Shower control valve assembly

• US 5,441,075 A
• Filed: 10/14/1994
• Issued: 08/15/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG & Co. KG (LIXIL Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG (LIXIL Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Clare, Manamohan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hepperle, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US08/323,456
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 137/607, 137/100, 137/636.1, 137/98, 137/454.6, 137/597
• US Class Current: 137/454.6
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/074 with flat sealing faces
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/045 with pivotal obturating members
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1313 without temperature sensing element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2514 Self-proportioning flow systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7668 Retained by bonnet or closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87064 Oppositely movable cam surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multiple outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87692 With common valve operator

Abstract

The invention relates to a shower control valve assembly which includes a casing mountable in a wall with inlets for hot and cold water. A cartridge is insertable into the casing in one of two orientations so that the hot water inlet of the cartridge can be aligned with either one of the casing inlets, depending on which one is the hot water inlet. The casing has two outlets, one for the shower and the other for the tub. There is an integral bypass which takes water from the tub outlet to the shower outlet upon activation of a diverter valve. The cartridge is of the pressure and temperature balancing type, with water of the desired temperature flowing to the tub outlet and then to the tub or shower as desired. The cartridge uses a rotatable mixing valve disc having arcuate ports therethrough for hot and cold water, each port being alignable with a corresponding passage in the cartridge that communicates with an inlet chamber for water of the appropriate temperature. The thickness of the valve disc at each port diminishes from a maximum to a minimum and a cam surface is provided adjacent each port. Within each passage is an axially movable seat member that has an annular surface in constant contact with the cam surface and an opposite annular surface that is sealable against an O-ring held by a snap seal member to prevent water flow through the seat member and the mixing valve disc. The snap seal member allows water flow therepast and is biased towards the disc, but when the axially movable seat member is in sealing contact with the O-ring, no water can pass to or through the valve disc. With this configuration wear is minimized and it is not necessary to use toxic lubricants to maintain smooth action of the valve disc.

Claims

1. A shower control valve assembly comprising:

a casing having first and second water inlets and first and second water outlets therein;

a cartridge shell insertable into said casing and having first and second separate inlet chambers in respective communication with said casing inlets;

said inlet chambers being defined by an annular diaphragm member within said cartridge and a throttle valve unit centrally carried by said diaphragm;

first and second check valve means within said throttle valve unit to prevent or allow water flow into said inlet chambers;

wall means having first and second passages to the first and second chambers respectively;

a mixing valve disc rotatably mounted in said cartridge in abutting engagement with said wall means;

the casing having a discharge chamber on the side of said disc away from said inlet chambers and communicating with one of said water outlets; and

said disc having first and second ports co-operable with said passages to pass water from one or both of said inlet chambers to said discharge chamber;

each of said passages containing;

an annular axially movable seat member having a first annular surface in constant engagement with cam means adjacent the corresponding port in said disc and a second annular surface axially opposite the first annular surface; and

a snap seal member having retaining means engaging an internal flange of said passage, a button portion downstream of said retaining means, and an O-ring held by said button portion, said O-ring being sealingly engageable by said second annular surface to prevent water flow from the adjacent inlet chamber through the mixing valve disc.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said ports in said mixing valve disc is generally arcuate in form, with one being longer than the other, the thickness of the mixing valve disc diminishing smoothly between maximum and minimum values along the length of each arcuate port.

3. The valve assembly of claim 2 wherein said cam means for each port comprises a narrow, smooth cam surface extending along each arcuate edge of said port along the length thereof, said first surface of the adjacent axially movable member being biased towards said cam surfaces by water pressure in the passage containing the axially movable seat member.

4. The valve assembly of claim 3 wherein each said snap seal member retaining means includes a plurality of ears directed radially outwardly from below said button portion to overlie a downstream surface of said internal flange, a leg member directed axially away from said button portion in line with each ear, and a foot member directed radially outwards from each leg to overlie the upstream surface of said internal flange, said ears and said button portion defining an annular recess in which said O-ring is retained.

5. The valve assembly of claim 4 including a resilient, flexible wave spring positioned between said flange downstream surface and said snap seal member ears to bias said snap seal member in a downstream direction, towards said mixing valve disc.

6. The valve assembly of claim 1 in which said snap seal member and said axially movable seat member are moulded from a non-toxic plastics material.

7. A replaceable cartridge for a shower control valve assembly having a casing with first and second water inlets, first and second water outlets, and a discharge chamber communicating with one of the water outlets, said cartridge comprising:

a shell insertable into said casing and having first and second separate inlet chambers for respective communication with said casing inlets;

said inlet chambers being defined by an annular diaphragm member within said shell and a throttle valve unit centrally carried by said diaphragm;

first and second check valve means within said throttle valve unit to prevent or allow water flow into said inlet chambers;

wall means having first and second passages to the first and second chambers respectively; and

a mixing valve disc rotatably mounted in said cartridge in abutting engagement with said wall means, said disc having first and second ports co-operable with said passages to pass water from one or both of said inlet chambers to the casing discharge chamber;

each of said passages containing;

an annular axially movable seat member having a first annular surface in constant engagement with cam means adjacent the corresponding port in said disc and a second annular surface axially opposite the first annular surface; and

a snap seal member having retaining means engaging an internal flange of said passage, a button portion downstream of said retaining means, and an O-ring held by said button portion, said O-ring being sealingly engageable by said second annular surface to prevent water flow from the adjacent inlet chamber through the seat member and the mixing valve disc.

8. The cartridge of claim 7 wherein each of said ports in said mixing valve disc is generally arcuate in form, with one being longer than the other, the thickness of the mixing valve disc diminishing smoothly between maximum and minimum values along the length of each arcuate port.

9. The valve assembly of claim 8 wherein said cam means for each port comprises a narrow, smooth cam surface extending along each arcuate edge of said port along the length thereof, said first surface of the adjacent axially movable seat member being biased towards said cam surfaces by water pressure in the passage containing the axially movable seat member.

10. The valve assembly of claim 9 wherein each said snap seal member retaining means includes a plurality of ears directed radially outwardly from below said button portion to overlie a downstream surface of said internal flange, a leg member directed axially away from said button portion in line with each ear, and a foot member directed radially outwards from each leg to overlie the upstream surface of said internal flange, said ears and said button portion defining an annular recess in which said O-ring is retained.

11. The valve assembly of claim 10 including a resilient, flexible wave spring positioned between said flange downstream surface and said snap seal member ears to bias said snap seal member in a downstream direction, towards said mixing valve disc.

12. The valve assembly of claim 7 in which said snap seal member and said axially movable seat member are moulded from a non-toxic plastics material.