Control insert for sanitary mixer valves

• US 4,617,965 A
• Filed: 05/06/1985
• Issued: 10/21/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hans Grohe GmbH & Co. KG.
• Original Assignee: Hans Grohe GmbH & Co. KG.
• Inventors: Lorch, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohan, Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivell, John A.
• Application Number:
  US06/730,804
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.17, 137/625.4, 137/625.41
• US Class Current: 137/625.17
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0782 Single-lever operated mixing valves with closure members having flat sealing faces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86549 Selective reciprocation or rotation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86815 Multiple inlet with single outlet

Abstract

A control disk insert for a one-lever mixer valve contains two preferably, planar disks, whereof one fixed disk has at least one opening zone for hot water and at least one opening zone for cold water. The control disk facing the fixed control disk and movable with two degrees of freedom can both completely close and continously completely open the opening zones in the fixed control disk. The opening zones of the fixed control disk and the control edges of the movable control disks are constructed in such a way that the control disk insert has two completely separated, independently operating, but mechanically coupled controlsystems. Both control systems can be used for a common water outlet, or for two separate water outlets.

Claims

1. A control insert for a sanitary mixer valve having means for connection to hot water and cold water supplies and having at least one outlet, the control insert comprising:

a fixed control surface which can be connected to water inlet ports of the valve, the fixed control surface having openings defining at least one opening zone for cold water and at least one opening zone for hot water from the supplies;

a movable control surface cooperating with the fixed control surface with two degrees of freedom, and a mixer lever connected to the movable control surface for controlling quantity and mixing ratio as a function of relative position of the fixed and movable control surfaces, movement of the control surfaces controlling alignment of openings in the movable control surface with at least one of the opening zones and the at least one water outlet, wherein at least two separable mechanically coupled mixing flow paths are defined, the flow paths each having controllable connection to the hot water and cold water supplies.

2. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the two mixing flow paths lead to a common water outlet.

3. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein each of the mixing flow paths leads to a single water outlet, which water outlet is separate from a water outlet of an other mixing flow path.

4. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the movable control surface has an outer open control edge movable across the inlet ports for controllably mixing water along one of the mixing flow paths and an inner closed control edge mechnically coupled to the outer control edge and movable across the inlet ports for controlling the second mixing flow path.

5. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the fixed control surface has in each case two opening zones for each control system.

6. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein two opening zones for each of the mixing flow paths diametrically face one another.

7. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the fixed control surface also has openings defining a path to a water outlet.

8. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the fixed and movable control surfaces are surfaces of planar controlled disks.

10. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein a control edge bounds a clearance issuing into the control surface and closed towards the other side of the control disk.

11. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein both mixing flow paths have at least partly corresponding control characteristics.

12. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein facing opening zones extend over roughly equal angles.

13. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein facing opening zones have cross-sections of different areas.

14. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the mixing flow paths are each defined by two adjacent alignable opening zones having equal cross-sections, a control edge of one of the opening zones being movable across the other alignable opening zone to define a the mixing flow path.

15. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the mixing flow paths have different control characteristics.

16. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the control surfaces are spherical surfaces.

17. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein an opening zone is defined by a plurality of openings.

18. A control insert according to claim 1, wherein the controlled flow paths are mechanically coupled to bring about simultaneously variable control processes.

9. A control insert according to cliam 1, wherein a control edge at least partly defines an opening passing through an associated disk.

19. A sanitary mixer valve with a fixed control surface connectable to water inlet ports of the valve, the fixed control surface having at least one opening zone for cold water and at least one opening zone for hot water, a control surface movable with respect to said fixed control surface with two degrees of freedom, a mixer lever attached to the movable control surface for controlling quantity and mixing ratio between the opening zones and at least one out port as a function of position, and wherein:

the fixed and movable control surfaces define at least two separable mechanically coupled controlled mixing flow paths.