Pair of hard material plates for a sequential mixing valve

• US 6,135,152 A
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfons Knapp
• Original Assignee: Alfons Knapp
• Inventors: Knapp, Alfons
• Primary Examiner(s): FOX, JOHN C
• Application Number:
  US09/236,904
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.41, 137/625.46
• US Class Current: 137/625.41
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0746 with two or more closure plates comprising a single lever control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86823 Rotary valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86863 Rotary valve unit

Abstract

A pair of hard material plates form the control members for a sequential type mixing valve, the plates perform, during the control stroke, only a relative rotation around a rotation center, the fixed plate has two passage openings and the movable plate has at least one passage opening, the whole of a first portion of the fixed plate is located on one side of a first straight line passing through the rotation center is lacking in openings, both openings of the fixed plate occupy in their whole just less of a second portion of the fixed plate, lying with respect to the first straight line opposite the first portion of the fixed plate, both openings of the fixed plate are mutually separated by a rib having, at least in part, the minimum width needed for ensuring the seal, the whole of a first portion of the movable plate which is located on one side of a second straight line passing through the rotation center is lacking in openings, and the passage openings of the movable plate occupy in their whole only a part of a second portion of the movable plate, lying with respect to the second straight line opposite the first portion of the movable plate.

Claims

1. Control members of a sequential type mixing valve or valve cartridge comprising:

a pair of hard material plates for insertion into the sequential type mixing valve or valve cartridge,

a first of said pair of plates being a fixed plate and a second of said pair of plates being a movable plate contacting said fixed plate and rotatable around a rotation center,

said pair of plates arranged to perform, during a control stroke, only a relative rotation around the rotation center,

the fixed plate being subdivided by a first straight line passing through the rotation center into a first portion free of any openings and a second portion,

the second portion of said fixed plate being opposite the first portion and having two passage openings separated by a rib with a width for sealing at a contact with said movable plate, an area of the two passage openings being just less than an area of the first portion of said fixed plate,

said movable plate being subdivided by a second straight line passing through the rotation center into a first portion free of any openings and a second portion,

the second portion of said movable plate being opposite the first portion and having at least one passage opening, the at least one passage opening in its whole occupying only a part of the second portion of the movable plate.

2. The control members of claim 1, wherein each of the two passage openings of the fixed plate comprise a circular sector shape having a center in the center of the relative rotation of the pair of plates.

3. The control members of claim 2, wherein the circular sector comprises an angular extension of approximately 90°

.

4. The control members of claim 1, wherein at least the fixed plate is symmetrical with respect to a plane passing through said rib.

5. The control members of claim 1, wherein each of the fixed and movable plate comprise two passage openings, the two passage openings in the fixed plate being of approximately equal size to the two passage openings of the movable plate.

6. The control members of claim 5, wherein the fixed plate is identical to the movable plate.

7. The control members of claim 1, wherein the fixed plate and the movable plate are non-identical, and the movable plate has only a single passage opening in the shape of an arcuate slit.

8. The control members of claim 7, wherein the movable plate single passage opening has a asymmetrical shape, one end of the asymmetrical shape being larger in width than an opposite end of the asymmetrical shape.

9. The control members of claim 1, wherein the movable plate comprises two or more passage openings.

10. The control members of claim 1, wherein the fixed plate and movable plate are alignable to create, in the passage sections, a two-portion mixing stage, a first portion of the two-portion mixing stage being a constant cold water section and an increasing hot water section, and a second portion of the two-portion mixing stage being a constant hot water section and an decreasing cold water section.

11. The control members of claim 10, wherein said second portion of the two-portion mixing stage further comprises a shut-off position at an end of a control field.

12. A sequential-type mixing valve or valve cartridge comprising:

a valve body housing a fixed plate support;

a pair of hard material plates for insertion into the valve body;

a first of said pair of plates being a fixed plate mounted on the fixed plate support and a second of said pair of plates being a movable plate contacting said fixed plate and rotatable around a rotation center,

said pair of plates arranged to perform, during a control stroke, only a relative rotation around the rotation center,

the fixed plate being subdivided by a first straight line passing through the rotation center into a first portion free of any openings and a second portion,

the second portion of said fixed plate being opposite the first portion and having two passage openings separated by a rib with a width for sealing at a contact with said movable plate, an area of the two passage openings being just less than an area of the first portion of said fixed plate,

said movable plate being subdivided by a second straight line passing through the rotation center into a first portion free of any openings and a second portion,

the second portion of said movable plate being opposite the first portion and having at least one passage opening, the at least one passage opening in its whole occupying only a part of the second portion of the movable plate.

13. The valve of claim 12, wherein each of the two passage openings of the fixed plate comprise a circular sector shape having a center in the center of the relative rotation of the pair of plates.

14. The valve of claim 13, wherein the circular sector comprises an angular extension of approximately 90°

.

15. The valve of claim 12, wherein at least the fixed plate is symmetrical with respect to a plane passing through said rib.

16. The valve of claim 12, wherein each of the fixed and movable plate comprise two passage openings, the two passage openings in the fixed plate being of approximately equal size to the two passage openings of the movable plate.

17. The valve of claim 16, wherein the fixed plate is identical to the movable plate.

18. The valve of claim 12, wherein the movable plate comprises two or more passage openings and is non-identical to the fixed plate.

19. The valve of claim 12, further comprising:

a means for aligning the fixed plate and movable plate for creating, in the passage sections, a two-portion mixing stage,

a first portion of the two-portion mixing stage being a constant cold water section and an increasing hot water section, and

a second portion of the two-portion mixing stage being a constant hot water section and an decreasing cold water section,

wherein said second portion of the two-portion mixing stage further comprises a shut-off position at an end of a control field.