber, the lower disk having a cold water inlet, a hot water inlet and a mixed water outlet; an intermediate disk positioned adjacent the lower disk within the chamber, the intermediate disk having a recessed mixing cavity extending inward from a lowermost wall that slidingly contacts the lower disk, the intermediate disk further having a dual lobe heart-shaped sealing element that extends radially inward from a side wall to provide the mixing cavity with an arcuate configuration, the intermediate disk having a diameter that is less than a diameter of the lower disk; an upper disk positioned adjacent the intermediate disk within the chamber, the upper disk having a central aperture and at least one engaging member that operably couples the upper disk to the intermediate disk; a seat positioned adjacent the upper disk within the chamber, the seat having a central opening; a joystick having an shaft extending through the seat opening and through the housing for connection with handle, the joystick further having a depending actuator that is received in the upper disk aperture to operably connect the joystick to the upper disk; and, wherein actuation of the handle and joystick results in movement of the upper disk and the intermediate disk whereby the position of the mixing cavity relative to the hot and cold water inlets and the water outlet is varied; and wherein when an operator moves the handle to attain a warm water discharge position, the intermediate disk is moved relative to the lower disk such that the arcuate mixing cavity is aligned with (a) a portion of both the cold water and hot water inlets to allow for the entry and simultaneous mixing of both cold and hot water into the mixing cavity, and (b) the water outlet hole of the lower disk to allow for the discharge of warm water from the mixing cavity.