Mixing valve

• US 10,041,234 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Original Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Inventors: Peel, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanchez-Medina, Reinaldo
• Application Number:
  US15/786,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20180051448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/18 Roses; Shower heads with means for adding soap or the like E03C1/046; jet regulators E03C1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/24 incorporating means for heating the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/24 Applying particulate materials
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/006 Arrangements or methods for cleaning or refurbishing water conduits
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/074 Arrangement of water treatment devices
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/075 Arrangement of devices for control of pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/078 Combined units with different devices; Arrangement of different devices with respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/02 Plumbing installations for fresh water
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0404 Constructional or functional features of the spout
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0409 Shower handles
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/044 having a heating or cooling apparatus in the supply line water heaters, e.g. with continuous flow, F24H
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/44 Details of seats or valve members of double-seat valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/22 with an actuating member for each valve, e.g. interconnected to form multiple-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/24 with an electromagnetically-operated valve, e.g. for washing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/00 Arrangements of valves and flow lines specially adapted for mixing fluids multiple-way valves F16K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/0263 multiple way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/04 using a motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 49/002 : Electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/00 : Pipe-line systems conveying articles or materials through a pipe- line by means of a fluid carrier B65G51/00, B65G53/00; liquids B67D; special devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers into vehicles or boats or vice versa, e.g. loading or unloading vehicles or portable containers B67D7/00; conveying material which has been excavated by a dredger or soil shifter through a pipe-line E02F7/10; sewer pipe-line systems E03F3/00; thermal insulation of pipe-lines F16L59/00; central heating systems F24D
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/13 : characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/16 : Controlling mixing ratio of fluids having different temperatures, e.g. by sensing the temperature of a mixture of fluids having different viscosities
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 : characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1858 : by varying the mixing ratio of fluids having different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 : specially adapted for fluid materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 : Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0329 : Mixing of plural fluids of diverse characteristics or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 : Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0424 : Liquid cleaning or flushing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6606 : With electric heating element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7759 : Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8376 : Combined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 : Systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 : Programmer or timer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87668 : Single actuator operates plural flow control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87684 : Valve in each inlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87692 : With common valve operator

Abstract

A mixing valve having a housing and first and second flow control valves. The housing has a mixing chamber, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The first flow control valve controls fluid flow through the first outlet to the mixing chamber, and the second flow control valve controls fluid flow through the second outlet to the mixing chamber. The first and second outlets each have a size so that the mixing valve has a flow coefficient of approximately 2.5 in a mid-open position of both flow control valves, and the housing has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, and the largest of these dimensions is no more than approximately 65 millimeters.

Claims

1. A mixing valve comprising:

a housing having a first outlet, a second outlet, and a mixing chamber;

a first flow control valve for controlling flow through the first outlet to the mixing chamber; and

a second flow control valve for controlling flow through the second outlet to the mixing chamber;

wherein the first and second outlets each have a size so that the mixing valve has a flow coefficient of approximately 2.5 when both the first and second flow controls valves are in a mid-open position, and

wherein the housing has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, and the largest of these dimensions is no more than approximately 65 millimeters.

2. The mixing valve of claim 1, wherein the mixing valve has a flow rate of approximately 25 liters per minute at 1 bar when both flow control valves are in the mid-open position.

3. The mixing valve of claim 2, wherein the first and second outlets each have a diameter of approximately six millimeters.

4. The mixing valve of claim 3, wherein the housing includes a cold water inlet, which has two outlets into the mixing chamber including the first outlet, and a hot water inlet, which has two outlets into the mixing chamber including the second outlet.

5. The mixing valve of claim 4, wherein the first flow control valve comprises:

a first valve member; and

a second valve member that is separate from and spaced apart from the first valve member;

wherein the first and second valve members engage the two outlets of the cold water inlet in a closed position.

6. The mixing valve of claim 5, wherein the second flow control valve comprises:

a first valve member; and

a second valve member that is separate from and spaced apart from the first valve member of the second flow control valve;

wherein the first and second valve members of the second flow control valve engage the two outlets of the hot water inlet in a closed position of the second flow control valve.

7. The mixing valve of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises:

a cold water inlet having two outlets into the mixing chamber including the first outlet; and

a hot water inlet having two outlets into the mixing chamber including the second outlet.

8. The mixing valve of claim 7, wherein the first flow control valve comprises two spaced apart valve members that engage the two outlets of the cold water inlet in a closed position of the first flow control valve, and wherein the second flow control valve comprises two spaced apart valve members that engage the two outlets of the hot water inlet in a closed position of the second flow control valve.

9. The mixing valve of claim 8, wherein the first flow control valve comprises a spool and the two valve members are fixedly mounted to the spool of the first flow control valve, and wherein the second flow control valve comprises a spool and the two valve members are fixedly mounted to the spool of the second flow control valve.

10. The mixing valve of claim 9, further comprising:

a first motor coupled to the housing and to the spool of the first flow control valve so that the first motor moves the spool of the first flow control valve linearly relative to the housing between the closed position and a full open position, with the mid-open position being at the mid-point between the closed and full open positions; and

a second motor coupled to the housing and to the spool of the second flow control valve so that the second motor moves the spool of the second flow control valve linearly relative to the housing between the closed position and a full open position, with the mid-open position being at the mid-point between the closed and full open positions.

11. The mixing valve of claim 1, further comprising an electrically powered heating device that is located within a bore of the housing and is configured to heat a waterway inside the housing to a temperature sufficient to kill bacteria present in the waterway.

12. The mixing valve of claim 11, further comprising an electronic controller that is coupled to the housing and controls operation of the heating device, wherein the controller disables the mixing valve during heating of the waterway by the heating device.

13. A valve for faucets and shower heads, the valve comprising:

a housing having a mixing chamber, a cold water inlet chamber having two outlets into the mixing chamber, and a hot water inlet chamber having two outlets into the mixing chamber;

a first flow control valve having two valve members that each engage one of the two outlets of the cold water inlet chamber in a closed position of the first flow control valve; and

a second flow control valve having two valve members that each engage one the two outlets of the hot water inlet chamber in a closed position of the second flow control valve;

wherein the two outlets of each flow control valve have a size so that the valve has a flow coefficient of approximately 2.5 when both flow control valves are in a mid-open position.

14. The valve of claim 13, wherein the housing has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, and the largest of these dimensions is no more than approximately 65 millimeters.

15. The valve of claim 14, wherein the valve has a flow rate of approximately 25 liters per minute at 1 bar when both flow control valves are in the mid-open position.

16. The valve of claim 15, wherein the two outlets of the cold water inlet chamber each has a diameter of approximately six millimeters, and the two outlets of the hot water inlet chamber each has a diameter of approximately six millimeters.

17. The valve of claim 13, wherein the two valve members of the first flow control valve are fixedly mounted to a first spool, and wherein the two valve members of the second flow control valve are fixedly mounted to a second spool.

18. The valve of claim 17, further comprising:

a first motor configured to move the first spool and the two associated valve members in a first linear direction relative to the housing between the closed position and a full open position of the first flow control valve; and

a second motor configured to move the second spool and the two associated valve members in a second linear direction relative to the housing between the closed position and a full open position of the second flow control valve.

19. The valve of claim 18, wherein the first linear direction is parallel to the second linear direction so that the first and second flow control valves are arranged side by side in parallel and on opposite sides of the mixing chamber.

20. The valve of claim 15, further comprising an electrically powered heating device that is located within a bore of the housing and is configured to heat a waterway in the housing to a temperature sufficient to kill bacteria present in the waterway.