Water mixing valve apparatus
First Claim
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1. A mixing valve apparatus including:
- a mixing valve for mixing water from a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet and supplying the mixed water to a water outlet, the inlets and outlets being for connection to an external water system;
a valve servo for moving the position of the valve; and
a control system for operating the valve servo and thereby controlling flow from the water outlet;
wherein when the mixing valve is not used only for a very short period of time, the control system assumes that the conditions of the external water system have not changed and jump starts a start-up control loop to restore the valve to its position as previously used.
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Abstract
A mixing valve apparatus including a mixing valve for mixing water from a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet and supplying the mixed water to a water outlet the water inlets and outlets being for connection to an external water system, a valve servo for moving the position of the valve, a control system for operating the valve servo and thereby controlling at least the temperature at the water outlet, wherein the control system characterises the external water system in which the mixing valve is connected and optimizes control of the valve according to the characterisation.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A mixing valve apparatus including:
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a mixing valve for mixing water from a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet and supplying the mixed water to a water outlet, the inlets and outlets being for connection to an external water system;
a valve servo for moving the position of the valve; and
a control system for operating the valve servo and thereby controlling flow from the water outlet;
whereinwhen the mixing valve is not used only for a very short period of time, the control system assumes that the conditions of the external water system have not changed and jump starts a start-up control loop to restore the valve to its position as previously used.
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2. A mixing valve apparatus including:
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a mixing valve for mixing water from a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet and supplying the mixed water to a water outlet, the water inlets and outlets being for connection to an external water system;
a valve servo for moving the position of the valve;
a control system for operating the valve servo and thereby controlling at least the temperature at the water outlet;
whereinthe control system is capable of providing respective chracterizations for a plurality of external water systems, each characterisation providing an indication of outlet water temperature for mixing valve position on the basis of inlet water properties for the respective external water system, and the control system indentifes the characterization for the external water system in which the mixing valve is connected and optimizes control of the valve according to the characterisation. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19)
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13. A mixing valve apparatus including:
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a mixing valve for variably mixing hot and cold water, a valve servo for moving the mixing valve;
a control system for operating the valve servo so as to provide a desired mixed water temperature; and
a control panel remote from the mixing valve and valve servo for providing a control signal to the control system to select the desired temperature;
whereinthe control system includes a maximum temperature selector by which a user may specify a maximum mixed water temperature selectable by the control panel; and
whereinthe control panel includes a display of selectable mixed water temperatures, the display only showing temperatures up to the selected maximum mixed water temperature and the display has a fixed predetermined extent, the scale of which is varied according to the selected maximum mixed water temperature.
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16. A mixing valve apparatus including:
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a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet;
a mixing valve for mixing water received at the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet and supplying the mixed water to a water outlet, the inlets and outlets being for connection to al external water system;
a valve servo for moving the position of the valve; and
a control system for operating the valve servo and thereby controlling flow from the water outlet, the control system including a temperature sensor for providing an indication of the temperature at the water outlet and a control loop for comparing the desired temperature with that provided by the temperature sensor so as to operate the valve servo;
whereinthe control system additionally includes a transient detector for determining from the temperature indicated by the temperature sensor transients in the properties of the water received at the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet and overriding the control loop to control the valve servo in the event of a transient.
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20. A mixing valve apparatus including:
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a mixing valve for mixing water from a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet and supplying the mixed water to a water outlet, the inlets and outlets being for connection to an external water system;
a valve servo for moving the position of the valve; and
a control system for operating the valve servo and thereby controlling flow from the water outlet;
whereinthe control system includes an error detection circuit for detecting at least one of the following;
failure of a temperature sensor providing an indication of the temperature at the outlet;
failure of a selected intermediate maximum temperature for delivery from the outlet, and disconnection of a control panel for controlling the control system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 30)
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26. A mixing valve apparatus including:
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a mixing valve for mixing water from a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet and supplying the mixed water to a water outlet, the inlets and outlets being for connection to an external water system;
a valve servo for moving the position of the valve; and
a control system for operating the valve servo and thereby controlling flow from the water outlet;
whereinthe control system stores information relating position of the valve and valve servo to temperature at the outlet such tat, upon start-up, when a desired temperature is selected the valve servo is initially operated to move the valve to the position stored for the selected temperature.
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27. A mixing valve apparatus including:
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a mixing valve for variably mixing hot and cold water;
a valve servo for moving the mixing valve;
a control system for connection to a remotely located control panel and for operating the valve servo so as to provide a desired mixed water temperature according to the control panel wherein the control system includes an input port suitable for connection selectively to an analogue control panel and a digital control panel. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification