Sanitary fittings

• US 5,095,944 A
• Filed: 11/30/1990
• Issued: 03/17/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KWC AG (Michael Pieper, MBA)
• Original Assignee: KWC AG (Michael Pieper, MBA)
• Inventors: Hochstrasser, Ferdinand
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US07/620,789
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 137/606, 137/607, 137/595, 251/65, 251/38
• US Class Current: 137/607
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/18 with separate operating movements for separate closure members
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/3855 the discharge being effected through the diaphragm and being blockable by a mechanically-actuated member making contact with the diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87161 With common valve operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87692 With common valve operator

Abstract

The fitting has a valve (18) for cold water and a valve for (sic) (20) for hot water. Arranged fixedly on the closure part (38) interacting with the valve seat (42) is the auxiliary valve seat (56) of the relevant auxiliary valve (52, 54). The closure element (58) can be displaced in the direction of the axis (30) from the idle position shown into the desired limiting position by displacement of the control pin (82) in the direction of the axis (78'"'"') and by rotation of the same about the axis (78'"'"'). The auxiliary valves (52, 54) are thereby opened which leads to a pressure drop in the pilot control space (40). The closure parts (38) are lifted from the valve seats (42), by which means the water can flow from the inlet (22, 22'"'"') into the outlet (48, 48'"'"'). When the valve (18, 29) is opened, the gap between the O-ring (66) and the auxiliary valve seat (56) thus becomes smaller. This results in a pressure balancing occurring between the pilot control space (40) and the other side of the closure part (38). The quantity of water flowing through a valve (18, 20) is thus determined by the limiting position of the closure element (58). The fitting thus no longer requires a mixing valve, the temperature of the mixed water flowing out through the water outlet head (28) is determined by the quantity of cold and hot water released by the valves (18, 20).

Claims

1. A sanitary fitting having at least one hydraulically operable valve arranged between an inlet and an outlet for releasable blocking of a flow of water through the fitting, the hydraulic control circuit of which valve is connected to the inlet and the outlet and has an auxiliary valve with an auxiliary valve seat which is movable together with the closure part of the valve and a closure element interacting with said auxiliary valve seat, it being possible for the closure element of the auxiliary valve to be brought by means of a drive arrangement out of an idle or rest position, in which it rests on the auxiliary valve seat when the valve is closed, for opening the valve into an open position, in which it is lifted from the auxiliary valve seat when the valve is open, and to be brought to rest on said auxiliary valve seat again for closing the valve and to be moved back into the idle position resting on said auxiliary valve seat, wherein the closure part (38) is of diaphragm-shaped or piston-shaped construction and interacts with a valve seat (42) arranged on the one side of the closure part (38), wherein, on the other side, a pilot control space (40) is provided which is connected to the inlet (22, 22'"'"') and can be connected via the auxiliary valve (52, 54) to the outlet (48, 48'"'"') and separated from the latter, in which pilot control space there is arranged the closure element (58) interacting with the auxiliary valve seat (56) arranged on the closure part (38) and in effective connection by means of a transmission member (64) with a drive part (111) of the drive arrangement (71), wherein the closure part (38) has a control passage (60'"'"') which is connected to the outlet (48, 48'"'"') and bounded by the auxiliary valve (52, 54) on the pilot control space side, wherein the transmission member (64) is passed through the control passage (60'"'"'), and wherein the valve seat (42) is of annular construction and bounds an outflow path connected to the outlet (48, 48'"'"'), the wall of which outflow path has in the region of this end of the transmission member (64) a diaphragm-shaped wall part (50) which can be deflected to actuate the auxiliary valve (52, 54) from the side opposite the transmission member (64) acting on the latter.

2. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive arrangement (71) has a spring element (70) prestressing the closure element (58) in the direction toward the auxiliary valve seat (56) and the closure element (58) is displaceable against the force of the spring element (70) by means of the drive part (111).

3. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive part (111) has a guide shoe (80) which is located opposite the transmission member (64) relative to the wall part (50), is displaceable in the operating direction (30) of the transmission member (64) and interacts with a control cam arrangement (82).

4. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, which has two valves (18, 20) each connected to an inlet (22, 22'"'"') for the cold and the hot water and to the outlet (48, 48'"'"') for releasable blocking of the relevant cold and hot water flow and a common drive arrangement (71) for both valves.

5. The fitting as claimed in claim 4, wherein the two valves (18, 20) are arranged symmetrically to each other with transmission members (64) directed toward each other and can be actuated by means of a common control cam arrangement (82).

6. The fitting as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control cam arrangement has a control shaft (82) which extends approximately at right angles to the operating direction (30) of the transmission members (64) and is displaceable in the direction of its longitudinal axis (78'"'"'), on which control shaft a preferably conical control surface (82'"'"'") is formed for displacing the closure elements (58).

7. The fitting as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control shaft (82) can be rotated about its longitudinal axis, (78'"'"') and the control surface (82'"'"') is of asymmetrical construction in relation to this longitudinal axis (78'"'"') in order to adjust the temperature of the mixed water flowing through the outlet (28) by rotating the control shaft (82) and to adjust the outflowing quantity of the mixed water by displacing the control shaft (82).

8. The fitting as claimed in claim 1 having a device for adjusting the quantity of water flowing through the valve per unit of time, wherein the closure element (58) can be brought by means of the drive arrangement (71) into a limiting position (58'"'"') between the idle and the open positions and retained there for only partial opening of the valve (18, 20) corresponding to the desired quantity of water flowing per unit of time.

9. The fitting as claimed in claim 8, wherein the limiting position (58'"'"') is infinitely adjustable between the idle position and the open position.