Method of fabricating a hollow body and a hollow body

• US 6,073,975 A
• Filed: 01/20/1998
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hansgrohe AG
• Original Assignee: Hansgrohe AG
• Inventors: Katzer, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): BINDA, GREGORY JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/008,797
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 366/181.5, 366/340, 138/42, 138/44, 285/123.1, 285/124.1, 285/915, 165/DIG. 162
• US Class Current: 285/123.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1403 characterised by the type of electromagnetic or particle radiation B29C65/1603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1438 focusing the wave energy or particle radiation on the interface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/16 Laser beams
• 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: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/00 Construction of housing methods for welding housings B23K; Use of materials therefor

Abstract

A hollow body and method for making the same are proposed for a sanitary fitting such as a mixing valve for hot and cold water lines. The hollow body may be fabricated as a simple sheet material part and contains water guides in its interior. The water guides are produced by inserting a simple sheet material part into the interior of the hollow body. The sheet material part is fixed in place and subsequently welded to the inner side of the hollow body. Welding can be done more particularly with the aid of a laser enabling the weld to be made from the outer side of the hollow body, as a result of which, welds can be produced at positions which would otherwise not be accessible.

Claims

1. A hollow body structured for mixing hot and cold water in a sanitary fitting to provide mixed water, the hollow body comprising:

an outer shell made of sheet material and formed with a hot water inlet, cold water inlet and a mixed water outlet;

a first insert part arranged in an interior of said outer shell and connected to an inner side of said outer shell from the outer side thereof, wherein the first insert part forms a first water conduit at least partially between the first insert part and the outer shell and said hot, water inlet opens into said first water conduit;

a first chamber in fluid communication with the first water conduit, wherein the cold water inlet opens into the first chamber;

a second insert part arranged in the interior of said outer shell and connected to the inner side of said outer shell, wherein the second insert part forms a second water conduit at least partially between the second insert part and the outer shell and said mixed water outlet opens into said second water conduit, wherein the first insert part is formed with a first passage and the second insert part is formed with a second passage, said first and second passages being in fluid communication, thereby defining a third water conduit; and

a second chamber, wherein second water conduit and the third water conduit are in fluid communication with the second chamber, whereby hot water when flowing through the hot water inlet into the first water conduit and into the first chamber, and cold water when flowing through the cold water inlet into the first chamber, thereby form mixed water, which mixed water flows through the third water conduit to the second chamber and the second fluid conduit and to the mixed water outlet.

2. The hollow body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first insert part is connected to the inner side of the outer shell via one of a laser weld and an electron beam weld.

3. The hollow body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second insert part is connected to the inner side of the outer shell via one of a laser weld and an electron beam weld.

4. The hollow body as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first insert part is connected to the inner side of the outer shell via a weld formed through to the first insert part from an outer side of the outer shell.